Serving In Sahel

About a 45 minute drive outside of Niamey is a giraffe reserve....that was today's adventure! After we picked up our guide it took us awhile before we spied some of these amazing creatures.   We could get pretty close to them. Our guide said that they are getting use to all the white people that come out to see them. Every adventure has an exciting part, ours was getting stuck in the sand....3 times. The second time was the worst, but thankfully we had help from the folks in a village that was close by and our amazing driver, Beth. Our guide definitely earned his pay today....he lead a van load of white folks out in the savannah to see giraffes and helped to get us unstuck from the sand several times. You just never know what adventures a day will bring. 

There are a couple of things I vow to never complain about again....bumpy roads (the ones in Niamey are even worse than the ones in Jamaica) and dust. It's dry season here in Niger. The winds blow in off the Sahara and brings the dust with it. Closed windows do not stop the dust from entering the apartment and dusting one day just means you will have to dust again the next day. While the grass is withering away in most places where it's not watered, down by the river is a green oasis. Today some friends and I were on the hunt for plants... There were plants of every colour for sale, with or without a clay pot. I purchased a lovely plant with a pink blossom for an empty clay pot on my porch. I have no idea what it is called, but it looks pretty. Hopefully my green thumb will work over here too. Just across the road from where you can buy plants, were rows upon rows of lettuce and other vegetables. The men fill their watering cans with water from the river to wate...

Christmas feels just a little bit different this year. The snow that I was so use to has been replaced with sand and freezing temperatures with quite comfortable ones. There have been Christmas decorations in the large grocery stores, but in a country that is predominantly Muslim, it's just another holiday. For the Christian Nigeriens, the celebrations are centered around their churches, not families. Christmas Eve services can last until midnight and then they are back Christmas morning for another service and feast. The greatest change this Christmas is not celebrating it with my family, and although this isn't our first Christmas apart.....it can still be lonely. Yet as I think about that first Christmas celebrated in a small stable in Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph were alone....no family, no Christmas dinner, and no pile of presents. But they were holding the greatest gift that mankind has ever been given....a Saviour. I am so thankful ...

"A voice cries: in the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God." Isaiah 40:3 Just a 20 minute drive outside the city of Niamey are the Dunes. For a girl who had just spent the past 11 years on an Island, it was strange to see so much sand with so little water. It has been such a joy to meet and be welcomed into the missionary committee here in Niger. There is such a feeling of family and caring. What a blessing! Sometimes you just have to jump right in to new friendships, new culture and new adventures. Climbing all over the dunes works up an appetite, so it was time for our picnic supper. The three men on the top of the dune were our guards for the evening. They ensured that no one bothered us or the vehicles. How do you end a lovely evening of fun and fellowship? With a campfire, some yummy s'mores and Christmas carols around the campfire.

Over the past two decades, I've had the privilege of directing many Christmas programs. Some simple and others more elaborate and all shared a common theme- the celebration of the One who came to die for our sins.   "Signs of Christmas" is one of my favourites. So when it was time to consider what we would do here at Sahel, that's the one I chose. There was a bit of tweaking to be done to add speaking parts for the 80+ students in our elementary. Lots of practice time to learn the songs and saying the lines.   Last Sunday night, we presented it to a hall packed full of family and friends. The message of the gospel was clearly presented through the songs and lines of the students and my prayer is that seeds were planted in the hearts of those who needed to hear this good news. That is what Christmas is about after all, isn't it? Good news. Gabriel came to Mary with....good news, God has chosen you. The angels told the shepherds...good news, t...

This week, I thought I would show you some of our students at lunch time. We have a hot lunch program here at Sahel. A lady who owns her own restaurant delivers hot lunches to the students each day. On today's menu is meat sandwiches....yummy. There are 23 different countries represented at our school. Many of the students have parents who are serving as missionaries here in Niger: planting churches, working out in the surrounding villages, or in the local hospitals. All with the common goal of sharing the good news of the gospel with the people of Niger. I have so enjoyed getting to know each of the students in elementary. It has be fun to sub in their classes. This week I had the opportunity to teach PE to some of them. Friday is buddy day at Sahel, the secondary students are paired up with the elementary students. They eat lunch together and then play games. It is a great time of fun for all. These are just a few of the smiling faces that make my day as...

    On Friday, we had our annual Field Day at Sahel Academy. We went to the Niamey soccer stadium for the day, otherwise known as the Stade. It was a beautiful sunny day for track events. The secondary and elementary students were divided up into teams. Each with their own flag and banners. Even the staff had a flag......we were the yellow team. Each team started the day by showcasing their cheer. The Red Fireants were pretty excited at the start of the day and at the end were the team with the most points. After all the cheers, let the races begin...   Along with races of various distances, there was high jump, shot put, standing broad jump. Softball and Frisbee throw for the elementary. I enjoyed judging and measuring the discus throw for the secondary students.                               ...

Yesterday, the circus came to Sahel Academy. The student council, along with the help of many of the secondary students, sponsored the "Cirque du Sahel". Step right up and get your tickets to play a variety of carnival games. There was face painting, crafts, magic shows, tumbling acts and .... camel rides!   Yup, even I got involved. Here the students were able to throw a wet sponge at the principal. Mike, the secondary principal went first, and then it was my turn. It seemed like some of the students enjoyed dousing their principal very much. Although there were a couple of grade 4 boys who were quite gentle and said, "I don't want to hurt you, Miss Farrer." It was a great evening of fun and fellowship!

You just never know what you will meet on the street in Niamey. I thought that in this week's blog I would show you some of the places that I visit every Saturday. This is White Shack the closest grocery store to where I live. The owner does speak English, so that is very helpful. Although I didn't find that out until after I asked for 6 eggs and got 16. Right next to White Shack, is the produce stand. This week's purchase included: cucumbers, tomatoes, bananas, carrots, onions, and apples. The pineapple is very good here too. Grapes are sold here, but can be rather expensive. The main streets can be fairly busy on a Saturday morning. Just down this street, is the other grocery that I go to..... Baaklini's. It's a bit bigger than White Shack and sometimes has a better selection. Last Saturday, I went up to the cheese counter and ordered a chunk of mozzarella in French and the man understood me! I left the store with a feeling of accomplishment. Litt...

    This week in Niger, we were all reminded of the importance of water. Ninety-two migrants began there trek across the Sahara towards Algeria to what they hoped would be a better life. All but twenty died of thirst when their vehicle broke down and they ran out of water. Many of whom were women and children. It was later discovered that they were only five kilometers from a well. Water is life and here in the hot, dry climate of West Africa so very necessary. I have been filling my water bottle often and taking it with me everywhere. The merchants even sell water bottle holders, that keep your water cool.                                Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give will never be thirsty. The water I give will become a spr...