Niamey

Tomorrow, we leave the capitol city of Niamey for Galmi. Although we were here mostly to do some shopping and errands, this past week has definitely not been void of adventure! ;)

These are some of the highlights of my time in Niamey...

All of us at an outdoor restaurant on Friday night.

The food was DELICIOUS! Chicken, beef kabobs (they have a Nigerian name that I can't remember), french fries, a coleslaw-like salad, and spices!

While we were outside waiting for our food, we got caught in the middle of a giant downpour! Dripping wet, hungry, and crowded under a tiny awning...what better time for a group selfie?! ;P

 The week has been full of great food! A very sweet family friend of the Zoolkoski's invited us over for a traditional Somalian meal in true style with one giant plate of food in the middle for everyone to share.

This meal, too, was outstanding! Rice, fish, eggplant, sweet potato, onion, okra and other things!

We had the amazing opportunity to visit a French/Tamasheq church service. It was an experience that I can't even put into words! What an incredible blessing to be able to worship with these believers. Different language, different culture, different race, same God, same Father, same faith.

This is a picture of both hymnals (one in French, one in Tamasheq). Hearing the congregation sing and praise the Lord was awe-inspiring! They worshipped with so much passion! A few of the songs sounded familiar, including tunes to "Majesty", "There Is a Fountain" and "Kumbaya". 

One of the songs from the Tamasheq hymnal: "Psalm 23"

I took a picture of this little girl listening during the service, partly because I love seeing kids worshipping in church, but mostly because I just love her bag!!

Selfie in the back seat of the Desert Rocker!

Cows, goats and sheep are all very common to see along city roads here.

I can't say I didn't warn you that I might come back with a little African baby!!!

We did a fair amount of shopping for a variety of goods, including fabric and canned foods.

While a majority of the food has been a new experience, I have seen a few familiar brands, including Oreo's, Twix, Snickers, (all pictured) Nutella and Skippy!

Yes, I'm drinking water out of a plastic bag, which is actually really a thing here! They sell these little half-liter baggies of pure water all over!

Maddie, Joel and I often enjoyed playing Bananagrams on our down-time. It took me almost all week, but I FINALLY won a game tonight (barely, but it still counts)!! This is the winning set! ;)

 This is the Niger River. One of my favorite movies, "Sahara", was filmed on this same river, just in a different place. Pictures don't do this view justice!!

A panoramic view compound courtyard where we've been staying.

I sure had a great week in this city, but I'm so excited to head out to Galmi tomorrow!

We've been blessed to have a good internet connection here in Niamey, but that most likely won't be the case in Galmi. I will do my best to keep up with email/blog, but it may be a bit patchy.

A big thanks to everyone who has messaged/emailed me in the last few days! It's been so great hearing from you! God has already blessed and taught me so much this last week, and I can't wait to see what else He has waiting in store for me!

God bless!

Lessons in Languages and Luthiering

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."  ~James 1:2-5

One of the biggest prayer requests I had before I left was that God would use this opportunity to teach me, and He certainly answered that prayer in the last few days, though not really in the ways I had anticipated. Looking back now, I find this somewhat comical and foolish, but I expected that the lessons I would learn here to be so much different and more exciting than the ones I was learning back home. As it turns out, God is still teaching me the same things He was in Klamath Falls! New country, new culture, new experiences…same lessons, same struggles, same sins.

It’s funny how our expectations work. I even had expectations about what I was hoping to learn. So I prayed for opportunities to learn, and God faithfully provided them! However, rather than praising Him and thanking Him for His answer to my prayers, I found myself disappointed. Really? This lesson? I wanted to say, Can’t I learn this when I’m at home? After all, I didn’t come all this way to learn the same stuff that I could have at home! This is what I mean about expectations…they can be quite ridiculous! So the last few days, God has been giving me the grace to accept the teaching He is offering with open hands, a thankful heart and the humility to realize that I obviously haven’t gotten these things down yet! Please continue to pray that I will be open to the Lord’s instruction and have an attitude of submissiveness and gratitude as I learn all He has for me to!

I have realized that I do not have a gift for languages.

I didn’t originally anticipate just how frustrating it would be to not be able to communicate. Yes, I knew it would be a challenge, but it is in so many more ways than I could have imagined! I can’t greet people, make conversation, ask questions about them or their life…I’m here partly to learn about this culture and the people here, and I can’t even ask someone how their day is going, let alone about their life or experiences! People smile and greet me and ask me questions, and I have no idea what they are saying to me! It makes me feel like a shy five year old.

