C'est la vie!

Hello friends!
    I’m beginning to wonder if I’m causing you stress for my lack of posting (I hope I would be missed if I got eaten by spider...) or if you all have given up on me yet.  Don’t worry! This will be either my second to last post or last one depending on how much energy I have when I get home Wednesday.  That’s right, Wednesday July 20th my feet will once again walk on Texas soil.  It really is hard to believe...  As I write to you, my journey has already begun.  I’m sitting in the guest house at Niamey having just stepped off the plane from Galmi a little over an hour ago. 

The children army...

    Before I leave Galmi behind there are some happenings I’d like to share with you.  In the time since I’ve last posted we’ve had more and more people pile into Galmi.  Among those were the Lau’s (a family of 7), the Meguill’s with their 3 young ones, the Stares with their two little boys, and 2 other short termers, Evan (from Alaska, graduated from Biola University in Cali) and Crystal (grew up in Niamey, has graduated and is back teaching).  Did I mention that there are more children on the compound than adults?  It’s playtime...all the time... Talk about bringing in some fresh energy and joy!  The poor parents were pooped.  If there is one thing that scares me about serving as a medical missionary, it’s traveling with and raising children abroad.  Oh boy... C’est la vie (That’s life) as they say. 
    Of the other notable things since the last post, one is particularly important.  After our July 4th barbeque, I lost all the weight I had gained from the meal quicker than I expected.  After lying in bed for hours in pain, vomiting seems so terrible, but the moment after is the most wonderful feeling.  I’ll spare you the details...  So for the rest of the week I wasn’t exactly available to work.  I spent my time indoors sleeping (or trying to) and in endless debate which was better, living with my hunger or the loosing the food after indulging.  Praise God the stomach thing healed up quick.  When you live on a compound full of doctors usually sickness doesn’t get a chance to hang around long.  I was back on my feet by Wednesday and working hard with a smile until Friday afternoon.  By then I managed to pick up something else though.  Let me explain. 

    Poor Will and Michael, the 2 that arrived recently, got sick almost the instant they arrived.  Michael was vomiting and Will had terrible congestion and a cough that quickly was recognized around the compound.  When you heard a cough you knew where to find Will!  By the time Michael felt better, I had just gotten sick.  Unfortunately something is still hanging onto Will, but he’s much better since I left Galmi.  The other thing I managed to pick up that Friday afternoon was exactly what Will had.  I exchanged no eating for no sleeping with constant coughing replacing my upset stomach.  It was frustrating to be sick because I had so little time left!  I wanted to complete my tasks given to me and to be there for others.  God taught me patience and great trust in Him during this time.  Looking back I miss being sick because of how close I felt to God during some of those times.  Just like my experiences when I traveled here, I find that God’s peace is present in the times I most needed it.  For that reason I want to seek out opportunities that push me to my limits because I know that’s where I fellowship with God the most.  I think being a Resident Assistant at JBU this coming year should make up for all the pushing I could want.  For the days I worked, I tried to get as much done on the cabinets built by the competing carpenters, helped a bit with crutches, and got on Starke’s roof to scrub off rust to prepare it to be painted.

French fry success! Aka. Kitchen=not on fire

    Being sick is not the only thing worth mentioning.  Have you ever had GRILLED pizza?  In the middle of the desert nothing tasted better!  For Michael Harling, “Doctor” Michael, we had a farewell cookout July 11.  Never has pizza tasted so awesome.  Also never have french fries tasted so often.  Guess who’s kitchen did NOT catch on fire this time.  That’s right.  I, Josh Morgan, successfully did not catch my kitchen on fire.  The french fries turned out great, but the fact that I walked in with eyebrows intact and smelling normal was my gem for the evening (well normal smelling as in not smokey..).

Will and Evan diggin the pizz

  All of the regulars showed up, including all the STA’s and Deb.  Deb is a smart woman.  Befriend the STA’s and get their stuff when they leave!  I’m just kidding.  She was a true blessing along with all the others I met there.  I especially enjoyed my time getting to know Will, Michael, and Evan.  They’re pretty awesome guys with huge hearts for God.  I wish I could take them back and keep em around.  I’m not so sure how they’d feel about that... I will miss them all a lot.
    Amidst all the sadness, I was quite happy with my packing.  Getting everything into one bag was SO satisfying.  Of course, it helped that not everything I took was coming home with me.  Since half of the things I packed last time were food, most people were willing to lighten my load.  I ended using 3 packs of ramen out of the 30 or so I brought.  The other hungry college guys were ecstatic.  It’s true that it’s the little things that mean the most.  I left all 3 bottles of sunscreen which I put on maybe 3 or 4 times during my stay there so there was plenty to go around.  Most of the toiletries got picked up and a few office-like supplies I had. 

