Contents:
- Randy and Susan
- Rita
- Telma
- Roberto
- Paulo and Miriam
- Mark and Parker
- Cristiano, Tiego, Adriana, Paulo and Jorgelina
- Brad and Sally
Randy and Susan
Randy and Susan served a two year term as ISC’ers in Tera, Niger ministering to the Songhai people from 05 - 07. They returned to the States for six months of further training in preparation to return to Niger. With their training completed, they returned August 07 as Associate Missionaries.
After seeing the need in Niger their call was more evident. This time they have taken on the task of discipleship and church leadership training.
Presently they are in full time language training six days a week. Language learning doesn't come easy to someone who has been out of school over 35 years . But with God's help it can be done. With the new assignment they also are preparing lessons in the Songhai language. Please pray for them as they do God’s will.
Rita
After six months in on the field, one of our Brazilian team members describes her days like this: "I get up very early and have my quiet time with God. I walk for an hour and then eat my breakfast. About 9 am I start my language study. I continue study until noon, when I eat lunch and rest. At 2 pm I schedule time to talk with our outside guard to speak French. At 3 pm I visit the Songhai women with the goal of practicing my Songhai and making friends. At 6:30 pm I come home, eat dinner, spend some time talking with Roberto and Telma, read, write, and finally go to bed."
Because of cultural issues, she lives with another Brazilian couple with whom she is working; she and Telma have worked out a cooking and cleaning schedule so that they can share the tasks and each have time for language study, their primary task for the first year on the field. She adds, "Each Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at 11:30 am I prepare our lunch... Each Tuesday morning I go to the market and talk with the women who sell things there and practice my Songhai."
Not as an afterthought she adds, "Each Thursday morning our team fasts and prays together."
Telma
In Portuguese
Meu dia em Tombouctou
Meu dia em Tombouctou começa às 6:00, com Déborah, minha filha de 1 ano, chamando por Telma "Mama, mama..."
Eu estudo a língua songhai, durante todas as manhãs, depois do devocional, quando não tenho nenhum imprevisto.
As tardes de segunda, Terçxaeu fico com Déborah, menos as terças e sextas, ois, o Roberto cuida dela para ue eu tenha esse tempo livre e possa ir ao centro da cidade, costurar e fazer trabalhos manuais... coisas que saiam do cotidiano. Nas quintas feiras, tenho uma reunião de oração de 8:00 às 10:00. Aos domingos vamos à igreja. Meu dia termina às 22:00. Depois de colocar Déborah para dormir, às 20:00 eu e Roberto preparamos alguma coisa para comermos... então, geralmente vou para cama às 22:00, pedindo a Deus para ter uma noite tranqüila, pois com criança agente nunca sabe como será a noite.
In English
After eight months on the field, a young mother in the desert of Mali describes her days (and nights!) like this: "My days begin at 6 am with my daughter calling, "Mama! Mama!" Each day I make an effort to study Songhai during the morning after my devotional time." Her days are filled with cooking, cleaning, washing, shopping, caring for her daughter... tasks very typical to a Western housewife and mother, but done with a certain "desert savoir faire"!
She has the help and support of her husband and a Brazilian friend, who lives with the family. "During the afternoons I take care of my daughter's needs, except the Tuesday and the Fridays when my husband takes care of her so that I will have some free time to go to the market, for sewing and also for housework."
Thursday mornings are for prayer meeting and Sundays for worship. In a typical Brazilian fashion, her days end late: "I put my daughter to bed at 8 pm, and then my husband and I prepare something to eat. Bed time is 10 pm, always praying that God will give us a peaceful night sleep, because no one ever knows with a young child in the home!"
Roberto
Husband, father, friend, leader, language student, soccer coach for three teams, a Christian living in a Muslim, desert community... this young man describes each day beginning with a call from their daughter in her bed to her mother. "Each morning I study the Songhai language after my devotional time, if there are no interruptions. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday afternoons, I work with youth, teenagers and adults. Tuesday and Friday afternoons, I take care of my daughter so that my wife will have the time to do the shopping, housework or sewing. Thursday is prayer meeting. Sunday is for worship." Each evening, "...after my wife puts our daughter to bed, we fix something to eat, then go to bed, asking God for a good night for our daughter, because if she does, then so will we!"
Paulo and Miriam
Mark and Parker
Mark and Parker were appointed as Career Apprentice missionaries with the IMB in May 2006 and joined the Songhai Team in October of that same year. They come from Bowling Green, Kentucky where Mark served as a high school pastor upon graduating from college. Mark enjoys playing golf and guitar. Parker is a NAMB MK who enjoys cooking and napping. Their passion is to see Christ named among the Songhai of West Africa. Their ministry will be based in Ayorou for the next three years. Check out their blog spot.
Mark's dad, Don, shares his perspective on Mark and Parker's call to missions in The Struggle of Letting Go.
Cristiano, Tiego, Adriana, Paulo and Jorgelina
Our Day in Dargol – What is it that we do during the week?
Our day begins very early in the morning. Because of the heat we sleep outside of the house. So, we wake up about 7am each day, and the sun is already strong at that hour.
Each person on our team has his or her responsibility in the house – dish washing, cleaning, cooking, getting water from the well... We plan each month or by the week, so each person knows what their chore is going to be for the day. Even the guys, who live in the other house, help with the cooking and dish washing also. Sometimes on Friday, we go to the market to buy something we need.
During the day, each person chooses his or her personal devotional time, and at the end of each day we join together for team devotions. To prepare for weekly Bible studies and for Sunday morning worship, we share verses together. This helps us to plan together what we will share with the Church. Also, we do discipleship with several women and men who come to church.
Each Saturday we go to another place about 30 minutes from our home village, where we tell Bible stories to children. Saturday is also the day we play soccer with the children of our village.
Another thing that is a big part of our daily lives: each day we have many visitors. We are the “annasaaras”, the white people who have come to live in their village. They are very curious. It is always an opportunity to make their acquaintance and begin friendships.
Brad and Sally
One thing is certain; a day at the Womble house will not be boring. Brad and Sally head up the work of the Songhai Team of West Africa. Our days are filled with various activities including team meetings, travel, cassette production, web site construction and maintenance, preparing for and hosting volunteer teams, writing prayer letters, pastoral care of team members and administrative duties.
Added to this fun is keeping up with three very active children. Their school schedules are demanding, and they also enjoy friendships and various after school activities.
By the time you add in the daily tasks required by living in a third world country, our day is past being full. It seems only yesterday that we arrived in Niamey with three small children. That was 14 years ago!! Since that time, our son has joined the family and our oldest has gone back to university in the States. Our life in Niger has been an adventure.
What does today hold? God only knows! But we know that He will be here with us and that at the end of the day, we will have seen His hand at work.