Because of this, I’m doing my best to learn bits and pieces of both French (the official language) and Hausa (the most common spoken language). However, I’ve proved to be a very poor student! Math, biology, chemistry and other sciences typically come relatively quickly and easily to me, but languages apparently don’t click the same way in my brain. Maddie is a star French/Hausa student, greeting people and picking up phrases and words, but I’m still struggling to remember the most basic greeting, “Ca va” (“How are you?”) and “Ca va bien” (“I am doing well”) and when to use it.

It is very easy for me to get discouraged and frustrated with myself. For those of you who know me well, I am not a very patient person, especially with myself, not to mention violently independent! Since I was only a few years old, my mantra has been “I’m ’a do it all my byself!!” Not much has changed!! So this excruciatingly slow process of trying to learn how to speak in other languages while relying on others to communicate for me has attacked two of my major character flaws head-on! Two days in, and Christ is already chipping away and refining me, making me more like Himself! It is a very good reminder that all wisdom, knowledge, and intelligence comes from the Lord, not within ourselves. For His purposes, God has chosen not to gift me in this area, at least not at this point, and rather than focusing on what He has withheld, I am going to focus on what He has given in other areas, as well as thank Him for this opportunity to practice fixing my eyes on the Lord!

My second trial came this morning. After eating breakfast and going to an SIM orientation, we came back home and I decided to unpack my violin. I had packed it very tightly into its case, then packed that securely into my suitcase. So after unpacking it all, I pulled it out and heard a rattling noise. The sound post had fallen over.

I was crushed.

For those of you non-string players, this is a picture of the sound post once I pulled it out. It is super important. Like it’s name implies, it is largely responsible for the sound production of the instrument and also supports the body so that it doesn’t collapse from the pressure of the bridge and strings. At the absolute best, it is a very bad idea to play without a sound post. More realistically it is impossible. In addition, it is extremely difficult to repair a fallen sound post. It is usually done with a specialized tool by a professional luthier (stringed instrument builder or repairman).

So when I pulled out my violin to find a fallen sound post, I fell apart. I just stared at it as I sat on my bed and tried not to burst into tears. All this time, money, and effort to get this violin here, and I couldn’t use it.

There was a moment of truth as I sat there. Yes, it stinks, I thought, but what are you going to do with that? Are you going to let it discourage you and tear you apart, or are you going to trust God, who made it possible for you to get this here in the first place? So I asked God to give me faith. He had provided the violin in the first place, and would provide still. Even if it was His will for me to not play the violin here, I had a choice: accept that and find my peace, reassurance, and joy in Christ, or buck against it and make myself miserable and unhappy with God and my situation. I decided to go with the first option. God would give me strength and sustenance, with or without this little piece of wood in the right place!

However, as many of you have experienced first-hand, I have one of those sometimes good/sometimes bad qualities of extreme stubbornness and persistence. I don’t usually give up without a fight! So I went into the kitchen and grabbed some forks, borrowed a pair of tweezers from Maddie, and got busy!

This picture is in the process of getting the sound post reset.

All my supplies: the sound post, a pair of tweezers and two forks

Although not the most typical violin repair equipment, after an hour of struggling, trial and error, and praying, I got it! Thanks be to God for His grace on His people! I was so happy and grateful! And now that it’s all over, and my violin is set and playable, I have a very unique skill to put on my resume: Can replace sound post with a fork. ;)

So despite my frustrations and difficulties, God is working in my heart and shaping me into His likeness. Today, I am choosing to thank God and praise Him for His gifts, even if at first they seem to be trials. He has answered my prayer for learning opportunities, and I am thankful for those, even if they are not always fun in the moment! 

Today, I would like to challenge you to look at the inconveniences, frustrations and difficulties of your everyday life as a gift from God. Rather than letting yourself get discouraged, focus on learning whatever God has to teach you through these things. You don’t have to travel 6,000 miles to gain a new perspective!

Finally Here!

Greetings from Niger!

