Second Term Updates – Niger

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST: We met with our team members tonight to pray; we ask you to do the same as you meet together this Sunday. Our Regional Coordinator summarizes the problem like this:

“Last year we made some policy changes at our French Elementary School with regard to discipline.  Corporal punishment in the school system has been an accepted practice in this culture for many, many years.  However, when we found out that it was against the law according to Niger government, we informed our teachers that this would not be an acceptable practice on our campus.  It was even stated in the teacher contracts that this practice would not be tolerated.

“We recently let a teacher go who was caught hitting a student.  The teacher of course is not happy and this past week we were summoned to a meeting with the Department of Education over the case.  After the Director listened to the teacher’s side of the story and then to our side of the story his first suggestion was that we reinstate the teacher and give him a written warning.  We were totally shocked. 

“We have met with the Director of our school and the committee who oversees the running of the school and have decided that this suggestion is not acceptable to us.  There is another meeting scheduled with the Department of Education for Monday mid-day.  We are asking that you pray much with us.  We will be stating that this is not a viable option for us.  He broke the contract he signed with us, he broke Niger law and we have already replaced him.  We will be asking for another option to be considered.  Please, please pray.  We do not want to end up in another law suit and yet we do not feel that we can reinstate the teacher.

“Satan seems to be attacking from all sides.  Pray with us that our testimony as a school and as a mission will not dishonor our Lord. “

We hesitate to say more, but please know that this matter is critical to the ongoing ministry of this school here in this country.

Some of you have written and asked about Boubacar. We don’t see him and his family much anymore since he no longer works for us. However, just this past week he came to talk to Bob about his younger brother who also worked for us on occasion. This 17-year old brother had a large fast-growing cancerous growth removed from his neck this past week and is recovering at home. Bob saw him today and was amazed at how emaciated and pale he is. Please pray for the healing of this brother and that God will use this time to turn their hearts towards His Son.

The concerns we mentioned in our February Update are ongoing. We’ve heard from many of you this past month and know that you are praying. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you!

“…Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.”
Ephesians 3:20-21

During our staff meeting this week, we were challenged to remember ways in which God has not only answered prayers and blessed us in the past few months, but also ways in which He has surprised us “according to His riches in glory”. Our time together in the Word finished with one of our teachers praying Eph. 3:14-21. I have to admit that at the time I didn’t ‘let’ God’s Word challenge me. I guess He didn’t need my permission though, because the challenge to think of His surprises and His Word that was prayed in faith keep returning to me. Let me mention some of the things that God is reminding me of:

• We experienced a month of eye-opening giving to this ministry – our largest since being on the field fulltime. This followed our lowest month during which we wondered if we might need to consider coming home to make more friends. What a reminder to us of Who really owns those cattle on those thousand hills! Thank you to those Who were (and are) a part of this surprise!
• Our renter has voluntarily left on his own (after 5 months of not paying rent) without causing any property damage.
• We’re seeing obvious growth and change in the lives of some of our Christian students, as well as increased interest in some Who don’t know the Lord – yet.
• God is providing teachers for Sahel Academy. Mike will join our staff the last week in February to take over the Phys. Ed. classes so that our director (high school phys. ed.) and principal (elementary phys. ed.) can be freed from teaching those classes.
• Our necessary ‘experiment’ in online education is working better than expected. Because we don’t have an English teacher for our Senior English class, our students are taking this class online from Sevenstar Academy. It seems that they may be actually liking the experience.

We know that these answers to prayers are not only our answers, but yours as well. Once again we thank you for praying, and send along these requests:

• A new dependable renter
• Continued support surprises as our promised support is actually lower than what is needed for us to stay on the field
• Family health concerns
• Sahel Seniors in their last semester in Africa; some are looking towards life in their home countries while families are still here in Africa
• Still more teachers…pray for English, French, and Computer teachers. You can see the complete list of needs on our website at http://www.sahelacademy.com/staff. We also have needs in the administrative area.
• Support for committed staff members who want to be here but don’t have the needed resources – yet.
• Added strength as our work loads are heavier than we’ve ever known them

We ask that you pray the above verses (Eph. 4:14-21) for us. We want what is promised in God’s Word. We commit to pray the same for you.

