God's Gifts

Happy Thanksgiving!  Though we do not have off school at Sahel Academy, I am happy to celebrate this joyous holiday with friends and family in Africa.

As I take time to reflect, I find myself incredibly grateful.  My heart is full with the blessings of God.  He gifts me daily with His love shown through the people, places, and things around me.  May I always take more time to praise God with a heart of thankfulness.

Below is a glimpse into the past few months (August - November) of the blessings God has graciously poured out to me.  They say "a picture's worth 1,000 words,"  so these are just some of the highlights.  Thank YOU for taking the time to journey with me as I continue to live this adventure with the Lord.  God is good.

"But as for me, it is good to be near God.  I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; 

I will tell of all your deeds." - Psalm 73:28

I am thankful for...

wonderful housemates and neighbors.

the opportunity to serve alongside my parents in Niger.

a bike with a basket.

boat rides with new friends.

girls' night with my mom.

junior girls Bible study.

the chance to celebrate mom's 60th birthday together.

red and yellow peppers from the market!

an incredible 4th grade class.

listening to Christmas music during seat work.

winning the "Spirit Award!"

growing a garden together.

laughs and giggles daily.

hugs from my very caring class.

God's gift to me.

a breathtaking sunset by the rice fields.

mail from thoughtful friends in the States.

a dad who can fix anything.

chocolate dessert and cinnamon apple tea with honey (my favorite!)

from friends who knew just what I needed.

a joy-filled and caring church.

worship in Hausa and French Sunday mornings.

pizza with good friends.

random dinner and game nights with these awesome neighbors!

The Lock In

Throughout the school year, Sahel Academy students and staff put on various events.  Last weekend was the first secondary event put on by the Student Council (i.e. StuCo) for grades 8-12:  The Lock-In.

I don't know why young people think it's amazing fun to lose sleep for an entire night, but that seems to be the main draw for this event.  Students arrive around 6:30pm for worship and a short message.  Sahel's new youth pastor spoke about grace, giving student the opportunity to start the evening right by praying with and for one another.

After dark, all staff and students participate in a "Mission Impossible" game!  As a teacher, I was considered an assassin.  My mission?  To capture as many student agents as possible, sending them back to home base before they can deliver tickets and score points for their team.  Though I've never played this game before, I wore appropriate attire for a night game, black.  It was great fun hiding behind bushes and chasing students across the field in the dark.  Though my skin color does not give me the same advantage as others, I was the top scorer for the women teachers!  The famed Monsieur Hama was beat by just a few this year, ready for revenge next year, I'm sure.

Monsieur Hama, Beth, and me at the end of the game!

Mom and Kathie working at home base!

After the night game, showers are a must.  Even at night, Niger is hot and running around works up a wonderfully stinky sweat (especially amongst the teenage boys).  Brochette sandwiches and snacks for dinner, at which point, the students are officially "locked in."  The rooms of the secondary building become sources of entertainment, including two movie rooms, a lounge room with cards and games, a dance room, a photo booth, ping-pong, and fooseball.  Excitement and energy is fueled by Cokes, sweets, and energy drinks.  Not until about 3:00am do students begin to slowly fade into a strangeness that is typically unseen during daylight hours.  Breakfast and clean up were done by 6:30am and students waited for pick up at 7:00am.

Though it has taken me a week to recover, I am grateful for the bonding that occurs at events like this.  The Lock-In was great fun, and allows an elementary teacher like me to get to know the high school students.  Great job, StuCo!

The Lord's Goodness to Me

Welcome to a day in my life...

Wake-up call is at 5:45am.  Because Niamey is so close to the equator, the time of sunrise and sunset does not change drastically throughout the year, meaning it is quite dark at that time of the morning all year round.  Rolling out of bed at that hour is never easy, but it is worth it.  Soaking in the grace and love of Jesus each morning is the best (and only) way to start each day.  Waking up early also allows me to eat the most important meal of the day...homemade yogurt and granola.  Many meals here are made from scratch, which can be quite laborious.  But my yogurt-making-disaster days are over and I have perfected the process.  And I have learned to truly enjoy making my own combinations of granola...it's different every time!

