We Nigerians love visiting each other at home because it is a sign of friendship and, more importantly, a sign of acceptance. Anyone who will take the time to visit a Nigerian at home is showing that the person matters to them. Let me give you a few tips on how you can build relationships and benefit yourself and your friends through visiting.

All of us are busy, often complaining about being busy and tired, but that is exactly what makes visiting special.  It shows that you can take time out of your busy day to go to a person’s house and chat with them and try to get to know them. In our ministry, we need to take the time to visit at least some of the people we work with.

Nigerians are generally aware of the western culture where a person needs to call before they visit a friend or else need to be invited first.  This makes us Nigerians unsure of whether to visit missionaries the way we do culturally or wait to be invited first.  To avoid an awkward situation, most Nigerians will play it safe by not visiting a missionary unless invited.  The best way to encourage Nigerians to visit you is by visiting them first.  

This is what visiting does:

• Visiting increases the bond of friendship.  It shows that we care and we want to know people more.
• Nigerians will be more open with you when you visit them in their homes.  This shows us that you are friendly and willing to be part of our culture.  It opens the door for Nigerians to come and visit you also.
• The best way to make friends with Nigerians is to take time to go to their houses and get to know them and their family.  Before you know it, you become part of their family.
• Visiting exposes foreigners to the Nigerian culture practically.  You learn faster what to do and what not to do.
• Learning how to speak Hausa, Pidgin English or any other language requires practice. When you visit Nigerians in their homes, you begin to catch casual phrases and words used at home that you might not be taught in class.
• Visiting a Nigerian at home speaks louder than words.  It shows that people matter more to you than events.

I hope we will create time to visit the people we work with, those we have become close to and also Church members.  People are the reason why we are here and visiting them will say more than the words we will utter.