more photos

Here are a few more photos from day 2!! The sun came out which probably means our chances for rain are slim now, but we are thankful for a cool day today!! Love to all!!

OUR TEAM
with (from left to right on the front row) Heday (the expert painter), Mark (the resident missionary), Cephas (our translator sporting his WKU shirt), and Billo (our bush taxi driver - God bless his soul)

Dirty feet after a long day of work - it looks like we're getting tan, but this is ALL dirt!
Sure does give us a new perspective on the significance of Jesus washing the disciple's feet!!

a better shot of our bush taxi - we'd LOVE to bring it home with us

the inside of our bush taxi - it's actually rather comfortable with the windows open

more photos and video from day 2

Here are a few photos from today.

Our bush taxi
For those of you who think Doug's driving is bad - you should ride in a bush taxi!!
Yesterday Molly looked up at me and said, "He's going 90!"
(don't worry though - that's 90 kilometers per hour)

This is a photo of the desert during the dust storm!! That really is how dark it was.

Hopefully that means rain SOON!!

Paul holding an African baby - he's a natrual!!

This is a wall in the clinic we are painting - every wall in the clinic was that dark brown color before we started. It's looking a million times better!

This is a short video of our ride to Tagabati today - in the dust storm.
Normally it is 100% sunny so this was an experience today!!

Another video of the kids latching onto our girls!! How precious.
Notice that Cephas has a WKU t-shirt on today - no more of that Tennessee stuff!!

day two on the field

We had ANOTHER great day on the field today. We had a dust storm this morning on the way which you can clearly see in some of the photos and video from today (yes, I said VIDEO - YAY)!! But dust storms are good news for TWO reasons.....#1 it takes WIND to make a dust storm, so we had a NICE breeze today and #2 dust storms are usually followed by RAIN which they have not had here in nine days (and it's rainy season). Hopefully in the next day or so it will rain which will make the temperatures even that much more cool. Mark made the comment today, "tell whoever it is back home that's praying for the weather here to KEEP PRAYING even after you get back!"

My team painted first this morning and the clinic is actually beginning to look white instead of dirty brown!! It was also baby vaccination day at the clinic so there were several mothers with their babies there. Molly, Breanna and Megan had a hayday holding them and one of the African women insisted that Paul hold one too!! It was too precious. Doug's group went down to the village and you can see that the children were just as excited to see them today as yesterday. They followed them around all day.

This morning we talked about making a point to build some relationships with folks before we began just sharing our stories about Jesus. We have learned that the African culture is very much relationship-driven (as opposed to our American task-driven nature) and although yesterday went well and we were able to share the gospel a NUMBER of times, we were met with much indifference and even some opposition. Today was a little better. We made a point to TALK to the people first - to ask about their families and homes and to be interested in their way of life before we got to the good news about Jesus.

Please continue to pray for our health; some of our girls are starting to feel a little off; nothing to be worried about, but every uncomfortable feeling is maximized in the heat. We forced one of them to come back about halfway today because she felt hungry, but didn't want to eat anything - everything sounded yucky. I know that sounds minor, but we want to make sure they are 100% when they are out. I brought her back to the missionary house and she is reading and journaling - the air conditioning is already helping. So just continue to keep us in your prayers. Everyone else is HEALTHY and happy today so that is a blessing!!

Here is a video of the kids as Doug's group is leaving the village. They are INSIDE the bush taxi. They felt like ROCKSTARS!! (I'll post more photos a little later.)

a few more photos

We are getting ready to head out this morning!! I thought I'd post a few more pictures before we left. Please pray that God will keep everyone healthy today - we had a few that felt a little "off" yesterday, but didn't say anything until we got back (which is a HUGE no-no). They are fine now - they just didn't drink enough water. Pray that the'll be honest with us today and not just try to stick it out. Enjoy the photos!!!

Justin getting our filtered water ready with filtered ICE from the freezer!!

