Journey to Africa

Sandboarding

2009-11-13T12:06:00.000-08:00

So earlier this week, a group of us went sandboarding near the capital. Actually, they went sandboarding while Melissa and I watched. I didn't participate for a couple of reasons: First, I was wearing a skirt and that would just have been asking for trouble... :) Second, something about sliding down a huge hill on a piece of wood didn't really appeal to me.

But, it was worth it to watch the others and to admire the beautiful scenery!! I am so amazed at God's creativity and beauty through creation!! Here are some pictures from the day!

Our shadows on the sand...

What amazing views!! God is so good! Praise Him for He is worthy!

Thoughts...

2009-10-10T11:55:00.000-07:00

Well, rainy season has come to an end. Which means that our mini hot season has begun! October is always fun – being able to re-live the unbearable heat from April and May. Fortunately, this time we have cooler weather to look forward to after our battle with the heat. Around the middle of November, things should begin to cool down. I have to admit – I CAN’T WAIT for that to happen!!

So I finally have a vehicle to drive around. Unfortunately, it’s a “stick-shift.” Which means I have to overcome some anxiety each time I get in it. Although, I’m not doing nearly as bad as I imagined. Of course, so far, I’ve only driven it early in the morning when no one else is around and only in my neighborhood. But, that’s where the practice begins and confidence builds until soon, I’ll be driving like a pro all through town! At least that’s what I keep telling myself… J

A few weeks back, I was able to purchase a package of hangers for my clothes (up until then I had exactly 2 hangers to my name). I can’t tell you how excited I was when I got them back to my house and began hanging up all of my clothing! J After my initial excitement began to wear down, I looked at myself in the mirror and laughed. Only in a place like Niger would one get so excited over hangers!! But living here, I can think of many other times something so simple and commonplace in America has made me overjoyed!! J I guess that’s why for our Christmas lists here you’ll find things like a package of pens, band-aides, and notebooks without grid paper!

So I suppose my message for you today is to enjoy every blessing, no matter how small it may seem. For the Father has blessed us immensely! May we be such a blessing to those around us.

The bus ride...

2009-07-17T08:19:00.000-07:00

Let me take you on a little journey - the experience of a bus ride in Niger....

I got up early because I had to be at the bus station at 6:00 am. Now, they told me that the bus wouldn't arrive until 7 but for some unknown reason, I had to be there an hour early. I wanted to ask them if they were going to serve breakfast while I waited...but I probably wouldn't have enjoyed anything they gave me anyway!!

So, 6:00 and I begin my wait. As I wait, more people begin showing up and the pile of luggage grows. By 7:00, there is a whole group of us waiting and a small mountain of luggage. Shortly after the hour, one bus comes but continues on past....it's full. A few minutes later, two more buses come and stop. They begin to try to figure out where they are going to fit all the luggage. I wait and wait until finally, the bus man looks at me and says "Rakia!! Come!"

I give him my ticket and work at finding a seat on the already crowded bus. I finally find a seat - sandwiched between two men. I get settled and find that neither of the men are willing to give up any space - even if it's being taken from what should be my seat.

So, we begin our journey...we have several stops along the way. At the bigger stops, the bus pulls into a compound and people can get out and buy food, water, etc. I tend to stay on the bus because it has been known to leave people behind...

We get about halfway and my friend calls. So I try to hear her over the roar of the motor, the babies crying and other people talking. From that point on, my phone no longer works.

A few hours later, the bus stops - I look up and realize that we have stopped in the middle of nowhere - not a good sign. People begin getting out and I watch as they stand watching the driver and his helpers do something underneath the bus. Before long, those watching begin to find areas of shade to sit down - also not a good sign! Finally I make my way off the bus and watch as they fiddle with something about the oil.

30 minutes later we get it fixed and load up again. We continue down the road - me squished in between these two men. I hear people's phones ringing but each time I check mine, it says no signal.

So, as we approach our second to last stop, I begin to realize that it will be dark when I arrive in Niamey. But, can I call anyone to tell them? No...my phone, still no signal. We begin the home stretch at about 6:00 pm. By this point, I'm tired of heat, body odor, babies crying, people staring.....I'm ready to be off the bus!!

FINALLY at 8:00 PM we arrive in Niamey - Total travel time: 13 hours!!!

And then, just when I think I'm too tired and miserable to continue, the Father places in my path a taxi man who speaks Hausa and happens to be from my town. Our conversation on the way to the Guesthouse - mostly about Jesus!! Praise the Lord for giving us those opportunities to share when we feel we are at our weakest moments - those are the times we allow God to speak for us the most!!

More pictures...

2009-07-16T13:26:00.000-07:00

Ok...here are a few more pictures for you to enjoy...

One is a great example of how beautiful our God is!! I love taking pictures of the amazing African sky!

There is also a picture of me with a little baby who was just born a few weeks ago. This was taken at her "suna" (which means baby naming ceremony). This is a ceremony one week after the birth in which the baby is officially given it's name. A sheep or goat is sacrificed and people come from all over to see the baby and greet the family.

There's a picture of me and one of my new friends...

And a couple of pictures of the amazing artwork of these beautiful African children!! They can put anything to use in making their toys!!

Pictures of my new home!!

2009-07-16T13:09:00.000-07:00

Ok...not sure how this commentary will go with the pictures but here are some pictures of my house. As you can see, I have quite the garden growing in my yard! I have mango trees, other trees I don't know and even a banana tree!! As of yet, I haven't seen any fruit on them but my guard faithfully waters them every few days!

One picture is a view of the front of my house...yes, it's quite big!! But I will have a partner joining me in January so it won't be just me forever. There is also a picture of my living room and my bedroom. I also have a nice kitchen, two bathrooms (although only one of them has a toilet right now) and I even have a little foyer!! :) Yep, i'm roughing it out here!!! Seriously, the Lord has been good in providing for me.

Random observations from life....

2009-06-20T03:51:00.000-07:00

I’m amazed at how quickly ideas of being clean and smelling good leave my mind as I begin washing my clothes by hand each week. “Clean” becomes a relative term and I soon hear myself saying a phrase my mom says all the time: “Good enough for who it’s for!” I love that phrase!!

And, of course, I can’t be too concerned about being clean and smelling good when I am walking around my town in 120ish degree weather! At those temperatures, the main thing you worry about is finding shade.

Fortunately, rainy season has begun and so every few days, we have a good rain that cools things down for a day. Praise the Lord for His blessings from above!!!

For someone watching me, it’s probably quite an interesting sight when it rains. First, if I see the clouds before the rain begins, I run inside and get my camera. I love taking sky pictures!! After I have captured the look of the sky to my satisfaction, I return my camera to its place and wait for the rain to begin. Once it does, I am almost always out standing in it!! I’m sure my guard and his family think I’m the strangest person they know when everyone else is running for cover and I stand around dancing in it!! J But we have to learn to enjoy the small things in life...things like rain after days of scorching temperatures!