I have been blessed this year to live on a compound very close to school.  And I am grateful to be borrowing another missionary's bike for the time being.  It is a simple one gear bike with a basket on the front.  I have been nicknamed "Mary Poppins" by the dorm dad as I pedal along in my long skirts and dresses.  If I had a small dog to put in the basket, I think I'd feel more like Dorothy.

I get to school around 7:00am.  I am working on making it a habit to pray for my students individually before the day starts.  I can't think of anything more important that I can be doing for them.  The God of the Universe cares deeply about these little ones and I trust Him to take better care of them than I ever could.  God equips me for each day as I prepare the classroom...turn on lights and fans, open windows, fill the cooler with ice and water.  Students flood classrooms at 7:25am.  I greet them at the door, ready for a hug, smile or an occasional handshake.

One of my favorite parts of the day is in the morning during prayer time.  It's important to me that these students learn to start the day right at the feet of Jesus.  And I am so blessed by their prayers.   Each morning we pray for a different student.  They have the chance to give any prayer requests that they might have and we usually add a couple as a class.  Volunteers pray for each request.  Students have off for Tabaski, a M*sl*m holiday in which hundreds of rams are slaughtered and roasted all over Niger in celebration.  We talked about it in 4th grade and added it to our list of prayers.  The depth of understanding these students show in their prayers is amazing:  "Lord, I pray for the people of Niger who are celebrating Tabaski.  And Lord, I ask in your Name that you show them that they do not need to sacrifice animals anymore because, Lord, you came and died for our sins on the cross...."  They prayer for each other with the same fervor.  Praise God.  I have a couple students who will not come to school the day after Tabaski because of the beliefs of their families.  Please pray for these students and their families to know the Lord Jesus Christ personally.

We stay busy in 4th grade; our schedule changes daily, depending on the special classes that they have that day, including art (taught by Mrs. Knox!), music, French, library, and P.E.  The day ends around 2:30pm and students are picked up by parents and drivers.  My afternoon consists of grading, planning, copying, and meetings.  I also enjoy French lessons every Tuesday.  I was encouraged at the start of the year when I was not sure which French class to take, beginners or intermediate.  The French teachers (for the students and teachers) insisted that I was intermediate!  I must know something!

Before heading home, I take a quick run on the track (a dirt path) around campus.  The skirt goes back on and I pedal home on my bike.  It has been nice being so close to my parents since they live on Sahel's campus.  Occasionally, I stop by their house to say goodnight :)  Dinner at home with my two housemates usually consists of rice or pasta and veggies.  We are blessed with a wonderful kitchen, making it easy to enjoy cooking...aside from the heat, of course, created by the combination of weather and oven.  Some things that I have made this year that I never made before include chicken soup, lasagna, taco soup, pizza, and fajitas!  Remember, everything is from scratch here!

Every evening is different.  Occasionally, my roommates and I entertain guests for dinner.  Monday nights, I lead a Bible Study with some junior girls.  It has been a blessing to continue with the same group from last year.  This year we are starting our study by reading through John Piper's The Dangerous Duty of Delight.  Please pray for these young ladies who are pursuing the Lord the best they can.  Pray that God gives me wisdom and the right words for their many questions.

Each day is full and I find myself ready for bed in the evening.  Though I am exhausted at the end of the day (and sometimes at the start of the day), I find strength in the joy of the Lord.  I am learning the importance of the split second decision I make every morning, consciously or subconsciously:  I must choose joy.  An attitude of thankfulness gives me quiet perspective.  Taking time to talk with people and really hear them brings me life.  I forget that occasionally, and then I find myself complaining, always thinking ahead to the next task as if each day is a race.  The Lord quiets my soul.  I am learning that life is made up of ordinary days.  God is teaching me again to live fully present.  Each moment is packed and I so often wish it away by thinking of the next thing to do.  My thoughts are rarely on the present moments.  But it's when I take life moment by moment that I am most satisfied in the Lord.

