The Stinger

It's been almost a month since I've written and there is so much to fill you in on.
I have talked to Stephen and he and his family are doing ok. He was given two baby girls (his cousins) to watch and take care of for an inevitable amount of time. He wanted to travel with the girls to the village his mother lives in many hours away. But within about a week there was another one his family members that was able to take the babies and they are no longer in Stephen's care. He is ok with that.
He was a little stressed when he had the girls. He told me, "Anna, I have no wife and I have never had babies to care for before! Pray for me!" It was kind of a humorous situation and he's doing fine now. I have not heard what the killings were a result of. I don't know if it was religious or cultural or if just happened for no reason. But if I do find out I will let you know.

I have had my ticket for America for a few weeks now and I was leaving on the 1st of May. I was planning on being reunited with my family next Friday night a
and spending all day Saturday with them... But as it seems to be a pattern in Niger with the airlines, my flight got cancelled and changed. I am leaving on May 2nd instead of May 1st. I just found out from Deanna, who is a Guest House worker in Niamey, also with the IMB.
Disappointment and frustration shot through me. "Why can't anything go like I want it to?" I was really upset at first and then the Lord brought to mind how useful it is for me to be upset about something that I cannot change. What good will it do? It doesn't justify anything nor does it help me or my attitude.
So I let it go and although I may still have feelings of disappointment, I know that regardless of when, I will be home with my family one days soon.

I have said goodbye to two of my villages and I'm saying goodbye to my family in the chief's village tomorrow. I spent the night out there on Monday night. It was dark and "my" little boy, Irahi, was sitting on my cot next to me when he said "I like it that you live in Niger. I never want you to leave, you make me happy!" I couldn't believe what I heard him say... it broke my heart to tell him that I was leaving for Niamey in a week. He put his head down so his chin touched his chest and he told me that he wouldn't accept for his mother to leave him. Before I realized it, I had tears streaming down my cheeks. I couldn't help it. I wrapped my arms around him and held him close as I cried. One of my sisters came over and shone the flashlight on me and Irahi and them told everyone that I was crying. It wasn't a big deal. We have talked for a long time about what our goodbye would look like when it finally came. My sister ask me to stop crying because if I started now then it would break all of them and it wasn't time for tears yet. I dried up at that time but let the tears come later.
My youngest sister in my village got stung by a large scorpion that night. I had heard different things about which ones were poisonous and which ones were only painful. I texted a doctor that works at a hospital about an hour from my house. I told him the situation and he told me not to worry about her that it would only be painful. She didn't sleep well that night and cried for a long time because of the pain. I felt for her. I wanted to take the pain from her for myself. I can't stand it to see other people hurting - it kills me.
The scorpion reminded me of how faithful the Lord was a few days ago when I found a scorpion in my bedroom. I was getting in the shower and going to bed after that when I saw him. He was sitting on the wall above my bed. It could have very easily fallen onto my bed and stung my foot/feet in the night. I caught him in a jar and kept him for a couple of days before I gave him some poison that I use for termites in my house. He died in the middle of the night.
So, so far I have seen 3 scorpions. Two in my village and one in my bedroom. I'm praying that I don't encounter anymore while I'm here!

Pray for me as I pack up. There is so much to do and I feel like there's not enough time to do it in.
B has been gone for about 3 weeks now. He got a job with a bus station and they sent him to another town to work. He said that he would be back in a few days. I haven't seen him and K and Fati tell me that he won't be back before I leave. Pray for me as I deal with this. He was so like my brother. I didn't even get to see him the day he left. I didn't even know he had left until I came outside that morning and asked Fati where B was. She told me he was gone. I took a motorcycle taxi to K's work (at the bus station - he works there every morning)and asked K where he was. He told me was already gone and not to worry because he would be back in a few days. That was 3 weeks ago. When I talked to K the other day about it he told me to have patience. But at this time I'm so sad...

I hope to post again soon. I want to tell you all so much more! Pray that I will be diligent with my time that I have left and use every minute that I can to invest in people and share Christ with them.