I’m beginning to get used to my town. I go out walking everyday…each time trying to find someplace new to see. I love the various reactions of people as I walk down the street!! Children, especially, are precious to watch!! For some, they run up to me and greet me with their versions of “Bonjour!” They laugh and smile and even come to shake my hand. Others are a little more wary and smile shyly at me from a safe distance. Those are the ones that usually get their courage after I’ve already passed by. And it’s those moments that I often here a chorus of “Bonjour”s follow me down the street. And then there are those who are scared to death of me!! J A simple glance in their general direction is enough to send them running and crying!

Ahhh….Africa….

Tid-bits from life....

2009-06-06T05:22:00.000-07:00

Blog Entry

I had a mini photo shoot with my guard’s wife and 3 boys the other day. It always amazes me how dressed up they get for pictures. What really makes me smile is that as she was getting ready, she sprayed herself, the boys, and me with perfume. As if the perfume was going to make the picture even better…ahhh the things about life in Africa that I missed.

One of my guard’s sons is among the many children who seem to be terrified of white people. I even brought him cookies to try to “break the ice.” He took the cookie and then moved closer to his mother. And when she stepped outside for a moment, the screaming began. By the end of our photo shoot, I think my guard’s wife and I were the only ones not crying!! J

Life in Tessaoua has many similarities to life in Guidan Roumdji and yet it is also very different. For one, I am on my own here. I’ve actually been doing better than I expected to, being on my own. I try to keep busy as much as possible. Although, without knowing much of the language, it gets kind of difficult.

That’s another huge difference – language. Not only is it a different language than before, but I also came out here not knowing hardly anything in Hausa. My first term, we had a basis in Fulfulde before moving east. Making friends can be a challenge when all you can do is greet them. But I try to go walking a couple of times each day just to get people used to seeing me around – even if all I can do is continually say “Ina kwana” (good morning) to everyone I pass by. The good thing about all of this is that I am the type of person who hates not being able to understand what’s going on around me. So, this becomes great motivation for learning Hausa faster!

Another thing about the language is people’s reactions when I tell them that I don’t speak Hausa. There are about 3 basic reactions to that statement. One – the person may smile at me with a look of pity and repeat “you don’t speak Hausa” before moving on their way. Two – the person may tell me I do speak Hausa and go through greeting again before moving on their way. And last (and possibly my favorite) is the person that says “you don’t speak Hausa?” and then proceeds to rattle off more Hausa – as though I will magically be able to understand all that they are saying.

Tessaoua is much bigger than Guidan Roumdji which also has it’s good points and challenges. First, it has much more to offer. I can actually buy things like dish soap, canned veggies, and toilet paper in town!! Before, we had to wait until going into Maradi to buy those things. But a challenge is transportation. I don’t have a vehicle as of yet and so I am bound to walking everywhere. Now, I don’t mind walking…I enjoy a good walk now and then. But when it’s walking in sand, in 130 degree temperatures, covered from head to foot in fabric….well, let’s just say that walking loses some of it’s appeal.

But I am beginning to get used to some of the everyday norms of living in Africa again. The heat rash, the constant sweating, the feeling as though you’re in an oven. Even the constant stares as I walk down the street. All of it makes up life in Niger. And you know what…I wouldn’t have it any other way! J

I'm back!!

2009-05-06T14:10:00.000-07:00

Well, I am writing you from the beautiful land of sand and sun!! I have safely returned to Niger and am in the process of getting settled in and re-adjusted to life here.

One of the first things to "welcome" me back was the heat!! I think I had forgotten just how hot it gets in Niger during hot season! Or maybe I had just tried to put it from my mind...anyway, I am finding that I am adjusting to the heat quickly which is a blessing!

I love being back in Africa! The Father has already blessed me many times through His protection and provision. I am so blessed to be here and so blessed to be a part of the work here.

In just a matter of days, I will be moving out east to my new home. I am excited about beginning to learn Hausa and getting to know my new neighbors! I had the wonderful opportunity to go visiting a Hausa neighborhood today and it was wonderful just to sit and listen to the language. Hopefully, in a few months, I'll be speaking it!!

I look forward to being able to post pictures and stories from my life. I hope you'll join me on this amazing journey!!

Returning to the Desert

2009-04-17T11:47:00.000-07:00

Well it certainly has been a while!

I have been back in America for a little over a year - just enough time for me to begin to get re-adjusted and somewhat back into the routine of American life. But God, in His amazing way, has decided that it's time for another change!

I will be returning to Africa....yes, to the desert....for another 3 years. I am so blessed to be chosen to serve in this way! I will be in the same country as before but a new town, new people group, and yes, new language! As my last few days in America are coming to a close, I am excited and nervous, anxious and hopeful - all together. I know that something is going to happen in the next 3 years - something wonderful! I can't wait to be a part!!

I appreciate your prayers for me these last two weeks as I make the final preparations for leaving America behind once again. Though I know I was not made for here, saying goodbyes are always a little sad. But praise be to the One who will never leave us!

More to come once I arrive...

Back in America...

2008-03-19T19:16:00.000-07:00

Well, I have officially been back in America for a little over 2 months now. The Lord is giving me this time as a period of rest. I must admit, there are days when I long for the friends that I left behind in Niger. But for the most part, I am excited to see what the Lord is going to do in the next few months. Even if that means I need to be in America for a while!! :)

Thank all of you who have prayed for me while I was in Niger.

Last Days

2008-01-06T09:08:00.000-08:00

Saying goodbye is probably one of the most difficult things in life.

Here are some pictures from our last days in Guidan Roumdji and our villages.

Melissa will be returning for a second term but I will not. That is one of the hardest goodbyes of all - and we haven't even really said goodbye yet. We're not only partners and co-workers but we are best friends and like sisters.

Here's a picture of us in our house after we packed up everything that last day.

Here's one last picture of me with our dog, Jake. I'm going to miss him a lot and I know he'll be lonely without either of us there these next two months!

Here is a picture of me on our last day in my village. My friend wanted a picture of me inside her house. If my face looks red - it's because I was crying a lot that day!!

Here are some kids posing for one last picture.

And here is a picture of Melissa and I with another good friend.

Creative Christmas Decorations

2008-01-06T08:59:00.000-08:00

So each year we have to be very creative around here when it comes to decorating our house for the holidays. We've discovered a great little decorating tool that has been helpful to us both years for Christmas - colored electrical tape!!

So this year we have two "Snowpullos" (Snow Fulani).

As you can see, the Snowpullo man has a staff over his shoulders and is wearing the traditional Fulani hat.

The woman is pounding in her wowru and carrying her baby on her back.

Here you can see me "helping" our snowpullo woman to pound her gawri so that she can make chewtam.

And here Melissa is helping our Snowpullo man to herd his cows. And Melissa is doing this while trying to watch her own "cow" named Jake!!

