Packed

We are about to leave for Niger. We have packed our malaria meds, insect repellent, sunscreen, lightweight-culturally-sensitive clothing, sunglasses, and flipflops. But in my suitcase is a strange collection of things, all items to give to the extended family who has been responsible for Jessica's welfare for over a year. They won't be expecting presents from us, but we would take gifts to anyone who has shown the kind of care and nurturing that they have shown our daughter. The camp stool you see here? That will go to N'arba, Jessica's motherly guardian angel, who is 70 years old and has nothing much to sit on in her hut.

This little one has eyes that open and close.

The oddest things are the dolls. These are likely to go not to little girls, but to grown women who treasure dolls and love to sew clothes for them. A trio of dark-skinned girl dolls came from eBay, and will end up in the hands of...I wonder?

A baby doll

A barefoot doll of undetermined ethnicity

The soccer park donated a bunch of kids' soccer balls.

In Niger they are crazy about Obama. And the men all play cards.

Fancy pencils

A good pump to inflate the soccer balls, and some highly-perfumed soap

A pile of candy, the kind that won't melt during the hot trip.

Loads of photos, some from here, some from there.

Alone at the bottom of a picked-over discount bin, I found this little goat: made in China, sold in Oregon, to be loved by a child in Niger.