BurkinaOrphanage

Toys for Tots--

2012-01-22T13:11:00.000-08:00

This past week we received a wonderful gift from the Toys for Tots Program sponsored by the US Marines. Four Marines from the US Embassy here in Burkina came to Yako with a huge box of toys for our children.

The toys were for children of all ages from the babies to the primary school age children. There were also several soccer balls for our older boys who love to play ‘football’ as it is called here.

Because there were not enough toys for each child in our primary school, our director chose 5 or 6 of the neediest children from each class and we invited them to stay after school for something special. It was heart-warming to see the smiles of some of our children who possibly had never received a gift of a toy before.

It was also great fun for us to meet our new Marine friends and to introduce them to the project.

Thank you so much to the Marines inside of Burkina and outside who promote this wonderful program throughout the world.

Visit from Messiah College

2012-01-21T07:26:00.000-08:00

We were blessed by a visit from students and professors from Messiah College, Grantham, Pennsylvania this week. The whole Burkina team was 14 people who divided into smaller groups and visited various places of ministry in Burkina. Three education majors and 2 professors came to visit Yako.

The students earned credit in cultural studies and also towards their ‘student teaching’ hours as they taught prepared lessons in each of our primary classrooms. The team leader, Angela Hare, also taught lessons in our 5^th and 6^th grade classes.

In addition to teaching, the students melted into daily life with us and participated in caring for the babies and a myriad of other orphanage activities.

Thanks so much for the visit, Messiah College, and we look forward to more times together in the future.

Goodby USA Family - Hello Burkina Family

2012-01-21T06:26:00.001-08:00

Saying goodbye is always difficult for me and this trip was no exception. But, I am so thankful that this trip was truly a ‘rest trip’. I worked only a little and now as I return to Burkina most of the things filling my head and heart are sweet memories of times with family and friends.

Of course, ‘home for the holidays’ is always very special and therapeutic. We had memorable times together to remember the birth of our Savior and to celebrate His love.

This is 4-year old Claire

Great Grandma and 4 of the grandchildren.

The magic of Christmas

Family celebrations

And more family celebrations

I enjoyed lots and lots of face-to-face ‘coffee time’ with friends from near and far.

Lunch with friends from California, MO and Columbia, MO.

Coffee with Kate Horrigan

The Mathenys from Kentucky

And, just some everyday family time.

Claire is a ‘bat’ as she hangs upside down

Lillian getting her ears pierced. She isn't so happy in this picture but she was very happy and proud to show her new earrings afterwards.

Family fun with a new WII game

Christmas Blessings

2011-12-27T18:50:00.000-08:00

Must take a few minutes to thank the Lord for all of his blessings this year. While my heart resides on two continents, I am happy and thankful to have been able to pass the holidays here at my US home with family and friends.

First snow in Illinois and Hayden, Noah, and Claire made a great snowman.

Reading the Christmas story together on Christmas morning.

Gifts given, gifts received. . . . but, the greatest gift of all is the gift of God's Son, Jesus!

Mom with four great-grand children!

Looking forward to two more weeks of building memories and then returning to my African home in Burkina!

An Average day at the Orphanage

2011-12-20T09:42:00.000-08:00

Wendemie goes to Italy!

2011-12-09T12:52:00.000-08:00

We are rejoicing because another one of our little ones has been placed in a ‘forever family’. Little Wendemie has been with us for almost three years but this week we have said ‘goodby’ to her and placed her in the loving arms of her mother and father.

We will miss you, Wendemie, but we know that the Lord has great plans for you and many blessings in store for you and your new family.

Liz Returns for a Visit

2011-11-21T06:48:00.001-08:00

Want to introduce Dave and Liz Nyitray to you. Liz worked with us for one year in 2008-2009. It was a joy to have Liz with us then and now we have the joy of meeting her husband, Dave.

The couple arrived this past week-end and will only have 2 short weeks with us. . . . but, they are going to be fun-filled weeks of introducing Dave to Burkina and of reconnecting Liz to friends.

After spending just a short time in the 'baby cage' this morning, Astride is already so comfortable with Liz that she has fallen asleep in Liz's arms.

Welcome Dave and Liz!

From Daniel's Tears

2011-11-14T08:57:00.000-08:00

A group of friends have caught God's Spirit for Burkina's orphans. They have started a project called From Daniel's Tears. The first project of From Daniel's Tears is selling Burkina bracelets. From Daniel's Tears partners with Eternal Threads to have green bracelets made by girls in Nepal rescued from trafficking! All the proceeds from selling these bracelets goes to the orphans in Burkina.

$1 to provide income to the girls in Nepal

$1 to Little Matheny's orphanage

$1 to Ruth's orphanage.

Quite possibly, the BEST THREE DOLLARS you ever spent! You can buy one for yourself or a hundred for your friends, church, or Bible study to sell. From Daniel's Tears is working on a video that will aid you in advocating for Burkina's orphans.

To order, write a comment, send me an email at yakorphans@gmail.com or send an email to Cami at camiwarning@gmail.com. Also, visit their Facebook page called 'From Daniel's Tears'.

US Embassy Friends

2011-11-14T07:29:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we had another very special visit from friends from the US Embassy. John and Jeremy came with the back of their truck full of clothes, milk and rice for the orphanage and a very special gift of German chocolate for our German girls, Anne and Judith. These gifts came from the military spouses association in Germany.

We sat together out in the baby 'cage' talking and getting to know each other better while playing with and hugging babies.

Two of our older boys, Barthelemy and Josué, brought their guitar
and drum and provided background music and atmosphere for us.

What a blessing to receive these visitors and the tangible gifts that they bring.

John's wife and children are in Germany and Jeremy's wife and children are in the US. I hope that in some small way our children can fill the void in their hearts caused by their families being so far away.

Music by Bart and Josue.

My African Girls--

2011-11-09T08:44:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to put a little note out with a sweet picture of my three African girls. Left to right, Anne, Tenielle, and Judith. They are special blessings to me and to all of our children here.

Moϊse, Baby Moses

2011-11-04T12:11:00.000-07:00

Moϊse is the French name for Moses. Baby Moses came to the orphanage 3 weeks ago with his mother who is not well mentally and his older sister, Marceline, who is 6 years old.

Moses’ mother suffers from epilepsy and while holding Moses in her arms, she had a seizure. The baby fell into the fire and the back of his head was badly burned. Social Action called us and asked us to take the mother and the children in for a few weeks so that our nurses could care for the baby’s burn.

We took the family in but within days realized that the mother is really not capable of caring for her children. In reality, little Marceline was the care-taker of her mother and of Baby Moses.

After much work on the part of our social worker, Ely, and the social workers at Social Action in Yako, we convinced the father, who is elderly, to place Marceline with some extended family in Yako so that she could go to school, to take the mother back home to the village, and to let us keep Moses until his wound is healed. We will take care of Moses until he is around 2 years old, until he is stronger, and not at such risk as he is as an infant.

