Harmattan

Harmattan. It has arrived and left and then come back again. In every step of our day we seem to be reminded that it is here. In the mornings, the bath towels smell like dust. At school all the desks are covered with a layer of the dusty residue from the Sahara. Each day the floors must be mopped. We dust everything. Within hours, we should dust again. Fruit in a bowl on the table must be rewashed before eaten. Our noses are filled with the dust and when we wash, the water turns a bit darker due to the remains left on our body. When harmattan is in heavy, planes are not able to land or take off due to lack of visibility. It can block the sun's rays causing the temperatures to dramatic drop. Some have winter, we have harmattan.

Weekend Stuff

The weekend included:

basketball games
a FULL, FULL house
bottle cap wars
iTunes surfing
soup
taking kids home for odd reasons
stress relief product creations
new friends
cookies
Uno-lots and lots of Uno
Facebook
visiting at friends' houses
so much laughter
French toast
texting back and forth
driving
homework (for students and teachers)
koolaid
a sick child
warmer weather-much warmer
yummy (but not too yummy) grilled cheese
I love the life we live here. Never dull.

The Trick

At the beginning of the school year, I was coerced into trying a little trick. This trick was supposed to be good...real good. I should have know by the word "trick" and by muffled laughter of the two guys who talked me into the trick that it might not be so "real good"! Wanna try the trick?

Put a good amount of salt on the back of your hand.
Place an ice cube on top of the salt.
Wait.
Pride kicks in and you bear a bit of local discomfort.
Cry.
Decide your friends aren't your friends and forget about pride. Try to save the hand.
Bandage hand.
Plan sweet retaliation. (with loving kindness, of course!)

Fast forward six months-which was last weekend. A big batch of kids were over playing games, sharing music and hanging out. I looked over and saw it! On the back of one of the guy's hands was the remnants of the trick. HA! We now have matching scars!

Random Photos of Valentine's Dinner

For years I have struggled with a concept we call early death. Some days it haunts my every thought. Other days I find myself caught up with great joy until the notion hits me in a split second and the joyful moment is darkened as I consider the trauma of leaving this earth too soon. Early death seems to be one of the cruelest form of torture. The suffering is often non-existent or short lived for the one who dies, but to those who are left behind to try to put the pieces back together, it can last a lifetime.

But, is death ever really early?. Only to us, not to our Maker. Our Maker knows the number of our days, even before we were conceived. So, death will come when our days here on earth are over. Never too late and yet never too early. Even with this assurance there is still an abundance of concerns. For the one who has lost a loved one, there is the wondering of how can I continue without? Will a day ever be normal again? For the one who foresees their own early death, there is the concern of if those we love are adequately prepared, not only for a loss, but for the rest of life. These pains of “early death” can only be comforted by the One who is our Creator and the Creator of perfect timing. Perhaps in eternity we will understand, perhaps not.


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"What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14)
"Teach us to number our days” (Psalm 90:12)

Missing Girlfriends

Someone recently asked me what I missed the most while living in Africa. I quickly responded, without even needing to think, “my girlfriends!” I left behind a few incredible groups of girlfriends. Due to a very demanding job, along with various other chores (shopping, laundry, cooking, etc.) that take longer here than in the States, I have been too overwhelmed and tired to try to build those type of friendships again. Of all things I look most forward to when going back to the States, it is my girlfriends.

These words ramble around in my head when I think of my girlie girls: salads with cilantro, backrooms, chocolate, Target runs, long phone calls, lots of tears, Choxie, cross country flights, antique shopping, Ben and Jerry’s, scrapbooking together, new babies, tons of laughter, Hardee's breakfast, cleaning each other’s houses, Children’s Place sales, lime Tostitoes, white shirt/black pants uniform, Yankee candles, Las Vegas, electric toothbrushes, DDP, Croptoberfest, reuben sandwiches, long conversations, pb&j, music, sewing, trips to LaFayette, dancing on the bed, Chef’s, doctor appts, new houses, and so much more!


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But oh! the blessing it is to have a friend to whom one can speak fearlessly on any subject; with whom one's deepest as well as one's most foolish thoughts come out simply and safely. Oh, the comfort - the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person - having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words, but pouring them all right out, just as they are, chaff and grain together; certain that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then with the breath of kindness blow the rest away. ~Dinah Craik, A Life for a Life, 1859

Face to Face

As I sat in the little café in the middle of town this past week with my new friend, I was in awe of how computer technology can bring two together. We had such a great time chatting about Africa, family and so much more. What a gem of a friend I have from Switzerland…one that introduced herself to our family via the internet so long ago. And yet one that I have just now met face to face. Monika, thank you for submitting to that little nudging to contact us. And thank you for looking me up while in Jos. Love you dearly and look forward to the next time we are face to face. Yeah technology! Yeah friendship!

Pancake Breakfast

At 7 this morning, 39 eighth graders and a few teachers could be foun in the hostel preparing for the annual pancake breakfast, a popular fundraiser. This year's theme was "the 80's" The kids had a blast dressing up. I had to laugh because I was their age at the beginning of the 80s. One of the kids asked me, "Mrs. Parker, have you ever heard of these old songs?" HA! My answer was two-fold: 1) not only have I heard of them, I know all the words and 2) these songs are really not old.

After all, who doesn't still sing:
Another Bites the Dust
Smooth Operator
We Built This City
Working My Way Back to You
Walk Like An Egyptian
I Just Called to Say I Love You
Eye of the Tiger

By 11 am, hundreds of pancakes had been cooked, served, and devoured. (Just heard that a boy eating 27 pancakes had won the "who could eat the most" contest.) Money was raised and everyone had such a great time.

Whatever It Takes

Reading...what I encourage the MOST in my middle school English classes. So, to encourage (or should I say 'bribe'?) my students to read, I have a reading contest each quarter. The class that reads the most pages wins a party at my house. Along with unlimited hotdogs to roast, we have FUN (and very messy) games. The sixth grade class beat out all the 7th and 8th grade classes last quarter so they were at the house on Thursday for THE PARTY!

On the bus on the way back to school, one of the boys said,
"Listen everyone, we ALL have to read a BUNCH of books this week. We have to win again!"

Whatever it takes to get them to read!

Medicine for Two, Please

We have had to talk to a doctor twice in the last week.

Mattie has had some skin problems on her back and it didn't clear it up its own. We hope the medicine will kick in soon and relieve her discomfort.

Naomi had malaria-again. After crying in my arms at night and sleeping in my classroom's storage closet during the day, she has turned the corner and is much better.

The week was long, but we are thankful tonight for good health. So very thankful!

Please pray for
-the families of Nigerians who have lost their loved ones due to an outbreak of Lassa Fever in jos.
-the family of one of our school's security guards who unexpectedly passed away yesterday
-a friend who lost his brother (who was like a father to him) last week

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9