Making Memories

We just dropped off loved ones at the airport last night. Mike's brother Jeff, our niece Olivia, our daughter Haley and Kelsey's dad, Joe, arrived two weeks ago. Those two weeks flew by!!

Then again, so much happened during such a brief stay. Four new babies came to the orphanage, we had a widow distribution, a sponsorship gift distribution. We visited both children sponsored by Jeff's and Joe's families, went out to children's homes to take pictures for sponsorship, and Jeff spoke at two different churches. There were elephant adventures, baobab adventures and moto adventures. We played with children, held babies and had a movie night with the kids. We ate chicken and fish under flashlights, negotiated purchases at the market and had african fabric turned into custom fit clothing. This just covers some of the highlights! And although I can describe what happened in a two week period, it is harder to describe the feelings and changes of the heart that some of these experiences evoked.

I think it is best captured in some of these photos.

On the way to distribute grain to widows

Delaney, Haley & Mike with Poko, one of our widows

Village Bible Club

Joe vs. The Baobab

Haley loving on one of our toddlers

Elephant sighting!

Kelsey & Joe with Frank. This was Joe's first time meeting the child they sponsor.

Jeff with his sponsored child, Mouniratou

Kelsey surrounded by some of our babies

Olivia learns what it's like to be an African mama

At the orphanage with one of the boys, Ferdinand

 

Kelsey returned to the U.S. with them after four months with us. We will miss them all as our house will seem a bit empty. We are excited that Haley is staying here with us for the ext five months. We are happy for the memories made and for the memories we have yet to make.

A Wet Day in the Desert!

 

It all started out just fine! I get a call from  “Friends in Action” leader Mark Collier. He had a group 6 guys coming in from his home town in Northern Ireland, and said that he could use an extra hand. They had 2 wells to drill deep in the bush. Great! Here is the next adventure! Living out in the bush, bad food, hot water to drink, and mosquitos the size of eagles! Sounded good on that day. After a slow start, got on the road a little before 6 am to meet Mark in a village about 5 hours away from Yako. The roads were rough, but passable. One ditch I hit accounted for the two water jugs I had securely attached to my roof rack to go flying off ahead of me. I eventually caught up to them…..

I meet up with him and he starts leading me back into the bush. After about an hour of rough riding, and a fervent prayer to remind myself to bring a kidney belt with me next time, we nearly reached our destination, but there was this large drilling rig stuck down to it’s axles on the path! Yep, our drilling rig. After about 6 hours, 50 Africans 2 winches (one that worked), and 5 blisters from shoveling, the truck began to move. All our excitement was ALMOST loud enough to not hear the loud cracking of the rear differential gear snapping as the truck was trying to climb out of the hole. Well, back to square one. Few more hours and a few more Africans, we were out of the hole, but unable to move. So by 10:00 pm were dropping the rear end of the truck and tearing it apart. Next day we head back to Ouagadougou and do the repairs. Unable to get a rebuilt gear we weld the broken one together and hope for the best.

Next day were back at the site, and putting the truck back together. A crunch here, a knuckle there and were rolling. Behind schedule, but rolling. To make this story shorter, after 7 flat tires, a rear end, a clutch seal and some bad potatoes, we were drilling wells. From 6 a.m. to sometimes 2 a.m. This team flat out worked. Tired beaten up, and talking up a storm (which I could only understand half of with the accent) we got water at the first site after drilling the full 300 feet our rig could handle. Second site we hit great water at 170 feet. This was a village that had NEVER had water! They were walking about 5 km each day just to survive.

I am always amazed at even in the most remote areas of the desert, God had already provided all the water a village would ever need! All we have to do is go and poke a hole in the ground. I am in awe of the work ethic and the compassionate hearts of this team from Northern Ireland. I love those moments that I am certain that I will remember when I am 80 years old. This was certainly one of them.

 

A Special Visit

This past weekend we were able to visit another missionary family in the town of Dano about five hours away. It was definitely nice to see another part of Burkina with a different people group and different landscape. We were excited because we going to see Carine, Cedric and Francoise, who used to live here with us at the orphanage.

When they came to us, they were sick and hungry and had no place to call home. Carine had Cedric as a product of rape. As an unwed mother she was not welcome to stay with her family. Her younger sister Francoise left with her. During their stay with us we cared for Cedric so that Carine could go to sewing school and Francoise could attend 6^th grade. This summer they went back to Dano to mend the relationship with their family and take their rightful place in their father’s courtyard and among their people group. They are doing well and look healthy and happy. Francoise is still in school and Carine has an apprenticeship with a tailor. It was great to see them and spend time with them. It is also comforting knowing that our missionary friends, The Richter’s, live close by and are there for them.

 

The people of this region are called the Dagara. They are primarily animist and have many superstitious beliefs. The mission the Richter’s are a part of has planted numerous village churches. Slowly, but surely converts are putting aside old traditions, burning their idols and fully relying on Christ. Hundreds of babies are also being helped with a milk program and several students have been given the opportunity to attend school. Mike had a chance to go out on Saturday morning with Geoffrey to visit some well sites where he is doing repairs, giving these villages clean, safe drinking water. God is present and at work in Dano.

 

Stick Day!

Well it's the second week of school and as we approached the orphanage we saw many children on their way to school carrying big sticks. In front of the gate more children were gathered in a large group and all of them had big sticks. Was I concerned about this? No, but I was very curious. Entering the gates I saw children running about clinging to their sticks. I figured it was "stick day". For some reason the teachers had told them that today they were to bring the biggest, best stick that they could find. But, why? Well you see...our children are served lunch each day and it is cooked outdoors in a large pot over a fire. And what do you need to build a fire? That's right! Big sticks! So our students were doing their part to help by bringing firewood to school. Mystery solved.