nigerluke

I'm Back!

2009-01-05T23:16:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I'm back in the States! I arrived Dec. 10 to Charlotte, NC for a day of debriefing, then on to the cold and wintry California. It's great to be back and I had a wonderful year in Niger. Now it's time to restart life and adjust back to this American culture. Wow!

Thank you so much to everyone for all of your support over this year. It has been so wonderful and I wish I could see you all and catch up with each one of you. But until then, we've at least got this blog, eh?

So what's next, you may ask? Well...

My plan is to go to graduate school this next year, starting in Fall 2009, to study Physician Assistant Studies. The Lord has been confirming in me the desire and need for me to go back to school, and I am confident in this next step. Please be praying that I will hear back from the schools and that He would lead me to the right place.

This Spring, however, I'm going to community college and taking some prerequisite courses, and working part time. I'm living in La Mirada, near where I went to college, and have had the opportunity to get plugged back into my church here.

Thank you for your continued prayers! Here are some pictures.

Saying goodbye to some of my friends in the pharmacy.

Goodbye to Harouna and Mati, my good friends!

Oh yeah, and I got my long hair braided into corn rows just before I left to go home! Kind of a surprise for my parents, that's for sure!

Bye bye, Niger!

Might I also add, I missed my flight from New York to Charlotte, so ended up having to spend the night in the airport on my Nigerien mat, nearly freezing to death in the dead of winter...

Yay! Back home at my parents' house for Christmas, with my dad's cousin Rhoda, who was visiting from Northern Ireland.

Baby "Chooks"

2008-12-22T14:24:00.000-08:00

So my chickens (or "chooks" as those from Australia and New Zealand would say) decided to have babies! Well, only one of the hens, actually, but one morning I walked outside and found four new chicklets chirping away in the coop!

They are so adorable. I decided to bring them in the house to play with them one day, and to protect them from the other hens who had decided to break one of the eggs and try to eat the embryo inside - I have no idea why. It's really fun being able to have chickens and raise them. Too bad these ones hatched right before my departure back to the States...

Exploring the new terrain of my bed

Eating millet seed off of the dining room table

One of them decided to be on lookout duty!

What a fun day!

Hausa word of the day:

kaji (with a high tone at the end) - chickens
ka ji - you heard

My Little Buddy

2008-11-30T13:33:00.000-08:00

One of my inpatients in the ward was a little boy named Hassane. He came in with burns all over his legs and hips as a result of boiling water spilling on him, and was in a lot of pain. With burns across a joint there is always a risk of contracture, so Aboubacar and I did some physical therapy with him to stretch out the joints and get him mobile.

Well he ended up healing very quickly and well, which is always great. This little boy ended up following me almost everywhere I went around the hospital, just staring at me with his big eyes. Oh yeah, and he didn't wear a stitch of clothing either! He was such a cutie and just got discharged last week from the hospital.

It was fun being able to make friends with little Hassane, and I hope he grows into a good man.

Helping Hassane out of bed to do a little running.

Doing some hip and knee stretches

Those big eyes are just adorable, aren't they?

Hausa Word of the Day:

toya - to burn

Bush Meat!

2008-11-30T06:30:00.000-08:00

So our guard Asisu knocked on my door the other night, and asked me to quickly come outside. Wondering what it was, I rushed out with him to find that he had captured two live "bishiya" or hedgehogs! He told me that we were going to eat them, and I figured since I'd never tried hedgehog before...why not!?

Then he proceeded to show me how to make them pop out of their protective spikes, how to kill, roast, de-spike, gut, cook, and season them. Man was it cool and just so you know, hedgehog is pretty darn tasty!

Curled up and scared out of its mind!

Isn't he cute?

Good coals...

Asisu and I, mouths watering!

Skewered!

Chopped up and ready to eat (bones and all)!

Hausa word of the day:

'bishiya' - hedgehog
naman daji - "bush meat" (this refers to wild animals found out in the "bush", I don't know how else to describe "bush")

Making Juice!

2008-11-08T06:49:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I made juice from plants in my farm! The plant is called the 'yakwa' plant, and the buds are used to make a hibiscus juice called 'sobo'. So I went with my friend Laura to harvest some of the buds and make juice!

Let me take you through the process:

First, locate the buds...yes. Then you pluck the entire bud and chuck it in your sack, or 'buhu'.

This is me, chucking the buds into my backpack...

And Laura chucking them into her 'buhu'.

After bringing your sacks full of buds home, remove the outer petals to be dried. This may take a while, but it's worth it.

Once you've removed all the petals, lay them in the sun to dry out.

After they're dried, boil them up in hot water, and you will get a nice hot, red juice. Add ginger and sugar as desired. Pour over ice to serve!

Cultural Note:

When I told people that I planted 'yakwa' (this plant) on my farm, they thought it was hilarious! Apparently women plant 'yakwa', since it's kind of girly. I guess a similar comparison would be like me planting a giant rose garden!

Anyways, I didn't care because I like this 'sobo' juice. Call me culturally insensitive, but I'm happy I stuck to my guns and planted the "girly yakwa". So for future reference, if you're ever thinking about planting 'yakwa' on your farm, be aware of the cultural implications...

Mom and Em's Visit

2008-10-29T11:36:00.000-07:00

It's true! My mom and sister came all the way out to Niger for a visit! They were only in country for about two weeks, but I was able to ride the bus to Niamey and surprise them at the airport when they came.

They really enjoyed their time and it was so good to see them. Mom had worked for SIM as a short-termer 30 years ago in Niamey, Niger, and had not been back until now! We were in Niamey for a few days and then made our way out east, stopping to visit some other missionary friends at Galmi Hospital before reaching Maradi.

It was fun for them to see what life is like here and also to be able to help out in the hospital at CSL Danja. I'm so glad they came and I think they had fun too...

One happy family (except for Dad who had to stay in CA)

The bus ride...

Yes, Mom, we are in Niger!
(Actually this is a craft center for family members of patients to make things to sell)

Sister and brother...happy to see each other!

On their last day here in Danja, we were able to be there for the birth of a new baby! Severine is the nurse who delivered the baby, and Emily was there to help too! (She's a nurse, ya know...)

Hausa Word of the Day:

majinya - nurse

Birthday Party!

2008-10-28T15:16:00.000-07:00

Yeah, so it was my birthday this past week, and Mom and Em were in town to celebrate! We had a really fun party at my house, with roasted meat, games, and a lot of laughter. Aaron and I celebrated our birthdays together, since we're only two days apart, and we had a blast!

The group of us...

This "culturally sensitive" relay race included Aaron and I dressing up as Nigerien women, cooking an egg, and feeding it to someone. Not my proudest moment...

Opening gifts from the Williams'...man they're great!

The birthday boys!

Hausa Phrase of the Day:

"Barka da haihuwa!"
"Greetings on your giving birth" (this is said to a woman after she has given birth to a child)

Note: I once said this to a fellow worker thinking it meant "happy birthday"...boy was I wrong!

Camel Riding

2008-10-25T13:09:00.000-07:00

My sister Emily and mother Shari came for a visit this past week all the way to Niger! So on Saturday we hired camels and all went on camel rides in the morning! It was really fun and we did it right outside of my house.

Good times I tell you...

It's pretty high up there on this beast of an animal!

Is it just me, or do they look a little scared?

Smile for the camera!

Hausa word of the day:

rakumi - "camel"
rakumi mai halkaci - "the crazy camel"

Quick Update

2008-10-08T05:49:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for praying for me this past month! Here's a quick update on what's been going on.

1) I moved to Danja! I have my own house near the hospital on a compound with other missionaries. I'm really enjoying it there.

