Fura, the National Drink

Here Rabi is making fura for me to serve to visitors. This is a very typical drink that you’ll find in any home at anytime. If there’s no fura, then something is wrong. Fura is made with millet or sometimes with sorghum. The grain is pounded to a flour and mixed with water to make a dough. The ball of dough is place in boiling water for 20 minutes then it’s taken out and placed in the large wooden mortar to knead. The next step is to put it in the calabash with water and buttermilk and some spices. A large metal ladle is used to work it out into a liquid. Then it is ready to drink right out of the calabash with a large ladle or just simple pick up the bowl and drink. More water is added as needed. It really is quite tasty!

With my impending departure I thought it would be fun to have fura on hand to serve to people who come to bid me farewell. People in the village have been so kind to me, always serving fura and other foods too. After the harvest when we visit they again show their kindness by giving us some of what they have harvested: millet, peanuts, beans, dried green leaves, & sesame seeds.

MEET MARTIN

I’m Martin. I belong to Gen who’s gone away for a year. Then another family was looking after me and they went away too. Now it’s Jeannie who’s my care taker. She does a pretty good job although she forgets I’m a puppy (even if I just turned ONE) and would like to have at least 2 meals a day. But she is generous with the peanut balls and sometimes even meat scraps. Jeannie hasn’t been well for the last month and has to rest lots, so Huang Di and I keep her company during the day, sleeping at her feet or next to the fridge or under the table or on the mat in the living room. We can sleep the day away from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (if she lets us) not needing to go out and find a tree or bush. I also like to get wrapped up in the computer cord, but better be careful when I get up.

Four Hours is Way too Long Alone.
Awhile back I was following her to the office as I often do. She finished work and went out, locking up for the morning. Normally she doesn’t come back in the afternoon. Well, guess who she forgot in the office? Yep, me. That was a bit much and I don’t like to be left alone in a building, especially locked in. So I barked and barked and barked. But do you think anyone heard me? Not at the far west end of the compound. Nobody is around there. So I thought I’m going to have to do this on my own. I went for the door and tried to open it, only to eventually chewing and tearing the wooden handle off. That didn’t work so I walked around, went to her desk, put my paw print on a letter, I thought it needed another signature, made a mess in the doorway and pee-ed on the floor. The other option was the window which is screened from the inside. So I went at it and finally got the screen door on the window open, actually off. But I couldn’t master the window itself. So I had to wait 4 hours and finally she returned for some unknown reason. Oh what a relief!! And boy did she apology up and down and down and up for locking me in. That’ll never happen again.

PDI OFFICE

I was trying to think what I should write in this blog and decided to look at my most recent pictures taken. Pictures of the PDI (Programme de Developpement Integre or Integrated Development Program) office. This is where the team meets each morning for devotions and prays together.

We share the previous day’s events and make suggestions or comments that will hopefully help for the next visit to that village and the health workers. We have also been going through a book on two religions, one asking the other questions. It’s quite an eye opener for me, actually for all of us, to see the inconsistencies and the untruths in the one. Yet these are things that are not talked about or challenged openly. Anyway. . .we are usually in the office from 8 to 11. Then we go out to the villages in the afternoon. Although recently, since people are available in the late morning and early afternoons, we have changed the times to going out at 10. This is a nice schedule as we get back around 4 p.m. instead of coming in at 7 p.m. (But in fact, I have not gone to the villages in the last 3-4 weeks, that’s another story).

This is my ‘office’ with my desk and the computer. Note the dust, it’s part of the décor at Galmi.