Christmas 07

2008-01-06T08:41:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of us at Christmas this year. It is the last Christmas that Melissa and I will spend together for a while since she is returning to Africa and I'm staying in the states. We had lots of fun celebrating and decorating for the holidays this year!

Here is Jake in his wonderful Christmas bandana. (He wasn't as thrilled about having it on as we were!!)

This is our tree - thanks again to our parents for sending us the tree and ornaments!!

Here is Melissa and I at Baker and Gail's. Aren't we adorable?!?

And here is Melissa and I again in our house wearing our Christmas skirts.

Being Fulani

2007-11-02T15:56:00.000-07:00

Here are a few glimpses into the life of the Fulani...

This is a wowru - in English it would be a mortar and pestal (sp?). We call it a "pounder." They use these to pound their grains until they are a powder form. After that they use it to make nyiiri - a type of food they eat, or chewtam - a millet-water drink they have.

The second picture is of me after some of the children in my village decided to braid my hair for me.

And the last picture is a picture of some tumbude - bowls made out of gourds. The Fulani women use them to store their kosam (milk) and chewtam.

Coming to an End...

2007-11-02T15:45:00.000-07:00

Our time in Niger is quickly coming to an end. We only have two more months left here as of the time I am writing this update. It seems so crazy that two years have already gone by!!!

Please be lifting us up as we are beginning to say our goodbyes to the friends we have made here.

Here are some pictures of me for you...

This one is of me in my daily outfit - complete with a huge shawl that I wear mostly to keep the sun off me!

Here is a picture of me that one of the girls in my village took. The kids not only enjoy being in pictures but they also love to take them! That's why my head is not all in the picture...

Ahhh...the memories....

Village friends...

2007-08-09T14:35:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of some of my friends from the village...(these pictures are courtesy of Andrea...thanks for letting us have the pix you took while you were here!!)

This little girl is my baby. She and I have become quite attached. Her mother even says that she is my daughter! She is always wanting me to hold her or put her on my back and carry her the way the women here do.

These are some girls from the village having fun. I think they are actually looking up at us in the tree the day we climbed it!

This is the water man...he gets water for many of the families in our villages. We can always find him heading down the path to the well with two buckets over his shoulders.
This is a grandma who lives in town. She sells milk on the street during the week and then at market on Sunday.

Above is a picture of some cows being watered at the well. They get water from the well and put it into these smaller round containers which serve as a water trough for the animals.

And here is me holding my girl!!! Can you see the family resemblance?! :)

Flat tires...

2007-08-09T14:23:00.000-07:00

We had been doing really well with our truck not having flat tires until just recently. We've now had two within just a few weeks of each other! Above are some pictures of our local tire repair shop in Guidan Roumdji. Not exactly a Wal-Mart Auto center but it works well for us!

Fortunately, we are true women and have been able to have men change the tire for us both times...lol. Of course here, sometimes we have a little more "help" than we really want!

And here is a picture of Melissa and I doing one of our favorite things....drinking a coke!!!

You're never too old to climb a tree...

2007-08-09T13:56:00.000-07:00

What an adventure we had in our village one day! We had been talking about how many of the trees in the village would make great climbing trees. We kept talking about it and talking about it but never did anything.

Until one special day - my birthday - we decided that we should stop just talking about climbing the tree and actually do it! So we did!! We picked the tree closest to the well in the village and made our way up. And believe me, it was no easy task wearing a wrap skirt!!

The kids all thought it was hilarious to see us climbing up the tree...as did the many adults that came to the well while we were up there. One man told us we looked like monkeys...big monkeys, but monkeys nonetheless!!!

I am convinced that there are some things a person will never outgrow and climbing trees is one of them!!

Senegal

2007-07-29T14:37:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a trip to Senegal for some meetings. Some of the sights were saw were absolutely breath-taking!!

All of these pictures were taken at a restaurant that is on the western most point of Africa.

We climbed on these rocks so that we can say that we were literally on the western most point in Africa.

Can you look at these pictures without stopping and praising God for His awesome beauty and majesty??? I can't. I am in awe of His amazing creation that far exceeds anything we could ever hope to create.

Thank You, Father, for giving us the gift of seeing You through nature. Thank you for surrounding us with daily reminders of how great You are!!

Photos!

2007-07-29T14:19:00.000-07:00

Here are some more random pictures for you to enjoy....

This is an interesting bug we have seen. They call it the "child of the rain." Apparently they appear only after it begins to rain. I found it quite fascinating mostly because of it's bright color! It's almost a neon orange-ish color!! It's a drastic contrast to the sand around it.

This picture is of one of the many paths we follow to get to the homes of many of our friends. The Fulani villages are, for the most part, pretty spread out. We often have to walk through the bush a little bit in order to get from one compound to another.

This is one of my favorite pictures. These two girls are some of the sweetest girls in our villages. They are more precious to me than I can even express. In this picture they are both looking at the pictures in a book on Noah's Ark.

The Desert Lizard

2007-07-28T11:19:00.000-07:00

One day, Melissa and I were driving home from our village when we came across this little guy crawling across the road. Of course, we just had to stop and take a picture of him!!

I'm not entirely sure what he is but he didn't seem to be too fond of having his picture taken. He tried to hide among some sticks but we still got some good shots.

Here he is peeking out from under some brush. I am amazed at God's creations!!

Random Shots

2007-07-08T23:07:00.001-07:00

Ok...so since I'm around regular internet access for a few days I figured I would try to get as many pix on my site as possible. So here are some random shots from my life in Niger.

This is me the night before Easter coloring Easter eggs. Thanks to my mom for sending us the coloring kits!! It made us feel like kids again!!

And this is a view on Easter Sunday morning. Melissa and I had our own little sunrise service by the river bed. It was a great way to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord!

This is a picture of me in the village. One of the little girls wanted to take pictures with my camera so I was teaching her how. She's become pretty good at it!!

And last, but certainly not least, is the picture of our little surprise we found in our yard one morning! I don't know if Jake, our dog, killed it or drug it into the yard or what. But when I found it, it was dead. That is a HUGE rat!!!

Jake

2007-07-08T00:49:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that we have a dog named Jake. He's a German Shepherd that we got from some other colleagues. He's great for keeping us company and as a guard dog. Everyone is a little afraid of him because they've never seen a dog as big as him! But, he's a sweetie...wouldn't hurt a fly!

So, for those of you who are dog lovers, here are some pictures of him for you to enjoy!!

We get creative sometimes and so here he is wearing a lei! He didn't enjoy it as much as we did!

And here he is sitting in his hole. He loves to dig and this is his newest creation. It's actually a two-tiered hole (quite the scene) that he can sit in and/or store his toys or any other random objects he finds in the yard!

Everyone loves pictures so here's a few more!!