The gang

My shop bro's (can I say that?)

    Upon leaving, I was blessed to have a small crowd see me off from the Galmi airstrip.  I was surprised and touched at the number of shop workers who had come to wish me farewell.  As Deb said, despite that we couldn’t establish friendship through conversation, the fact that I was there working hard among them made me family.  When Douda and Abraham asked when I was coming back, I was sad to tell them that I didn’t know.  Maybe someday I’ll return as Michael Harling did, but even then I would work in the hospital and not see them as often.  I can imagine that like Michael, studying would take the place of much of my time as well.  I ended up telling them that I might return in 11 years after I’m done with schooling.  It sounds unbelievable but that’s what you get when you add up 2 more years of undergrad, 4 years of medical school, and 5 years of residency.  As I told them, I laughed in disbelief.  It still phases me that I’ll have spent almost 30 years of my life in school by the time I’m done, but I feel at peace and confident that medicine is the path God has called me to.  It’s one of those things someday if I make it, I’ll look back and say only by God’s grace did I succeed.  I hope others too who know me and who have known my struggles will say, “Your Lord, He is God!” because it will be so evident that I could not have done this on my own.  So far I see there have been too many events and people in my life to ignore who have helped me blaze this trail.  Thank you again for your support and prayer that have made my time to process this happen and have given me the chance to serve the community of Galmi and be a blessing among them. 

    Now as I write this last bit, I’m sitting in the SIM office in Charolette, NC.  Unfortunately I didn’t have internet to post this between my time in Niamey and my travels on the way home.  Traveling back was much easier, partly because I’m more comfortable traveling and also United States’ airline companies typically don’t lose your baggage... There definitely is culture shock being back in the States.  Reverse culture shock is what I’ve been told they call it.  I almost left Galmi without getting my phone and passport out of the compound safe.  When I went to get them, I honestly could not remember what my cell phone looked like.  Holding it felt so odd and a bit like putting a chain on.  There’s something freeing about not having a cell a phone attached to my hip all day long, but being connected through the internet over there has helped with the technology flood (Well, at least when there was power available).  It’ll be weird to not have power daily, sometimes hourly power outages.  Having reliable electricity almost feels uncomfortable after being so used to not having it.  That certainly is funny to think about.
    Reading the progression of this blog makes me dizzy.  Hopefully it can give you a good feel of how crazy and fast these past few days have been for me.  Just 2 days ago I woke up, cooked breakfast, and packed my things on a different continent.  The place I left was becoming more and more like home.  I said stepping onto the plane at Galmi that I felt as though I was leaving home to return home.  I’ve processed most of what it means to leave, but I know there’s a great deal of processing to do now that I’ve returned.  

The pilot needed a break, don't worry I've watched him do this before.

    I look forward to getting in touch with you all when I finally get home.  If you haven’t heard, Dallas Bible Church has kindly allowed me to host a kind of get together Sunday the 24th to give anyone who wants it a rundown of my experiences.  It starts at 2 p.m. and will last until about 4.  I apologize if I don’t emerge from my house for the next few days when I finally get home.  Haha I’ll probably be sleeping and maybe will get up to do things like eat and process the trip until then.  Speaking of eating, I think we might go to Chick-fil-a for lunch... It’s the one place that’s been on my mind traveling home.  Of course it also was technically my last meal in America so it kind of makes sense.  Anyways I hope you all are well!  I hope also to see you again soon :) 

By prayer,

Blessings :)
Josh
   

A test, an architect, a snake, and a birthday.

Wow! It’s been a while.  Between keeping busy, forgetting to post, and no electricity, I apologize for how little I’ve posted.  Things are going well here! I’ve kind of slipped into the norm so to speak.  Life here is simple and moves at a relatively easy pace.  I guess I do have a lot to catch up, but bear with me!  I hope to keep you at least slightly entertained :)