Reasons & Enduring

With having said good-bye to friends this last week, I'm thinking of my own departure coming up in 5 months. This is my last term here until God directs otherwise. So I’m starting to do some clean-up around my desk, sorting some papers, and found some of my early prayer letters and a letter to the director regarding my future. Would you like to know why I have spent all these years here? Written 21 years ago, it's still my heart. Let me share part of it with you (written July 24, 1986):

The end of my short term is coming up in five months. I have had to do some serious consideration as to what I should do after this. Having been here already two years, having gone through the initial adjustments and struggles, having stated building relationships with the nationals, having a basis of the language, and having learned the work and my role as a nurse at G. H. I can’t see throwing all this away only to go somewhere else and start all over again. Through various things I have read in Scripture and books by Christian leaders, through what I have seen in the last two years of myself, and with lots of prayer, I have decided I would like to return for another term. It is difficult for me to say career. We take our life really one day at a time. I know my life is committed to the Lord, for His service, for life. As Eric Alexander said of Paul, he had two motives that formed his life and thinking: 1. for the praise of His glory, 2. for the sake of the Gentiles and a third one could be added –for life. II Timothy 2:10 also encourages me to continue here in this ministry. “For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen that they also may obtain salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.”

An Old Hymn

Old hymns are really beautiful. So poetic. Recently this has been one that I have decided to at least memorize the first verse. When I think of the love of Christ, without reason (unconditional), never-ending, that pulls me to Him, I am just amazed. He calls us to love one another in this way too. Do we do that? No. Well, we do try. But maybe too often we're pushing people away more than pulling them to us. I have been reading Everyone is Normal Till You Get to Know Them, by John Ortberg. This is a great book about learning to live in community. God has invited us into the Fellowship of the Trinity. Jesus has prayed that we may be one, just as the Father and He are one. He paid an enormous price for us to be admitted into this Unity --death on the cross. And how do we respond to this? How are our lives changed by being loved with everlasting love? How are other lives being changed? I'm learning much from this and having to check my motives and my actions.

Loved with everlasting love,
Led by grace that love to know;
Spirit, breathing from above,
Thou hast taught me it is so!
Oh, this full and perfect peace!
Oh, this transport all divine:
In a love which cannot cease,
I am His, and He is mine.

Heav’n above is softer blue,
Earth around is sweeter green!
Something lives in every hue
Christless eyes have never seen:
Birds with gladder songs o’erflow,
Flow’rs with deeper beauties shine,
Since I know, as now I know,
I am His and He is mine.

Things that once were wild alarms
Cannot now disturb my rest;
Closed in everlasting arms,
Pillowed on the loving breast.
Oh, to lie forever here,
Doubt, and care, and self resign,
While He whispers in my ear,
I am His, and He is mine.

His forever, only His;
Who the Lord and me shall part?
Ah, with what a rest of bliss
Christ can fill the loving heart!
Heav’n and earth may fade and flee,
Firstborn light in gloom decline
But while God and I shall be,
I am His, and He is mine.

George Wade Robinson, 1838-1877

Trip to Niamey

Earlier this month I went to Niamey with a few friends. One had family members come for 2 weeks' visit, so we took them around to the tourist places in Niamey. The Grand Marché, the Petit Marché, a ride on the river in a canoe looking for the hippos (found one with its baby!!!), eating Shish-Kabobs by the river watching the sun go down, and tracking down the giraffes an hour down the road out of Niamey. We took lots of pictures --wish you could see all of them. Here's a few:

What do you feed your ba-bies???

Visit to a Nearby Village

Yesterday I took the girls, M, M, & S, down the road to a nearby village to do teaching with the women. The TBA (trained birthing attendant) who knew of our coming had already informed the women in the morning. Now she went back around to say we were here. She was gone over an hour encouraging women to come. And they came. There were probably 60 women gathered before she herself returned. The girls started the teaching on malaria. Before we finished maybe we had 100 women gathered. They were very interested in the teaching, knowing better how to care for their children, what to do when they had a fever, what treatment they needed. Yet the treatment isn’t readily available. There are young men who are roving ‘pharmacist’. But their medicine is not reliable nor is the treatment they give necessarily accurate.

The girls have been doing this teaching weekly in the village of Galmi going to each larger neighborhood. It’s been encouraging to here reports, how the women have questions and are eager to learn something.