2007-07-08T00:32:00.003-07:00

Ok...so here I am in the village playing a game with some of the girls. I suppose "attempting to play" would be a better way to put it! I wasn't very good but they were good sports anyway! I don't know of any game to compare it to except jacks - they dig a hole and place small rocks or seeds inside of it. Then, they take a bigger rock and throw it up in the air and move some seeds out of the hole before catching the rock. Then, they have to throw the rock again and scoot all but one seed back into the hole before catching the rock. You need to have a lot of hand-eye coordination for this one and I guess I just didn't have what it takes!! But we had a good time laughing at my attempts!!

Here is me with some kids by the well. We're just hanging out.

And this one I put on here just for you, Dad!! I wore the Weigand Farms hat out to the villages one day and everyone thought it was hilarious!! I told them it was a hat from my dad's farm. Just wanted you to see me in it!! Love you!!

Here are some pix for you!!

2007-07-08T00:13:00.000-07:00

Ok...I know it's been forever since I updated this but I am finally at a place with some good internet connection!! So, here are some pix from the past few weeks!! I hope you enjoy them!!

Here I am having some fun with some of the kids in our village. Aren't they great?!?!

This is a picture of one of the houses here. I just wanted you all to get an idea of what they live in. The round building with the triangular roof is the hut and the thing just outside of it is called a tendere, basically it's a shade area where they can work and stay cool.

And here's a picture of me carrying a little girl on my back. This is how the women carry their young children. It's really quite amazing...they can carry their child and have both hands free. All they do is put them on their back and tie them in place with a piece of fabric. The first time I did it, I was so nervous that I was going to drop her!! But we made it and now she asks me to do it all the time!!

It's been a while...

2007-03-31T11:55:00.000-07:00

I was recently reminded (thanks Dave!!) that it has been a while since I have updated my blog. That's one of the difficult things about life here in Africa - not very good internet access! But, I am here now, updating all of you on what's been going on out in my part of the world

Things have been very busy around here but it's been a good couple of months. We've had visits from parents and volunteers. They have blessed us with coming and sharing in our lives here (and even bringing us some gifts!). We praise the Father for His provision and protection for them while they were here.

We have been doing some more storying with some ladies in one of our villages which has been going well. We recently talked about Ruth. They really enjoyed it. We are hoping to share more stories about women from the Word to help them relate. Be lifting them up as they listen to the stories.

It is beginning to get HOT around here!! It has been up to 110-112 degrees F (in the shade) in the middle of the afternoon some days! And it's been over 100 in our house!! So all of you enjoying that 70 or even 80 degree weather, just remember us out here melting away!! We have been going out to our villages in the mornings now because it is not as hot then. And with hot season comes other things - less-reliable electricity, sunscreen, fans, etc. Ahhh...life in Africa!

Hopefully I'll be able to get some pictures on here again sometime soon. But that's just a quick update in a nutshell as to what I've been doing these past few weeks!

Team activities...

2007-02-25T04:24:00.000-08:00

We were able to take the team to see some of the local wildlife around here. We saw 15 giraffes as we drove through the bush (sometimes literally through a bush!!).

We also saw termite mounds...as you can see from the picture, they get to be pretty big around here!!

Grover Park Team

2007-02-12T23:46:00.000-08:00

Ok everyone...here are some pictures of the Grover Park team that was here working with us. Don't they look great!! It was their last full night here and we went out to dinner together.

We had a wonderful time hosting them and we greatly appreciate their work and all that they did in coming here. They opened so many doors for us and we are excited to see what the Father will do through their work here even after they are gone.

And here is Melissa and I enjoying our dinner out with the team!

Hippos...

2007-02-02T05:09:00.000-08:00

Here are some great hippo pictures for everyone!! At first, the hippo was a little shy...but eventually, with the help of one of the workers, she decided she was hungry enough to come out and visit!!

Here is the man feeding the hippo...don't think I would want his job!!! Look at those teeth!!

A visit with Mom and Dad...

2007-02-02T04:32:00.000-08:00

My parents came for a visit these past few days and we've had a good time. The other day, we went to the National Museum here and got to see some great sights! Here are a few pictures of some of the "friends" we encountered!!

Here is a picture of my mom! She is standing in a place called the "place of nations" where they have used colored rocks to create the flags of each of the African countries. Here is a picture of Niger's flag...pretty cool, huh?

Toilet explosion...

2007-01-30T13:57:00.000-08:00

So, the other day as we were cleaning our house, we had a great surprise in our bathroom! The pipe connecting the toilet to the wall came undone and water began shooting from the wall!! The floor was covered in water (as were we) as we tried desperately to stop it. Fortunately, my dad was with us and created a stopper with a stick and a washcloth (pretty talented, huh?). Here are some pictures of the bathroom and the stopper. It was quite a morning!!
I just thought you all would enjoy that story (although it may be one of those "guess you had to be there" type moments). But either way, I'm sure it put a smile to someone's face!! :)

Tabasci

2007-01-30T13:43:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from the recent holiday, Tabasci. This holiday is supposed to represent Abraham's sacrifice of his son. All over our town, you could see similar sights as this - the people sacrifice goats and sheep and then place the carcass' outside their homes for the entire day. It was a grim picture walking down the streets that day.

Please be remembering the people here - be asking that the strongholds would be lifted and that people would seek the Truth.

Christmas...

2007-01-21T22:39:00.000-08:00

Ok everyone!! I know it's been a while since I've updated this blog! That's just part of the fun of not having reliable internet close by!!

Here are some pictures of our Christmas decorations!! Thanks to many of you at home, we had some great decorations that made our house feel just a little more like home during the holidays!!

This is our living room after we decorated....

And of course, no Christmas in Niger could be without a Snowman on the wall made out of electrical tape!!! LOL...when you live in Niger...sometimes you have to get VERY creative....

Here is me holding our snowman's hand...of course, he isn't just any snowman...

If you'll notice his hat....that is the traditional Fulani hat out here and so he is a snow-Fulani!!

And here's another picture of our Christmas tree!

But most importantly...Christmas was a great time for us to be able to share with the Fulani the true meaning of this celebration. I am so thankful to our Father that He would come down in such a humble way and provide for us the most precious of gifts...salvation and life together with Him forever!

Praise Him for He is Worthy!!

Beauty in the desert...

2006-12-02T05:59:00.000-08:00

Hey...here are some pictures of the beauty God provides for us out here in the desert.

Since coming here, God has given me a great appreciate for the beauty of His creation - specifically the sunset. So, enjoy these pictures that show just how creative and amazing our Father is!!

The Leaf Thief strikes again...

2006-12-02T05:31:00.000-08:00

So, one morning I woke up and had just gotten out of the shower when I looked out my window and saw some random men in my yard, hacking at my tree!!

I went out there, ready to give them a stern lecture on stealing people's trees, but since they only spoke Hausa, it did no good. Finally, our landlord showed up and said that the tree was planted for it's leaves, not for shade, and so he was cutting down the leaves for the society. The leaves on our tree are used in a sauce that the people fix here.

