Serving In Sahel

Driving in Niamey is always an adventure, especially since the bridge we usually take to go home has been closed due to a two year construction project to make it wider and more accessible. So now as Beth and I travel home, we get to see all kinds of sites as we travel through the city. Yup, you guessed it....in the truck in front of us, there were goats on top, chickens dangling from the side by their legs and a few human passengers in the mix.   Traffic was pretty light for a Friday afternoon as we drove through the Petit Marché, where you can get pretty much anything you might need.... Need a broom or a rake? They got it! How about some oranges? They will even bring the produce to you. There is always lots to see as we travel through the city.

Stress...it happens to all of us wherever we might be and the mission field is no exception. To say that the last few weeks have been stressful, would be an understatement. Two weeks ago, Mike, our secondary principal, received word that his father had gone home to be with the Lord. Both he and our director, Brian had to return to the states for family emergencies, leaving me in charge....and the stress level rose. Last Sunday, my friend and co-worker, Nancy received word that her mother had gone to glory. Nancy is back in BC now preparing for her mother's funeral. This coming week, sees Brian, our director, travelling to Uganda to help with an ACSI accreditation team and three of our teachers travelling with our seniors to Barkina Faso and Benin. Please pray that everyone stays well this week as we are stretched to fill in all the holes of the missing staff. Please pray for Mike and Nancy as they grieve the loss of their loved ones. Mike returns to Niger on Wednesday. Thr...

Setting up the tents for the annual grade 5/6 campout... Thankfully we have a lovely soccer field on the school property, where we can pitch our tents. After a time of games and a water balloon toss, it was time to roast hot dogs for supper. For dessert, S'mores...for some of our students, it was the very first time they had tasted that yummy treat. One sixth grade boy said, "They were awesome!". Before bed, our secondary science teacher brought over a telescope so we could do some star gazing. I had such a great time with these kids. Although there was not much sleep that was happening, there was a lot of laughter and fun. What a privilege it is to be a part of their lives!      

Cleaning up in a country that is 80% desert is an interesting experience especially when the harmattan winds are blowing in a steady flow of dust. Every Friday, I wash off the desk and shelves in my office and the water usually ends up looking this colour. The battle against dust is a constant war Even with the windows closed, the dust seems to find a way to get in and a table that was clean one day could be covered with dust the next day. This is the Nigerien version of a mop. It works great on the tile floors. My house helper stands on top of the rag and washes the floor. For about a dollar an hour, you can hire someone to come in and clean and /or cook for you. I hired a college-age girl to come in once a week. She does an amazing job! Even the eggs, fruit and vegetables need cleaned and bleached for 20 minutes before consuming. There is no hot water in the kitchen, so doing dishes means heating up the water first.....filtered water of course. Oh the joys of k...