Today I went to Magaria to teach the women. It’s been months since I have been there on a Wednesday. I go regularly to church there, although attending one church one week and the other the next. Then I go out to Jinkai to visit a small growing church once a month. I enjoy these visits, yet I miss getting more in-depth time with the women. So today’s visit was a real encouragement to me as we did a Bible lesson together and had a time of prayer. One of the ladies had a minor stroke earlier this week. She is regaining her strength, but it scares me to think what could happen any other time. She has tried to learn to read but . . .so we worked on memorizing verses. Today she quoted Psalm 23 for me. I encouraged her to keep reviewing this and let God’s Word strengthen her.

Pictures taken in April

Mom, me, and my sister, Diane
















Diane and my niece, Nicole
















High-School Girlfriends : Debbie, Linda, Janet, Leslie, and me
















My nieces and me
















Girlfriends from childhood, Pam, Becky & me

Something New

So it's time to put something new on here. Sorry it's been so long. That seems to be the story of my life. I'm often behind and trying to catch up. Anyway. . .I thought I'd put some pictures on here but I'm not having success. I'll try that later.

I'ts now over 3 months since I got back from vacation at home. It was great to be there with my family and enjoy lots of different celebrations. One being Easter!!! This is one celebration we don't just celebrate on Easter, yearly, but is celebrated or should be celebrated each day. New life in Christ!!!

Another celebration was my birthday, marking 50 years. It's nice to know I'm not alone in celebrating this hallmark. A lot of us are enjoying this together!!! Smiles. Again it's a celebration of the daily life God has given us on this earth.

Then there was the celebration of my nephew's marriage. Darren & Amanda. Their motto is 'Good for Life'. That's how it should always be. A marriage relationship committed for life, with God in the center.

Back here at Galmi we celebrated life in a different sense than the normal. Helene is celebrating life in the presence of her Lord and Savior, Jesus. It was her home going on July that we celebrated on July 30th. That's something to anticipate and eagerly waiting for. Helene was diagnosed with cancer last year and lived a full life until the last few weeks. Her desire was to stay serving the Lord in Niger with her family -husband and 3 children. And that's what she did. She knew and could say, 'God is good, all the time'.

Ahh, to Shop in Niger or The Shops Around the Corners

Being back in Niger I have a day before traveling to Galmi. Of course there’s always this ‘n that to buy, but I don’t have my own transportation. I could take a taxi everywhere in the city to shop, they’re readily available. Being I’m traveling by bus tomorrow I can’t take perishables with me. Can’t get that pizza cheese or sausage which makes for a quick meal (I’ll just have to prepare some meatballs or hamburger patties in advance instead). There are various shops around the corners here. There are a couple of small grocers, various fruit stands, your basic needs canteen and young men on the corners with various items to sell. I go to the grocers to get chocolate mousse mix (taste just as good as my homemade stuff and easier to fix), batteries, cookies and yogurt to eat while here. I buy a few mangoes (it’s mango season!!!) from the fruit/veggie stand outside the grocer. I’m a regular here when I come into town and the man seems to give me good prices. There’s a man with used clothing who always tries to interest me in something. Today I stopped and looked at blouses. I ended up buying 3, brand names too –Sag Harbor, Silk Exchange, & White Stag (J) all for $8. Not bad and they’re in good condition. One is a size 2X but I think it got washed (was to be dry cleaned only) and it shrunk to my size. I walked back towards to Guesthouse and to the other corner to get a prepaid phone card for one of the young men who sell to vehicles stopped at the light. To get his attention I said “Tsss” and immediately he turned. It works. I was expecting some visitors so went to a canteen where I saw they had a fridge and bought was yogurt drinks. They’re really yummy. You drink right out of the plastic bag having made a whole with your teeth in the corner. So my visitors came, had a good long chat, & showed pictures of my time at home. It was 8:30 and I hadn’t had dinner. I went across the street to the bakery looking for something like a pizza but they had none. So out the door and to the restaurant next door to buy some egg rolls, 6 in fact, that I eat all by myself. Yummy. There you have it –the shops around the corners.

