Day 2 of Eight days with the Nephews

We had to awaken the boys this morning in order to make our first appointment on time. I won't say at what time!  I'm so glad they slept well.

We walked the mile or so down to the river where large motored canoes unload their cargo of pumpkin/squash and 100 kilo bags of corn that have been raised a "two-day boat ride" south from here.  We have spent time in the past watching them unload the canoes, but today's visit was more specific:  we were there to purchase three 220 pound bags of corn to give as gifts to our national staff.

Unloading the boat was quite a job.  Several fellows took turns carrying the 220 pound sacks to shore.

At the other end of the boat they were unloading the pumpkins relay style.

Three 220 pounders barely fit in the back of our taxi and we scraped every stone we drove over! 

I should never have worried about who would unload the sacks.  The boys tried to do it together and then decided it was easier to do it alone.  What muscles! Who needs Crossfit!

What a joy to give and it was fun to introduce the boys to our staff families.

After lunch and a nice nap we headed for the University, walking cross-country instead of along the highway.  It was a peaceful, quiet walk...

listening to Tom's great explanations,

stopping to watch the cows graze, (Jonathan, you feed your cattle much more than you need to! We decided tonight we need to go back there to find out just what they were finding to eat that wasn't cardboard and plastic bags.)

...then we passed an elementary school that was just being dismissed for the day and the Pied Piper story became alive!  Nothing like being mobbed by children.

Arriving at the agricultural school, we had a guided tour from one of the students that Tom knows.

 Billy Goat Gruff was my favorite.

My, my what big horns you have! Cows that were brought in from Lake Chad area.

It doesn't smell like anything familiar.

At this point in the day, it was almost dark so I caught a taxi home and the boys proceeded with Tom to the dorms where they visited friends that Tom has made and carried on conversations in English for a couple of hours.  A great time was had by all.  Now it's bedtime.   Until tomorrow.

Day 1 of Eight Days with the Nephews!

The long awaited day is here!  Troy and Matthew (my nephews from Kansas) arrived this afternoon.  As we were sitting around the table today, Tom mentioned how unbelievable it was to have some of our extended family with us.  I'm thinking and hoping this will only be a start of a series of visits from our loved ones!  We've been anticipating this visit since it was just a dream last summer and our own kids have been so eager for their cousins to experience some of the Africa they know and love and carry in their hearts and a life that is so difficult to explain to one who has never set foot on African soil.  One daughter was text-ing numerous times throughout the afternoon to see if they'd arrived YET.  Another said she could hardly concentrate on her teaching because her mind was always with her cousins who "should be arriving now and seeing their first sights of her beloved homeland."

So... they (the nephews) gave me permission to follow their week "on blog".  They are hoping it will answer all the questions their moms will have and they won't have to explain/talk too much when they get home!  I'm hoping it will serve as a "conversation helper" as they seek to find the words to describe the sights and smells of their visit. Our internet has been unbearably and unusually slow these days so we hope the blogging will go forth as planned.

Air France arrived with them as scheduled at 4:23 pm.  We sent Porter #16 inside the baggage room with a sign indicating that they were to follow him, since we were only allowed as far as the parking lot.  The porter called to say that he'd found them so we knew they would come out sooner or later.  It was "later"  but they walked out smiling with all their luggage piled on the cart.  It's not permissible to take photos at the airport so couldn't get that one, but we were so glad to see them.

Our faithful taxi-man Moussa transported us and the luggage home.  About a block from our home we saw a bright orange stocking cap suspended on a pole at the gas station advertising Midwest seed.  Gordon, we'll settle up later.  Our neighbor wears it morning and evening in this "cold" weather.

I was amused by the variety of suitcases the family found to send.  One of the zippers broke in transit so the whole thing arrived in a large plastic bag.  My favorite was the one sealed with baling wire and duct tape!  Ingenious.  That's a keeper.

Of course, it was the contents of the suitcases that interested us and they were filled to capacity with good and glorious things. It was definitely Christmas in January.  Many thanks to Florene and Terry for all your work. 

Later that evening, Tom had Bible study with a couple of students on our porch so they were the happy recipients of a couple of farm hats the boys had brought.  (Ernie, don't look too closely, I hear they came from your stash!!!)

What fun we are having catching up on their lives as well as them learning about ours.
More tomorrow.

Starbucks to go!

 I'm not a coffee drinker.  Never have been.  I stayed up late in college without caffeine,  I worked the night shift in a retirement home without drinking coffee and I taught school, frequenting the teacher's lounge without even being tempted.  The smell of coffee is luscious and that's all I need in order to enjoy it.  My husband loves a good cup of coffee...just black.I think he's still waiting for me to learn how to make it so that I will get up really early each morning and have a nice cup awaiting him.  (If you know the habits of my dear man at all, you would know what "early" truly means and why after 32 years he is still making his own coffee.)