2) I took the GRE! On Sept. 20 I completed my GRE test in Abuja, Nigeria, and it went very well. Thank you for your prayers and I have returned back to Niger safely.

3) My mom and sister are visiting from the States! They made it safely yesterday into Niamey, and we will be heading out to Maradi and Danja this Friday. As for now, we're visiting people in Niamey, doing some shopping, and spending some good time together.

Sorry there are no pictures today; I'll post some later.

Bike Ride To Madarounfa

2008-09-17T13:32:00.000-07:00

We had the day off of work for a holiday, so Aaron, Lois, Laura, and I decided to go on an adventure! We took our motorcycles and drove about 45 minutes to Lake Madarounfa, where we had a little picnic. It was really fun and a good excuse to get out and do something active.

Aaron is so happy!

Lois provided the food

Aerial shot!

The road was flooded, so we had to cross this "river"
(Yes, we all got wet...)

The river has been crossed!

Meatfest!

2008-09-10T15:51:00.000-07:00

So we had a "Meatfest" here in Danja a few weekends ago, and it was so fun! Now by meatfest, I mean some serious meat...

All of us singles and the Hazell family joined forces for a game night and instead of cooking a bunch of food, we just bought tons of meat in Maradi town! They have street corner grills all over town, so we went to our "chicken guy", the "brochette guy", and then some other guys who sold sheep meat (is that called mutton?)! So we bought a huge leg of lamb that even had ribs attached! It was so tasty and we all felt a bit more "savage" than when we started...

Mosque in the sunset

Waiting for grilled goodness!

Many chickens died...

And a big sheep too...

Mmmm! So darn good!

Luke the "meat modeler"

GRE Test!

2008-08-24T13:25:00.000-07:00

So for those of you who don't know, I'm wanting to go to graduate school next year after I get back from Niger. I'm applying for Physical Therapy and Physician's Assistant programs in the California area and hope to start mid-2009.

Anyways, I was planning on taking the GRE test once I got back to the States, study really hard, and do well. Most graduate schools require applicants to take the GRE as part of the application process. Well I found out that if I want to go to school next year, I have to basically take the test by October of this year. One slight problem...I'm thousands of miles away on the edge of the Sahara Desert in Maradi, Niger!

Well thank God there are actually GRE test centers in this part of the world, and even one in Niamey (a mere 10-hr drive from my front porch). But of course the Niamey center only offers the test at the beginning of the year (not so helpful). To make this story a shorter one that it could have been...I'm taking the test in Abuja, Nigeria on Sept. 20! (All that is required is about 8 hrs of discomfort crammed in the back of a bush taxi, a very expensive Nigerian visa, a border crossing, hotel accommodations, a passport, two #2 pencils, and some scrap paper).

But seriously, please be praying with me as I study for this very important test, and that the Lord would work out all the travel, logistics, visa, etc. to Abuja and back.

One big fatty GRE study book (thank you for sending it all the way from the States!)

Yes, proof I'm actually studying...flash cards!
(By the way, it seems like some of these words may have been made up by the test-writers as a joke...let's just say no human would ever use them in a sentence)

Oh darn! Less than a month left until test day...

GRE Word of the Day:

soporific - sleep-causing; marked by sleepiness

(as in...Studying for the GRE is so soporific it is hard to maintain consciousness.)

New Motorcycle!

2008-08-14T13:47:00.000-07:00

So finally I was able to buy a bike that I can use to get around town and travel between Danja and Maradi! I bought it from a friend at work, and it runs well. It is a Kasea 125, made in China.

Whenever I start the engine I am greeted by the beautiful voice of a Chinese lady who says to me, "Wehcum to new Kasea motosayeecoh!" Music to my ears, I tell you... and don't worry I did buy a helmet in town that I am using!

Here are some pictures...

Isn't she beautiful?

What a dork!

Sorry, no "Favorite Hausa Phrase of the Day" today...sai hankuri (have patience)!

Leprosy

2008-08-10T04:27:00.000-07:00

At the hospital I've been learning a lot about leprosy, so I thought I'd share a bit with you. Here is how you diagnose leprosy (to tell if someone actually has leprosy or not):

Talk to the Person - Questions to Ask

How long has the skin patch been there?
How did it start?
Has it changed?
(usually patches appear slowly)
Do the patches itch?
Is there pain?
(usually not itchy and not painful)
Do you have unusual sensations in your hands or feet, like numbness, tingling, or burning?
(if there are unusual sensations, it could be leprosy)
Have your hands or feet become weaker?
Do you have problems holding or lifting things, or moving your hands and feet?
(loss of strength can be a sign of leprosy)
Have you experienced any social problems?
(often people are ostracized if they have some disability due to leprosy)

Examine the Skin
1) Look for skin patches (may be reddish in color, raised edges)
2) Look for thickening of skin, that is shiny and dry to the touch
3) Look for nodules or lumps (indicates a serious infection)

Can you see the two patches on this man's face?

Test the Feeling in the Skin Patches
1) Patient should close their eyes first
2) Touch the skin patch with cotton wool or the tip of a pen
3) Patient should point to where you touched them
4) Touch normal skin to make sure that the patient understands
(if they cannot feel anything in the skin patch, then they have leprosy)

These patches are a bit easier to see. Note the hard, raised edges and discoloration...

Feel the Nerves
1) Ulnar Nerve
a. Hold the patient’s hand as if you were shaking hands with them
b. Feel around the back of the elbow, from outside in
c. Palpate the nerve between two points of bone and compare to other arm
d. If nerve feels larger in one arm, then it is enlarged
2) Peroneal Nerve
a. Feel for nerve on the outside of the leg, just below the knee
b. Also feel for the nerve behind the knee (it comes from behind the knee and curves around the fibula)
c. If nerve feels larger in one leg, then it is enlarged
3) Enlarged nerves may indicate leprosy
4) Also check for painful nerves (this could indicate leprosy reaction)

Examine Hands and Feet
1) Check for loss of sensation, pain, numbness
2) Look for deformities (bone absorption, degeneration, etc.)
3) Look for ulcers, lesions, wounds
4) Check for dry, cracked skin
(all these could indicate reduced sensation as a result of leprosy)

Most patients in the ward are either ulcer patients, or else they are in reaction (which I'll write about later)

Skin Smear

- if necessary, have a skin smear taken to check for bacteria from leprosy patches

These are shoes that we give to leprosy patients to protect their feet and distribute their weight evenly.

This is the medication we give to treat leprosy. Once they start taking the medicine, they are no longer contagious. This medicine will cure a person completely from their leprosy!

Physical Therapy

2008-07-15T10:22:00.000-07:00

While at the hospital in Danja, I work both in the Physical Therapy and Pharmacy departments. I'm enjoying both and staying busy with work. The PT department is joined with the leprosy control/POD (Prevention of Disability) dept, so I have been able to be exposed to quite a wide variety of patients.

I'll be the first to admit that I am not a trained physical therapist, so I'm learning a lot as I work with the local and missionary staff. There is a lot of freedom to be creative and spend time with patients. They are very appreciative for whatever care we can give them. I work most closely with a great Nigerien man named Aboubacar who, though not educated formally, has worked in PT at the hospital for many years. He knows many exercises and stretches to give patients and it's great to work with him.

I also work with an Australian missionary from The Leprosy Mission (TLM) who is a trained occupational therapist with a Master's degree in International Public Health. She's a great friend and has taught me a lot while I've been here. She is the head of the department and also works closely with Adamou and Boube in the POD/Leprosy Control program.