Please pray for Baby Moses that his wound heals and that he grows strong. And, please pray for this family to find the help that they need to care for their children.

Please let me know if you would like to sponsor Baby Moses.

Special Child Needing a Special Family--

2011-10-28T09:26:00.000-07:00

David was born on October 19, 2002. His mother was married but David is the child of a relationship outside of the marriage.

When David was born, his mother could not give him the name of his father. Shortly after his birth, in fear of her husband's reaction to the baby, and her own fears of caring for him, she threw him down a well. Soon after wards, she was sorry for doing this and also feared her husband's reaction and went back to get the child.

After a family counsel meeting, the family recommended that the mother take him and leave him in the care of an orphanage. David has grown up in this orphanage.

David sees a little but he has suffered permanent damage to the optic nerve. With the limited diagnostics and expertise available here, the specialist was not able to determine just how much David can see. The specialist felt like the damage was not reparable. Otherwise, David is normal physically and mentally.

Because of his visual handicap, David has not been sent to school.

If you are interested in learning more about David or about adopting from Burkina, please send me a note.

Little Dresses for Africa

2011-10-23T13:25:00.000-07:00

Today we held the Kid's Bible Club in Doure and as a special treat for the children, we brought 'Little Dresses for Africa' for each of the little girls. There were about 120 children gathered around the church this afternoon and 62 of these children were little girls.

The children listened to the story of salvation. They sang songs and clapped their hands. They memorized a scripture . . . and each of the little girls went home wearing a new dress. What a fun day!

I cannot begin to name the wonderful friends and groups of friends who have sent us these little dresses. But, I pray God's richest blessings on each one of you who have given of your time and talent and I know, have prayed over these dresses.

They have been a huge blessing and have given many little girls a reason to smile.

Baby Rakistaba

2011-10-23T13:07:00.000-07:00

Because so many of you know and love Pastor Valentin, I wanted to let you know that he and Monique are the proud new parents of a beautiful little boy named Tegawende Esdra.

Baby Rakistaba was born on Thursday, Oct 20th, 2011 and he weighed 2,60 kg.

Mother and baby are both home and are doing very well.

A Fun Day with our Sponsored Children

2011-10-22T09:11:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we hosted about 35 of our sponsored children for an afternoon of creative activity.

Each child made a bookmark and a bracelet to give away and they received a bracelet for themselves.

We are going to use the bookmarks in a fund-raiser and the bracelets are for a Christmas gift for their sponsors.

After taking each child's picture they returned home wearing a bracelet just like the one that they made for their sponsors.

Tomorrow we will meet with the sponsored children in Doure and in the next few weeks meet with all of the other groups of children so that each sponsor will receive a gift from their child.

Another Milestone for Pauline and Yolande

2011-10-13T07:16:00.001-07:00

This past week-end there was a graduation ceremony for the first class to complete the three year sewing program at the school ACFOR in Yako. Two of our girls, Pauline and Yolande, were students in this first class and they have successfully completed the three years of training.

The ceremony was held in a public place in Yako and all of the community officials were invited. There was entertainment by a traditional dance group and several speeches were made by the director of the school and some of our community officials.

Each graduating student received a diploma and the top 5 students in the class received gifts of sewing supplies.

Afterwards, everyone in attendance was served a very nice meal of riz gras (literally fat rice) and grilled chicken.

I am very proud of the girls and their accomplishment. It was not easy for either of them because the course was given in French and particularly Yolande is rather weak in French. But, they worked hard and persevered and now they are looking forward to opening their own tailoring shop.

Congratulations Pauline and Yolande! May God get all of the glory for what He is doing in your lives.

Dr. Christelle Ilboudo

2011-10-12T13:19:00.000-07:00

We have had a very special visitor from St. Louis these past few weeks. Her name is Dr Christelle Ilboudo. Dr. Ilboudo is doing her residency at Cardinal Glennon Hospital where she has specialized in pediatrics.

Dr. Ilboudo has worked side by side our local nurses, Josie and Bea, in treating our children here at the orphanage and the children in our schools. She has also worked with our nurses in a mobile clinic in a neighboring village.

Dr Ilboudo has been a tremendous blessing to us and to our children. She has come with a heart to serve and with her expertise she has offered helpful and practical suggestions to our nurses and our baby caretakers.

Thank you Christelle for coming to Yako and may the Lord richly bless you as you return and finish your studies.

Awa and Monica

2011-10-11T13:27:00.000-07:00

We have received 2 more babies into the orphanage this past week-- Awa and Monica.

Awa is a little 6-month old whose parents are both not well mentally. Her parents were having a disagreement and extended family members feared that they might hurt the baby so they took her to social action. Social action called us and we will care for Awa for at least 6 months while the extended family finds a long-term solution for Awa.

Awa is tiny for her age. She has not had adequate nutrition and is not yet able to sit up on her own. But, we trust that with good food and good care, Awa will soon catch up with the other babies.

Monica is about 2 ½ years old. Her mother also is not well mentally and she and Monica were living on the streets in a small village in Burkina. Social Action has been watching this mother and out of concern for the well-being of the child, they took her and sent her to our orphanage.

Pending a home study, Monica may be available for adoption.

Goodby to Becky--

2011-10-11T12:59:00.001-07:00

We said 'goodby' to Becky Schroeder this past week. Sigh! Becky was with us for one year and it was a great joy to have had this time with her.

Becky worked day in and day out in our baby rooms, with our primary and secondary children, and team taught English with a local English teacher in our 7^th grade class.

Everyone loves Becky and her presence and sweet spirit is greatly missed here in Yako.

We have many very special children here in the orphanage. One little one, 7-year old Jonas, said to me this morning in very broken French, 'Becky is no longer here. She is now in her 'other' home.

Jonas loves Becky. . . just like we all do!

We miss you Beck! Come back soon!

Back to School Time

2011-10-04T09:55:00.000-07:00

Each year with 'back to school time' new children come into the orphanage. And, this year has been no exception.

In the past 10 days we have taken 4 new children into the orphanage. Two of these children are babies and two of them are school age children.

Awa is a little 6 month old whose parents are both not well mentatlly. The parents and Awa were essentially living on the streets. Social Action has placed Awa in our orphanage while they try to find extended family of the parents both to care for the parents and for Awa. For 6 months of age, Awa is very small. She is not yet sitting up by herself but we trust that with love and care, she will catch up developmentally.

Monica is a little two year old who also has a mother who is not well mentally. Recently, Monica's mother tried to kill her but a neighbor intervened and took Monica to Social Action. Monica's mother is not even able to give her name or where her home village is located. Pending an in depth home study, Monica may be available for adoption.

Waogba is 11 years old and comes from a village about 10 kilometers outside of Yako. He is one of our sponsored children and we have been watching him very closely for over a year now. Waogba is very small for his age and was not getting the care that he needed at home. When he was sick, it was hard for the family to get medicine for him and he missed a lot of school.

This summer, we started talking with Waogba's family about the possibility of him coming to live at the orphanage during the school and then returning home to the village for the summer vacation. And, his family was in agreement for this.