A camel at Market Day

In the last few weeks since I’ve written nothing outlandish has happened, well nothing that wouldn’t be considered abnormal in Africa.  I did get a chance to go to Market Day for the first time a week ago.  Every Wednesday in Galmi and in other towns across Niger, merchants all gather together to sell their goods.  The prospects of finding something you actually want to spend money on are slim however.  When I went with Deb, Grace, and Will, the majority of things I saw were of no use to me and nothing appealing for the sake of a souvenir.  Market day serves more to provide essentials for people here like cooking spices and food, every type of car/engine/random mechanical parts you can think of, flashlights (they last 2 days..maybe..), plastic buckets, giant clay pots.  The list goes on and on.  I’ve been told that on my trip back through Niamey I can find things there.  It was indeed a good cultural experience though :)
    Back on the compound we had another young man join us.  There are now 4 of us here.  Michael, the medical student, Will, the fellow undergraduate pre-med, and now another Michael, who happens to be best friends with will and is studying architecture at Georgia Tech.  I was reminded the other day about how incredibly blessed I am to have these guys.  They have been great for fellowship and community.  We all live right next to each other so we’ll eat lunch and sometimes dinner together as well.  I try to imagine what a completely different experience this would have been without them.  I think it would have probably been a bit harder, but it certainly would’ve been a good kind of different.  All I can say is that the Lord certainly has blessed us by giving us each other!
   

Lots of crutches!

At work, I am continuing to help make crutches.  Praise God because we have good wood this time!  The first batch I made with Abraham was awful.  The wood supplier here will give you 5 large boards for a sample and they are all wonderful pieces of wood, but when you order it on the other hand... Abraham and I sorted through 15 pieces  of 12 foot pieces of wood and found only 2 that were adequate.  I say all that to help you understand how awesome it is to have some good wood haha
   

One of the drawings, the final product :)

Besides crutches I was recently asked to design a carpentry test.  I continue to find it hilarious and a bit terrifying that I am considered the resident “expert carpenter”.  I was also asked to judge the work of each man.  Essentially, a large part of their decision rested on my opinion.  I wasn’t too found of this idea but they insisted.  I ended up deciding to kill 2 birds with 1 stone.  Grace, who is in charge of compound projects, asked me to build 3 large cabinets with locking doors for one of the buildings here.  Fortunately, there happened to be 3 men vying for this new carpenter position.  So I drew up some plans with measurements in inches, shaded and penned them in, and then handed them over to the head of the shop Daniel.  I’ve included what the final outside view looks like, but if you were to remove the front panel with the door, that is what I ended up judging.  I found it so funny that all they completely disregarded my clear, obvious instructions for a certain part of the cabinet.  Instead of attaching the back wall between the bottom and top panel, it was just slapped on the back.  A much easier way of doing it and a way that didn’t hurt the overall function of the cabinet, but it still amused me that all 3 of them blatantly disregarded instructrions.. Also if you happen to be in an country but the United States, DON’T use inches.  That was a struggle for them as well ( I ended up converting the measurements). 
    In the end all the cabinets turned out fairly good, but I had one in mind that I liked.  I was surprised that I decided to take a day and pray about it.  Usually I tend to do things with my own wisdom, but I was glad I did.  The pressure of deciding of who to hire included how would the unchosen men take it? Would the one I chose be a blessing and a great help to the shop?  Would the one I chose be the same one the head carpenter liked?  If I chose poorly would it give the shop workers a reason to distrust the white missionaries in the future? I think these doubts are what motivated me to pray.  God answered and as usual, amazed me.  Not only was my choice consistent with the current head carpenter at the shop, also if any of the other shop workers had an opinion, they chose the same one I did.  The vote was unanimous!  That was a great relief :)
    If I don’t learn anything in the coming weeks, I know that I will at least return home with the growing passion and excitement about the gift of prayer.  Soren Kierkegaard once said, “Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays.”  Starting my day with it has allowed me to “live by the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16) and be filled with hope, patience, and the absolute joy that comes with trusting God with EVERYTHING.  I recommend prayer not for me but for yourselves.  It’s a life changer.  My next challenge is to change my attitude towards reading Scripture.  Like with prayer, I hope to have a change of heart, so that no worldly time limits or degree of weariness will stifle my passion for reading and knowing Scripture.  This is also for your sake so that I can encourage you, my beloved friends and family. 
    In other news, there was a snake in my house a couple days ago.  The bad news is that it got in. The good news is that it is the first creepy critter among the many here to be found in my house and also that it is now dead.  I’m beginning to think that either I’m really lucky or that the scorpions, giant camel spiders, and other snakes have just generally been really good at hiding...  Will, Michael (the architect), and I scared the snake out of the house, but much to our frustration it immediately retreated INTO the leg of a metal chair on our porch.  After much banging, shaking, and even telling the other, confused Michael that the chair had an evil spirit,  we decided to flush it out with the hose.  At first it wasn’t working, but eventually the snake had to come out for air.  He would poke his head out and breath, and it wasn’t until Will snuck up on him and whipped him out with a knife that he was out of the chair.  We pinned him down and proceeded to cut off his head.  I learned that the dismembered head of a snake can still bit you an inject venom.  Kinda creepy...I watched the little head squirm around and bite the knife.  We couldn’t decide whether it was a baby mamba or a garden snake.  There is quite a difference let me assure you.  All that matters though is that it is now dead and its remains (several parts) rest safely in my garden.  Michael (the med student) took several pictures that I’ll have to get from him later.
   

