A Biki

This morning, at 7 am, we walked into the village to attend a celebration called a "biki," which is a baby naming ceremony, and is similar to a "baby dedication."  It is held at the home of the new baby's family, when a baby is about 8-10 days old, and is attended by family and friends.  Everyone dresses up . . . 

Celebration Clothing

When entering the family's home area, the chairs are set up in the "courtyard" and the men sit outside where the ceremony is held.  

The women continue on into the home where they sit on the floor, or the few pieces of furniture available.  They stay inside the home until the ceremony is over.

Women Sitting on the Floor

There were about 20+ women here and several small children.  This was a Christian biki, and the clothing you see is "cultural" and not "muslim."  The drapes over the heads are beautiful "wraps" and are worn for "dress up" and warmth, and not to hide the person.  Little children are often dressed in knit hats right now because although the temperature of the daytime rises to the 70's and 80's, the mornings in the 60's are cold to them!

A message is given (outside) by the pastor, along with an explanation of the meaning of the baby's name.  This little one was named "Gideon." The women stay inside for the ceremony and most of what is said cannot be heard.  The mother stays inside the bedroom.  Following the message, the baby is brought outside and presented . . .

Presenting Baby Gideon

When the ceremony concludes, there is congratulating, eating, and socializing, all of which is done in a particular manner.  The mother stays in the bedroom and the women file in and congratulate her, giving her money and/or small gifts for the baby.  Trays of "tuo" are placed on the floor, both inside and outside.  (A lot of life is lived on the floor here!) Tuo is a corn-based substance with a spicy sauce poured over it.  It is served in large lumps and pieces are broken off with the fingers and dipped in the sauce before eating.  

Tuo

After eating the tuo, the women go outside and everyone socializes.  

Congratulating the New Father

Socializing at the Happy Occasion

Children Dressed Up For the Occasion

In all honesty, the children here touch my heart in a way I can hardly explain.  They are physically adorable.  They seem "unphased" by their lot in life.  Whether they are specially clothed, as these two, or in rags, they are eager to interact, inquisitive, LOVE having their pictures taken, and with a lack of toys or childhood distractions, are ready-followers of the adult role models.  This little girl and boy were dressed in new, matching clothing, and the little girl even had a "head wrap" like her mother.  She must have been about 5 years old, but was carrying trays of tuo outside like the other women in her life.  She was just "precious!"


Our friends on the compound here participate in the cultural and celebratory lives of the people in Galmi whenever possible.  Phil and I are eager to experience and learn new things whenever we can and are very thankful for  those who will interpret for us as we do so.  This was such an occasion!

Two Sacrifices

" . . . and then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head." 
                            Matthew 27:29   (The soldiers mock Jesus before His crucifixion.)


I have thought a lot about that scenario since I have  been here.  It is my understanding these were no "rose thorns," to which  those of us who are from "The City of Roses" will attest can be painful enough!  I now have a new "visual" on their reality:

Thorns or Nails???

I have been watching these collecting next to a chair Phil sits in outside on our screened porch.  One day I asked him why he was collecting "nails" there and he explained they were "thorns" he had been removing one-by-one, with pliers, from his shoes!  They are extremely sharp and imbed themselves deeply in shoe soles if you happen to walk over them.  Just one more reminder of the suffering Jesus underwent as a sacrifice for me.

Yesterday and today, the Galmi village Muslim community celebrated a holiday called "Tabaski."  This is considered to be one of the biggest Muslim Festivals of the year - The Feast of the Sacrifice.  According to the Qur'an, Allah asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son, whom they consider to be Ishmael.  Though Abraham was deeply troubled by Allah's request, he agreed to perform the sacrifice as a sign of his obedience.  But just before Abraham began the sacrifice, Allah told him to offer s sheep instead.  To remember Abraham's offering, every family sacrifices a sheep on Tabaski morning.

