A Wright Christmas 2012 ~ Come walk alongside... Just be with us, for a while…

A young Muslim friend of ours was visiting one the weekend. As we conversed, she made an unforgettably convicting point:

“Most Christians I know don't know how to really evangelize. They’d rather storm the gate and fix everyone instead of taking time to walk alongside, see and try to understand the world from a different perspective…. They are always sure they have all of the answers and are afraid to consider anyone else an equal peer.”

That’s pretty serious… Ignoring, dismissing or refusing to consider even its possibility is nothing less than negligent. So we dug deep and searched...

********

Please head on over to our ministry web site, Wrights Broadcasting Truth to Niger, to read the rest of our 2012 Winter prayer letter.

Refugee Invasion

When the the dikes broke back in August and properties adjacent to the Niger River were inundated... many, many were displaced...

including this family of feral cats that had decided to call Sahel home.

The only problem is they were trapped on a small "island" of land with very little opportunity to find food, and my kids got wind of their predicament.

They moved chez nous.

Sasha (our black cat) isn't impressed. He and the mother detest each other. Usually he's a gentlemen and she's a vixen. The kids have named her Hera.

We did locate a home for the little calico.

The little white guy (with gorgeous, pale blue eyes) has been tagged Napolean.

He and Achilles (our other, indoor, kitty) play - and even though he's the bigger of the two, Achilles beats him up pretty badly. I think Achilles thinks he's the prince to Czar Sasha.

We'd really like to find homes for Hera and Napolean...

Anyone interested?

They are really sweet!

We've also had refugees of another sort...

Sahel dorm kids!

We've had several different ones staying with us at one point or another and the Wrightlings LOVE every second of it.

All of the dorm kids have been amazing guests and we are looking forward to more weekends with visitors throughout the year. 

My kids are lobbying heavily for two donut Saturdays each month - the weekends we have visitors and the last Saturday of the month.

We'll see!

Any guesses where this guy's from???

Multitude Monday - 1000 Gifts ~ Through the Flood

We're back to school today.

Not often that you get to celebrate back to school twice in one academic year.

I hope to post more pictures later this week.

I'm amazed, grateful, humbled, encouraged... yes, very tired, since Elsie Mae was also quite sick with malaria this last week.

And this is one of those rare times when I don't have words...

But these are the words of thanksgiving I'm praying to God - today for sure... and probably for many days to come.

You let men ride over our heads; 
we went through fire and water, 

but you brought us to a place of abundance. 

Psalm 66.12

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. 

When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; 

the flames will not set you ablaze. 

Isaiah 43.2

You have shown your people desperate times; 
you have given us wine that makes us stagger.
Psalm 60.3

He brought me out into a spacious place; 

he rescued me because he delighted in me. 
Psalm 18.9

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you;
he will never leave you nor forsake you.
Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
Deuteronomy 31.8

 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, 

I will fear no evil: 

for thou art with me; 

thy rod and thy staff they comfort

Psalm 23.4

Therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you while you may be found; 
surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him. 
Psalm 32.6

this week's gratitude list:

(#'s 3097 - 3122)

God's Word, speaking to every situation

His Words for when we have no words

resuming school 

"One more sleep!"

"Back to School... Take Two"

that the lightening didn't cause more damage

my brave, sweet Elsie Mae with all the IVs and medicines and painful "shots" of antibiotics... she never complained nor cried and kept her lovely sense of humor the whole time she was at the clinic

seeing my little gal running around healthy and laughing and playing and full of energy

sand covered but clad only in their panties little girls digging in the sand like puppies... anyone else remember that kids' book: The Digging-est Dog (or something like that)?

...and she can swallow pills, so that makes taking the quinimax (for malaria) so much easier! 

tricycles next to trees so they can be climbed

laughing (when we shouldn't) at goats on the roof of the corolla

planted basil... now hopefully it grows

bananas almost ripe

pineapples really growing

baby mango trees

distracted by friends during a thunderstorm - so no tears

safe arrivals

new "red" computer

fixed router

protection and wisdom

praying for protection and wisdom

a superbly fun and delightful Saturday afternoon with new friends from that "land down under" celebrating our brand new 6 year old!

watching girls try vegemite

threading meat, zucchini and onions on skewers for some super yummy brochettes marinated in something I made up and that tasted really, really yummy - too bad I'll never be able to recreate it again!

finishing a really hard read that really made me think

Photo credit: Linda Watt

Multitude Monday - 1000 Gifts ~ !! Synergy !! More than Amazing !!

