Animal Kingdom
I belong to a group in the Church called HMG (House Meeting Group), which goes out evangelizing, reaching out to those who are in need. On one of our visits, we discovered a place that was previously called “Animal Kingdom.” The name was later changed to “Paradise,” so that the people living there would understand that they are not animals but human beings.
Trying to tell someone about Jesus on an empty stomach wouldn’t do much, so we organised a day where we had a “party” for them and gave them food hampers. Visiting these people was a very shocking thing for me to see and experience, because I never knew that human beings lived like that – I mean under a bridge, in shacks with dirty, mosquito infested water, with rubbish everywhere, and toilets that are outside in the bush.
The worst sight of all is the children who have to grow up in that environment, being uneducated, tossed back and forth, being influenced by their surroundings and copying the things that they see the adults doing. During our visits, I’ve had many shocking encounters that brought tears to my eyes. Once, when we left the main road and walked between the bushes, I prayed silently all the way, saying “Please Lord, don’t let any snakes come my way!” At the place where we normally meet, I saw some of the guys roasting a very big lizard.
They had also killed a large snake. When I asked my husband what they were doing, he replied that these animals were food for them. Today, we have a number of people who have left this place, because they have given God the chance to work in their life, but there is still so much to do. We are currently putting together a documentary, which we will use to raise funds to build a hostel where those who seriously want to change their lives will stay for a while until they are able to stand on their own.
ACCOUNT OF DONNA, NIGERIA
