The heat is back

After enjoying a few delightfully cool weeks (for here at least!) the temperature is going back up. The rainy season is petering out, and we are back to the oppressive heat. We enjoyed being able to cool our room down at night with fans in the windows. That's not so effective anymore, so it's back to the air conditioners when we just can't stand it anymore.

Our excitement over the imminent arrival of the plane was a little premature! It looked like all was set, but due to some mechanical problems, the company has decided they are going to change the engine before the plane comes out. So Bill turned around and went south again with the plane. Now it's back at JAARS in NC awaiting the arrival of the new engine. Jim didn't have to say goodbye to his baby quite yet! Now he'll have many hours of work to enjoy in the next few weeks.
Please continue to pray with us that the plane will get ready and out here as soon as possible! Many flight arrangements are having to be changed due to the plane not coming yet. Fuel prices have also gone up, and SIMAIR is having to raise its prices for the first time in many years in order to cover their costs.

The kids are all learning so many new things! This week Silas has gotten mobile. He scoots all over, and is no longer content to stay in one place. Elayna has decided that she is ready to potty train, and is making it fairly easy. Brynn and Kira are both really improving their swimming skills. So, despite the heat and the delay of the new plane things are going well, and we are having fun.

One fun thing about living here is the wild giraffes that live about an hour out of town. It's neat to walk up close and look at them.

These are granaries, where millet and other grains are stored.

With our book-loving gang, we spend a lot of time reading together each day. The girls love to do "school." Kira is just starting to read, and Brynn is having fun learning her letters. Elayna- well she just has fun in general!

Emilie helps us in our home for a few hours each day M-F.
She's a sweet girl, she works hard, and she's great with the kids.
I enjoy having her around and appreciate her help!

Sorry- he's in Timbouctou!

I love living in a place where I can have an experience like this: The phone rings. I answer it. A guy from the SIM Niger office is looking for Kevin. I reply, "Sorry, he's in Timbouctou today!" And it's true! With all the jokes about Timbouctou being the outer reaches of the world Kevin flies there often. And as one of our recent guests pointed out- it's closer to North America than we are! =D

As we start this new week, we are hoping for things to run calmly and smoothly... as least as much as they ever can with our gang! =) Last week ended up being extremely busy.

For Kevin, besides flying, the SIMAIR guys are in the process of cleaning and organizing the hangar. This is a huge task that is long overdue. They hope to get things somewhat in shape before the new plane gets here, and they start the paint project on the Saratoga. There will be extra people here helping, (Rendels, Freemans, and another former SIM Niger MK) and they want to be as organized as possible going into it. The paint project will not only involve painting the plane. ( a huge ordeal in and of itself!) It will be a time to do a lot of extra maintenance while it's not flying. With only one plane, it's hard to stop flying it for long! Other than the necessary regular maintenance and inspections to keep safe, there are things that need to be done occasionally. With the arrival of the new diesel plane they will be able to continue providing flight for missionaries, while doing some needed things on the Saratoga.

Speaking of the diesel plane... please continue to pray for its safe arrival! While the plane was in North Carolina the ferry pilot, Bill Scott, and Jim Rendel noticed a small potential problem. Hoping it was no big deal, the pilot watched it through the flight to Bangor, Maine. With the next legs of the trip involving long stretches over the ocean, and no place to put the plane down in case of trouble, they decided to go ahead and repair it before he left Maine. So the plane is delayed a few days while this issue is fixed. We want Bill- and the airplane- to be safe, so even though we anxiously await the plane's arrival, we're glad he is getting the problem fixed.

For me at home the week was busy in a different way. It was the first week of girls Bible study, so there was time involved preparing for that. They are a neat group of young ladies, and I can't wait to get to know each of them better during this year. Last week had several families eating meals in our home. We regularly have company, and really enjoy it. It just got a little busy when Emilie, our house worker, didn't show up for a couple of days! Now I know what you are thinking- I wish I had a maid! But there are so many things involved in just living here, I depend on her help! Imagine a day that your dryer is broken, (Emilie helps hang out our laundry, as we have no dryer.) your dishwasher is broken, (we don't have one!) and you are having company for the second day in a row. Add to that four kids four and under, several days laundry backed up due to the weather, dust that has blown in around all the windows, and a few other delaying factors, and you have my day! Normally that would be a busy day, but not overwhelming. But when you have to have all of this cleaned up and ready to serve someone else the next day, along with a list of other things needing to be done, it gets a little hectic. I'm not complaining- I love living and working here! Some days a nap would be nice though! =D Thankfully this week looks like it could be a little slower!

The plane is on its way!

After nearly a year of working and waiting, the new-to-us Cessna 182 diesel plane is on its way here to Niger! The pilot, Bill Scott, will be flying over the next few days, Lord willing to arrive safely here in about a week. The new plane should really help the aviation ministry here, by reducing flying costs for missionaries, and hopefully make flying an option for more people.

We can't wait to have the plane arrive! It will be a celebration at the hangar next week when we hear he's coming in!

With the time and care being put into getting this plane prepared and out here we could feel almost like it's the birth of a new baby. This has been a long "pregnancy" and we are ready for the imminent arrival! The difference is that Kevin was the one to do the work and feel the pregnancy pains this time! Ha ha!

Thanks for praying with us for the safety of the pilot, as well as the arrival of the plane!