a chance to make a difference

an email I just sent out.
Dear Family and Friends,

It has been almost two months since we arrived in Maine-Soroa, our village of work.  In that short amount of time we have come to realize that the needs of the people are far greater than we can physically provide here in the field.  I want to share with you two passions I have in Maine; both encompass several different projects where a few dollars can make a real difference.

The first need involves the Barbara Kirker Second Chance School.  For those who don't know, it is the school where I am teaching ESL to 90 some students, ages 9-14. Barbara Kirker started this school because, for whatever reason, these kids could not enroll in school at 6, 7 or 8 years of age. The Nigerien government has a law stating that if a child is not in school by age 8l,≥ one may not enter school, ever.  The Barbara Kirker school provides an opportunity for kids to complete 6 years of schooling in 4 years in the hopes that these students will be able to matriculate in with their peers at the next educational level.  The kids are amazing and truly want to learn but have no real supplies to speak of.  Below is a list of "wants" which could help the students reach their goal--attaining an education.  Some items have dollar amounts; further information is needed before supplying the remaining amounts. 

Pens: $6/box

Notebooks: .$50-1.50 each

Chalk: $5/box

Mini Blackboards: $1

Wall Clocks: $10

Transformers/Regulators: $25-50

TV and DVD Player: $300

Globes

Maps

Computer Programs

Book Shelves

School Bell

Projector and Screen

French and English Books (I have a real burden to start a school library, especially since the literacy rate in Niger is less than 20%.  However, these are the only supplies that we can't really buy in country, therefore shipping costs would be another expense.)

The second passion is the Kirker Hospital "cafeteria."  I put it in italics because to call this space a cafeteria is to grossly exaggerate, however it is run by 5 amazing individuals who do their best with what they have, trying to serve 3 nutritional meals per day to patients and their families.  Every meal is cooked over a fire with well used pots.  The workers do everything, sorting beans, rice, corn, etc. to get rid of bugs and any other unwelcomed particles, preparing the food, delivering food to patients and families, and finally cleaning up.  It is hard work, especially in 100 plus degree heat.  We are trying to raise money for a small electric stove, but electricity is unreliable; we need other options.  The kitchen staff have a small gas stove but gas is expensive; therefore, gas is rarely used. The use of coal is encouraged. Alas, wood is the fuel most often used; this contributes to deforestation, an extremely large problem in the desert. It would be best to have several options for cooking.  Often food supplies run low.  This problem will most likely be accentuated, in the next few months, as this region of Niger was recently placed on a famine watch.  Below is a list of "wants" and the prices.

Electric Stove: $60-100

Gas: $15-30

Coal, 1 50 kilo sack which lasts 1 week: $5

Pots: $5-20

Large Soup Ladle: $6-10

Rice, 1 50 kilo sack which lasts 1 week: $45

Corn, 1 50 kilo sack which lasts 15 days: $20

Sorghum, 1 100 kilo sack which lasts 15 days: $40

Millet, 1 100 kilo sack which lasts 15 days: $30

As you can see, a few dollars can truly make a big difference.  

If you are interested in making a tax-deductible donation please visit the AHI, Adventist Health International, website at:

http://www.adventisthealthinternational.org/article.php?id=27

After clicking on the above link make sure that you follow the directions in the "please note" section, indicating that you want your contribution to go to Niger's Second Chance School or Niger's Kirker Hospital Cafeteria.  

We have also set up a Facebook page for the school and will soon be partnering with a website called AFRCN APPRL, http://www.afrcn.com/

where you can buy very cool clothes and have a part of the proceeds benefit the school.  If you go to their website and click blog, you will see a piece that I have written for them.  They are in the process of updating their "projects" to include the Barbara Kirker Second Chance School.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this.  If you would like to see pictures pertaining to these projects please visit my Facebook page or my blog (the link is below.)  If you have any questions or want more information email me!

Love,

Kari 

kmhart76@hotmail.com

http://4wanderingsouls.blogspot.com/

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.  It's not.  ~Dr. Seuss

Up To This Point...

So the writing every week on this blog thing has not been successful, as you can tell.  I think my problem is that I feel like I must pass on some great nugget of wisdom every time I write and most days I don't have any such thing ready at my fingertips.  I am going to give up that notion starting right now.  Please forgive me if this blog does not change your life.