 Later in the afternoon yesterday, Phil and I went with a friend from the compound here to visit a young couple she knows quite well.  The man is also the one who cooks the rams for many families.  It was a warm wonderful visit, and although we missed the "slaughtering of the rams," (Thank you, Lord!), we did see the cooking of the sacrifices in action.  Apparently, the rams are eaten on the second day, but the "intestine-kabobs" were a much-anticipated treat for celebrating day 1 of Tabaski!

Rams on the "Spit" With Kabobs 

Rams on the "Spit"

I did not mind at all that we were not staying for dinner, or not being offered a "kabob-to-go!"  

You know you have adjusted to Galmi when . . .

You no longer check for things that might “kill you”  before you get into the shower.

Your make-up routine consists of a quick spritz of “OFF!”

A “fashion faux pas” means forgetting to wrap your head before you leave the house.

Recycling is when you save your used and empty cans and cartons for your house-help

or gardener to take home and use again.

A “cool-down” in the weather means temperatures have dropped down into the 90’s!

You are losing weight even though you are eating real butter!

People stop asking you how you are adjusting to the heat . . . and you stop asking

yourself that!

People from Arkansas and those from Illinois are thought of as sharing a common heritage.

You check email, not snail-mail for communication.

“Friends” and “neighbors” are synonymous words.

A blackout is God’s (frequent) way of offering you the opportunity to reacquaint yourself with the stars and the moon in full splendor!

You realize why it is called a “BLACK-out” and not a “grey-out” or a “dim-out!”

You apply “Sting-Eze” more frequently than you do lipstick.

The woman who washes your laundry by hand does a better job than your washing machine back home.

The term “swimming pool” is applied to a 4-ft. deep, 20-ft. wide, concrete “water-holder!”

“Power-walking” is how you get to school/work every day.

You no longer focus on the color of one’s skin, but on the condition of the heart!

To Market, To Market . . .

I believe the rest of that nursery rhyme goes . . . 

                           

                                    "to buy a fat pig; home again, home again, jiggety jig!"

Personally, I wonder if the writer of that rhyme ever bought a fat pig, because he would never have gone "jiggety jig" on the way home . . . unless maybe he lived in Galmi!  They do carry some amazing loads on their heads --- even the littlest children!

Carrying Flour?  Sugar? .....  Sand?!

Guy Carrying Food

It is rare to see a guy carrying items on his head.   Usually it is the women who do the carrying!

Carrying "Meals to Go!"

                                                  
Young girls make deliveries like this every Saturday night to people on the Compound.  It is chicken, sauce, and fritter-like "pancakes."

NOT Carrying Pizza!

 

This beautiful young womanin the photo above, did not pose for this! I just happened to "catch her" walking through the market!  She did not even know I took a photo of her!
  

Carrying While Socializing!

This young girl was perhaps twelve?                                                                                 

Just "hanging out???"

Girls and women carrying things on their heads is so common, it really is like part of the clothing they wear.

                                                                              

Tiny Girl Carrying Fodder for the Animals

The girl carrying the fodder could not have been more than 6 - 8 years old.  She moved so fastI could hardly get a photo!

Who Needs a Backpack?!

I know I have shared the photo above before, but the resourcefulness of these people continues to AMAZE me!

And finally, one last "carrier" I saw on the path . . . 

Carrying His WHOLE HOUSE!!!

Life here is continually AMAZING!!!  Phil and I watched a movie on our computer last night and the contrast between the culture we saw on the screen and what we see here, is so stark, that it is almost as though they could not both exist on the same planet!  We are just living each day with "eyes wide open" to all the new sights and experiences, and realizing that circumstances may vary widely around the world, but people have the same need everywhere - to love and be loved by a Savior who doesn't require them to work their way into his favor, because he has already bought them with his sacrifice on the cross!

For All You Teachers . . . and Learners!

Just before we flew to Galmi, while were still in Niamey getting acclimated to Africa, I had an experience which I think all educators should have:  We had to write a will ---- by hand --- in ink --- in FRENCH --- as a LEGAL document --- with NO MISTAKES --- on one page only --- under time pressure!!!  A WILL!!!  It was actually a will solely for the purpose of what to do with our body in case we should die on the mission field.  Lest you jump to the conclusion that the implication was death is a real possibility, let me assure you that was not the intent.  That is another topic.  