The men.  Michael, Michael and Will

Ah...Meat.

Veronica with her cake and candles :)

Last but not least, Veronica’s birthday was yesterday!  She had been so kind to me and to others that I insisted that we host a birthday party of sorts for her.  I didn’t realize that doing so quickly put me in charge of the whole thing haha.  I helped pull everyone together to help with dinner.  All the guys, including myself, were in charge of making chili to put on rice.  I’ve trimmed meat before and I’m glad that I can enjoy doing it while listening to music because it took me at least 3 hours to beat through this stuff.  In the end it was so delicious though!  Pressure cookers a great help tenderizing the stuff , even though rumors float around that they tend to explode... I was reassured that this rarely happens but it is a little scary to sit staring at a giant metal pressurized pot as it whistles at you.  One of the ladies made an ice cake, which by far was one of the best deserts I've had so far here.  The fellowship was great and thanks to everyone’s effort it definitely made Veronica’s day :)

    It’s so excellent to have friends here, yet it saddens me to think I may never see them again on this earth.  I can’t believe that I only have 2 more full weeks here.  Time has flown by and is always seems to do.  Will said something a while back that really encouraged me.  As an MK (Missionary Kid), he has moved numerous times in his life often every year or every other year.  As you can imagine, it’s not easy opening up to people and keeping close, intimate friendships.  He said for himself that he finds it encouraging to think of heaven and eternity.  There in eternity, we have no limit on our time and energy to invest in others.  He often thinks to himself when he leaves a new friend that is also a believer, that he doesn’t have to upset because one day he will have all the time he could ever need to get to know this person more intimately than we could ever hope to here on earth. 
    This place has been a blessing to me and it’s sad that I’ll be leaving soon, yet I am so ready to return and hit the ground running.  Watching surgeries has been excellent and it has inspired and excited me about getting back to school and studying hard.  I’m just glad it hasn’t produced the opposite in me.  More exciting than that is the prospect of being able to see you all and fellowship with you once again :)
    Thank you for your prayers and for the time you took to read this.  I hope you all are having a wonderful summer!  I hope to see you soon, but until then I also hope to post again haha

Many blessings,
Josh

The More the Merrier!

