Medical Youth Outreach

     On October 16, Skip and our kids with about 12 other youth, and 5 Doctors went out to Yako, and conducted a medical outreach.  230 kids were given check-ups and the ones with more serious cases were given medication, wound care or appointments for follow up care.  Skip drove the kids out to the site and for the first time got to be a "nurse."  Yes, Skip who can't look at blood, was given the job of wound care.  He took care of the kids that needed their wounds debride and changed out their bandages.  He also got to assist Dr.Peter as he cleaned out ears.  It was quite the sight to see rocks, bugs and other odd things coming out of ears. 
     Each youth took a patient and walked them through the different stations.  These consisted of a check in, where paperwork was done, an eye exam,  an urinalysis, and an ear exam. Then each patient  was seen by a doctor who checked stomach, lungs and overall health.  At the end, there was the pharmacy where medication was administered as needed.  The outreach started with a brief inspiring story by Dr. Van Dingengen, encouraging the youth that they could potentially be helping the next president of Burkina by helping to do this medical outreach.
     It was a practical way to show Jesus's love, and a fun day of teamwork.

                                                            The ear cleaning begins.

                                                            Skip the bandage guy.

                                       A good view of the medical outreach.

Hannah giving an eye test.



Team lunch.



David eye exam expert.

                                  .                                                     


Gathering around the urine analysis table.



                                                             I know just what to do.

                                                                     Dr.'s Tables

                                                               Figuring out the charts.

                                                             Waiting with a new patient.


What good eyesight you have.



A mobile pharmacy.

                                                              

Teaching ESL

      In September, I began teaching an ESL course. It's a special curriculum designed for Muslim students who want to learn English, and about American customs. On Saturdays, I teach in a courtyard at a missionary's home. She has been doing ESL as her ministry for the past eight years in Ouaga. Classes are not advertised. Information about the classes are done by word of mouth. Many of the students are economy students and their professors recommend they attend these English classes because so many past students have done so well. On Mondays, I have eight 20-30 year olds that attend the class. On those days, I drive out with three other teachers to a church in Pad D'oie. All my students are Muslim and I've enjoyed getting to know them. We close each class with prayer request and then prayer. They all pray with me and are always requesting things like, help with a test, protection, and healing from disease (we've had a tough malaria season). I am teaching level three and four so their English is pretty good. The questions I get sometimes stay with me and I think about them often. One that I've gotten repeatedly goes something like this.

  "How long do Americans live?"
I reply, "The average life span of an American man is 77."
   "Burkinabe men only live to 47."

Then there is silence.
The question that hangs in the air that no one is asking me is, "Why?" They would never say these things to me but I cannot help but think that, they think, "this seems so unfair. Just because you are born on the other side of the world, you get to live so much longer than I. Are you better than me, how is this just?"
Each time I get this question, it's always a young man in his 20's asking, he is already concerned about dying.
    It seems that everyday I hear about someone dying, a neighbor, a church member, a staff member at the school, it happens here to often. I do not have the answers how to fix this problem. Yes, Africans, need better living conditions, better governments, better nutrition, better education and it all feeds into one another. A circle of life, that produces a better quality of life. How does one missionary help? We do what we can, we are light, where we are able to be light. It hardly seems enough. Yet I know, God is not overwhelmed by the problems in Africa. I have to trust in Him. I have to trust that He is enough.

30 Hour Famine

In March, our youth group "Wired" held their annual 30 hour famine.  We each had sponsors who donated money for evey hour we fasted (30 hours). The money raised this year went to buy grain, and support a toddler who was born without any limbs.  In May, we held the outreach at a local church and gave grain to over 300 handicapped people and their families.

It was eye-opening to watch as people waited 3 to 4 hours for a sack of grain and rice. By the end of the day, we were drenched in grain shavings, and looked like we had just come out of a dust storm. By fasting for 30 hours, we experienced what it was like to be hungry. Most people in Burkina Faso eat only one meal a day, some not at all. It made me realize how much I have to be grateful for.
by Hannah

Janaya filling a sac of grain.

Some of the people waiting to receive grain.

Filled sacs to be given to families.

Hannah waiting on further instructions.

Crowd gathered at the church for grain distribution.

Tired and sweaty but what a good day.

