I'M DAN, I BRING BACK

STORIES OF

PEOPLE'S LIVES.

I HAVE A MASTERS IN

ANTHROPOLOGY AND

LOVE LEARNING ABOUT PEOPLE

AND I HAVE

SEEN EARTHQUAKE AFTERMATH IN

HAITI AND

WALKED THE SHEPHERD FIELDS OF

THE

"HOLY LAND".

NOW I WANT TO SPEND HOURS

WITH THE

FAMILIES AND WHO, WITH THEM

AND EAT

WITH THEM AND UNDERSTAND WHAT

THEY GO

THROUGH STRUGGLING TO IS

SURVIVE ONE 1

DAY AT A TIME.

LESS THAN A HUNDRED FAMILIES

LIVE IN A

SMALL CHRISTIAN VILLAGE IN

CENTRAL

NIGERIA.

AS WOMEN SHELL LOCUST BEANS,

THE PAST

OR TOOK ME AROUND THE HOME.

IS THIS YOUR FAMILY?

HELLO AGNES.

HIS WIFE AGNES JUST HAD A

BABY FOUR 4

DAYS EARLIER.

THERE WAS A NEW ADDITION TO

THE FAMILY.

AS THEY SHOWED ME THEIR HOME,

I

REALIZED THEY HAD A GUEST

ROOM.

COULD I BE YOUR GUEST.

I WAS REALLY SURPRISED

WHEN YOU

CAME TO MY HOUSE.

WE HAD VERY LITTLE AND I WAS

VERY

WORRIED OF YOUR PRESENCE.

I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO FEED

YOU BUT I

WAS HAPPY YOU WANTED TO BE MY

FRIEND.

WHEN I SAW A WHITE MAN

FROM THE

UNITED STATES COMING INTO OUR

HOUSE, I

COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT WAS

HAPPENING.

THAT NIGHT I SHARED A

SIMPLE MEAL

WITH HIS AND HIS FAMILY AND

SOON IT

WAS TIME FOR BED.

I'M PRETTY WELL-SET FOR

THE EVENING.

THE MATTRESS IS IS NICE AND

THICK AND

I'M PRETTY COMFORTABLE AND

I'M NOT

EVEN USING MY JACKET FOR A

PILLOW

BECAUSE IT WAS COOKING IN

HERE.

IT'S ABOUT 80 DEGREES INSIDE.

IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG HOT

NIGHT, BUT

IN THE MORNING I'M READY TO

WAKE UP

FOR A HARD DAY'S WORK.

AS THE SUN ROSE IN THE

MORNING, THE

WOMEN AND CHILDREN STARTED

THEIR MILE

LONG WALK TO THE WATERING

HOLE.

SINCE AGNES JUST HAD A

BABY, I'M

GOING WITH THEM.

THE WATER MAYBE DESCRIBED AS

DIRTY

BATH WATER.

WITH ANIMALS ALL OVER I CAN

IMAGINE

WHAT'S IN THE LITTLE POND.

I ENTERTAIN THE CROWD WITH

MY BASIC

BALANCING SKILLS. THE MILE

BACK FELT A

WHOLE LOT LONGER WITH 30

POUNDS OF

WATER ON MY HEAD.

WITH BARELY SUN RISE IT WAS

ALREADY

100 DEGREES.

I COULD NOT BE A WOMAN IN

AFRICA.

YOU GOT YOUR WATER, AGNES.

APPARENTLY I WAS THE ONLY ONE

WHO

WASN'T USED TO WALKING TWO

MILES 2

MILES TO HAVE WATER.

SHE'S NOT EVEN WINDED.

I FEEL LIKE I'M GOING TO DIE.

EVERYDAY

FIRES HAVE TO BE MADE TO BOIL

WATER

AND COOL. FOR BREAKFAST ALL

WE HAD WAS

A TRADITIONAL CORNMEAL DRINK.

I SAW THE KIDS PLAY WITH TOYS

OF DOLLS

WITH MILK BOTTLES AND HAIR

EXTENSIONS.

I WENT TO THE CARPENTRY SHOP

WHERE HE

MAKES FURNITURE.

BY NOON IT WAS 120 DEGREES. I

WAS

SURPRISED TO SEE THAT MONDAY

DID ALL

HIS WORK WITH HAND TOOLS.

I USED TO WORK AND SOMEONE

CALLED

ME AND SAID MY TOOLS HAD BEEN

STOLEN

AND I COULD NOT AFFORD TO

REPLACE

THEM.

THIS IS ANOTHER ROOM OF

THE HOUSE

THAT I DIDN'T SEE DURING THE

ORIGINAL

TOUR.

AGNES HAD THIS SHOP SET UP

AND THE

ONLY ONE IN THE ENTIRE

VILLAGE, BUT

SHE HAD AN APPENDIX OPERATION

AND SOLD

EVERYTHING THEY HAD.

THAT EVENING THE STORM

BLEW IN AND

DROWNED OUT THE FIRE.

I KNEW THEY DIDN'T HAVE MUCH

SO I

BOUGHT THEM DINNER.

THEN I THOUGHT ABOUT WHAT WE

CAN DO

FOR MONDAY AND HIS FAMILY THE

NEXT DAY.

THE FIRST THING WE DID WAS

DEDICATE A

NEW WELL THAT CBN HAD JUST

DUG.

THE WATER IS CLEAN AND AROUND

THE

CORNER FROM MONDAY AND AGNES'

HOME.

I WENT TO BUY TOOLS AND THEN

WE HAD A

SHOP. BACK AT THE HOUSE WE

GAVE ALL

THE SUPPLIES TO MONDAY AND

AGNES AND I

GAVE THE GIRLS TWO NEW DOLLS.

THANK YOU.

THEN WE SET UP AGNES' SHOP.

NEWS ABOUT HER GRAND

REOPENING SPREAD

QUICKLY THROUGH THE VILLAGE.

MY NEW SHOP IS BETTER THAN

BEFORE.

NOW IT'S LIKE WHAT I ALWAYS

WANTED IT

TO BE.

MONDAY GOT RIGHT TO WORK

WITH HIS

NEW TOOLS.

IT'S MUCH BETTER THAN IT

USED TO BE

WITH MY NEW TOOLS I WORK

TWICE AS FAST

AND I DON'T HAVE TO STRUGGLE

AS MUCH.

NOW THEY ARE MAKING MORE

MONEY THAN

THEY USED TO AND THEY ARE

GOOD PEOPLE.

AS LONG AS THEY SUCCEED THEY

WILL DO

THE BEST THEY CAN.

I'M THANKFUL TO CBN FOR

ALL YOU

HAVE DONE FOR US.

MAY GOD GRANT YOU YOUR

HEART'S DESIRE.

I'M VERY GRATEFUL.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE WOULD

HAVE DONE

IF YOU HAD NOT COME OUR WAY.

THANK YOU.