Okay, enough writing. Here are some pictures from the physical therapy department here at CSL Danja...

One of the patients I've been working with for a few weeks now. He's always smiling!

Aboubacar! As a recovered leper, he has lots of knowledge and experience with leprosy patients.

Aboubacar and I...he likes to smile a lot too!

Tchima. She has come a long way recovering from burns all over her backside, legs, and hands.

Helen and Adamou doing some very serious work.

This patient has osteoporosis and could hardly sit up. Now he is learning to stand and walk despite his disability.

One of my favorite patients (is that allowed)? She had severe hip contractures, but now is doing much better and walking with just a slight limp.

Aboubacar working with one of our stroke patients. It is so exciting to see patients improve over the time that they are here! God has made us all with incredible bodies that heal!

Sevilla

2008-07-08T13:56:00.000-07:00

From Cordoba we took a short two-hour trip to Sevilla...oh wait, it actually took about 7 or 8 hours, but who's keeping track anyways? On the way we found this really cool Spanish castle from hundreds of years ago! It's the type of castle that you read about in storybooks. It is on the top of a hill with a beautiful 360 degree panoramic view, a river, towers, flags, and even a dungeon.

In Sevilla we stayed at the Novotel Hotel, which is a really nice hotel right in the city. We went to a palace with a beautiful courtyard out front and a fountain. Supposedly they filmed part of one of the Star Wars films there (I think the 2nd one). After a little dip in the fountain (once again, it was a very hot day), we went to the park and rented these tandem bike carts to ride. I was the driver and let's just say we did a little off-roading!

Well that's it for my last stop on vacation in Spain with the Williams...it was too much fun and a sweet glimpse of good times ahead with friends back in the States.

The castle on a hill

Peek-a-boo

What a view!

My new hairstyle...what do you think?

The off-roading machine! We even went down a set of stairs in this bad boy...

Palace in Sevilla

The entire Amaya-Williams family!

Not bad...

Cordoba!

2008-07-07T13:26:00.000-07:00

From Gibraltar we drove up to Cordoba, Spain which used to be the center of culture during the Islamic expansion. There we visited a place called the Mezquita, which was originally a mosque but was then turned into a cathedral after the reconquest of southern Spain. They were going to destroy the entire mosque, but decided against it after seeing how beautifully designed it was. I remember studying this place in 7th or 8th grade history class, so it was really cool to actually be there myself!

We also were able to visit some incredible ruins outside of town. This place used to be the palace of the Islamic leader in the area. Even now they think they've only uncovered about 10% of the actual city! It was a lot of hiking around in 100+ degree weather and I became the official "tour guide" for our group since I had the brochure that explained what everything was!

All in all Cordoba was great and we thoroughly enjoyed exploring all over the place together. I'd highly recommend it if you're up for an adventure...

Inside the Mezquita

I didn't realize I'd enjoy it this much! Is that not the face of pure bliss?

I've entitled this photo "Palm Tree and Tower"

Marina and Gabriela at the ruins

Lots of arches...

Do I look like a tourist or what? Tessa doesn't look to excited about the tour guide, does she?

Needless to say we were tired. And it was seriously as hot as it is in Niger!

Paeilla...traditional Spanish cuisine

Tessa, Isaac, Evan and I

This is an actual Roman bridge from thousands of years ago

Cool guitarist from the flamenco show we went to

And some really good dancers!

And we watched a lot of "Monk" at night!

Gibraltar

2008-07-05T13:42:00.000-07:00

After Granada we drove in our rented cars all the way to the tip of the country...Gibraltar! We had to cross a border and show our passports, because technically Gibraltar is part of the United Kingdom. It was so interesting because once we crossed the border, we noticed people speaking English, and with British accents! What a change from understanding pretty much "nada" in Spain!

We had a good 3 or 4 days in Gibraltar. We were able to climb all the way up the famous Rock of Gibraltar and look across to the Atlas Mountains in Morocco! Between swimming at the beach, messing with Gibraltarian monkeys, hiking around in a cave, and getting lost trying to find our room in the hotel, we all had a blast in Gibraltar together!

On the Rock of Gibraltar

Africa...so close!

Isaac and I at Europa Point

A steep drop to most certain death...

Curt and I bought matching sunglasses...how "cute"...

St. Michael's Cave

Granada - The Alhambra

2008-07-03T12:52:00.000-07:00

While in Granada we all went and visited the famous Alhambra palace! It was once a Moorish palace during the days when Islam spread throughout the south of Spain. One of the caliphs built this gorgeous fortress just outside of Granada and it was quite amazing.

After the palace, we went up into the hills where a bunch of gypsies used to live. They dug caves into the side of the hill and lived there. There was a whole community living in these caves, raising livestock and practicing their trades.

I was really amazed by the history that is everywhere in Spain. In the States, the oldest things are maybe 200 or 250 years old. In Spain, things are 500+ years old, and that's pretty normal.
Well, here are some pictures:

The entrance

A real castle/palace!

Evan and Adrian enjoying the cannons!

There was some really cool architecture...

Taking a little breather from all the hiking around

Arabic inscriptions

Gypsy caves

This is the swordfish...BEFORE

and AFTER...

Spain!

2008-07-03T11:48:00.000-07:00

It's true! I just got back from a wonderful 2 weeks in Spain! The Lord really worked it out that I was able to join the Williams family (from my home church in CA and small group) for their family vacation. We had such a wonderful time traveling all over southern Spain and enjoying the beautiful countryside and historic sites.

I spent the first night in Madrid by myself in a cheap hostel, then took a 5-hr train ride to Granada where I met up with all 13 of the Williams' family. Ok, there was a BIT of miscommunication as to the location of the hotel in Granada, but all that is to say...after a very enjoyable bus ride through the Spanish countryside and an overnight at a beautiful bed and breakfast place 40 km away from where I was supposed to be, we were all together! What a sweet reunion!

Atocha Train Station - Madrid

Curt and Rosie Williams and the kids (Tessa, Evan, Eliana, Isaac)

Tessa and I enjoying a nice summer dip

This is completely normal...don't worry.

That beautiful countryside I was talking about...

And the OTHER "Cortijo del Pino"

Enjoying true Spanish cuisine...churros and chocolate!

Yankari National Park

2008-06-05T03:05:00.000-07:00

Yankari National Park is about a 4-hour drive from Jos, near a town called Bauchi. I went there for an overnight with the Cunninghams, another missionary family in Niger. During our time we went on two "safaris" looking for wild animals, and swam in the beautiful Wikki Warm Springs. It was a worthwhile trip and we were able to see some cool stuff.

The one night we were there a huge rainstorm came and it was pouring down for at least an hour! There was no way I could pass up this opportunity so I sprinted down to the spring (seriously, it's a natural spring with warm, clear water) and jumped right in! It was such a great experience to be in this warm water, lying on my back under the water and looking up towards the sky, with the rain drops splashing on the surface and lightning in the background!

An incredible view!

The Cunninghams (minus Peter)

Wikki Warm Springs

Baby with Momma in the mud...

Yeah, we saw heaps of elephants.

Waterbuck too...

Abuja

2008-06-05T02:46:00.000-07:00

While in Nigeria I had the opportunity to go to Abuja with Kingsford, one of the guys who works for the Ardills. Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria, and is a relatively new city (it's only about 30 years old). We spent one night in town, and picked up a friend of the Ardills', Lydia Reichart.

It was great to see other parts of Nigeria, and to experience how very "modern" Abuja was! I mean, they had street lights, freeways, expensive hotels, plenty of imported goods, etc. The only thing is that the power was out pretty much the whole time we were there...thank God for generators!