Synergy.

It's an interesting word.

A bit awkward, actually.

After I typed it, I sat there and stared at it for several minutes, first convinced I'd spelled it wrong and then trying to figure out where I was wrong. I finally checked the dictionary, discovering I'd typed it correctly. Maybe that seeming awkwardness emanates from my spelling baggage?

Officially, it means "The interaction of two or more agents or forces so that their combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects."

Or, more simply, "multiplied energy." (Duane Elmer described synergy that way.)

It's one of those cases where the product of two (or several) is more than just the sum of the individuals.

I read this really interesting (at least to me - cause I've always been one of those horse-crazy girls) statistic last week.

Elmer, in the "Learning" chapter of Cross Cultural Servanthood writes:

• one horse can pull 6,000 - 7,000 pounds
• two horses can pull about 18,000 pounds
• two horses trained to pull toether can pull 25,000 pounds

When synergy happens between two or  more people, the result can be amazing, exhilarating, productive and awesome.

 

Synergy accomplished lots here in Niamey last week.

When synergy happened not just between two or more people... but between  synergized people also cooperating with God and allowing Him to have His way in and through them as they joined Him in His work?

Amazing results followed.

God directed synergy performs miracles.

I've observed and experienced God directed synergy the past two weeks, as friends, family and colleages have worked together to rescue, recuperate, and restore so that Sahel Academy can resume school... 2 weeks from today. The fact that we're even still thinking Sept. 17th as a possibility is nothing short of astounding!

God directed synergy is breathtaking, and today, I'm thankful.

this week's gratitude list:

(#'s 3056 - 3075)

human synergy

God directed synergy

powerful animals working together and the picture of how unity multiplies effort to accomplish so much more than the simple sum of individual forces

a temporary computer lab for students enrolled in on-line courses up and running

locations identified for both elementary and secondary school to begin again - edited on 9/4 - negotiations for the building we hoped to use for secondary are not going well, so nothing is a done deal yet on that front. PLEASE PRAY!!

school within walking distance of our house this year... we'd wondered how in the world we'd survive all those school runs

the two buildings are only a few blocks apart... great for teachers like me who float back and forth between the two

nearby locations are also great for parents who will have kids at both places

neither building requires too much work before we move in

several storms simply dissipated or passed over us last week without dumping any more rain... until Friday afternoon, after all work had already ceased

worship and fellowship with our Harobanda church for the first time in a few weeks

ladies locating permanent "year-long" homes for expat families who evacuated their homes due to flooding

generous responses from far away friends

friends to the Niger misso community coming and planning on doing some encouraging for tired, hurting people

a new location for NEWS - Niamey Evening Worship Service

quiet time to prepare

looking forward to talking with local educators about why I believe special education is one way to obey God's mandate: care for the "least of these"

One evening a few weeks ago, the kids discovered this sweet, tinier than tiny kitten trapped in the large drainage ditch that runs through our property. It was a good thing, too, because it rained hard that night and that ditch becomes a raging torrent in heavy downpours. We've adopted him, naming him Achilles for the gray spots on his heels and he's such a sweetie; he'll snuggle on your lap for hours, purring nonstop. He good naturedly puts up, for the most part, with Elsie Mae's and Mary Michelle's attention and rambunctious hugs. He really like leftover chicken, pizza sauce and small chunks of peanut butter. On Saturday, one of the heavy metal doors in the house injured him as it shut on his neck/head. He crawled off and hid under one of the shelves hardly moving for a few hours. It seemed to be serious and we questioned if he could survive the trauma. Significantly less active and a bit woozy when he finally stumbled out an interminably long time later, he remained lethargic most of the day; by Saturday evening, thought, he was acting like himself again. I'm so glad. Achilles pounced his way into my heart, the first pet to accomplish that feat since my miniature schnauzer back in high school days. We all prayed that he'd be OK and praise God, it looks like he is. Good thing God gave kitties 9 lives!

in the midst of so much uncertainty and loss, God protected our sweet little kitty, and that has given renewed energy and gumption for the next onslaught of work and activity in the coming week

God's goodness, always

How many ways can you say it?

