Chopped.

After kicking off October break with a weekend of NUTS (Niamey Universal Tournament of Softball), I took a few days to simply recover and relax:  hanging out with my housemates, watching movies, reading, sleeping, running, and the like.

On Thursday and Friday, I joined the other new missionaries of SIM for an orientation.  It was a great time to learn and relearn a few things about culture and living as a missionary.  I met some wonderful missionaries from Galmi and Maradi and got to know a few others from Niamey a bit better.

Mr. Hama led an insightful talk on Nigerien culture.

 At the end of our time on Friday, we all participated in a cooking competition in Sahel Academy's kitchen!  We broke into three groups of five or six and were challenged to cook an entree with given ingredients.  All of the ingredients were purchased at the market and the object of the game was to work as a team to cook the best dish without any recipe!

Our team's eclectic collection of Nigerien market food.

Our group's identifiable ingredients were eggplant and Nigerien squash.  The other three items required for our dish were something that looked like a very fine millet, a hunk of meat - bones, animal hair included!, and a small bag of brown seeds.  Our team decided to add water to the sand-like grain and cook it into a paste.  We added the seeds and some garlic to the mixture and fried it in oil!  As the judges walked around, they looked awfully worried to find out that we were cooking our grain, which we found out is called sorghum.  It is traditionally prepared with only a little bit of water and NOT COOKED.  Oops!  It was too late, so we forged ahead on our own Nigerien-style cooking adventure.  Team members hacked away at the meat to sort it from the bones and hair.  Veggies were chopped, diced, and minced.  The squash was placed in the oven.  We had no idea how anything would turn out, and as all three teams shared the two stoves, we could see how beautifully their meals were coming together.  I was a bit worried, and to be honest, I had already admitted defeat.  And yet, thanks to a childhood with three brothers, my competitive nature inspired a strong finish.  In the end, we cubed the meat and cooked a stir fry to go along with our sorghum fried pancakes.

3 teams, 2 stoves, 1 hot kitchen

Presentation is everything, so we prepared a plate for the judges and waited to hear their praises (haha...).  The other dishes included a traditional peanut sauce stew over rice and mashed potatoes with tomato based stew.  One had goat, the other beef, and we found out that our hunk of meat was lamb.  The judges tasted and talked, and my team won!  They decided that the originality and flavors were creative and delicious.  Who knew?!  And I thought that I couldn't successfully cook in Niger.  What a blessing to know that I cannot only cook, but I can cook well!

Rachel and I were on different teams, but we had to get a roomie picture!

Of course, not without the help of my teammates!  We all got a package of Oreos for our prize!  I am so glad to have gotten to spend time with these lovely people :)  God is good.

Tan Lines in October!

It's about time for an update!  So much has been happening in the past couple weeks and I will do my best to recap the highlights!

October is the end of rainy season and the beginning of a mini hot season.  Therefore, I have reached a new level of sweat.  For instance, perspiring so much that my fingers begin to prune.  And soaking my clothes straight through with sweat.  The heat in combination with the dry sand makes sweat brown.  But nothing a cold shower can't remedy for a few minutes!

Fortunately, there is more to talk about than the heat. This past week, although a short one, was Spirit Week at Sahel Academy!  Student Council assigns a creative theme for each day, and the students parade the courtyard each morning in their attire, competing for best costume.  The themed schedule is as follows:

Monday:                    No school (Tabaski)

Tuesday:                 Mismatch Day (Wear clothes that don’t match.)

Wednesday:         Cultural Day (Dress like a country.)

Thursday:                   Fantasy Day (Be a super hero or a princess or prince.)

Friday:      Sahel Day (Wear yellow and black.)

While it is difficult to choose, I think my favorite day was Cultural Day.  The parade that morning consisted of colorful garbs from MANY different countries, including Korea, Niger, Cameroon, America, Canada, and more!  Overall, the students did an excellent job of showing their spirit for Sahel Academy by coming up with some great get-ups!  Check out Second Grade:

Mismatch Day!

Fantasy Day!

Cultural Day!

Sahel Day!

At the end of the week, we had an all-school Pep Rally!  The students put together dances, cheers, chants, and songs to get people excited for the Softball Tournament called N.U.T.S., just in time for the week long October break!  Second grade reluctantly led the entire school in a "repeat-after-me" chant taken from the movie "Remember the Titans."  And in the middle of the Pep Rally, the teachers caught everyone off guard with a FLASH MOB!  It was great fun and quite entertaining, choreographed and led by yours truly :)  And after a crazy week of school, and two straight months of teaching with only one day off, I was ready for October break!

