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15. The hardest part of being a missionary may be missing things back home! (i.e. family, church friends, holidays, birthdays, etc.) For example, I won’t be able to see my mom on Mother’s Day. Life in America continues. Once the moments passed, it’s gone!

16. The best part of being a missionary may be the satisfaction that comes from being faithful to God’s plan and following His calling. What does God call us to do? Moses said, “Now Israel, what does the LORD your God require from you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and to keep the LORD’s commandments and His statues which I am commanding you today for your good?” God simply wants us to obey Him. When we do this, it shows that we love Him, trust Him, serve Him, and fear Him. Then… Moses says, “…for your good”! Being faithful to God is for our own benefit… Serving Him brings joy and happiness!
Perhaps, if my mission experience, thus far, had been different, I would say the best part of being a missionary is the moment on earth when “there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.” Thus far, I have not yet seen a conversion. There’s only one proclaimed Christian in Ayorou; but, I know God has the power to add to that number indefinitely! Wherever Christians are gathered in His Name, there He is too. The Holy Spirit is moving through Ayorou. People are hearing the Gospel for the first times in their life! Last week while I was getting my feet painted black, I told a group of girls, “Jesus died for you.” Their eyes widened in surprise.
“You mean, Jesus died?”
“Yes. And then God raised Him from the dead!”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure… And anyone who calls on the name of Jesus will be saved. It says so in God’s Good Book.”
Later, their father came in and told us all to wash for prayer time. I said, “I do not pray to Allah. I pray to a different God who hears prayers all the time. If you want me to pray, I will stay here and say a prayer to God now.”
“Why do you come to Africa to be a Christian?”
“I did not come here to be a Christian. I’m a Christian in America too. My head is Christian. My heart is Christian.”
“Well, I will not change,” he said.
“Well, I will not change,” I said.
He left for prayer. Feet-painting continued. The girls embarked in conversation of which I grasped only bits and pieces. People are hearing the message. They know where to find out more. And they’re talking it about amongst themselves.
People in Ayorou are also getting to see Christ’s love modeled amongst them. In this culture, it’s “every man for himself!” The women chat excitedly about my declining to be moved to the front of the line at the water pump just because I’m white. I say, “I have patience.” They think that’s funny. Hmmm… is that what patience looks like? Now, when they see me, they ask, “Miriama, How’s your patience?” When the children start pounding on the door, I open it just a crack and say, “Suleman, where is your patience?”
“Oh, I have a loooong patience.”
“Alright, I’ll see you later.”
When the children start scratching for a crayon, I say, “Katumi, where’s your love?”
Instead of grabbing, they now ask each other to trade colors. I say, “Thank you for your kindness.”
One of the mothers asked me to teach her the “Fruit of the Spirit Song” that I sing with the kids. Sometimes when we’re singing I see adult faces peeking over the wall of the compound... They’re usually smiling.
I hope someday we will all stand smiling in God’s presence. Please continue to pray for the salvation of the people in Ayorou.
Love,
Margee (Miriama)

April 19, 2008

AHHH! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PACKAGE! Reading your cards and letters meant so much! Seriously, I pored over them for such a long time! For a moment, it was almost like being home! I had so much fun sharing them with people here! The pictures were great! Also, I love the emails. It’s awesome to see your different personalities, questions, letters, drawings, etc! I carried the package across the village –balancing it on my head, of course. This meant plenty of women were laughing at my lack of skill. When I reached the compound, it was like tearing open a present on Christmas morning! Thank you so much!
And thank you for the questions… They give me something to think/write about... I haven’t had a chance to answer all of them… But I’ll start at the beginning…
3. In a foreign place where people do not speak English, ministry can be difficult. Fortunately, International Mission Board (IMB) has a Zarma/English dictionary. It’s too big to carry around… But I use it to plan things-to-say and Bible stories/lessons. Because the dictionary was written by missionaries, it contains important words for things like, “God,” “Son,” “sin,” “forgiveness,” etc.
IMB has turned Zarma into a “written” language to help other missionaries learn it. Zarma, however,” is only an “oral” language. This means there is no alphabet. People only speak the language… Zarma people don’t read or write it. Most adults have never held a book or used paper or pen! So, the Zarma dictionary and Bible are for me only: I read the Zarma Bible… they hear it and understand it! But, if I gave them the Zarma Bible, they would not be able to read it.