Waogba is behind in school and small for his age. . . . but, in a smaller class size and with good food we trust that he will catch up real quick. He is in the 3^rd grade of our primary school.

Ouedraogo, Leontine is also one of our sponsored children. She comes from a small village called Doure about 14 kilometers outside of Yako. Leotine's mother has died and the family has not heard from her father in many years. It is thought that he is living in the Ivory Coast. She was living in the courtyard of an aunt and was mostly being cared for by an aging grandmother. Often Leontine was sick. She often missed school either because of an illness or in order to help her grandmother in the courtyard. She is 12 years old.

We have invited Leontine to come and live at the orphanage. She will attend our primary school where she is in the 5^th grade and she will return to the village for the summer vacation.

New Children in the Orphanage

2011-09-23T11:46:00.000-07:00

Once again our orphanage family is growing as we received three new children this week. The children's story is still unraveling but it is one of sadness and hardship.

Carine is 17 years old and her younger sister is 12 years old. Their mother died in 2006 and their father died earlier this year. With both of their parents gone, the extended family began passing the girls from one aunt to another and in most situations they felt unwanted and that they were a burden to the family.

This past year, Carine, became involved with a married man who is a teacher in her community. When the family found out that Carine was pregnant, she was kicked out of the family courtyard and her sister, Francoise, was sent away with Carine.

A few weeks ago, out of hunger and desperation. Carine went to Social Action asking for help. She was sick and the children had not eaten for 3 days.

We have taken the children into the orphanage. It has been five years since Carine has been in school so it will be very difficult for her to integrate into the formal school setting. But, we will try to get her a place in a sewing school where she will learn to be a tailler. While Carine is in school, our baby-caretakers will care for her 2 month old baby, Cedrick.

Francoise finished the 6th grade last year and passed the standardized test (CEP) allowing her to continue to the 7th grade. Francoise will attend our secondary school.

Please pray for these children as they integrate into our family that they will know the love and acceptance of the Father and that they will find his peace.

A Visit from some US Embassy Friends

2011-09-17T07:56:00.000-07:00

Today we had a wonderful visit from 4 new friends from the US Embassy. We had met Melanie Zimmerman last week at an embassy meeting and she came to Yako today with her husband, Serge, Captain Jeremy Sparks (US Air Force), and Lieutenant Colonel John Williamson (US Army).

It is always great to meet new Americans and to be able to easily talk and to get to know each other. We all sat on the floor in the 'baby cage' while we talked, played with babies, and put several of the babies to sleep in our arms.

Last week, we left the embassy with a huge box of hand-made blankets that had been sent to Burkina by a group of military wives stationed in Germany. The blankets are beautiful and with cooler temperatures now here in Burkina, they will get much use.

Today they came with infant formula, infant cereal, some clothes and toys. . . . and some macaroni and peanut butter!

It is so fun to have visitors and to make new friends!

Animal Project

2011-09-17T03:00:00.000-07:00

Went out to visit our animal project this morning. Whew! You have to get up with the chickens in order to catch the cows at home!

This has been a good year for our animals in that we have three new calves. They are all doing well. They have good mama's.

At the same time, it has been a bad year in that we lost one female who was pregnant because she ate some anti-parasite medicine that was for the other animals. Another of our females aborted a calf but the mama is doing okay.

This project is one that we share with one of our local pastors. Together we pay a shepherd to care for the animals and share the costs of the vetenarian. During the rainy season the animals graze and we only need to buy salt. But, during the dry season, the pastures are barren and we must buy food.

We have 7 mature cows and 2 bulls and 3 little calves who were born this year.

This is a 'little shepherd boy' who helps our 'big shepherd'.

New Short-term Missionaries

2011-09-15T14:04:00.000-07:00

I would like to introduce 3 girls who have recently joined our team and who are as beautiful on the inside as they are on the outside.

Anne Westerheide is 20 years old and is from Germany. Anne just finished her high school studies and is spending a gap year here at our orphanage. Anne is warm and loving and is already settling into daily life here.

Judith Podworny is 20 years old is also from Germany. Judith just finished her high school studies and is spending a gap year here at our orphanage. Judith is fun loving and full of energy and the children are already clinging to her.

Anne and Judith are very busy everyday working in our baby rooms, taking pictures, helping at the medical clinic in Doure, and playing games with our older children.

And this is Tenielle Lytle coming to us from McCook, NE. Tenielle is 21 years old and has made several trips to Mexico to work in an orphanage there. Tenielle has had a dream to serve in an orphanage in Africa for many years and the Lord has brought her to us.

Tenielle has a servant's heart and is willing to do anything that we ask her to do and daily steps out of her comfort zone to help and to serve. Tenielle will work with us for 3 months.

Another Forever Family

2011-09-04T00:37:00.000-07:00

This week we had the wonderful privilege of introducing a little 3 year old boy who is blind to his adoptive parents. The parents arrived on Tuesday evening and on Wednesday morning we began a very slow process of introducing each family member.

The week has exceeded all of our wildest expectations. After just three days together, Mama was able to hold, feed, bathe, and put the little one to sleep.

So many people were praying all over the world for this event. Only God does miracles and we have seen Him work this week.

Only God could move in a family’s heart so that they can take a child into their family as their very own through adoption! Only God can take us as we are and adopt us into the Family of God!

The Littlest Matheny

2011-08-23T11:13:00.000-07:00

After multiple visits to doctors, clinics, and vaccination centers, we finally received the needed signatures on the Littlest Matheny’s medical papers. This was difficult and stressful for Little Matheny and his parents, alike, but everyone is rejoicing now because all of his papers have been delivered to the US Consulate and if all goes well, we will have his visa tomorrow afternoon. Yay!

The Lord has been with us each step of the way and we are celebrating Him and giving Him thanks and glory for the great work that He is doing for this family.

Another Forever Family

2011-08-12T12:46:00.000-07:00

The week has exceeded all of our wildest expectations. After just three days together, Mama is able to hold, feed, bathe, and put the little one to sleep.

Only God does miracles and we have seen Him work this week.

Only God could move in a family’s heart so that they can take a child into their family as their very own through adoption! Only God can take us as we are and adopt us into the Family of God!

New Baby in the Orphanage

2011-08-04T05:19:00.000-07:00

I would like to introduce Wendpanga Mariam to you. She was born on July 22, 2011 at the hospital here in Yako.

Mariam's mother is just 20 years old and she is not well mentally. Her father is 69 years old. This past week, when Mariam's mother tried to kill her by throwing her down on the ground, her father came to us asking for help.

Mariam's long-term future is not sure but for now, we will care for her until she is 12 months old. Then her father will decide whether the mother is capable of caring for Mariam or whether he will find an aunt or someone else in the family to care for her

Kids Bible Club in Doure

2011-07-31T12:45:00.001-07:00

This evening, we participated in another Kids' Bible Club in Doure. Local children's leaders led the singing and told the Bible story, and Rebecca and I brought a small craft for the children to work on.

