Perspectives

We had someone send us an email this week that let us know the city of Toronto had declared an extreme heat alert because the forecast called for 29C and a humidex of 36C. I chuckled because the thermometer in my bedroom (one of the coolest places in the house) was reading 34.4C and I was melting with the humidity of rainy season. Ben had decided to make tacos that morning because it was his turn to cook (The boys were given a choice this summer to learn how to cook or to learn how to do laundry—they both chose cooking. I think that was because they could choose the menu.) So, while I rolled out tortillas he flipped them in the frying pan. I’m not sure who was sweating more, him over the stove or me exerting myself over the rolling pin. We don’t have ceiling fans in our kitchen because our landlord won’t allow them and my floor fan would have been in the middle of the doorway that I had to go through to deliver the tortillas to Ben, so I’m afraid occasionally I added a little salt and liquid to the dough! I started thinking about my friends and family back home that would be complaining about the heat in their homes with central air or while enjoying a dip in their pool or while enjoying a stroll through an air conditioned mall. (Of course they can buy their tortillas and don’t need to make them which takes most of the work out of tacos!) But then my thoughts turned to my Nigerien friend that doesn't have either electricity or water in her house. Her landlord promised water when she moved it but it hasn’t happened yet and the electric lines haven’t been connected to her neighbourhood yet. Or my other friends that are running their entire house (which is probably a bit bigger than mine) off of the equivalent of an extension cord from a neighbours house, so when they turn a fan on the lights dim. They would have their own hook up, but the power line doesn’t quite reach that far and the electric company says that they would have to pay to have a post installed which is way beyond what they can afford. Those thoughts made me realize that I really didn’t have it that bad! It really is a manner of perspective! I hope you are finding a way to stay cool this summer. Me, I just keep praying for rain! Happy Canada Day and 4th of July for those of you in the Americas!

Long Silence

Sorry for the long silence. I have been battling headaches lately. I finally broke down (ie Dave made a phone call) and went to see a doctor. There are a couple of possible senerios: not drinking enough water, a problem with my anti-malarial or sinus problems. It is such a relief to know what the possibilities and options are. It is also such a rich blessing to have doctors with other missions that are willing to take time out of their busy schedule to advise people like me.
While I have been wrestling with these headaches, Dave has been working on the long overdue newsletter. So if you think that you are on our mailing list and didn't receive it or would like to receive it let us know. We have had lots of trouble with e-mail addresses changing over the years that we have been here and would love to keep in contact with you. If you make a comment on our blog it will go to our e-mail so that you do not have to worry about your e-mail becoming public.
Please continue to pray for the political situation in Niger and for our ministry here.

Guest blog: Paul's Thoughts on Niger

Hot season may be over, but that should not insinuate to you that it is no longer hot.

Last night, the air conditioners were left off, but consider that they are normally set at a chilly 27˚C. Having only been here a couple weeks, you might be surprised to find that such a temperature would send me running in the middle of the night for a proper blanket, but the contrast between 27 and whatever we get with the mid-afternoon sun is a rather steep drop. Still, today was a pleasant morning to wake up. At least it was the second time around. The winds, which brought in a dust storm far too early this morning, had settled into a cool and soothing breeze. It looked as though it might rain, but that was just to get our hopes up. Fortunately, the electricity went out for a good portion of the day. Niger wouldn’t want me to forget where I am.
I leave Dave & Jenn tonight (Thursday). I leave them with cereal and peanut butter and other gifts from friends and family. I leave them with electrical problems and plumbing issues and daily challenges with the work that they are doing here. I leave with a mild sunburn and a slight (very slight) hankerin’ for McDonald’s.

PS He didn't really leave as expected when he arrived at the airport last night they told him the flight was cancelled and he would have to go to the Air France office the next morning to get a ticket for the next flight!

Praise and Prayer

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” 1 Tim 2:1&2

I am praising God that even as I write this the electrician is here replacing all of the fluorescent lights that died with our crazy power and rearranging the electrical lines in our house so that they make the best use of the “three phase” electricity that the electric company has now installed. I am so excited to have a working light in the office for the first time since last October! I think the electrician has replaced 9-10 fluorescent light as well as running a number of wires and a lot of other things that defy my limited understanding of things electronic.

We have been blessed to have a friend from Caistor Centre arrived last week and he has been enjoying our temperamental electricity along with us. (We have gone 2 nights without any electricity at all—forget air conditioning we didn’t even have fans!) Thanks to all of you who were praying for his safe arrival. Special thanks also to all those who sent goodies, I wish you could have seen the expression on the boys faces! You can keep him in your prayers next week as he leaves to visit other friends in the UK.

Most of all I ask that you would pray for peace in Niger and that God’s will would be done in resolving the political situation here.

PS. Since I originally wrote this on Wednesday the “new” disjuncture box that the electric company had installed went crazy and had to be replaced ie. I would go to use the microwave and the gage that registers the input on the regulator would drop to 50V (instead of 220) while in the other room the fans which were set on low would speed up to the point that it sounded like a twin engine airplane was taking off in our living room. Some where in that process, the control panels on both of our air conditioners burned out and are hopefully being repaired tonight. The repair man said “well at least the hot season is over!” And he is right because we have been blessed with a couple nights of rain this week, for which I am truly thankful. It has been a really long and expensive week.

The best things in life are passed on…

I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you… 2Tim1:5&6

I had an interesting conversation on Sunday with a couple of girls at church. I was admiring one of their outfits and saying that I wished it came in a larger size. Her older sister had been over hearing the conversation and said that it had been hers. So, I told her that I really liked the bright vibrant green of her dress and her response was that the dress was a hand-me-down from one of her cousins in American. I then responded by saying that some of the best things in life are passed down. (In recent years especially, I have come to love hand-me-down clothes—probably because my sister has such great taste!)

I was reading a novel last week that the narrator described their living room as being decorated in the style of “early attic” and as I was cleaning this morning I realized that my house is decorated in the “miscellaneous garage sale” style (with the exception of my living room which has a little “former airport restaurant” mixed in with the garage sale motif). Sometimes that means that I have to put a cover over a chair because the upholstery is absolutely thread bare but at least it means that I have a comfortable chair to sit in, which is a precious (and rare) commodity in Niamey!

As the verse at the top of this entry suggests, the passing on of things isn’t limited to just physical “stuff” and some of us have been blessed with a great Christian heritage. I am thankful for the faith that has been passed on to me by my parents, grandparents and others that have influenced my faith journey over the years. And I guess we never really know what impact we are having on the lives of others around us this side of heaven, but my prayer is that I am living my life in such a way that it is making a difference on others spiritual journey as well. --At least I hope that my boys are learning more than just to be stubborn and that my former students will have learned more than how to write a good paragraph. But there also comes a point at which, regardless of our heritage we have to take responsibility for developing our faith and spiritual gifts by “fanning the flame”. As graduation draws near for Sahel I am reminded that this will be a new reality for many of my former students. I would encourage them and you to “fan the flame”!

As you remember us in prayer this week, please pray for Paul who is coming to visit us, Dave for his extra heavy workload right now, the staffing needs at Sahel (if you would like more information about Sahel try this website: http://www.sahelacademy.com ) and for the government of Niger.