In the van returning from the youth "minicamp" in Kony.

Vanessa and I with two of the youth leaders after church.

On Youth Group Happenings

“Godiya ga Allah

Godiya ga Yesu

Godiya ga Ruhu Mai Tsarki

Na gode Allahna!”

I am now an official member of the matasa EERN Galmi! For those of you not familiar with any of these terms, “Matasa” means “youth” in Hausa and EERN (Église Évangelique de la République du Niger) is the largest group of evangelical churches in Niger. I originally began to attend this youth group with two of my Swiss friends in January.

Now this is not anything like your typical American youth group by any means. Apparently “youth” seems to be anyone who isn’t married, and even a couple who are. Ages range anywhere between 15 and 35! Also, this youth group meets 2-3 times a week instead of just once, and the main activities are singing and dancing! It is really a youth choir that sings in front of the church every Sunday. We sing songs primarily in Hausa, but also in French and English.

At first my friends and I were a bit too shy to sing up in front of the congregation, but as time went by we gained courage and began to move in time to the beats. After about a month of inconsistent attendance, one of my Swiss friends returned to Switzerland. My other friend was still eager to attend, so we continued on!

At the end of March, this friend and I decided to be wild and signed up for a “minicamp” with the youth group that was four days long. What an adventure! About 20 of us crammed into a van and took a hot hour and a half drive to a larger town called “Kony.” The teachings were all in Hausa, of course, and the sun beating down made it even more difficult to focus. Different people took turns doing private translations into French for my friend and I. It was still quite a bit difficult for me, because my French is not as good as I would like it to be, but never mind that…

We soaked in the sun (and sunscreen), ate with our hands, got to know a couple of the girls a little bit better than before, used what they call a shower (a multipurpose hole in the ground for both a toilet and a shower drain), danced, sang, and drank more water during those 4 days than I think our Hausa friends knew was possible. Though it was different than I expected, I know that it was a growing experience for me even in my frustrations.

Soon after the minicamp, my Swiss friend returned home and I was no longer allowed to attend youth group because I am not allowed to walk alone in town, especially at night. Since then, many people who attend the youth group have asked me when I intend to start coming again. Someone was volunteered to walk me to and from the church, now three times a week, and I have been attending since last week. It’s very different being the ONLY white girl there, but I think everyone’s finally getting used to it. We have all bought fabric for our matching matasa uniforms and on Wednesday we were all required to sign a paper saying that we would consistently attend youth meetings, or else pay a fine to the youth treasury… they might bank on me.

Although it seems like quite the commitment to attend youth meetings 3 times a week in addition to going to church on Sundays, God has brought me joy through this communion. I may not understand much of what is said, but I’m happy to be there whether as a source of encouragement or just of plain laughter. 

During prayer requests at school today, one of the kids suggested that we pray for the marriage seminar that starts this evening for all of the missionary couples. "Why do our parents have to go on a marriage retreat anyway?" M asked. J responded, "We can't understand, 'cause we're not married. Let's get married and then we'll understand." I love these kids!

I don't know if any of you remember the flooding that happened in Niamey when I first arrived here, but if you are interested in clean-up updates from Sahel Academy, here's their blog:

http://niameyflood.blogspot.co.uk/

I realized how little you all know of my day-to-day life here in Galmi. I also decided that it would e worth the time to share some of the little joys that make Sharilyn (whom I work with) and I laugh daily. In case you didn't know, I'm working full-time (8am-3:30pm) as a teacher's assistant with 10 wonderful MKs. We come home with new stories everyday, so I will try my best to become more consistent about sharing them.

Today for example, when we turned on the school air-conditioner (a real luxury in 100ºF+ weather) some fluff shot out of it and E exclaimed, "It's mouse feathers!!" We had also experienced a very bad stench coming from the air-conditioner on Friday and concluded that something had died inside. Later on today, while the kids were in their Lit-circles, a mouse jumped out of the air-conditioner onto a stack of books. It caused quite a bit of excitement and J managed to get the half-dead creature swept into a dustpan and disposed of it outdoors. Class resumed as usual, though we're all hoping for no more mice anytime soon. J is the same one who asked us not to turn in a viper to the guards to be killed, because it "wasn't going to hurt anyone." These are just a few occurrences within the past week. Enjoy!

A Compact Summary of the Past 2 Months

All of the STA's at the beginning of January

Many things have happened since my last post... 

God is good

People have come and gone

God is good

Christmas and the New Year have both passed (with much joy and celebration)

God is good

More people have come and gone

Spiritual Life Conference 

God is good

Second semester at the Day School started

God is good

Kids are growing up

God is good

New student came

God is good

Time is flying by!!

Today I have been in Niger for exactly 6 months. Five months from now, I will be in Paris. 

God has been so faithful in my time here, and I'm so thankful to be right in the palm of His hands.

Holding a baby in the hospital on Christmas Eve

November Update!

The Christmas season is coming around again, and the festivities on Galmi compound are just beginning! I’ve decorated my house and will begin to bake more frequently than I already do. The weather is getting cooler in the mornings and sometimes at night I actually have to sleep with a blanket! We’ve begun singing carols and the kids at the day school have been rehearsing for their Christmas play.

We celebrated US Thanksgiving last weekend, which was the first holiday I’d spent away from my parents. It will be a very different Christmas from any I’ve ever celebrated before because I will remain separated from my family in Peru. However, I’m surrounded by my Christian family from all over the world.

As always, the population on the compound continues to change as STAs (short-term associates) come and go. All of the STAs are great too, and we’ve enjoyed many adventures together. It’s great to have such a wide range of friends so close by. One of the greatest additions to compound life has been my next-door neighbor, Elise. She’s lots of fun and a goof-ball just like me, and though she is younger than me, every once in a while I tell her to be my mom… she tries and fails to boss me around, but she’s been great at daily encouragements, which at home, I would receive from my mom everyday.

Elise and I drinking hot chocolate while decorating for Christmas!

At the end of September I began taking Hausa lessons every week-day after school, and though the lessons have been good, I’m sorry to say that I am one of my teacher’s worst students (Sorry, Malam Markus!). The classes come to an end next week, which will be both sad and relieving.

My two absolute favorite things that I’ve enjoyed about my job at the school so far have been witnessing the day-by-day progress of our two kindergarteners and one first-grader, and teaching Christmas carols during music class. It makes my face light up when any one of the little boys picks out and reads words, letters, or sounds that they did not know at the beginning of the year! I love choosing Christmas carols for the kids to sing, and most recently we have been working on harmonization! This has been both challenging and a great joy to me. The kids were very excited when I told them that I would be splitting them into Soprano and Alto groups, and the majority of the time their harmonizing sounds beautiful!

Some of the STAs and I on a trip to Niamey

This time of year is when we concentrate on celebrating the birth of Jesus, our Savior, but I still tend to get caught up in all of the silliness of the traditions that we have tacked onto it. One carol’s words that continue to come to mind are those of O Holy Night:

“O Holy Night!


The stars are brightly shining,


Music Class!

It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth

Long lay the world in sin and error pining, 


'Til He appeared and the soul felt its worth. 


A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, 


For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn

Fall on your knees,


Oh, hear the angels voices!


O night divine,

On a walk with some friends

O night when Christ was born!”

It reminds me that hope really did become reality when Christ was born, and that before He came to earth as a baby, we were utterly miserable. When we truly see Him, we know in our hearts that He is the only one that can redeem us. The world is weary and tired of sin, but if we allow Him, Christ raises us up and gives us a second chance. He gives us a new and glorious morn!