Kingsford and I at the Hilton hotel...we were in shock!

Grass!

Shawarma sandwich from a Lebanese restaurant!

This huge rock represents the "seat of power" of the president of Nigeria.

Freeway?

A huge church in town!

And just down the road...a huge mosque!

Hanging Out With The "Fam"

2008-06-05T02:18:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun spending time with the Ardill family in Jos. They were so welcoming and generous to me during my two weeks with them. I mean seriously...coffee every morning, eggs for breakfast, tours of Jos, volleyball with the cousins, watching movies, seeing the ministries of my aunt and uncle...it was incredible!

I loved being with my cousins in their normal setting...going to school, goofing off, going out to eat. It was so refreshing! Anyways, they're great and here are some pictures of all the fun we had!

Laying out on the GREEN grass, listening to music...

I developed an at-home workout with my youngest cousin David...

Heather and Marie at the Net Cafe

Fajitas and Bitter Lemon soda...heavenly!

True Nigerian food...pounded yam and egusi soup

David whipped out his Home Depot tools to work on some stuff around the house

We had some serious Lego aircraft battles!

Anna got a LOT of candy from the States!

Mint chocolate chip ice cream, what more needs to be said?

Aunt Dorothy and Marie

Blind Town

2008-06-05T02:01:00.000-07:00

For years my Aunt Dorothy was involved with a street ministry called "Gidan Bege" which is based out of Jos. It is a ministry that has expanded greatly and takes in kids and orphans from the street. The staff helps to give them food and educate them.

I was able to join a team from Gidan Bege on a weekly trip to one of two slums known as "Blind Town." There is a high population of blind people and lepers there...the outcasts of society. We visited for the afternoon and passed out some medicine to these people and their families.

If you think of it, please pray for this effective ministry that seeks to bring Christ's love to so many poor and needy people in Jos, Nigeria.

Oh the children...

Our drug dispensary...

One of the nurses who did consultations...

What a beautiful sky!

Jos Wildlife Park

2008-06-05T01:42:00.000-07:00

While I was in Jos, we had a "boys outing" to the Wildlife Park just outside of town. Bill, David, and I went for the afternoon and were able to see a bunch of cool animals.

I'm telling you it was SO green at this place! That was one of the main things I noticed in Nigeria...how lush it was! Niger is still pretty brown and sandy, but the rains are coming...

Anyways, this place was originally owned by a Swedish man back in the day. As a hobby, he collected exotic animals and kept them in cages and fences all over his property outside of town. After he left the country, his residence was turned into a wildlife park!

So here are some pictures...

Entrance

Hungry or just tired?

Father and son...

A good view of Jos...

Just chillin...

Surgery Time!

2008-05-29T14:39:00.000-07:00

My uncle Bill is one of the teaching doctors at Evangel Hospital in Jos. He is a very experienced surgeon who has been living and working in Jos for over 16 years. For about 3 or 4 days I was able to follow him around, observe surgery, and even “scrub in” on a few cases!

I absolutely loved it and soaked in as much as I could! I saw umbilical hernia repairs, bladder stone removal, a forehead tumor removal (it was the best!), the end of a prostatectomy, the removal of a needle in a little boy’s foot (it went in with the dull end first), and a tendon repair/fracture repair on a man’s hand. It was such a cool experience and helped to confirm my interest in the medical field.

Here are some cool pictures for those with strong stomachs:

Hospital Entrance

Time for some serious surgery!

Oh yeah, massive tumors in the head.

This is what they pulled out!

Herniated umbilicus

I actually scrubbed in on this one...tendon repair and pin in fractured metacarpal

Tiny tiny baby!

Hausa Phrase of the Day:

“Gajiya ta bi lahiya.”

“Tiredness follows health.”

(It means that if you’re tired it’s a good thing because you’re healthy enough to work and get tired out. So it’s a way to be positive in responding to the greeting “How is your tiredness?”… when you are really beat and tired after a long day!)

Hillcrest School

2008-05-28T14:41:00.000-07:00

Hillcrest is the K-12 school that all four of my Ardill cousins (Marie, Heather, Anna, and David) attend. I had the opportunity to hang out at school with them, help them study for exams, and play sports with them after school.

It reminded me of a cross between my grade school in Ethiopia (Bingham Academy) and my high school in Kenya (Rift Valley Academy). Hillcrest is smaller than RVA was, but there are fewer MKs (missionary kids) than there were at RVA. My good friends Tim de la Haye and Aaron Thacher (who are my age) went to Hillcrest, so I was just picturing them running around campus with their backpacks on, goofing off with their friends. The place really has some cool history.

While I was there one of the teachers was sick, so my loving Aunt Dorothy volunteered me to substitute for 4^th grade until the teacher was feeling better (I did some subbing while I was in California, don’t worry)! I had a fun time with the kids and was really able to see what Hillcrest is like.

My cousin Marie and new friend Melanie on the bleachers.

Uncle Bill was the graduation speaker...it was so good!

The flametrees are so beautiful!

It was so good to play sports again! Ultimate frisbee on the lower field...

It poured when we were playing volleyball! Man have I missed the rain.

Volleyball after school

I think I got blocked on this one! Doh!

My fourth grade class that I substituted in for two days.

Hausa Phrase of the Day:

“Rishin sani ya hi dare duhu.”

Lack of knowledge is darker than night time.

(There is nothing worse than ignorance.)

Nigeria!

2008-05-28T13:35:00.000-07:00

I just got back from the most incredible two-week trip to Nigeria to visit my uncle and his family who live in Jos, and also to see some other SIM ministries in the area. It’s hard for me to fully describe how much I enjoyed my time there meeting new friends, scrubbing in on surgery with my uncle, and eating good food every day among other things.

The main difference I noticed just driving down from Maradi was how GREEN Nigeria is! It has already started raining there, while we are still waiting for some good heavy rains in Niger. Nigeria is much more developed…they have more money, businesses, a better education system, and a lot more people. I guess I wasn’t really expecting so many differences, so I kind of experienced a little bit of culture shock myself!

Finally, they spoke ENGLISH! It was so refreshing to be able to talk freely in English and communicate well. I was able to use some of my Hausa, but people were really impressed that I knew even some Hausa you don’t really need to learn it there to get by.

My cousins Marie and David in Jos

The Ardills' backyard

Clouds means rain...yeah!

With my new friends Moussa and Haoua

Hausa Phrase of the Day:

Some noted differences between “Niger Hausa” and “Nigerian Hausa”

Niger vs. Nigeria

“lahiya” vs. “lafiya” (health)

“maraice” vs. “yamma” (afternoon)

“ruwa” (pl.) vs. “ruwa” (masc.) - (water)

“iska” (masc.) vs. “iska” (fem.) – (wind)

Currency difference:

Niger – francs (CFA)

Nigeria – Naira

- in Niger they use the “dala (like “dollar”) system” in which one “dala” is five francs. So something that costs “dala hamsin” (fifty dala) is actually 250CFA. In Nigeria, they don’t use “dala”. Fifty Naira is exactly that…50N.

Some Prayer Requests

2008-05-04T14:47:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much to those of you who are and have been praying for me! It really is so encouraging to know that I have friends who are really supporting me out here through intercession. Praise the Lord with me that things are going very well and learning so much.

Some things you could continue to pray for me about:

- Hausa language learning (I’m meeting with a tutor every week and am learning a lot. Please pray for continual growth so I can better communicate with Nigeriens in their native language)

- Relationships with locals (I’m making friends with some really good Christian guys at work in the hospital. Please pray for growth in these relationships and that we would find time to hang out outside of work)

- Consistency in spending time with God (yes, it’s a constant struggle for me even out here. Pray that I would remain focused on Him in all things.)