God has been good to me.  I let Him remind me of that daily:

1.  Late night thunderstorms.
2.  Dozens of hugs from students, daily.
3.  Christ-centered conversations.
4.  Good food with good friends.
5.  All-nighters with high schoolers.
6.  Sunrises over the river.
7.  Lush green gardens in the middle of the desert.
8.  Packages from good friends whom I miss dearly.
9.  Skyping with a friend who is a new mom!
10.  Dinner and games with mom and dad.  

"Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the Lord has been good to you.  For you, O Lord, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the Lord in the land of the living.  ...How can I repay the Lord for all his goodness to me?  I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.  I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people."  

-Psalm 116:7-9, 12-14

Humbled

Once again, I start the school year feeling humbled.  I just finished my first full week with my 4th graders and couldn't feel more blessed.  We have been keeping very busy...planting a garden, reading a new chapter book, visiting all the specials (including art, music, library, and P.E.), and simply enjoying each other.

My favorite part of the day is morning prayer.  We pray for a new student in the class every day.  S/he has the opportunity to give prayer requests and then volunteers offer to pray.  It blesses my heart to hear these 4th graders pray for each other, such powerful prayers.  It is so obvious that they really bonded last year and I feel privileged to be welcomed into their cohort.  Not a day goes by when I don't get about a dozen hugs from my students!

Last night (Friday) was Sahel Academy's Open House Picnic!  Families bring a dish to share and students have a chance show mom and dad their classroom.  Tired from the week, I was not sure how the night would go.  However, as I interacted with the students and their parents, I felt so encouraged.  This place, this community, is held together by Jesus Christ.  And anyone who comes to Sahel not knowing the Lord, will somehow be touched by Jesus' love.  God is sovereign and sustains our weak hearts.

Thank you, Lord, for taking care of me, even when I have no idea what you are doing.  Thank you for blessing me, even when I don't deserve it.  Thank you for this community and the life-giving interactions with friends who feel like family.  May we honor You in every thought, word, and deed.  

First Days in Fourth Grade

School is in session!  On Wednesday, August 12th, Sahel Academy had its opening assembly for the 2015-2016 school year.  Parents, teachers, students K-12, and staff gathered for worship and special announcements for the new year.  I love teaching at a K-12 school for this very reason.  Kindergartners are wide-eyed with wonder, middle schoolers eagerly chat with friends new and old, and seniors lackadaisically lean back in their chairs, perhaps too comfortably.

What a privilege it was to stand with my parents as staff at the same school!  Wednesday mornings, my 4th graders will visit Mrs. Knox for art class!  And dad keeps busy with odd jobs on campus, fixing desks, putting up bulletin boards, and even supervising study halls!  They fit right into life here at Sahel and I'm happy to be able to introduce them as "mom" and "dad."

Day 3 in 4th grade just finished, and as I sit at my "teacher's desk" writing this, I think of how blessed I am to be at this school.  It was just today at lunch that I was conversing with another staff member about the awesome community here.  God has blessed me with a wonderful class this year and great co-workers.  It's hard to believe that this is my second year of teaching and when I think about doing another whole year again, I am quite overwhelmed.  But as I take things day by day, I find myself full of joy and a renewed passion for investing in the students here at Sahel Academy.

To God be the glory!

Mom and me on our first day of school!

Getting Ready

Round two, another school year.  The summer has ended and school is almost in session!  I have been busily working in my classroom, setting up desks, cleaning shelves, making name tags, and labeling books!  Students have their first day of classes on Wednesday, August 12th.  As we begin school, I am reminded of this time last year.  And in many ways, there are many similarities...rain storms, teacher meetings, new faces.  But this year doesn't feel anything like last year, for which I am very much grateful!

For one, my parents are here!  It has been such an incredible blessing to have them around, and they've only been here for less than two weeks!  God has blessed us with good fellowship and I love being their neighbor.  I've been able to help them as they adjust to Niger by taking them grocery shopping and showing them around the school.   Since they live just down the street, I've been busy delivering spices they didn't have, dropping off medicine for unwanted sickness, and passing along messages from others when they didn't have phones yet.  I went running the other morning around Sahel's campus and ended up doing a lap with my mom.  How cool is that?!  Both mom and dad and I went for an early morning stroll past the rice fields, green with life and sun shining through the humid sky.  This year I get to experience life in Africa with family.  God is good.

