My Journey in Niger

the end

2007-12-12T16:34:00.000+01:00

My journey in Niger has come to an end. Thanks to each of you who accompanied me via sporadic posts here. It’s been an incredible, exhausting, challenging, life-changing, blessed journey. A journey with God. God’s the reason I took such a journey and he’s the reason I survived it. I’ve seen his power and provision through every birth, death, healing, friendship, dilemma, … through every imaginable and unfathomable experience.

Now I move on...and when something interesting happens or I get bored I will update my original blog -link on the right.

to, sey yeeso...

the last days

2007-12-12T16:22:00.000+01:00

This uncommon, gregarious Fulani will also be greatly missed. He frequents our house in town on market day, where he gets some good eats, a nap, and some good conversation.

Meet Halima and her son, Issia. Issia is a young boy who has been very sick, but thanks to God and some good medical help he is doing well today.

This Fulani chief has become a dear friend. He is like a grandfather. I will greatly miss him shaking his finger at me, followed by putting his hand on his chin as he emphatically says, “haba!” whenever I make a crazy comment…which is often, right?

Welcome to FBC Chez Jessica & Sarah. I love this church and will miss it, especially the singing part. I do look forward to more fellowship and teaching though.

hats, tires, beans, and a cow

2007-12-12T16:04:00.000+01:00

Young Fulani men in the Tessaoua area wear these funny hats, which they make themselves.

Recently we had many tires go bad; here is one of the blowouts.

Beans, beans, good for your heart…sorry, granny. I love beans!

In the village where I have my medical practice, I was recently asked to treat a cow’s sore…too funny. Just so you know, I only looked!

in the hole, in the road

2007-11-22T20:43:00.000+01:00

recently my travels in this land have been numerous, accompanied with:

3 blow outs
more flats than i can count
2 puking kids & their sick mother-in the seat with me
1 staring man
1 flip-flop cut in order to plug a tire
13 hours one way
50 cfa manioc flour; mixed with water to seal tire
off-roading in a bus
too many over-packed buses and bush taxis
the aisle seat: a fold-down plank between two rows
dirty black market gas
the good seat: by a broken window
gas shortages
passenger door nearly ripped off
999 speed bumbs, okay i don't know how many, but it's a lot
9,999 potholes and craters...

i will miss this land, but not this road

likitajo

2007-11-16T17:20:00.000+01:00

does the fact that my mom, aunt, and grandmother are nurses give me the right to practice medicine? nope, but i do...sometimes.

here i am cleaning a leg wound for this elderly fulani lady.

the man watching is my "likitajo" or doctor in training.
i leave him with some cleaning supplies and he takes care of folks' sores and such when i'm not around.

my expertise: sores & wounds. nothing else.
everything else is left in the hands of the real doctors and our Great Physician.

i enjoy loving the fulani by playing doctor. it is a blessing.

Niger/America

2007-10-26T21:35:00.000+01:00

Random thoughts
Things I’ll miss
Things I won’t miss
Lessons learned

You’re 40 years old, right?; Talking to neighbors while in the “bathroom;” Duct taping the ceiling so lizards can’t come in; Africa, where is that?; You’re men only marry one woman; always have water; Entertaining the neighborhood kids; Beautiful stars; the living Word; Cramming folks into vehicles; 4-wheel drive; The heat; The unknown; Trying to tell a Fulani about my skydiving experience; Cool mornings; Solid relationships; Using a stick as tissue; Cooking from scratch; My job: to proclaim the Truth; Playing doctor; Church; You’re not married; Coke in a glass bottle; The public restroom; Brown eggs; mosquitoes; The trash dump; sticking out like a sore thumb; community; utter dependence upon the Lord

a few more, hopefully

2007-10-23T22:50:00.000+01:00

a change of scenery...this is actually in Niger. sarah & i discovered this beautiful, green, hilly land...ahhh. too bad its hours from us.

me and the bush taxi driver...remember from below, 15 folks? only two had on deo...can you imagine?!? don't forget the temp here. yep, it wasn't too nice, but you can see i was smiling...or maybe that was for another reason!

sarah and i ... how do two girls living in niger entertain themselves? tell stories, sing, make faces, make things...on this day we even stooped so low as to play MASH. oh my! thank God we have one another for entertainment!

this is my friend, A. he's more than a friend. he is like a brother. he spends most his time chez moi...he shall be greatly missed.

pics, hopefully

2007-10-23T22:03:00.000+01:00

our Hausa neighbor kids...the little one comes busting into our house at 630am!

bush taxi from out east; 15 folks in this vehicle plus infants...we got stuck

a favorite past time here...painting nails

sarah and i out in n'guigmi...eastern niger. the land of sand

in remembrance

2007-08-22T18:56:00.000+01:00

a friend. a father. a son. a brother. a husband. a leader. a follower...now worshipping in the very presence of our Lord.

"I sat with him for hours
And listened to his voice
As he read stories about our Lord
I listened as he stumbled
But never did he grumble
He said the work was hard
But he was ready for the challenge

My prayer was for him
To read the Scriptures
In his own tongue
In his own time
For his people
So they could know the truth
And be set free

[he] Will never have to read
Another Word again
For he can hear them
Spoken from the very lips of God "

-parts of a poem by chelsea, a summer missionary

itch, itch, ahh

2007-08-22T18:12:00.000+01:00

can you see it? that little devil, a caterpillar

as soon as i returned from tessaoua from my trip to senegal...i began itching. it was weird. but then i realized that i wasn't the only one itching. sarah was. my neighbors were. everyone was itching. i'm talking painful, burning, itching. nothing took away the itching.

rumor has it that the source of the itching was the little caterpillar above. they were everywhere! supposedly if they touch you or if their hairs touch you - which were all in the air - you would itch. think it's funny? well, it wasn't!

there was one funny aspect though. the fulani added, "how are the catepillars?" to their greetings.
imagine: how's the family? how are the rains? how is work? and how are the catepillars?!!

my fulani friends were shocked that the caterpillars even touched us white folks...like we're immune or something!

after about a week or two of itching, the caterpillars turned into annoying, little moths!
check them out on my wall below.

through my windshield

2007-08-22T17:37:00.000+01:00

take a look through the eyes of anasara.
anasara essentially means white person.
in this case though, "anasara" is the name of my truck.

in the middle of the bush. a dump truck sunk! yes, it's been raining!

the donkey cart path to *T through fields of millet and groundnuts

the main road out to SM. as you can see, we like hitting the mud puddles!

out in sm

2007-07-28T19:38:00.000+01:00

above: me (nayejo) chit-chatting with "surbajo."

I call her "young, unmarried girl" and she refers to me as "old lady." We have such a fun-loving relationship. She may be old and widowed, but she has a wonderful since of humor. I always enjoy hanging out with "surbajo." Unlike her 5 grown sons and their wives, she has yet decided to follow the way of truth.

above: walking to the well with the twins

These two older ladies are also a joy to be around and neither of them are walking with God. Many of their grown children are believers, so pray that one day (soon) they would have a change of heart as well.

above: watching as two of the men attempt to match pictures with words

boy, is literacy a challenge in an illiterate culture! i know, duh! slowly, slowly. it is my heart's desire that these men will one day soon be able to read God's Word on their own and in their own language.

change in subject:

look at me: i've lost 185 pounds!

ha ha, not really. but this is my big mama shirt and i always have a blast when i wear it.