Dr. Veronica Kramer, Michael, and I

     The general mood of the compound was dampened Wednesday by a death.  His name was Illiya, and he has been working in the hospital’s pharmacy for some time now.  Prone to epileptic seizures and living on his own led to his untimely death sometime Tuesday night.  I never knew or met the man, but his death has indirectly had an impact on me.  Praise God, he is our brother in Christ and rests now in eternal peace. There are many here who knew him and cherished him, and I’m glad they have the hope that one day they will see him again.  My previous experiences with death here at the hospital was very different.  Death is so commonplace that it seems most people show no emotion or shock, even at the death of their own child.  This man’s death was not the same.  His life must have had quite an impact because the shop and most of the hospital were shut down Wednesday at the news of his death. 
    I was able to attend the funeral on Wednesday where over 200 hundred people gathered.  Traditionally all the men gathered closely around the open grave and the women stood back. The head pastor talked about Illiya and then the floor was opened to whoever else wanted speak.  To those who had been at a funeral before, they were surprised at the way people stumbled over each other trying to get in a word about this man.  He was indeed highly respected.   
    We had a new friend join us Wednesday morning.  Will O’Kelly spent 5 years of his life in Niger just down the road.  It’s been a while for him and he’s happy to be back.  I was surprised to learn that he is a fellow pre-med student going into his junior year.  Out here it’s pretty great to have someone facing some of the same difficulties, who has the some of the same interests as you.  We already had a good conversation Friday about school and about the difficulties we face ahead.  Both of us are worried about how intensive school will be, and the sacrifices we have to make like seeing our families or even having a hobby.  And most importantly will we be able to stay faithful to God during these times?  I’ve experienced intimacy with God in incredible ways during times of difficulty and trial, but I must make the decision to lean into him or to lean away.  
    We are also expecting another Michael to come in sometime soon.  He happens to be best friends with Will but has never been overseas.  Here on the compound they originally planned to put in 2 new duplexes this summer, but it looks like only 1 will be finished.  I say this because Michael, an undergraduate architect student, is expected to draw up plans for this house.  I continue to be surprised and impressed at the incredible confidence they have in people with little experience.  Out here you just have to use what you’ve got I suppose.  I was even asked to look into solving foundation problems for some of the houses the other day.  I don’t think that’s going to happen... Michael, the medical student here now, is being asked to do things he’s never done before and things he feels uncomfortable doing.  Praise God though that he is doing an amazing job and is beginning to feel more and more confident about his abilities.  I feel a bit more confident with the wood work I’m doing as well.  It’s been a good thing to be pushed out of my comfort zone a bit.  It’s also been good to be able to give back.  I spent a lot of time in the hospital the first few weeks here and now I’m a bit relieved to find that I’m actually doing something to benefit the community.  I’m mostly doing small general repairs around the compound that have been put off again and again.  Nothing too exciting to report.  Will and I are going to be in charge of uprooting and moving the compound playground pretty soon here.  That should be an interesting challenge.
    Dinner for the past few nights was awesome.  One of the biggest reasons why is that I didn’t cook it.  Providing a meal requires a lot time and resources, but to the people here they could care less about those things.  To enjoy a meal with others is worth 10x the effort it takes to prepare one in their eyes.  I’m beginning to believe that too.  I just fear that if I ever entertain people at my house they probably will go home hungry and I’ll be stuck with a lot of leftovers... Haha I think it’s better that I stick to washing their dishes and bringing ingredients when they’re needed.  The days continue to fly by here.  Sometimes I find myself wishing I could stay for the fall semester.  As so many have warned me, I’m finding that the time I have here is just enough to get comfortable and then I get on the plane and leave. 
     It's personally been a blessing being here.  Even though I'm busy, there always seems to be time to reflect and do some soul searching.  Every day I'm surprised again with how much there is left to learn.  God is so good to afford me patience in learning these things.  I’m beginning to believe that growing up doesn’t have a finish line.  I was reminded yesterday that the joy of the journey can be one of the best parts if you so choose!

Why I'm still alive. (Got your attention didn't I?)

This picture shall soon be explained..

Greetings!
    If there was a sport called blogging, I’d be dead last.  I always struggled to keep a personal journal, so I can assure you, remembering to blog isn’t much easier.  My apologies for keeping you all in the dark.  I’m still alive I promise! 
    It occurred to me that I left you with some cliffhangers and lacking information which hopefully I can fill for you quickly.  I noticed that I mentioned MIchael quite a lot but failed to explain who this awesome guy is.  He just finished his 3rd year in medical school and is on his way to become a general surgeon.  His kindness towards me started the day I got here.  We happen to be neighbors which has helped so much.  I mentioned before that the hospital can be a dark place, but I was foolish to forget what a wonderful place of healing and life it is as well.  The doctors do a wonderful job with the little they have.  Surgery is a frightening and beautiful thing to watch.  Thanks to the Galmi hospital, many have survived that otherwise would have not.  Some are blessed to go through rehab and learn how to live without a limb or with a limp.  It can be a sad place, but there is beauty here too :)
    Also a crucial piece of information was left out.  I have received my second bag!  It came no more than a week after I’d arrived in Galmi (6/1) and just in time for me to stop missing it.  Having toiletries is a blessing though haha.  I’m so sorry I didn’t mention this sooner as I asked you all to be in prayer for it.  Well, God answered! I believe that fills in the gaps, so I’ll go ahead and try to catch you up on all that’s happened recently. 

Here's a complete crutch

      I don’t think I’ll ever be certain what my week is going to look like, seeing that I’ve basically woken up each morning and then found out where I’m going.  I’ve hardly been in the hospital at all this week.  Most of my time has been helping Abraham build crutches for the people in the hospital.  This was my first big assignment in the shop, to smooth out the process for building the crutches and cut down on errors.  So far so good; I’m praying diligently that these things turn out good for the sake of our Occupational Therapist, Deb.  Deb is pretty darn awesome.  She jokingly claims to be the best OT ever and I’m beginning to think she is.  Unfortunately the crutch issue has caused her a great deal of frustration and has cost her a lot time she didn’t have, fixing small, significant problems so the crutches could function.  I really do pray that everything I’m doing to help gives her a break. 
    The rest of my time has been spent doing odd jobs like fixing cabinet hinges, sealing off holes in the ceiling, and general repairs around an empty house.  My father and the experience I’ve had with him has been a tremendous help.  Just being comfortable with the tools I’m using has made things so much easier.  Maybe being the “miracle carpenter” isn’t so bad after all...

