I'm BACK!

It has been a bit since my last post. That was at a different address. So, here it is, the first of many posts from this new location. I was pondering what on earth to call my new blog and I just kept thinking about my life. IT (my life) in and of itself is quite wonderful. As some of you may know, our family relocated here to Niamey, Niger in January 2010. I think our motivation was to experience "something wonderful".  So far, we have not been disappointed. We are not only privileged to work for an organization, CURE International, that provides quality surgeries in the developing world BUT to see our family change as a unit as well as as individuals is quite amazing. Believe me, I don't always see it, but I am taking this opportunity to focus on all things wonderful and wondrous in my life and in Niger. I am a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend among other things who desires to love Jesus with all I am. So from that vantage point, I will share my experiences and thoughts.

 Today started with a power outage that lasted for about three hours. So the kids got up at 6:00 to ready themselves for school and they did not skip a beat.  We are very fortunate to have a generator, but we are trying to be VERY mindful of the diesel we burn, so we use it sparingly. After spending the summer in the US, it is so much more evident how simple our life is. The wonders and joys of daily life here are easy to find with the right attitude. Before we left for the summer sometimes it was hard to find   the good in things. I am starting to see that is essential to life here. I could go on about the things that are tough but, I chose to talk about the bubbles, giggles, giraffes, crazy amusing traffic, livestock roaming the streets.....it is ALL about perspective, isn't it?? I have really enjoyed blogs that focus on thankfulness so, here is my slant.......

SO, today something wonderful to me is Bissap. This is a wonderful drink that is made from Hibiscus flowers. Leron and I visited the Petit Marche on Saturday and bought our first bunch of hibiscus.  I found a quick and easy recipe and I was good to go. 2 cups of dried hibiscus blossoms, 2 to 3 bunches of mint (ginger can be added for a nice bite). I let these item soak for about an hour and a half. Strain. Boil for about 5 minutes and then add sugar to taste. This is simply delicious!!

This blog will probably be short writings about the wonderful things in my life. I am hoping to include happenings at CURE as well as Sahel Academy, the school my children attend. So, if you have any questions about my life here, please feel free to ask. It may provide some interesting writing! Hope you enjoy this window into my life.