Having the Zarma Bible is SO important: When I feel like I don’t have the vocabulary to say what I want, all I have to do is find that passage in my English Bible. Then, I open the Zarma Bible to the same passage. God’s Word is powerful, alive, and never-changing. If they hear/understand God’s Word, my job is complete… God promises to do the rest! They can either choose to hear more or not.
When I first arrived, I spent some time sitting with local ladies, mostly listening, and eventually trying out bits of language. Then, I took a thorough, 3-day language class in Niamey (Niger’s capital). When you’re completely immersed in a language, it’s amazing how quickly you learn it. I’ve really enjoyed working with the kids…They have turned out to be the best language teachers!
4. TOP 15 COUNTDOWN (for West Africa)
15. laptop computer or cell phone (if possible)
14. granola bars
13. Crystal Light (so the water doesn’t taste so yucky)
12. backpack
11. hand sanitizer
10. dish-soap (for clothes, hair… and maybe dishes)
9. sunscreen
8. mosquito net
7. batteries
6. flashlight
5. anti-malaria medicine
4. water filter
3. water-bottle.
2. Passport and papers (in case you need to get back home!)
1. The sword of the Spirit that is God’s Word
7. Men and women are definitely not considered equal in Niger… not even close. For example, very strict Muslims do not even allow their wives to ever speak in front of them (at least not until they’ve born a child).
Young girls are chosen by men when they are between the ages of 8 and 14! As soon as the girl can have a baby, she moves into her “husband’s” house. Some men choose to have only one wife... but most men choose as many as they want. This makes many of the wives and young girls very depressed.
Clothing is important too. Men cuff their pants above the ankles (so they look like capris) because dirt is considered a sin! Yet, women have to wear long skirts that often drag the ground. Women choose fabric from the market… but all wear the same kinds of skirts/dresses. They must always have their heads covered as a sign of submission. Some wear huge scarves so that all you can see is their head through the hole.
Men do not cook (that women’s work). Emily, the missionary I live with, got a long lecture from her guard who refused to let her use a shovel in his presence (that is a man’s work). Then, he also told her he is much smarter because he has a “man head” and she only has a “woman head.” There are many strange rules such as: women are not allowed to ride bicycles.
Oh, the list goes on and on and on. I’m still learning bizarre things… For example, I bought a 5 cent pair of earrings in the market the other day. The next day, I couldn’t figure out why the earring were causing such a commotion (they only cost 10 franc!). Turns out, one is not a “women” unless one wears earrings. Thus, all the villagers had officially decided I am, in fact, a girl!
11. If I needed medical attention, I would have to travel to Niamey (the capital). The commute takes about two hours (depending on construction, detours, vehicle condition etc). Niger has only one main road outside the capital! (Even in the nation’s capital, most of the roads are dirt. Most of the people are squatters which mean that they don’t have a house or own the land on which they’ve built their hut. The single airport is a two-room building with no air-conditioning or glass windows… They check your baggage outside under a tree. There is no shopping mall. There is one small IGA-type grocery store. No McDonald’s or any kind of fast food restaurant… Remember, this is the country’s capital!) Even still, the hospital in Niamey is sanitary. Most patients are treated for malaria. Before leaving America, the IMB requires you to purchase international health insurance. This means that if anything serious happened… I would be flown back to the USA… no worries!
13. Some parts of Ayorou have electricity (only between 4:00pm and 12:00 a.m.) Most of these parts are little shops called “tundas” that are like outdoor patios. Because even the poorest people here have cheap cell phones, some men in the market make a profit by charging people’s cell phones during these hours. Other business-type men use the electricity to power a small refrigerator and sell little Fantas/sodas, popsicles, and liquid yogurts (which cost around 400 franc/ =50 cents). People do not have electricity in their homes. Emily could pay to have this electricity run to her house… but she chooses to live as the people around her live. .. She could also have running water! … She is a brave girl!
I look forward to answering more of your questions and reading more emails! I miss you all so much… “Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere” Ephesians 6:18.
Love,
Margee

April 5, 2008

Fofo! Mate ara go? (Hi! How is everyone?) Haha. Now, you can speak Zarma too!
It’s so great to read email from everyone! I LOVE the emails! I miss you guys so much!