   
 Pictured left to right, top to bottom:  Deb, Grace, Me, Noemi, Christina, Mrs. Zoolkoski, and Glory all just before Glory and the Zoolkoski's headed out.
 
Home life here is good.  I have commodities like filtered water, a refrigerator, an oven, and even a microwave!  It’s so nice to have internet here.  Again I praise God for Michael, who on top of being a brilliant medical student has been gifted with the ability to work with computers.  The internet here is working much better than it has been, and I anticipate when he leaves a week early than I that I may not have contact with the outside world for a while.  Yes, he’s that good.  My breakfast and lunch have consistently been the same.  2 scrambled eggs for breakfast and PB&J for lunch.  The peanut butter here is fantastic!  Home made, no preservatives.  Yummmm!  As for dinner, thankfully Michael isn’t the only one who likes to cook.  Both Deb and Veronica, our pediatrician, have had us over once or twice and sent me home with leftovers.  The dinners I’ve cooked so far consisted of spaghetti, rice, and more PB&J.  I was frightened into believing that cooking experiments are a terrible idea so I’m wondering if I’ll ever break the trend. 
    This is the part where the lovely fire picture gets explained.  Some nights ago, Veronic made awesome french fries, some potatoes boiled in cooking oil.  Last night night I decided it was my turn.  (I have enough small potatoes in my fridge for all of Galmi).  I pulled out a small pot, poured in a decent amount of cooking oil, and set it on the burner.  This was exciting! I could already taste the fried taters.  They were cut and ready to be put in.  As I waited for it to boil I turned to the sink to wash a dish I needed.  I heard a crackle and turned to see that fire was coming out from under the lid.  At this point I don’t know what to blame it on, maybe lack of sleep?  I’m leaning towards sheer stupidity.  Forgetting that oil fires and water don’t mix I proceed to pour a bit on.  It didn’t take much to fill my kitchen with thick black smoke and my small fire erupt in to a raging column of flames.  Now, thank goodness, the picture you see is not from my cooking failure rather from a fun thing my friends and I do back at home called a wax bomb.  Just boil wax and add water and tada! A beautiful fire column towering as high as 30 feet.  You think after having done this multiple times that it might have crossed my mind not to add water.  Nope.  Having a small scale one in my kitchen when I least expected it was not so exciting, neither is the lingering smell that has soaked into the walls and the majority of my belongings.  I’m just glad I’m safe honestly.  That could have been much much worse.  Once again Michael to the rescue.  He happened to have a large fan that I used to channel out the cloud of fumes to make my home habitable again.  I just noticed that the cobwebs lining my ceiling are now saturated with ashes of oil... But life is good :) I’m healthy and safe from harm, which is more than I could say for most people here. 
    I realize how long this blog is and hopefully it hasn’t gotten terribly dull yet.  I’ve saved the most important for last.  Recently, it occurred to me that although I love many people, I was missing a crucial piece to loving them completely.  Suddenly I realized in my relationships with God and the friends and family I love so dearly, I have been intentionally getting to know them.  To really know a loved one implies that you know their needs, personality, bad habits, favorite hobbies.  You know what makes them who they are, or at least you try your best to.  Without this knowledge, how can you attend to their specific needs?  How can you love them if you don’t know how they accept love best?  Even in the Bible there are times when to know implies the highest level of intimacy.  As incredibly basic as it sounds, I understand more fully now.  I would go so far as to say that you cannot claim to truly love a person if you do know them.  What you and what I called love is just a shadow, cast by the real thing. 
    Taking this in is overwhelming.  So I’m supposed to fully know God and his people before I can ever claim to love them??  I quickly reminded myself that I am human and there is no way that’s possible.  I remember hearing stories about couples, late in their life, saying they feel they know so much about their spouse, yet they feel that the journey to knowing them completely will never be over.  The same certainly holds true for God.  We are finite beings, how could I EVER hope to grasp even a small measure of who God is in this lifetime?  So I see then that this quest to know others and to know God goes in hand with a patient attitude and the eager mind of a child, curious and never satisfied with just one question answered. 
    I didn’t want to sound preachy.  I apologize if I did.  I feel like writing here is the first time I really got to process it and I ask for your help in prayer if you think of me.  I realize that understanding this finally has been a personal answer to prayer and a reminder that I know so so little.  Praise God that He is a big god and that He cares for us individually as well as a whole.  The sheer amount of metaphorical dross to be melted away in my life is huge!  And then I’m reminded: 