emily, jj, & chelsea

2007-07-18T21:49:00.000+01:00

above: emily, jj, and chelsea

above: chelsea helps plant millet after the first rain

emily and her buddy

jj with her dear friend *H

jonathan & daniel

2007-07-18T16:27:00.000+01:00

daniel helps keep the coals hot at the blacksmith's

the guys share some stories with a large group of fulani kids

another view of the kids

jonathan and his friend, the chief's brother

kimberly & nikki

2007-07-18T16:17:00.000+01:00

kimberly and nikki with chief

chief and some boys listening to a "good" story

*G, a good friend of the girls

kimberly and nikki sitting around chatting with some of their friends

trouble

2007-07-18T16:10:00.000+01:00

having the lock sawed off our gate after i stuck the wrong key in the hole

a lizard stuck in the door of our squatty potty...he died

changing a tire after a lovely blow out

sarah & i

2007-07-13T14:22:00.000+01:00

above: teaching a literacy class with some of my fulani brothers

above: sarah pounds with a fulani sister as she tells a story

above: my yummy bush food...oh yeah

above: sarah and musa

the gang

2007-07-13T14:09:00.000+01:00

a much needed pool visit: top row: Gail, me, sarah; bottom: chelsea, emily, nikki, kimberly, and jj

the farewell gathering...after showers and clean clothes!

the guys: jonathan and daniel

4th of July fun in Niger...thanks to some cool friends known as the Housers!

for mom

2007-05-27T15:55:00.000+01:00

since arriving in niger i have been on a mission. there is a beautiful bird that flies over this dry land...and it is gorgeous. it seems out of place amongst all the sand and nothingness. well i have finally captured a picture a the beautiful bird. it has been a hard mission and i am glad to have it complete.

friday driving through the bush with 5 fulani women and three infants with me, i saw the bird perched in the tree. i motioned for the women to be quite as i rolled down my window and got the camera ready. at last, the bird didn't fly away and i snapped away.

the picture of this gorgeous bird is dedicated to my mom!

i began this mission in hopes of capturing this bird in a picture just for you - enjoy! i love you!

new folks on camels

2007-05-27T14:32:00.000+01:00

meet kimberly, known as Salmey by her new fulani friends:

and here is nikki, who now goes by aminatou

followed by jonathan, with the new name of sambo

and then, you all know me...

...i think i was waiting for the camel to take off running...he didn't.

good times

2007-05-11T18:21:00.000+01:00

The Fulani like to sing and dance in the evening hours after eating. Normally just the children and teenagers sing and dance, and all of their songs and dances are nearly the same. Not much variety. Well nowadays, in one village, some Fulani friends sit around singing praise songs. Oh, it is so beautiful to hear them singing in Fulfulde and Hausa. And it’s not just the kids, often their parents and grandparents sing along with them.

The other night we sat around drinking tea, visiting, and singing praise songs.

good times!

the first rain

2007-05-10T20:28:00.000+01:00

Praise the Lord! It rained. Rainy season hasn’t begun quite yet, but the first rain was quite refreshing.

I had a ball playing in the rain with the neighborhood kids.

Unfortunately, I awoke to a problem the next morning due to the rain that night.

My water container and squatty potty collapsed. That means my “septic tank” broke and all the “stuff” inside was exposed. Sorry, no pictures!

newborns

2007-05-10T18:33:00.000+01:00

It seems like right now women are giving birth. In the last several weeks, I have spent many a days holding new born Fulani babies and attending their various celebrations.

I pray that these precious babies would grow strong and that they would know the love of Jesus. God bless them and their families.

from kentucky

2007-05-10T18:22:00.000+01:00

Last month, I had the pleasure of hosting some folks from a cool church in Kentucky. These Kentuckians went to a couple of different Fulani villages throughout eastern Niger, including two villages near Tessaoua.

They were able to encourage and pray with Fulani believers, who they have been praying for for years without knowing them.

They were able to pray for and share a Bible story with a Fulani chief who is dear to my heart. The chief and other elders eagerly listened to the Bible story after learning how much they had in common with the folks from Kentucky.

as the Kentuckians departed, I also said "farewell" to my wonderful teammate Danielle.

Congratulations on your engagement, Danielle & Nate!

digging deeper

2007-05-10T17:37:00.000+01:00

Old Man: Hi. How are you?
Me: I am well and you?
Old Man: I am well. How was your trip?
Me: It was great.
Old man: How are your parents?
Me: They are well and send their greetings to you.
Old man: How’s the heat?
Me: Oh, there is heat!
Old man: Well, come sit in the shade near the well. By the way, there are children in the well today.
Me: What?
Old man: Yes, there are children in the well today.
Me: (confused and frantic) I don’t understand. Why are children in the well? Did they fall in?
Old man: (laughing) No, they are working. Follow me and you’ll see.
Me: (greatly relieved but still concerned) Okay, let’s go.

…so off I went to the well with the old man to see just what was going on. I was quite intrigued by it all, especially considering that at first I thought I was going to have to rescue some kids who had fallen in a well!

What was going on? This particular well was hand dug awhile back but has since dried up. This particular day they begin digging the well deeper. No concrete walls, no support except for some logs at ground level. Two boys were lowered into the well with a rope. At the bottom they begin digging dirt out and putting it in baskets which were pulled up by other young men.

After the kids had been in the well a couple of hours, the old men supervising the work decided they should take a break. The boys were pulled out of the well by their friends.

Talk about hard work! I was impressed and thankful the walls of the well didn’t collapse.

I hope you are grateful for your running water!

back in niger

2007-03-20T14:49:00.000+01:00

Well y’all I am back from my vacation in Greece. I had a wonderful time there with my parents. I have posted pictures here: http://jessicalbusko.blogspot.com if you would like to seem them.

some friends

2007-03-02T20:53:00.000+01:00

this is just a post with pictures of me and some of my friends. enjoy!

kanti, my child. i have a child in nearly every village. this one is mine because he is so sweet, unlike other little boys his age and his parents have both passed away.

this is little sharif, my child in town. he is actually hausa, not fulani, ...but he is precious when he gives me a hug and says, "i love you" or "akoy chewing gum." his father has passed away. communicating is always an adventure with his family, because i know very, very little hausa.

typical fulani boy. the stance, the hat, the goofy clothes, the jewelry.

baby ibrahim and me at his naming ceremony in december. ibrahim is the firstborn of some of my good hausa friends.

a fulani chief in a village near my town. this man is hilarious. he is very protective of sarah and i. he will talk about anything! this picture was taken in his rat infested hut!

musa is my child in the middle. he is not that happy of a kid and is sort of shunned by the rest of the village. he was pretty hateful when i first began visiting his village, but now he is more loving.

boozwa is a fulani friend in one village. she is now the mother of five. she has lost 3 other children. she is a joyful lady...she believes!

boozwa, me, and the 4 day old baby.

maryia, abu, and maryia. three young fulani girls. all newly wed. both of the maryia's share a husband. the husbands are brothers. these girls are so silly.

fulani man on a camel. he refused to let me ride. how dare he!

one day in the village, i learned the art of making fulani mascara. you just roll the metal bar across the little stone stuff and then ...

...put the crushed product in its cute little bottle. voila!

ears that don't hear

2007-02-08T11:02:00.000+01:00

The question was asked, “Why do you always tell stories when you talk to the people?”

Jesus explained to them, “You have been permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others have not. To those who are open to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But to those who are not listening, even what they have will be taken away from them. That is why I tell these stories, because people see what I do, but they don’t really see. They hear what I say, but they don’t really hear, and they don’t understand.

This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah, which says:
‘You will hear my words, but you will not understand; you will see what I do, but you will not perceive its meaning. For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes – so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’

But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.
-From Matthew chapter 13

Often the Fulani don’t care to listen to what is being said. Even when they do, they don’t really hear and they don’t understand.

Pray that the Fulani would want to listen. Pray for their eyes to be able to see, their ears to be able to hear, and their hearts to be able to understand…so that they can turn to Jesus.

Tabaski

2007-01-12T22:32:00.000+01:00

Following the celebration of Jesus Christ’s miraculous birth, Muslims around the world celebrated “Tabaski.” Tabaski comes a couple months after the month of Ramadan – the month Muslims fast. During Tabaski, each Muslim family sacrifices a ram or goat.

One of our Fulani friends in town invited us to celebrate this holiday with them. We went and observed the killing of two animals. After they had slit the animals’ throats, I stood looking at the small pool of blood. The blood I was looking at had no power, for it was simply the blood of a dead ram and a dead goat. Throughout the day of Tabaski, I was reminded to pray for Muslims around the world. The hope they claim to have is false & misplaced. If they only knew that the ultimate sacrifice has already been made. Jesus Christ died for the sins of the world – for everyone. It is his blood that can forgive sins and only his blood.

