Stormy and I arrived in Niger as planned on May 30th,
with all of our luggage. Stormy protested being in his carrier for the 8.5-hour
flight to Paris…apparently 5 hours is his limit. We are settling into our new
home-away-from-home, our 1-bedroom apartment in Niamey.
We live on the 2nd
story of a 4-unit complex. I have been busy unpacking, and Stormy has been
getting over jet lag and adjusting to the heat. (You’d think he would offer to
help with all these bags!) I’ll admit it has been challenging, with major power
outages during our first 48 hours. After 2 nights of sleeping with wet towels
on us, we’ve made it through the last few nights with power. And power = air
conditioning! WOOHOO!
I’ve already accomplished some major things, like cooking
eggs and rice and chicken on the stovetop (gas range)! And washing laundry (seriously, mom!). And hooking up the wifi! And I take Stormy for
walks outside our compound to get to know the neighborhood, so we’ve befriended
some of the kids on our block. At first they were afraid of him, but now they
like to greet him and pet him.
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| the friendly kids |
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| the unfriendly kids |
There is a mosque within a stone’s throw from our front gate, so I
hear the call to prayer when I’m at home and it reminds me to pray, too. I went
to the tailor last week with some fabric and expect to pick up my first outfit
today! I also walked to the market at the Stadium (le Stade) and found a shirt
that will go with my black skirt in cooler weather. On Friday night I attended
my first French film (okay, it was dubbed): SOLO,
A Star Wars Story, which of course I saw with some awesome friends at home
just before leaving. It was worth seeing it again! The cinema here is brand
new, and has both an outdoor area like a drive-in, and an indoor stadium
complete with air-conditioning.
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| Me, Gina and Crystal (fellow SIM workers) at the cinema |
On Saturday I wasn’t feeling well, so I took it easy. On
Sunday I attended a French/Hausa worship service in the morning, and an English
service at Sahel Academy at night. Everyone welcomed me warmly. The morning church
was an open-air event. Then I accompanied the church members to visit a sister
whose young husband (maybe 40) passed away unexpectedly on Friday. All of us
women sat quietly with her as the pastor talked to her—it reminded me of
sitting shiva, like Job’s friends did (before they opened their big mouths!).
The church will look into providing for her needs and supporting her 3 small
children, since her family is unwilling to support her. Please keep her in your
prayers.
I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the range of things
available at grocery stores in Niamey (last year I was in Galmi, a rural area
where “stores” don’t exist). There is cheese, and Nutella, and ground beef, and
potato chips, and I found a strawberry sorbet I can eat (I’m gluten-, corn-,
and dairy-free)! Unfortunately, after suffering another long power outage, I
had to throw away the spoiled beef and I was left with sorbet soup… but we are
surviving! I even ate falafel at a local restaurant that specializes in Lebanese
food, and I learned that the Indian restaurant is within walking distance… dangerous!
This week I will start to replace the borrowed furniture in my apartment with
my very own, and finish unpacking, and get a second air conditioner installed.
I will start language classes this Thursday!
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| walking through the market at le Stade |
Prayer Requests:
- For a good balance of introvert time, time with God, and time with people
- To quickly learn basic French phrases so I can develop friendships with neighbors
- For no more power cuts
- For physical stamina
I loved reading about your first few days. It sounds as though you have already struck a balance. My relatives in Italy do not have air conditioning. When I was there 3 years ago at the end of July the mercury hovered around 100. It was almost impossible to sleep at night. I know how important sleep is so I will definitely pray for no more power cuts!
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