Niger - Day 1

OCTOBER 23, 2009 – Day 1
Looking out the window as our plane came in for a landing in Niamey at about 3:30 Friday afternoon, that’s when it really hit me. We are about to land in Africa. AFRICA! Holy cow – we just came 6,500 miles to a completely different culture and a world so very different from ours. A plume of heat wafted over us as we disembarked, and then got on to some vans to take us to the Niamey “International” Airport just a couple hundred yards away.
When we left Denver at DIA, we checked 32 bags. I know – that is tons, but we were bringing many teaching aids and gifts with us … and of course, clothing. The concern, of course, was that we would get to Niger but our bags would enjoy a vacation in the South of Mexico or something. Amazingly, ALL our bags arrived, with not one glitch through customs; truly a miracle.
We rolled out of the airport doors with a caravan of luggage and 18 people, and were joyfully greeted by a hundred or so Nigerians; children and adults from the Peniel School, pastors, missionaries, and ambassadors. Our little singing group decided this was the closest we were ever going to get to feeling like rock stars!! Ha!
Again, that overwhelming feeling hit me and I got a bit choked up looking out at those darling little cherub faces on the children, the colorfully dressed women and kind gentlemen who had been standing there for who knows how long in the heat, waiting to honor us with this tremendous welcome.
Driving to the pastor’s seminary where we are staying was a real eye-opener. People were walking all over the place (yes, in the street where people are driving too); goats and longhorn cows and some bulls – and yes, some donkeys pulling carts. People driving cars, many motorcycles, bicycles and just a general flurry of activity with nobody seemingly paying attention to the other. Makes C470 heading west at rush hour look like a cakewalk!
We were treated to a delicious meal of spaghetti, green beans, salad and bread for dinner. It really was wonderful. Tomorrow morning, we will be attending church for a men’s meeting and a women’s meeting. Our singing group will sing a couple songs at each of those meetings. Then, the rest of the day is pretty open for us to set up all the computers and the temporary clinic in preparation for next week’s activities.
I’ve posted a couple of pix, but they are pretty large, so the download time may be too much. Between now and tomorrow, we will try to figure out a way to downsize the photos so we can send lots more to the blog.
First day in Niger: God has made it very clear that He has gone before us and prepared the way. We are all safe, joyful and healthy (Colette and Shawn, who came down with strep a couple days ago are both feeling much better) and the rest of us are just looking forward to getting some sleep tonight.
God bless you. More wonders and news from Niger tomorrow.
Teri – Niger Team Blogstress