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.