“For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.” Hebrews 10: 4

“Once for all time he took blood into that Most Holy Place, but not the blood of goats and calves. He took his own blood, and with it secured our salvation forever…for by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.” Hebrews 9: 12,14b

God, the ruler of the world, sent his Son into this world to die for all of our wicked sins. I am thankful for the forgiveness of my sins, for I am definitely a sinner. Praise God, I don’t have to offer sacrifices to him for my sins. I’d have to offer a lot! Yet, all he wants us to do is “give your bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will accept.” (Romans 12:1)

As Tabaski came to a close, I was heavy hearted…thinking about the lostness of this world, misplaced faith of so many, and reminded that I must continually live my life for God. Though the day was dark, there was still much joy in my heart…for Christ did indeed die for me.

to Togo

2006-12-02T15:50:00.000+01:00

It had been planned for some time now that the “newer” missionaries here in West Africa would have a short conference in Togo right after Thanksgiving. Planning anything here always turns out rather “interesting.”

Several months ago seats from Niger to Togo were reserved with one airline. Those reservations were given up when we found a cheaper airline, because 15 would be traveling.

A couple of days before our flight was to depart, we received confirmation on the flight to Togo. Two hours later we were informed the flight had been cancelled altogether.

Now how to get 15 people to Togo? …many options were explored. Then it was decided that we would take a 5-passenger plane from Niamey to Togo. That would mean 3 flights.

Flight one left. Half way to Togo they had some “problems” and had to land on a dirt runway. Everything checked out okay so they went back up. Closer to their destination, the plane began losing altitude and nearly landed on a road lined with trees. Thankfully, the plane regained altitude and safely landed at the airport.

So, that plane did not take the 10 remaining travelers. Several attempts were made to reserve seats with other airlines. In the end, a van was rented with a hired driver to drive the 10 of us to Lome, Togo. … and so the journey began!

We left Niamey at 5am. I rode shotgun most of the way. The majority of the time Kanessa and I prayed for our safety and for the driver. Along the way, the landscape changed drastically. We followed the Niger River for a little while, then left the desert. I felt like I was entering a tropical rain forest!

Approaching the Niger-Benin border, it was like we were in a marshland.

and then there were hills!!!

at one gas stop, Danielle and I ventured around looking for an ice cold Coca-Cola...it was found and much appreciated.

along the way we came upon one "detour"

"attention deviation"
the road just all of a sudden turned because straight ahead, trash and shrubs overtook the road.

16 hours after leaving Niamey, we pulled into Cotonou, Benin for the night. Early the next morning we awoke and headed to Togo.

Welcome to Togo!

Fear women…the back of this truck says, “fear women.” Too bad the customs and police officers at all the border stops didn’t follow this line of thinking.

Nonetheless, we made it through all the border crossings and eventually arrived in Lome, Togo around noon the next day. Praise God for safe travels.

In Lome, I had a great time of fun and fellowship with my fellow brothers and sisters. Aside from the “serious” times, we played in order to be “renewed.” We made some ice cream runs, played lots of games, had several volleyball matches, and spent a day at the beach. Good times!

Abidjan

2006-12-02T14:16:00.000+01:00

After several days in Lome, it was time to head home…or to begin heading home. For the journey home, we flew to Abidjan, Ivory Coast. We spent two nights in Abidjan.

In Abidjan, some friends showed us around the massive city. Several times I forgot that I was in West Africa…far from Niger! There was a mall…decked out with Christmas decorations and all.

Merry Christmas!

grass! real grass!

Now the journey is over and I am safely back in Niamey, Niger. The last week or so has been tiring, but refreshing. It has reminded me of how God is in control and that we don’t know what will happen tomorrow. As James says, “why you don’t even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, if it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

Thanksgiving Praises

2006-11-22T21:39:00.000+01:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

Greetings everyone! I pray that you are having a blessed and wonderful Thanksgiving this year with your family and friends. Though I am far from home this Thanksgiving, there is so much to be thankful for. Please thank our Father for the following:

* Five Fulani have confessed Jesus as their Savior in a village where two of my teammates are working, including the chief!
* Several women who have decided to follow Christ came to last week’s time of worship in one village.
* We have many students who have answered God’s call to come serve alongside us among the Fulani.
* As we were going to sleep last week in our hut, we heard several men sharing Bible stories with their wives and others.
* The family that recently joined our team has settled into their home. It is a huge blessing to have them so close to us.
* After leaving one village for over a month, the Fulani there have expressed interest in having one of our teammates spend more time there.
* In another teammate’s village, the family she has lived with in the bush for sometime has been very open to the Gospel and has taken her in as one of their own.
* A volunteer team recently visited a Fulani village where one of my teammates works and was able to spend a lot of time with the chief who is asking serious questions and earnestly seeking to know more about faith in Jesus.

Praise God for his faithfulness and provision. He is working in a mighty way among the Sokoto Fulani. Thank you for your prayers on behalf of my team and the Sokoto Fulani.

some of my friends and their life

2006-11-22T06:53:00.000+01:00

Men, women, and children spend hours every week looking for this type of grass in the bush. They dry it and then bundle it in order to sell in the market for a little cash.

Here is a “grandfather” of mine who uses the above mentioned grass to make things. I have been trying to learn how to make items out of the grass with this grandfather. Nothing I do is ever as pretty as his work.

So the weather has cooled off since the beginning of November, but things have gotten quite dusty. Throughout the day it looks like fog covering the horizon, but there is no fog in Niger – it’s pure dust!

Following the chief’s son throughout the village. In a village I’ve recently started visiting, the chief’s son has been showing me around. The Fulani live in small family compounds within a larger village. At first glance the villages are small or non-existent, but they are there and often very big. Without this man showing the way, I would have been lost and never found the compounds.

Mom and oldest son trekking to the well. This family has to go to the well several times a day because between the two wives there are 10 children. The well is over a mile away. The water is carried in these ceramic containers on top of their heads.

Who can run and jump the highest? Kids are pretty much the same everywhere. They don’t like to wear clothes or bathe. They want to play all day and do no work. The main difference between these Fulani kids and kids elsewhere is that they don’t have a school.

An older lady heading out to the field with her ax in order to gather some millet. Everyone in Fulani culture has work. The day is filled with pounding, going to the well, searching for fire wood, cooking, feeding the animals, taking care of children, farming, harvesting, selling…

Walking through the millet with Musa and a handful of children. When it’s not farming season, Musa spends most of his time looking for grass and then making various things out of the grass in order to sell. He makes mats, baskets, hats, and rope.

Niameytime

2006-10-05T07:36:00.000+01:00

My two weeks in Niamey are coming to a close tonight. Since Niamey is the capital of Niger, it is no doubt very different from the rest of the country. Some differences are good, some annoying, some just … big cityish. The more time I spend out East, the more I dislike Niamey. Niamey, please take no offense, but I like small towns and even smaller villages.

The good, the annoying…Niamey:
Riding in a greyhound-like bus through the bush to get to the city
Bargaining with a taxi driver for directions while driving down the road – in a separate vehicle
Mosquitoes
People, people, and more people
English church
Meat and cheese
A/C
Fellowship
Zarma

The other day I visited the American rec center for a good, American lunch (taco salad with Dr. Pepper.) After talking to a man for a few minutes in French, he responds (in English): “Please speak English, because I don’t understand Zarma.”
So yeah, he speaks perfect English. I don’t know if my French was that bad or if he doesn’t understand. But I definitely was not speaking Zarma. My friends and I got a good kick out of this…just another joy of living in a land with so many languages!

By the way, now I am learning Hausa. So in my jumbled brain there is a little bit of: English, French, Fulfulde, Hausa…and every once in awhile some Wolof slips out. I have no recollection of Spanish…ninth grade was a long time ago. I’m worried about losing English. English is being shot down by Southern. Despite living in Niger, my Southern accent is strengthening everyday.