There were 105 children who came to the club. At the end, when the children's worker, Renwende gave an opportunity for the children to ask Jesus into their heart, 5 children raised their hands and came forward for prayer.

These children were from an unbelieving home but after hearing about the love of Jesus, they wanted to invite Him into their hearts.

We are thanking and praising Jesus for the work that He is doing in the tiny village of Doure.

27 July, 2011

2011-07-26T13:24:00.001-07:00

This has been such a busy time that it has been hard to find the time to write.

Maria Casaleggi and Rachel Holper from St Louis came and worked with us and have already left. Thank you so much, Maria and Rachel, for sewing into the lives of our children and for blessing us with your smiles and warm hearts.

Kelsey Graczak and Rebecca Dalton, also from St Louis, traveled back to Burkina with me and they still have about 2 more weeks with us. Kelsey and Rebecca have cared for our babies, played with the older children, participated in sponsorship distributions, held VBSs in neighboring villages, and many, many more things. They have definitely left their imprint on us and all of our children.

Anna McLees, from Virginia, has been with us for one month now. Anna is a teacher and also a talented artist. Anna has worked with several of our primary school age children tutoring

them in reading, writing, and math. She also painted a mural on one of the walls of our older baby room. Rebecca also helped in this project. Thank you so much, Anna, for all that you have done for us and for our children at the orphanage.

Finally, we finished the food distributions for June. We held distributions in six different centers and each child's family received a 200 pound bag of corn and some soap. This is a picture of distribution day at the Sayo church.

Three weeks ago now we started a weekly Bible club for the children in Doure. The first week there were about 30 children in attendance. The second week there were 60 children and this past Sunday, there were 90 children at the Bible club. We are training 2 of the children's workers of the Doure church to hold these meetings. We sing with the children, tell them a Bible story and then do a simple craft or play a game with them. This past week, the pastor told us that there are now about twice as many children coming to the Sunday morning service as there were before starting the Bible club.

We are thankful for this opportunity to sew into the lives of this next generation of Burkina society.

Mobile Nursing Clinic

2011-07-05T10:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday our nurse, Bea, held the weekly children's clinic in Doure. Kelsey and Rebecca and I went along to help in whatever way we could. There is a new pastor in Doure, Pastor Salomon, who came by to greet us.

Because we are now in the rainy season, the number of children at the clinic was down. But, still Bea treated 45 sick children.

This week, Bea treated several cases of malaria and typhoid fever, many skin disorders including fungal infections and impetigo, and dysentery. The little girl in the picture with the green dress was treated for a serious fungal infection on her head and she had received multiple bee stings on her face at school this week. All of the children received medicine as needed and the mothers were reassured that their children would be okay.

Child Sponsorship and Widows Basket

2011-07-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we visited Doure, a small village about 14 kilometers from here, where we held a child sponsorship food distribution and a widows' distribution. Seven children and ten widows participated in the distribution and each person received a 200 pound bag of corn and some soap.

There is a new pastor in this little village so it was our first time to do a distribution with him at the church. We were very happy to see that the church is thriving. In fact, they are putting an extension onto the church because there is no longer enough room in the building for all of the people.

We had a planning meeting with Pastor Salamon and a youth worker and have arranged for a weekly meeting for the sponsored children to start this Sunday. This will allow the church to more closely follow the children to see that they are well, that they are doing well in school, and that things are okay for them at home.

The children wrote letters to their sponsors and we took new pictures of them to send out soon.

Final Walk-through

2011-07-01T12:37:00.000-07:00

When you do a construction project here in Burkina, throughout the time of the work, you pay the contractor 90% of the cost of the building. The remaining 10% is held back for one year as a guarantee for the work. If there are repairs that need to be made during the first year, the cost of these repairs are subtracted from this 10% amount.

This past week was the one-year mark on the completion of our secondary school building. We held a walk-through with the contractor and the quality control specialist and found only 2 small cracks near the roof on one end of the building. The contractor repaired these cracks and we scheduled a meeting for everyone concerned to sign papers that the work was finished.

In our construction experience here of building six buildings, I think that our school building is in the best shape of any of our buildings at this one year mark. We are thankful for the help of the Lord and for the faithfulness of our contractor and our quality control specialist. We have a building that will stand for years and years to come where our children will learn math and science and French and also that they have a Father in heaven who loves them.

Scorpion Carriers--

2011-06-29T11:53:00.000-07:00

Seasons come and seasons go here and I always have trouble knowing when a particular season occurs. Like, when are the veggies plentiful in the Yako market and when are they sparse? And, when are mangoes in season? How long will the season last?

But, one season that I now know for sure is the 'Scorpion Carrier' season. IT IS NOW! This week, we have killed 3 scorpion carriers in the house. More than we have ever had in the house in one season!

These little critters are one of my least favorite. The name 'scorpion carrier' is not an official name. If you google it. . . . you will only find a blog by a previous Peace Corps person who wrote about them. Our local children and friends call these little guys by this name because they say that scorpions actually jump onto their backs and go for a ride.

My children tell me that they do not bite or sting. My problem with them is that they are very ugly and that they move very fast when I am wanting to kill them!

Introducing Kelsey and Rebecca!

2011-06-23T11:42:00.000-07:00

Kelsey Graczak and Rebecca Dalton, both from St. Louis, traveled back to Burkina with me. The trip went great and it was wonderful for me to have travel companions.

Kelsey is in her last year of university studying to be a teacher and Rebecca is in her junior year of high school.

During our recent visit of Jules' adoptive parents, Kelsey and Rebecca prepared fun Mexican and Chinese meals for us leaving me free to take care of all the final details of the adoption.

Thanks so much for coming to visit, Kelsey and Rebecca. You are as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside!

A Forever Family for Jules

2011-06-23T11:26:00.000-07:00

Jules is an adorable little 3 year. His story is long and complicated but it was clear that there was no place in the extended family for Jules.

Jules came to live in the orphanage 2 ½ years ago.

But, today Jules and his new parents left Yako. They took the road to Ouagadougou and on Monday, June 29^th, they will take a plane and return to their home in Italy.

What a rescue! What a wonderful thing that the Lord has done for Jules and for his adoring parents. Life will never be the same for Jules and for his parents but for sure, life will be good for them.

From everyone at the orphanage, we say 'goodby Jules and may the Lord bless and keep you forever in His care'.

A visit with Therese and her family

2011-06-11T18:34:00.000-07:00

What a special treat! I just returned from spending 24 hours with Therese and her family.

Therese is doing wonderfully well. She is thriving in every way and it was delightful to see her interacting with her parents and siblings.

Physically, Therese is doing very well. She is only on one remaining medication and she is on a running team where she and her sister, Sitota, are running up to 3 miles a day. Pretty amazing for not even 2 months since undergoing open heart surgery.

Here is a picture of Therese (on the left) and her sister, Sitota, dressed up in clothing from the 1860's.

