Women's Day!

We went to our first Women's Day celebration!

Our church is led by men who value women according to God's word.
Purposing to empower and validate women toward God's highest calling on their lives sets a man apart  in this context.
So when tents and guest speakers arrive, and a soccer match, ballet and chorale is prepared, and a meal of 110 pounds of rice is shared with any who would come-
the women of the village feel important, appreciated and loved!

  As pastors are trained and sent out to "plant" a new church- they begin praying, teaching, and building relationship as they watch the Holy Spirit work.   At first, the church is filled by children and women.  

Sometimes a church of only women and children can feel less legitimate.
 But when pastors see their church fill with hearts seeking Truth, Love and Power- lives are changed, and the Light of Jesus shines.
May God richly bless these men and their families who serve His children!

These are church planters. Faithful. Diligent.

Our pastor's wife, serving the masses in her 'sport' clothes after the Women vs. Girls Soccer match!

Strawberries!

Before we eat fruits and veggies, we wash them super well-  first in tap water, then soak them in bleach water, and finally rinse them in filtered water…these strawberries were just beautiful in their little bathtub!

Marie helps us in the house as we battle the dust of the Sahara, washing everything we eat, and freezing treats like carrots and strawberries to hopefully enjoy more than one month of the year!  We are so thankful that the Lord brought her to us.  She is an answer to much prayer and we enjoy and appreciate her presence in our life.

This week, Marie asked if she could ask me a question…it's kind of a joke, because I ask her about a hundred questions a day- about language, fashion, culture, Christianity, being a woman in Africa…

  

"What are the red things in the refrigerator?"  

It was such a joy to share our special strawberries with her! She knew the word, and had tasted strawberry flavored candy, but she'd never eaten the real thing!

She loved them!

A beautiful day in the neighborhood

A pack of boys came to the door for water on a hot, hot day and as they pass around the cup of refrigerated water, we get to chit chat, laugh and talk about France, where they think we are from, because we're white!  They commented on the snow that falls there, and one tried to tell about the time he went to France- the others quickly called him a liar and changed the subject!

Eventually they pulled Valentines and fake flowers out of their backpack (one kid was hauling all the loot for the 5 other boys- who had no backpacks) in honor of St. Valentine… courtesy of their catholic school!

I'm trying to understand the cultural implications of each of these conversations with my neighbors, learning how they relate to each other, what they expect of a neighbor, and searching out our spot among them!

My favorite neighbor is Aisha- she's three months old- and an absolute dollie!

The little ones aren't scared of us yet, so it's great to get to interact and bless their moms with a little time without 10 pounds of body heat strapped to their backs as they haul wood, cook food, hand wash laundry, sweep the courtyard, etc.

After loving on Aisha, her mama took the opportunity to offer some fashion advice…

I was wearing a red and white skirt with a black top, and was informed that it just didn't work... I should wear a shirt that is the same color as my skirt.  Even in extreme poverty, we are to dress our best, wear decent shoes and keep our clothes clean and pressed- we definitely didn't expect that!! I thanked her for her help, told her that there is no chance of me wearing a white shirt in Burkina, and went on my merry, unfashionable way!!

Lonely but Strong

It seems like some people have an easier time moving to a third world country after having been born into a first world country.  They are laid back, relaxed, accepting of differences, and ready to roll with anything.

And then there's us- we see the teeniest details.  We walk into a room and feel the temperament of the people in it.  If you are having a bad day, one of my kids will cue in and ask me about it afterward.  We take it all in, and process it all- emotional, spiritual, physical inputs are intense and don't stop.  We debate minutia and call it fun.  We wrestle with God, His Word, and each other as our eyes are seeing things we never knew to be real.

This hasn't made us bad at what we are here to do, but it has made it very difficult for us to take it all in, enter into life and be communicative missionaries who write often and "take our friends with us on the journey" in Burkina Faso.

