MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

It's a joyous time of the year all around the world, even here in Niger. This morning after having breakfast at my place with Linda, Yoko, & Leigh, we went to Magaria for the Worship service. We first had to get other car keys as the Landcruiser had a flat tire which wasn't surprising to me (I think we'll get a new tube). There was lots of congregational singing (much of which we missed out on). Yoko, Linda & I sang “Silent Night” in English & Hausa. The women marched in singing and then sang several more Christmas songs. The kids did some singing, the women a skit, and then the pastor preached on Luke 2. After the service we gathered as usual at the pastor’s house for some rice and sauce. Then us women did more singing. There were crowds of children both at the service and at the pastor’s house.



Now I’m home and getting ready for our English service with the missionaries on the compound at 5:30. Afterwards we’ll have Christmas goodies and visit.

Yesterday we had a compound dinner and then went to the hospital for caroling and sharing the Christmas story with the patients and their families.




I hope you’re all having a great holiday season sharing the Good News of Jesus with those around! Blessings.

It’s almost Christmas!

A good time of the year to reflect on the goodness of God and His amazing gift to us: His Son, Jesus Christ. What a most precious gift, the gift of Life. I’m so thankful that God in His kindness and love thought of us and thought good for us. What a sense of peace that gives. I hope that’s the same for you too.

These last ten days I have really slowed down, or was slowed down by a cough, turn cold, turn laryngitis, turn more coughing. When my voice started coming back I thought it’s nearly over. But today it doesn’t seem them way. So I need to keep myself slowed down.

My mornings I go to our PDI office from 8 to 11. As a team we have devotions together and review the previous day hashing over the issues at hand. Then we’ve been going through a book on community eye health development. It’s in story form so makes it interesting with questions and discussion points to talk about. We reached a point on Tuesday when we were talking about evaluations and decided we needed to do that with our villages. We’d like to do some special campaigns with village meetings to do awareness building. Awareness building is a way of getting people to think about their own situations and make action decisions. We’d like to see people take a more active role in the health of their children’s growth and development. But that’s our idea.

I only went bush on Friday (yesterday) as we are beginning training of five women to be maternal/child care givers. They are so receptive and quick to learn, it’s exciting to teach them. Mae, my colleague, does a great job teaching, too.

What I can’t slow down about is feeding Cali as often as she wants to be fed during the day. The puppies are all growing equally fast, their eyes are opened and they’re trying their legs out. They end up roll over each other, then they’re all piled together sleeping. Cali is protective, yet allows the children to play with them a bit. She doesn’t like you to go far with them.

EIGHT BLACK ONES

December 3, 2005 Cali gave birth to 8 little black puppies. It was a fun occasion to watch the birth that took place from 8-11:30 a.m. I had spent the night with Cali as she was in labor, panting most of the time. Neither of us got much sleep. I know it was a silly thing to do, but I knew I wouldn’t have been able to sleep at home. We set her up in the Palmer’s Patio which has been an idle place. The children on the compound love visiting her and the puppies. Cali has been most gracious with all the visitors, not growling but at her brother. Although now after 6 days she’s pretty tolerant. She likes getting away from the pups, walking around the compound, hunting for lizards, seeing if she can get more food at home, etc.

Here are some of the puppies at 5 days. The other pictures is Cali is labor.

Answers to your questions

Yes, those are the curtains you helped me make years and years ago.
The tablecloth is plastic with flannel backing.
I live on a compound with other missionaries. It's part of the hospital complex.

It's confirmed: Cali is going to have at least 4 puppies. She had a scan today by one of the doctors. I estimate somewhere between 5 to 10 days. The big question is where will she have them? She doesn't stay inside with me anymore, too much for her to do outside at night.

Some Pictures

At the dinner table working on emails and reading blogs! This is before the two dogs bounded in, jumping on me, thinking I'd give them a treat . . .and I did.










To the right --half of my kitchen and the backdoor. I was busy making yogurt and bread today. I also bought some beef filet and cut it up. Cali loves it when the meatman comes around.








My living room. My bookshelf has gotten quite full. I did bring a stack of new books back with me. So when am I going to be reading?

Below is my bedroom. Hmmm. It needs new curtains and some pictures on the wall. I still have work to do.

Where is Galmi?

It's above and to the right of the first giraffe's (on the left) head, between Konni and Madaoua. And Niger is in West Africa, north of Nigeria and borders on Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Algeria, Libya, and Chad.

Now in Galmi

Home Sweet Home. Home Dusty Home. Home Away From Home. Galmi!!! It’s a good place to be when it’s God’s direction.

I finally arrived on Friday, a day earlier than anticipated. The course on Sorting out the Supernatural, was cut short as the speaker had to return home on Tuesday. His wife had a heart attack and most likely would be needing surgery (but she didn’t). He said, “This is what ‘I do’ means.” We did have two days of teaching and I also bought 2 of his books, Sorting Out The Supernatural and Binding and Loosing. I tell you more along the journey.

I was warmly welcomed by everyone including both dogs, Cali and her brother, Wong Di. It does feel good to be here, now going on six days.

I’ve been going into work each morning and having devotions with the team. We’re also going through a book on community development, something I’ve done with other team members in the past. Today I will first go bush, to Magaria. I’m basically unpacked both the boxes I brought with me and those packed in the house. It just needs to be put in order, which I hope to do in the next 2 days.