I wasn't sure if I would be able to conjure enough gusto for an entire weekend of softball, but boy, I am glad that I did!  NUTS stands for Niamey Universal Tournament of Softball, an entire weekend of Niamey's favorite sport!  The Tournament started Friday afternoon and lasts all weekend.  Imagine crowds of families, students, parents, young and old camped out with snacks and blankets and bleachers, all there to watch and participate!  Teams consist of students, parents, adults, teachers, and whomever else wants to join the fun (even a couple teams from Burkina Faso!)!  I played in the social league with mostly Sahel teachers on a team called the "One Hit Wonders!"

The "One Hit Wonders!"

While softball is not my sport of choice, I can honestly say that after an entire weekend of games, I played 6 total, I thoroughly enjoy softball!  I learned much more about the sport and even had a few good catches, RBIs, and hits!  In one of the first games, I was ready to make a catch for an out, but missed it.  After the play, I looked down and realized that the reason I missed the ball was because it actually went straight through my glove, breaking the strings completely!  Our team had a rocky start, but improved immensely by Sunday and ended up winning in a final game against the "Social Suns," a team consisting of students at Sahel Academy.  I am so impressed with the students here at Sahel Academy.  It was an honor to be able to play ball with them!

The Sahel Suns and the One Hit Wonders after a great game!

We ended the weekend with a banquet at the Rec. Center with chicken enchiladas and cake.  It was a nice way to celebrate everyone's achievements.  I am so proud of our team and the kids at Sahel Academy!  Way to go, guys!

Overall, it's been an awesome weekend of socializing, sweating, swimming in between games, eating oranges, dancing in between innings, and getting tan lines in October!

Here are some pictures with the students at the banquet:

  

Fellowship Deep

One of the things that has made it onto my list each night when I count my blessings is "friends."  The community here has been so helpful in adjusting to a new culture and home.  It's really quite a special bond that forms in such a transient community.  In honor of the One who provides for my every need, I would like to take time to list some ways that I have felt loved by the new friends I have here in Niamey. :)

1.  On my first night in Niger, my neighbor, mentor and friend cooked and hosted dinner for me and the other ladies on campus!  After a long day and a half of traveling, the food and fellowship was such a blessing!

2.  Occasionally, we go out to eat - whether it's just a few people or many.  We often find a new  restaurant to try (there are surprisingly quite a number of restaurants in the city); and depending on the night, I either try something new or try to find something that "tastes like America."  Some of these dishes include fajitas, brochettes and fries (pictured below), camel, crepes, schwarmas, pizza, a "Philly Steak" sandwhich, and rice.

3.  Girls' nights:  Games, popcorn, fudge, movies, TV shows, painting nails, late night thunderstorms, and anything else that includes crying, laughter, or chocolate! (Have you noticed a food theme yet?)

4.  Planning lessons and preparing for another school week around the dining room table.  This often includes quality music, good conversation, yummy snacks, and distracting videos.

5.  Exercising!  I often run alone, so when my two friends decided to walk the path as I "jogged/did calisthenics" beside them just so that I could have company, well it was great.  Late night work outs are much sweeter with friends to talk to. :)

6.  Ultimate Frisbee Thursdays!  Around 5:00pm we play a healthy game of Ultimate with a crowd from around the area!  I have enjoyed getting to not only toss disc, but also meet people outside of Sahel!

7.  Cooking and baking!  When you get hungry for pizza, there is only one way to make it - from scratch!  I have also successfully made yogurt (round 2), granola, a breakfast scrambler, and cookie dough balls (thank you DebDeb for that recipe!).

8.  Game nights!  Psychiatrist, Fishbowl, and "other" fun games :)  I've also gotten my roommates to play Bananagrams and Spot It with me! And of course, a game night is not complete without snacks - brownies, peanut butter cookies, chips, popcorn, candy, or cooked corn!

9.  Being able to cry wet tears all over my friend's lap because sometimes change is just overwhelming.  Being able to count on someone to drive me to the nurse for medicine as another friend sits with me to reassuringly rub my shoulder.  These people really care for each other.

10.  And sometimes things just don't turn out the way you want and the electricity goes out completely - you can't even see your own hand in front of your face.  And sometimes you go to the pool to swim and it starts down pouring instead.  Other times you desperately need the internet to work and all you get is a blank screen.  And sometimes you've had a rough day and need to talk, so you and a friend sit on the wall to watch the sunset.  And sometimes you spoil yogurt and bleach the lettuce too long.  But it's okay, because you've learned how to laugh.  And if you don't chuckle at the "mishaps," you'll go crazy.

