Flooding

We were just getting up from our Sunday afternoon nap this week when a neighbour came by to let us know that the school was in danger of flooding and we needed to get our things out of the containers as soon as possible. Little did we know what the week would hold. We took a number of things from the container but were unable to take everything and decided to hope for the best and pitch in with the work of preparing sand bags in hopes of holding back the water from the school property. The above picture was our family last Monday after putting in some time carrying sand bags to help protect the school property

Unfortunately our hopes were not realized and the property for the boys school has become part of the Niger river for the time being. This picture was before there was a breach in the wall that brought the water levels to 3ft in places. There are very few buildings that are still dry.

The bible school that Dave teaches at is on slightly lower ground than the boy's school and there are places where it is chest deep.

We have adopted a couple of the teachers into our family that were displaced because their houses were flooded but they have just been notified that they won't be able to return until next March or April at the earliest. Please pray that they (and the 5o other missionaries living on these properties) would be able to find more permanent housing arrangements. This is just how the flooding has affected us, but really we have been blessed. There are thousands here who have lost their homes and family members as a result of this crisis. Please pray that God would be glorified in the midst of this tragedy. Pray that Sahel Academy and ESPriT would find alternate locations to hold classes and that we would be able to save what we can of the resources that God has blessed us with.