Spiritual Life Conference 2007

Spiritual Life Conference is an annual event for SIM missionaries. We all gather in Niamey for 5 days of refreshment in the Word of God and a relaxing and fun time together. We totaled 179 missionaries, including 64 children. Wow, I didn’t think we were so many. The theme of the conference was “Ministry and the Sovereignty of God” based on Philippians 2:12b-13. This reads, “Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.” I would like to share with you some of the thoughts from the first sessions.

We need to be passionate about living in the awe of God. Is there a daily deliberate passion to worship God? (Ps. 42:1).
We must know God, not just know about Him, and not just know Bible truths. God wants us to know Him. Phil 3:7-8. In knowing Him am I convinced that I’m exactly where God wants me to be?
We must serve God, not just identify with Him, by serving others. Mark 10:45. Learn to serve people in a new tender way in love, seeing their need and share Jesus.
We will reap rewards of living in the wonder of worship. I Peter 1:8,9. Our worship will cause us to have a more intimate relationship with one another. Criticism disappears when we know worship.

Linda, Mirjam (my new neighbor for 4 months), & Ruth.

Kids singing at Family Worship

HAVING TEA

I mentioned in ‘Vacation Pictures’ about a story I’d tell someday. This happened while Linda & I were vacationing for 2 weeks in Niamey. We were going to go shopping for cushion material, but first we had to stop at the small shop around the corner to finish buying for the co-op, take the receipts to the office for verification, and then drop off the purchases at the Guest House. While at both the office and at the Guest House we got distracted visiting this person and that person as different ones came in. It was nearly 11:30 when we finally left the guest house and decided to return to the house where we were staying. Then we thought maybe we should try to find Mariama and her sister Ruth, who might be living close to the GH. So we went to check out one area, which is a plot without a house, with squatters or maybe guards of the plot. We walked in and greeted the ladies invited us to sit down. The lady of the hut brought a heavy fluffy blanket for us to sit on and some water to drink. We finally mentioned that we were looking for M & R. Would they happen to know them and where they live? Why of course they did. One of the ladies is the sister of M & R’s uncle’s wife who works for us as a night guard at Galmi. Small world. But first they invited us to have some tea and then they’d take us. So we agreed. The lady left and came back with two French loaves (baguettes) and when she started to make the tea we knew we were in for a long stay before we’d be able to depart. In some ways, looking back, I think somehow we should have really tried to excuse ourselves, but we didn’t. Two rounds of sweet and bitter green tea and 1 ½ hours later (1 p.m.) we all left to go to M & R’s in the truck. It wasn’t too far away, just down around 2 corners.

Mariama and Ruth were so surprised and pleased to see us. I was really excited to see them too, because I didn’t know how we were going to find them. I had been praying that God would bring us together. And He did! They welcomed us into their hut, again sitting on a fluffy heavy blanket, we began another long visit. They other ladies went next door and visited someone then left. Mariama made some lunch –rice and beans with onions and spice. We talked and talked with Ruth; got her caught up on the Galmi news.

We met Mariama’s husband who’s been a musician for the last 3 years. There’s a group of 7 Fulani and 3 Tamajeq singers and players of instruments. They have made a tour in Europe last year and cut a CD with 10 pieces. It’s really a good production. We got to see pictures of them in their traditional dress for singers. He also embroiders, as do M & R, the typical Fulani style. After the lunch of rice and beans, they began making tea. Nibbling on peanuts we began the tea ‘ceremony’. It lasted another 1½ to 2 hours. We had the complete 3 rounds.

I have known Mariama & Ruth for 20 years, since Ruth was born. Their father was our compound guard for those 20 years. He’s now back in Tchinta with his family. His children would often come over to my place on Saturday morning. I’d try to help them with reading and writing skills. Ruth has done well and is completing the 10th grade. That’s quite commendable.

MORE PICTURES

Dinner at my place, from left to right: Vee, Yoko, Linda, Gen, Silke, Heather.

Shepherd carrying two newborn goats, on the ridge of the dam.

Huang Di leading the ladies up the embankment (Cali is up on with me, of course).

Leading the donkeys into the water to fill up the jugs. Camels, loaded with millet, stay at the edge to drink.