God has blessed me with some incredible friends with whom I can talk, laugh, cry, and pray.  I am so grateful for the fellowship of the Body of Believers, both in Niger and the States.  The Lord continues to consistently encourage me through notes, packages, emails, skype calls, and letters.  Thank you!

"Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."  1 Corinthians 12:27

Grapes.

It's not about me.

A much-needed Skype conversation with my brother the other night reminded me of this truth that I seem to forget over and over again.  I am so selfish with my time especially, and even fool myself into thinking that my devotional time with the Lord is about ME.

I must remember that I am blessed, not for my sake, but for the sake of those around me.  I am filled so that I might be poured out by the Lord and used in others' lives as a light.  Oswald Chambers puts it this way, "If we believe in Jesus, it is not what we gain but what He pours through us that really counts.  God's purpose is not simply to make us beautiful, plump grapes, but to make us grapes so that He may squeeze the sweetness out of us" (My Utmost for His Highest).

This sounds simple, but it's been quite difficult for me.  Being "squeezed" is uncomfortable, and I would much rather choose when, how much, and where I am to be poured out than to surrender to God's purposes.  I want to be selfish.  I want to hide from people when things are hard.  My natural reaction is to keep the blessings for myself.

But I've tried that.  I have allowed my circumstances to affect the condition of my heart.  The attitude of my mind has been unhealthy because of the pride and selfishness that I practice on a day to day basis.  And I am finding that hoarding goodness corrodes character.  Selfishness and pride inevitably result from trying to keep the good things that God gives to oneself.  I am guilty of this time and time again.  What we think will make us happy actually causes hatred and irritability because we refuse to hold it with an open hand.

Giving things up.  A servant's heart.  Holding life with an open hand.  This requires humility, generosity, and trust.  I don't want to lack these things anymore.

Lord, may I be poured out over and over again.

In the Classroom

This morning we talked about "turning the other cheek" (Matthew 5:39).  When you have to explain these kind of phrases to seven year olds, it really makes you think.  How do you concisely explain such meaningful concepts to such young minds?

And just as I'm thinking these questions, God shows up.

Our "Morning Mat Time" conversation continues:

"But how can you forgive someone if they haven't already asked for forgiveness?" piped up one of my students.  Huh.  How do you make it make sense?  What am I supposed to say to convey that its about the attitude of the heart.  It's about...what is it about?

Without hesitation I responded, "That's exactly what Jesus did on the cross."  I don't even know where my words came from.  "Jesus forgave everyone before they ever even asked!  Before you were even born!"  To which one of my students questioned, "Even before you were born, Miss Knox?"  Haha. "Yes.  Even before I was born.  It was about 2,000 years ago that Jesus died on the cross."  "Whoa...!!!"  I smiled at their childlike awe.

Yes, my friends.  About 2,000 years ago, Jesus not only forgave you of your sins, but rescued you from your sinful nature.  What an incredible thought.

And I continue to find myself humbled by the comments and simplicity of my second graders.

While I understand that some theological principles are quite advanced for such young minds, I also wonder if we sometimes over-complicate Christianity.  Doesn't Jesus call His disciples with just two words:  "Follow me."?  (Matthew 4:19).  It has me thinking, if I can't explain it to a second grader, maybe I'm missing the real truth.  Following Christ, while not an easy task by any stretch, is beautifully and miraculously simple.  I want to be simple like my second graders.  To trust and love like a child, without reservation.

The Bible compares God the Father to a Shepherd.  May Jesus be my Shepherd, and yet only if I choose to be like a sheep (Psalm 23).

Food for thought :)

Visit to the Village

The thought of driving in this country is quite possibly the thing I dread most about life here.  While many of the main roads are paved, aggressive driving is the only kind of driving here.  So I will wait to get behind the wheel for a bit and rely on others to help me get around.

For the first time this past week, I relied on the wheels of a taxi to help me get to where I was going.  I was with two other young ladies, one who knows some Zarma (a local dialect) and another who knows French.  We were venturing out to find a new friend of my roommate, a young lady who lives in a nearby "suburb" (i.e. village) on the outskirts of the city.  She is trying to learn English, hoping to someday go to the States for an education.  We chatted a bit with the taxi driver, who was very gracious (even after we made a wrong turn).  When we reached our destination, he refused to take any money!  One of God's many blessings:  my first taxi ride was free.