Thank you all once again!

My friend Lawali and I at the hospital

Tukur, a leprosy patient, who is really interested in learning English

Favorite Hausa Phrase of the Day:

“Gama mulki, da iko, da girma, naka ne har abada. Amin.”

“Yours is the kingdom, the power, and the authority forever and ever. Amen.”

(The last line of the Lord’s Prayer…)

Temperature

2008-05-04T14:36:00.001-07:00

Well things are definitely heating up around here! Just yesterday the forecast for the Maradi region was projected to have a high of 107F. Hot season is starting to kick in, and I’m anticipating it will get even hotter over the next two months or so.

Sweat has become a very familiar feeling, even when I’m doing absolutely zero physical activity. I think that sweat stains (in the perfect outline of my back and head) are on just about every cushion in the house!

The other night the power went out so we had no fans or air coolers to keep us cool inside, so I decided to wander outside and check the temp. Bringing my trusty headlamp, I checked and it was 93F…at 9:40pm! That’s pretty cool if you ask me…

Yeah, it's pretty hot...

In the "fadama" outside of town

Favorite Hausa Phrase of the Day:

“Arha ba ta ado.”

“Cheap(ness) does not adorn/decorate.”

(That’s the best I could do for a literal translation. It seems pretty similar to our proverb: “You get what you pay for.”)

Polio Clinic

2008-04-20T12:58:00.000-07:00

I’ve had the opportunity to go out “bush” (to the more rural villages and camps) a few times on immunization clinics with some of the local staff here at CSL Danja. About two or three weeks ago they had a country-wide “polio immunization clinic” as part of the government’s health plan.

We went to Danja village as well as one other village, going door-to-door giving polio immunizations and vitamin A to the children. It was a cool experience because I was able to see people throughout these villages, and it was also fun to work with other Nigerien guys my age. One guy gave the polio drops, one the vitamin A, and another one recorded. I was the vitamin A guy…

Say "Ahh"

There were 17 people in the truck...17!

This truck...

Daniel and Issufu

Polio vaccine is for children under the age of 5. They explained to me if a child could touch his ear over his head like this, then he was too old. Cool, huh?

No pressure...

They wanted me to play this drum, and I did...and the people danced!

Fulani woman and her baby

Favorite Hausa Phrase of the Day:

"Sannu sannu, ba ta hana zuwa..." (Hausa Proverb)

"Slowly slowly, doesn't prevent it's coming..."
(Basically it means that it's okay if things take time...it's good to take things slow and steady.)

Lake Madarounfa

2008-04-10T13:25:00.000-07:00

Recently a bunch of friends and I went to Lake Madarounfa, which is about 30-40 km from where I live. Ben Stam is another short termer from Niamey who joined us, along with Laura, Helen, Felicity, and the Hazell family and Aaron.

We had a ton of fun playing soccer, drinking tea, and relaxing in the shade. We couldn't go swimming though because the lake probably has belharzia in it, which is a bad disease...so definitely not worth the risk.

Anyway, it was a great getaway on the weekend, hope you enjoy the pictures...

Short term boys chilling in the shade.

Aaron the tree-hugger...

This is a huge baobab tree along the way...

Pure enjoyment...

Beep beep...

Tuareg tea in true Niger style...

Life is so boring in Niger...

Lake Madarounfa

Favorite Hausa Phrase of the Day:

"Kana jin Hausa kamar jakin Kano!"

You hear Hausa like a donkey from Kano!
(this is a good thing...it means you understand Hausa very well)

Food!

2008-04-07T14:27:00.000-07:00

So here is some of the local food from Niger. Doesn't it look yummy?

Mmm...intestines anyone?

Judging by the tail, I'd say it's a sheep!

This is "fura" which is made up of a ground millet paste mixed with water. Add sugar and ice for added goodness...

Tuwo...mashed millet or corn paste with an okra and spice sauce...

"Mia"...onion/pepper sauce which is good on rice or to dip bread in

Beans ("Wake")

Millet...

Favorite Hausa Phrase of the Day:

Ina da farin ciki.
"I am happy."
(or literally translated..."I am with a white stomach.")

Cool, huh?

Sonitan Church

2008-03-21T09:59:00.000-07:00

I realized I haven’t really talked about the church I go to here in Maradi. I do go to church in case any of you were getting worried!

The name of my church is EERN Sonitan. EERN stands for Eglise Evangelique au Republique du Niger (Evangelical Church of Niger Republic), and there are actually quite a few EERN churches in Maradi and throughout Niger. It is the largest denomination in the country.

So the entire service is in Hausa. I don’t really speak Hausa, which makes things a bit difficult. And the service is like 2 and a half hours long. So I do my best to pick out words I know, but I also usually bring another book along or read the Bible during the sermon.

Half of the service or more is singing, which is kind of cool. Hausa people are so enthusiastic about music and dancing! The choir enters singing and dancing, and they sing a few songs. Then about 3 different groups of children get up in front and sing. Then the women sing a few songs. Then the choir sings again. I think you get the picture.

Then every Sunday night at 5pm we have a service for missionaries and other expatriates in Maradi. It is at the SIM compound where I live, and that is usually a good time of getting together and hearing the word, singing together, and even eating food sometimes. It really is nice to meet together as a missionary community, but I also don’t want to get caught up in the “missionary bubble” and disconnect myself from building relationships with Nigeriens. I guess it’s best to live in both worlds…

Men on one side...women on the other.

Cute kids singing a song

There are several offerings throughout the service. Everyone dances up to the front, puts in their money, and then dances to their seat. Lots of energy!

Some ladies watching their children outside during the service

Wedding

2008-03-21T09:49:00.000-07:00

Last weekend there was a wedding at our church! There is a Swiss lady who ended up marrying a Nigerien pastor, and they had their wedding at Sonitan. So Friday night there was a big musical concert (music and dancing is SUCH a big thing here among the Hausa) and a whole heap of choirs from other churches and groups came to perform in honor of the wedding. Aaron and I met up with our friends Soulaye, Ilya, and Louise at the concert, then went to the “afterparty” (No joke). Tons of dancing there; everyone is so joyful and it is such a close-knit community. I think we often miss out on close community like that in the States…and we are often too busy or structured to really CELEBRATE.

The wedding was actually fun. It was only about two and a half hours long (I was expecting it to be WAY longer) and of course there was a lot of singing. And a very unexpected thing was that the couple actually kissed! Quite a shocker if you ask me, because that is very atypical of an African wedding. In Ethiopia (where I grew up), the groom and bride are always very stern and solemn throughout the ceremony to signify their disappointment in leaving their parents and family. I think this was the exception because it was a cross-cultural wedding.

Anyways, here are some pictures:

Singing and Dancing

The happy couple...

Aaron in the crowd

With some friends...

Bike Riding

2008-03-15T14:14:00.000-07:00

Aaron and I each have the same bike which we are able to use from the agriculture project that SIM is involved with here in Maradi. They’re from Australia: AG 200cc dirt bikes and they are amazing!

Aaron and I getting ready to go!

So we try to go out every week riding in the “bush” behind the SIM compound. The area is called the “fadama” which is a fertile area around the riverbed that floods during rainy season. Right now it’s dry season, so the riverbed is dried out and we can go riding through the sand, and over some incredible landscape.

Passing through villages is so fun because everyone waves and smiles as we pass by. It’s like we’re celebrities…white skin, dirt bike, I guess we stick out pretty easily. I can’t fully describe how exhilarating it is to speed down dirt paths and look out over the land. I wish everyone of you could get a chance to do this. It’s like something is being triggered deep within me…the freedom, adventure, and uniqueness of this place is phenomenal.