Had I 'brought you with me', you would have been a sweaty hot mess, overloaded on carbohydrates and underloaded on protein- You may have been aghast at the immodesty, confused by the oxymoronic parts of life and tired of being the brunt of laughter, even when it is harmless and friendly!

We've been lonely but strong.

We have felt dread and eager anticipation at the exact same moment.

We've longed for a plane ticket out of here, yet know that we are exactly where we should be.

To chit-chat about these things is confusing-

Good missionaries are "called", and therefore are "happy".

They thrive on adventure.  They long to eat caterpillars and drink cupfuls of giardia.

The good missionaries won't mention the difficulty in maintaining a healthy marriage amidst language learning and culture shock.

So neither will I.

I'll just say that the complaints of Gladys Aylward or Jim Elliot were nothing compared to the thoughts I have every hour of every day.   I've read the missionary biographies.  They have encouraged us and challenged us and given me preconceived ideas of how to "be" good.  And yet, here I am.  Still me- living in Africa, finding my place in this community, loving the people and holding on tight as God leads us forward 

for His Names' sake.

I knew hypothetically that God could use me to share His love and shine His light in a dark place.  I knew that I would still be me, and that His grace and the power of the Holy Spirit would carry us through these days; but I thought that I would be transformed from a reg'ler old person into Super Christian  something else.

The five of us have felt closer to our sinny, sinny, selves than ever before- and even in the thick of it we see God's love covering over so that churches can be planted where there are none, and so that men who practice witchcraft will burn their fetishes and praise the name of Jesus!

 And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.  To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.

Acts 10:42-43

The chief brought four chickens to our host in gratitude for the health clinic and to bless us.  They were plucked, butchered and served to us. A crowd of boys gathered around to clean out the intestines, wrap them around a stick and grill them- everything else went into our lunch.

We were served chicken and inyam, a gigantic root vegetable like manioc- 

The generosity of the Burkinabé culture is beautiful.

I thought I was being handed a newborn- this little guy is 3 months old, and has a sibling barely able to walk, I'm guessing mama is trying to nurse both of her babies, and struggling to have enough nourishment for all three of them.

One glimpse from this side!

The generous man will be prosperous, and he who waters will himself be watered.  

Proverbs 11:25

It was surreal to be on the "unpacking" side of Operation Christmas Child boxes- Three Christmases ago, as we strolled through Big Lots and Target to fill our shoe boxes, I had no idea that my kids would grow into these tall, smart people and together, we would watch little Africans open the one gift they would receive all year.

 A 4 person team drove 10 hours south from Ouagadougou with a trailer full of boxes- they spent 3 days in 2 villages, with balloon animals, a puppet show, singing, dancing, a health lesson and evening evangelism program- they have it down to a science!

  We provided willing hands, a little muscle and mad skills at balloon animals in the midst of a mob.

 This sweet baby spends her days on the back of this little girl, while the mama teaches school.

Little eyes lit up only after we explained what all these treasures were!  Soccer balls, stuffed animals and flashlights were the best gifts- useful, and well-known.  This little girl received a letter in her box- I translated it into French, so she could hear of the love of Christ coming to her through this family from Lexington, Kentucky!

I cried as I helped one little guy who received a broken etch-a-sketch, an awesome but non functioning flashlight, a plastic harmonica that didn't work and a box of skittles.   

Arrgh…no fun…

I laughed as a friend explained chapstick to one kid, then another child found what she thought was lip balm in her box too- she brought it over in excitement, but had to be corrected- because hers was a gluestick! 

Beauty

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains.  You too be patient, strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. James 5:7-8

We spent a few days in the village, and loved our time interacting with kids in a medical clinic (we did height, weight, vision and urine tests- there were doctors there to do the real stuff!) and then got to be a part of a distribution of Operation Christmas Child boxes!  It was enlightening, challenging and I'm still processing it all… surreal to be on this side of the boxes- these came from Kentucky!