Breakfast on Wednesday (it's only 1:30am at home).

The boys on the swings after we ate last night.
(I MADE them put on bug "armor" before they went out.
They whined like 4 year olds, but at least they didn't get Malaria!!)

If you get high enough in the swings you can see the river!!

Shawna eating our REAL African meal last night - rice and sauce.

Our girlies eating yummy African food.
(only one threw up afterwards - hehe)

day one on the field

Today was our first day in Tagabati (that’s pronounced TAG-ah-BAH-tee). It’s about a 30 minute drive in a bush taxi from the city so we got up and had some breakfast and head out this morning as soon as we could. Half of us painted a local, rundown, health clinic and half of us shared the gospel message with villagers for the first part of the day and then we switched during the second half. And I cannot tell you how completely proud I am of our students!! WOW! I spent the first half of the day watching and listening to them share Jesus’ message from creation all the way to our Lord and Savior Christ to people who may have never heard before; people who can hardly comprehend a God who loves them as an individual and has a purpose for their lives; a God who wants to bless and use them. What a blessing it was to scatter the seed of God’s word in that village today.

We have two excellent translators (Cephas and Hama) that led us through the village and Mark stayed with the painting group all day to help translate there. Cephas and Hama are both believers and were extremely helpful in bridging culture gaps and even teaching us some theology along the way as well. We were surrounded by children from the moment we arrived, as we walked around the village sharing God’s message, to the moment we drove away (some were even still attached to the bush taxi as we left). I pray that our smiles and songs and hand-holding was a message of God’s love to them as well. Many of them heard us present the gospel multiple times as they never left our side.

Despite the fact that we spent a full 8 hours out and about today, everyone is still feeling healthy and staying hydrated (and taking their meds). I cannot begin to express how impressed I was (and always am) with our students’ resiliency. They worked EXTREMELY hard today in a hot, new climate and not one of them complained!! Please continue to pray for our safety, health and an open ear in a dark village who might HEAR Jesus’ truth and become the spark of a great revival!!

some of the children that bombarded us
most of them held our hands the entire time we walked around sharing about Jesus

they didn't want us to leave and followed the bush taxi
(some of them were even hanging on to the back)

Doug working hard at painting!!
I'll post before and after pictures later - this wall was CRAZY nasty!!

a few photos

This is Cephas - our handy, dandy translator!!
He even understands us Greensburgians!!
We were going to bring him home with us until he wore a Tennessee t-shirt today!!
We told him he had to wear Kentucky tomorrow.

Eli eating rice the African way (with your hands) in Orientation.
Don't worry - we don't have to do this while we're on the field!!
It was just for fun!! (That's Mark serving him.)

Hannah & Paul shopping with the vendors Mark and Parker
brought right to our backyard!!

Natalie and Shawan trying to decide what to buy for their parents!!
Aren't they sweet children???

Doug in a real Muslim "hat" during Orientation.

A few of the youth with one of the vendors who wanted to take a picture with us!!

niamey

Well, we’re in Niamey an hour behind schedule and short two bags and a model airplane, but we are SO glad to finally be here!! We filled out all of the paperwork for the missing bags and box and the man in the baggage office, who just happened to speak English, was SUPER nice. He says another flight is coming from New York in the morning and should be carrying our things. Mark will go back in the morning and check. Please pray that everything gets here (Eli is missing his toothbrush already – good thing Parker had an extra one).

We arrived at the Missionary house (which is really more like a resort as beautiful as it is) around 7:30am Niamey time (1:30am our time) and we got to rest for about three hours before our Orientation session. Mark and Parker had lunch for us and we learned ALL kinds of new things about the life and culture of the Songhai people. We even got to do a few things we might see people doing out in the village!! It was a lot of fun.