We made it here safely yesterday afternoon! We are staying in a guest house in Niamey (the capitol) for the next few days to do some shopping and get the Zoolkoski's truck all ready to go. We plan to head over to Galmi on Tuesday, unless we get everything done earlier than that, in which case we may leave Monday.
We have only been here for one day so far, so I haven't gotten a whole lot of exciting experiences or stories to share yet, unless you want to hear about jet lag and hot, muggy weather! But let me tell you, just being here is incredible! I am so thankful to the Lord for His provision for this journey and His grace that sustains me every step of the way! I am overwhelmingly excited to see what kind of work He has for me in Galmi, and how I can serve people and learn!
Thank you all so much for your prayers and support! I am pretty sure that I have said that in every post to date, but it is so true! I can't help but sit here and think about how none of this could have been remotely possible without those two things! Thank you so much!
I haven't had a chance to take a ton of photos yet, but here are the few that I have! With the slow internet connection here, they took several hours to upload, so enjoy them! ;)

This is all of our luggage! Maddie added it up and found that it was over 600lbs! This includes our personal belongings as well as supplies for the hospital and gifts for the team that are hard to get here. Some of the most popular things to bring from the States are cheese, chocolate, and (yay!) bacon.

Mr. Zoolkoski thought that our first picture in the Paris airport had to be in front of the Caviar House!  At this point, it had been about 20 hours since I had last slept and would be several more before I got a chance to doze off, but I was still excited, energetic, and read to go! The Lord gave me all of the strength that I needed to make it through a long day of traveling.

Nancy Zoolkoski is on the far left, then me, Joel, and Maddie on the right.

This was the first sight that welcomed me in Niger--the airport! It is somewhat small for an international airport, but was still a warm welcome after a fairly rough second flight!

Above is the view of the guest house courtyard from the patio. This is what I'm looking at right now!

We visited the SIM center in Niamey and saw many of the Zoolkoski's friends, as well as the house they had lived at during their last assignment. This week, they are having a youth impact camp, with around 150 youths attending! Many are not believers, so pray that they will be reached by the Gospel this week! 

Finally, meet the "Desert Rocker"! This is Mr. Zoolkoski's treasured Land Cruiser. He informed us that it has as many miles as if it had traveled to the moon. Mrs. Zoolkoski then said that it runs like it went through a re-entry! ;) We're praying that this baby can make it back from the moon now!

Just so everyone knows, my plan is to keep up with this blog, Facebook, and email while I am here (sorry, no Instagram!). I would absolutely love to hear from any and all of you, and will respond whenever I have a chance! Feel free to message me on Facebook or email me.

Bittersweet

I am officially on my way! I am gazing out the airplane window at the beautiful Rogue Valley, and waving goodbye to my home, my family, my friends, my church, my job, my comforts and everything familiar. Goodbyes are always hard. No matter how you slice or sugarcoat it, waving farewell to people you love isn’t easy. As I finished packing my bags, hugged my family for the last time, and whispered a few final, tearful partings, I couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by how much I am loved. I received texts and emails today from many brothers and sisters in Christ, some of whom I have never even met, encouraging me and pointing me to the Source of my only true hope, strength, and certainty. Thank you all so much!

Many people have asked me lately how I was feeling and processing everything. To be one hundred percent honest, I have no idea, or at the very least, no idea how to describe it! There are so many emotions competing in my heart right now: excitement, nervousness, anticipation, apprehensiveness, calmness, restlessness, peace, frenzy, resolve, boldness, faith, confidence, conviction. I feel like each minute, a new one takes over! However, where I am filled with doubt, God has placed faith and trust. Where I have anxieties, He has supplied confidence and peace. Where I experience hesitations, He has provided confidence and boldness. Where I am afraid, He has given courage and comfort. Any strength, any assurance, any steadfastness in me is not of me. It is of God.
Thank you all for you prayers in the past weeks. In my last post, I admitted to you that I was scared, that I have insecurities, and that I can't do this alone. Since then, God has given me a peace that can only come through faith in Him. Thank you so much for the prayers you have offered for me! They have not been in vain!!

