It's Good to be Ewe . . . or a Camel!

Recently a new sound was heard on the compound . . . not the "sound of music" . . .  not the cry of a new baby . . . but the sound of "baaa-aaa, baaa-aaa!"  Yes, several members of the "sheep family" had taken up residence here, however, not of their own doing, and for some, it was to be not of their own liking!  

Tethered

"Footloose and Fancy Free"

They were purchased for a special occasion.  This being the end of the year (It still looks like July!), there were several local hospital employees who were retiring, and the lucky sheep (which would ONLY be the females, or ewes) were being given to those employees as gifts.  
You might say, the ewes were Galmi's version of the famed "gold watch!" 

You might ask, "Why are the ewes lucky?"  Because the ram's contribution to the celebration was "total involvement," which of course, means they were there to be the food for the festivities.


After Phil and I returned from a Biki, we discovered the rams were about to realize their fate at the hands of several professional men and their young trainees, who knew how to get the meat from "tether to table," you might say!  So, being adventurous, and not wanting to miss unique experiences here, Phil and I stood and watched the whole thing. Fascinating!!!  There is NO part of an animal that is wasted! 


At this point, I wish to issue a warning:   IF YOU ARE MEMBERS OF "PETA," OR HAVE A WEAK STOMACH, DO NOT ENLARGE THESE PICTURES!  SOME OF THEM MIGHT DISTURB YOU!  (Actually, I decided not to put most of them into this blog.) If you prefer, scroll down past these pictures to see the camels!


After the ram meets his demise, the hide must be removed.  For this, a person creates a hole through the lower leg and blows into it, like blowing up a balloon, which is exactly what happens:

Blowing Into the Leg to Loosen the Hide

The larger picture is omitted because it is too graphic!  After the skin is loosened this way, it is removed and added to the pile.  I am not too sure what happens to the hide; it probably goes to more "professionals" for tanning, and then onto another for selling.

The people of Niger are VERY resourceful; this is what there is to eat and it is reserved ONLY for special occasions.  On a daily basis, most people do not eat meat, and if they do, it is only a small portion that is used in a dish to be shared among many.

EVERY Part of the Ram is Used!

The main parts of the rams are ready to be cooked over the open fire, which is the way all cooking is done, whether by the roadside or outside the homes.  The other parts of the ram have been separated and cleaned on the wood mats, ready to be used in other ways.  Even heads and hooves get made into soup!  (Thanks, but no thanks!)

Proud Trainee

This young boy (maybe 12 years old?) had the "least desireable" job of cleaning some of the inside parts, but he kept looking at us and grinning, seeming to say, "I am proud to be old enough to be learning the job of a man!"  He did his job well and liked being photographed.

Ready to Eat!

The retirement party was successful, and employees went home with their ewes in tow and the rams inside!  The meat was mild and delicious, although I do not personally care for lamb, ram, etc.  Phil enjoyed it and we have some in the freezer for later.


So, if animal preparation and consumption is not to your liking, "feast" your eyes only on the fun with the camels!  This being the winter holidays, many students were "home" with their parents on the compound, and so a camel ride was arranged!

Camels Arriving

Waiting Patiently for the Riders

Off They Go!

These animals are amazing to me!  They are so big, and have what we would consider to be two knees.  Watching them kneel is fascinating!  Being ON one and having it stand up is a little scary to me!

Phil Mounts Up!

We Have Lift Off!

Off They Go!

Returning From the Adventure

After the first group returned, a second group went!  It was a fun, unique experience without mishap.  And the camels survived, too!  So, if you can't be ewe, it is best to be a camel!

God Speaks "Heart"

Happy February!  To modify an often-quoted phrase, "Life is what happens when you are busy planning how to BLOG about it!"  My score as a "blogger" has plummeted drastically, and I have  been humbled once again for wondering why other missionary blogs I followed were not updated more frequently, and thinking surely I could do a much better job!!!

Since February is the "month of love," and more importantly, the month of my first-born's arrival into this world (!), I want to communicate some thoughts related to love!  First of all, be assurred we still LOVE it here!  We love the community on the compound, we love the larger SIM community and how generously they minister to others, and our hearts have touched in wonderful ways by the people of Galmi.

We had our first "Galmi church experience" recently and once again I found my heart melted by many things I saw and heard. Unfortunately, I do not have pictures of this event; it just was not an appropriate time to play "tourist."

There are a couple of reasons we haven't gone to "Galmi church" until now:  First, we have a worship service on the compound every Sunday evening, and secondly, we speak neither French nor Hausa (said like "house - uh), which are the languages used in church.  But, I discovered that was not very important, because God speaks "heart!"  Language is not a barrier to my praying.  Language is not a barrier to singing familiar tunes with foreign words from a songbook. Language is not a barrier to listening and clapping to the wonderful African voices praising God.  And language is not a barrier to watching adults and absolutely adorable children as they worship our God together!

I can't wait until next Sunday!

Giraffes!

Phil and I are currently in Niamey, the capital of Niger,  at a missionary conference for 5 days.  In order to get here, we took an adventurous 8-hour ride in an SUV from Galmi.  I say "adventurous" because this is the first time we have been any distance off the compound, save for a short drive to a neighboring village to attend church.  So, of course there were new experiences, like . . . seeing other villages along the route . . . watching the environment change slightly at regular intervals . . . trying to find old beat-up wrecks to take pictures in (the best we could do was this truck, which was in pretty decent condition) . . . 

We're the same height!

The Zoolkoski Family (above), together with us, made a  full - but fun car!

seeing the "kabobs-to-go stand" along the road . . .

Anyone for hot, toasty intestines on a stick???

finding the ever-present, absolutely adorable children . . . 

These two kept holding hands, and couldn't have been more than 3 years old!

AND . . . what we were hoping to see . . . GIRAFFES!

Niger's Rare Giraffes

Africa may have as many as 100,000 giraffes, but most of them live in wildlife preserves, private sanctuaries, parks, or other protected areas not inhabited by humans.  Niger's giraffes roam freely, living in a 40 square mile area alongside subsistence farmers, competing for the same resources, fighting for survival with the people ranked at the bottom of the UN's Human Development Index.  The endangered giraffe, giraffa camelopardalis peralta, is the one found in Niger, and only Niger. It has large orange brown spots on its body that fade to white on its legs.

Giraffes are hard to "spot!"

It took a bit of “off-roading” and hiring a local “guide” to find these giraffes, but

once we did, we saw many of them, including a young giraffe trotting alongside

the “big guys!”  they seemed fairly unthreatened by our presence, but after they

stared in our direction for awhile, they ambled off gracefully.  What incredible 

animals!

"See you later!"

In case you are asking the obvious question, YES, I DID take these pictures myself, although with the blinding sun, I just did a "point and shoot," and was surprised I actually got some shots this nice!  Phil was especially impressed by how tall they were.  I guess it "takes one to know one!"

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!