I’m really sorry I can’t be more personal… Internet, electricity, everything is so unpredictable! So, here’s a quick, general update:
As it gets hotter and hotter, most “reasonable” people (including the middle-school-age children from my “college” classes) don’t leave their houses between noon and sunset. (At night, the streets get loud… I never leave my compound after dark… I just listen from within my mosquito net!). At first, I was really discouraged because “after-school club” was my ministry. Now, “after-school-club time” is “nap time!”
Thankfully, God always has a plan… During the mid-day, the village is mostly silent… except for the really little kids who never seem to mind the heat! In fact, they play around in the garbage and dirt all day. (Parents don’t mind at all). This is when I open the compound gate (just a crack) and the little kids start trickling in… Until the whole place is teeming with little ones!
Emily has a tree in her compound (a rarity to be sure!). So, we all sit under the tree and sing songs like “Zarro ne ya wo kang Rabbi te” (This is the day that the Lord has made). I read stories like “Yohanna nda hamiisa bambata” (Jonah and the big fish) and explain that “Yes, God hears your prayers too!” We talk about the fact that Jesus was born in an “almaney kalo” (a manger) and “Yes… Jesus was poor too!” We read the Easter Story and “Yes, Jesus died for all people: Nigerian, American, Talmashek, Fullani, all who believe in Him!”
After a song and a story, we pop in a Zarma cassette from the International Mission Board… And play lots of games!!! (Thank you all SO much for the balls, Jinga, coloring books, puzzles, foods, and more!). These kids will pass a little ball around for hours! Jinga, especially, is a favorite! Some of them are starting to understand puzzles! It’s a good time!
They also love the books. After the little kids leave, some of the older ones will stay a little longer so we can also practice reading the stories in English. One neighbor girl comes over and reads the Bible in English… Then, I read it in Zarma. Even if my language isn’t great… God’s Word is! Even if I don’t know/have the words to say… they’re right there in His book!
Some kids wear clothes… some are mostly naked. Some of their faces are covered in mucas. Many bellies are distended (from worms). Sometimes, if they’re on their way home from the river, they bring their buckets of fly-infested fish with them. Working with such children is tricky… even the smallest wrong-move can incite a ruckus. When you don’t “own” anything (except the shirt on your back), handling a crayon, book, or Jinga-stick is a huge!
There’s a fine line between getting children to come to your kwaara (compound) to learn about Irikoy Tira Hanno (God’s Good Book) and having children come to your kwaara because of your “things.” For example, just when I think that the children are really starting to understand the concepts of “love” and “God’s love…” “AHHHH!” And someone starts screaming… They’ve found a stray crayon!… And the other child doesn’t have one! The change is radical… Actually, it’s sort of ferocious.
Eventually, when I re-close the compound door, dusty arms, legs, and heads continue to poke through the hole under our gate! For the rest of the night, the children shout, “Miriama! Miriama! I ga ba co! I ga ba bic! I ga ba! I ga ba!” (I want to study! I want a pen! I want! I want!). During times like these, I especially remember Jesus’ saying, “’Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.’ …And he placed his hands on their heads and blessed them before he left.”
So, even if they are sometimes ferocious, you can’t help but love these kids with your whole heart… the love that we have in Jesus Christ! I’ve tried to attach a photo… I know you will fall in love with them too! (This picture came from an email that another missionary sent me… Taking pictures here is extremely awkward and something that I try to avoid. Nevertheless, I will have some more when I get back!).
Love,
Margee (Ha! I haven’t heard that name in a while!)
P.S. I haven’t received any mail/packages yet… But the post office guy here thinks I’m really hilarious… Because I stop by the post office everyday on my way to school (and national people here don’t ever get mail). He thinks I’m crazy… but actually I just miss you guys!
P.S.S. I typed the Roman Road in Zarma language for some upcoming missionaries. It’s been a great ministry tool to use with some of my lady friends. Sometimes the subsequent conversations are really encouraging! …Other times, it’s just really super, awkward. Anyway, I thought some of you might have fun speaking Zarma… So here it is! Lol.
Yesu ne a se “Ay ga ti fonda, ay ga ti cimo, ay ga ti fundi. Bora kulu si du ka to baako do kal ay do hare.”
Jesus told them, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. N one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
Zama bora kulu ra zunubi te, I gaze mo Irikoy darza ga.