------------------

so during the month of Ramadan, at night these little boys come out and act like rabbits. they dance and beat tins, hoping for treats. the first time i saw it i was bit concerned about the mental state of the little fellow. but he was just having a good time. seeing these guys...good times of laughter!

saturday i rode out west a bit with a friend to see if her road had cleared of water so she could return to her home in the bush. along the way we ran into a rain storm.

you cannot see the road, b/c the river is the road. during dry season there isn't a lick of water here.

thus, the road is not ready to be crossed yet. here in the west they get a lot more rain than we do out east.

...goodbye Niamey!

some more...

2006-09-27T07:30:00.000+01:00

its so HOT here that even the pool water has evaporated! okay, not really. this pool was 1/2 full (or 1/2 empty) when we visited it last week with some friends from Nigeria.

this lovely creature hung out for too long in our yard one day. i guess you can tell that his life ended shortly thereafter.

from the top of the hill...can you see the huts in the distance within all the millet?

the hut for sarah & i
have you ever...slept on the ground in a grass hut during the middle of a storm???

hausa and fulani men taking a break for a photo

some of my fulani friends with their children out in the millet field

pictures

2006-09-25T07:22:00.000+01:00

from the top of a hill in the bush...can you see the little pond in the distance. praise the Lord for rain!

here is a cute calf that hung out with us for several hours. i asked if i could borrow it until it got bigger, but the owner refused...thats probably a good thing.

me...posing in front of the millet that is growing. this is the same spot i posted a picture from awhile back, when the millet was speckles of grass.

things i do here that i've never come close to doing in America...loosening the fuel pump so that i can pump it clean...a joy of buying gas from a man on the side of the road!

sarah & i

millet, leaves, water...what does it look like to you though?

our two friends checking out the depth of this water...i love rain here, but not the fact that it makes getting around a bit difficult

my son up a tree...getting fruit that tastes like onion

yes, its a new post

2006-09-04T20:41:00.000+01:00

I’m convinced life is crazy. Maybe its just life in Niger, but I don’t think so. Maybe it’s just trying to plan, but seeing God pave a different road? I don’t know what is going to happen from one moment to the next. But who does?

“How can we understand the road we travel? It is the Lord who directs our steps.” Proverbs 20:24

Despite my plans, preconceived notions, and even history, God is showing how his ways are far from anything I could have ever imagined (Is 55:8.)

Do we really believe what God says? He says that His Word will (not maybe) accomplish all He wants it to, that it will (not maybe) prosper everywhere he sends it (Is 55:11.)

Life here is not what I expected. My work does not match my job description. Each day is different from the previous one. God is continually changing the direction in which he wants me to go and the way in which to get there. Sometimes my activities are typical, often not. I just laugh about it and remind myself of 1 Cor. 10:31 – whatever I eat or drink or whatever I do, I must do it all for the glory of God.

Is it possible to do everything for the glory of God? Sometimes I doubt it, but then I’m convicted of that when I read: “Give your body to God. Let it be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind he will accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?” (Romans 12:1)

You know, I really do enjoy living here. God has me here. Yes, sometimes I ask why. Sometimes I long for things from my own culture. But everyday He confirms his desire for me to be right here. Being here isn’t enough. I have to daily surrender myself and the things of the day to Him. I find myself relying on Him more and more. The little things that shouldn’t require much energy or thought are the things that can throw me off.

The heat. Bugs and other creatures. Fulfulde. Hausa. French. Horrible roads. Lack of roads. Dirt. Food.

Seriously, eating leaves is nasty. I have never had a problem with gagging until I began eating slimy leaves. Who would have thought eating millet and leaves was so hard? For me, it is. I can only get it down and keep it down by the grace of God. I have to remind myself of what Christ went through on this earth…and that’s how I get the leaves down. That’s the only way. It might not seem it, but it’s a big deal.

-------------------
Friday afternoon I was in the bush, walking from compound to compound with Sarah and a Fulani friend, when we went to one compound where she wanted us to see a little girl. I thought we were going to just visit a sweet little girl or something. Not quite. She wanted me to see a little girl who had fallen in a fire. Poor little Karima was just lying on her stomach motionless, burned from her mid-back to the back of her knees. Badly burned. The burns were covered with sand and nasty flies and you could see the obvious infection. I had to fight back the tears. After questioning the mother about the incident and what they had done, I only got more frustrated. I gave up with the young mother and asked for the father, who eventually came from working in the field. After asking him, he agreed and let Sarah and I, along with him and a friend, take little Karima to the hospital in a town not too far away. They began treating her and asked that she remain in the facility for several days. I was relieved that she was getting adequate medical attention. Please continue to pray for Karima and her family as they are still at the hospital.

----------------------
Two weeks ago, Sarah and I decided we were going to stay in the bush for the weekend with a Fulani lady and her kids. However, our plan got a little disrupted because we thought her husband was out of the country, but he had returned…thus leaving us no where to stay. They assured us there was no problem. So, I just told myself it will work out, somehow. Well, we left that compound to go hang out with some ladies for several hours. When we returned later that afternoon, there was a new hut in the compound. Yeah, it worked out. They built Sarah and I a hut. Quite amusing. So, now Sarah and I stay in our new home a couple of nights a week.

---------------------
We have a friend here named S. He speaks English and listens to Randy Travis, Dolly Parton, and Conway Twitty. His English is great, really. But some things that he say, he translates word for word from Hausa or French…and it has a funny effect when it comes out in English. Other times, he is very African and explains something by telling a story, not just directly saying what he wants. Even better, he says phrases he thinks are cool in English, which are just quirky.

If one has to go, let him go. (You better use the restroom before we start the trip.)

S: This is a dangerous road. Pay attention.
Me: What do you want me to do?
S: Be careful.

I have to go visit with the monkeys. (I have to use the restroom.)

I’m coming. (Wait a second, I’ll explain, hold on…endless meanings.)

I need to go shave. [after returning from a trip, I gave some of the neighborhood kids some small gifts to play with. I told S the gifts were for the kids, to which he only responded, “ I need to go shave.” He said nothing else. I asked what he meant and he said, “you know.”]

We’ll rock the day. (We’ll have a party.)

my new child and pet

2006-07-19T09:48:00.000+01:00

The day after Sarah and I moved into our new house, we discovered that we had an unexpected pet. This is Mayyere “Lightening,” our pet turtle.

The one thing Sarah & I miss about Niamey is the fact that you can buy tortillas there. We experienced making homemade tortillas the other day with our “son” or our Fulani neighbor. I call him our son because he literally stays over all the time, even stays outside overnight. Let’s say he has been exposed to quite a bit of American culture and food. We love our son though, because he has helped us to develop our Fulfulde.

and here is my precious angel napping

Fulani Life

2006-07-19T08:04:00.000+01:00

The Fulani are quite, reserved, and hospitable people. They work the land and take care of animals. The Fulani are flattered that I am learning their language, as most people don’t. They must learn Hausa in order to barter and get other things done when they go to town. The Hausa people do not learn Fulfulde and turn their noses up when I tell them that I am learning Fulfulde rather then Hausa. But let's see...how do the Fulani live?

This is a very large Fulani village though you cannot tell by looking at this photo. Can you even see the one compound? This village has tons of small compounds that are about 100 yards apart. Sometimes you cannot see one compound from another.

The Fulani typically live in the bush, where they farm and shepherd sheep, goats, and cows. They also raise chickens. Though the Fulani take care of these animals, they do not eat them. They do drink the milk from the animals, and will sell the animals for money if there is nothing to eat.

These are your typical young Fulani shepherds. After finding the cows some drinking water, these little guys took a break under the shade of this big tree.

Until recently the Fulani in this particular village have had no milk, because the cows have had no food. They were very proud of the little milk they received from this cow. Notice how she milks this cow: after letting the baby begin the milking process, she ties the baby cow’s neck to the right, front leg of the mother. Then the Fulani lady squats, with the calabash bowl in between her legs and proceeds to milk the cow. They drink some of the milk fresh, and let the rest of it sour before finishing it off.