So, in order to properly mourn the loss of one of our beloved trees, Melissa and I decided to take some pictures for you. The one above is a picture of the hack marks from the machetes that the men were using. The one below is of the crime scene - the missing leaves outlined in white.

In case you're wondering if we have too much time on our hands, don't worry - we are doing some productive things out here!! LOL!!!

Just pictures...

2006-12-02T04:48:00.000-08:00

Here's some pix of me with some of the village kids!!

Rabbits...

2006-10-04T23:28:00.000-07:00

So one night while we were in Niamey, we were driving back to the guesthouse and came to a stop at a red light. We looked over and this was the sight we were met with!!!

These little boys paint themselves up. They are supposed to be representing rabbits (not entirely sure why). They do this during the evenings of Ramadan.

But not only do they paint themselves up and stand at stoplights, they also bring drums to beat on and they dance along with them. They will actually shake their behinds for the people who drive by!!! At first, we weren't sure what to do - do we laugh at them, do we ignore them? But we later found out that they are doing it to have fun and so they want people to laugh and play along with them. And of course, a cadeau (a gift) wouldn't hurt either!!

This is a picture of the boys dancing. This has probably been one of the strangest cultural things we have seen so far!!

Majestic

2006-09-27T03:19:00.000-07:00

One thing I have been blessed with since our moving out to Guidan Roumdji is the chance to see some of the majesty of the Father.

Each day His mercies are new and His love never changes. The sunsets by our house are breath-taking, to say the least and although pictures can't always do justice, I wanted to share some of the beauty with you.

This is a view of the cellphone tower across the street from our house around sunset. Isn't it amazing how nothing that man creates can compare with what our Father has created!!

A view in the village

2006-09-26T23:34:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of me in one of our villages. In these first two, I'm telling a story to our group of women who meet each time we come to listen to the stories of the Word. We sit on mats on the ground (in the shade) as I share the story with them in Fulfulde.

In these particular pictures, they are hearing the story of the crossing of the Red Sea.

This is me standing in front of a millet stalk. Millet is the main staple where we live and right now is harvest time. You can see how tall the millet gets! We avoid walking through millet fields so as not to get lost!!!

The Leaf Thief

2006-09-25T23:55:00.000-07:00

It all began as a normal day. We were staying home that day to enjoy some rest and relaxation. The day was quiet and peaceful. I decided to go outside to spend some quality time with our dog, Jake. He and I were in the middle of a game of fetch when I noticed that someone had come in our gate and was presently shutting it behind them. He was a young boy, in his teens, and was wearing a dark blue shirt. As he turned from the gate, he saw me and smiled a little bit. A little puzzled by his presence, I merely greeted him with a simple “Sannu” and stood there to see his reaction. He merely returned the greeting and made his way toward our tree.

I must admit, at first, I thought perhaps he was one of our usual visitors who are currently making bricks in our yard. But something in the back of my mind was telling me that he did not seem familiar. So, I opted to covertly observe his actions. I went up to our porch with Jake and sat down, waiting (for what, I didn’t know). I saw him at the tree with something in his hand. In an effort not to be obvious, I tried to give some attention to Jake before looking up again. What I saw astounded me…

He had a plastic bag in one hand and was pulling leaves off of our tree with the other and putting them into the bag. Occasionally he would glance up in my direction but to my annoyance, he didn’t have the slightest look of guilt about him.

Perhaps I was too stunned to react or perhaps I just didn’t have any idea of what to do but regardless, I simply sat there, on our colorful porch chairs, and watched him collect the leaves, walk to the gate, and close the door behind him.

Once I regained my mind, I went to the gate and firmly latched it, hoping to prevent any reoccurrences of this strange event. And then it hit me – I just witnessed the actions of a notoriously disturbing act of thievery. And not just any thievery, leaf thievery. I had just seen the Leaf Thief.

A great adventure in the bush....

2006-08-22T01:51:00.000-07:00

Okay...another great story for you!! We decided one day, since we didn't have our truck, that we would try walking to our village. We were sure we knew the way and figured it couldn't take us too long. So, we left the house bright and early at 7:00 am - stocked with water and other necessities. After about an hour and a half of walking, we began to realize that we were not anywhere that looked familiar! We were definitely lost!!

After another half and hour later of walking, we come upon a huge group of sheep. We moved to the side to watched and were amazed at what we saw.

We felt like we were watching the great Exodus unfolding before our eyes!! There were hundreds of sheep, cattle, and donkeys moving along with a caravan of camels carrying many people and things. It was like an entire village had picked up and moved! It was really a beautiful sight...kind of made our getting lost worth it!

Then, we turned around as they were fading out of sight and were met with an amazing, and rather scary, sight! The sky was turning almost black as a storm approached us! We had no intention of sticking around any longer and decided to head back - quickly!!

Here is a picture of the clouds we saw as we were going - fortunately, aside from a few sprinkles, we missed the storm!

We were actually a little worried for a little while that we might have to camp out in the bush by ourselves if we couldn't get back before it began to get dark...but fortunately our Father is great and we found our way back!!

Here is a view of some of the desert paths. It's no wonder one can get lost so easily out here!! Which way should we go?!?

The ride home....

2006-08-22T01:16:00.000-07:00

Wow!! What an unbelievable few weeks we’ve had!! There are so many crazy things to share with you through pictures and stories!! I’ll start with our trip back to Guidan Roumdji after our visit to Togo.

As you probably know by now, we are getting a truck that will help us to get out to our villages. So, we headed out from the capital driving. There were three vehicles headed out together. About an hour and a half down the road, our vehicle begins making a strange sound. It was a scraping sound coming from the hood of the truck. We pulled over and everyone stared in at the motor. Of course, no one really knew what to do so we called the office and they said to continue on to the next city and find a mechanic. Well, we never made it there. A few more feet down the road, the truck died. After some more phone calls and bringing out a mechanic from the nearest town, it was decided that we should sit and wait for someone from the capital to come out and tow it back into town. We waited there for two hours….imagine the site!! A group of nine white people and three vehicles on the side of the road in the middle of Africa!! LOL…we got many stares. Finally the guys came and they towed away our truck. That is, of course, after we stopped traffic by turning the car around in the middle of the road by pushing it!! Ahhh...only in Africa!!!

We continued on with the others, squishing all of our stuff into the remaining two vehicles. We went on down the road and ended up stopping at about 9:30 that night. After spending a night with some of our teammates there, the four of us – Jessica, Sarah, Melissa and myself – headed on home the next morning.

