Farewell Niger
Where do I start? I’m leaving Niamey in exactly 25 hours. I will arrive in Paris on March 18th and will be staying there for 3 days. I will arrive in ATL on Monday around 4:00pm (GA time). Depending on how tired I am and how late it is I will probably stay in Newnan with Daddy and be leaving for Andalusia by Tuesday AM. So I hope to see all of you very soon, Lord Willing.
When God first told me to come to Niger, I could have never imagined what all would take place once I arrived. I have learned so much and part of me is terrified that when I get back home to the States I will forget what I’ve learned and who I have become. I’ve had trials but my faith in God has grown stronger than ever and I love my Savior more now than I did before I came out to this desert. The hardest trial I had in Niamey was the malaria. I first “obtained” malaria in late August and had it reoccur for the months of September, October, and November. I joke around and call them Malaria #1, #2, #3, and #4 but honestly God used that time to test me and see if I would hold true to the promise that he gave me in October 2009. The hardest part about having Malaria was being a nurse and not being able to “cure” myself. Despite all my training and medications, I kept getting worse every month. In September I spent 2 nights in a local clinic just getting IV fluids and IV quinine. I remember laying in that hospital bed when I first got there and just thinking this is it, I’m going to die, and honestly I don’t have the energy to care or fight anymore, so God you have to help me. Jesus came to my rescue and I went home shortly afterwards, and I was so excited to get better…..but since I had the malaria that hides out in the liver, every 2-3 weeks I would relapse and be in bed for 2 weeks or more. In November when the IMB nurse, a doctor, family and friends were all telling me I needed to come I just remembered the promise….9 months in Niger and leave on June 17, 2010. I did go through a period in November when I wondered if God was testing my humility by making me admit that I needed to go home and that I couldn’t stay for the full 9 months. But I always got the feeling that I was suppose to stay no matter the cost. One late night in November, I was drained emotionally and physically and I had reached my breaking point. So I just got my Bible and started reading God’s promises to me. I read in my “Niger” diary about everything that had taken place to get me to Niger and then afterwards I just laid on the floor, and cried out to my Healer that He would show me the way to go and help me. The next day I felt better, and my healing came by December. Why am I “re-living” this? Because God showed his power, his mercy, and his strength to me more in those 5 months than I have ever felt before in my life. Sometimes the trials in life seem unbearable but just remember that God has already promised us the victory if we are in HIS will for our lives. I can honestly say looking back that I should have died in September because I don’t remember ever being that sick or not caring if I lived from being sick. But thankfully God has a time for my death and that wasn’t it
The last 4 months with Kids clubs have been amazing and spiritually rewarding. It was almost like I had to go through the hard times so I could be truly appreciative and happy when my hearts desire was fulfilled. Being able to work with the kids has truly made me happy. I feel like I belong with them and that I finally “fit” somewhere in this world. I love just being able to smile at them or hug them. I love being able to clean their wounds, hold their hands and blow on their “boo boo”. I love the way they get so excited to see me and run and jump in my arms. I love the way they start yelling my name “Samira” before I even get close to them. I love the way they listen to the Bible stories that Kimberly tells them and we color the Bible story afterwards. I love listening to them sing songs about the Lord. I have loved working with Kimberly. She has one of the kindest hearts that I know and it has been my honor to have been able to minister with her. I will truly miss the children and her.
So how am I feeling? I have so many emotions running through me right now that it is hard to explain. I am sad to be leaving Niger when I have finally been able to minister with the children the past 4 months. I am truly happy working with them and I don’t know why I couldn’t when I first got to Niger but it is God’s timing and therefore it is perfect. So I am sad….then I am sooo happy to be able to go back to the USA to see my husband , family and friends…..and then I feel guilty for being happy to leave this place and get angry at myself so I guess you could say I’m tri-emotional right now. Please pray for me. I’ve learned so much here in Niger and I don’t want to be the same person that I was before I came to Niger. I want to continue growing closer to the Lord and have a true heart for the lost and dying souls of this world. I want the world to see Jesus in what I say and do for now on. I don’t want to have to “hide” behind something I’m not but I want to be me now. And by being me, I want to be who God designed me to be. God has a calling and purpose for each one of our lives and once we let go of self and surrender to Him then we will truly begin seeing our lives changed and true happiness.
God have me a dream, he made the dream a reality, and as of tomorrow I have lived my dream for 9 months working with the people of Niger and being a missionary. I have not done any of this on my own and if it wasn’t for God I couldn’t have made it these 9 months. He gave me strength, hope, faith, love and compassion when I needed it. He gave me mighty prayer warriors to call out on my behalf, he gave me great mentors and friends, and he gave me my calling…..I am so thankful for Jesus giving me all of this when I don’t deserve anything from him. He died on a cross for my sins and for 14 years I turned my back on him and pierced his side with my own sins but I’m thankful he showed his mercy and his grace to this sinner and forgave me and even equipped me to serve Him. I wouldn’t trade these last 9 months for anything in this world and I am looking forward to what God has in store for me and Michael next in the future. Thank all of you for your prayers, support and encouragement during this journey of my spiritual walk. God Bless You!
