christmas day!!

Wow!! You know that feeling you get after being gone on a long trip and you walk into your house, breath a sigh of relief, and think "It feels so good to be home!" Imagine that long trip being two years in the making. Stepping off that plane in Niamey on Friday was that sigh of relief and seeing our finished home on Sunday was that feeling of finally being home. We like to call it Christmas Day!!

We had some wonderful time with parents our last week in Kentucky. Although our stomachs were in knots with the stress of packing, worrying if they'd accept our 7 suitcases and 4 carry-ons, and knowing there were many tears about to be shed, we had a wonderful time of good-byes with our parents. The flights were fair-to-middlin' as my Mimi says. Our layover in Paris is not one I wish to repeat. But stepping off the plane into 103 degree heat in Niamey was worth it all.

Since we landed at 3:30 pm Friday we have dove right into life in Africa. We did grocery shopping on Saturday in downtown Niamey, bought curtains, material for skirts (for me), purchased an air conditioner and experienced driving a stick shift. Well actually Mark had that experience as I do not know yet how to drive one. Mark describes downtown Niamey as imagining an interstate, high school hallway & zoo birthing a baby. The speed & number of cars & no concern for the car next to you, the immense amount of people, and the animals wandering around makes anyone a nervous wreck. But I was a proud wife as my husband drove a stick shift for the second time in his life through this mayhem and didn't kill it once!! Yes, you may mail him a trophy or cookie or whatever suits you!!

Speaking of mail, Mark celebrated his 28th birthday on Sunday. After our trip to Ayorou to set up house, he came back to 67 cards and letters to open! Thanks to all who contributed to making his first birthday in Africa even more special!!

The last two days have been grocery shopping and orientation. Life here gets "easier" each day. Of course we can say that while we are here in the capital with 24 hours of electricity. We may be singing a different tune after we move to Ayorou on Friday.

small victories!! week one of groceries including raisin bread & cokes!
there is definitely no walmart in sight!

suprising how hard a simple chore like shopping can become!
no one told us we'd have to read arabic!

welcome to our new home!! you're welcome to visit anytime!

our kitchen!! it's actually bigger than what we had in bowling green!

to answer all your questions about our bathroom!
yes, we have a shower and toilet ... indoors!!

our new home & new ride!! mark finally has a truck!

one last road trip

As our blog has made pretty clear, our time here at FPO has been a huge time of study and learning in the classroom. However, we have managed to get away with some friends. Every Sunday night after our time of cultural worship we go to Starbucks. Our little group of about 5 the first week became over 20 last week. This is usually followed by an intense game of Nertz (if you see me, remind me to teach you, it's awesome).

Anywho, last weekend was our last road trip. Our same Virginia Beach crew headed to our nation's capital for some sight-seeing and to catch a ballgame.


The ladies striking a pose. These girls have been incredible friends for Parker and a true blessing for our time at FPO. Parker's already working out the details to meet up for vacation somewhere someday (knowing her, she'll have an Excel document by evening).



The fellas in front of the Washington monunent. These guys have challenged me to grow in my faith and I have learned so much from them at our time at FPO. Notice James (aka the juicemaster) has a new haircut. He thought he'd fashion the ol' mohawk to scare away any would be trouble in D.C. It worked.

Parker and I in front of the White House. On our trip to D.C. we saw the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the WWII memorial, the White House, and we toured the Holocaust Museum. It was a long day of walking that ended perfectly with hot dogs at the ballpark!


Well, it's been great keeping you all posted on our life at FPO. It's hard to believe it's come to an end. We'll be seeing many of you soon. I imagine our next blog entry will be coming live from West Africa!
-mark

a life of saying goodbye

Last year as the LHBC crew led the conferences for the IMB missionaries in South Africa, Parker and I and the Burhams were responsible for the MK's (Missionary Kids) who were Middle and High School age. On the first day we were going around the room asking them random questions. They were trying their hardest to dispell all the misconceptions we had of MK's (that they were perfect, that they had the Bible memorized, etc).

I'm not sure exactly what else we talked about but I will always remember one question I asked. I asked them "what is the hardest thing about being an MK?" I expected responses about not having the comforts we have in the states. I expected answers about not having access to certain foods (like Dr. Pepper and Poptarts) or stores. Yet to a person, every single MK said without a moment of hesitation the exact same thing. One by one they said that the hardest thing about being an MK was that they were always saying goodbye.

Three weeks from being on the field and Parker and I are just beginning to understand what they meant. We spent the first part of August on our whirlwind trip around the Southeast spending time with family. A couple days with the Roper clan and we were saying goodbye. A few days with the Hill's and we were saying goodbye. A few days with the Campbells and we were saying goodbye. A couple weeks ago we said goodbye to BJ, Nathan and the Chordster. We are now only a few days away from saying goodbye to some great friends and 180 other people we've spent these past seven weeks with.

In our two weeks in Bowling Green we'll be saying goodbye to our friends and students and church body at Living Hope. We'll then say goodbye to FBC Franklin folks. Finally, we will say those toughest of goodbyes to our families. The last one being just moments before our plane departs from Nashville.

We're starting to understand that this is going to be the pattern of our life. No doubt this first round will be the hardest, we will always be saying goodbye.

However, the good news is that we have been cherishing every second we've gotten with family and friends. We don't want to waste a minute. The good news is that God, in his sovereignty, will cross many of our paths again. The good news is that we know that even with goodbyes there will come many "hello old friends."

Rich Mullins has a song entitled just that, "Hello old friends." There is a line in there that has really hit home this week: "It seems that love blooms out of season And much joy can blossom from many tears."

Parker and I feel so blessed to have such great families and friends. We know that we are being prayed for by so many. We are excited to see what happens among the Songhai people of West Africa because of your prayers.