The year 2025 is already fifteen percent complete. Time is like those tiny towns that dot the American landscape: blink and you’ll miss it. After I had procrastinated on a Christmas update, I thought, “That’s fine; I’ll just do one after New Year’s Day.” Well, it certainly is after New Year’s Day. About midway through last September, I traveled to…read more →
Like a kicked kickball, summer came and went. Well, the school year ended and then started again, as school years are prone to do. I took a role of substitute, covering for teachers who were traveling. During the first few weeks, I substituted for sophomore history, sophomore French, all high school English, sophomore Bible, 7th grade math, and 4th-and-5th grade…read more →
The year 2024 is upon us. The joy of the Christmas season is in the rearview mirror, and the hopes of the future are kindled. This will be my habitual devotional-like update. I have also attached a few videos from Niger. Thank you so much for your thoughts and support. I pray that the new year brings you spiritual blessings….read more →
Well, life is basically normal, now. The summer was not basically normal. Your prayers and thoughts were appreciated (and still are). At the end of July, a high-ranking general staged a successful military takeover of Niger. The process was rather short-lived, a few days. However, the ramifications are long-lasting. Many other countries in the region were not pleased. Two other…read more →
Greetings, I have successfully settled into life in Niamey. I left on April Fool’s Day; thankfully, the pilot didn’t fly us to LA instead of Charlotte. I was able to spend a few restful days in various European countries as I journeyed back to Niger. I returned to Niger at a rather odd time, when the activities of both the…read more →
Sometimes I feel like a squirrel, darting from one pecan to the next walnut, avoiding the Doberman. The next branch of life leads me back to Niger. Greetings from Oklahoma—for now. I begin the voyage to return to Niger on April 1. Mikey and I arrived in Mustang at the end of last May. These past ten months have been…read more →
Fofo! Merry Christmas! One of Niger’s national languages is Zarma. Like many languages in the world, Zarma has many multipurpose words. Fofo is one of those utilitarian words. It is not a new online acronym. It could be an abbreviated recipe for a Mediterranean fruitcake (figs, oranges, falafel, and olives), but sadly it is not. In Niger, fofo is typically…read more →
A few weeks ago, our local church held its annual mission’s convention. The church identifies potential missionaries from the ranks of its congregation, trains them, and then sends them to lesser-reached areas. The general strategy of the church organization has been to focus on children. The average age in Niger is 15, and yet most churches do not maintain a…read more →
Have you ever stared at clouds to see what you could see? Look at the above image. What can you find? Perhaps you are reminded of Santa’s beard. Perhaps you can make out a Christmas tree… somewhere. Perhaps this passing cirrocumulus army reminds you how quickly time can fly. The world has made it to the cusp of 2022. Mikey…read more →
The travel gods must have recognized the difficulty of our trip to visit Oklahoma, because our return voyage was much more pleasant. On our flight from New York to Paris, the cosmos deemed it acceptable to give Mikey and me a row of four seats each. So, thank you to whomever prayed for our trip. For many people around the…read more →
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