As I read the news about the great Winter Blast that is reaching from coast to coast, I’m reminded of so many fond memories of being snowed in with loved ones. At first it seemed an inconvenience, but once we accepted the inevitable, the new memories began. Of course, I can remember the one Christmas season when my sister and I were determined to shop anyhow; we were about the only ones in the mall – and we had fun! All of those memories are part of Christmas for me, and I thank God for them.

Christmas here in Niger is very different than our memories. Instead of snow, we have sand and more sand. However, times spent with friends are still very special. Last week a group of us went camping in a wild life park where there were no fences to keep the animals in, and no fences to keep them away from us. One of the ladies with us had prayed that the Lord would delight her with his creation and let her see an elephant. We had only been in the park for about an hour when four elephants came wandering down to the waterhole where we were eating lunch. They were very close and very large! What an awesome new and very different memory!

This past Sunday, many of us around the world celebrated Jesus’ birth in programs and pageants whose content has not changed in over 2000 years. Here in Niamey, we shared from the memories of the shepherds, the first to be blessed with this wondrous news. Even though I wasn’t there, I can almost imagine their ‘thrill of hope’, and I can empathize with them as they fell to their knees before the newborn babe. Over and over down through history, these shepherds have shared this wondrous story with us. As we participated in “Carols by Candlelight” under the stars, we were blessed by a live nativity including the animals which often annoy us as they compete with our vehicles on the roads. Not this time: their bleating and darting to and fro blessed us and reminded us of how incredible it was that the LORD God who created us all left His throne and became one of us. Truly, the ‘hopes and fears of all the years’ were met in Him that night. Those who were here who do not personally know this life-changing story certainly went away with ‘memories’ that we pray will return to them over and over until they also fall to their knees before the Christ-child. On Christmas eve, we’ll share again the story of that first Christmas morn through video presentation at a local church.

Even as we are in the midst of creating new memories, Bob and I want to take this chance to once again thank you for the many ways in which you’ve blessed us this past year. We also want to wish you a very, very Merry Christmas, and pray that you will find it a time full of hope and rejoicing.

The Shepherds’ Night Before Christmas

T’was the night before Christmas and all through my sheep
Not a creature was stirring, for they were asleep.

The flock had no worries, not even a care.
They knew their good shepherd would always be there.

My children were all nestled snug in their beds
With visions of sheep jumping over their heads

Mamma and I had just settled down;
But I, the good shepherd, was watching around

When up in the sky there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.

The sky was a blaze with a heavenly glow
Giving the luster of mid-day to objects below.

Then what to my wondering eyes should appear
But a sky full of angles approaching me near.

More rapid than eagles their courses they came
One of them shouted and called out my name.

He told of a baby in Bethlehem born
The long waited Christ, clothes tattered and torn.

Then all of the angels broke out into praise.
They sang and they shouted and called out this phrase:

“Glory to God way up in the sky;
Peace on earth, and blessing are nigh.”

I heard them exclaim as they flew out of sight,
“Go see for yourself this blessing tonight.

To the village you go, to the barn by the wall.
Now dash away, dash away, dash away all.”

So off to the village, in search of the boy,
With wonder and awe and hearts full of joy.

We came to a stable right next to the town
With donkeys and cattle all standing around.

As I drew in my head and was turning around
A baby was there, not making a sound.

He was just as the angels had told us that night;
I knew in a moment that this was the site.

He was dressed all in rags from his head to his toes
He lay in the hay, his face all aglow.

His eyes-how they twinkled, his dimples how merry!
I thought to myself, “It’s my sins He’ll carry.”

He was chubby and plump, this tiny small one.
I cried when I saw him, for this was God’s Son.

And giving a nod, I knew just what to do;
We went into town telling all what we knew.

They heard us exclaim as we strode out of sight,
“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.”

Adapted by Bob Gillespie