Missions Banquet Fund Raiser

2011-05-01T18:49:00.000-07:00

Visited the First Baptist Church (FBC) in California, MO this week-end (April 30- May 1st) and attended a Missions Banquet Fund Raiser. The purpose for the dinner was to raise support for Sheltering Wings and to raise funds for FBC's visit to Burkina this summer.

The church gymnasium was beautifully decorated with African art and crafts. Tables were set to serve 125 people and a full meal plus a dessert room complete with a chocolate fountain were ready to go by 5:30 on Saturday afternoon.

The evening was a huge success with vision shared and an invitation given to GO to Africa through praying, sending, going, and sponsoring a child.

Thank you so much, First Baptist Church, for your heart to go to Kimini and for your love and support for the children of Yako!

Fun Day at the Children's Museum

2011-05-01T17:19:00.000-07:00

This is Lillian, age 6, and Claire, age 3, bringing me yummy food that they have lovingly prepared at a visit to the Children's Museum in Edwardsville, Il.

What a fun day we had. The girls played dress-up in the medical clinic, at the fire station, at the police station, and even at the library.

Precious times and precious memories for Grandma!

Therese is recuperating!

2011-05-01T16:43:00.000-07:00

Wanted to give you a 'Therese update'. This picture is in her hospital room 3 days after her surgery with her father and sister and they are making cookies!

Therese is home now and she is doing very well. After major surgery and just 5 days in the hospital she returned home expecting to return to school the next day. She did need to stay home from school just a couple more days to rest and recuperate but she has now returned to school.

The prognosis is very good for a complete recovery. Therese will need to take blood pressure medicine possibly for the rest of her life but her heart is now functioning normally and pumping blood throughout her body.

Thank you, Jesus, for bringing Therese to this wonderful family and for arranging for her to have heart surgery at exactly the right moment that she needed it.

Rioting/Demonstrating/Manifestations

2011-04-11T12:17:00.000-07:00

Gosh, things were hot in Yako again this morning. As we were preparing to leave town this morning the first thing that we encountered was that the two gas stations in town were closed. Okay. We didn't have enough gas in either of the vehicles to make it all the way to Ouaga. But Ema, who was driving the truck led us to a very small station by the bus station and for just the cost of a coke, the young man there agreed to sell us some gas.

When we tried to leave town, we found that students had formed a human chain and would not let vehicles pass in either direction. Ema came to our rescue again in leading us off-road, way around the students, where we eventually met up with the paved road again and continued on to Ouaga.

Throughout the day, we kept hearing reports from Yako and they were not good. The students continued to march down the road arriving at the party headquarters of the senator of our region. They burned down this government building and then proceeded to the private home of the senator and burned her house down.

The basis of the discontent is that in response to the last burning. . . . the burning of the police station. . . . the senator blacklisted the students responsible for the damage . . . . meaning that these students will not be allowed to take the final exams at the end of this school year. So, students decided to take justice into their own hands and have caused more damage and more loss of precious time in class.

All of the schools in Yako were closed today and will be closed again tomorrow.
Please pray for peace in Burkina.

Please Pray for Therese--

2011-04-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

Our little one, Therese, who was adopted by a lovely family in Chicago this past December is scheduled for open heart surgery on Wednesday, April 13th.

Please pray that the Lord will guide the surgeon's hands and for a quick and complete recovery for Therese.

Please pray for her whole family during this stressful time, Momma, Papa, and 4 children.

Animal Project

2011-04-03T10:56:00.001-07:00

We went to visit our animals yesterday and thought that I would show you a couple of pictures of them.

We have 2 little calves and one more of our females is pregnant and will calve in the next couple of months.

One of our males is full grown and we have tied him up and are fattening him up to sell in the next few months.

In total, we now have 8 adult or young adult animals and 2 babies.

We have also just recently hired a new shepherd to take care of the animals. Our old shepherd was a young man and was not real interested in doing the work. Our new shepherd has a wife and 3 children and is committed to taking good care of the animals.

Civil Unrest in Burkina--

2011-03-31T00:18:00.000-07:00

The recent reports out of Burkina are:

Military in FadaN'Gourma have shot a rocket into the local courthouse and blocked the city off with tanks.
Simon Campaoré, mayor of Ouagadougou, was attacked by military and his home was ransacked. Simon Campaoré is considered third to rule in Burkina (behind the President and the Prime Minister)
Blaise Campaoré, President of Burkina Faso, is scheduled to meet with the military tomorrow (Thursday) as he calls for calm. It appears his calls have been ignored. It is suggested Blaise is "between the devil and the deep blue sea" (entre le marteau et l'enclume). This dilemma is rooted in the balance between justice and the desires of the military.
The University of Ouagadougou reopened today. The atmosphere appears be calm.

Here in Yako, things are calm. The children went back to school on Monday of this week. They were out of school for 5 weeks due to the unrest. The government has extended the school year and the standardized testing dates by 2 weeks to allow the students a little time to catch up.

Marshal Law was established last night throughout Burkina. This means that no one is to be on the streets from 9 PM until 6 AM.

We were out last night and were returning home at 8:50 and everyone whether on foot, moto, or bike was scurrying to get off the streets by 9.

Teachers Training

2011-03-24T13:35:00.000-07:00

While waiting for school to re-open this coming Monday, we were able to arrange a 2-day seminar for our teachers this week. Two friends from SIM in Ouagadougou, Janet Haight and Paul Yalga, came to Yako and for 2 days our teachers went 'back to school'.

The subjects of the seminar were how to prepare Bible lessons, how to make learning fun and interesting for the children, and how to teach Bible verses. There was lecture and demonstration time and also practical application time where our teachers taught Bible lessons and Scripture to Jonas, Biba, and Ferdie who did not have a family to go to during this long break from school.

At the end of the training, everyone was encouraged and inspired to work even harder to reach each one of our children for the Lord. Most of our children come from Muslim and/or Animistic homes. We have a wonderful opportunity each day to touch hearts and impact the lives of our children for the Lord.

Trip to Kimini--

2011-03-15T11:08:00.001-07:00

Quite miraculously the Lord opened the door for me to make a trip to Kimini today. I have been trying to contact a friend here in Bobo, named Adama for 3 weeks and had not been able to reach him. But, last Saturday, Adama and I talked on the phone and arranged for this trip today.

Kimini is a tiny village just 15 kilometers from the border of the Ivory Coast where we have been working with the First Baptist Church from California, MO for 3 years now. FBC will be sending a team here in August and I will be going back to Kimini with them at that time.

As a result of years of prayer and tears, the Lord has answered FBC's cries and there are now a few new believers in Kimini. FBC is working through their long-term plan and their commitment to these new believers.

The purpose of the trip today was to meet with the village chief and begin plans to drill a deep well in Kimini, to make arrangements to survey a piece of land that the village has given to FBC for a church and a clinic, and to see about having a latrine built in preparation for the team's visit in August.

We met with the village chief and leaders and they are thrilled with the possibility of a well with pure water coming to the community. We also walked the land in order to get some idea of where to drill the well, with the final word coming from the water experts. And, we talked with a local mason asking the costs of building a latrine.