FUN TIMES

I’d like to share some fun times I've done recently, as I am able to squeeze time in between work. In October some friends came to Niger for a visit. Linda & I went to Maradi to catch up with them and bring them to Galmi. Vee & Heather, twins, spent nearly a month visiting and helping out wherever they saw a need. It had been 4 years since Vee left Galmi after serving 16 years as Galmi Guest House Hostess and Missionary Care. In Maradi we enjoyed eating out with other friends. At Galmi we shared meals together, made Christmas cards, played games, prayed together, came out to the bush for a visit, and many other things.

The last Saturday here five of us went for a walk at the dam that’s just east of Galmi. Of course we had to take the dogs with us. They were ever so anxious and excited when we let them out of the car. But we had them stay with us until we got off the ridge and to the edge of the water. Then they went wild with excitement as they went romping and swimming through the water trying to chase the birds. It’s such a refreshing place to take a walk and enjoy the sound of the water and watch the people bringing their animals down to water.

Just when we’re ready to get in the car and return the dogs decide to go for one last swim. You know how it is with kids –“just one more time, please”. But they didn’t ask they just went. We almost thought they might not come back. They jumped in the water and started swimming out and out and out and out. Finally we got their attention to turn around and they slowly made their way back to us. Oh how they loved that water! We’ll have to do that again someday soon.

A TYPICAL MONDAY

Mondays always seem to come early, especially when I have tried to sleep in on the weekend, 5:30 is early. This Monday, I decided I needed to get up earlier than usually as people were departing at 6. So a got my cup of tea and read my Bible and had my prayer time. This week the morning compound prayer is at my house which begins at 6:45 to 7:15. The van to take the 10 people to Niamey didn’t arrive until 6:30. They got packed up and in leaving around 6:50. We saw off 2 short termers, a retired pediatrician and a seminary student doing a pastoral internship, 1 vacationer, a family of 4 visiting from Japan, Yoko who escorted them, and 1 couple going to get their resident papers in Niamey. The compound is now very quiet with 15 of us spread out. Another gal joined me for prayer after their departure. I finish getting ready for work, putting on a Nigerien outfit, including head scarf; eat breakfast and am on my way to work before 8. It takes me 1 minute to get to the office on my bike at the far end of the compound. The PDI team meets for devotions together. Presently we’re going through a book on Christian doctrine with lots of verses to look up.

After that we review the previous day’s activity, what happened and what needs to happen. Then we plan the day’s activities, which villages we’re going to and what we’ll be doing. Usually that’s already planned, but just reviewed in case of changes that may have occurred. After that we have a teaching time. This week I started an introductory study on Chronological Bible Storying, which we do for about 1 hour. We’re reading the chapter together and discussing what we learn from it. This is done in French (material) and Hausa (discussion). Ten o’clock is break, for those who take a break, or keep working and doing preparations for the afternoon. We quit in the morning at 11.

The next 3 hours before going to the village at 2 p.m. are filled with various activities: going to the admin office to do some business; following up on the guest house work; reading and answering emails; going to the maintenance dept giving them some job to do – repair in my house; greeting an out-of-town visitor who’s come to the hospital; eat my lunch and take a napJ.

We arrived in the village late this week, because 15 minutes down the road we remembered we forgot the under-five health cards and Vitamin A. Two of the team members are dropped off in one village and 3 of us go on to the next. This day I stayed at the health post and met up with the Trained Birthing Attendants. Two weeks ago Monday, when we arrived we learned that one of the TBAs had just died. So that changed all plans. Marie and I went to the compound and stayed there until they had buried her. We greeted all the various groups: older women, older men, younger women. So this day as we had talked months ago about them working with an assistant, they didn’t have to be told or encouraged to consider our suggestion. They had made all sorts of excuses then. But now, they could see for themselves that with R’s passing away, they each need to have an assistant (a future replacement). They already selected a replacement for R who came. So I had 7 ladies that day all in earnest to apply themselves to caring for women and children in the village. We reviewed the lesson on Malaria: the symptoms, cause, treatment, and prevention. These are older women, grandmas, I’m working with. Instead of asking what the symptoms are for Malaria, I asked them to describe how they felt when they had Malaria. Each of them gave a good response and we covered all the various symptoms. We also reviewed eye infections as this time of the year with lots of flies, eye infections are rampant. At 6 we make our way to pick up the others and head back home arriving after 7.

