The Way Everlasting

I think I have started this post three times over the last few days. It is overwhelming to think about all that has happened and all that I have learned in such a short time. I hope this continues to be a persistent problem.


These are the wonderful girls I have been living with for the past week. They are headed all over Africa: 2 to South Africa, 2 to Mali, 2 to Guinea, 2 to Kenya, and 4 to Senagal!


So orientation is finally over. Over the last 8 days I have been through sessions about culture shock, African worldview, sharing my faith with a Muslim, poverty issues, development, bargaining, animism, and Chronological Bible Storying (C2C). I attended an African Assembly of God church Sunday morning, and then worshiped with a random assortment of people at English church later that night. I have had my fair share of trips to the market practicing my bargaining skills. I am apparently a “beast” at this sport…..I wonder who I got my skills from? I played volleyball and added a few shades of purple to my ankle that matches my purple toenails! I held a hedgehog (so cute and scary all at the same time) and ate a burger and fries at the American Embassy.


Jess and I had an opportunity to do an overnight stay with an African family. Our trip started in the kitchen as we stuffed our faces with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, not knowing what we would be fed over the next 24 hours. We were welcomed to our temporary home by seven children. It was amazing to see how a family lives completely outside. Our bed was under a “roof” held up by four posts, while the rest of the beds were scattered around the yard. The kitchen was under a nearby tree, and the bathroom was a few feet past that. At night, the mosquito nets came down and we all fell asleep under the stars. I was called from my sleep around 5:30 by a goat bleating in my face. I was not a fan of this particular wake up call. Then came breakfast….an interesting blend of millet, fresh goat’s milk, and water. Sadly, we had to tell her that we could not eat it because she had mixed cold water in at the very end. All water that I drink for the next 4 months has to be boiled before use. This instance was the first time I was really faced with the challenges that result from the language barrier. The mother was highly offended that we would not/could not eat the food she had so tediously prepared for her guests. We tried so hard to apologize with words she could not understand. It broke our hearts to see her change in attitude towards us for the remainder of the time we were there. I am so thankful that I will not be thrown into my village with no knowledge of the language to communicate with! This experience truly was eye opening in so many ways.

The language barrier has really challenged me more than I ever imagined. How in the world can I adequately tell someone about my Savior and His everlasting love? How can I answer their questions about Jesus with only 3 weeks of language training? My words have always been something that the Lord has used to comfort and counsel, and now I have had that stripped from me. This was a really hard thing for me to come to grips with. How sweetly my Comforter and Counselor has reminded me of His desire to be glorified in my weakness! How quickly He has taken me back to the truth of His word:

“I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do: I will not forsake them.”
Isaiah 42:16

“Whether you turn to the right of to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way: walk in it.”
Isaiah 30:21

In a sense, I am completely blind with no direction and no ability, on my own, to get where I need to go. I knew that these 4 months would have to be completely lived out in surrender and dependence on His strength and provision. It is a constant process and I need frequent reminders. I praise God for His faithfulness and patience with me.


This is a picture of the Niger river taken as we were drving across the brigde. It has rained every day for the past week, so there has been lots of flooding.



Tomorrow at 4:30 am Jess and I will get on a bus and ride for 12 hours to Tessaoua. This will be my home until December. We will start 3 weeks of Hausa language lessons on Monday. I am very excited to begin to learn Hausawith the strength the Lord provides in order to minister to my village. On that note, we finally have a village to serve in. Gidan Gorga (house of Gorga) is a village about 15 minutes outside of the city. Our supervisors, Brittany and Rachel, have spoken to the chief a few times specifically telling him that there are two girls that would like to live in the village to teach them about Jesus. When they asked him if he knew who Jesus is, he simply responded, “Yes, He is the Son of God!” This is huge for a predominantly Muslim village!! Please continue to pray that my village would be receptive to the gospel. Pray for the chief’s salvation, so that he may be an oak of righteousness to his village.
We will visit the village sometime next week to meet our chief and see our hut that they have prepared for us! I know ya’ll are so excited to see pictures of this. I am told that we have a big yard, with a tree in one corner and our very own bathroom in the other corner (the hole is being dug as I write ha)!


Here are a few pictures from my orientation:



The African family and myself sitting on one of their beds…
If you look closely, you can see my bed in the top left corner.






This is Jess.....so thankful for her!



I held a hedgehog earlier this week….sorry dad, I just can’t listen when it comes to little creatures!