About twenty minutes down the road, it began to look like rain. We pulled over and got everything out of the back of the truck that couldn’t get wet and squished inside the cab. It’s a good thing too because it soon began to pour!! It was so much that we got stuck behind a slow truck and couldn’t see well enough to pass him. Finally it let up and we were able to go around him. After the first large town, we saw many cars parked ahead on the road. We slowed down and look in amazement at the river of water flowing over the road! It was rushing…pretty quickly…and the cars were all parked and people were wading out into it. We stopped behind the other cars and were about to get out to walk through to see how deep it was when the other cars began going. A bush taxi and a car started on through the river. We watched as they got safely across and figured that if they could make it, so could we. So, we slowly inched forward through the rushing water – I was praying out loud the whole time. Finally, we made it through!! Praise the Father for His protection and mercy!!! We came upon two more spots with water on the road but neither of them were near as bad as the first.

Finally, we made it home!!! What an adventure that was!!!

Here is a picture of some of the water we passed on the way home! There aren't just streams in the desert here...there are rivers!!! We thought it might be cool to start a rafting ministry out here - LOL...just kidding!!

Here is a view of us in our truck driving through the water. You can kind of see the people ahead of us helping to guide the cars along. Yep...we really did drive through all that water!!! But, as always, the Father is awesome and we made it through!!

A trip to the beach....

2006-08-01T11:25:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!! Here are some pictures from our recent trip to the beach!! I know what you're thinking...I don't have beaches where I am! You're right...but we were in meetings in another country and we had an opportunity to visit the beach.

I didn't realize how much I missed water!!

This is a picture of the little huts we rented to sit under. The weather was actually very cool and there was a GREAT breeze!!!

Here's a view of the water...isn't it beautiful!!! There wasn't much swimming too far out because the current was pretty strong. But I was completely content just watching the waves. And they were HUGE!!!

Another picture of the water...can you see the huge waves?!?!

And last...here is a message for my little sisters...If you can't read it, it says "Hi Kayla and Lanae" I love you girls!!!

Hope you all enjoyed the beach pictures!!!

Market Day!!

2006-07-31T00:39:00.000-07:00

Okay everyone...here are some pix from our market in Guidan Roumdji. Our market is every Sunday and we have been going to practice language and see people (and of course to pick up a beautiful headwrap along the way!).

Here is a pic of a camel at market! We were able to get so close!! Haven't ridden one yet but that's coming...just wait!!

This is the grain part of market...they sell millet, corn, beans and other things like this that they use to make their sauces. I have to say...this place is not really known for it's food!!!

Here is the "parking garage!" I don't know how they tell their own donkey from the others...they must have some type of system!!!

Here is a view down one of the aisles of the market...we had to take this pictures inconspicuously so we didn't get mobbed by children!!

And that concludes our tour of the Guidan Roumdji market!! Hope you enjoyed the ride!!!

More pictures of me at home in Guidan Roumdji

2006-07-18T16:49:00.000-07:00

Here's me in my room

This is me doing laundry...by hand, of course. There are no washing machines out here. I have to say, that is one luxury that I miss dearly!!! Washing clothes by hand is no easy task...especially in 90 degree weather!!!

One of the popular things to do out here is have henna tattoos. Basically it's a tattoo that stays on for a few weeks and then washes off. So, Melissa and I decided to have it done. It was pretty fun! The girl who did it did it all free-hand. I'm amazed at their talent!! After the stuff dries, they scrape it off your hand and it leaves the dye...then they put a chemical on it that activates it and turns it dark again. It's a long process (it took 4 hours!!) but we enjoyed it!!

House pictures!!!

2006-07-18T16:35:00.000-07:00

Okay...here's a view of our house!! Isn't it cute?!?!

This is my bedroom...it has an AC in it so on those days when the heat is just terribly unbearable...we can turn it on. Actually, we've been doing really good so far...haven't used it once!!!

This is our kitchen...yes, we do have a stove and a refridgerator. Although about the only food you can get out here is pasta and so our choices are pretty slim. You can't even get vegetables at our market!!!

And here is our living room!! We spend a lot of time in here...especially sleeping...when the nights get really hot, our rooms are like ovens and so we often move out here for some cooler weather!!

Overall, our house is great!! We've had a few minor problems with leaks in our roof and sinks but nothing compared to what it could be!! We are just thankful to finally be there and be able to say we have a home here!!! Praise the Father for His love and protection!!!!

A moto ride through the sand....

2006-07-18T16:00:00.000-07:00

Well friends, we’ve been at home in Guidan Roumdji getting settled and making friends. It’s been quite a first few weeks in our new town. I think that the people are finally beginning to get used to us and enjoying our presence.

But on to the more interesting stories…we recently had our first adventure out to visit one of the surrounding Fulani villages. Not only was it our first trip out to the bush since our arrival out here but it was also our first moto trip other than our practices in the capital. And what an adventure it was…

We met a man who knew where the village was so that he could lead us there. He ended up driving Melissa’s moto with her on the back and I followed on mine. I was more than a little nervous about having to drive through the bush but I determined that I would make it and so off we went. I had no idea what was waiting for me along the way!!

It’s difficult to describe the feeling of driving a moto through the sand. You are driving along, feeling good about how far you come when suddenly, you hit a patch of deep sand and lose control. Most of the time you just wobble around and put your feet down to steady yourself again. Then, you give it some gas and try to walk your way through to more solid ground (that is, when you can find solid ground – a difficult task in the desert). But occasionally, you don’t get your foot down in enough time and you find yourself lying on the ground, half under the moto, sand everywhere. That’s what happened to me…twice! LOL…praise the Father that I didn’t receive anything more than some bruises and a few scrapes on my legs. It could have been a lot worse.

The first time I fell, it happened right outside a village. The people were Hausa and so I could not communicate with them. There were some children and one woman who saw the whole thing. So I suppose you could say that my pride was injured as well. Once I got my moto upright again, I realized that it would not start. Frustration was beginning to overwhelm me when my friends came back for me. Our guide could not get my moto going again either and so it was decided that he would go ahead and take Melissa on to the village and then come back for me. So, we pulled my moto under a small tree for some shade and I watched as they drove out of sight. The initial fear of being left by myself was soon gone as the children began to gather around. I was glad for the company. Before I knew it, I had quite a crowd surrounding me and inspecting my moto. The bad thing was that they all spoke Hausa. Eventually, our guide did come back with a friend. I was able to ride with the friend on his moto and our guide drove mine. Finally, a few bruises and cuts later, I made it to the village!

Our time in the village was really good. We got a lot of language practice and we were able to make some new friends. We ate with them and laughed with them. We stayed until the afternoon and then began to make our way back home. Once again, I was driving – but this time, our guide assured me that he was taking a new road, a better road.