We have already begun Teacher Orientation at Sahel and during the meetings, I couldn't help but think, "How awesome is it that my parents are here?"  We were able to worship together and share our story with the staff.  Even getting a simple mom or dad hug at lunch time is a gift from God.  I never thought that I would be on the same teaching staff as my mom, but I'm so excited to have the opportunity this year!

Another difference from last year is my living comfort level.  As I help welcome new teachers and staff, I am reminded of similar feelings I had this time last year.  Knowing how to grocery shop, understanding a bit more of the culture, and having a few familiar faces has made a tremendous difference and reduced a lot of transitional stress and anxiety.  The adjustment to Niger has, for the most part, already taken place for me, allowing me to feel much more relaxed and settled into life here.

Also, it's my second year of teaching!  I am eager to have older kiddos, as I teach 4th grade this year.  Although the curriculum is new to me, the staff and students (most of them) are not.  Being familiar with the school and how it runs has allowed me to easily anticipate what's next and understand how things are done here.  I'm so grateful to be returning to Sahel for a second year.

It was hard for me a year ago to imagine being in the place that I am today, not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually, as well.  Many people welcomed and mentored me with open arms when I arrived to Niamey.  Now it is my turn to do the same for those around me.  Though it's only been a year, I am able to answer questions that new-comers have and hopefully offer encouragement when needed.

I am so grateful for all that the Lord has taught me this past year.  And I am also grateful that I feel a bit different this year.  Everyday with the Lord is an adventure when we are walking in obedience.  That is my prayer and heart's cry.  That I would know, without a doubt, that I am exactly where the Lord wants me.  So He can use me and continue to mold me.  May God be glorified because of my obedience and trust in Him.  To Christ be the glory!  As they say at SB2W, "The glory goes to God!"

Mom, Dad and me at Sahel Staff Orientation!

One Year

On July 29th, I had the pleasure of welcoming my parents at the Niamey Airport!  Talk about role reversal!  Although this was the second time I have met Mom and Dad at the airport, it was a bit different this time knowing that they are here to stay for awhile longer.

I anticipated that having my parents here would be nice.  And to answer the frequently asked question, "Are you excited for your parents to come?" the answer is YES!  But having them here has been a blessing in small and unexpected ways, too.

Mom and Dad are living on Sahel Academy's campus.  Though I have moved to another house on a  neighboring compound, we are just a short walk away from each other.  Who would have ever guessed that I would be neighbors with my parents in Africa?  On Thursday I was able to have my parents over for their first dinner...homemade lasagna and mango ice cream for dessert!  I enjoyed being able to "give back," since Mom has been cooking for me all these years!

Friday morning, my housemate and I took Mom and Dad grocery shopping.  This was no short excursion.  Getting acclimated to the new menu options, figuring out prices, deciding what and how much you need, as well as how long something might last in the heat without spoiling all takes time.  Not to mention the traffic.  All in all, it was a successful trip!  I taught mom how to properly wash produce and she's already been cooking like a pro!  I've been over to their house twice now for lunch :)  What a unique privilege it has been to share these new memories with my folks.

After having lived here for a year (August 1st marks one year exactly!), and as people return from summer vacation, I can't help but think, "This feels like home."  Such an amazing family has formed for me here in Niger and welcoming Mom and Dad into this Niger family has brought me such joy.  Praise God for how he provides!

I continue to plan and get ready for school to start.  Only one and a half more weeks until the first day of classes!  Please pray for all staff at Sahel Academy as we prepare our classrooms and sort through curriculum.  There is often an overwhelming feeling that accompanies these preparations, knowing there is so much to do and so little time.  Pray for peace and diligence and JOY!  Thank you for your faithfulness to God and the Body of Christ!