We finally found our friend and the four of us walked through sand dunes and corn rows to get to her house.  The taxi would never have made it through the sand, so we met at the street.  The day was hot, but it was absolutely beautiful.  I think I miss the "country," even if it is all beige and blue.  It was good to be away from cars and lights.  I soaked in the view from where her house sits at the top of the hill.  A small hut stood next to a cooking pot over smoking coals at the entrance to her house and small goats meandered.  We sat in the shade of her backyard where they are growing beans, and we chatted in French, English and Zarma.  Of course, I could only really understand the English and parts of the French, but the fellowship was sweet.  As this young lady shared her faith journey of knowing Jesus, I couldn't help but think of our meeting as, what my mom would call, "a divine appointment."  It was so random, yet so reflective of God's sovereignty.  Her story, told in broken English, is inspiring and challenges me to have the same kind of boldness.

At the end of our time together, we met her father and mother.  Her father was so grateful for our visit.  He said that they do not know many Christians and it was a blessing to have us at their home.  Please pray for this family, and others like them, as they face rejection by many for their faith.  What an eye-opening experience for me.  The Lord used it to give me perspective and to remember the reality of where I am living.  It is easy to forget this reality when I live day to day on Sahel's campus, in a kind of "American bubble."  Please pray that I am guided by the Lord in all areas of ministry, whether on or off campus.

Walking together through the sand to our new friend's house.

September's Start.

Can you believe it's already September?!  It doesn't quite feel like it here since the weather is still so hot, but tea-drinking must commence regardless!

The beginning of the week came with little warning...weekends seem to fly by so quickly.  On Monday, September 1st a new student joined our second grade class, so I now have 15 students (which is about twice the size of some of the other classes here!).  He is from London and speaks excellent English (with a British accent!).  Adjusting to having a new student made me feel like I was rewinding the progress I had made with the others concerning established routines.  But by about Wednesday, he was catching on and things went along quite nicely.

Every Monday after school, we have staff meetings at Sahel Academy.  On the first Monday of each month, we celebrate staff birthdays.  So we feasted on delicious chocolate cupcakes, pineapple, bananas, and Coke!  Happy Birthday to anyone who had a birthday in August or September!

Tuesday began the first weekly after-school beginners French lessons for any Sahel staff who desire to learn!  We went over numbers, letters, greetings, and introductions.

On Wednesday after school, I went to an orphanage with some of the high school students.  Each week a group of high schoolers puts together a few games and a little message for the thirty some orphans ranging in age from about 4 to 16 years.  It was really neat to be able to witness the ministry and relationships that have been built between the local orphans and students of Sahel.

Wednesday night, my roommate made dinner and we had company!  Steve and Mikki Schmidt have been in Niger with SIM for over 20 years.  What an incredible legacy they are leaving.  It was fun to get to know them more while eating delicious food.  (Rachel pulled out a chocolate pudding packet she brought from home!  Since you can't get that here, it was a nice treat!)

I have been meeting with a godly woman and good friend after school on Thursdays.  What a blessing it has been to be able to talk with her about school, teaching, life, questions, etc.

Friday after school, Amanda (another teacher at Sahel) coached me through the making of a skillet (eggs, potatoes, veggies, meat) for the TeachBeyond brunch the next morning.  And what's nice about living on campus is I was able to easily go back to my classroom and finish planning for the next week.  Friday night, I watched some TV shows with friends, baked/ate cookies, drank coke from a straw, and snuggled!  A good start to the weekend!

On Saturday morning, TeachBeyond staff at Sahel met together to have brunch. There are only 5 of us, so it made it nice for conversation.  As I sat there eating and chatting with these new friends, I thought to myself, "This would never happen in the states...a young couple in their late 20s, a fresh out of college single lady (that's me), a retired Doctor who is teaching high school science and math, and an elementary principal...all eating brunch together!"  It was delightful :)

Afterwards, we went fabric shopping!  I must admit that being in the market is a bit overwhelming and my intuitive roommate treated me to ice cream/milkshake afterwards.  I am so grateful for the people that have been here to help me transition and process all that living in Niger entails.  It was so good to be able to talk with her about all of the cultural changes and frustrations I have been having.  We came home afterwards and watched the second softball game (they play every Saturday).

What I failed to mention thus far is that I was able to skype my entire family over the course of the week!  I didn't intentionally plan for that, but it was SO NICE to connect with my brothers (each on a different night) and my parents.  Saturday I skyped with my mom and dad...it was a much needed meeting, as I was feeling quite homesick.

So, life in Niger continues.