In trying to complete this task, I felt a great frustration that made me think how children must feel sometimes as they engage in learning activities that may have several of the same hurdles or expectations - time pressure, perfection, using language skills that may be foreign to them, an expected format, using hand writing still being developed, all within a boundary of space someone else defined!  We were provided a format to copy, but since Phil and I do not speak French, think about being asked to do that in Arabic, or "North Pole-ian" or any language where you would have to copy letter-for-letter, or character-for-character.  I made mistakes early on in the first THREE copies I attempted before completing one error-free!  And I almost needed to write on the back (big "NO-NO")!  An experience I have been thinking about . . . . .

For those of you who have come to expect photos with the blog, OR for those of you who ONLY follow it for the photos, here is one for you!  It is unrelated to the above comments, but I think it is funny in that who would select commercial airline wreckage pieces as ornamentation for your airport?!!! 

Leapin' Lizards . . . !

One of the interesting critters I have been watching here are the lizards.  They range in size from about 10" down to itty-bitty babies about an inch long, and they are everywhere.  I don't mind them; they want nothing from me.  They don't want my blood (mosquitos).  They don't want to sting me (scorpions). They don't want to "snuggle" into folds of sheets, towels, clothing, shower curtains . . . (earwigs), and they don't want to eat my wood (termites)!  They just want to scamper around!  So, I'm good with that.

Late this afternoon, while walking from the classroom, we saw the most amazing lizard yet:

"Hide and Seek" Lizard

"Now You See Me . . ."

"Now You Don't!"

As we were trying to get a good picture, someone came along, trying to help, and pulled the branch to the ground, whereupon the lizard fell out.  I personally would not have disturbed it that way, but we did get a good picture:

"I am really angry now!"

"Attack Mode!"

The colors were more vivid than can be seen in the picture, and the size was bigger, too.  It was quite a special sight!  So vast are the wonders of God's creation!

A Day in the Life . . .

I remember this summer, as we were preparing to go to Niger, how I had in my mind "snapshots" of what life might be like, but there was no continuity.  We have shared a lot of pictures of "events" and "new experiences," so now (at daughter Malaika's request) it is time for a little journey into "A Day in the Life . . ."

Sun rises about 6:15 here, and so do I!  the shower is always warm, as is water from every faucet.  We share the same good, plentiful water as  the town of Galmi, however ours is piped to the faucets, while people in Galmi must get it themselves.

Water For Sale-By the Cup?

Buy a Container? 

Dressing is quick, as the clothing for women consists of skirt, top, shoes without socks, and a mandatory head wrap, so in Galmi there are no "bad hair days!" And there are not too many clothing choices to make . . . Which skirt?  Which top? (Often determined by which was the least "sweaty" the last time I wore it!)  The clothing is quite beautiful and most people on the compound have had several pieces made by the tailors in town.  The workmanship is exquisite, often with trims and embroidery added.  I have not done that yet because you have to get fabric from the market and I am usually busy teaching.  I do have pieces of my own that I will use to make skirts.  You do not need too much here!

The head scarves are formal; the usual head coverings are the other "wraps" you see above.


Before I head off to school, I usually grab breakfast, which could be yogurt (Phil makes it every other day or so.), or a wedge of "Laughing Cow," or a couple of eggs.  "Oh, SlimFast, I am missing your quick, sustaining, yummyness!"  It is a lovely 5-minute walk to the classroom, and I enjoy the beauty of God's creativity in nature along the way!

School begins at 8am and the kids are usually there, playing outside, well before that! 

Dan and Elisha Wait for School to Begin

Our classroom looks pretty much like any elementary classroom in the U.S.  We have lots of books, furniture, wash station, bathroom, etc.  However, I must say I have been thankful for almost every resource I brought from my own collection!  I seriously doubted myself as we were paying extra for it at one of the foreign airports!

Teacher Work Station-Never Enough Room!

Hands-On Corner - Math Manipulatives

Student Work Stations-aka Desks!

