Patience

I think the only thing worse than waiting for an extended period of time for something to happen is when you do that and just when you expected something to happen things get delayed even further. I was blessed that that didn't happen when I was expecting my kids (in fact both of them came a bit early). I guess I am just not all that patient.

Building a building is a lot like having a baby, especially in Niger. It is an exciting prospect filled with lots of hopes and dreams about the out come. You have all kinds of ideas about what it will be like, but you don't really know what it is going to cost you mentally, physically, emotionally (not to mention monetarily!); until you walk through it. You can have the best counsellors that have had an incredible amount of experience in the area help you through, but when it comes right down to it each person (and each building) is different and you basically have to learn as you go knowing that God is doing a good things through the process and that some day it will produce fruit. Now that I think about this, isn't that what life is all about? Keeping your focus on the goal; learning through the challenging times and realizing that God is taking us through it all and creating something beautiful in us, through us, with us and around us.

 

We were able to have an engineer inspect the roof of the building and make recommendations to the builder and architect. There are a couple of places where they have repaired the roof (I hope to attach a picture but my internet has been very temperamental lately), but there are a couple more to be completed before they can start on the wind tower. In the meanwhile they have been starting to install the bars on the windows and doors that are used to discourage theft here. (Hopefully I can add a picture of that too). Pray that we will be able to get things done well and that things would continue to make good progress despite the heat. We are really excited to hear that there is a team coming this summer from Canada to help with the construction. Please pray that all the details of that will run smoothly: that they will be able to get the finances together; that we will be able to find the right equipment and supplies for them and that they will have a really productive time.

Please continue to pray for the Pastor and his family and the church here in Niger.