For all men have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
Zunubi alhakko ya buuyan no, amma Irikoy gomni nooyano ya fundi hal abada no, iri Rabbi Almasihu Yesu ra.
The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).
Amma Irikoy goga nga baakasina cabe iri se, zamma Almasihu bu iri se za iri go zunubi kooniyan no.
But God demonstrate his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
Sanno maana ga ti: Da ni yadda a gaa ka ci da ni meyo ka ne: “Yesu ya Rabbi no,” ka cimandi ni bina ra kan Irikoy na tunandi ka kaa buukoy gama ra, ni ga du faaba.
If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Romans 10:9).
Boro kulu kan ga Rabbie ma ace gaa du faaba.
For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13).

March 25, 2008

Thank you all SO much for the emails! It is wonderful to hear about FBC, the bible study, the election… the blizzard, and much more! Now, the problem is not getting homesick when I read them! Being here is truly a rollercoaster… There are no words to describe the joy and the wonders that come from trusting God here! Seeing such things is worth more than the world! On the other hand, life, heat, foods, poverty here are so hard! How can I say that I long to come home… and long to stay?
First, Happy Easter! We recently journeyed to Niamey to celebrate the most significant event in history... the true reason for joy… the reason I’m so far away…. That is resurrection of Jesus Christ! Praise God that, in His infinite wisdom, it pleased Him to plan salvation so that believers of all nations can celebrate new life through the death and resurrection of Christ. My prayer is that, someday, we will see the faces of these Nigerian men, women, and children in God’s presence in heaven where there is no suffering! In the meantime, it’s wonderful to trust Him and know that His plan is already fulfilled… we just happen to live on this side of eternity and get to see it as it happens. In a vision from God, Daniel saw, “Someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient One. He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal—it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed.” So, I know I will get to see some (hopefully LOTS) of Nigerians! He is Father of all of us.
Before traveling to the big city for the “semi-normal” Easter service at the missionary church in Niamey, the girls and I hosted our own “invitacion”/Easter celebration for our lady friends in the bush. It’s shocking that this Muslim village celebrates the entire week… but they do. They simply don’t know the true reason for it –This still amazes me! So, we planned our feast around the Muslim “prayer” in the afternoon. We told the ladies they didn’t have to say our prayers... but since we listen to their prayers (blaring over speakers during all hours of the day and night) they could just come and listen to ours. The ladies insisted upon providing the food… which was gigantic pots of pounded corn-mush, slimy okra sauce, and mystery meat. While sitting on the ground, we all shared from a large communal bowls. No spoons or napkins… just scoop with your hands! Then, we drank the traditional Talmashek tea from the same tiny cup. Then, (This is the really cool part…) We got out a battery-powered DVD player and shared the “God Story”/the Gospel with these people in their very own Talmashek language! People who had previously refused to listen to “preaching” stayed for a second showing! Some women even brought their husbands! Right now, most of them are willing to listen… but are reluctant to talk about Jesus Christ. (Accepting Christ would mean ridicule… and even ostracism from one’s family and society). Please pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to work within these ladies, that they will have questions, talk to others… and come back for more! That’s all God asks us to do… He’s already given us His Word… We just need to spread it around… and add some love! We plant and water… He causes the growth! Pray that God will open these people’s hearts so that their ears will hear… Especially now that I’ve started translating Bible stories (especially those about Jesus) into the Zarma language. I also obtained some Zarma audio-tapes/Scripture to use at my “after-school clubs!”
After our “invitacion” in Ayorou, the 2-hour trip to Niamey ended up taking over five hours... Communication in the bush does not usually involve actual information…. Instead, communication is telling that person what they want to hear/immediate gratification of the listener. For example, someone may tell you a bus leaves for Niamey at 7:00 am tomorrow… but really it doesn’t! In this way, I was introduced to “bush-taxi” transportation. Try, if you can, to imagine an old American-style mini van that has been emptied and refilled with a variety of benches and stools (about 4 rows of 6 people ea.). All these hot, stinky people are hanging out the window. Inside, the red dust from the road accumulates on your skin and clothes and the smell of fish-buckets is inescapable. On top, firewood, buckets, bags, and straw are piled twice the height of the van! Chickens dangle off the sides! In the end, having Christian fellowship on Easter at church in Niamey was worth the trip through the desert. Even still, I can’t express how much I miss FBC and family at home! Thanks for your thoughts, emails, and prayers!!!!! Keep it up! And stay safe and warm in the blizzard!! ; )
Love Always,
Margee (aka Miriama)
Who can be compared with the Lord our God,
who is enthroned on high?
