As you read this, we are making our way to the capital, a 9+ hour drive south for a conference. The roads are a combination of dirt and pavement; pot holes, pedestrians, and livestock slow our progress considerably.

The 2012 OSAC Crime and Safety Reports were recently published. Here is what they have to say about road safety in Guinea:

Guinea’s road networks, both paved and unpaved, are underdeveloped and unsafe. Roads and vehicles are poorly maintained and there are few traffic signs. Livestock and pedestrians create constant road hazards.

Drivers are poorly trained and road safety rules are routinely ignored. Nighttime travel is not advisable because of the large number of animals and people on the roads. Further, most roadways have no street lights, and vehicles frequently operate without headlights.

Defensive driving is crucial, as drivers commonly pull in front of other vehicles or stop abruptly without warning. Equipment on many local vehicles and taxis do not function, such as turn signals, mirrors, headlights, tail lights. Be alert to motorcycles when changing lanes or when you are stopped in traffic. Drivers should pay attention to side streets, and honk the horn when approaching intersections during the day to avoid being hit from the side. When making cross-lane turns, always check rearview mirrors. It is not uncommon for traffic to pass on the side you are turning, even when you are using turn signals.

Public transportation vehicles are both unsafe and overcrowded. The embassy strongly discourages Americans from using public transportation. There are reports of passengers being attacked and robbed. Beware of taxis and mini-buses pulled over to the side of a road. Drivers often re-enter the roadway without looking.

We are particularly aware of the need to be defensive drivers. As the report states, a large number of animals and people are always on the roads, even the main thoroughfare that runs from our town to Conakry. David and I call it the “village mentality.” People and animals don’t look before running out into the road. In a small village with no vehicles present, why would they?

Just last month as we returned home from team meetings, we were driving through a village situated on the main road. The road was nicely paved at that point, so we were moving quickly {about 60 mph} and as we crested a hill, a young boy ran out in front of us without looking. It was the grace of God he didn’t die. Although it all happened so fast, I saw life in slow motion. The boy ran out, and then I looked at his father who threw his hands in the air with clenched fists before bringing them to his mouth. He stood there biting his knuckles while I looked back at the boy and said, “We’re gonna hit him.” David simultaneously slammed on the brakes and laid on the horn.  We missed him by an inch. God spared his life at the last minute by making him take a single step toward the shoulder of the road. It is the grace of God’s that he is still alive.

It seems as though we have countless stories about tractor trailers missing us by mere centimeters and the lives of people and livestock miraculously spared. I believe it is because of faithful supporters who cover us in prayer. Thank you for keeping us safe.

A runaway truck crashed into a home in Conakry.
There were no reported injuries.

Sitting at the table shaving cold butter off the block, I noticed the overhead solar light was having trouble keeping the darkness at bay. The room was cast in greyness. The butter was too stiff to spread on my wheat bread since I had put it back in the fridge after dinner. I’ve been baking more bread lately, and since dinner was 6 hours before, our bellies were way over due for second dinner. {Yes, I am a night owl.} My too-low chair was making me feel short beneath our too-high dining room table. Sitting there eating slices of buttered bread, I was wondering what to blog about.

“The girls sure are cute, aren’t they?” David interrupted my stream of consciousness.

“Yep.” I smiled. He asks me that question every day.

“I love it when they giggle. They giggle all the time. You kiss ‘em, they giggle. You chase them and they giggle.”

Little girl giggles are sweet.

My thoughts were carried to a distant village and the scene of a tragedy last week. In my mind’s eye, I could see a gravel courtyard with women washing clothing, pounding millet, and drawing water from a deep well. Brad, a colleague rode his bike past the courtyard. He takes the same bumpy dirt road every day, passes the same houses, says hello to the same people. As he passed the house with the women, he heard a frantic woman screaming for help. Someone had fallen. Brad stopped his bike and tried to piece together what had happened. If someone had broken a bone, he could use his police and EMT training to help.

As a crowd gathered around an opening to a well, Brad realized that a lady had fallen into it. He and other men quickly grabbed a bucket, threw it down to her and pulled her to safety. Once out of the well, Brad saw the woman was about 5 months pregnant. Slipping into and out of consciousness, he checked her vitals and wrapped her cuts. Once she was safely on her way to the hospital, Brad began talking to the other ladies in the compound. The woman hadn’t fallen into the well. She waited until she was alone in the courtyard and jumped headlong into it. She saw no other covering for the shame she felt for being pregnant out of wedlock.

