I took a chance and decided to keep the Feast in an unfamiliar place, traveling alone, to the massive continent of Africa. I began the journey anxious, frazzled, not quite knowing what to expect. This trip was out of my comfort zone. 

Yet, this Feast was outstanding! What I found when I arrived was that the same familiar spirit that binds God’s family together in unity. 

Each day we attended services the Nigerian brethren wore bright, beautiful colors of the native Nigerian attire. They wore the traditional formal clothing of each person’s native tribe. Needless to say, this contributed to the beauty and diversity of Christ’s body. The messages during the Feast were all in English as Nigerians speak the Queen’s English. The messages were inspiring and instructive. Each speaker added layers to the theme of this year’s Feast: “God’s Vision for You.”

One day after services Oludare Akinbo, Paul Ogundipe, Nnamdi Aninye and myself took a machete, a backpack of supplies and attempted to climb a large hill near the resort. We took turns using a machete to cut our own path up the steep hill. It was a grueling process cutting our own path and it was extremely time-consuming. Midway up the hill we were surprised to hear the sound of children’s voices high up the hill. Paul called out to them and they responded by saying, “Over here!” We followed the children’s voices until we reached a wide well-beaten path going straight up to the top. We practically skipped up to the summit. The view on the summit was stunning. One could see for miles and could see the whole city of Ilesha laid out like a map. The next day we took 40-plus Feastgoers up the hill to see the view. Of course, we started with the path we cut down the previous day! 

Since all the brethren stayed together in the resort and shared meals twice a day, there were many moments to get to know each other. Fellowship would often go late into the night. Hearing about other’s challenges and struggles that we face in our daily lives was galvanizing. It was encouraging to hear about each other’s lives. Some stories made one want to cry, others made one want to jump for joy! At times one was left marveling at God’s hand in each of our lives.

Those moments of fellowship are what is treasured most from the Feast and I never felt like an outsider amongst the brethren. They treated me like a brother. There was a special sense of family this Feast and I am looking forward to being reunited with the Nigerian brethren at a future Feast. If you would like to feel this sense of brotherhood, please consider going to Nigeria next year.