All in all, an exhausting and at the same time exhilarating day. We will still have some meetings tomorrow morning with associations that are drilling in the area of Kimini and then I will head back to Ouagadougou and continue on to Yako on Thursday.

These pictures are some of the adorable children of Kimini who need to hear about Jesus!

Civil Unrest in Burkina--

2011-03-09T09:09:00.000-08:00

Wanted to send out a request for continued prayer. The civil unrest here has intensified. . . . not to the point where I feel that we are in any actual danger. . . but at the same time, things have not calmed down but have in fact greatly intensified.

The brief history is that about 2 1/2 weeks ago a police officer beat and killed a 10th grade boy for involvement in a typical 'love triangle'. The police officer and the girl were not married but were involved romantically and then the boy also became involved with the girl.

Immediately after the event, the government tried to cover up the brutality by saying that the boy died from meningitis. The first week the students went on strike and through violence six people died and 100's were injured. The second week the government closed all of the schools in Burkina hoping to disperse the students and calm things down. But, the violence continued in most of the major cities. Last week, the students demonstrated in Yako and threw bricks through the doors and windows of the courthouse and attempted to enter into the governor's courtyard.

Today was the first day back to school and again the students have been demonstrating all over Burkina often with violence. In Yako this morning, they marched and surrounded the police station and with bricks and whatever else they could find, they completely tore down the wall around the compound, entered and completely burned down the police station. All official documents have been lost, the building was destroyed, motos and bikes which were parked next to the building have been destroyed, etc. A couple of police men were injured but no one was killed.

At the university in Ouaga, students burned down the library!

Tomorrow is a national holiday, the international day of the woman, and the students have already declared a student strike for Wednesday.

Would appreciate your prayer support to calm the high emotions and the violence that is rising on just about every front. Also, please pray that the children can return to school so that this year will not be a complete loss.

Joey and Benny--

2011-03-06T10:25:00.000-08:00

After receiving a call on Friday from Social Action, Becky and I hopped in the car and drove to Guircy, 35 kilometers away, to pick up newborn twin boys. The babies had been thrown down a dry well which thankfully was only a little over 2 meters deep. They were covered with dried blood from their birth and were scraped and scratched a bit but do not seem to be seriously hurt.

Some children who were playing nearby heard the babies crying and the villagers called the police to come and rescue the babies.

Becky named them Joseph, on the left, and Benjamin, on the right, because in the Bible, Joseph and Benjamin were both loved by their parents. We want these babies to know that they are loved. Benjamin is really tiny but he is eating well so we are hopeful that he will be okay.

Sarah is visiting again--

2011-03-06T10:14:00.001-08:00

Sarah Oeder, from Germany, is visiting again this year. Sarah worked with us for one year last year, returned home to start university, and is here in Burkina for 6 weeks during a break from school.

Sarah has slipped right into daily life with us here. Everyone is very happy to see her, especially our children and workers.

This is a picture of Pastor Samuel and his wife from Doure and Pastor Paul and his wife from Pelatanga, two neighboring villages where Sarah has been working and building relationships. The pastors came by today to bring Sarah a 'welcome gift' of 2 chickens.

Baby Moussa

2011-02-26T09:01:00.000-08:00

We received a new baby this week. His name is Moussa and he has already been nicknamed Moose and Mini Moose. Moose was born on Feb 12^th and seems to be full-term. He weighed in at a little over 5 pounds.

Moose's mama died this past week so we will care for him until the family has some time to stabilize and Papa either finds a new wife or finds an aunt or grandmother to take care of Moose.

Please pray for Moose. He is eating well but he may have a bit of a reflux problem in that he often throws up almost all that he eats.

Nurses from St Louis

2011-02-23T14:47:00.001-08:00

This month we are privileged to have a visit from two nurses, Katy Frankel and Lyndsay Kleekamp from St. Louis. Katy has specialized in neonatal intensive care and Lyndsay has specialized in post-op intensive care.

Both Katy and Lyndsay very quickly slipped into daily life with us here in Yako. At any time during the day, they are found interacting and working with our nurses, Josie and Bea, hugging and caring for our babies, playing with our older children, cooking and baking, etc.

It is a joy to have these young women here with us. They have come with expertise and hearts to serve. This month is already going so quickly and I for one, do not want it to end.

Thank you, Freeman Fourth Graders and Teachers!

2011-02-23T14:38:00.001-08:00

The Fourth Grade students at Freeman School, Aurora, Illinois, celebrated Valentine's Day by sharing their love with students in Burkina Faso, West Africa, by hosting L.A.P.S. for Love. L.A.P.S. for Love stands for Let's All Provide Supplies. The students walked four laps around their school yard to raise funds to build another classroom for Therese's former school in Yako, Burkina Faso.

The children raised money by finding people to sponsor them per lap and by seeking donations.

LAPS of Love was a huge success! Together, these students raised $2100. This money will go a long way to further the education of students in Burkina Faso. More than that, the Freeman children showed the children of Burkina that they care about them and that they are worthy of an education.

Donna Meets her Sponsored Kids--

2011-02-16T13:53:00.000-08:00

Donna Schroeder is here to visit her daughter, Becky, to visit Burkina, to eat tô, and to experience whatever each days brings to her. Today we went out to visit the Schroeder's two sponsored children. Both of their children are little first grade boys, one living inside of Yako and the other living about 10 kilometers outside of town.

Rachid is a very timid and shy little guy who was singing and dancing inside, but was sitting still and stoic on the outside.

Alidou is a more outgoing little guy and his eyes were dancing as he realized that inside the bag was a t-shirt, a ballcap, a harmonica, and other special things. . . just for him.

Both families were blessed by a 200 bag of rice and a few other very practical things for preparing the family meals.

Video of the Drilling

2011-02-15T22:19:00.000-08:00

If you want to watch a short video of the drilling, just 36 seconds long, click here!

Water at the School Property!

2011-02-15T22:11:00.000-08:00

A team from Fada, north-east Burkina, were here on Monday and Tuesday, drilling for water on our school property. And, they found water!!!

This is the first of hopefully three wells that we will drill with the money sent from Faith Lutheran Church in St Louis, MO. Thank you Faith Lutheran for this gift of life and for the opportunity to introduce the people who live right around the school property to the 'living water'.

They well is 61 meters deep. The water will be tested in the next few weeks to assure that it is pure. But, at this depth the drilling team is certain that the water is pure.

This week, another team will arrive and begin pouring the concrete terrace that will be the foundation for installing the hand pump.

We are thankful to the Lord for all that He is doing for the children of Burkina!
Thank you so much for your faithful prayer support and for your partnership in our projects here.

Mobile Nursing Units

2011-02-11T02:28:00.000-08:00

This month we held our first medical outreach in a neighboring village about 14 kilometers from Yako, a village called Doure. We worked with a local pastor, the village chief, and several of the village fathers to arrange a temporary shelter that was placed under some nice trees so that the mothers and children were not waiting in the hot sun to see the nurses.

