Niger fights a continual battle with the Sahara Desert, and I never thought I would see the day when people in Niger would be hoping for the rain to stay away. But, this rainy season has prompted much of West Africa to grow weary of rain. This is the wettest rainy season that Niger has seen in many decades. The Niger River is the higest and broadest it has been since records were started in 1929. So, this is probably the worst flooding that the Niger River has seen in more than a century.
The flood has hit Niamey (the capital and most populous city) the hardest. Local floodwaters and a broken dam in Mali caused the river to swell. The dike along the river failed causing the resulting flood to be quick and disasterous. In Niger, about 65 people have been killed while thousands have lost homes and gardens. The flood has further complicated an already complicated situation in the country. In recent months, refugees from Mali and Libya have been taxing food supplies that were already weak. Political instability in these two countries as well as in Nigeria have also caused problems for Niger. At the moment, the political and emotional climate in Niger seems calm but stressed. However, we would rather have a season with too much rain than a season with no rain. This amount of rain is generally good for the fields and should raise the water table for several years into the future. The flood is the topic of conversation here in Niamey, but general life for most the city has varied very little.
Pray for the people who have been displaced and for the families of flood victims. Sahel Academy, a school for missionary kids, was totally flooded, and the campus is out of comission for at least one year. They are searching for short term solutions in order to continue the current school year. In short, pray for Niger.
I want to say thanks to all of you. Last month was a particularly high month in giving. The total was more than three-times higher than my projected monthly income. This bump in giving helped me with initial expenses and with the purchase a vehicle. I was able to make these purchases without exhausting my account. At the moment, I am looking into buying grain for a small flood-relief project. I am also considering helping a Christian friend rebuild his house that was damaged by the heavy rains. I am able to consider these types of projects because I have the best supporters in missions.
For me, specifically, the past few weeks have been rather slow. I still don’t have a place to live, but I think I have some future options. I did recenlty have my first car accident in Niger- so that was exciting. No one was seriously injured, and my car was not damaged. And, I don’t think it was my fault. I have also been able to reconnect with a few missionary kids, taking them out to eat and discussing life with them. One exciting development is my friendship with Adam, a man who recently became a Christian. Pray for me as I do my best to lead him into a full relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
I promise to write a more thorough newsletter very soon.
Thanks for Everything
The preceding pictures show various images of the flood. Most of them were taken by Ray Chamberlain and placed here with his permission. The third picture was taken near Niamey and shows the dike surrounded by floodwaters. The picture of the inside of a car was taken while I was transporting a team. You can see the water from the heavy rains as well as my intent face in the rear-view mirror. The fifth picture shows an area where several homes used to stand. The bottom picutre was taken at a grain distribution. Adam is standing next to me and facing the camera. I am the white one.
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