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
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