When God first told me to come to Niger, I could have never imagined what all would take place once I arrived. I have learned so much and part of me is terrified that when I get back home to the States I will forget what I’ve learned and who I have become. I’ve had trials but my faith in God has grown stronger than ever and I love my Savior more now than I did before I came out to this desert. The hardest trial I had in Niamey was the malaria. I first “obtained” malaria in late August and had it reoccur for the months of September, October, and November. I joke around and call them Malaria #1, #2, #3, and #4 but honestly God used that time to test me and see if I would hold true to the promise that he gave me in October 2009. The hardest part about having Malaria was being a nurse and not being able to “cure” myself. Despite all my training and medications, I kept getting worse every month. In September I spent 2 nights in a local clinic just getting IV fluids and IV quinine. I remember laying in that hospital bed when I first got there and just thinking this is it, I’m going to die, and honestly I don’t have the energy to care or fight anymore, so God you have to help me. Jesus came to my rescue and I went home shortly afterwards, and I was so excited to get better…..but since I had the malaria that hides out in the liver, every 2-3 weeks I would relapse and be in bed for 2 weeks or more. In November when the IMB nurse, a doctor, family and friends were all telling me I needed to come I just remembered the promise….9 months in Niger and leave on June 17, 2010. I did go through a period in November when I wondered if God was testing my humility by making me admit that I needed to go home and that I couldn’t stay for the full 9 months. But I always got the feeling that I was suppose to stay no matter the cost. One late night in November, I was drained emotionally and physically and I had reached my breaking point. So I just got my Bible and started reading God’s promises to me. I read in my “Niger” diary about everything that had taken place to get me to Niger and then afterwards I just laid on the floor, and cried out to my Healer that He would show me the way to go and help me. The next day I felt better, and my healing came by December. Why am I “re-living” this? Because God showed his power, his mercy, and his strength to me more in those 5 months than I have ever felt before in my life. Sometimes the trials in life seem unbearable but just remember that God has already promised us the victory if we are in HIS will for our lives. I can honestly say looking back that I should have died in September because I don’t remember ever being that sick or not caring if I lived from being sick. But thankfully God has a time for my death and that wasn’t it
The last 4 months with Kids clubs have been amazing and spiritually rewarding. It was almost like I had to go through the hard times so I could be truly appreciative and happy when my hearts desire was fulfilled. Being able to work with the kids has truly made me happy. I feel like I belong with them and that I finally “fit” somewhere in this world. I love just being able to smile at them or hug them. I love being able to clean their wounds, hold their hands and blow on their “boo boo”. I love the way they get so excited to see me and run and jump in my arms. I love the way they start yelling my name “Samira” before I even get close to them. I love the way they listen to the Bible stories that Kimberly tells them and we color the Bible story afterwards. I love listening to them sing songs about the Lord. I have loved working with Kimberly. She has one of the kindest hearts that I know and it has been my honor to have been able to minister with her. I will truly miss the children and her.
So how am I feeling? I have so many emotions running through me right now that it is hard to explain. I am sad to be leaving Niger when I have finally been able to minister with the children the past 4 months. I am truly happy working with them and I don’t know why I couldn’t when I first got to Niger but it is God’s timing and therefore it is perfect. So I am sad….then I am sooo happy to be able to go back to the USA to see my husband , family and friends…..and then I feel guilty for being happy to leave this place and get angry at myself so I guess you could say I’m tri-emotional right now. Please pray for me. I’ve learned so much here in Niger and I don’t want to be the same person that I was before I came to Niger. I want to continue growing closer to the Lord and have a true heart for the lost and dying souls of this world. I want the world to see Jesus in what I say and do for now on. I don’t want to have to “hide” behind something I’m not but I want to be me now. And by being me, I want to be who God designed me to be. God has a calling and purpose for each one of our lives and once we let go of self and surrender to Him then we will truly begin seeing our lives changed and true happiness.
God have me a dream, he made the dream a reality, and as of tomorrow I have lived my dream for 9 months working with the people of Niger and being a missionary. I have not done any of this on my own and if it wasn’t for God I couldn’t have made it these 9 months. He gave me strength, hope, faith, love and compassion when I needed it. He gave me mighty prayer warriors to call out on my behalf, he gave me great mentors and friends, and he gave me my calling…..I am so thankful for Jesus giving me all of this when I don’t deserve anything from him. He died on a cross for my sins and for 14 years I turned my back on him and pierced his side with my own sins but I’m thankful he showed his mercy and his grace to this sinner and forgave me and even equipped me to serve Him. I wouldn’t trade these last 9 months for anything in this world and I am looking forward to what God has in store for me and Michael next in the future. Thank all of you for your prayers, support and encouragement during this journey of my spiritual walk. God Bless You!
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