Flooding, AGAIN?

In the last couple of weeks we have often reminisced about the devastating flood waters of the Niger River which broke through the dikes August 22, 2012, destroying homes and damaging property. Our national director and his family were forced to evacuate their home and move into our national office when their neighborhood became a second river.  Sahel Academy, where our daughter Lindsay taught, as well as the adjoining SIM mission property were severely flooded and damaged.  Last Sunday evening during our English church service we praised God, and watched a DVD of last year's flood and how God has graciously provided for the restoration of the two campuses.

Little did we know that our 2-inch rain on Thursday, the 29th, would almost immediately set in motion more flooding!

Thursday late afternoon, after an awesome rainy, cool day, my "water-loving" husband and I strolled the mile from our house to the bridge over the Niger River.  We wanted to watch the big canoes from Benin unload their mountains of pumpkin-squash on the dike on the river bank. This was about 4 p.m.

The change in the river just 3 hours later, at 7 p.m., was astronomical!  The dike north of the bridge was no longer visible and the green rice fields had totally disappeared!  This is the scene that greeted our eyes as we walked along the bridge early Friday morning:

The water level on the measuring pole used by the Niger River Basin Authority kept going up and up.

On Thursday night already, we had begun getting texts from our national director, Akora, saying that a dike further upstream had been breached and that the road in front of their house had once again become a river.  They were sandbagging to keep the water out of their yard.

On Friday morning we went to see them.  Water was up to their front gate but the sandbags were keeping it at bay.  Numerous neighbors who lived closer to the river had already lost their mud-brick homes as the rising waters "melted" them away.

Those who didn't want to "swim" could pay for a ride in the taxi canoe who ferried them across the expanse of water. 

Even the "lumber yard" down the highway from our house, which we affectionately call "Menards" was underwater, and men were frantically trying to float the wood to higher ground.

Tom and I were amazed to see that in spite of the rising water and limited space, the washer-men were still hard at work and the concrete bridge supports and metal railings were filled with river-washed clothes, as if nothing had changed!

By 7 pm last night (Friday the 30th) the flood waters stopped rising, and this morning, very early, "Weatherman Tom," reported that the water level at the measuring pole was down significantly from Thursday night's high reading.  We are grateful for God's protection over our national staff and the Sahel Academy school property.

I used to LOVE rainy days...now I'm not so sure.

P.S.  The Niger River waters are steadily decreasing, but the breached/broken dike up river has caused continued huge problems for Sahel Academy. Please continue to pray for strength and wisdom for those working there.