Coffee drinking in Africa means Nescafe.  This is a cute little coffee shop on the university campus.  I really don't know what they sell there, but it's new and it's bright red, and I assume one can get a cup of instant coffee on the spot.

Probably even more popular than coffee is the tea they drink.  I'm not going to explain the way they prepare it, that's another post. But I've just been fascinated by their "hot water to go!"  We meet these  "Starbucks to go" fellas at all times during the day.

 

In one hand they carry a large recycled tin can  that has a square cut out of one side.  Inside that hole, there is burning charcoal and a tea kettle with water settles nicely in place above the charcoal.  That keeps the water always hot and ready for the next customer.

In the other hand he carries the supplies for his customers:  tea bags, sugar cubes, milk, Nescafe instant coffee and a couple of recyclable cups.

Time for an afternoon spot of tea for the cement bag sellers!

Christmas time

Merry Christmas to each and every one of you!

Christmas Day we celebrated the birthday of Our King with a small group of believers at our church.  They had also invited neighbors so by the end of the service the place was full.

This little group of believers meets in a courtyard that is home to several families and university students.  At the far end of the yard is a simple lean-to made of branches and thatched roof.

 The children get new clothes for Christmas--all the way down to the shoes and socks-- and they are so nicely dressed up.

The service lasted several hours (including the meal) and we all got the chance to give a special number in song, a Bible verse or a poem.  Tom and I sang "O Come all Ye Faithful" in English as they had the words in Hausa in their hymnbooks.  

 The ladies had prepared a meal early in the morning so it was all ready when the service was done.  They dished it up and served everyone a generous plateful of rice and sauce with a LOT of goat meat for everyone!  It was very tasty.

We convinced them to give us two spoons and we shared a plate.  It was very well prepared.

Everyone got a bottle of pop as well:  coke, orange or ginger.

I brought sugar cookies to share with everyone.  This mama has her hands full taking care of her triplets.

It was a lovely time.

Merry Christmas from YOU! I gave away your boxes!

Does anyone remember the MCC Christmas bundles we packed as children:  soap, washcloth, clothes, all wrapped in a bath towel, and secured with diaper pins,  destined to go to a child in some far off land who needed help.  We would proudly carry them to the front of the church around Thanksgiving time and wonder who would be receiving this little gift.

Years later Operation Christmas Child came into existence.  The few years that we spent on "furlough" in the US, gave us opportunity to help our children shop and pack shoe boxes for some unknown, needy child in a foreign land.  So many of you have done the same.  We've all seen the stacks of beautifully wrapped boxes piled up and we've all imagined the scene on the other end when a child would receive what we had lovingly packed.

Yesterday I had that chance!  We say and we sing that Christmas is for giving and yesterday I saw the dull look of sickness replaced by joy as we placed these beautifully wrapped packages in the hands of sick children at the National Hospital here in Niamey.  What an absolute gift to have been a part of this.

It all started a couple of months ago when we were in a city a couple of hours outside of Niamey and I saw these boxes in the corner of the Pastor's study.

I was thrilled when the Pastor and our staff told us about the distribution of these shoe boxes and the excitement and the incredible joy of the children AND their parents as they opened the gifts.  They promised me that they would let me know the next time there was a distribution so I could be a part of it.

Wednesday night my director telephoned to say that the Women's Group at their church was going to the National Hospital the next morning to give out some of the boxes to the sick and hurting children and I could join them!

 

The hospital is a BUSY place.  Lots of people coming and going.  Lots of vendors.  Food for the patients is prepared by the family instead of being provided by the hospital so there are places to buy food supplies on the grounds outside the hospital. 

A pastor who accompanied us explained to the doctor and nurses of the pediatric ward what we wished to do:  we wanted to give a gift to the children who were suffering because of the gift God had given us in His Son.  He explained that the boxes were given by children and adults in North America who wished to share their love for Jesus with children here in Niger.

A gift was then symbolically given to the doctor .  The pastor specifically noted that the boxes were all securely scotch-taped shut and had not been opened by anyone up to this point.  He then opened a box to show her what was inside.  She graciously invited us in to give the gifts to the children.

 We loaded up and lovingly gave the gifts to the hurting children and their moms.

 We went from ward to ward making sure each boy got a "boy" gift and each girl got one marked for a girl.  

 This little girl was overjoyed.  Most all of the children were hooked up to IV's and their mother or care-giver was sitting on the bed with them.  It was obvious that some were very sick.  I visited with a few of the moms, if they could speak some French.

It really worked!  How exciting to have been a part of it on both ends of the giving.  I hope this is an encouragement to all of you and your little ones who pack these boxes wondering who will be on the receiving end.

May God use the gifts that you have so lovingly and prayerfully put together to bring NEW LIFE to children and families here in Niger and elsewhere in the world.  AND a big thanks to Samaritan's Purse who makes this possible.

Merry Christmas to you!