following the LEADER

Right now, all around Richmond, VA people are waking up, saying their goodbyes, and hitting the road for Niger.   It’s so fun to think about them pulling into the church parking lot, loading up the vans, making that big circle so that Mitch can say the prayer.  We’ve done it before ourselves, and now we’re praying for traveling safety as 12 people come to visit us.  Many of them are from our home church.  Some we have known a while and some we don’t know at all.

The team will be traveling for the next 24 hours.  They arrive in Niamey tomorrow afternoon.  We will eat spaghetti at our house together, tomorrow night.  Then, Saturday we hit the road for Maradi.  We will be there for 5 days.  I’m so excited about this team.  They will bring us a good fill of encouragement, hugs, and smiles.  They will also bring stories and treats from home.  And, because we are opening a medical clinic, it’s possible that I will get to try out the new ultra sound machine.  I just wish they’d hurry up and get here so the fun can begin.

Last night, two of our El Salvadorian friends, Blessie and Heidi, left Niger. Dave brought them to the airport. In my reading on missions and missionary kids, it has been said many times that this life is full of hellos and goodbyes. We are certainly learning this. It’s sad to see them go, but I do feel excited for them. They are so full of life, and have so much in front on them. The other two Ninas, Lidia and Gisella, will be staying here in Niamey until December. We are very pleased to have them here, as they bring smiles and laughs wherever they go.

Sam is doing wonderful. Every day we pick up on new words that he is saying. This morning Dave told me he said “donnes moi” (French for “give me”) and held out his hand demanding more French toast. Amina often says this to him; it’s a game they play with his food. On Saturday Sam (and Dave and I) are going to a birthday party for Jennie and Nellie (our Swedish missionary friends). Sam is close in age to the youngest sister, Salma.

We are very excited that our next team is arriving next week. They will be opening a new medical clinic in Miradi, and we have been invited by the Ligons to come along and help with the hosting. We’re very excited to see Miradi. It’s an eight hour drive from Niamey. We will also enjoy spending time with some folks from our home church and participating with them in ministry.

Please continue to pray for my health. Today has been a very good day, but it’s only the second day in 3 or 4 weeks that I have not vomited. I have been suffering from severe nausea, and really hope that it doesn’t interfere with our upcoming travels. I have spent the majority of the last month in bed, or standing over the toilet. I’m now in my 10th week of pregnancy and hoping this “all day sickness” will pass with the end of my first trimester.

This is a picture of Sam and Moumouni (our guard) watering the plants. Sam is very content to help Moumouni with his work. Moumouni has a very kind countenance, and greets us every evening with a smile as he arrives at work. He is sure to say hello to each member of the family.

Speaking of members of our family, there will be a new addition to the Johansson clan. I’m pregnant. The baby is due during the middle of April. Please pray for us regarding this. I have been extremely sick the past two weeks. We are also going to need to make decisions regarding travel. Our plan is to come home for the birth. The cost and timing of all of this makes it a little difficult. We want to have Godly wisdom. There are many women here with other organizations that have delivered here or gone through most of their pregnancy here. They have been pretty pleased with their experiences and have all the information I need about where to go and who to see.

Sam continues to grow cuter and cuter. Dave shaved all of Sam’s hair off the other day. He looks so cute. I still have to pinch myself sometimes because I can’t believe he is mine. His little temper continues to get worse. He really wants his way and is starting to throw fits if he doesn’t get what he wants.

Dave and Sam have been spending a lot of time together since I’ve been sick. Dave has been a pretty good wife. Yesterday I wanted a b-l-t, and he did his best to get me one. We don’t have bacon here, so he had to go buy ham and cut it into slices and fried it up. It wasn’t quite the same, but it came close. I even managed to keep it down. Now that he has prepared some meals in the hot kitchen, we miraculously found an exhaust fan today. Hopefully in the next few days we can get an electrician to come and install it. Dave also worked pretty hard on some brownies the other night, but was very disappointed when he left the oven at 325 degrees and came back to find it at 500. The temperature setting is broken. It’s either on (with flames) or off.

The Ligons have let us borrow their old washing machine because our new one is still lost somewhere on a container between here and Europe. We finally got it all working today and actually did a load of laundry. Of course, the power went out in the middle, but wasn’t a problem. It smells so good, and I think tomorrow will be laundry day. I have to spread the loads out to allow time for them to dry on the line. Only one load will fit out there.

So, that’s our story. We love you guys. Until next time….