Making Progress!

Today is a deliciously cool day in Niger, a rather unusual, but delightful, phenomenon.. A lovely breeze is blowing through the house, and I am thoroughly enjoying the feeling of NOT felling sticky and sweaty!. Oh, life's simple joys!
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We are excited to report that we have had some major breakthroughs on our Niamey "to-do" list.. Actually, we've checked off almost everything! . As of yesterday, we are the proud (excited!) new owners of a Toyota Prado (pictures and details to come in the next post)!. On the same day, Jonathan was also able to secure a moving truck to take all of our belongings to Maradi.. He and Pastor Ron Childs left early this morning to "escort" the truck to Maradi (i.e. - make sure all the things that we loaded onto the truck are still on the truck when it arrives in Maradi). .Jonathan will be gone for three days altogether between traveling, unloading the truck, AND (my favorite part) looking at available houses! .When the whole family moves out to Maradi sometime next week, we will (with my final approval) choose THE house that we will call home!!!. You can't tell I'm excited about this, can you?!!

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This is, of course, THE PLAN!. But just because it's THE PLAN does not by any means mean things will all work out that way!. We are learning that these two popular sayings go a long way here:

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Hurry up, and wait...
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When it rains, it pours!

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We're learning to be patient in the waiting, and to jump on board in the pouring! . Welcome to flexibility!

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So - in the waiting, before the pouring...

Anna has been growing before our very eyes!. She continues to spread her reputation for her insatiable appetite throughout Niger!. Seriously - we're not kidding - this girl can EAT!. You almost have to see it to believe it!. She is also BUSY!. She is keeping her Mama on the run.. Not only is she busy, she has mastered the art of CLIMBING!. In two seconds flat she can be up on the couch, standing, then jumping, arms proudly waving.. Two falls in the last two days have not deterred her one bit!. Sigh...

Here she is, just one minute after a tumble on the ground.. Can you guess which side she fell on?. Do you think it mattered to her that her sandwich (in her left hand) was COVERED in sand and dirt?. Nope!. If you look at those cute, chubby little cheeks, you'll see that they are FULL!

Church on Sunday would be incomplete without hearing a little voice beside me begging, "Mummy, please can I play on da drums?!!". Isaiah had a run-in with a hot iron this week (notice that his right wrist is bandaged in this picture - also notice that it is NOT slowing his drumming down at all!).. He got a pretty bad burn, but, praise God, it seems to be healing well.. He's been a real trooper as I have treated his wound.. Please pray that no infection sets in.. Again, we are thankful that it is healing beautifully at this point!

Well, I am off to the market to purchase some groceries and supplies for our new home!. The Niger shopping experience is an entire blog in and of itself, one that I will have to tackle another day! . :)

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