MEHANNA ROAD

What an amazing trip.  First Hurst took a group of 11 to the Mehanna Road to vaccinate the children in several villages for Meningitis.   Meningitis is quickly becoming a serious problem in Niger.   When we began planning our trip back in May the goal was to vaccinate all the children in the villages served by the Nurse in the village of KK.  Because Meningitis has become such a problem the government vaccinated all school age children in December.  This decreased the number of children we could help but not our hope to vaccinate as many as possible.  So we vaccinated children between 2 and 5 years of age and school age children who missed their shot.

With the assistance of several IMB staff and translators, four nurses from First Hurst and a few others from Hurst to assist in the chaos we began our mission.  Large lines and loud crowds would gather to get the vaccine and watch the event.   As the children would get their shot and take the tylenol, loud cries of ie, ie, ie, ie would echo through the village.  Crowds of onlookers would gather to watch the biggest show to come to the village in a long time.  It must have been a sight to watch a group of American's giving shots, dosing out tylenol and handing out bon bon's, color pages and pencils.  Those wanting vaccinations for their children would travel long distances, some had walked up to 4 hours in the desert to get the vaccine and wait in long lines to get their child a shot.  The group from First Hurst would stay until the crowds quit coming to make sure that no one was left out. 

Toward the end of our two weeks we were able to move out to other villages that we had not planned to visit on this trip.  Village Y was one of those villages.   During past visits they had asked that we not return but the team felt led to go and ask the Nurse about giving the vaccine.  The Nurse agreed and found a building for us to set up and use as a temporary clinic.  As we set up the tables the crowds began to gather.  We were able to help the Songhai, Fulani and the Toureg that travel from far out in the desert to come to Village Y.  The King of Y even showed up to check on the progress.  We offered to vaccinate him and he accepted.  He also opened his village up for us to return and to share the gospel. 

The second part of our team went to visit and disciple the believers along the Mehanna Road.   Those who have followed Christ face many challenges as they work at living out their new found faith in a strong Muslim culture.  So four of the team took on the challenge of sharing and growing those believers.  All of us learned many important truths and skills about communicating and working with different cultures.  It is an important and great task to teach them about the Truth of God's word and living out faith in Christ to those who have for so man generations been taught the traditions of the Muslim and animistic religions.  Pray for the believers that God would continue to reveal Himself to them in mighty ways and that their eyes would be open to understanding all that He has for them.