I’m greeted by 2 frisky dogs as I park the vehicle in the shed. It’s great to feel missed and loved. I get Cali fed, find something in the fridge for myself, maybe take a walk with the dogs, take a shower, check emails, read, maybe listen to the worldspace radio and try to go to bed before 10.

That’s a typical Monday.

Vacation Pictures

What did I do on vacation? I played tourist one day and went out on the Niger River looking for hippos. We were 14 in a canoe, with 2 on the stick and 1 on the engine which didn't want to stay started.



















Well we found them. At first we thought they were rocks jutting out of the water, but then we really saw hippos jut out and spray a bit of water. We did get pretty close, got our pictures and left! I wasn't quick enough to get the 3 of them together.

Besides that adventure, lots of time was spent at the pool, visiting friends in town, having tea (I'll tell you that story some time), shopping, cross-stitching, watching videos, & breaking equipment (don't ask about that one).

Fuel-saving Mudstoves

I was hoping to answer the question about mudstoves right away. But now it’s a month later. I’ve been away in Niamey, vacationing in the big city. My team is on vacation for the month, so I took 2 weeks. This last week I have been back at Galmi, thinking I’d get ready for their return, but that hasn’t been the case.

As I am team leader for the Galmi missionaries, I have been busy with people. We have reorganized some of the responsibilities which have changed lots of things for me. I am now the manager of the Galmi guest house and housing placement. That’s a big responsibility but I’m also sharing it with another who actually does a lot of the foot work and managing of the 2 employees. I do the paperwork. J So I have been figuring things out for the last 2 ½ days. I think I have it. So if you want to make reservations for your visit to Galmi just contact me!

Now about mudstoves: it’s made of mud and it’s a stove so the women cook on it. Sounds simple and it is. They typical cook with the pot on three stones. But this allows the wind to blow the fire all over and prevents the pot from getting hot fast enough. Children can and do easily get burnt from being too close while mother is cooking. So to make a mudstove you put down the three stones, put the pot on top, then start building a mud wall around the pot keeping the wall 1 inch away from the pot and building the wall up to the top of the pot. Make a door for the wood and 2 windows for the smoke to get out. Half the amount of wood is used, the food is cooked in half the amount of time and children are kept safe from fires and burns.

Eager Learners

We have been finishing up teaching on mother/child care in several of our villages. In this particular one it’s been exciting because the women have had lots of hands on experience. When we taught about mudstoves and did a demonstration with them, they got busy and have nearly 2 mudstoves in each of their 6 homes! We taught on weaning children and did a food demonstration. They taught the women and the women practiced it some. Then we went on to the last section of our teaching which is on caring for pregnant women and doing clean and safe deliveries.
Here again some of them have had hands-on experience for themselves. Three of the six women were pregnant. Two have delivered already. One of the traditions we have been trying to reverse is that women have been taught they must wait until the ‘milk comes in’ and then the milk has to be tested. In the meantime the baby and the mother suffer. Sometimes causing death. More and more women are learning and seeing the difference in the babies when the start nursing them the day of delivery.
That’s what one of our TBAs (trained birthing attendant) said. Her baby wasn’t vomiting or having diarrhea. She was ‘clean’. The mother is all smiles. Here are a few pictures of the teaching session on breast feeding. These pictures were taken by a real photographer.