We work on schoolwork from 8-10, beginning with Bible verse, short discussion, and prayer. I try to have at least a couple of all-student learning activities a day, like a session on "problem-solving strategies," or making little "spinners" to help learn how to write interesting sentences with lots of detail.  Other work is more "individualized."  The boys are ages 6,9,10, and 11, and it is turning out to be more challenging than I thought it would be to have all those different lessons running simultaneously.  Dan, the youngest, is a real "trouper" and tries to do 4th-grade work although he is a very bright 1st-grader.  I usually feel during the day at least one person is being cheated.  I am depending on your prayers to make this a successful learning year for all the students. Thank you!

From 10-10:30 is a break and then another 2 hours of school before lunch at 12:30. I come home for lunch and then return for  the afternoon session, from 1:30 - 3:00, which goes very fast!   The curriculum is like in the United States (I wonder why . . . ?) and I try to give as much "hands-on", "project-based," "open-ended," etc. work as I can.  

I have some real blessings here, that make this opportunity a wonderful experience. . . 

We have air conditioning in the classroom!  The students are very smart, and the Nigerienne boys speak several languages! The children LOVE LOVE LOVE to read, and they are usually clammoring for more reading time!

On Thursday and Friday we do not have afternoon school.  I use that time to plan, grade, or participate in another part of the ministry of the compound.  Last Friday, I got to watch my first "live" surgery, which was the rodding of a broken femur.  Loved it!!!  (By the way, if you are "squeamish," do not enlarge this photo!)

Rodding a Broken Femur

Paging Dr. Barb to the OR . . . STAT!

After school, I am usually pretty tired, especially from the heat.  But the community here is like "family," and sometimes there is a birthday party to go to, like when one of my students turned 11!

Beautiful Sanoussi Family (Dad is doing Surgery?)

When a missionary comes or goes via the SIM plane, it is a "big event" and many come to the airstrip to say good-bye!  One of our medical students (who come for several weeks' experience), left one day last week, as did another well-loved person who was here for 2 months. 

Saying Good-Bye to Alice

It is always nice to return to our "borrowed home" where Phil has been the chief cook and bottle washer!  His meals seriously are delicious, and his most recent dishes have involved okra, which has come fresh from a neighbors garden (with permission!).

Flowering Okra

So, that's a fairly typical school day.  I will try to keep the blogs shorter in the future!  Thank you for your prayers.  I sense them and need them!  All glory be to God!

GALMI!!

After an extra day's stay in Niamey, due to rain, we were more than ready to embark on the final leg of our journey and get to Galmi!  On the way to the airport, we saw some things that caught our interest, and the eye of our camera:

Off to Work Monday Morning

The Niger River - Still Flooded

The variety of "wildlife" here presents interesting situations, for example . . .

                                      If you want a turtle to move . . .
                                        

                                        You have to move a turtle . . . !        


Navigating the road, even in a big city like Niamey, is a job not for the feint of heart, because all modes of transportation share the road.  We weren't fast enough to snap the camels crossing the bridge, but here are a few other observations:  People (and weather and terrain) 
are very hard on their cars . . .

but they LOVE their motorcycles!  They always wear helmets because the consequence is to have the motorcycle taken away.

There are a few ways to get from Niamey to Galmi:  You can drive your car the 300 miles, which I understand takes about 6-8 hours, you can go by bush taxi (mini van with more piled on top than inside!), or bus, or you can go by SIM plane.  Guess which one we chose?

The choice was wise!  Not only did it take only 2 hours, but viewing Africa from the distance of a small plane was phenomenal, especially as we approached Galmi, itself!

One of MANY little almost-isolated villages dotting the landscape 

Approaching Galmi

Closer to Galmi

And finally, just before landing . . .

We were warmly welomed by everyone, and especially my 4 new students!

And a few more pictures to complete the story of our arrival:

Our New Home!

Our Classroom

Dan and Elisha wait for the bell!

Nathaniel and Joel at recess!

We are very glad to be here, and very grateful for your support of this ministry to these wonderful people!  We are learning so much, with something new each day, and rejoicing in God's provision and greatness!