This part of the river still has water, so people were making mud bricks for their houses.

Heavy traffic! Nothing like LA though...

A view of the riverbed from the bike...

Wide open spaces...in the riverbed
(The next week I actually ran out of gas in the sand, so we had to take one of the bikes back into town to get some fuel in a bottle. Adventurous...yes...but not an experience I'd like to repeat any time soon)

Pharmacy

2008-03-09T14:37:00.000-07:00

Week 2 working at the hospital. I’ve been in pharmacy with Laura, another short-termer from Australia. We’re having a good time and learning a lot in the process. Having limited Hausa and only a little French, it’s a little difficult to communicate with local staff. But they are very friendly and I’m doing my best to be cheerful and joke around with them as much as possible.

So we’re doing inventory on the whole pharmacy, and figuring out a good system for documenting what comes in and goes out. We’ve also been working on seeing if what we are charging for meds and procedures is appropriate. Treatment is not entirely free, but it is quite cheap, and the demand for good healthcare is very high.

For the first month or so at the hospital, I will be circulating through the different departments to get a taste of what goes on here. The Lord really worked it out because it’ll be such good experience, and I’ll be able to have a variety of things to do. After this “internship” I’ll be able to select an area that I’d like to focus in on for my work. How exciting!

Sorry this one's a little blurry. Esther, Ma'illu, and another lady I work with at the pharmacy.

Laura and I have been cracking away counting medicine. Laura is another short-termer from Australia, and she is also a nurse. Here we were counting suppositories...if you know what they are then you would know that they're not fun...

This is outside on the hospital compound. It's kind of like a "waiting room." People just chill here all day, bring food, and wait to see the doctor or visit family members.

Cooking

2008-03-04T11:36:00.000-08:00

Oh, the life of a single guy…in West Africa!

So we have this cookbook for Niger, which was made by the Peace Corps. It’s actually really great and I’ve decided that I want to start cooking more. So we decided not to hire a lady to cook for us (trust me, it would be completely culturally appropriate to do so). I figure I can really learn how to cook for myself more, and especially using recipes from scratch (you know, character-building, “I’m a real man” type of cooking for a change). By the way, “scratch” means no boxes or microwaves, simply starting with the basic ingredients.

I decided to make “no-bake cookies.” Easy, right? My mom used to make really good ones when I was growing up, so I thought I’d “give it a burl” (that’s Aussie lingo I’ve picked up from the other missionaries). Simple, throw some stuff together, heat it up, let it set, and voila…delicious cookies for the entire week!

I doubled the recipe and unknowingly “octupled” the milk portion of the recipe. So instead of putting ½ cup of milk, I put 2 cups! Yeah, 4 times the correct amount. Not so good.

Needless to say, the cookies didn’t set. Should’ve called them “Chocolate Oatmeal how-can-you-blow-it-on-a-recipe-that-has-‘no bake’-in-the-title Cookies”!

End of story. It wasn’t a complete waste because we still enjoyed the clumps of batter for the next week or so…

PS – Crazy thing I learned in Hausa class…the Hausa word for cannibal. You won’t believe it. The word is “yumyum”…like my cookies!

Around Town

2008-02-23T11:37:00.000-08:00

Just outside of the church compound (Sonitan)

One of the bigger mosques in town

They were having some celebration for the Maradi chief, so the streets were so crowded!

Exiting Maradi, going towards Danja

On the road to Danja...

A good grocery store in town for doing shopping

Eggs anyone?

The entrance to the Babar Kasuwa (Big Market). This is the main market in town (in case that was unclear...)

Chilling on the side of the road...

Definitely one of my favorites...

More Hausa Study

2008-02-16T12:59:00.000-08:00

Feb. 13, 2008

Maradi, Niger

Wednesday, 1:49 pm

Week 2 of language school is almost halfway done! It’s been fun, and I’m really learning a lot. Of course there is always more to learn.

This past week we’ve received some new students! Two girls from Australia and another one from England have just arrived and will be working at Danja as well! They’re really fun, and our language class has now doubled in size. Praise the Lord!

It’s really cool to see how the missionary community out here is kind of in transition and has changed (for the better, I think). Since Danja is pretty isolated, there haven’t really been too many younger singles until now. Now there are about six of us shared between Maradi and Danja. Way cool!

Hausa class is so much fun! (but it hurts the brain...)

Our classroom...

Hausa Study

2008-02-13T05:38:00.000-08:00

Feb. 5, 2008

Tuesday, 1:05pm

Maradi, Niger

Day 2 of language study. We just had a 3-hr morning session and are meeting back up around 3pm to review and practice speaking more.

A long-time missionary named Mark Larson has come out to Maradi and will be teaching the Kraus family (a new short-term family who will be working in Galmi at the hospital) and I for the next two weeks. It’s great that we get to have him, and then he will try to hook us up with a local teacher to continue our study.

Hausa is different from English in many ways. The big ones I can think of are these: sounds, tones, and pronouns.

There are a few different sounds than we have in English. These are called “hooked” or “implosive” consonants, which kind of involve sucking in air as you say the sound. So they have “k” and hooked “k”, and the same with “d” and “b”. You could say the same word with a hook, and it could mean something totally different. They also have a “ts” sound, which I guess is also implosive, but is some combination of saying “t” and “s” at the same time.

Also, there are three basic tones: high, low, and falling. Same as above, if you say the wrong tone, but the same sounds, the word could mean something totally different. For example “ciki” (all high tone) means “inside”, while “ciki” (with a low tone on the last ‘i’) means “stomach”. And the thing is, there’s not really a rule on tone, so you just kind of need to memorize how words are said.

Pronouns carry most of the meaning in a sentence. If I said (in Hausa), “Becky went to school,” it would make no sense to a Hausa speaker. I would have to say, “Becky, she went to school.” Then that would make perfect sense. The verb “to go” stays the same, but the tense is attached to the pronoun. So “she,” depending on what was added to that root word, would tell me if it was past, present, future, or whatever. Pretty cool.

I would appreciate your continued prayer as I try to learn this new language. There is a lot to learn, so pray that I would use my time wisely and really absorb as much as I can. My supervisor at Danja Hospital said I could spend the first month or so focusing on language, so I am thankful for his flexibility. Thank you!

Ayouba (my language helper) and I hard at work!

2008-02-05T05:51:00.000-08:00

Feb. 1, 2008

Maradi, Niger

10:31 pm

I’ve been in Maradi since Monday, and I’m really enjoying it. The first few days were spend cleaning up the house and unpacking, organizing, etc. (Can you believe it? My room is actually organized…) We even went shopping in town and got enough food to last for a month! Of course, all we’d be eating would be oatmeal, millet, and bread, but it would work, right?

Aaron is a great guy to live with. It really worked out that we could live together and encourage each other while we’re here. I’m looking forward to this year. He grew up in Nigeria and already knows quite a bit of Hausa, so I can tag along with him when we’re in town or shopping.

Oh yeah, and I have my own room! I don’t think I’ve had a whole room to myself in the past 5 years or so! It’s quite nice.

The thing here is that it is harmatan season. It is very windy, which kicks up a bunch of dust all over the wahzoo! So every day there is a new fine coat of dust on everything in the house. Good thing I don’t have allergies too bad, or else I’d be dead by next week. (not really, don’t worry Mom…)

So here are some pictures of the house I’m living in. It’s pretty basic, but it’s great.

At the dining room table

My bedroom!

My bed!

