Challenger 2010 Concluded!

18 People (16 Nigerians and 2 Americans) had a great adventure this last December 23rd to 31st in the open, wide, rocky and mountainous plains of Monguna district in Jos, Plateau State of Nigeria. The temperature was about 15 degrees celcius most of the stay except the last three days when we had as low as 5 degrees celcius. Our base camp was at about 4,500 feet above sea level on a 1,450 feet high mountain.

There were 5 staff, with the two Americans (Mark Mickelson and Paul Moody from Spokane, Washington) adding their considerable experience and skills to the success of the program. The temperature was low enough that even our friends from the temperate region of the US had to put on their jackets! 

Orienteering and Map reading class handled by Paul Moody

Cold enough for the American but obviously much more so for the Nigerian!

Paul Moody and Mark Mickelson, from Spokane, USA

Hiking and backpacking (Mark and Dare had packs of 2 ladies who had blisters and toe injury)

A beautiful sunrise on Tee's Mountain

Mr. Gunwa Ibirogba beside the Akinbo's Tent

Mark Mickelson on the Rock!

The Team near Manguna Lake

One Strong and agile old man on the rocks!

Hiking in from Tenti at night! 

Key Activity Instructors

One nice and tasty roasted goat head coming up! 

Light moment playing scrabble

Activities included backpacking, map reading (using a topo map and a google satellite map), orienteering and a whole series of discussion and lectures aimed at developing all of us into hardy adventurers who never say never,. are commited to developing the heart of a servant in their environment and communities, serving selflessly for the joy of serving, learning to internalize and personalize all the excellent skills and information they have been blessed with and of course seeing themselves pushed to and beyond the limits of their expected endurance and setting newer, greater limits and discovering we can be indomitable, strong, commited to excellence and whatever task we assign ourselves. All participants showed themselves not of those who "faint in times of stress" as Prov 24:10 mentioned.

The daily campfire discussions and strong bond of family and friendship built is one to be experienced and not talked about! We also had a buffet night and a night of roasted goat meat!

Church service in the mountains provided us with the best church setting in all the world that week we believe! You need to see the pictures to agree with me!


Experiences of participants will be put here as soon as they are sent in. keep on keeping on! May you have a day of adventure!

Oludare Akinbo, Challenger co-ordinator.

Mr. Paul Ogundipe's Challenger 2009 Experience

The Challenger Camp 2009 was to me a different ball game entirely. It was a total immersion type of programme.  The experience was indeed awesome and very challenging. The entire event brought to life in a focused way and with awesome, amazing clarity what Woodrow Wilson wrote in his essay about maturity titled "When a Man Comes to Himself". He wrote that a man comes to himself "When he has left off being wholly preoccupied with his own power and interests and every petty plan that centers in himself; when he has checked his eyes to see the world as it is and his own true place and function in it"

It was an adventure all the way and an opportunity to learn and learn and learn. As Mr Wilson said, it was an opportunity to discover myself. To push myself beyond and above the limit. It ended up making things I would have considered extraordinary to look and feel ordinary.

The road trip that was supposed to be 15 hours and ended up being more than 36 hours taught me a lot about patience tolerance and endurance. A hard lesson I could not have learnt in the comfort of my home. The beautiful and lovely scenery of the open plains and range land interspersed with rocky outcroppings and hills, with streams, ditches and lakes make me stand in awe of what I have been missing in my modern jungle. Truly, God’s invisible nature is clearly seen by the things He created.

The cold temperature, which was way beyond what I would call my comfort zone showed me how our Father cares for people in different places. Noticeable is the cactus fence grown by the natives to protect their farms from roaming cattle and goats etc. It also makes me to see the need to be well bonded with those I call friends and share my faith with. This circle of friends will help form a defense against the fiery darts of the adversary, who is said to be like the roaring lion seeking whom he may devour, just the same way the cactus fence keeps out the vermin and cattle that would have come to destroy the hard work and well cultivated fields and farms of the natives.

All the activities were well planned and executed, designed for their specific purposes. Compass checks, rock climbing, group discussion, orienteering, pot luck and camp fire were just great. For the first time in my life, I kept the Sabbath service on an open ground and on a mountain top with the beauty of God’s creation as a backdrop, the warmth of the sun and cold breeze on my face and my family in Christ all around me. It was a super great experience!

Walking around with my backpack weighing about 25kg stuffed with basic necessities of life reminds me of the need to count the cost and carry our own cross and follow Christ through the journey of life. And doing so willingly, without complaining.

The whole experience is worth having again and again and again.

Paul Ogundipe is an Economist and Computer Enthusiast living and working in Lagos. 

Mr. Olawale Lawal's Challenger 2009 Experience

CHALLENGER 2009 LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME

The "CHALLENGER 2009 Leadership Programme" was a blend of challenging, interesting, fun-filled, educative, spirit-uplifting, and eventful experience. According to the initiator and organizer of the programme (Adventurer Oludare Akinbo), it was primarily meant to be a programme to inculcate leadership qualities in young adults of the United Church of God, Nigeria Congregation. I found the programme meeting this objective perfectly.

One striking thing I'll always appreciate about the programme is the beauty of unadulterated nature. Beholding the beautiful scenery of mountains and hills, interspersed with green vegetation, streams and lakes, couple with cool breeze devoid of urban contamination, made me to really appreciate nature, and the Creator of nature (i.e. GOD) better. Observing the sunrise and sunset from a high altitude was another striking natural beauty to me, which I really appreciate GOD for. I always enjoy viewing the snapshots of the sunrise and sunset on my mobile phone. Observing Sabbath Worship/Service under the mountain shades, and enveloped by cool natural breeze was spirit-rejuvenating!

The climbing of mountains with heavy backpack was not an easy task, but we were able to surmount the challenge, with encouragement from fellow adventurers on the trip. This taught me that a leader must be ready to survive in all circumstances, NEVER giving up at the slightest challenge. 

I learnt that a good leader does not see problems, but challenges. When one views a problem as a challenge, one is encouraged to provide solution to the seemingly problematic situation. All the hassles we faced on the journey, such as vehicle breakdown, delay in getting to the programme venue were all teaching us lesson about endurance. 

I also enjoyed the buffet night in which we gathered together all the food cooked individually by participants. We really had a sumptuous meal that night. What a memorable night of "Rice Pororo".

One major challenge that I faced during the programme was the discomfort I went through in breathing at high altitude. I observed some cracks on my nose, coupled with a peppery sensation in my nostrils. I need to prepare better next time. Above all, I can confidently say: NO REGRETS!!!

Olawale N. LAWAL is a Lecturer at the Dept. of Computer Technology, Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, Nigeria.