Niger - Day 4

My kingdom for a pair of shorts and a tank top! Phewh - probably the hottest day so far. What a great day though. Colette and Maureen went to the Kamna Vocational School in the morning to teach the women how to make macaroons. One of the women pastors even suggested that making the macaroons would be a great way to raise money for their ministry.

The rest of us went to the Peniel School. Wow - what a gift this school must surely be to the community. Driving through incredible poverty and then on the other side of the wall, the school has sturdy walls, with multiple classrooms, desks, chairs, chalk boards, large meeting room and a huge playground. The children are all dressed in burgundy and black uniforms, and any time you enter a room, the whole class, in unison, says "Hello Auntie" or "Hello Uncle". They are absolutely adorable children; well behaved and full of enthusiasm to learn.

Cindy, Ann, Carol, Jana and Kaitin set up the clinic and began doing physical exams on every student there. They saw about 56 children today, so still about 150+ to go!! At one point, a little boy came in with cracked feet with sores. They soaked his feet in a tub and cleaned the wounds. Kaitlin got down on her knees and wiped his feet - the mirror picture of Christ's love for us.

The computer team took pictures all morning of each student. Later in the afternoon, they installed 10 computers and put in a wireless network. They also taught a computer class that afternoon to some pastors and missionaries.

The sports team had the kids running after frisbies and playing games in the sun. The best game was "Catch the white boy" and Cade and Cole would run as fast as they could while all the students chased after them!!

The music team taught recorder to all the students today. Lisa did a fine job showing all these little ones how to play a flute of sorts. Teaching the "blow it softly" technique, she used soap bubbles, which were a huge hit.

The evening was completed by all of us going back to a village and along with some of our pastor friends, we sang some songs, and preached a message in the dark, about the love of Jesus. Some men came forward and asked for prayer for a woman in their village who has not walked in six years. The men went to her and prayed for her. The pastor then told her that they have prayed for the Lord to heal her, and if she has the faith to believe this, she will be healed. She stood up and walked slowly at first, but then was walking around the hut several times, rejoicing and singing at her healing. God is good. Miracles still happen.

Correction from yesterday - It was Brian Decker not Brian Moe who sang Amazing Grace with the team at one of the churches, and there were nearly 1,000 people in attendance at the big concert last night, rather than 500. (I like to write, but anyone who knows me, knows math is not my thing!!)

Blessings,
Teri