I’ve been helping out Alicia who has a 5 week old baby and 3 other children. Kendrick went to Niamey for meetings that I should have gone to. So I go over at dinner time and stay until we’ve read stories – in French and translate them. They’re children’s story so it’s simple reading and more or less not too hard to translate. It’s a good exercise for us all.

Back in Niger

It's been five days now since I arrived in Niamey, Niger. My flight connections and baggage travel went without problems! Thank you, Lord!!!! I was surprised to see that all my excess baggage came with me, as in Paris airport I got to see the hiddened side of things. What a mess. It's amazing that our luggage arrives with us anytime we travel.

I'll be in the city for another week as I'm attending a seminar, "Sorting out the Supernatural". I met the speaker and I think this will be a really good course. There are 3 other Galmites who arrived today to attend.

Jet lag might be somewhat behind me -- it sure hasn't been easy this time. As I have to be up and going by 8 a.m. tomorrow I hope tonight's sleep will be uninterrupted.

Well, I'm just curious to know how many of you are reading this, for those of you who have my email. If you don't want to leave a comment, which I don't blame you, send a quick note. I understand that my house at Galmi now has it's own internet connection, broadband. Wow, can I handle this??

Ten-Three-Thirty

I have often used the verse in Psalm 119:11 “Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee”, in teaching the importance of memorizing God’s Word. Three-Thirty was given as a challenge to us at the SIM Home Assignment Retreat in May this year. Ten-Three-Thirty is taking a portion or a chapter of scripture, like Psalm 23, and meditating on it for 10 minutes three times a day for thirty days. I did that with Psalm 23 and was very encouraged by having God’s Word right close to me in my thoughts throughout the day. I also did it with I Corinthians 13. I must say I didn’t always do 10-3-30 but it was often there. I’d like a challenge to anyone to join me for November in 10-3-30. You can pick whatever verse or chapter you’d like to do.

I have picked Psalm 16:8,9,11:
“I have set the Lord continually before me, because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my glory rejoices, my flesh also will dwell securely. Thou wilt make known to me the path of life, in Thy presence is fullness of joy, in Thy right hand there are pleasures forever.”

Notes on Patience

There are two important Greek words for patience:
Hupomone: patience in circumstances, inspired by hope
Makrothumia: patience with people, inspired by mercy.

We see in James 5:7-9, 11 and II Peter 3:9, 15 that the Lord is patiently waiting for the lost to repent.

We are called to patience. Colossians 3:12-13 and Ephesians 4:1-2 couple the word patience with the phrase “bearing one another”.

The completion of patience: From James 1:2-4, the practice of patience helps complete something lacking in us.
How could this be true in forbearance with people?

• They bring out the worst in us. . . so the best will come out.
  
• They keep us from thinking too highly of ourselves.
  
• They keep our pretenses from working.

This is what they are supposed to be doing. II Corinthians 4:10-12 : In any given relationship demanding patience, God could be working life in one person and death in the other.

This is a follow-up of a conversation I was having with Holly last night.

Dinner with the Aunts & Uncles

This afternoon I had the privilege of taking my parents to Ben & Etta's house. The siblings were getting together as Jeff & Chris are visiting from Oregon. It's so fun to watch the 4 sisters together. I should have gotten a picture of them as they were looking over mom's scrapbook of the family. Pictures of their grandparents and so forth. The men were watching football. At the dinner table I was able to wing the conversation around to --you guessed it --dogs. We all got to telling stories about our dogs. It got started as they were first talking about grandchildren not behaving the same way at the grandparent's house as they do at the parent's house. I could definitely relate to this as my Cali doesn't behave like a beggar at my friend's house while we're eating. She knows not to sit and drool. But with me, not so. She knows she can get by with drooling as she'll get rewarded with the leftovers. Oh well, someone has to eat them and she's no worse the wear.

Ten More Days

I'm not counting down a birthday or Halloween as some people might be doing. I'm counting down the number of days left in the USA. These days are full of finishing off projects for mom and day or myself, getting me checklist complete, diminishing my inbox of emails, finally shopping, & figuring out if I should use cardboard boxes or hard plastic containers from KMart to pack my excess baggage in. Yes, excess. What could this be? Spices, toiletries, clothes, gifts, books, CDs, and other bits 'n pieces.

It's also been last time lunches, dinners, teas, . . . with friends. Those are precious times that God has given to me, to be with friends and family. I'll remember those times and the people who've been so thoughtful!!!

Departure day is October 31 at 6:30. This will be a very very early morning! Maybe I shouldn't even go to bed.

Meet Cali

This is my dear wonderful doggy. Her name is Cali, which comes from California. She is 2 1/2 years old, very loveable, agreeable, kind, gentle, and loves to go on walks.
She knows several tricks, the best that she taught herself is "keep away". I caught her sitting in my chair one day. This is a rare ocassion for her to get on this chair. She likes cushions and will sneak on the couch at night if I haven't turned the cushions up. Speaking of night. Good Night.

Attitude

Here's a quote from Charles Swindoll that I think is a good reminder in this life.

"The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearnace, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company. . . a school. . .a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past . . .we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one thing we have, and that is our attitude . . . I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it."

Tagged already

Thanks Corene. You did that because you're tired of reading my one post. I'm thinking.

The beginning

Here goes. . . I have a blogspot. Now I just need to figure out what to write and who to inform that it's here.