Indivisible

Well guys, it's been a good while since I've posted anything, simply because nothing that I felt about writing would've been anything I'd want anyone else to read.

As many, if not all of you know, the polls for the next president of the United States opened yesterday, and allowed millions of people to pick which candidate they most agree with, and record numbers turned out. As many of you know, Barack Obama led majorly in the polls, basically leaving McCain without a chance.

With that said, here are the lyrics to a song by Pillar titled simply: Indivisible.

For all the people in the world that don't understand
Exactly what it is we have here in this motherland
See the Father's hand started up a master plan
There's been many through the test of time take a stand
But had they ran who knows where we would be now
I thank God it's something I don't have to think about
Instead my thoughts are on the ones who laid it on the line

KIA gave their lives to let freedom shine
But in the meantime I think of those of your kind
And wonder how it is you get things so messed up inside your mind
Just think a second how long it's been going on before you
They're the one's who even helped you have the right to argue

Stop complaining move along
Open your eyes and see what's going on
We need to get back to the ways of the days of old
One nation under God indivisible

All the people let me hear you give a holler
In God we trust, In God we trust [4x]

The other day I saw the news somebody else complaining
They want the motto taken off of the Benjamin Franklin
They got a problem with my God and that I believe in it
But the don't got a problem with the money when they spend it
They're so offended by 4 words that need no explanation
In GOD we trust the motto of this greatest nation
Not just a motto but something that we truly believe
If you don't like it you can pack a bag and you can leave

One nation under God indivisible
You can't take back that, that was never yours

I don't think there is any better way to say it than how Pillar does it. I mean, first off it starts and says "for all of the people in the world that don't understand," I'm not sure that AMERICA understands what it has. In fact, I'm sure it doesn't, most americans haven't been outside of the United States, haven't seen the poverty and the hurt that most of the rest of the world experiences (which makes me ever-thankful for my Nigerien upbringing). It goes on to talk about how God started up a master plan, and let me be so bold as to say that nothing can circumvent God's plan, regardless of your beliefs or place in life, you are part of God's plan. It goes on to give credit to those who gave their lives for our freedom, I think that America has really cheapened that a lot, imagine feeling so strongly for freedom that you would give your life so that people you don't even know can have it. The song also prompts you to open your eyes and see what's going on, I believe that this applies not only to God's work in our nation, but also to how humans try their best a lot of the times to screw up God's plan.

The song goes on to talk about how people complain about us believing in God, and that they want us to take "In God we trust" off of the money, but that they don't have a problem with spending the money. I think that the last 2 lines of the song are the strongest, they say that we ARE one nation under God, indivisible, and that NOBODY CAN take that away, because it was never theirs to begin with.


Guys, I'm not sure what more I could say, besides that God knew before the earth was formed that Obama would win, and I am more than confident that God will use it to HIS glory, and that there's nothing that I need to, or COULD worry about that God hasn't already taken care of.


Peace guys, enjoy!
Phil

Some pictures

Pictures from top left to bottom right: Fried fish for sale on the street, a burned tree in the middle of a clearing, that same clearing without the tree in the picture, the road to what we fondly call "Four Corners" which also happens to be a touristy spot and the home of many people who don't take no for an answer, a person riding a camel down the street had to stop and wait for traffic before crossing the street

eats & drinks

Now is about as good a time as any to share about food in Niger. Philip and I have just returned from what is a first-time experience for BOTH of us -- We left the office about 8:30 pm and went to the Street Market in the Yantala part of town. For about 3 hours, we wandered, shopped and snacked along the edge of the road where streetlights mingled theirs beams with individual fluorescent lights plugged into long extension cords stretching in to the darkness away from the road. We started with rice and beans, then had some roasted field corn, then freshly cracked coconut and fried bread dough. We're not going to "tell" you about other things that we ate, but we are attaching some pictures of things we've eaten so that you'll know what a fun time we are having. Tonight's expedition cost us $2.64 for eats, $0.98 for taxi, and $4.67 for the merchandise that we bought. And, since it's night there's no sun beating down on you and everyone's in a bit of a nice mood. No pressure ... except the kind you get after you eat the wrong thing. Philip asked, "Dad, do you supposed if you chew the microbes really really well, there would be fewer of them that survived to make you sick?" Any comments?

Franc-ly Accursed, Three Nights

The Hausa people say, "Kudi shege ne" or "Money is an accursed thing!" For Jim, money has been the cause of THREE sleepless nights since we arrived. His official job description while in Niger is that of "Acting Cashier" while another missionary takes their annual holiday. This means that he's in charge of the safe containing up to $45,000 in CFA francs, U.S. dollars, and Euros. At least once a week, everything has to be counted to make sure that all the numbers add up properly. It's a job that he learned to do about 10 years ago -- quite a long time for most of us to remember anything, let alone lots of details. And so it is that three nights have been spent "wrestling" with accursed money and numbers, and trying to remember how to make the two add up equally.

Once upon a time, there was a full-time missionary Treasurer here. Ten years ago when Jim helped in Treasury, it was because there was more work than one person should do. Now, three missionaries are valiantly trying to fill in and help out part-time. And they are slowly falling behind -- currently about SEVEN months. It's enough to make some missionaries swear, perhaps with reason. But what to do? Keeping track of the money and the books is vitally important to the missionary mission. Does God want us to do something differently? WE SURE DO NEED HELP!

This is not difficult work, but it is something that someone HAS to do. Could that someone be you, or a group of "yous" on a short-term mission? Do you know someone who might come "count beans" for a while? If not, would you like to help support someone(s) who can? Pray for us -- we really do need help.

TRIPPING BACK TO THE ROOTS

Just over a week ago, Jim & Philip were scurrying around putting the last pieces of tape and string around their cardboard luggage. What a week it has been! We could not have imagined what it would be like to return to Niger after 5 years away. Jim’s trip to France last year was a nice escape, and for a great cause. But there is NOTHING like returning to one's roots.

The layover in Casablanca was a wonderful re-introduction to African culture. (Even though Moroccans might not consider themselves “African”, we outsiders perceive them as such). Their economy certainly affords much touristing even with a weakened U.S. dollar. For a total of $37, we rode the train round trip into town (an hour from the airport), and sampled foods all day whose names do not appear in common dictionaries. Body parts usually concealed in hotdogs and bologna were delightfully seasoned, stewed and served for pennies at street-side cafés. We had not a hint of either hunger or indigestion when we boarded our flight to Niamey at midnight on Tuesday. However, Philip provided a plane full of indigestion during the flight -- He had a nightmare about something and woke up the entire airplane screaming in terror. Usually negligent Moroccan flight attendants came rushing from both First and Cabin Class to investigate. Surely there were some passengers so terrorized they never managed to sleep again during that flight!

We arrived tired but excited in the wee hours of Wednesday, 09 July, and hit the ground running. We could tell that folks were praying for our baggage to get through Customs. They had already impounded two of our five pieces being carried for other missionaries. Jim patiently wasted 20 minutes of their time chit-chatting until the boxes were liberated without penalty. The sun was nearly ready to rise when we arrived at the SIM office – much too excited to be sensible and go to bed after two days of travel. We had a shower and a 20-minute nap, then borrowed the equivalent of a dollar from the guard to find something local for breakfast. It was the end of a great trip and the beginning of an incredible day.

To those of you who helped finance this trip, we will never begin to be able to thank you. SIM Niger is deeply grateful as well. We’ll explain why later.