The nurses treated over 100 children. Four of the children were very sick, with very high fevers. But before leaving our temporary clinic their temperatures had started to go down.

This month, we have two nurses visiting from St Louis, Katy Frankel and Lyndsay Kleekamp, Katy and Lyndsay worked shoulder to shoulder with our nurses Josie and Bea to evaluate and treat the children.

We will be returning to Doure each week now and hope to also start this project in another village very soon. This video shows some of the hundreds of mothers and children who came for medical treatment. The need is so great! We could go out everyday into a different village and still not begin to be able to meet the need. But, we are thankful for this opportunity that the Lord has given us to help the children.

Thank you, Riddering Team

2011-02-11T02:08:00.000-08:00

Still catching up on things that happened last month--

We received a wonderful visit from a team of 6 from Missouri and Florida. They were Jeff Riddering, Mike and Delaney Riddering (father and daughter), and, Brenden, Kathy, and Kelsey Graczak. (This was Brenden's second visit and he brought his mother and sister with him.) Jeff and Mike held a 3-day seminar for the believers here in Yako on the theme of 'Signs of the End Times'. And the team worked in our baby rooms, painted baby cribs and our monkey bars, re-built the walls around the orphanage kitchen and the primary school kitchen, installed electricity in one of the huts that we have built. . . . and encouraged us in many, many other ways.

We have lots count of how many times Jeff has been to Burkina, but it is always a tremendous blessing to have a 'Jeff Riddering team' here to visit.

Baby Rachid

2011-02-03T06:48:00.000-08:00

We received a new baby last week named, Rachid. He is 4 months old and his mama just died. Rachid's story is that his mama was very young and was engaged to be married. While she was waiting for her wedding date, it become known that she was pregnant and not by her fiance.

The waiting husband agreed to take Rachid's mother as his wife but refused to take the baby as his own. While the family was waiting for Rachid to be old enough to be weaned, his mother became sick and died.

We will take care of Rachid until he is one year old and then he will integrate into the family of his father where one of his father's wives will care for Rachid.

Video Team

2011-02-03T06:33:00.000-08:00

Our second team to visit in the month of January was from St Louis and they were a team of 5 people, John and Sharon Anderson, Jim and Shari Grueninger, and Scott Armstrong. The purpose of this team's visit was to take photographs, still shots and video to use in making promotional materials for Sheltering Wings.

Their time with us was short, just one week, but it was power-packed and we felt that God gave us divine opportunities to capture on video various aspects of our project here.

Please pray for Scott that the Lord will lead and guide him as he completes the tedious work of editing and that the end product will bring glory to the Lord and will present clear images of the Sheltering Wings story.

A Gift from Manna Relief

2011-02-03T06:12:00.000-08:00

We received a huge gift of a dietary supplement called PhytoBlend from Manna Relief this month. PhytoBlend powder provides our children with natural vitamins and plant-sourced minerals in nutritionally effective amounts and will be added to the food for the children in the orphanage and in our schools each day. For the children in our schools, their lunch is the most nutritionally sound food these children will eat all day. And for some, it is the only meal that they eat per day.

Our children say 'Thank you Manna Relief' for making this available to us and thank you to each of you who contributed to the 'Spare Change for Real Change' program to make it possible for us to have this product!

Jill and Alyssa return to Australia

2011-02-03T05:59:00.000-08:00

Our Australian friends, Jill and Alyssa, left the end of January to return home and to start another year of university. After spending 2 months with us here in Yako, we have many, many happy memories of our time together. Jill and Alyssa will be missed by everyone, our children, our workers, and Becky and I here in the house.

In addition to leaving memories, the girls brought funds to buy more school books and to build another 'hut' in our courtyard to protect our children from the sun and to give them a place to study in the evenings.

Thank you, Jill and Alyssa, for coming all the way to Yako to visit us, for all that you did for us while you were here, and for the sweet memories that you left with us.

New School Books

2011-01-07T00:21:00.001-08:00

Our Australian friends, Jill and Alyssa, came in with big hearts to serve and also with contributions from home to buy more school books. We had already bought some books but were still in need. Thanks to their fund raising efforts and faithful friends from Australia we were able to buy new books for our primary school and for our 7th grade class.

For our 7th grade class we bought History books and copies of a novel that the children needed for their French class.

This is a picture of Alyssa and our 7th grade class.

Meet Josias

2011-01-07T00:10:00.000-08:00

Introducing Josias, born on December 13, 2010!

Josias came into the orphanage on Jan 1st. His story is that his mama is not well mentally and his papa is unknown. There are a few holes in his story. . . . but pending more in depth information and a home study, Josias will probably be available for adoption.

Josias is good size for a Burkinabe newborn and he is eating good!

Emma has a Home in Denmark

2010-12-28T23:22:00.000-08:00

Emma has a Home in Denmark

Another of our little ones, Emma, made it home to Denmark in time for Christmas.

Emma was abandoned in the bush as a newborn infant and Social Action placed her in our orphanage. After preparing all of her papers and placing her on the national list of children available for adoption, she was proposed to a couple in Denmark.

After waiting for long years through the adoption process in Denmark and then waiting for Emma's case to go to court in Burkina, Thomas and Jean arrived in Burkina in December to pick up their child.

Emma is now two years old. She was a little shy but after just a few minutes, she allowed her new mother and father to take her in their arms and to release all of the love that they had waited for so long to give to her.

We are rejoicing in the goodness of the Lord in giving a child to these parents and that their child. . . . is our Emma.

Dec. Food Distributions

2010-12-28T12:22:00.000-08:00

Sponsorship Food Distribution

Sponsorship food distributions are held in December and in June. This month we held distributions in six different distribution centers in and around Yako. The distribution centers are churches where there are clusters of children who live right around the church. The children come to a weekly meeting at the church where our workers stay in close contact with each child to monitor their progress in school, monitor their health and to introduce them to Jesus.

This month we distributed 200 pound sacs of corn and soap to 110 of our sponsored children who are living in extended family situations and attending local schools.

In December, we hold the distributions right before Christmas so that the family will have a little extra for their Christmas preparations. As usual, the distributions were times of great joy in seeing each of the children again..

I love this picture. This is Nonwendi, a sponsored child from Songnaba, a small village about 10 kilometers outside of Yako. Isn't she beautiful?

Yako Christmas Tree Ceremony

2010-12-28T09:15:00.000-08:00

The Christmas Tree Ceremony

Each year in Yako a Christmas Tree Ceremony is held and gifts of food, blankets, and clothes are given to vulnerable children and to the aged by the government. This year we were busy with sponsorship distributions on the day of the Christmas Tree Ceremony so I did not plan to attend.

But, at 10 in the morning of the day of the ceremony, I received a call saying that I must be at the ceremony by 2 PM because the orphanage would be receiving a gift. Of course, this was a pleasant surprise and we scrambled to re-arrange responsibilities so that I could be free to go to the ceremony.

