No Notes.

I  dropped the kids off this morning at their ‘bus-stop’ carpool at 6:55.  Returned home and since I didn’t teach until 11am today, was going to enjoy a quiet, lazy morning with my Bible and a cup of hot tea (considering how chilly it is these days).  Right after Neal left for school at 7:40, the bug man showed up.  We forgot, but we made an appointment with him for today because I will normally be teaching at 8am.  However, since this week is orientation, the schedule is all different.  Anyway, Mr. Bugs appearance means you have to get out of the house.  I asked him to please spray outside first, trying to salvage some of my lazy time.   I then had him come in the house, expecting him to do all the rooms but my own.  I’m trying to buy all the time I can.  I was pretending to enjoy myself, but the fumes were getting to me.  Then I began to wonder if the nausea  and dizziness were my imagination.   At that point I decided I better get ready and leave.  I walked out of my room barefoot and stepped in a puddle of some kind of disinfectant outside the door.  At least I won’t have any critters bothering my feet.  I cleaned my feet and was on my way.  It was 9:55.

I wasn’t in a particular hurry, but it’s amazing how annoying it can be when you are behind a slow driver.  Especially one on a little motorbike, talking on his cell phone.  I couldn’t get around him!  I get near the Government offices and although there was a detour up a bit further, I was the last vehicle allowed through before the police closed the road for some VIP coming through.  I was thanking God for that.  I followed the detour around without making a wrong turn (that’s a big accomplishment for me) and ended up behind Mr. I’m out for a stroll in my car while I talk on the phone.  Ahhhgggg!  I couldn’t get around him on the bridge either.  No worries.  I’m in no hurry and have plenty of time.  I finally get across the bridge and to the school.  I pull up on the pile of rocks that haven’t been moved yet since we finished the building but were supposed to have been moved awhile ago…and I turn off the engine.  It was 10:25.  I reach to the seat to grab my stuff and all I see are my water and my purse.  No Bible, no study notes that I’ve put together over the past week.  I suppress panic, called Pastor Abdu over and explained that I had to go back home for my stuff, but would be back for my class.  Start car, back out of rock pile and start down the road.  I’d be kicking myself, but both feet are busy driving.  Now it normally takes 15-20 minutes to drive to church, not 30 as this trip took.  I began to do the math and thought there was a good possibility I wouldn’t be back by 11.  Especially with all the ‘circus’ events going on on the roads.  I talked to God.  I DO NOT teach without notes.  Oh really?  Yep!  I arrived at the roundpoint and had to make a split decision of whether or not I was going to turn right to cross back over the bridge, or trust God and continue straight back to the church.   I said out loud “Oh all right!”  But I reminded God that He will need to bring it all back.  That’s what the Holy Spirit is for.  Pastor Abdu saw me drive back into the rock pile.  I explained things and he said to me “The Holy Spirit is your teacher.   Many of the students are very ‘green’ as far as the Bible is concerned, so in the orientation Neal has classes set to teach major Bible characters and origin of the Bible.  My topic was Joseph.  Don’t laugh.  I know it’s almost a no-brainer but you must remember…I DO NOT teach without notes.  And I had some really good points about Joseph’s life that I didn’t want to forget.  Fortunately I caught Neal just as he was leaving so I was able to get his Bible.  Although it was an unfamiliar Bible to me, at least it was English!  I had a few minutes while Dad finished his teaching so I was able to scribble down a few things.  About 1/2 the class knew the story of Joseph.  When it was all said and done, everything went fine.  The students enjoyed the amazing story of Joseph’s life.   I even wondered if some of the students believed everything I was saying, since his character was so incredible.  Joseph trusted God to bring to pass the dream – against all odds/circumstances.  Certainly I can trust him to help me remember the things I’ve studied!  But I still WILL NOT teach without notes – at least not by choice!

Big is Beautiful?

I happen to live in a country where the bigger you are, the better. I know it’s hard to believe, but it’s true. It’s a sign of prosperity – you can afford to eat! I also live in a country where the dress code is conducive to unnoticeable weight gain. Take the common wrapper for instance. It’s a piece of cloth, 3 yards long. It’s standard wear for women. Skinny ones, fat ones (of which there are very few), and pregnant ones (of which there are very many).   One size does fit all. Now consider the smock or baby doll style top. Standard cover for the upper half. Can you see what I’m getting at? One could easily gain 10 pounds wearing these clothes and have no clue!

And if that’s not enough, one is encouraged to be big. In fact if one embarks on any type of weight loss effort and does begin to lose weight, he or she is constantly asked if he is sick. Why would you want to lose weight on purpose? Take Hannatu for instance. Remember the crying bride from my first post? Well Hannatu helps me in the kitchen. She worked for us in Maradi and when we moved, I hated to lose her. But I was not interested in being responsible for a single girl in Niamey. Besides, her fiance’, Yahaya, worked at our cake bakery in Maradi. This past year, we took over a bread bakery here in Niamey. We needed someone to bake the bread. Yahaya knew how. I was thrilled, knowing that they were soon to be married and he would bring her to Niamey as well. She’s back, and I’m happy. I think she’s happy too. I taught her how to make things like tortillas, bagels, pizza, lasagna, enchilada’s etc, and wasn’t really interested in starting all over. Back to big… We were working together in the kitchen yesterday, and I was telling her about the weight reduction plan Neal and I were on. Her enviously slim self replied. “Why? I can see you’ve already reduced. You’re good like this.” Now one might think that to be a nice complement. But you didn’t see her body language. While telling me how good I looked, she assumed a sort of sumo-wrestler stance – arms and legs straddled indicating there was too much fat in the way for them to hang loosely. Enough encouragement to make one forget the reduction plan and run straight to Taco Bell – if in fact there was one available.

And then there was the ministry team that came to visit several years ago. (Not mentioning names, you know who you are!) On the team there were some generously bodied ladies, myself included. We took the team to a village we hadn’t been to before to ride camels. Some of the ladies in the village were chattering among themselves. Nothing strange about that. But one lady finally approached me, and asked me a very sincere question. I started laughing so hard, I couldn’t even translate it to the bewildered team around me. This lady was looking around at all of us and said, “Where can we get some of that medicine that makes you fat?”

Such are the trials and tribulations I face at trying to be thin in a ‘wannabe fat world.’