He stoops to look down
on heaven and on earth.
He lifts the poor from the dust
and the needy from the garbage dump.
He sets them among princes,
even the princes of his own people!
Psalm 113:5-8

March 14, 2008

Hello Everyone!
Today I traveled into Niamey (capital) to stay in IMB’s guest-house for the weekend. Air conditioning, shower, fresh food, laundry, bed, etc. are so nice! Unfortunately I can’t send pictures while I’m here since I broke my computer/camera-connector-thingy! But I will develop pictures when I get back. In the meantime, Ayorou is very simple to describe: Just picture a sandbox village… For miles and miles, all you can see is sand and mud-huts. There is NO color here… no animals, no grass, no flowers… Just thorny green plants along the river and a couple of goats. Actually, it’s hard to be motivated to take pictures. Everything is built of sand.
The people here have never seen anything besides Ayorou. When I show students a map, they cannot comprehend it. They usually own one or two outfits…. It doesn’t matter what they are! For example, you will see a child wearing a fur parka even though it 100 degrees! Or you will see a naked boy with Dora-the-Explorer tennis shoes… Or you will see a man wearing a full pinstripe suit (with holes throughout). Their houses are either mud or straw usually dirt floors. Their diet consists of yams, millet, and potatoes –that’s it. People do not understand nutrients, germs, disease, childcare, etc. They use the restroom, wash their face, and clean dishes simultaneously in the river. Women are continually pregnant. It’s not uncommon to strap siblings to other siblings. For example, even four- or five- year olds carry around infants strapped to their backs. Infant mortality rate is extremely high. In fact, children aren’t even named until after the first week…. If a child dies, no one is allowed to mention it or to cry. During childbirth, women are not permitted to make a sound.
In Emily’s house, our kitchen is simply is a kerosene lamp on which we fry foods. Actually, my diet of fried yams and rice, peanut butter, and African-donuts (ferimasas) is adding on pounds! The sickness here is not starvation… but lack of nutrition. Being overweight is not uncommon… but sickness from lack of vitamins, produce, proteins, etc. is. For example, rice, yams, and millet are in abundance…. But nothing else! My bed is made of sticks… the bathroom is a hole in the ground... and my shower is a bucket! All water has to be carried from the pump down the street in buckets on our heads. Oftentimes, because of the dust that continually moves around, I wake up dirtier than before. Being clean is impossible, temporary, and too much work to attempt.
In the mornings, I teach English at the “College.” “College” actually consists of middle-school-age children, who speak various African tribal languages, are required to learn French in school… and my job is to teach them English. I don’t know any French; but, I am now beginning to pick up some Zerma (which is a kind of hod-podge African language. When you walk down the street, people greet in French, Talmashek, Zerma, Fullani, Arabic… In this way, Zerma developed as a kind of common language. Even still, most people look down upon this language as inferior to the other “true” ones. Anyway, Zerma is the best language to use with children at school since parents don’t usually teach them their specific “tribal” languages until a much older age.
Classes are SO much fun. One day, I taught them how to count. For fun, I taught them the “one potato, two potato, three potato, four. Six potato, seven potatoes, eight potatoes more!” Now, whenever I walk through town I always attract a crowd of children following me singing that song (with a very heavy African dialect). It’s hilarious. Actually, they think I’m hilarious. It’s difficult for them to look at a white person without laughing, screaming, or running! We truly look like aliens. That’s just one example of the things we do in class. It’s only by God’s grace that I keep a classroom of middle-school African students engaged in meaningful learning using languages that are foreign to all of us while dust blows up from the dirt floors and in through the pane-less windows in the middle of the desert. There’s only one way to explain it: “Not by force or might, but by my Spirit” says the LORD. Zech 4:6.
