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September 2002
Vol. 2, No. 4
So much has happened during the 30 days—both positive and
tragic, that I know of no other way to begin but chronologically.
It was mid-August and I had been in Zinder, Niger, for about
six weeks. I’ve learned six weeks is kind of a maximum limit
that one can comfortably stay as a guest. After six weeks, you
have totally exhausted all conversation topics with the family
members, your novelty has worn off with them, other family members
(not your host, of course) start to ask you your future plans
for your next residence and everyone seems anxious to get back
to their routines and you become anxious for another change of
scenery. I was also ready to start doing a little cooking of my
own. Since I’ve arrived in Niger in late January, almost
every meal I’ve eaten has been selected for me. The idea
of preparing my own food once or twice a day was becoming appealing.
Also, I wanted to establish my own daily routine and not follow
the one my host family lived.
Unfortunately, my new house wasn’t finished at the Dogon
Gao Bible School. We were still waiting for funds to be transferred
from the United States so that work could again commence on the
house. We learned in August that the funds had been disbursed
and would probably arrive in September. It still might take two
additional months before this house would be ready for me to move.
Another two months in Zinder of living in Zinder would be a burden
for everyone and I wanted to get closer to my future work. It
would be rude to suggest to my host, the president of the Evangelical
Church of Niger, that I would like to leave, so I made the suggestion
to the Secretary General. I would see what would happen.
During the days, I was making myself useful by going to the president’s
office each day and working on the computer. I had my own telephone
line and could send and receive as much e-mail as I liked. It
was great and I got a lot of work done, including corresponding
with mission organizations by e-mail that might be interested
in doing projects in Niger. For example, I had learned of an organization
in Minnesota that has a biblical-based micro-credit program that
makes small loans for church members in under-developed countries
to help them buy productive assets (livestock, equipment, etc)
that would generate income and help them escape poverty. What
was unique about it was the program emphasized tithing and helped
instruct church members to see that they should share their material
blessings with the church to help the church grow. Since financial
sustainability is a big problem for Nigerien churches, this looked
like a wonderful model.
At the end of August in Niamey was a big wedding for the son
of an EERN regional president and almost everyone in the church
was making plans to go. While I have only known the family briefly,
I too wanted to go to Niamey, but for other reasons. The denomination’s
Secretary-General needed to be prepared for his upcoming speaking
tour in the United States. As part of the September 11 commemorations,
he and a Nigerien Muslim had been asked to speak on Muslim-Christian
relations for a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) interfaith program
called "The Listening Project." While he was in the
U.S., he was also scheduled meet to meet with several of the mission
groups with which I was corresponding. This was a great opportunity
to introduce the needs in Niger to U.S. Christian organizations
that knew little about the country. We used the time after the
wedding and the fact that so many church leaders were in the same
place at one time to hold two days of preparations and discussions
and, as a result, the church leaders made a lot of decisions.
It is so difficult to travel and communicate here because of the
limited infrastructure that one must take advantage of every opportunity
that presents itself.
Unfortunately, the drive back to Zinder from Niamey encountered
a tragedy. Our Land Cruiser struck and killed a five-year-old
boy in a rural area. At this time of year, the millet is seven
feet high and planted up to the road’s shoulder. We were
driving approximately 60 miles an hour on a good, flat stretch
of highway, but because of the millet’s height, we had little
peripheral vision. The boy was with his mother, who had stopped
at the edge of the road to adjust the baby on her back before
they crossed, when he suddenly left her side and darted off in
front of us, running as fast as his little legs could carry him.
Pastor Labo (the president of the denomination) was driving and
we barely had time to try to brake and swerve before we saw him.
The boy was struck by the front bull bar of the vehicle and was
killed instantly. There was no damage to the vehicle and no one
else was injured. The accident was terribly sad, terribly quick
and there was absolutely nothing that could have been done to
prevent it.
We needed to stay until the gendarmerie (kind of like the state
police) arrived and conducted an investigation. There were several
local witnesses who could attest that it was a tragic accident.
Pastor Labo, however, had to stay in the area and meet with a
criminal judge who would review the facts and make a ruling if
charges would be filed, although fortunately, none were. The rest
of us were allowed to continue with our trip to Zinder.
One of the decisions made in Niamey was that I would indeed leave
Zinder and move to the church’s guest house in Maradi, which
is located by the denomination’s office. Yea! I would finally
be closer to the Dogon Gao Bible School (about 20 minutes away)
and could start getting situated in the Maradi area.
I moved to Maradi on September 12 after spending 10 weeks with
the gracious Labo family in Zinder. Here in Maradi, I now have
a room and bath, and I moved my gas stove and fridge into it,
so I can do a little cooking. I’ll have my evening meal,
however, fixed by the guesthouse caretaker’s family and I’ll
pay them for that. I’ll now continue with my Hausa learning,
make trips to the Bible School and get more accustomed to my future
life here. My only problem is that I’m not sure how I will
have access to e-mail. The office’s phones are all hard-wired
into the walls and so I can’t connect my computer to their
phone lines. Plans are being made to install a new phone line
for e-mail and a new fax machine, but the state telephone company
is notoriously slow. I may have to use an Internet café
or find some other (less practical) arrangement. However, it is
so nice to have finally arrived!
Here are this month’s praise and prayer requests:
- Pray for the family of the 5-year-old boy who was killed by
the church vehicle and for Pastor Labo who was driving at the
time. Thank God that no others were hurt and continue to pray
for my safety in Niger.
- Praise God for a very successful September 13, 2002, meeting
between me, President Labo, and representatives of SIM (Serving
in Mission) over the future of a school-farm that has been the
source of concern and frustration for several years. We may
have experienced a breakthrough in how we can use the farm for
successful Christian stewardship and agricultural training ministry
in Niger.
- Pray for the six-week voyage of EERN General Secretary Hassane
Dan Karami who will participate in a Presbyterian (U.S.A.)-sponsored
tour on Christian-Muslim interfaith relations. While in the
U.S., he will meet with many Christian individuals and organizations
that are interested in future ministry opportunities in Niger.
Pray that God will bless this trip and these meetings so that
they are fruitful.
- Praise God that I am in Maradi and that He will guide me as
I establish my life and ministry here.
Thomas R. Johnson
Community Development Missionary
Reformed Church in America/Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Serving l'Église Évangélique de la République
du Niger
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