day #???

Doug here! I tell you that so when you realize how poorly written this is you won’t wonder if Kasey has lost her touch. That being said, I have honestly lost track of the day of the week here. All I know is that today was work day number 3. After a hard day yesterday (the village elders went around and told the people to avoid the white people and their lies/magic) we met people today that seemed to really want to hear what we wanted to say. Some groups even wanted to hear the Gospel after older men would tell them that they should not. That is a victory in and of itself.

It is amazing to see how well the youth do in sharing the word of Jesus without fear. My prayer is that this bravery will translate back into their schools and community when we get back to the states!!! There will be a missionary here in Niamey in a few weeks that will be ready for the village (Tagabati) in a few months (after language training to learn Zarma/Songhai) and I hope that the work done this week will provide an “in” for them.

On a down note, we are behind on painting which if you know our group is super unusual. Being in the heat seems to have slowed us down a lot. With luck we will start on the school tomorrow. It is only four large rooms so that will reduce the amount of edging/trimming that will need to be done so we hope that ground will be made up there.

The students (along with Kasey and I) have been able to do and see things which I would have never thought we’d ever have an opportunity to. We have pumped water, ground millet, seen a dust storm, used primitive farming tools, seen poverty on a level that would make every person in Greensburg feel like a king, and basically have been transported back in time to something much more similar to how Jesus lived.

Being in the village and seeing how important water is has allowed for a much fuller understanding of some of the things Jesus said. He is the living water! I have a deeper appreciation for how the woman at the well must have felt when Jesus told her she would never have to draw from the well again. Water here is so vital, no matter if it is the well or the Niger River. Without water there is no life…none! It is hard work to walk down to the river, where the hippos destroy their crops and just as hard work to pump water and carry it home, but it must be done EVERY DAY!

Water is vital and necessary for all aspects of life. Jesus is the living water…that makes sooo much more sense to me now.

Here are some photos we took of the village today.

Eli and Hannah sharing the gospel with some welcoming villagers! I think they spent the whole afternoon with them!

Hannah in her element!!

PART of the village of Tagabati - you can see the river in the background.