But I soon found out that “better” is a relative term! Once again, I wobbled around in the sand. I was still quite exhausted from our trip there and so that only made matters worse. Then, when our guide and Melissa had gotten far ahead of me, I again had the unique experience of feeling the moto come down on top of me. My second fall. This fall just added to my previous bruises and scrapes but more than that, my frustration was at its limit! The tears came as I looked around me and saw nothing but sand and bushes. I thought for sure that I was going to be lost in the desert forever. Okay…maybe I have a dramatic side. LOL Then I saw two women, who had apparently seen the entire episode, come running toward me. Of course, they spoke only Hausa which only added to my frustration. But, through the Father’s grace, I once again heard Melissa’s moto coming back for me.

The rest of the trip was a series of wobbling and stopping and our guide switching motos. But, finally, only by the Father, we made it home! And that was our grand first adventure out into the bush. And I have to say, we are more than ready to turn over our moto keys and trade them in for a donkey and cart!!

Turning 23 in Africa!!

2006-06-16T03:45:00.000-07:00

Well, yesterday (June 15th) was my 23rd birthday. My first birthday here in Africa. My teammates made the day very special for me. They made a cake and we played Taboo for a while. The cake actually had 23 candles on it!! I felt very old seeing the top of the cake covered with candles! You know you're in Africa when you have to blow out the candles quickly because they melt so much faster here and so wax begins dripping on the cake!! You can see the picture of the cake and me blowing out my candles (all in one blow, too!!)!

The day was fun, despite the fact I still had to go to language class. Our teacher told me that I was the boss of class that day since it was birthday. Unfortunately, "Class hanti" (class over) wasn't an option, even for the boss!

Over all, it was great day!! What a great way to spend a birthday - celebrating in Africa!!

The view from my moto...

2006-06-04T08:59:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a while since I've written. Sorry about that. Much has been going on in life since we got back from our trip out East to see our new homes. We've heard that work is getting done on our house and we are anxious to move in!

One of the major new developments lately is that we have now received our motos. For those of you who do not know what a "moto" is, let me try to give you a picture. It's basically a small motorcycle with not quite as much power behind it. At first, I'm sure they look a little silly for anyone used to seeing the larger motorcycles in the states. My first moto lesson went very well. I was quite afraid at first but after the first time I rode it, it became much easier and I became much more comfortable. At one point, as I was driving down the road, I heard a loud horn behind me and before I knew it, I was being passed by another (much faster) moto. It was a little intimidating being passed on my moto but I made it safely home just the same. We do have helmets that we wear although they seem a little ridiculous looking. They are quite huge but I suppose that's good...they'll protect us.

We even took an afternoon to go practice riding around in sand - that's how we will be getting to our villages and around here, sand is a unavoidable thing. It's quite an experience, I must say, riding in sand. The best thing to do is to keep going so you don't get stuck. But, of course, I was quite afraid the first time I hit sand and really began to wobble so I stopped....and, well I got stuck. But getting out isn't as bad as it may seem. Although the little boys riding by on the donkey cart laughing didn't really help matters much....

We've been doing lots of shopping and making various trips to market getting everything we will need for our house when we move. It's been quite fun and quite exhausting as well. Picking out curtains and dishes doesn't seem like it would be exhausting but when you have to do it in a store that is probably hotter than outside and in a language you aren't really familiar with, it begins to get tiring a lot faster. I got a package the other day and one of the things was wrapped in a Wal-Mart sack. Ahhh....Wal-Mart. How I miss one-stop shopping some days!!!

Hopefully I'll soon have some pictures of my moto experiences to show you. I'm sure you'll find them interesting!!

Our New Home!

2006-05-19T23:16:00.000-07:00

Okay everyone - here are some pictures from our trip out east this past week. These are pictures of our new home. Keep in mind, there is still a lot of work to be done on our house - it's still a "fixer-upper!"

Here is a picture of me (in Fulani clothes) in front of the house.

This pile of sticks was in our front yard - don't really know what they are for. Firewood, maybe?? :)

This is a picture looking into what will be our kitchen...as you can see, the walls can use some work!

This lovely little room will be a bathroom someday! Don't worry...i'm pretty sure they will be removing all the rocks from the floor!

This is a shot looking down our hallway. The house is not big but it is just perfect for Melissa and I. Now, after having seen the house, we are more excited than ever to move out there!! It is looking like it will be the middle of June when we will finally be able to call this little place home!!! Praise the Father for all He does!!!

The things I do in Africa...

2006-04-28T06:50:00.000-07:00

So, have you ever had to order Chinese food in Africa using French? LOL…ah the things I do in Africa!!

A inti jam! (Good afternoon) Language study is going great…Fulfulde is definitely challenging but that makes me all the more determined to learn it as quickly as I can. There are many little rules and things to learn...in fact, I have an entire section in my notebook that I have affectionately titled "Random Rules." And guess what else?!? In Fulfulde, there are not words for the different colors but rather there are verbs that literally mean "to be red" "to be yellow" and so on!! Aaahhh...the joys of language learning! But our teacher is wonderful and very helpful not only with learning language, but also with learning cultural issues as well.

I’ve been having some driving lessons with Melissa recently. All the vehicles here are stick-shifts and I do not know how to drive them. So, we went out a few days and have driven around the compound a little. I’m proud to say that so far, I’ve only killed it three times. Not too bad, I think, for a beginner. I have also, unintentionally, had to stop and start again on a hill. Not the funnest thing in the world but I made it. I think it will be a little while before I have enough confidence to drive out on the roads in the capital – it’s one thing to learn to drive a stick in the states – it’s a completely different issues learning to drive a stick in Africa!!

Mostly, my days are consisting of going to Fulfulde class, studying my notes, taking a break to eat, and then studying some more!! And of course, a few ocassional trips to market to pick up a few "necessities" like cloth for skirts and outfits or bracelets or headwraps, or....lol

My first true "bush" experience

2006-04-20T13:31:00.000-07:00

These past few days were absolutely amazing!! Melissa and I went out to a village to spend somet time in the bush. This is a picture of one of the huts of the Fulani people we were visiting.

This is the bed that I slept in. We slept outside under a mosquito net because it is cooler that way. I also got my hair braided while I was there...so here are some pictures of that.

Yes, my hair really is in a knot!! It REALLY hurt when she was doing it but it was worth it in the end...just the time spent with the women there was worth it!

Here she is, adding the finishing touches!

This week was one of the best times I have had since I've been here!! Praise the Father for His blessings and for refreshing my spirit!!

French study

2006-04-14T05:15:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of me hard at work learning French!!! We spent three weeks learning French because it is the trade language here and we can use it while we are in the capital city to go to market, the tailor, and various other things.

Melissa, Sarah, and I were in class together. And we were able to help and learn from each other. It was especially fun to laugh at all the mistakes we made!!! Learning language will most definitely keep you humble!!

We met with a teacher everyday from 9:00 until 12:00 in the morning. We spent much of our time learning vocabulary and practicing conversations. We even were able to talk with Father and share stories from the book in French the last week!! French has been very useful to us as we have been buying food, clothing, and even just greeting people on the street.

