My New Normal

As I live here in Niger, I have found myself adapting to my environment more and more each day. Things that I once considered different and exciting, are now a daily occurrence and just "normal". However, they're things that are very different from what I was previously used to and believe my new normal would now be considered as different or maybe even "weird" to all of my friends and family back home. So I have decided to share a list with you all of things that I experience on a daily basis. I hope you enjoy it :)

-Sharing the road with donkeys and camels
-Dodging goats on the road
-Driving on very bumpy dirt roads to get to a friend's house
-Greeting everyone I see with "Bonjour" or "Bonsoir" and a smile :)
-Not being able to buy produce at a store, but at a stand
-Having to wash my produce with bleach water before eating any of it
-Only drinking water that comes from a filter
-Brushing my teeth with filtered water
-Pushing a button on top of the toilet to flush
-Manually igniting my gas stove and oven with a stick match
-Limited access to regular TV (no complaints)
-Watching movies on my laptop with earphones
-Making calls home through my laptop
-Refrigerate fruit so that they don't ripe too quickly
-Go to a bakery to get FRESH croissants and baggets :)
-Icecream costs $9.00 per quart!!
-It is 100 degrees F in February and I don't need to use an air conditioner
-My feet are caked with sand and sweat by the end of the day and feel so refreshed after being washed
-Houses are surrounded by walls and have guards in front of the gate
-Livestock "grazing" in trash dumps
-Lizards everywhere!!
-No baggies with zips, they must be tied off
-Items at grocery store are mostly in foreign languages
-People carrying rolled up rugs and buckets of doughnuts and other items on their heads
-Guys selling phone cards at stop lights
-If I want yogurt, I make it myself
-I hang my clothes out to dry, and then they dry in like 30 minutes
-On a roundabout, the cars/bikes/motorcycles coming in have the right away
-You don't pulled over for speeding, but for not using your blinker
-Taxis are everywhere and drive slow and are unpredictable so I often pass them up
-It's okay to dance in church
-Church services are performed in at least 2 different languages
-It's okay to cross lines on a major road to pass someone up
-Dust so think in the air that you can look at the sun without hurting your eyes
-Call to worship and drive by groups of men kneeling to pray (actually not a norm, still hard to see)
-Plugs have two round prongs and the outlets are circlular
-Mosquito repellant is my new perfume
-Pay as you go cell phones
-Mango juice is my new favorite drink :)
-Sodas are in glass bottles with caps, after I finish I save the bottle to return
-Tailors are readily available to make outfits, out of material bought at a market, into any pattern I like
-During the day I open my door to a melody of different birds singing

There are many more, but I think this is all I will share for now. I hope you have enjoyed a taste of my new life here in Niamey:)

Sahel Academy

The first week of school students were able to eat lunch outside in between the cafeteria and the High School building.

This is the building where the teachers lounge and French room are found.

This is the cafeteria, aka auditorium, aka sanctuary, whatever you need it to be, that's what it is :)

This is the elementary building. My room can be found on the other side of the second and third doors :) It has been explained that the sidewalks are our outdoor "hallways" :)

Streets of Niamey

This is a typical side road in Niamey. Very sandy and bumpy.








This is the gate to the school I serve at. If the gate is closed, a guard is always available to open it to let me in. If I'm leaving, he'll open it and then check for traffic for me then wave me on if it's clear.

This is the bridge that crosses the Niger River that I cross everyday to get to school.

I am stopped here waiting to meet up with someone, so I decided to take some pictures :) There are a lot of these big trucks because they are building another bridge to relieve the traffic on the current bridge. Since there are a lot of big trucks traveling on this sandy road and dry conditions, water trucks often go down the road(same as my school's road) to help keep the sand from getting too stirred up.

Saw some camels (not uncommon but always neat) while I was waiting :)

New Home!!

This is my new home in Niamey, Niger! I have lived here about a week now and continue to be blessed each day :)

Life Application from Rays

While I was visiting and in awe of all God's creation at the Virginia Beach Aquarium, I came upon a "pool" full of these rays and people actually had their hands in the water to touch them! So I eased over to the side of the "pool" and asked my friend if it was really safe to touch these creatures. She said yes and all that I had to do was put my hand in the water and they would swim to me. So then, since I new it was safe, I got excited about the possibility of touching one and put my hand in the water. After a little while, one swam up to me and as soon as it got close to my hand, I yanked my hand out really fast! My friend asked what I did that for, the ray wanted me to pet it. I said that I got scared. She told me to not do that again and just touch it! So, I pulled together all the courage I had and told myself to just do it. Now I was confident, and what do you think happened, but as soon as another one came up to me I pulled my hand out again! My friend then told me that they enjoy being touched and just leave my hand in there. Okay, now I was determined. Especially knowing that they wanted me to touch them. So I put my hand in the water and as soon as a ray swam under my hand I touched it! What an amazing feeling! I actually loved it! The skin was a bit slimey and squishy. It was very neat feeling. Then I was pumped! I wanted to touch some more rays, but then it was time to move on so I didn't get the chance. If only I had been brave in the beginning I could have touched more!

The same is true when telling people about Jesus and sharing Christ with others. I want to do it, but often when God provides an opportunity I shy away. Then I get all prepared for the next encounter, and when it happens I shy away. Finally I just take a leap and follow God's leading and get to share Christ with someone else. Then I'm elated and wonder why I was ever hesitant in the first place. Also, just like the rays, God will send people to me. I cannot force anyone to want to talk and listen to me, but God will lead them to me. I just have to make myself available and willing to share the hope that I have with them.

Colossians 4:5-6 "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."

Washington D.C. and Virginia Beach