Here, this Fulani man is working in the millet fields. Recently they received a bit of rain and were able to plant. Now they work the fields, hoping for more rain, so that their millet can grow tall and produce a great harvest. For now the millet looks like small, spread out patches of grass.

The Fulani store their millet in these little raised huts throughout the year. At this time of year, they are nearly empty, as the Fulani await the harvest.

This particular Fulani village as a very deep, concrete well. It is very nice except that it is open, and has no pump, and there is always a good bit of “floatage” in the water.

Perhaps one good reason for having co-wives is that you have a partner in helping draw water from the well. This well has to be more than 50 feet deep and requires a lot of strength and energy to get water. They have a thick bag attached to a grass rope that they throw into the well, and then pull out, using the grooved logs as a guide.

Walking back to the leader’s compound, after going to the special cow milking location. Throughout the village, there are these little winding paths that lead you from compound to compound, the well, cow milking location, and then to the “road.” And yes, they can get a bit confusing.

The Fulani staple: chewtam. Every day the Fulani eat the same thing, chewtam. This is pounded millet, then cooked with water. It is more like a thick drink. Sometimes its fresh and sometimes its super sour. Trust me, it is better fresh; and if it is still warm from the fire it is even better. But don’t get me wrong, either way you look at it, it is not good.

This is one of our Fulani friends who is very helpful when we do our teachings, because he has so much patience. Can you see all the marks on his face? He has some very detailed markings all over his face, but it is difficult to capture with a camera.

several stories

2006-07-06T15:08:00.000+01:00

#1 – getting settled (22 June 2006)
After cleaning, unpacking, and arranging our new house in Tessaoua, Sarah & I started going out into town. The town is predominantly composed of Hausa people, who thus speak the Hausa language. We have only been able to communicate with them in French, when possible, but are of course picking up quite a bit of Hausa. During the first week we met a very welcoming Fulani family who lives across from us. We are thankful to have located a Fulani family in town and hope to possibly find more. Tessaoua reminds me of a small Southern town, where everyone wonders what the new people are doing in town. Fortunately few people call us out as “anasaras” (white people.) Tessaoua was one of the hardest hit areas during the famine last year; therefore, they are used to seeing foreigners pass through with various aid organizations. Today the only organization that remains is Save the Children. I pray that the people of Tessaoua and the surrounding villages will understand that we are here to help them by sharing Christ’s love with them.

#2 - Getting to the Bush (26 June 2006)
Four days after arriving in Tessaoua, Sarah & I ventured out to the bush for the first time. We visited this particular village several months ago before moving here. We remembered it being about 6 kilometers from town, so we decided to just walk it for the first time. We weren’t quite ready to tackle the bush roads on the motos, especially our first time out. Well boy, was it an adventure. Let me begin with proclaiming that we serve an Awesome & oh-so Faithful God. It was a bit more than 6k out, double that! Yes, Sarah and I walked over 12k to this village – in Niger heat! Only by the grace of God was this possible. Well it was worth it. First of all they were rather impressed with us for walking. Second, they asked, “so you are here to teach us, right?” We told them we indeed were there for that reason, but seeing as how we just walked 12k … I was barely able to say anything. We stayed in the village for a good part of the day, drinking chewtam, chatting, and napping. As we started the walk back to town, Sarah nor I were confident that we could make the whole walk. After walking about 2 k, we stopped for a drink of water and to pray. I prayed for strength, safety, and for any vehicle to come along within the next k. After hydrating, we stood and saw a truck coming down the road! We waved for the truck to stop, but no, it kept trucking along. I don’t know whose mind God changed in that truck, but about ½ k up it stopped and waited for us. The truck was packed with people in the cab, bed, and even on top of the cage that covered the bed of the truck. Communication proved difficult because everyone in the truck only spoke Hausa – no Fulfulde, no French, and well, no English. After saying “Tessaoua” several times, pointing, and of course looking completely exhausted, they understood we wanted a ride. Well I flipped my arms up attempting to ask where we could sit. Oh my! They motioned that the only open space was on top of the truck. I laughed, for I didn’t know what else to do. Sarah and I looked at each other. I looked into the jam-packed bed of the truck. I began climbing on top of truck and told Sarah to climb up or find room in the bed of the truck. She found room, I got a good grip on the cage, planted my feet and off we went. Thankfully, God answered our prayers and we made it safely back into town. Not only that, but we received further invitation to return to the village to begin teaching.

And if you are curious, yes – the next day Sarah and I rested for the majority of the time. Even two days later, I felt like I had been beat.

#3 - On the 2nd day… (28 June 2006)
Upon arranging a day to return to the village to teach, Sarah & I prepared our story. After much prayer and discussion we opted to tell the story of the Good Shepherd. The Fulani are sheep and goat herders, so we thought it would be an appropriate story for that reason and because the point is that He is the only way to the Father.

Before I get to the story part, let me tell you … after walking the 12k Monday, Sarah & I both agreed that we would not make that walk again. So we rode the moto. I drove and Sarah rode on back. It was a long bumpy ride, but much better than walking. We approached the village, and I began to turn further into the bush… we wiped out! And about 10 people saw it. After sitting under a tree and cleaning my wound, one Fulani man pushed the moto further into the bush for me, where we left it and trekked to the leader’s compound.

After greeting the compound and drinking water, the men began walking throughout the bush, calling all the other men. Sarah and I sat there, realizing that they were making this a large gathering…to come hear us teach. That’s when I began getting a bit nervous. After about an hour, all the men they could find were there, sitting with Sarah and I under a millet tent. Sitting in front of 20 Fulani men, I began by asking them questions about their sheep and what shepherds do. Sarah could tell my nerves were going nuts and was very encouraging, praying for me the whole time. About an hour later, the story had been told, questions had been asked, and all said they understood the story. That was a hard and intense hour! God provided the words that came from my mouth, and a Fulani guy who had tremendous patience, helped the others to understand what I had said. In the end, I asked if they wanted to hear more teachings from God’s book. They all said yes.

And yes, on the ride back to town, Sarah & I wiped out again, gaining more bruises and scratches. (I don’t like sand.)

#4 – a long day of traveling (30 June 2006)
Friday morning we left the house in search for a bush taxi to a town 40k from Tessaoua. About three hours later we arrived, after riding in a small bush taxi with more than 20 people. Once we arrived in M*, we hired motorcycle drivers to ride us 10k out through the bush to a Fulani village. Craziness. Thankfully the man driving the motorcycle new what he was doing, and he actually had a motorcycle, not a little moped thingy. It was still scary. I sang, “o Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all…” most of the ride. The sand is not my friend. For the journey home: We got in a larger bush taxi, with no seats. It was either sit on the floor or stand. I chose to stand and hold on to some bars over head, which made it sort of like a roller coaster ride. There were more than 40 people in the bush taxi sitting, standing, or riding on top. There were more than 20 chickens, 3 sheep (which actually mated part of the trip!), lots of babies, bowls, mats, and other random things. I pulled my shawl over my face and took a good grip. It was a long ride. We stopped in one town on the way back for about an hour while the bush taxi driver visited with friends. Never in America! More than 3 hours later we arrived safely back in Tessaoua, covered in dust! Every ride proves to be a new adventure.

No photos yet, since I am using a public computer. …two more weeks and I’ll have some for you.

tuesday's breakfast

2006-06-20T12:17:00.000+01:00

Since language class is complete and our move has been postponed until tomorrow morning, this morning sarah & I had a Sugarland concert as we sat around. As we had our 2-person party, one of the guards came and said he had something to show us.

He caught a huge lizard on the compound.

And then told me that he was about to cook it.

Yes, after you cook something…you eat it.

They insisted that it would taste like fish.

Not. It was very chewy and had a distinct flavor…lizardy I guess.

Not my ideal breakfast.

Other creatures around the compound:

a hedgehog

The average lizard. There are tons of these.

And then…the dust.