Here is a picture of our classroom. The majority of the time we met outside under this little shelter. We have a chalkboard and everything! Other than our chairs sinking in the sand on occasion, we had a pretty nice set-up!!

Our teacher was very helpful and very interested in helping us to learn the language and the vocabulary that would be useful to us! We were very blessed to have him as our guide!!

Language learning is a blast!!!

More pictures!!

2006-04-06T10:29:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of my team and I enjoying some African food and new friends!! Eating with your hands, while a little messy, makes for a fun meal!!

Here is a picture of some scenery along the road....and can you see what's on the right of the picture??! YES...it's a CAMEL!!!

One of these days, I'm going ride one...just wait and see!!

This is a picture of some African construction. Much different than in the states!!

I forgot to add this picture to my giraffe section. This is our guide. As you can see, once we started doing some off-roading, he would hang out the window of our truck and watch for the giraffes!! He would tell us which way to turn by moving his hand in front of the windshield. It was quite interesting! Especially when we passed close by some small trees and bushes!

Making Friends!

2006-04-04T06:09:00.000-07:00

This is me and my new friend from near our house!! She gave me a new name - Hysa. I am so excited about the prospect of building relationships with her and her family!!!

Scenery and....GIRAFFES!!!

2006-03-25T07:32:00.000-08:00

This is similar to the view that I saw as our airplane was landing....yep, it's pretty much a desert out here. Lots of sand and lots of bushes!!

Yet another picture of the scenery outside the city.

Here is a giraffe playing "Peek-a-boo" with us!!

Here are some more giraffe pictures. Isn't it amazing?!? We were able to get very close to them. It is amazing to me to see how creative our Father is!!

Picture!!!

2006-03-22T08:04:00.000-08:00

Here is me riding in the back of the truck...like the headwrap???

I made it!!

2006-03-17T09:43:00.000-08:00

Well, after approximately 23 hours of traveling, I finally arrived in Africa!! We have now been here for exactly a week and things are going great! No culture shock yet!

So far we have had many various cultural experiences. We have eaten with our hands, attended a baby naming ceremony and experienced lots of African driving!! We've been to markets and other stores and taken taxis. Things have been amazing so far and I am excited about beginning language study on Monday. Please be thinking of us as we begin three weeks of French and then move on to our local language.

What beauty!

2006-02-20T11:38:00.000-08:00

A couple of my teammates and I went for a walk out in the woods behind our training center. I was able to look around me and see in nature the beautiful design of creation. Here are some pictures that I hope you will enjoy!!

I love the pictures of the water because it reminds me that "as the deer pants for streams of water..."

It also reminds me that I will be going to a place where water is scarce. The people do not have the guarantee of having water available to them everyday. I ask that you lift them up - that they may know living water.

On a less serious note...one of my favorite ways to unwind since I have been here at training has been putting together the puzzles that were in our house. Our first puzzle did not last long because it was fairly small. But our second puzzle was 1000 pieces and, of course, it was a picture of a bunch of flowers! Those of you who have ever done a puzzle of flowers can probably understand the frustration of trying to find where that particular little flower goes...
Well, all of that to say...we finally finished it with only two pieces missing!! Here is a picture of the fruit of our difficult and somewhat tedious labor...

Isn't it beautiful?!?!

Don't worry...our time here has not just been filled with walks in the woods and putting together puzzles...we have been learning so much and have been very busy! I can't believe that one more week and training will be over. We are just two weeks and a few days away from boarding a plane to take us on the adventure of our lives! What an exciting time!! Please be thinking of me and my teammates as we are preparing to say goodbyes and leave behind those that we love.

Halfway

2006-02-06T14:55:00.000-08:00

Well friends, it has been another week at training filled with lots of information and lots of fun! I must say, one of my highlights from this past week was that I was able to experience, for the first time, the delicious delicacies of Chick-fil-a! LOL...my roommates here informed me that I had not truly lived because I had not tasted their fine cuisine. It was pretty good...I'll definitely have to go back sometime before heading over to Africa. I somehow doubt that I'll be seeing many of those over there....

A couple of weeks ago, I survived my first of two immunization clinics. I must say, I did not come out feeling as much like a pin-cushion as I thought I would!! Thanks to Father for that provision!

Another monumental event that has taken place is that we have passed the halfway point in training! I can hardly believe it has already been 4 weeks!! In just a month and a couple of days, I will be boarding a plane headed for Africa!! The excitement that comes is almost overwhelming. To think that I can be a part of this great work going on there!! It is unbelievable that I am being used in this way!! However, please continue to be thinking of my family during this time as the transition is likely to be difficult for all of us!

Worldview, flights, and, Phase 10

2006-01-29T08:51:00.000-08:00

So here we are....week three of training. We have been learning so much about worldviews and religions this past week. We also learned recently that our flight times have been moved up an entire week. That means we will only have one week after leaving training to get packed and ready to be on the field. So be lifting that situation up. I am more than ready to be there now! This weekend has been one of relaxing and spending time together as a team. We spent hours Friday night playing Phase 10. It was an incredibly long game but sometimes those are the most fun!! We also played Phase 10 Saturday night. That game was much shorter but still just as fun. We have had many adventures since we have been here...making so many memories that we will remember forever. I am so blessed to be here in this moment...be lifting me up that I would be able to "make the most of every opportunity."

Cooking from Scratch

2006-01-20T13:31:00.000-08:00

Well, here at training we are doing so many different things. We are learning TONS of information about CPMs, m work and the people who we will be working with. But another part of our training is preparation for life in the bush. As part of that preparation, we had to spend an entire weekend cooking from scratch. This basically meant we had to think about all the things we were told we would and would not be able to get where we are going to be. We had to take that information and create meals for the weekend based on what we knew we would have. Now, for those of you who know me well, you can imagine what I was thinking. "You mean, I can't cook anything from a box?" LOL...I am most definitely NOT a cook. But, once again Father was watching out for me. There are six single girls having to do this assignment and so we decided to all do this together. We all planned out our meals and bought the supplies. And we all helped in the making of each meal. We didn't do too bad...we had pancakes, spaghetti, pizza, rolls....and we are still alive to tell about it!! Although, I must admit, I think we were all glad to see the cafeteria again on Monday morning...even if just to see all the other people again!

Training has begun!

2006-01-13T14:43:00.000-08:00

Well our first week at training is coming to an end. I can't believe that I have only been here a few short days...at times, it feels like I've been here for a while. I am so excited about what Father is teaching me as I embark on this journey. It's an amazing thing to know you are right where you are supposed to be. These first few days of training have been pretty easy but we have had so much information given to us! There is a lot to do in the next 7 weeks to prepare for the journey ahead but I am excited about what new insights and understandings Father will send my way!

Beginnings

2006-01-11T15:41:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!! This is the beginning of my journey to Africa. What a wonderful adventure I'm about to take! I can't wait to see what is in store for me and those I will be visiting.