I have immensely encouraged lately by several scripture verses that I would like share with all of you.
Genesis 28:15  "Behold, I am with you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you." I don't have any intentions of taking this verse out of context. It was written to Jacob following God's promises to him. I am by no means inferring that it is God's obligation to return me safely home to Klamath Falls. However, He is with me and will not leave me. He has promised me eternal life as His child, and He will bring me home, whether to my earthly home, or my heavenly one with Him.
Joshua 1:9  "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." Yes, this includes Africa. I find it amazing that as Christians we (myself absolutely included!) often find ourselves living in fear. The God who makes mountains move, who created the universe with a word, who raises the dead and has power over all the powers of hell is with me, wherever I go! If I believed this, and I mean truly believed this, I would never have fear, wherever I go, whatever I do. What a powerful conviction...
Matthew 28:19-20  "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." I almost started to apologize for quoting this passage. The Great Commission--at first while I was writing this, I felt it was a little cliche for a missions blog. After all, what missionary doesn't quote the Great Commission? That makes it kind of cliche, right?! Wrong. God's word is never cliche. His promises never expire no matter how many times we turn to them. God sent out his apostles, as He has sent out me. I find it so fascinating that of all the things that Jesus could have said, he finished with, "I am with you always." He didn't end it with some motivational slogan, or an exciting sell. He simply reminded them and us that He is with us. Making disciples of every nation is a big task, and it's the one Jesus gave His disciples. However, He also gave them hope and a promise. "I am with you always." Through the trials and persecutions that He knew His disciples would face, through the mocking and laughter that He knew they would have to endure, through the heresy and false teaching He knew they would have to combat while they followed His Commission, He gave them one last thing to cling to: "I am with you always."
Whatever trials, sickness, pain or sadness I may face on this trip, I know that I can withstand it, because Christ is with me, always and everywhere, and He will bring me home.

Well, enough of the sappy stuff! It's time that someone laugh for once while reading this blog! In case anyone had any doubt that I am a TOTAL blonde, here we go:

So my family and I had met my great-grandparents at Dairy Queen in Medford before heading to the airport so that I could say goodbye to them. So as we were sitting there, we were talking about all the shots and medication that I had gotten. Dad was asking about my malaria medicine, and Mom had asked about the typhoid oral vaccine that had been in the refrigerator. We were talking about it, and Dad casually asked, “So you have proof and documentation of all that and everything?” Oh. My. Goodness! Cue panic attack. When I had gotten my yellow fever vaccine back in April, they had given me a “proof of vaccination” pamphlet thing with a special stamp from the Health Department verifying that I had actually gotten the shot. This little yellow paper deal is very important, because without it, I have no proof that I actually ever had the vaccine, and the officials won’t even let me in Niger! Good thing I had taken care of that, right? Yes, except that as soon as Dad asked that simple little question, I realized that I didn’t have it. One of the three things (my passport and visa being the other two) that I needed to get into the country, and I had left it in our safe at home!! 

Needless to say, I flipped. 

Head in hands, almost in tears, I asked my mom to call Dr. Zoolkoski to see what our options were. I couldn’t even talk to him myself. How could I have forgotten something like this?! He didn’t pick up right away, so here we were, sitting in the middle of Dairy Queen, an hour-and-a-half away from this dumb little piece of imperative paper, a half hour before I’m supposed to be at the airport, going over every single possibility we can think of. Can we fax it? Maybe, but that probably won’t suffice. Could someone from Klamath get it and drive it over? No, they probably wouldn’t even get there in time for my flight. Should I just go home, get it and then drive to Seattle? Well, yes, but that’s a $200 flight wasted, not to mention the 10-hour drive plus gas. Can I take a different flight in morning? No, that wouldn’t give me enough time. 

My mom and I were looking up alternative flights when Dr. Z texted, “Will call back in one minuted. Is everything okay?” No. It wasn’t. I was going to have heart attack. 

My mom was responding when he called her back. She started to explain the situation, then handed the phone to me. I told him what had happened, all the while trying to keep my heart rate under 200, breath semi-normally, and not burst into uncontrollable tears. “So, you mean that yellow vaccination paperwork, right?” he asked once I had finished. “Yes.” “Oh ya, well we have that!”

Um….duh.

Back a couple of months ago, I had sent them all the paperwork that I needed to apply for a visa, and the vaccination record was included in that! So that little yellow piece of paper was already in Seattle with my passport, visa, and the Zoolkoskis, and I had totally forgotten that I sent it there! I’m so bright sometimes! After scaring the living daylight out of everyone, I think my family was ready to take me out back and teach me a lesson!! So thank you, Lord, for taking care of everything, even when I’m freaking out! Please continue to pray that God will keep me safe and collected, despite my presently-failing brain! :)