Brad writes,

“As Americans, we don’t always fully grasp the power shame has over a person. We understand the concept of shame and the effects it can have on people, but shame is a living part of this culture. This woman would have rather died than carry the burden of shame in her family. But if only she knew the depth of God’s love for her and the forgiveness she can find in Him. Christ tells us that “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” God has given us this way out through Christ!

Though the woman survived this trial, unfortunately, her baby did not. Pray that God will begin to speak these truths into her life and that she will begin to see His light in this dark place. Pray also that we can be examples of this light in her life as we go and visit and show her that there is nothing she could do that could separate her from the love of God.”

I thought a lot about the sweet giggles that family will never hear. I thought, “Lord, I would have taken that baby. There are so many people who would have taken that baby.” Had she known the love of Christ, she may have found solace in Him instead of suffering in her situation.

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38, 39

David sent out an email update this morning. If you did not receive it and would like to be on our mailing list, please let us know by sending an email using the “Contact” button on the upper right hand corner of the screen. See it up there?

Enjoy reading about our team, and enjoy your weekend!

Our New Ministry Center

As of this month, we have begun renting a facility to use for a variety of ministries and outreach-oriented activities.  To begin with, we are moving our Fulbe believer meetings there since the location is more easily accessible to everyone.  I also plan to begin teaching on various topics there, such as discipleship and leadership.

Our Round Hut for Believer Meetings

Another major use for the facility is English classes.  Once I get tables, chairs, and ESL materials, such as textbooks, I will begin teaching a number of English as a Second Language classes and seminars.  Many people here have a strong desire to learn English.  Through these classes, I will be able to meet many new people.

The future may reveal yet more uses for the ministry facility.  One long-standing prayer of ours has been that God would send more workers to share Christ here in Guinea.  If more workers come to our town, our ministry facility is also a house that they could move right into.  Please pray with us for God’s blessing upon this new ministry center.

My happiest daydreams and intentions don’t come until the end of a second or third cup of coffee, and no earlier than 10 am. I am not now, and never have been a morning person.

About two years ago I received the most wonderful email from a new mom and dear friend. She wrote, “I am feeling fairly well, but without a doubt best after my coffee… I’m curious if anyone else finds their happiest daydreams and intentions and cleaning energy floating in at about the half-cup-empty (or full) mark.”

Here is my favorite cold coffee recipe:

{Using Guinea Ingredients}
7 tablespoons of powdered milk
1 heaping tablespoon white sugar
1 scant tablespoon Nescafe instant coffee
1½ cups water
Just a note: I never really measure ingredients here. I just toss them into a glass and stir. You might have to work at it to find the proportions you like best. For this recipe, David likes almost twice as much milk.

{Using Western Ingredients}
25 ounces coffee
1/2 cup sugar
6 cups milk

This CD is currently in the CD drive and its music fills the house near daily:

After almost a year, apples recently reappeared in the market. I really like dipping them in caramel made from pressure cooked sweetened condensed milk. Here’s how:

Remove the label from the sweetened condensed milk can. Place the unopened can in a pressure cooker with water half way up the side of the can. See that?

Next, boil the can in the pressure cooker for a half an hour after the pressure gauge starts to rock. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, put the can in a regular cooking pot, cover with water and boil for 2½  hours. Let sit until completely cool.

The caramel will last for years, and (trust me) we’ll use it before it expires, but I like to label and date the cans:

For cream cheese lovers, you can layer the caramel with cream cheese for optimal apple dipping.

My favorite children’s book as of late is a birthday present the girls received from Grammy:

I just finished Sword and Scalpel by Lorry Lutz. What an inspiring read from a modern day hero of the faith. Do you read? If so, what’s in your nightstand stack?

I am a planner, a list maker, a project-kind-of-gal. Our current project is the kitchen. After years of living with no cupboards, a local cabinet maker is working on them. We should be able to pick up the first one next week. I’m also hoping David will tint the paint he bought at the market last week so I can paint the walls before the cabinets go up.

As for ministry, I am loving gathering educational resources for my girls. And I continue to visit with folks when I have the opportunity. Language study is still the primary goal outside of caring for Thing One and Thing Two; however, I have not put as much time as needed toward this crucial task. Will you please pray with me that I will be a better steward of my time?

I am also keen on doing the Scripture Calendars for next year. We have very talented artists in our home church who do a fabulous job of illustrating them. Giving the calendars to friends is exciting and it’s encouraging to see God’s Word being read and valued.

