Thought while I wait...

Because my move to Konni has been postponed for a while and a trip to visit is not yet on the horizon, I am leaning heavily on the peace of contentedness in Christ. My call to the Fulani is as strong if not stronger than the day I arrived. I am patiently awaiting the opportunity to live among them, but until then I am awed with the power of God to provide.

While I wait, I have been given the unique opportunities to foster relationships here in the city. I have begun to visit Mariama two days a week and also the home of three Woodabe women two days a week. I am still deep into language study, meeting my teacher for three hours each morning. He has been a great encourager while at the same time challenging me with very difficult lessons. I am grateful for this time and pray that God would use this to strengthen me in ways that I do not yet understand.

I am growing in God's word, reading through the destruction of Jerusalem in Jeremiah and Lamentations. I am repeatedly awed by the many warnings given to the people, but when the wrath of God was unleashed the people still turned and accused God for not helping them. Psalms written shortly thereafter provide different viewpoints on the destruction, showing anger, surprise and lament. I don't know exactly how God is going to use this in my life, but it has struck a cord with me and has lodged itself deep within my thinking...

Fulani man herding cattle and other thoughts...

Fulani man herding cattle
Originally uploaded by dkoepke.

I am growing in God's word, reading through the destruction of Jerusalem in Jeremiah and Lamentations. I am repeatedly awed by the many warnings given to the people, but when the wrath of God was unleashed, the people still turned and asked why. Psalms written shortly thereafter provide different viewpoints on the destruction, showing anger, surprise and lament. I don't know exactly how God is going to use this in my life, but it has struck a cord with me and has lodged itself deep within my thinking

Pounding millet

Pounding millet
Originally uploaded by dkoepke.

This is a daily activity for these girls. Millet is pounded into a powder and used to make dough, a porridge-like meal, and starch served with sauce. The stalks seen in the left center are millet when it is freshly harvested.

These girls live in a village with a missionary doctor and his family.

The Fulani are a beautiful people

Facial decoration
Originally uploaded by dkoepke.

This week a group of 12 pastors came to our "Cannan" to scout out the land.

We took them to visit two Fulani villages out around Konni, receiving a very welcoming reception. We sat under a tree on mats, talking about the problems they are facing. We asked to pray for them in Jesus' name. It was such a wonderful time to get to know them and begin relationships in these villages. I will get to go back and build a personal relationship with women like this one.

The 12 men have spied out this land and will go back to their land and report that God has given the land to His people. Each pastor takes the place of Caleb, reporting God's provision to his people. This land will praise His name.
(Numbers 13 --Holy Bible)

The Relief Team

The team
Originally uploaded by dkoepke.

Humedica, the German based humanitarian aid organization, sends doctors to hard-hit areas of natural disasters, wars and poverty. Due to the widespread media coverage of the famine here in Niger, they sent a medical team of volunteer doctors and paramedics to hold medical clinics, administer medicine and provide supplemental food for infants and food distribution for needy families in the hardest hit areas of the famine.

They were helped by a group of local African believers from Hosanna Church. I also got to go along and be an important part of the team, preparing medicine for the children and explaining to the mothers how to take each one, assisting with minor surgeries and comforting frightened children. It was a blessing to be a part of it.

L-R Hamadou, Manuel, Ali, Me, Rolf, Aisha, Boubakar, Omar, the chief of the village, and Stefan. The three guys in white shirts are from Humedica, and the rest are volunteers from Hosanna church here in Niamey.

Severe dehydration and malnutrition

Severe dehydration and malnutrition
Originally uploaded by dkoepke.

This was the first baby we saw that needed an IV for rehydration and a feeding tube for supplemental nutrition. We were all very concerned for his health and were praying for him. I also got to talk to the mother and encourage her. It must be hard seeing your baby connected to tubes and needles, but she was so thankful for their help. She thanked us everyday with a beautiful smile and light in her eyes.

Me dispensing medicine

Me dispensing medicine
Originally uploaded by dkoepke.

The doctors would write prescriptions and pass them along to me where I would fill them and explain (in my very limited Zerma) how to use them. I learned quickly how to say, "one in the morning, one in the evening, three days"

--Susubay afo, kini afo, jirbi himsa.

Better now, but still very sick

Better now, but still very sick
Originally uploaded by dkoepke.

Later in the day the baby was more responsive and alert. That was a very good sign; an encouraging point during a very difficult day. We asked the mother to bring him back the following two days so we could make sure he was improving. Even in the second day his nose was running, signs of lessened dehydration.

Here he is held by his grandmother.

Niger famine is not just news

I think by now you may have heard that the famine here in Niger is getting international media attention. Many famine relief teams are coming into the country to help those affected. We have been blessed to host one such team, Humedica, a medical relief team from Germany. They will be supplying food aid for some villages and I am so excited. Please pray for their attempts because in one village they had to leave before treating all the people because the people were pushing, fighting and hurting one another out of desperation to have a doctor see them. They said that people were even putting their babies through the windows of the building to make them get seen.

The team is trying to organize a system to ensure that everyone gets treatment and order is kept to keep everyone safe. This will be a difficult task. There are four guys, Michael, Stefan, Manuel and Rolf and they are working with Jacouba, a local pastor.

Here in the capital we are quite separated from the intense need of those in the bush. I am really glad to be heading out with the team on Tuesday, August 2 to a few villages north of Ouallam. (1.5 hrs from Niamey) They will be setting up a medical clinic with supplemental food to help malnourished children. I am glad to be able to help, the little bit that I can.