After 1 and 1/2 weeks of nearly frantic activity,

first trying to protect the Sahel campus

and then trying to rescue what we could off the campus...

After being told by the local health department that it was not safe

for us to continue bringing school materials and supplies out of those flooded buildings

and reaching the compromise of rubber boots and gloves...

After hours and hours of loading and unloading,

sorting and rearranging,

searching and searching...

Many in our Sahel community are exhausted.

washed up

totally beat

tuckered out

tired

weary

worn down

fatigued

bankrupt

played out

faint

faltering

spent

 expended

purposeless

totally consumed

used up

depleted

feeble

run through the wringer

wiped out

dropped

dog-tired

listless

played out

drained

Moving an entire school and several homes, etc. into storage,

finding a new place to have school,

fixing that place up,

moving the school necessaries into the new buiding,

revising lesson plans to incorporate 4 weeks of missed classes...

We're well into the first two on that list... the rest still remain...

...and our goal is to be ready to start school in 2.5 weeks.

Please pray for perserverance,

for strength,

for good health,

for kind, gentle and gracious words and attitudes,

and for an amazing awareness of God's with us presence!

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,

let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles,

and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Romans 12:1

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run,

but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.

Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things.

They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.

Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim;

I box in such a way, as not beating the air;

but I discipline my body and make it my slave,

so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

FLOODING! Mostly just pictures, 'cause there really are no words...



Photo collage by Chantelle Bliss



Administrative building - Photo by Ray Chamberlain

  

  

Reception area inside the administrative building - Photos by Steve Schmidt



Brian (Sahel's director) and Cathy (everyone's favorite librarian) Bliss - canoeing around the morning after, surveying the damage. Photo by Steve Schmidt.

Just last week, the high schoolers were eating lunch right there... library straight ahead and secondary building off to the left.
Photo by Ray Chamberlain



 

The playground (and the dorm, in this last photo). "Whoooooaaaaa..." said very somberly was the reaction of even our littlest Wrightling when she saw this. Playground photos by Ray Chamberlain.



Water flowing across the road and through holes in the wall.
Photo by Shannon Maxwell



Photo - Christine Philpott Bauer



Photo - Christine Philpott Bauer



Photo - ActuNiger.net

As devastating as the damage to the campus is to us... here are the homes of our neighbors. Tears...
Photo by Ray Chamberlain

   



Sahel's theme for this year: SEE US SHINE, FOR HIM!

Photo by Ray Chamberlain



FLOODING!

Please pray!

The Sahel Academy campus is flooding.

Thankful that the most recent report I've heard, the buildings are still dry.

from www.actuniger.net

crossing the bridge, where they usually unload pumpkins and squash that have traveled upriver by boat
normally there is a road
you can see several submerged homes and shacks
(photo - Nancy DeValve)



where that road should be
(photo - Nancy DeValve)

 

road approaching the gate to Sahel Academy
you can barely see the sign, middle right side of the picture
houses here are all mud brick
(photo - Linda Watt)

small "emergency" dike built along the road
gate to campus
(photo - Linda Watt)

looking over the wall of the Sahel Academy compound, behind the dorm
same road, a little further down
collapsed mud brick house
(Photo - Nikki Gray)

 

filling bags with sand
(Photo - Linda Watt)

road coming from the gate, towards the administrative building
(Photo - Linda Watt)

water covering the road is still relatively shallow
(Photo - Linda Watt)

Right now it sounds like they are pumping water off one end of the campus
about as quickly as it flows back in the other end. 
Tim and Brendan just returned home after working at the campus all morning.
We wait and pray and wait and pray.

Thanks for joining with us in prayer.