No, not “to buy a fat pig.” For religious reasons, the Fulbe do not eat pork. Yesterday we set off to the market to visit friends and pass out these newly printed 2012 Scripture calendars:

David carried Annika while Amelie enjoyed the view from my back. The girls really like being tied to my back when we go out, because they can pull their arms inside the carrier and put their heads down so people can’t easily touch them. I tucked a stack of calendars under my arm so people would take interest in them and off we went. (I discovered that people take great interest in partially hidden items. If they can see into my shopping bag, just a little, then they ask me what I bought. If they think I am trying to hide something, it becomes intriguing).

First, we greeted our milk man, then our good friend in the “hardware” aisle, and on we went to find a new friend, Al, who had tried to help David find screws.  Last week, sitting in a small, dark market stall, huddled over a basket of used screws looking for the size David needed, Al noted that David was speaking Pular. “Can you read Pular too?” Al asked.

“Yes,” David replied.

The young man reached over and unlocked the small drawer of his wooden desk. “Can you read this?” He pulled out an old, dirt-smudged copy of Genesis.

“Where did you get that?” David questioned, surprised by the book the man held in his hand.

“Oh, I worked very hard to find this book. I had to search a really long time,” Al replied, “It’s the only one I have.”

As he opened the slightly tattered pages, David noted Al’s name written on the outside cover, the inside cover and the back cover. Clearly, that this was a prized possession that wasn’t meant to leave his shop.

“When you finish this one,” David said, “I will give you the second part of this book.”

When we arrived at Al’s stall yesterday, we gave him a calendar and David handed him a copy of Exodus. Al’s surprise was evident. He wondered why we would not only give him a calendar for free but the second portion of the Old Testament for free, too. Before we left, the guys set a date and time to visit, read, and talk about these books some more.

With Annika leading the way, off we rambled through the open air market with life to give, free for the taking…

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 100: 1-5

Math teachers, eat-your-heart-out! David used math (in real life!) to teach well workers how to calculate the amount of broken tile they needed to purchase to cover our well. Guineans waste very few resources, so even broken tile is sold and used to finish everything from showers to driveways. It was quite an exercise for the two men who probably never finished more than 8 years of elementary school (source).

For weeks, a few men worked by hand in the blazing sun to dig our well wider and deeper. Hand over hand they hauled up water, dirt, and rock in a bucket dumping it in front of our house to fill huge ruts the rainy season had carved into our road.

Finally, the well was ready to be capped, fitted with a hand pump, and tiled.

Everyone needs water to live, and toward the end of the dry season water can be especially hard to find. Fortunately, our well has never run dry and neighbors know they can come and draw from our well anytime. Just as we needed a well for water, the workers who dug the well needed living water.  During the weeks the men were in our courtyard, David shared the Good News with them under the shade of a banana plant although no decisions for Christ were made. I wonder how they will respond when God points not to the times they provided water through their hard work, but to the time they were freely offered living water.

But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:14)

In fact, it’s been raining for two days and two nights. Amazing, I know! With the exception of a few drips and drops in April for the mango trees, it doesn’t usually start raining until May. We couldn’t believe our ears when we heard the familiar “pat-a-tap-tap” on the tin roof. (David better get to fixin’ the leaks in our roof!)

What’s more amazing, we had cheeseburgers for dinner. That required making buns, and having meat and cheese in the house. It sounds like something small, but the meat and cheese is brought up from Conakry and the idea didn’t hit me until long about 4:30… very late in the day for bread-making.

David found these in town the other day:

I am on my second third okay, I ate all six packages in about three days. They resemble Oreo cookies, but are way better. I am certain the ingredients are not good for me in any of the seven languages listed. Never mind that.

Did you receive our Christmas card yet? I had the hardest time getting our mail out of the country the end of 2011. To my knowledge, they were taken to the US but have not yet arrived in your mailbox. I suppose I will have to mail Christmas cards in October this year.

After a week of team meetings, we are solidifying our plans for travel and ministry for 2012. Please let us know if you would like to come for a visit!

Amelie and Annika turned two on January 29. Because of our travel schedule, we had two owl themed parties for them. My very talented girlfriend, Amanda puts together a birthday box for them each year. Their first party was a little early with our team in a more southern town in Guinea, and the second was at home a few days after their birthday.

They ate cupcakes, buckeye bars, and rice krispies. They opened gifts and gave out fun party favors. We had games, cupcake shaped play dough, and these owl eye spy bags for each guest to take home:

Both girls are REALLY into the color blue right now. It’s the only color they always correctly identify. Their favorite gifts received this year were new pairs of blue socks.

Amelie loves all the new things. She walks around the house singing “Happy Birthday,” and holding things up and saying, “It’s new!” Annika also likes their doctor bags and this book (which I almost have memorized we’ve read it so many times):

Please pray that Amelie and Annika will continue to grow in wisdom and in their relationships with the Lord in this, their third year.