The Sahelian

Faithful Prayer Supporters, I’m sending you this special update which includes a letter from a missionary family here in Niger. It mentions a major concern of ours that we ask you to pray about tonight as you meet together and then this week as you think about us. Thank you.

 "Whenever you create a file or install a new program on the computer you want to make a backup copy of whatever it is.  Then in case the original copy gets corrupted or deleted,  you haven’t lost all your work.  In a war, the troops on the front line need plenty of support and backup to maintain their momentum.  Without adequate transportation facilities, doctors, air support, food, water, and ammunition, the army cannot do its job. Planning ahead and working together as a team are essential if the war effort is to succeed. Likewise,  any country needs a good infrastructure to maintain a certain standard of living.  Roads, airports, electric grids, water and telephone lines, sewers, schools, postal systems, offices, churches, and manufacturing plants are all essential to our way of life.  But what if all these backup systems were pulled out from under us and we had little support to continue living our lives the way we always have?" (Written in 2002)

 

We have often said that if it were not for the support of Sahel Academy, we would not be able to continue our work in Tera.  That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but we certainly would not be able to continue with the same amount of effectiveness.  We also look at how well Daniel and Suzanne are doing and know it is in part because of the partnership we have enjoyed with Sahel Academy.

Because we are 100% behind Sahel Academy and their mission, we come to you with two very urgent prayer requests.  By mid-January (or before!) we need to have a high school math teacher (or two) and a principal (grades K-12).  It would be ideal if the principal were also familiar with the accreditation process for ACSI and MSA, but we won’t be too picky at this point!  We need somebody to fill each of these positions until early June. 

Our high school math teacher came to do a year and will be finishing 3 1/2 years in December!  So, a warning comes attached to this plea: You may like it well enough to stay!  He extended another 1/2 year this year because no math teacher was in the pipeline for the fall, but he needs to be back in England in December.  Our principal has finished a four-year term and is on a much-deserved home assignment in Australia.  She will be back for the beginning of the school year in August 2008.

Please pray for these positions to be filled.  Our teaching staff is already over-extended and cannot take on any more classes.  Our director is trying to do his job, the principal’s job, and keep the school moving forward in the accreditation process and has more to do than one man can possibly ever get done.  Some of the teachers have taken on extra responsibilities to try to lighten his load.

Please think about filling one of these positions.  If you are interested, contact SIM directly through their website (www.sim.org), write to them at  Box 7900, Charlotte, NC  28241, or call them at 1-800-521-6449 or 1-704-588-4300.  We’d love it if you were able to partner with us in reaching the Songhai.

It is also possible to come to Sahel Academy under EBM (www.ebm.org) or SIL (www.sil.org).  If that were to be your preference, contact them through their websites.

Thanks so much for your prayers for these urgent needs.

Love,

Nancy and John DeValve (and Suzanne who needs a math teacher!)

Maybe you are God’s answer to this prayer. If you need more information, please visit the school website at www.sahelacademy.com.

Remember the far corner of the Sahel campus by the river and the gardens - where the snakes lived and the brush was piled? Well, now a beautiful new house has filled that area, turning that side of the campus into what is now very much a staff residential area.

Ground was broken on the house in the late fall of ‘06 and the work progressed quickly under the supervision of Jonathan Moore. The goal was to have it finished by the end of June so that our family could start to move in during the summer while school was on break. They finished right on schedule; the first of July, my husband Brian and Chad Winsor started to do the inside finishing wood work. They built the closets and bathroom vanities, then our family started moving in. Once we had beds in place, we started to sleep there and used the Whites house in the duplex for cooking. The guys worked hard for two weeks straight and in that time were able to do all the woodwork, finishing up with the kitchen cupboards. Thankfully, my parents came to visit and help as there was much more work to do such as sanding, varnishing, raking rocks from the yard, leveling ground, gardening, moving, cleaning, etc. We worked all summer trying to get settled and once school started felt pretty much moved in. We still have more work in the yard and various finishing touches to take care of in the house, but the major things are finished.

We absolutely love our new house! It is great to be so close to school. We can all just walk over to school; no more 15 minute drives (on a good day) to school and back every day. It is a beautiful house and beautiful setting. There is a terrace facing the river with a refreshing river view. The terrace is already one of our favorite places. We love to just sit there soaking up the beauty around us and the river flowing by. It is a nice size house with a very open feel. One thing we really wanted was a living area big enough to entertain a crowd. The house had its first crowd test on Wednesday as we hosted a welcome party for Zoe, our youth pastor’s new baby girl. There were around 50 people there to celebrate and use the new terrace - it didn’t feel too crowded at all! We are very thankful for the privilege of getting to live in such a beautiful house. We are still working on making it look finished as we plant grass, flowers, hedges etc. So, how about a visit? You would be surprised how quickly a corner can change in a short amount of time! You are welcome, so come stop by for a cup of tea and a tour! ~Aunt Cathy