Before the rains come, the dust comes. Close your eyes and run for cover!

packages w/ surprises

2006-06-01T10:16:00.000+01:00

packages are great. i have been expecting some things from my parents for the last couple of weeks. well today was the day to go down to the post office. first of all the post office is always an adventure. can they find your package? how much customs fees will you have to pay etc? well today...i found surprises in my packages, like water guns, flowers, and lots of m&ms. its funny, because you have to open the box in front of a customs officer and let her look at everything, like at the airport. well i never know what will be in there, so it gets interesting. well i found one very interesting surprise, but only after i returned home with the box and was examining the contents more carefully. look at this:

a hole is my box, through to my mac-n-chz and noodles.

yes, who knows how long my package sat at the post office? well mr rat does, because he had a good time chewing his way through everything. luckily he only ate one pack of mac-n-chz, some nooddles, and left behind lots of interesting stuff!

me and my moto

2006-06-01T09:59:00.000+01:00

yesterday my moto arrived and i had my first lesson riding the thing. a bit different than i expected, but...so far so good.

it's no harley, but don't i look cool...i know i know, if i feel silly on it, i must look silly.

i have only practiced driving around the compound, because we have been encouraged to not drive the motos in Niamey. though later this week i will go to another part of town to practice driving it in deep sand...so more pics to come...and i'm sure they'll be more interesting.

there she goes

well the compound does have some pretty big hills, pot holes, and sharp turns so i am getting some good practice.

the moto will be used to get me around Tessaoua and from the town to the bush.

something(s) to think about

2006-05-26T17:36:00.000+01:00

I go to sleep on a normal mattress, but wake up in a water bed.
Often there is a gigantic, invisible dragon blowing dirty, flameless fire on me.
When the dragon is asleep, God’s natural A/C kicks on.
It’s hot, yet I want to wear long sleeves to alleviate the baking sensation outside.
There is no need for a hot water heater; tap water is already hot.
Evidently people think I am Santa Claus, because they’re always asking for gifts.
I can literally wring the sweat out of my clothes.
There are more than 7 languages spoken in Niamey and the surrounding area.
There is a different dialect of Fulfulde when you go to the east and west an itty bit.
I am learning a mixture of Fulfulde, Hausa, English, and French (Hausfrengulde.)

Fulfulde, the language I am really learning has a verb for nearly everything.
A few examples:
-to be yellow, to be red, … and other colors. Yes, each color has its own verb. Wait, but not green. If you want to say the car is green, literally you say the car is fresh grass.
-to run away from your husband
-to put eye makeup on
-to stand around fire
-to be a woman who no man wants to marry
(yes, in Fulfulde one word describes these phrases)

Look at Luke 8 and the explanation of the Parable of the Seeds. The seed represents the Word of God and the ones who hear the Word. How can that be? We translated this story for language class earlier this week and our language teacher pointed this out to us. He encouraged us to think about it, because he believes Fulani will have a hard time understanding that the seed represents the Word of God and people. What do you think?

Welcome to Tessaoua!

2006-05-20T19:12:00.000+01:00

This is the sign you will see if you come visit me in Tessaoua, after riding for 10 or so hours from the capital. It’s a straight shot from Niamey.

Driving through the middle of Tessaoua.

Now, if you fall asleep while riding, you’re likely to pass through without even realizing it.

Even though Tessaoua is a small town, there are several mosques.

Please pray for the men who go to these mosques and their families. Pray that God would open their eyes to the Truth. Most of the people who live in town are Hausa people, not Fulani. But they all need Jesus, right?

.

Looking at a map with some men, discussing locations of Fulani villages.

After inspecting the house, we began our search for Fulani villages around the area. Thanks to God, we found two villages that are open to our coming back.

yet another story

2006-05-08T19:26:00.000+01:00

today i was in my first ever car accident. not my first in africa. my first, period.

driving home from buying groceries...boom. this car was at the intersection, where it was supposed to stop before entering the road. he failed to stop causing us to crash. yep, i was driving. i stopped where we were, we all jumped out of the truck. the man came up to me, smiling. i asked him why he didn't stop. the response: i wasn't thinking, i'm sorry. what?

sarah had already ran down to the guest house, because we weren't far away to get the bossman to come help us. i was trying to get the man to wait, but he kept refusing. just as he started his car to drive off, a friend drove up and was able to assist us. Praise the Lord. In the end, he messed up his car much more than our truck, which is plenty banged up as is. of coure we had a nice audience, which was good...because they are all witnesses that it wasn't my fault!

Hillary, when are you coming back?

2006-05-08T19:10:00.000+01:00

i met hillary when i arrived in niger. she was a volunteer with the Songhai team, and was out in the bush most of her time here. but we still spent a great deal of time together...especially toward the end of her stay.

my new friend left friday, heading back to kentucky. i'm sure she'll be back, right?

who else will jump with me on the trampoline at night? and make tapes with me? and make brownies? pick up Dr. Peppers???

you're greatly missed hillary!

out west

2006-04-28T14:14:00.000+01:00

Earlier this week I headed out West to spend some time in a Fulani village with a fellow missionary. It was a great experience, as I got to learn more about the Fulani first-hand.

This village has about 400 people, all living in grass, mud, or millet stalk huts.

Throughout the day women were at the well pumping water for their families, dishes, baths, and animals.

Inside a woman’s hut, you find her display of bowls containing their drinks and foods.

They drink a lot of fresh cow milk and water with ground millet. Everyday they eat a ground millet or corn paste with a baobob leaf sauce. They nearly never eat meat.

My audience

One day I hung out with a family, where I observed and attempted to participate in several different daily chores. At one point I took over an old ladies’ work, which was to cut millet stalk in order to make a bed. Everyone gathered around as I strained to cut the stalks with a knife that was as sharp as a butter knife.

It’s not Lake Martin

This is a lake inside the border of Burkina Faso that is completely dried up. From afar, it looked like a full lake, but as you can see, there is not a drop of water. After the first rain, it will fill up though. It has yet to rain since I have been here, thus as you can imagine, it is very dry. Every time we cross the Niger River in Niamey, there is less and less water. Soon the river will be nearly as dry as this lake.

the attack duck

2006-04-28T14:01:00.000+01:00

I go to one section of town several times a week to buy fruits & veggies and to visit the tailor. Well this one vendor harasses me each time, trying to sell me all his jewelry. Now I have a solution…my friend, mister duck!

I simply poke mister duck out at the vendor, insisting that I don’t want to buy anything from him.

The duck came from a nice man at one of the markets. We went to a different market last week, and one man kept following us around with this duck-like thing. I caved in and bought the duck, only because this vendor was hilarious! But now, the duck has become very handy.

les fantasies du mumu

2006-04-28T13:52:00.000+01:00

I got back from out West late Wednesday evening, when Hillary told me she found out about a salon that does manicures and pedicures in Niamey. Sure enough, yesterday I went with Hillary and some other gals to get a pedicure.

We went not knowing what to expect, but it was really nice. The salon was air conditioned, the pedicure was great, and they did indeed sterilize all of the equipment. The only thing they were lacking was the nice full body massaging chair, but that’s okay because the pedicure cost me a total of $6 US dollars!

all joking aside

2006-04-18T14:44:00.000+01:00

So I have a problem. Those of you who know me know that I love to laugh. And I mean Laugh. Really loud, all the time. Laughter is the solution for just about everything, in my opinion.

Well today in Fulfulde class, Hamani told me something that the Fulani believe about laughter. Get this…

Laughter chases away good angels.

(so besides the fact that the Fulani think i will be chasing away the good angels, Hamani says they don't laugh a lot, because its just not a good thing to do)

...what am I going to do about this???

another sandy story

2006-04-17T18:18:00.000+01:00

Saturday I taught Sarah how to drive a stick shift. She did amazingly well for her first day. You know its one thing for someone to learn to drive a stick, but another to do that in Niger. So much more to keep in mind: animals, people, all sorts of vehicles, military police, round points, and the lovely sand.