Kitchen...yes, I should know how to cook right?

Living room / Guest bedroom :)

Toilet...don't worry, that stain was already there...

Shower of showers!

This is our "potential garden." I think it's pretty self-explanatory.

Our front entrance...

Operation: C-Section

2008-02-03T05:42:00.000-08:00

Okay, before you read this, please know that the pictures in this entry are a bit graphic. If you have problems with them, please don't look at them.

Jan. 27, 2008

Galmi, Niger

Sunday, 12:15am

(I guess that’s technically Monday now, isn’t it?)

Tonight I saw my first Caesarian section ever! In fact, it was my first real surgery in the OR that I’ve observed. Anywhere.

About 9:30pm tonight the French doctor here at Galmi called and said he was going to do a C-section and Matthias (another short termer I’ve been staying with) and I could come watch! So we walked over to the hospital, changed into scrubs, and were ready for action.

Yes, I'm a dork.

The girl was only about 15 years old, and fully awake! They gave her a spinal block (anesthetic), covered her up, and the doctor started cutting. He just sliced right through all these layers of skin and tissue like they were nothing! It was nuts! And it didn’t even bleed that much. Finally he got to the uterus (as I’m typing this I’m realizing I probably shouldn’t go into too much detail here) and cut it right open. He stuck his hand right in and all this fluid started pouring out! Suddenly there was a baby’s head, it was crying, and then it was completely out, just like that. Snip, snip, the cord was gone, the baby was gone, and I was left staring at this gaping hole in a 15-year-old girl! Unbe-stinking-lievable!

The doctor showed us these white things which I think were the ovaries, and then he stitched her up. Layer after layer until she was good to go. They cleaned up, pulled down the sheet, and wheeled her out. Done. Finished. Like it was no big deal!

The head is coming out...

Halfway!

Flung from the womb!

Oh yeah, and after Matthias and I got back to our place we were kind of hungry. He had this truffley, jello/custard thing he had made for dessert that went all wrong. Turns out it looked just like the inside of a 15-year-old girl…and we ate it!

This is the trifle...compare with above pictures...

Yummy in my tummy...

(Matthias and I)

2008-02-02T04:55:00.000-08:00

Jan. 26, 2008

Galmi, Niger

Saturday, 10:39 pm

I just arrived today by bus in Galmi, where SIM has a hospital, airstrip, and about 10-15 workers. It was a good 7 hour ride and I was the only white person on the entire bus! But it was way better than I expected. About halfway through the ride a guy pulled a bunch of little baggies of yoghurt out of a cooler, and started passing them out. I was totally not expecting snacks by the “bus-ride attendant,” but I tried them and they were pretty darn good.

So finally I reached Galmi, hopped off on the side of the road, and they had my backpack waiting for me with this one Nigerien guy. I said in French, “That’s not all!” because aside from my backpack I had a little wooden stool that I had bought in Tera that was still in the bus with the other luggage. The bus guy just kind of pointed at the other guy and then hopped back in the bus. Next thing I knew, the bus was hauling away with my stool, while I was just standing on the side of the road, dazed and confused.

There wasn’t anything to do really, and it turns out that my baggage attendant doesn’t speak French or English, and I sure as heck don’t speak any Hausa! So I just followed him along as he carried my backpack down the road. I didn’t really have a lot of options at this point, and I was still a little sorrowful over my poor stool that was probably 10 miles down the road by now. Thankfully he knew where to go, and I was safely at the SIM compound!

It was quite an experience, and helped me to understand even more how important it is to know the language!

Clinic

2008-01-31T03:14:00.001-08:00

Jan. 17, 2008

Niamey / Kollo, Niger

Hosanna Medical Team – Day 2

9:47 pm

Today we went to the town of Kollo, which is about a 45 minute drive from Niamey. We had our first day of medical clinics and it was pretty darn great. I stuck with our pediatrician, named John, for the whole day. I assisted him as he explained to me what he was doing and thinking during each exam. It was really fun and I learned a lot.

The way it worked was this: the day before we arrived for the clinic, 200 tickets were given to the chief to distribute throughout the village. Those who received a ticket were allowed to be treated, and when we finished seeing those patients, we were done for the day. This is a good idea because we really can’t see everyone. Once people start making exceptions, it gets crazy and people can start fights and stuff. By the end of the day though, we did finish the two hundred and then redistributed some of the tickets so that we could help more people. It’s kind of tricky but I think the system worked pretty well. We also had guards who did crowd control.

Man, I saw some really cute kids today. To be able to give them some basic meds, even chewable vitamin C was something! So many of the children we saw had pale gums, indicating an iron deficiency. This makes perfect sense because it is often rare that someone in these villages would have meat or dark green, leafy vegetables which provide a good source of iron.

Also, they were very happy to receive medicine, which is so encouraging! People were thankful and we knew we were helping them. We also carried out several blood tests in which we checked for malaria. We found two positive cases, and were able to give them malaria treatments.

All in all a good day, and quite tiring. We’ll go back to Kollo tomorrow for Round 2. Should be good!

The chief of N'dounga, one of the towns we went to.

These ladies cooked the whole morning so we could have some food for lunch. This is traditional...all the cooking is done outside, just like this.

Striking!

Two sets of twins! Can you believe it?

This baby was super-malnourished and sick. The doctors gave him two IOs (inter-osseous) where they stick a needle into the patient's tibia and put fluids straight into the bone marrow. The baby didn't even cry...
Finally they found a vein and were pushing fluids through him. He was looking much better.

All in all it was a great week!
(These pictures are from throughout the week, not just the first day...)

Pictures from the week...

2008-01-31T02:49:00.001-08:00

Here are some pictures from the nine days I had with the medical team from Oklahoma.

The four doctors from Enid, Oklahoma

Posing before one of our clinics...

Zachary (on my immediate right) and some other guys who are a part of this ministry.

This little boy was so happy and not afraid of all the white people!

Sorting pills with a bunch of cute girls!

Joining the Team

2008-01-20T08:57:00.000-08:00

Jan. 16, 2008

Niamey, Niger

10:12 pm

Today I met the team. The medical team, that is. Within the last week or so it has worked out for me to join this short term medical team from Oklahoma that just arrived yesterday. We will be going to several towns near Niamey to hold day clinics, pass out meds, and treat patients. On the team there are four doctors (ER, OB/GYN, Pediatrician, Family Practice) and two nurses, along with some others to help out. There is also a well-drilling branch of the team, but I’ll be working with the medical side.

So today I spent many hours taking pills from bottles, then putting them into plastic bags. This was after I labeled the plastic bags. Yep. Pretty exciting. Then I took some different pills and put them into other bags that I’d labeled with my Sharpie pen.

Of course I got to talk with other people from the team and get to know them a bit. I heard doctors’ stories which were pretty cool, and got more of an insider’s view into the medical field. Oh yeah, and we ate some great food! Tuna sandwiches for lunch, and for dinner we had spaghetti which nearly brought me to tears it was so good!

Anyways, time to go.

Crowning of a Chief

2008-01-20T08:02:00.000-08:00

Jan. 13, 2008

Sunday, 3:44pm

Tera, Niger

Today I witnessed what no one has witnessed for 23 years and 7 months! The new Songhai chief in Tera had his coronation ceremony today, and we were invited.

We knew it would be a long ceremony, and it was supposed to start around 9:00am. So we got there around 10am or so, and it was a good thing! The chief arrived just as we were getting there, and there were seriously thousands of people gathered for this event! We were allowed inside the stadium (football field where the ceremony was held) and given seats near the front.