They had also arranged for some of their most trusted “vendors” to come with souvenirs to sell to us in the missionary “resort.” We got to shop for a few hours right in our backyard and we are thankful Mark was there to dicker for us. Parker made a huge dinner for us (roast beef, green beans, out-of-this-world potatoes, carrots, salad and pound cake) and I thought I was going to LOSE weight here!

It’s 8:00pm here now and we are all EXHAUSTED so we’re headed to bed. We head to the village around 8:00am and we super excited about painting, but more importantly telling a group of people about our Savior who have NEVER heard his Name!! Pray that the power of Jesus’ name will pierce the hearts of the people we encounter tomorrow. Love to ALL!

our team after Orientation

the GUESTHOUSE (more like guest resort)

GUESTHOUSE 2

travel

This post should have happened LAST night....

We’re HERE!! We have FINALLY arrived in Africa. We actually set foot on African soil (well, concrete) when we stepped off of the plane and boarded a bus to the terminal and I think it’s hotter inside this airport than it was outside!! But NO complaining here – it’s gonna be much hotter when we actually get to Niamey in a few hours.

I am actually EXTREMELY surprised at how smoothly everything has gone so far. Aside from the very long line at check-in this morning for our Royal Air Maroc flight and a few rude folks who didn’t speak English cutting line…..OH, and Hannah throwing away her ticket (Doug found it in the trashcan), all has been well. Ironically, all of that happened in New York!! Not a hitch since we’ve been out of the country. I praise God for taking care of us and giving us rest before a week of hard work and extreme temperatures.

We are currently sitting in the food court at the airport in Casablanca awaiting our last flight. We were able to buy 14 waters for 31 American dollars so I haven’t had to exchange any money yet (thank the Lord). We’ve heard the theme for the Godfather THREE times already and the theme from Love Story once (may parents two favorite movies of all times) – a small reminder of home that I am thankful for. Anyway, the youth are playing cards, reading books and enjoying each other’s company!! All is well….no worries….one more airport to go!!

travel

Well, after beginning our trip with a two hour delay (thank you Delta), we finally made it to New York City with ALL of our luggage and ALL of our students (hehe)!! We met a sweet lady in line to check our luggage this morning who was on her way to England for 18 months and we let her cut line (there were so many of us and only one of her). Later when we saw her on our flight she asked where we were going and it turns out she has spent quite some time in South Africa herself. She handed me a sweet note when we landed in NY filled with some great advice and encourgagement in ministering to a people who so desperately need Jesus!! Thank you Miss Amy!!

We got checked in to our hotel and enjoyed our last [American] supper (at least for a few weeks).....New York style pizza. We have ALL taken our malaria meds (I swollowed mine on the first try) and are ready for BED as we have to get up at 3:45am Central Time to get to the airport on time tomorrow. Please continue to pray for our safe travel. We should arrive in Niamey around 10:45 pm Central Time tomorrow.

Love to ALL!!

Our team (not sure what Justin is doing - showing off his chest, I guess)

The pizza was bigger than MOLLY!!

last minute details

Our PASSPORTS are HERE!!!! We sent our passports off to the Embassy of Niger in Washington DC about 6 weeks ago and although their website says it only takes 2 weeks for them to process visas, we STILL didn't have our passports back last week. I was starting to panic! After a few phone calls, emails, a prepaid return envelope, a scheduled pickup and a tracking number, they finally arrived the end of last week. Shew!

We met for the final time on Saturday night as a team at Dale and Lana Carol Houk's house. (Thanks Dale for the good cookin' and Lana Carol for being a great hostess.) We had a great time of fellowship and devo together. I cannot believe that this time next week we'll be IN Africa!

Please pray for safe travel - the part I'm worried about most is getting everyone and everything through the airports, security checks and customs!! Pray for the people of Tagabati as we enter their village. Pray that God will somehow use us (young, white folk from across the world that don't even speak their language) to share HIS LOVE with a people who need Him! Pray that we will be willing and open to whatever He asks of us and that as we obey He will change our hearts as well.