Well the sand really caused Sarah no problems, but then as we were leaving the tailor that evening I got us stuck in the sand. What a good example I am. After locking the tires and putting the truck into 4-wheel drive, nothing happens…okay getting embarrassed. There were about 30 men standing around staring at us. I simply wave and smile. The tailor comes out to see what is wrong…hello can you see the tires? Well after telling me he doesn’t know how to drive and knows nothing about trucks, several guys come over. Two different guys attempt to drive the truck out of the sand and were unsuccessful. Whew, I was starting to feel better since I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t get it out. Then what do you know, a nice car pulls up (fancy car) and this big man gets out, asks “What’s wrong?” (in perfect, American English.) He gets up in the truck, drives it out, and walks away. I yelled “thanks” as he pulled off. Weird. But God is so good.

Easter in Niamey

2006-04-17T18:09:00.000+01:00

Happy Easter to all. Yesterday I celebrated Easter with the English speaking community of Niamey at a sunrise service. It was blessing to gather with fellow believers for worship on Easter morning. The Blessings, Sarah, Danielle, and I enjoyed a nice Easter lunch, with Reese’s chocolate eggs and some cute Easter napkins. Thanks to Mom, I have some decorations for all the holidays. The little things make all the difference in the world sometimes.

Easter lunch: beans, fries, mac-n-cheese, pork chops, cornbread, and Reese's eggs....plus, cute additions!

Sunday afternoon Sarah and I went to visit a new friend at her church. We went to hang out with their youthlike group. It was so encouraging to see Nigeriens my age praising the Lord through dancing and singing. Don’t tell on me, but I actually joined in on the dancing for a short while.

fulfulde class

2006-04-12T14:34:00.000+01:00

monday we began fulfulde class. i am so thankful & excited that we have finally started to learn the language of the sokoto fulani.

ever had class outside in 110 degree weather???

fulfulde has 84 pronouns. 84! craziness.

Pray that the Lord will bless us as we study and attempt to learn this language. The more Fulfulde I know, the more the Sokoto Fulani will hear about real life.

more of Niamey

2006-04-06T09:19:00.000+01:00

10 & 2; you like that, mom???

hillary & i; she is a volunteer working with the zarma...teaching them how to garden

at least the donkeys know they need to be in the "slow lane"

so many different modes of transportation

some days i would rather be riding a donkey

one of the traffic lights of niamey. yes it must still be obeyed even when knocked to the ground.

and finally, a view of the niger river

ticketed

2006-03-28T08:48:00.000+01:00

Sunday evening as I exited the round point, a Nigerien police officer flagged me down (ie pulled me over.)

He walks up to me with this distraught look and asks (in French) “What did you do?”

I just look at him.

He goes on and on in French apparently explaining how I screwed up exiting the round point.

I smile & ask “Do you speak English?”

He walks away. Another policeman comes who speaks “small, small” English. He further explains to me that I failed to stop, thus not allowing oncoming traffic to enter the round point.

Whatever, I so stopped!

I hand over all the paperwork on the truck and my driver’s license. After awhile he tickets me and keeps my license.

Today I went down to the police station to pay the fine and retrieve my license.
So what was the fine? A whopping $8 US Dollars!

I have been informed that I will likely make several more visits to the police station to pay fines, … because they will continue to find a way to ticket me. What a joy! At least the tickets are rather cheap.

giraffes

2006-03-25T16:34:00.000+01:00

Today we were tourists and drove about 70 kilometers outside of Niamey to see some giraffes.

We hired a guide to ride around with us, to help us locate the different giraffe families. There is no park, fence, or barrier keeping the giraffes in one area. They simply roam around as they wish.

We ended up seeing 20 or so giraffes and had a grand time.

Of course driving is always fun to me, so I greatly enjoyed driving through the bush to find the giraffes.

Sorry you Discovery Channel fans, no lions, tigers, elephants, or zebras.

views from the road

2006-03-25T16:22:00.000+01:00

the perfect language student

2006-03-24T16:23:00.000+01:00

Week #1 of French conversation has successfully been completed…so what does a good language student do with her free time???

Study her notes! Yes, only with a Coca-Cola and homemade mango slushie!!! Mmm!

Yes, I realize I look quite rough in this photo…sweating like crazy. There is no escape from the heat. C’est la vie! It is 108 degrees here today! and its still March. oh boy!

another flat

2006-03-17T19:06:00.000+01:00

Friday we ventured to the edge of town to meet some Fulani. Though they are considered “city” Fulani, they still live in huts with no running water or electricity and have a small herd of sheep, goats, or cattle. While there we were able to observe more about Fulani culture and to hear some Fulfulde. As we started to leave in the truck, we realized that we had yet another flat tire. What? In the States, I have only experienced one flat tire and that was before I was old enough to drive. Never again. Yet here I have already dealt with 2 flats! Today the truck we were driving did not have all the necessary equipment so another lady and I walked to a garage/mechanic. After a short while, we got the tire changed and moved on. Flats have previously been rare, now they are the norm. Perhaps I will keep a running count of flats!

in comparison

2006-03-15T08:23:00.000+01:00

I have only been to one other African country other than Niger. As most of you know, I absolutely loved Senegal. Preparing to come to Niger, I told myself not to expect it to be the same as Senegal, though I knew there would be some similarities. Even in the first several days of being in Niamey, I have already found that Niger is quite different from Senegal. In what ways (for those of you who know of Senegal)?

There is pretty much a set rate for each taxi ride that is taken; therefore, very little need for bargaining to get a taxi.

French is totally accepted and used by nearly everyone in Niamey. Why? There are at least 4 other ethnic groups with their own language who live here. Unfortunately the Sokoto dialect of Fulfulde is not found here.

The food is no where near as spicy as Senegalese food.

It’s not humid!

Driving is so much calmer! 10 times calmer! Seriously.

There are very few places that would come close to being a “boutique” which were so very plentiful in Senegal.

Women don’t slurp when they drink tea! That’s going to take some time.

Camels rather than horses.

Many less mosquitoes. And like 400 times less flies. No joke. Here you would agree with me that there are “no” flies!

That’s all I can recall at the moment. I promise, more pictures to come!

the first days

2006-03-15T08:00:00.000+01:00

I’ve been in Niamey (knee-a-may) for several days now and already it feels like much longer than that. We’ve been covering a lot of “business” and getting acquainted with the city. We have been all over the place locating medical clinics, pharmacies, stores, markets, restaurants and such. I visited the doctor to have him verify that I am healthy – for paperwork to stay in Niger longer than my 3 month tourist visa. I have driven already! In less than a week I have helped change a flat tire and get us out of sand. Note: I was not the driver during either of those incidents!

doing a bit of laundry

Pause: I just slaughtered a rather large spider scurrying across my room.

spin cycle

I attended a small Fulani worship service on Sunday morning, where the pastor spoke French which was translated into one dialect of Fulfulde. I was surprised by what French I understood; of course I understood no Fulfulde. And I was entertained by the baby chickens and hen walking about the “church.” Just today we did some “taxi”ing and bought some cloth for future clothing. I was able to learn how the taxi business works with one of my French tutors – who I will begin meeting with next week. Again, I am so thankful that I was actually able to converse with her in French.

