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Niger
Nigerien Log
Saturday, January 31st
Hannatou helped us at the market after class this morning. She negotiated for potatoes, carrots, onions, and bananas. We also got rice, cheese, and bread. We splurged and bought butter and yogurt imported from France.
About 5:o'clock we dressed in our best and hiked to the American Embassy. We decided to have a dinner date at the restaurant there. Of course, we did not know exactly what we were doing, but passports and American cash in hand, we asked where we could find the restaurant. Ted had a hamburger and I had pizza, we shared French fries with Heinz catsup!! We sat in a patio area and watched a softball game as we sipped Coke. We met an neat family from North Carolina and saw our new friend, Ben Hegeman, as he cheered his son in the ballgame. Then we hiked back home, pleased with our adventure.
Ted spent a long time with the plans of the initial phase for the new Zinder School. That part of the grant has to be completed and submitted to Worldwide Christian Schools in Grand Rapids the first of March. He has to interpret and present the plan, and sometimes the wording is a little difficult: for example he wondered what joinery for $2603 meant. Such questions need answers before we leave. The costs are figured in CFA (the Nigerien currancy) and have to be converted to American dollars. It is exciting to be involved with the building of a new Christian School in Zinder.
We look forward to the church service tomorrow.
Love from the two of us. Eleanor