    “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will give   
      him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil , know how to give good gifrts to your children, how
      much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” - Matthew 7:9-10
   
    “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard see, you can say to this mountain,
     ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” - Matthew 17:20

Blessings,
Josh

Hello's and Goodbye's

Behold! Nails + Hammer + Cluelessness = pallet

Hello friends!
    Since the last update on Sunday I’ve been keeping busy.  I usually go to bed around 12 or so and get up at about 630.  God has graciously bestowed on us poor humans the gift of coffee.  I haven’t drank it everyday, but when I do you can bet there’s a difference! The day is divided up by breaks, one from 10-1030 and an afternoon siesta from 1-3.  I don’t have a problem with the heat here.  It feels a lot like home, good ol’ Texas...
    I still don’t really have a set schedule yet which is both freeing and frustrating.  I wake up and depending on my mood I either head over to the hospital to shadow or go to work in the shop with Abraham.  I managed to actually build something from scratch the other day for the first time.  It sure is nice to be familiar with most of the tools in the shop.  I’ve included a picture of my first wooden pallet! Hurray! Haha it was pretty simple to build, but it was nice to “prove myself” to the other shop workers that I am indeed competent and not just around to be a burden. 
    I’ve finally confirmed who it is that I’ll technically be shadowing.  Dr. Starke is the head of surgery here and Dr. Kramer is the head of pediatrics.  Both are wonderful people I’ve spent a lot of time with already.  Here is different than the shop.  I often feel like I’m just in the way, not because of anything the doctors have said.  I hope to find someway that I can serve them more instead of just stand around and watch all day.  Michael continues to be a great help as he often tells me much more about a body part or disease then I ever thought I’d hear about.  It’s quite nice to understanding what’s happening, especially when the doctors are too busy or are concentrating on the task at hand.  I think I have over 12 hours of material to write on already!  Unfortunately typing it wears me out... By the time I’m done in the evenings I just want to sleep or take a walk. Hence the terrible habit of not updating the blog... 
    Yesterday (6/4), we had a barbeque as kind of a send off to a couple people.  The Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Zoolkoski, and his family are headed out Wednesday along with Glory.  I’ll miss the Zoolkoski family even though I didn’t get too much of chance to really hang out with them.  There youngest son, Joel, is the most inquisitive, innocent, and funny kid I’ve met.  Still wish I had more time to spend with him. Glory graduated high school last spring and took a year off between college.  Sounds like a great idea honestly.  She is a fellow Texan and future pre-med student with plans to start at A&M next year.  She’s been in Galmi almost 6 months now!  Kinda crazy to think I’ll only be here a little less than 2.  Another family, the Schellhase’s, are also on their way out.  It was a good, fun evening with plenty of food and some great fellowship.  I continue to be impressed and touched by the incredible, godly community here.  It’s sad to see such great people leave.  I know they’re great because of the many stories I heard that night about how much they’ll be missed. 
    Today is Sunday, and it is the day that Michael and I will be preaching in church.  Yes, when you arrive at Galmi you get a warm greeting and “Oh! By the way could you throw together a sermon for Sunday? Yea, that would great!”  Haha, it’s been such a blessing though.  I spent most of Saturday morning and all of today Sunday reading and preparing for this evening.  I hope to post Michael and I’s sermon here soon so you all can judge for yourselves if we did alright. 
    God is doing some good things in my heart here.  Things I intend on sharing with you soon, but now I must go and finish preparing for this evening. 
    Please keep Michael and I in your prayers as you read this. 
Blessings,
Josh

I’m in Galmi! (The long awaited and overdue post..)

On the flight to Galmi.