So if I begin showing you pictures of my housing in Niamey you will say that I am not in a desert-like environment…but I assure you that I am. First, I suggest you check out the temperature here online! Second, I remind you that I am living in the IMB guest housing/office compound. It’s rather nice and very green! So don’t be fooled. No, the capital city is not a desert, but very desert-like. Very little greenery, sand and dust everywhere. Everywhere! Huge lizards everywhere. Everywhere! And I’ve heard there are spitting cobras. Thankfully, I have yet to see a snake, much less a spitting cobra. I pray that I don’t find that they are everywhere as well. The Nigeriens agree with my mother and I that “no snake is a good snake.”

one of my "friends"

departure

2006-03-08T22:11:00.000+01:00

finally, i have finished packing. this past week i have spent ample time with family & friends. tons of wal-mart runs. lots of packing, weighing, unpacking, and repacking. i'm serious. monday i had all of my bags right at the weight limit. thought i was finished. but no! tuesday morning i received a phone call letting me know that it is likely the airline will not accept one of my excess pieces of baggage. so what did i do? repacked completely. reorganized so that one bag would be the "if i can go, i will; if not, of well." now hopefully i am all done with packing. if not, i am afraid my mother will shoot me!

i've probably gained 20 pounds over the last week. i just had to get in all the good food that i could. it has been well worth it!

so the flight schedule:
louisville-atlanta-paris-niamey
longest layover: 4 hours, 20 minutes. not bad!

as of noon tomorrow, i'm off...

next time you hear from me i'll be in niger!

richmond & washington dc

2006-02-24T00:23:00.000+01:00

last week and this week i have had the opportunity to venture off MLC lane. woo hoo. last wednesday we went into richmond to do some stuff and then had lunch with some of West Africa's regional leadership team. then this past tuesday, all of us here at orientation went to washington dc for the day. it was a tiring day as we walked all over the city as quickly as possible. we had several "assignments" to complete throughout the day, yet it was still much fun.

reaiah and i in front of the white house

pointing to (about) where i am going

i will expect for all of you to correctly identify Niger on the African map when others ask..."where is she again?" so don't forget!

it snowed!

2006-02-12T19:14:00.000+01:00

in less than a month i will be in the middle of Africa, but today I am surrounded by snow. kinda funny to me. i have wanted it to snow since i have been in virginia and it began last night. very exciting.

the beginning of the snow last night

the snow covered barn that i woke up to this morning

i jumped for joy when i peeked through my blinds this morning and saw that the snow had stuck to the ground and was covering everything.

the pond is much prettier with the snow all around

me and kacy sliding down the hill

it didn't take long for the sun to peak through the clouds. slowly but surely the snow is turning into nastiness. i am thankful for the fun and beautiful morning that i was able to have though. one good snow before i begin my journey through the desert of Niger. tomorrow i will be longing for heat and in three months i will want snow. if i had to choose though: Heat! brrr...i don't like being cold.

week #4

2006-02-04T17:43:00.000+01:00

well week #4 has come and gone. though the days are long, the weeks are flying by. orientation is half way over! this past week we focused church planting movements, health issues, and a few other things. On Monday night I got to go to a fellowship to meet some of the senior leadership of the IMB and have some delicious ice cream. You know me and my ice cream!

So not only will I have to learn Fulfulde (full-full-day) but also a bit of some other languages. What fun! I need to start brushing up on my French as well. Boy do I have a lot to do before March 9!

Our regional office has us reading quite a bit of books while here at MLC. This week we decided to begin reading together and multi-tasking. One afternoon we decided to go on a little walk along the river through the woods. Reaiah read to us from a language learning book as we walked. We got a lot done and had fun at the same time.

melissa and reaiah (ree-a)

me trying to climb a fat tree over the river

week #3

2006-01-28T20:23:00.000+01:00

this past week was spent studying worldviews, anthropology, and doctrines.
i also celebrated my birthday. our quad actually has already celebrated several folks' birthdays, and yet we have several more before our time is up here...lots of treats. another treat that i get is some ceebu jenn. tonight one of the families is cooking it for our small group...looking forward to that.

for those of you wondering about the weather here, it has not been nearly as cold as i had thought it would be. it has not snowed one bit. not one snow flake. i would actually like it to snow...it wouldn't interfere with our daily activities since we walk everywhere we go. yeah, some snow could be a lot of fun. just my personal opinion.

for you past jmen, i went on a birthday adventure and discovered "it"

i am now officially departing for niger on March 9. that will give me one week at home after orientation...to say my goodbyes and to pack. please pray for the goodbyes that i must say and all the preparations that are involved in leaving the states. also, yesterday i sent in my visa application...so pray that that goes smoothly and that i am granted the visa.

week #2

2006-01-20T19:46:00.000+01:00

week two of orientation is coming to a close and it has been a great one. lots of learning involved, along with lots of fun. much of the week was spent discussing spiritual warfare with Dr. Rankin. Satan is indeed devilish, yet my God is so much more powerful than him. It is so comforting to know that no matter what, God is on my side, fighting my battles with me. There are certain "things" that always remind me of His power and glory. This picture below is one example:

I have seen You in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power & glory.

I mean look at the beautiful colors in the sky, only the most awesome artist in all of creation could put together something like this. (of course the picture does not do it any justice)

Here at MLC it really is like living on a farm. In my backyard there is a barn, cows, fields, etc. I've never lived on a farm, so I guess this is a taste of what it is like, minus milking the cows and tending the fields....okay so its really NOT like living on a farm.

This afternoon is the first of three days that is set aside for shots. That's right, today began shot day. And since I am a "B" I got the honors of being in the first group of shot-getters. Today I received 4 shots, and in the days to come I will get a total of 5 more. Out of approximately 300 adults and kids, I was the only individual to receive the chickenpox vaccine. Nope, I have never had the chicken pox and I don't think that I want them anytime in the future. So hopefully after all of the shot days, I will be vaccinated against all the uncertainties that are to come. Rabies, polio, meningitis,....too bad there isn't a simple shot to prevent malaria, d, parasites, and such.

I hope all of you have a great weekend.

week #1

2006-01-15T19:25:00.000+01:00

orientation has been great so far. all of my fellow servants are awesome, along with the staff. such a blessing to get to spend so much time with them in fellowship. we have already begun a number of different things. i am serving on the prayer ministry team throughout the duration of orienation. the West Africa regional office has us future West African folks doing all sorts of homework. a lot of reading and research. also one requirement was for us to cook from scratch for an entire weekend. well the six of us journeymen going to WA decided to go for it this weekend, since we had Saturday free. only one meal to go. it has all turned out rather well and i have actually learned a lot from Melissa about baking/cooking from scratch. don't get me wrong, i love to cook, yet it has never been from scratch. also, this morning we had our first house church. our church consists of six journeymen, and two families. it was a great time as we worshipped in several different languages and heard from God. i look foward to what is to come this week, as Dr. Rankin will be speaking to us about spiritual warfare.

off to MLC

2006-01-09T15:14:00.000+01:00

tomorrow morning i leave for orientation in virginia. i am excited about getting to MLC, hanging out with the folks i met there in october, and learning. more though, i am excited about the end of orientation and actually getting to niger. pray that i will be able to soak in all that i am suppose to and that it will be a time of great preparation.

Welcome!

2005-11-29T19:34:00.000+01:00

this is going to be my new blog for the time that i will spend as a journeyman in Niger, West Africa. so, welcome!

first of all, i will be graduating from UAB on December 17 (woohoo!) with a BA in International Studies. Last day of work will be the 15th. That weekend there will be several different family gatherings here in Alabama. Then that Monday I will move my stuff to my parents' house in Louisville, Kentucky. I will stay in Kentucky for about three weeks. orientation with the IMB begins the 10th of January in Richmond, Virginia. it will last about seven weeks, and then i will head to Niger in March. did you get all of that?

so lets clarify where Niger is:

my job title is "relational evangelist." i will be on a team working with the Sokoto Fulani of eastern niger. i will be stationed in a town, but spending the majority of my time living in rural fulani villages. in the villages, i will be getting to know the people, learning their language (fulfulde) and most importantly sharing the love of Christ with them.

the cool thing about this team is that it was only created this summer. Praise God! Currently there is one journeyman there and a couple going through orientation now & arriving on the field in january. and there will be three other girls going through orientation with me and serving on this team. it is awesome to see how God has formed this team. i cannot wait to see what He is going to do.

i hope that you will join me on this journey by lifting up the Sokoto Fulani and our team in your prayers. i am so very excited about this opportunity that i have to serve my Lord in Niger. my first prayer request is for everything involved in preparing to go to orientation and the field. as i mentioned, i am still working and taking classes. because of my excitement, it has been hard to focus on my school work. second, i know that only with God will i be able to serve Him in Niger. I am not adequate. i don't know the language, the people, or their culture. i have so much to learn about them and my God. Thanks to all those who are praying.

I look foward to sharing more with ya'll. Come back!