I walk to school along with hundreds of other students. In the mornings, the walk is pleasant. The walk home, however, is a scorching 120 degrees. Usually the 30 minute walk consists of the following Zerma conversations: “Give me your scarf,” “I will not. ” “Give me your skirt,”, “I will not give you my skirt,” “Well, give me your shoes,” “No.” “Give me a Bic (ballpoint pen)” etc. etc. We all laugh. People here have no problem asking for things… even when it’s outrageous. People in Niger have no concept of time or tasks. Truly, I cannot explain the way in which they do not plan anything. For example, women spend most of their time simply sitting along the road. Sometimes they have firewood or tobacco to sell. Sometimes they just watch. When you visit, it’s common to just sit all day sometime without conversation. They simply don’t have anything else to do. It takes a long, long time to walk anywhere because when you pass someone it’s only proper to stop to ask them “How are you? How is your tiredness? How is your health? How are your children? How is your house? How is your heat? How was your sleep last night? How have you been the past couple days? How is your work? How is your area? Etc. etc.” Then, you have to let them ask you. I quickly learned that, in Ayorou, you can’t “operate” on clock time… it just doesn’t work. It’s better to not even use one!
Then, after school, I have a couple of ladies with whom I visit. We just sit and chit chat. Sometimes the meetings serve as language lessons. I teach them English. They teach me Zerma. They are absolutely amazed that an “anasaari” (white person who has a chance) wants to learn Zerma. Next, I go home sweep out the dust, hand wash clothes/dishes, and take a nap. Then, I open the gate to our compound. We live in a compound with a guard who lives right inside the gate. The town is completely safe… the only reason we have a guard is because we are white anasaaris and people assume we have things like electricity, and stuff that we really don’t have. Even still, we are perfectly safe. If you’re caught stealing in Niger you are beaten to death on the spot.
The minute I open the gate to the compound, “Potato”-singing children from school rush in ready to learn more English. We work on basic thinking skills. Even 10 year olds are unable to put together large puzzle pieces or sort objects into groups. They have never ever been encouraged to think independently. For example, at school, the teachers copy their “teacher” books onto the blackboard. Then, students copy that into their notebooks. In “English” class they are conjugating all tenses of verbs etc. But none of them can read. They do “algebra” but cannot fill in a sequence such as 2, 4, 6, 8, __, 10. Eventually, I hope to turn these “English clubs” into to Bible School clubs. In the meantime, these African students know that someone loves them… They know she is white... She is an anasaari… She is a Christian… She knows Jesus. We cannot comprhened what God has in store for Ayorou. Right now, there is only one known Nigerian believer in Ayorou. Fortunately, no one who waits on the LORD will be disgraced (Ps. 25). God works according to His time.
After English club, I visit pre-school age children at their houses. Because Emily has built rapport with these mothers, they allow me to teach their children the albajada (alphabet). Oh how much I want to scoop up these innocent, loving children and take them to America! I cannot describe how this breaks my heart! Instead, oftentimes, young children are taken away by an “emob” who promises to teach the children the Arabic language and Islamic religion. In reality, the emobs put the boys on the street to beg (since giving to the poor is one of the pillars of Islam). These boys are beaten severely if they return to the emob empty-handed. For this reason, many of these boys are homeless and hungry. If they return home, the parents scold them for not having pereserved through the Islamic process.
All my relationships: at school, with my ladies, and with the children serve to build trust amongst these people. My ministry is teaching, exemplifying a lifestyle in Christ, and demonstrating the joy I have that comes from the one true God. This is the most “religious” town I’ve ever seen. Muslim prayers blare over speakers several times a day… Women wear the long, traditional scarves. But when you ask someone why they pray…. They don’t know! Their religion is completely, totally empty. They carry 100 prayer beads that represent the 99 names of Allah (which are really Allah, Allah, Allah, and Allah). They don’t know the last bead represents the one true God. People here are extremely pious, religious, praying always. They do not understand that isn’t enough to grant eternal life. They do not understand grace. The Koran warns them about “false prophets” who will falsely claim that Jesus is the Son of God. They know the Bible… until Jesus rising from the dead. They miss the only important thing: Salvation and forgiveness of sin through the death and resurrection Jesus Christ! Please remember the people of Ayorou in your prayers! Pray that in this dry, thirsty, and weary land, these people will receive the living water of Jesus Christ and never thirst again!
I cannot wait to see all of you again! Keep up the faith! Send me emails please! I will look forward to them next time I return to Niamey. How is FBC?
I am also excited about he new Burlington Coat Factory opening! That’s wonderful!
How is Gloria?
In Him,
Margee I(a.k.a. Miriama)
Mailing Address:
Margee Dixon
6006 Ayorou
NIGER