A TYPICAL SATURDAY

This Saturday I woke up early to the alarm as there was a friend’s baby’s naming ceremony. Normally on the eighth day the new born is treated to a great ceremony usually beginning at 7 a.m. Lots of family and friends will come. The men sit in the courtyard and the women gather in the patio of the house. The pastor chooses the Scripture based on the name the parents have chosen. Most Christians give their children Bible names. When the name has been given, the pastor takes the baby and prays for him/her and the family. Then the food is served, rice or corn mush and sauce, on big platters for everyone to enjoy together. The women go inside the house and greet the mother and give a gift. For the Hausa women they keep track of all the monetary gifts given. When the “giver” has a baby the mother will double the amount of the gift that she received. This goes on to a certain point and then drops back to a reasonable amount. Hmm, very interesting.

Back home around 8 a.m. I greet my gardener and mention that we’re going to plant seeds in the garden today. He’s been working on 4 plots (4 feet by 12 feet) that I had him dig out to a depth of 18 inches. He filled them with dry grassy stuff, dirt, grassy stuff, and dirt then planted beans. Once the beans were 12 inches tall he dug them under, added manure and worked everything in the improved soil. So we planted one plot of corn, and one row of green beans. Then on mounds we planted cucumbers and cantaloupe.

It was also bread baking day. So with my trusty mixer I made some nice high protein brown bread. It’s good to time the bread to be out of the oven to enjoy for lunch, which I did and Cali too. She enjoys the crust, actually she’d enjoy any part of the bread.

The weekends are great for taking naps, catching up with sleep missed during the week. Our internet was down for the day, so I avoided the computer (always good to have a forced break from it). We have a lovely swimming pool that’s so refreshing to dip into. Others come and we enjoy chatting and bird watching. We have some new ones in town, Gray-headed Kingfishers. One of my friends husband found and brought home a Marsh Owl. We have lots of pigeons, doves, weaver birds, Senegal rollers, and other unidentified ones too. They like to come to the pool for a sip. Cali does too. She likes to sit at the edge with one or both paws in the pool and lap up some water. After the swim and a shower I went to my tailor with some material to make a needed outfit. It’s a simple top and will cost only $3.

Silke invited me over for a video in the evening; I offered to make a pizza. I have lots of pizza sauce in the freezer, so it’s easy to throw together a pizza. I have some green peppers and mushrooms frozen, put that together with canned chicken hot dogsJ, and pineapple. Pretty tasty!!! We sat down with the pizza to watch the video and there’s a power cut. We enjoy the pizza by candlelight and wait patiently for 30 minutes for the power to come back on. Last evenings video was “Fried Green Tomatoes”. Jacquie pops in and finishes watching with us. There you have a typical Saturday.

April 23

Last Sunday Linda, Maimouna & I went to Gidan Roumji, 2 hours east, to the Maradi Region EERN Women’s Conference. The conference went from Friday to Monday. We have the annual national Women’s Conference as well but Maradi has started to host one in their region so that it could benefit a lot more women. There were 315 women who attended and most of them were from Maradi. That’s quite amazing. The women always enjoy being together with other believers and not having to work.

They were already singing when we arrived around 9 A.M. Each church group presents 1 to 2 songs, and there were at least 6 church groups. They also take offerings during these times of singing. You bring your offering up, dancing, and put it in the bowl. There was also the offering for the widows with lots of dancing around and around in a big circle. The way we were situated outside was very conducive for this.

There was a skit put on by some men, acting out how some women they live not depending on the Lord or living a life pleasing to God. The message was obvious to all. Just before noon the speaker got up and spoke on Ps 68:11 “The Lord has announced the Word. The women who proclaim the Good Tidings are a great host.” Good message encouraging us to take the Word to the world and be a part of the great host. (That’s what I got out of it at least).

After that was lunch –rice and a delicious sauce with lots of vegetables. I brought two cakes –banana and carrot, to share with the Galmi women who were attending, they were 25 in number. Then we just lounged around and relaxed and talked. With the temperatures in the 110, there wasn’t much more one wanted to do, besides drink lots of water.

As some of you may know, this was my birthday. So I decided to view the day as a big party with over 300 women in attendance, lots of singing, dancing, gift giving, eating, sharing & talking. I really appreciated that they all participated so well. It was best that they thought they were there for the Women’s conference. What fun!!!