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.

Life in Burkina

Our courtyard                                                 

 Here are some pictures of our new home in Burkina.  The streets do not have names and there is no address but we have a house number.  It makes for interesting directions when someone is trying to find your home. We are working on setting up a post office box but last time we checked they were all taken. No address, no P.O. box,  how is that possible?  Well here it is. We are acclimating and getting use to things, the biggest adjustment has been the heat. The heat averages about 110, but with the heat index its even higher. Yesterday, we were in a church service that had we attended when we first got here, we would have felt like passing out.  It was hot, long and without fans, the service went on and on. We were actually okay through the whole service. It is a blessing to discover yourself changing and that after six weeks your perspective is also acclimating. 

  Things you thought you would never do, you find yourself doing. Things like, eating chicken you just saw your neighbor killing.  Powdered milk and instant coffee, suddenly taste okay. You don't go into shock every time you look down your street.  Then one day, you go into the dumpy corner store and it actually is just fine. You can even look around and distinguish between nice things and junk, whereas before it all looked like junk to you. Your changing and you didn't even know it was happening.  It's grace for this place.

    I remember at the one month mark, the homesick bug kicked in pretty strong.  One night I even thought, if I can't talk to my mom, (we had no internet, no phone for a month) I'm not gonna be able to make it.  The funny thing was that at that time I absolutely believed it.  Then the moment passed and you know the next morning and a few tears later I was just fine. A few weeks later and I find that we are actually finding things we like here.   It's not malls, or fine establishments but its being cramped in a small house, its just being together, getting to go through this together.  To see how Janaya goes through transition, and hates the market, where Hannah loves it and sees it like a big adventure.  Where David struggles with not knowing how to trust the locals, where Skip loves everything and everyone is his best friend.  Where I struggle with everything and try to keep laughing so my kids grow up remembering the sound of my laugh.
  

Our first week here we had the opportunity to go out to a mission center and help complete a house that missionaries would be moving into. We had quite the time scrubbing paint off of floors, clearing out bugs and setting up beds.

 Then Skip helped a team from the States complete a church building. He got to literally build the church.

Then there was a second team that he also got to help with. On Skip's birthday (23rd Jan.) he got to drive for the first time. This sounds so silly, but it is quite the feat. Driving with motorbikes, bicycles and donkeys with carts all around you is not easy. Throw in reduced visibility due to dust, unpaved roads with rocks and potholes, and you have driving in Burkina. He has been getting around quite well and even finds it "fun". I hate to admit it but I have not mustered up the courage to drive. Eventually I will, but until then I will have to endure the teasing by my own kids.

We had quite the flat driving up our street. Skip said, "I think we might have a flat, take a look." He stopped the car and I hopped out to find the most incredible flat.

 

Drivers here need good vision, a strong back and
a car with good suspension.  People put big rocks in the dirt roads for speed bumps. There would be a somewhat clear road and then the next day it would be full of rocks, I thought, is it my imaginations or are rocks being put in the road on purpose.  Then someone told me, "yeah they do that, for homemade speedbumps."

This is our backyard where we wash clothes and hang to dry.  With the highest electricity prices in the world you learn to live without a washing machine and dryer. One day we found David's pants with about 20 holes in it, so there is some bug that will eat your laundry.  Its the perils of hanging your clothes out to dry in the sahel. We came with whole t-shirts and now they all have tiny holes. I wonder how long it will be before we have none of the clothes we came with.

We have had quite a few surprises here. Things like the daily power outtages and water cuts, one a day is expected, but recently we had four in a 24 hour period. Usually the power goes off first, then the water follows and the internet is just as unstable

  The dozen or more lizards living in our house don't bother us as much as they use to. We just accept them, your not going to be able to get rid of them.

 The amount of time and effort it takes to get simple things done here makes you appreciate things more.  When I come out of the kitchen looking like I just spent 5 hours in the Sahara and  present a Mexican casserole, my kids are saying "thanks mom" over and over. A simple meal is not so simple here and we all know it.  Just having clean water takes a good amount of time to get ready and one could spend all morning doing just that.(Wal-Mart a luxury of the past, we miss you, oh how we miss you.)

If you take a closer look at our wall, you'll see it has nails that stick straight up. Some even use broken glass. This is to keep would be thieves out of your yard. We have bullet proof doors and you should see our locks. A neighbor missionary commented on our doors, after it took me 20 minutes to open the door, "its good you have a door with so many locks." I thought, she must know something I don't. Most missionaries have a good guard dog, but we didn't bring one perhaps in the future we will find one. I just never thought extreme dirt, extreme heat, and dog went together. I've also heard that a cat (one that likes to hunt) will help keep our lizard population down.

Shopping here, lets just say, you might come back with a whopping headache and probably not what you set out to find.  This is one of the nicer shopping areas. If one has a shopping addiction, a move to Africa will cure it.
I never had a shopping addiction, but like many women I like pretty new things, and a nice store, who doesn't appreciate that.  Let's just say I'd rather take my malaria medicine than go shopping now.  To add to my pain in losing this American hobby, Skip likes shopping here...Yikes!



 

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Traveling

Here are some pictures of us traveling on Air France, and in Paris. It took us two days to finally get to Africa.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1coHxveT3o0
We were exhausted but glad we did it.