New construction photo--

Hello Family and Friends! 26 April, 2008

As promised last week I have a couple of new photos of the construction of the clinic. Really, the work is progressing so smoothly and so quickly that all I can say is 'Thank you, Lord for what you are doing for us'.

This photo was taken just 2 days after the one above and you can see the progress of the walls going higher.

The guys in front of the building are the 3 bosses of the project. On the left is the contractor, Mr Sinon. In the middle is Mr. Kientega, responsible for quality control and on the right is Mr Sinon's son, the head mason.

Our nurses, Josie and Bea, are very excited to see this building going up and together we are thinking and planning how to organize and how to equip our new clinic.

We are in a 'season' of typhoid fever. Sigh! We have not had any at the orphanage but sponsored children are coming to the gate almost daily needing meds for typhoid. If the family responds quickly and takes the child to see the nurse at the hospital, the treatment is simple and the children respond quickly. So far, we have not had to hospitalize any of the sponsored children but have been able to treat them.

Our school children are all doing well and are preparing for final exams which will occur in the next few weeks.

I went away for a few days this past week for a mini-retreat to a small village called Zolo. I have been connected with the pastor and the church there for several years and from time to time have gone there for a time of rest and refreshing. This time was no exception and I am so thankful for a fresh touch from the Lord. Even though our temperatures are reaching 110+ these days, I felt the cool breezes of the Holy Spirit touch my heart and refresh my soul.

Please continue to pray for us. The Lord is doing marvelous things in us and for our children. The enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy but we are standing in the gap for the next generation of Burkina's society. Please pray for this 'Joshua generation'.

Blessings to you!

Ruth. . . Mom. . . Grandma

No water. . . yet--

Hello All! April 17, 2008

Must take just a few minutes to write while I have the opportunity. I am in Ouaga since yesterday but will be leaving in just a few minutes to return to Yako. . . the 'land of no online access'. Argh!!

The team from Friends In Action returned to Yako this past week to drill a second time for water. They went to the other end of the courtyard hoping that the geology, the composition of the soil, etc., would allow them to drill and reach potable water.

The team was composed of 4 working-machine men who literally gave all of their strength and energy to get water for the orphanage. . . but, again this second time, they were not successful. The reason is complicated but in my non-trained understanding of the problems I will explain what is happening.

There is water down there. There is lots of water down there. But, their machine is not powerful enough to drill as deep as they need to go in order to get the water. They drilled down to 55 to 60 meters deep but they feel that the well needs to be in the 80 to 90 meter range. What they got was a liquid mud that kept causing the drilled hole to cave in quicker than they can even get the casing placed in the well.

We do have options but I need a little time for my heart to settle from this current disappointment before researching other associations who would have the equipment and the technology that we need to get a well.

Please pray and ask the Lord for a solution to our need for water. Our water bill this past month was $160. Most of our water usage is from bathing 60 people a day and washing over 200 diapers a day plus what we use for cooking and drinking for the orphanage and the school.

On a more positive side, the construction of the clinic is going wonderfully well. The walls are starting to go up and you can see the progress of the work everyday.

I'll be back in Ouaga again next week and will show you some new pictures of the work on the clinic.

Love and blessings to you!
Ruth. . . Mom. . . Grandma

April 10, 2008

Dear Family and Friends, 8 April, 2008

Greetings from sunny Burkina! We are in the midst of the hottest part of the hot season and afternoon temperatures are resting between 105 and 110 degrees. Because of the poor rains last year everyone is hopeing for the rains to start early this year. Please pray and ask the Lord to give us abundant rain and an abundant harvest this year.

Saying goodbye to Rachel--
This past week we said good-by to a special visitor, Rachel Schroeder. Rachel was a short-term Canadian worker who came to us through the mission SIM. Rachel came with a 3-month commitment to work at the orphanage. She assisted in various administrative tasks but her greatest passion and activity was hanging out in the baby rooms, holding and playing with and loving our babies. Rachel was a wonderful blessing to all of us here and we already miss her.

Rachel is returning home to seek the Lord’s direction for this next phase of her life. Wherever the Lord leads Rachel, she will be a blessing to all.

Construction of the clinic--
This beginning phase of the construction of the clinic is very exciting. Each day we can see the progress that the men are making. The trenches for the foundation of the building have been dug and initial layers of rock and reinforced concrete have been laid. The men are now making the concrete bricks which will be the walls of the building.

Well drilling—
In the background of the picture of the construction you can see some of the heavy equipment used to drill our well. The team is coming back to the orphanage on April 11th to drill for the second time. The first time that they drilled, they found water, lots of water, but it is not clean water. It is full of dirt and sand. They gave the water time to settle and then put rock and sand down the well hoping that this would serve as a natural filter. But, still when they pumped the water out, it was a mucky, dirty brown color.

When they come again they are going to drill at the other end of the courtyard and we are full of hope that again they will find water and that it will be pure. Please pray with us concerning this great need.


Keeping 15 orphans in school--
This week we received a call from Social Action concerning a need to help several orphans in a village called Kirsi which is about 40 kilometers from Yako. The request was for help to pay the school fees of 15 orphans so that they could stay in school. We made the trip to Kirsi yesterday and met with the director of the school and learned that this area is suffering greatly from the lack of rain in last year’s growing season. Many families already do not have enough to eat and the harvest this year is still many months away. In addition, in this small village contains many orphans who are greatly suffering.

We met with the director of the school and presented notebooks, pens, and chalk boards to the children as well as paid their school fees.


New baby, Teebnoma—
We have a new baby in the orphanage. Her name, Teebnoma, means ‘having faith is good’. Social Action called and asked us to take Teebnoma because both her mother and her father are not well mentally. The family feared that the mother was going to fatally harm the baby.

Judging by her teeth, Teebnoma is 14 to 16 months old. She is mildly malnourished and is not yet able to walk. We will keep Teebnoma and love and nurture her back to health. Pending a home study by social action, she may be available for adoption.

Well, I must close for now. I am going to Ouaga tomorrow to have some online time and to take care of a few business things. Talk to you again soon.

With love,
Ruth. . . Mom. . . Grandma