Please Pray through the Transitions

As the school year is quickly coming to a close I have a number of subjects that I would appreciate prayer for:
·        Visitors: we are praising God that we have the opportunity to host some visitors from Canada who are considering whether Niger is the place where God is calling them to minister next. Please pray for them that God would lead them at this time. Please pray for us in that we might give them a realistic experience of what life and ministry is like here.
·        Praise also for God’s provision in the moving process: God has provided us with many good friends and contacts here that have helped us find a temporary place to stay for our last few weeks and a truck to help us move our things into storage.
·        The church: that God would continue to move amongst the people here strengthening their faith and their relationships and that they would see God at work bringing others to know Him.

Window grills for the building

·        The building/moving: please pray that a couple of rooms in the new building would be able to be closed off this week so that we might begin the process of putting our things (and the things that we have accumulated for the building) in storage until it can be completed. Pray that the power would cooperate so the welder can finish the work.
·        Health concerns for our family: Please pray for Ben’s surgery that he will be having in France in June. We are told that this will determine whether hearing will be restored to his ear or not.  Continue to remember our family that we will be able to stay healthy and strong until the end so that we might finish this term well despite the difficulties we face.
·        Healing for others: We would really appreciate prayer for our friends that are teachers at the boys’ school. The father was treated for skin cancer last fall and we praise God that he is cancer free, but the mother has been diagnosed with a bone marrow disease. Please pray for her healing, for all the decisions that they will need to make about treatments and comfort for the whole family (they have 4 school aged children).
·        Decisions: Please pray for us as there are so many decisions that need to be made as we transition home for our furlough year. Praise that Ben chose to be baptized this past weekend, pray that he and those baptized with him will be strengthened in his journey faith.

Baptismal candidates

·        Graduation: please pray for Cole (and his class) as they graduate from high school that God would be leading and directing them in their future path.

Ben was baptized this past week!

 
 

Regaining perspective

About two weeks ago I started to write this blog about the crazy roller coaster my life has turned into but then it didn’t slow down enough for me to finish. So here are the abbreviated highlights:
Wednesday, Ben invited some kids from his English class to sleep over so they could work on their major project for the unit (considering I am the teacher how can I refuse that kind of motivation!)
The morning of the sleep over the doctor looked at his in-grown toe nail and told us it had to come off, the sooner the better. It couldn’t wait until Monday for her clinic hours. So he got to be the model for 3 other doctors who had never seen a nail removed (I’ll save the picture for the end for those who may not want to see) I suspect having the friends to distract him, helped to keep his mind off of the pain (and surprise, surprise –they actually go the school work done & got some sleep despite the fact that our power went out three times)
The next morning the boys got to sleep in but I headed into school for a Professional Development Day that ended up with setting up for the yard sale Ben’s class was holding the next morning
So much for sleeping in on Saturday, we were needed to help Ben and his class with the yard sale or as a friend describes it “the annual missionary treasure swap” (I even got to re-sell toys that our boys had purchased and played with at the end of our first year here 11 years ago!)
Sunday was the usual crazy-busy with the added bonus of Dave preaching and the month end extra prayer service. (He’s preached the last three Sundays).
My mind is fuzzy about what came next as there were many power cuts and sleepless nights, but somewhere in there I got my marks into the school reporting program and started gearing up to take over Cole’s English class (as the teacher was only here as a temporary substitute and the regular teacher isn’t going to make it back until graduation). Oh and I had a birthday in there somewhere (just no cake because I wasn’t ready to bake my own in the heat).


Getting ready to pour the ceiling

We have been gearing up for the transition home, unloading the stuff that we’ve grown out of or no longer need, selling off and giving away some things and packing up others. The construction at the building site slowed down for a couple of weeks while the missionary who is overseeing it went to France to get out of the heat. (His wife was concerned for his health). Almost $200 worth of electrical wire went missing while he was gone but the night guard responsible for the site has agreed to repay what went missing. We are praising God that the finances for completion of the building have been approved by the denomination!
This past weekend, I got the word that my niece (who is Ben’s age) was admitted to the hospital and early this week she had back surgery. Being away from your family is never easy but it is times like this that can be some of the most challenging. From what I have heard the surgery went as was expected and they are hoping that it will help to reduce her pain so that it will be more manageable in the future. Please keep her and the rest of my sister’s family in your prayers.
All of this comes on the background of the major wild fires in Ft McMurray where thousands of Canadians have found themselves fleeing their homes and losing everything. I can imagine the devastation and loss that they are feeling and my heart goes out to all of them and those in the province that have opened up their homes and lives to help those who are experiencing this crisis. I am truly grateful for a news report I heard this afternoon on the BBC that there were no deaths as a result of this situation. It is truly a reality check for my whining about power cuts and sleepless nights, that I have a LOT to be thankful for. My prayer is that out of this crisis would come countless stories of God’s intervention and grace despite the devastation

Adding Freezing

Nailess! I saved you the infection pics