Well I made it at last! Took one week from leaving Dallas, TX (5/18) to arrive here at Galmi, Niger (5/25).  Much has happened in the last few days.  I’ve certainly been kept busy since I stepped onto the missionary compound.  I flew with SIM air from Niamey to Galmi, about a 90 minute trip.  The bus ride here is an experience they say... Over 7 hours long and if you’re lucky you get the bus with air conditioning! I might have to try my luck on the way back ;) 
    After arriving Wednesday afternoon I was thrown right into the mix of things.  I ended up hanging out at the hospital for a few hours getting acquainted with staff and quickly forgetting names I’d heard minutes before.  The staff here on the compound are incredible people.  I’ve only known them for a few days and 3 families have already had me over for supper to ease the transition.  Now and then someone will show up at my doorstep with food or another might jokingly act aloof to the fact that I owe them money for something.  It’s been a very easy transition so far.  We’ll see if it lasts haha.
    Still haven’t gotten my 2nd piece of luggage yet, but man am I thankful that I have at least one piece!  I realize more and more what a blessing it is that God delivered to me at least one. 
    The people here are very kind.  The most important thing you can do in this cultural is learn to greet people, regardless of whether you saw them 2 minutes ago or 2 days ago.  The language thing is still getting to me.  I’m working in the shop right now with a gentlemen named Abraham that speaks only French and Hausa.  Needless to say our time together has been interesting.  There is one thing that I have to mention.  It’s both hilarious and quite unfortunate... In my application to SIM some time ago, when I was distracted by school and other things I mentioned that I had some carpentry experience from working with my father.  The missionaries of Galmi quickly took this as I was a full time professional carpenter.  I’ve since dispelled the rumors that I am indeed no “miracle” carpenter come to save the place from creaks and decay, but I have offered what I know.   Please pray that my shop partner and I keep our patience and our heads working with each other as well as any others who don’t speak English that I run across. 
    The hospital is a dark place.  Death happens often, especially with children.  I was told to expect it.  I haven’t witnessed anyone pass yet, but Michael who was on call on Saturday was praying over a child before surgery when it passed away.  He had a rough day, and once again I was taken back by the sheer volume of care and support he received not an hour after from the community around here.  I beginning to think I want to live here long term simply because of the people I’ve met in a weekends time.  I’ve gotten the chance to witness some surgeries and to watch the process of admitting patients to the hospital.  In the shop I’ve been helping to make crutches for the recovering patients.  Who knows what’s in store for this week!
    Cooking for myself begins this week :P I’m excited and a bit nervous.  There is no Walmart in Galmi.  Finding food here involves bargaining with locals which is entertaining to watch but it’s not for me.  Michael and I may have struck a deal, if I clean dishes (which he hates to do) then he’ll cook (which I lack talent in).  I can also learn from him as well so I don’t walk away empty handed.  I’ll let you know how the whole food thing goes. 
    My eyelids are getting heavy and tomorrow is a new day and the beginning to a new and full week.  If I could have prayer for direction during my stay here that would be wonderful.  I would like to find out if medicine is right for me now, not after my 2nd year in medical school. 

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this blog! It means a lot :)
Your eternal brother,
Josh

More Fun Little Details!

 (I just finished putting up 2 posts including this one. The other entitled Friends on the Flight should be read first.)

Mmm..Lunch! Mango, Shwarma (this is how you say it..)

    I just sat down to my first internet access in Niamey, Niger!  Unfortunately the trans-Atlantic ethernet cord that supplies internet for all of West Africa was cut recently by a ship.  This means internet is very slow and unresponsive sometimes.  I made it safely here and have been enjoying exploring Niamey with some missionaries today.  We've been looking for a cheap cell phone, a flashlight (lost mine somehow), a watch, and a wall outlet converter for my lap top to plug in.  No success getting any of these yet :(  The fact that hardly anyone speaks English in Niamey makes things interesting.  My French is worse than I'd hoped it would be haha.  At least I remember common greetings, which are very very important over here.  Just a simple hello is all it takes.  If you do not greet people in this culture, it is considered highly offensive and will ruin my witness.  The downside to knowing some French greetings is that the people I greet then assume I know French and try to start a whole conversation with me... The situation quickly turns awkwardly hilarious..
   I'm scheduled to fly to Galmi on Wednesday.  It's too bad my luggage didn't make it through to Niamey yet, but I've been told by SIM personnel here that this kind of thing happens with the airline Air Maroc all the time.  God will provide if they don't come! If I've learned one thing, it's that being calm about all the troubles makes the troubles much easier to handle and even seem nonexistent :)  If I seem absent from updating this blog as frequently it means 2 things.  I don’t have internet connection or I don’t have time haha
  The picture I've added was my lunch for a day in Niamey.  The "shwarma" is something like the Greek gyro's, except the Lebanese version.  Filled with tender cuts of lamb, lettuce, tomato, and a delicious sauce, this was an excellent meal!  I think the mango was still the best part.  It's mango season here, the only good thing about the hot season.  Sooo delicious!

Blessings friends! Please continue to remember me in your prayers,
Josh