MEHANNA ROAD

The trip home was largely uneventful, filled with long hours of flying or waiting in Paris.  Luckily, the flight from Niamey to Paris began at midnight and was the perfect time for us to sleep.  We were landing in Paris before we knew it.

We had a nearly a five hour layover to kill at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris and found a coffee shop to sit and debrief on our experiences in Niger.  Each of us has come away with a heart longing to see the Songhai people come to know Christ.  Now that we have experienced what the Mehanna road has to offer, we all felt privileged to be part of the work that God has ordained among the Songhai people.

We discussed the progress being made by Laoualy discipling believers along and the prospects for new believers to come forward from the drama and storying we were able to perform in each village.

We talked about how music played a large role in bringing people together to view the drama and hear the Word of God.

We spoke of the hospitality that greeted us in each village as we rolled into town and were greeted humbly and graciously by the chief or king (not to mention the numerous children!).

We were amazed at the fluidity and seamless teamwork that we enjoyed all week to pull together and get the job done without any lost tempers or bickering -- even in nearly 120 degree temperatures.

We noted the love and warmth that our translators, Laoulay and Hama, showed to us and the peoples of the villages all week long through their patience communicating the words back and forth.

We all agreed that our trip was blessed all week by God to accomplish his work that He set for our team's trip to Africa.  And we talked about when we might be able to return to Africa to continue in this wonderful partnership.

Once we were able to board, we made our way to the plane and started the 11+ hour flight back to D/FW where our families awaited.  Although the flight was long, it was a joy to meet our loved ones at the airport or back at our homes to enjoy some well deserved rest.

As a parting shot, here is a nice photo of some "cold" weather over Hudson Bay, Canada. Quite the opposite of what we've been through all week.

In His service,
"The Seven"