It turns out that many important government and regional officials were also coming for the coronation. As we waited, many of these “big men” arrived in Land Cruisers driven onto the stadium, with personal bodyguards and the whole lot. In fact, the prime minister himself (2^nd in command in all of Niger) came in a convoy and I was able to get a few pictures of him.

I think the fact that I am white and that I was holding a camera granted me certain privileges. I stood up and walked towards the action, and several men nodded me onward to take pictures. I went right up to the prime minister and took his picture, nodded in thanks, and was returned with a slight nod from the 2^nd most powerful man in all of Niger!

Although I did not come fully prepared for the three and a half hours of heat and commotion (no hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, or food), I did bring some water and a book to keep me occupied. All in all it was a great day and I got some pretty cool shots of the people, culture, and ceremony. Life truly is an adventure out here, and you never know what each day is going to bring!

This is the new Songhai chief. Serious guy.

These are the drummers and musicians. Those drums are made out of huge gourds.

This man is the prime minister of Niger. He's 2nd in command over the whole country! It was cool to see him up close.

These are the Muslim malams (leaders) who said a prayer and were in the middle of the whole stadium.

These boys love their camels! And it's a good thing they've got sunglasses too, eh?

This horse had some serious decorations. Must've been hot.

We got to sit right next to the prime minister's tent, and even made it on Niger's national TV station!

This guy is a Fulani chief and he danced while these other guys played drums for him.

A Town Called Tera

2008-01-20T07:34:00.000-08:00

Jan. 11, 2008

Friday, 2:07 pm

Tera, Niger – DeValve House

Yesterday we drove three hours up to Tera, where my new friends the DeValves, who are SIM missionaries, live. The drive was not bad, only 3 hours or so, and we were able to cross the Niger River on a ferry. I got some decent pictures.

So the DeValves (John, Nancy, Suzanne, and Daniel who is in college) are the only SIM missionaries up here in Tera. In fact, they’ve been the only missionaries at all here since the Southern Baptists left a few years ago. Just recently they’ve decided to move back to Niamey to live, so they can be closer to their daughter Suzanne who goes to Sahel Academy. It’s kind of a hard move for them since they’ve been here for about 16 years, but they feel it is where the Lord wants them.

All that to say I was invited to join them and help them pack up their place this weekend. I’m really glad I’ve been able to come since I’ll be sticking around the Niamey area anyways for the next few weeks before heading out to Maradi. In this part of the country (which is northwest of Niamey), they speak primarily Songhai and some French. It’s amazing to think of all the different languages just in Niger. At conference, each area gave ministry reports on praise and prayer points from this past year. It was cool because now I am so much more informed about the country, and especially how there are many different people groups. Even within the Fulani tribe, for example, there are many different dialects (West Fulfulde, East Fulfulde, Chadian, etc).

The DeValves are very generous and I’ve enjoyed being here with them. I’ve been helping pack up books, move boxes, and do other odd jobs as needed. This is way better than just sitting around at the CBN guest house in Niamey! Life is slower out here in Niger, that’s for sure. In the early afternoon, they usually even have a “siesta” rest period. When it gets really hot later on in the year, no one can work outside in the blazing heat of the day, so most people just rest inside (the heat can be so draining)!

Another thing I’ve been learning or realizing since I’ve been here is flexibility! Let me say that again: flexibility! It’s not like you can really wait to be served or expect other people to do things for you. I’m realizing more and more that I need to be very proactive in getting things done, asking questions, and helping out. There’s no real room for complaining, especially since everyone is in the same situation as I am. The things that we care about in the States aren’t so important over here. I can talk about this more later, because there is a lot that can be said. That’s it for now.

Luke

Waiting for the ferry across the Niger River...what a contrast!

The Ferry

At the dam in Tera...sitting on the dam wall...

Taking down poles at the DeValves

Loading up the truck...

Conference

2008-01-16T00:09:00.001-08:00

Jan. 9, 2008

Niamey, Niger – 11:50pm

Last Day of Conference

Conference is over. Man, it was really good. One thing I’ve really appreciated is the SIM community. It really is like a family, and it’s cool to see people from so many nationalities! I mean, in Danja I’ll be working with these people, for example:

Tony – from DR Congo

Bunmi and Loveth Oluloto – from Nigeria

Jason and Leng Hazell – from Australia and Philippines

June Leech and Felicity – from United Kingdom

Helen Nixon and Laura – from Australia

In Maradi:

Peter and Sally Cunningham – from Australia

Chris and Freuke Nicholson – from New Zealand

Gail Klippenstein – from Canada

Aaron Thacher – from USA

That is seriously a multicultural team, and I am so glad to be a part of it. It’s kind of like a piece of heaven, in that people from all over the world come together to praise the same God and serve him!

Lunch with some guys from the Green Valley Church team. They were great!

Pictures on the Niger River!

The Kennedy Bridge, which crosses the Niger River.

Pastor Ken Burkey and I. He's a good man.

Arrival at the guest house!

Jet Lagged

2008-01-06T13:48:00.001-08:00

Jan. 5, 2008

Niamey, Niger

4:51am

I woke up at 1:17am. In the morning. After going to bed around 11:00pm. Wowser.

So yes, I am fully jet-lagged. After a good long sleep yesterday I was hoping to sleep through the night tonight. That obviously didn’t happen. But c’est la vie and I’ll adjust eventually. I’ve been up pretty much since then, lying in bed. It’s almost 5:00am now.

Thanks to technology I was able to watch “The Bourne Supremacy” on my new Ipod. Way cool, I am so glad I have that thing. It’s kind of like my jet lag medicine. In the early hours of the morning when I was in Morocco, I watched “The Bourne Identity” so this was the logical continuation. Jason Bourne won again, in case you were wondering.

You definitely have some time to think when you’re the only person awake in the pitch black of night. Music is very soothing and helps to pass the time. I guess boredom makes me pray more than I normally do. I’m just being honest, but why not talk to God when you have nothing else to do? I think it’s good, and I can talk to God about whatever I want during these slow hours of being alone. I just wish I didn’t need to be completely bored to actually spend time with my Maker. Maybe that’s what I’ll pray about.

Colorado or Bust...

2007-12-20T14:55:00.000-08:00

So tomorrow I'm driving with my parents all the way to Colorado Springs, CO for Christmas. It's gonna be great to see everyone from Mom's side of the family before I leave. It's crazy how time flies so quickly! I'll be in CO for a week, then back to CA for two days. Then I leave.

That's it for now. I should write in a week or so before I leave.

Traveling

2007-12-13T16:46:00.000-08:00

Well, this is just about all I'll be taking with me on the trip. I'm not completely packed, but this is mostly it. Two 70-lb boxes and a carry on, plus my laptop computer.

It has worked out really well though as far as travel is concerned. I leave Jan. 1 at 7:00am from LAX to New York. Once I'm there I will meet up with another SIM missionary family who is returning from furlough in the States. I will be with them the rest of the trip through to Niamey.

It was really exciting to talk to them on the phone. It helps me to realize more and more how close and real this thing really is! I will be in Niger in less than 4 weeks! Please continue to pray for me as I prepare and say goodbye. Thanks!

My Room

2007-12-12T12:48:00.000-08:00

This is my room after a significant amount of cleaning and organizing. I'm serious.
Packing and organizing isn't really my favorite thing, but it needs to be done. I'm leaving for CO in 10 days, then I'll be back for two days before I leave for Niger! Whoa!

I have a website!

2007-10-26T11:37:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I just created this website! I am going to try to use it to post updates, pictures, and anything else. If you are interested in being added to my email list or know someone who would be, please shoot me an email at ethiardill@gmail.com.