A Home Covered in Bougainvilleas

     July 1st was our anniversary. We celebrated by buying curtains and a blanket.  Having just moved into a bigger home, closer to the international school the kids would be attending, we were exhausted.  The actual moving was not hard.  A friend came with his trailer and within two trips everything was moved.  It was getting use to the new place that has taken the most time.  We thought we would fix up the new house before we moved in.  There were so many repairs that were needed.  However, things can cost up to 4 times what your use to, and there are no discounts or sales.  Building materials and wood are all in short supply here. In the end, we painted, fixed some plumbing, and moved in.  We thought that the other things we would fix as time and money permitted.  Rainy season had started and it wasn't everyday, but most days we did have a nice hard rain.  Which, if you haven't experienced it, it is one of the things I liked the most. The temperature would drop, rains would fall and hit the aluminum roofs making the sound of raindrops magnified by 1000.  You wouldn't even be able to hear the person next to you talking.  So, we would sit on the porch, Hannah playing her guitar, and watch the rain. It was such a nice break from the heat.  The downside was that after the rains, streets would wash away, tons of new potholes would be added and the runoff of rain water would mix with trash and sewer making everything stink. This also caused the mosquito/malaria season to start.

     The house we moved into is quaint, covered in red and pink Bougainvilleas.  It has a small one room guesthouse, which many homes have here.  It came complete with a dog, Elsa.  This dog, a local Burkina breed, looks like she always seems to be saying, "I'm sorry," as her head cowers and her ears point down and she kind of growl barks. She has been the source of much frustration and many laughs as well.  She does warn us of strangers, so in that regard, she's a good dog. Our new home is located on a busy street, in front of a vocational Lysee (highschool). We have so many little stands that line the street.  Vendors selling paper, small snacks etc.  We even have a sandwich guy with a little stand right in front of our house.  On most days there are 20 or so motos parked on either side of our gate. Beside the motos, a trash heap that once in a while gets burned,  although, I've never seen them actually set it on fire. Originally, we thought we would paint our gate, but after living here awhile, we know better.  Home robbery is a big problem, and if we had the nicest gate on the street, it would just put a bulls eye on our home.  That's our logic anyway.  So we just have to get use to the rusty gate.  It fits in.



Porch, the entrance to our home.



Carport  covered with Bougainvilleas.

Janaya waiting at our gate.

Our dining room.

Janaya in front of the street that faces our house.



Our guesthouse.



Our gate, this is what you see from the street.



Janaya's tricolored cat.



Our front door inside view.



Our family room




Fragipane tree in courtyard.



This kitchen is a dream kitchen in Africa. If I didn't have the stove I'd be cooking on a fire like my neighbors.
Every morning we wake up to the smell of burning wood as my neighbors cook their food for the day.  Smoke fills our courtyard, sometimes it looks like a thick fog. Between the smoke, the dirt that gets blown around and the pollution, its a wonder that everyone doesn't have lung problems here.





Elsa, the dog with the bark-growl.

 

Sandwich stand in front of our house. Pain (bread) Bro (short for brochettes)



Surprise, a lime tree in the courtyard.









So that is a little look at our house, our animals and our street.  I still haven't gotten use to the floor, the roof, or the windows but in time, I guess bats in my roof, won't be so strange to me.

True Wealth

    West Africa is a place of extremes.  It was extremely hot, and now it is extremely wet. You have the extremely rich and then the extremely poor.  Where's the middle?  I don't see a lot of middles here.  Although Skip and I would consider ourselves middle class, here many would consider us rich.  Our primary concern each day is not where our food will come from, or will I be able to buy the medicine I need. We do not struggle to find food, shelter or clothing.  Those needs are met for us and that automatically moves us out of the tier of "the poor".  Yet, being poor encompasses so much more than just your physical needs or material goods.  I often think of how in Revelation the Laodiceans are rebuked for thinking they were rich and had need of nothing, yet the Lord said they did not know they were poor, wretched, blind and naked.  Their poverty had nothing to do with their wealth. The Lord says He knew their works that they were neither hot nor cold, they were lukewarm. (Rev.3:15-17)
    This makes me think, what does it mean to be lukewarm?  Is it apathy, a lack of passion for the Lord and the things He cares about?  Is it being comfortable where you are and not stretching your faith? Is it that you don't worry about tomorrow, not because your trusting the Lord, but because you have wealth you've saved and you figure you'll be alright?  When we look at faith, knowing that according to Hebrews 11:7 without it, it is impossible to please God.  True poverty would be not having faith. Being poor is something more deeper than material things one can touch.  It is a lack of an essential element that one needs in order to come to God, it's a lack of faith. When one doesn't actually believe that God sees them or is with them.  That they take care of themselves, that they meet their own needs. God is something they may talk about but when they need something, they'll take care of it.  That's a true poverty, that doesn't even know it's poor.
It has nothing to do with money.
    Okay, so now living here in Burkina has brought me to a brutal place of honesty. I'll admit, "Yes, I want to be rich... rich in faith."  True wealth is faith.  You can't touch it or buy it, buy it's the only thing that moves mountains and its the only way we get into heaven. Those heroes in the faith in Hebrews, they are what those who are rich in faith look like.  They had wealth that had nothing to do with possessions.  They believed and it was accounted to them as righteousness. May we all have an account full of faith.