It has been a non-stop adventure ever since I last wrote. Here is a brief rundown of the events up to this point (please read as the one, long run on sentence it is, since that is how it has felt):

said another round of goodbyes to our new friends in Niamey, welcomed the 3 other members of our team to niger, packed our stuff, 12 people, and 2 cats into 3 vehicles and made the 800 mile trek across the sub-sahara desert, arrived in Maine-Soroa after two very long days, settled in and within a week were experiencing a coup d’etat of the president who supported the hospital and school where we were beginning work, went to nigeria to visit the emir, were officially welcomed to Maine, said goodbye to the kirkers, really started work, soon uncovered lots of problems which will only be solved through time and patience, experienced crazy dust storms, entered the hot season, welcomed my mother for a month long visit, bought 125 cc motos and are learning to ride in the sand, and amongst all these events trying to comprehend 5 different languages, be culturally and spiritually sensitive as well as taking every day as it comes and honoring it for what it brings.  

The true measure of a man is not how he behaves in moments of comfort and convenience but how he stands at times of controversy and challenges. - martin luther king

devotion

i love words. i think i have loved them ever since i learned how to read. but i think that love was also solidified in 4th grade when any time that i finished my reading skills or studypaks early my teacher would have me complete the WordPower in Reader's Digest. i definitely love words, especially learning new ones.

devotion is not a new word per se as i of course have heard it numerous times in my life and have some sort of a grasp of its meaning. however, since moving to Niger, a mostly Muslim country, i have witnessed a daily spiritual devotion unlike any other i have seen. now i am not saying that Islam is the "right" religion or condoning its beliefs, i am simply writing about their prayerful devotion. and those who argue that it is all motion and nothing spiritual i would say, judge not, lest you be judged.

devotion in websters words is:

de⋅vo⋅tion

  [di-voh-shuhn]

–noun

1.	profound dedication; consecration.

2.	earnest attachment to a cause, person, etc.

3.	an assignment or appropriation to any purpose, cause, etc.:the devotion of one's wealth and time to scientific advancement.

4.	Often, devotions. Ecclesiastical. religious observance or worship; a form of prayer or worship for special use.

Synonyms: 2. zeal, ardor. See love.

i have been on the periphery of muslim prayer numerous times since arriving here, been woken up many mornings by the call to prayer and witnessed hundreds of people stop what they are doing and begin to pray. but it wasn't until i was visiting our friend lily in the clinic that i actually stopped and stared. i was glancing out the window when i heard the noon call to prayer and noticed a gentleman in the garden begin his preparations. i was riveted because i knew he couldn't see me and even though i felt like an intruder on something very private i could not stop watching. for the next 25, 30 minutes i was thoroughly moved by his devotion to prayer. he laid out his mat, performed ablutions, which involves thorough cleaning of the hands, face, mouth, nose, arms and feet and then proceeded to pray, which included many recitations, standing up, kneeling, and prostrating. knowing he did this 5 times a day made it even more intriguing. now one can argue his motives, his level of spiritualness, his honor or integrity but his devotion for prayer is obvious. he consciously makes a decision 5 times, everyday, to stop what he is doing, wherever he may be and pay tribute to his God. if that isn't profound dedication i don't know what is.

i like to think i am devoted to my God, to my husband and children, to family and friends, to making a difference in this world. but i know i have not been devoted to prayer in a way like that man portrayed. i have to stop and wonder what would happen to my spiritual life or to the above mentioned "devoteds" if i was that conscious of prayer time? i am quite certain my life would change dramatically in the sense that i would truly become devoted to those good things in life that are worth being devoted to, number 1 being my God who has blessed me with all the other good things i think i am devoted to.

the most beautiful part of webster's definition comes in the last synonym, love. if i could be truly devoted to prayer where i am consciously dedicating sections of my day to acknowledge and thank the one who placed me on this earth, an abundance of love, overflowing in all areas of my life, would come naturally.

not knowing what that prayer time meant to that particular man, i am still grateful to him for showing me a deep yearning and need to be more devoted in mine. my word for 2010, devoted.