While most of us have enjoyed a fresh swath of snow over the last week or so, those who are living and serving in West Africa are (more or less) welcoming the season of Harmattan.

Harmattan generally runs from November to March and is characterized by dry (like 15% humidity), dusty, windy conditions. This dusty wind blocks out the sun, turns the sky a gray-ish green, and leaves a coating of dirt on everything (including the laundry you just washed and hung outside to dry).

While we were in Ghana December 2017/January 2018, Harmattan was in full-force:

You can see how dusty it is; they sky was like this the whole time we were in-country. When we returned to the states and NONE of us were tan, we had to explain that we literally didn’t see the sun through the dust the whole time.

A few more pictures to show the dust/haze associated with Harmattan (also, please note how tiny our kiddos were!!):

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There was one day we had a break from Harmattan: The day we took handmade dolls and cars to the Volta Home Orphanage, the skies momentarily broke loose and POURED down rain on us! It was so refreshing to run around in it for a few minutes.

So as we relish a white, snowy Christmas this year, remember our friends and teammates Joan and Jane, who are serving in the Kara region and celebrating Christmas in the heat and dust of Harmattan.