Wells for Burkina

    April has been the month that I have named "well month". A film team came to shoot a documentary on the well situation in Burkina. There were people from Georgia as well as Los Angeles that comprised this film team. The team arrived as Burkina was "cracking" from her lack of water. The water sources all around us were either dried up or very low. In my neighborhood, we had daily water cuts, some all day long. Sometimes we had a drizzle that came out of the faucet other times there was nothing. It was a hard day, when all you wanted was a shower and you couldn't have one. If you found yourself in the unfortunate state of having no stored water, (this happened to me once) you got a feel for what many Burkinabe undoubtedly go through.


Since we arrived in Jan. there has always been water outs, (what I call them) and power cuts. It just progressively got worse and worse. I think the record was 15 hours without electricity, and I can't tell you how long for water. Usually we had at least four hours with no electricity and very little water coming out of the faucets. This was an extremely challenging time, but in no way does it even compare to the hardships that those closer to the Sahara go through. Skip was with the team as they filmed and even spent the night out by the Mali border. As the team was filming, the water situation brought one team member to tears. Skip reported to me that most of the kids were seriously malnourished. The whole team marveled at seeing how far people had to walk to get dirty water to drink. When Skip told me about the water and how dirty it was, I asked, “They don't drink that do they?" His reply was, "Of course they do, they don't have anything else."

This video clip shows exactly what one team member went through.

http://www.vimeo.com/11542498

    After going all around Burkina filming for a week, we pray that the team has got the footage they need. We pray that the Lord will bless the work of their hands to make films that connect with the people that watch them. We thank God for the small part Skip was able to play in serving the team, and driving all over Burkina with them.

    The following week Skip, with other missionaries, got to deliver seven well pumps, not a big deal to us but for those needing the clean water a tremendous life-giving blessing.

What we did over Spring Break

   A few weeks ago my dad and I spent the night in the bush with 2 teams of teenagers. Ignoring the sweat and grime, we were able to roof 2 churches, and dig a canal. While tearing through the dirt with pick-axes, I often felt as if I was in the movie, "Holes".
   I got to take my very first bucket shower, (which is not as hard as it sounds), and enjoy the lovely restrooms of the bush. Though, I must say that out of everything, my heart is for the children of this nation. It is precious how when you take a picture of them, then let them see it, they will marvel at it because they have never seen their reflection.
   Over all it was an extremely out of the ordinary experience. I feel that words are not enough. So here is a picture montage that I put together. Enjoy.

                                                                                                             -Hannah

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbxUFNF-4GY

Skip's Amazing Bush Trip

                                                                                                                     

Tangaye, Burkina Faso

     Skip was invited to speak in a remote village called Tangaye. It was our neighbor's home church. His dad is the pastor there. So between his broken English and our limited French, Skip thought he was going to preach a Sunday message. He left on Friday morning and after driving half the way on roads the rest on dirt, he finally arrived late that evening. Once there Skip found out that it was an evangelistic conference and he was the main speaker. Everyone was told to bring the lost, and the sick. Well, there is much to be said about God knowing what He is doing. Although this was all new information to Skip, it was what he came to Africa for. This particular area is steeped in witchcraft and many people are full of fear even in the church. After Skip gave a clear presentation of the gospel, many gave their lives to the Lord. Many more were healed and set free from various problems. Skip even got to water baptize many of the new believers.

     On Saturday, they took Skip out to the edge of town where the demon possessed are chained to trees. There these men sat, chained up, dirty and not in their right minds. The local believers waited. They expect men of God that walk in power to be able to cast these demons out. Well having never been in a situation quite like this, it was a test of faith. Skip prayed and each man was set free. They no longer needed to be chained, they were free and in their right mind. The first thing Skip did was give them a hug. Who knows how long it was since the last time someone was able to get near them. They gave their hearts to the Lord and came to church. They were able to shower and put on clean clothes and enjoy church. The local pastor has deacons, who once were chained to trees. He disciples them and they become some of the best soldiers for Christ.

     One of the things Skip discovered was that the believers in this area did not know how to exercise their authority in Christ. They were in constant fear of demons and witchcraft, believing that they were helpless to these spiritual things. Skip was able to teach them about the authority we have in Christ. As a son or daughter, God has given you authority; you do not need to walk in fear. Afterwards, people were empowered to pray and began to pray for one another. They knew that they could pray against any attack of the enemy, that the blood of Jesus has more power than any darkness. Now that’s Good News!

The tiny church was packed full of people

Local pastor praying for Skip.

Nearby water source, much like the one Skip got in to baptize believers.

People coming to church.

One of the men, who was chained to a tree. 

Praise God that He still sets men free.

It was an awesome conference, God did so many things to amaze us and prove that He still saves, heals and delivers.  His people were empowered to walk in victory.