Homecoming! Donation UPDATE-from Katie's mom

We are counting the minutes until Katie comes home. She is ill again and in Niamey for about a week and then she'll be on her way home the 16th!
We have very exciting news about her sunglasses request. So many of our friends have brought some by, Thank you. Also Edge Eyewear surprized us with an additional gift. Their original donation of 48 glasses miraculously became over 400!!!! We are overwhelmed. Now of, course comes the challenge of getting them back to Niger. Katie is planning to check an extra bag which will be much cheaper than shipping them.
We are also still struggling to get support/donations for the water chateau. Your prayers are a blessing, please continue to keep this project in them.
Thanks
Katie's Mom

Can't wait to come home!!

So I'm coming home September 16th and I am so excited to see everyone!! The thorn is out of my foot and I went to the dentist and I'm all better. I'll be home for 3 weeks, and I don't know if I will have a cell phone or not, so everyone send me a message on Facebook or my blog and let me know if you'll be around Glenwood/Omaha/Iowa City at that time! Can't wait to see you all!!

Update from the States-Katie's Mom

Katie is planning a visit home in September! We're all very anxious to see her. Her 1st anniversary in Niger is upcoming, which is also exciting.
In notes home recently she mentioned that she is suffering from TMJ and has stepped on a thorn bush that will probably need medical attention.
The Chateau project still needs funding which is discouraging for her, but we have some great news too that Katie is unaware of...........
She mentioned that the villagers suffer from cataracts at young ages and would like to take sunglasses back with her when she returns to Niger after her visit. She has asked me to collect discarded sunglasses from our friends. I just spoke with the manufacturers of Edge eye wear and they are generously donating 4 dozen sunglasses for Katie to distribute to her villagers! I've added a link to their site to Katie's blog. Thanks for your support and prayers. Katie's MOM

Vacation in Benin

I just got back from Benin last night at midnight, we were on the bus for 24 hours because it broke down for 7 hours in Parakou. Over all it was an amazing trip, it was very relaxing and beautiful. I went with my friend Alisa, and we were planning to go to the beach for a few days and then move on to some different places and museums, but we liked the beach so much that we just stayed the whole time in Grand Popo. We went on a pirogue tour on the Mono river and saw mangroves, shrimp fishing area, coconut harvesting, a voodoo village and a portugese castle. We went to some local restaurants and stayed on the beach most days. We loved the hotel that we stayed at. It was called the Lion Bar and it is run by some Rasta men who were the nicest people we met on our trip! We bought some jewellry and some souveniours and had a great time. I wish I was in Peace Corps Benin!!

Hello again, sorry it's been so long since I last wrote!! Work is going well in the village, the goat loan project hit a snag when all of the goats got sick, but we called the vet soon enough and he came out to the village on his motorcycle and gave them all medicine and they are all fine! The murals went well and everyone likes them a lot. I did a couple of art classes and the kids are corresponding with Emily's class at home and they drew pictures and sent questions about America and Em's classes responded which everyone loved. The wanted to know if we all plant millet and sorghum and if we go to the well for our water every day. They are learning a lot about America and I know that everyone back home is learning a lot about Niger through the letters. I would like to greet Mrs. Welcher's classes in Sioux City and Mrs. Feeley's class! I hope you all have a great summer and keep writing me!! Right now I am getting ready to go on vacation with my friend Alisa, we're going to Benin for a week to relax on the beach and do some touristy things down there. I will be sure to post pictures soon, hope all is well back home, I miss you all!

New Baby and A CAT!

I had a great week in the village, we had a kwamiso, did some baby weighings, did a new mural on vaccinations, I played soccer with the 16 and under boys and then my older guys had a game against another volunteers village and we won 3-1. They want to play the Nassaras, so we're trying to get a good team of volunteers together to play against the guys in a tournament that we're going to have between all of our villages. I'm excited. Friday and Saturday I'm reffing in a young girls tournament that a couple of volunteers are having, I'll try to take pictures and stuff. I'm spending the month of April at post (in sha allah) so I will hopefully have time to write you a long letter about everything. I have my camera at post so I'll take pictures there as well. My mom in the vill had a baby girl, her name is Kadeja, she's cute. I'm happy to have a little baby in the family. I also got a cat his name is Razak and I don't really like him but oh well. It's my 8 month anniversary in Niger today, crazy how time goes so fast!!

Slideshow-Fulan Celebration, Doctors Office, Baby weighing and more!

Your latest photos slideshow on Flickr