Morning Chills

I am loving mornings at the moment. This time of year is the cool season. It is a dry heat of up to 30-35’c during the day but the mornings are beautiful. This morning while I was walking the 100 paces to work, I was enjoying the crisp cool breeze and freshness in the air. The kids are all arriving at school wrapped up in their jackets and jumpers and I am revelling in the cool weather. I wish it would follow me into the classroom as I know as soon as I step through the door I am hot again! The classroom is cooling down very slowly but even having the windows left open at night is not helping it cool down enough, as the sun comes around and heats it up again in the afternoon.
We don’t experience the normal change of seasons here. While sitting outside on yard duty, the breeze that was blowing today, blew the yellowing leaves off the trees. The small leaves floated about in the breeze, scattering amongst the kids as they played, building their city out of old bricks and slates. It reminded me that in other parts of the world trees are turning brown and leaves were falling getting ready for winter. In Niger we seem to feel stuck in never ending heat and dust, but here was a reminder that we are still part of a world that is shifting and getting ready for a change in seasons. Praise God for His beautiful creation.

Psalm 90:14

"Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days."

My week

An average week in Niamey seems to fly just as fast as it did in Australia. On Mondays after school, Megan and I will often go and do some food shopping; either catching a taxi or going with Nancy, another single lady who also lives on the school campus. We often eat out as well at one of the many restaurants around town. Chinese, Lebanese, Moroccan, Italian, there seems to be almost any kind of cuisine you can think of available, most is fantastic, but there are a few where you don’t want to know about the conditions of the kitchen! On Tuesday evening Megan and I look after the dorm kids so the dorm parents can have a night off, as there is no assistant this year. We have dinner with them and then take a time of devotions before they go off to do homework or play sports in the evening. We stay to make sure they are all in bed, and most of them asleep—the seniors are at least in their rooms when we leave at 10.30pm. We then head down again at 6.30am to make sure they are all getting up on time and getting their lunch organised. Usually we take it in turns so that we don’t both have to stay late then get up early, e.g. if Megan stays late then I go to wake them up. It is a good arrangement and we both enjoy spending time with the kids and getting to know some of the older ones that I wouldn’t see otherwise, being in the primary school.

Every fortnight on Wednesday there is a visit to the local orphanage. Some of the high school girls go as part of their community service and we tag along. The children love the camera and keep wanting to take photos themselves - which I am a bit wary about! We play with them, push them on the swings, and take paper for them to draw on and books to read. There are about 25 kids from 1 year up to about 12 years old.

On Thursday we usually collapse when we get home and try not to do much at all – unless we have run out of food and need to go shopping! There are fewer preservatives in food here which means bread and vegetables don’t last as long.

Friday is our language day. At 4pm after school we have a Nigerien man called Hama come and teach us French. He used to work at Sahel and is now the director of a new Christian school that the Nigeriens are trying to get up and running called Cornerstone. We are both enjoying our lessons and the opportunities we get to use what we learn when we go out.

Saturdays we enjoy spending beside the pool with a good book. We head to the American Embassy Rec. centre for the afternoon and usually end up playing Marco Polo with the kids who frequent it also. Saturdays can also be days to do some washing in our outdoor washing machine, shopping for new cloth for some clothes and catching up with friends in the evening to watch a video. Usually watched around a computer screen as there is not much point having a T.V. when you can’t understand what the programs are saying!!

On Sunday mornings we head down the road for French church. It can be challenging at times with the language, but we enjoy the songs and the sermon is translated in the back room. I am looking forward to the chance of experiencing some other African churches while here. In the evening there is an English service held here at school, and is a great time to catch up with missionaries from a variety of different missions. Megan and I have met some fantastic girls who work with Samaritan’s Purse, who we usually go out with after church for supper.

And in there I squeeze school lesson planning, curriculum writing for the accreditation that is happening at the school, French homework and some time for the many books that I am reading by not having a TV around!! oh, and Megan and I are enjoying our evenings watching through all the seasons of Gilmore Girls that we have borrowed from friends.

And then the week starts over again.