In total, a meal was provided for 300 children and 35 senior citizens, all social cases, and they were each given a gift of rice, some clothes and a blanket.

Then, 2 orphanages, ours and another one in town, and an association which works in the domain of AIDS each received 100 pounds of rice, 400 pounds of corn, some clothing and soap.

We are thankful for this surprise gift which made our Christmas dinner just a little sweeter and gave each of our children a new outfit of clothing.

A Visit from France

2010-12-26T13:40:00.001-08:00

A Return visit to Burkina for Jacques and his Parents

This past week we have enjoyed a visit from France of Jacques and his parents.

Jacques was adopted in 2006 when he was not quite 2 years old and he is now 6 years old and in the first grade. The family lives in a small village in the Alps, near the border of Switzerland.

Jacques is doing wonderfully well and his parents are delightful. They will be spending Christmas with us here in Yako and then will do a little traveling and sightseeing in Burkina before returning home in mid-January.

Yesterday, the family searched out and found the village where Jacques was born. They took pictures of the village and the maternity ward where he was born to save for him as he grows older. Jacques is 100% French and 100% Burkinabe. Within hours he had blended right in with our children here at the orphanage, playing soccer with the primary school boys and eating tô with our children. He speaks beautiful French. . . of course, and is a delightful little boy.

Therese and her family

2010-12-12T23:12:00.000-08:00

We have had a very sweet week-end with Therese's mother, grandmother, and sister here in Yako. Today we will be going to Ouaga for Therese's physical exam required by the US Embassy. The family will stay in Ouaga for a few days while all of their papers are finished and I will return to Yako to introduce little Emma who is going to Denmark with her new family.

Last night we had a little party so that our children could say 'goodbye' to Therese. It was bitter-sweet, but everyone is happy for Therese and her family. This picture was taken on an outing to visit a man-made resevoir outside of Yako.

Jill and Alyssa from Australia

2010-12-10T01:32:00.000-08:00

The Australians have Arrived!

I would like to introduce two beautiful young ladies to you, Jill Ennever and Alyssa Craig from Australia. Jill and Alyssa arrived in Burkina on November 30^th. They will work with us at the orphanage for 2 months.

Jill is here fulfilling a public service requirement for a course at her university. Alyssa has just finished high school and has come along as a friend of Jill's and has come with a heart to work.

Both of the girls are already involved and integrated into the orphanage. Their days are filled with loving on and caring for our babies, playing soccer and other games with the primary school children and older children and helping me with administrative things. This past week they were able to make a trip to Ouaga on the public bus to attend a soccer game between Egypt and Mali.

In the picture, Jill is on the left and Alyssa is on the right. In the middle is a young girl that we discovered while doing the widows' distribution that needs a sponsor so that she can go back to school.

Widow's Distribution

2010-12-03T08:16:00.000-08:00

Widow's distribution--

On Wednesday, December 1, we held our monthly Widow's Basket food distribution. Because of my work schedule, I am not able to go each month to visit the widows but we employ a widow who goes in my place and talks with, encourages, and prays with each of our widows.

Most of the widows are really doing pretty well. They all complained about how they suffered with our cold temperatures right now. (Well, yes this is our wintertime and it can reach down into the upper 60's during the night.)

Someone had given us a special gift for Christmas gifts for our widows and we used this money and bought a nice warm blanket for each of our widows. They were really thrilled.

Two of our widows, Lizetta and Salimata, are pretty weak and sick. When we asked Lizetta if we could pray for her, she said, 'yes, please pray that the Lord will call me home'. Salimata has lost a lot of weight and is very, very thin.

Please pray for these two ladies.

Lizetta

Salimata

A new bicycle for Barka--

Barka is a young girl who lives in the orphanage. Her mother is still living but her father has died. Barka came to the orphanage last year because there was a primary school in her village but no secondary school and she was ready to go into the 7th grade. During the summer vacation, Barka goes back to the village to help her mother to work in the fields.

Barka is a sponsored child and her sponsor is at the top of the 'wonderful sponsor list'.

For 'back to school' her sponsor sent a special gift to buy Barka a bicycle.

Barka's full name is Barkawennam which is a Moore name that means 'Thank you, God'. By her smile, I think that you can tell that Barka is thankful for her new bike.

Barka and her new bike

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-22T23:58:00.000-08:00

Holiday Greetings!

Even though I just recently returned from a visit home, as the holidays approach my heart naturally 'turns toward home'. I hope that each of you have memory making times with family and friends during the Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations and that you find Jesus in the center of each activity.

Here at the orphanage, our children are busily preparing special songs, dance routines, and skits for our Christmas Eve family time at church.

New families for two of our children--

After the work, sweat, and tears of years of effort, we are preparing two of our children to leave the orphanage and to meet their adoptive families in December. If all goes well, Therese and Emma will spend Christmas in a new country with their new families.

Therese came to the orphanage in 2006. She was very sick with malaria and chest congestion. Within a short time, we learned that Therese has an enlarged heart and that her heart condition can not be treated here in Burkina. Therese is now 10 years old.

Therese's case is too complicated to go into depth here but the good news is that Therese had her day in court this month and her adoption has been approved. Therese will be leaving in just a few weeks and will become a member of a beautiful family in the US.

Emma is a little 2 ½ year old who was abandoned in the bush shortly after her birth. She was found by someone in the village and Social Action sent her to our orphanage. Emma is a delightful little toddler who will be joining her new family in Denmark.

Please pray for Therese and Emma's little hearts as they prepare to leave the orphanage and also the hearts of their adoptive families as they welcome their little ones home.

School News--

In visiting our classrooms this past week with my camera I asked the children if they were happy to be able to go to school. And, I thought that this little girl said it all with her smile. She is one of our little third graders.

This picture is of our 7^th grade class with Becky and Daniel, our English teachers in the back of the room.

Please continue to pray for the Holy Spirit to permeate our classrooms and to draw the hearts of our children to Jesus.

First week back in Burkina--

2010-10-29T08:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome Becky Schroeder!
Becky arrived in Burkina on Oct 24th. She is from St Louis and is planning to live and work with us for one year. Becky is a college graduate who has come with a big bag of skills and a big heart to learn and to serve.

Becky will be teaching English to our 5th, 6th, and 7th graders and she has already started tutoring a couple of our older orphanage children in English. She is working with our toddlers in pre-school classes and is spending 4 or 5 hours a day working in the baby rooms.

Becky has been busy making friends both with our children here at the orphanage and with our local workers.

Please pray for Becky as she continues to adapt and adjust to her new life here in Burkina.

New School Year 2010-2011
School started for us here in Burkina on October 4th. In our primary school this year we are running 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 6th grade classes. And, in our new school building we are starting a middle school with a 7th grade class.

In visiting both of the schools this week, I found that everything is in order. Our students have all settled into the new school year and our teachers are happy with the progress that their students have already made.

New Children in the Orphanage
Each year at 'back to school time' we have observed that a couple of children move out of the orphanage and a couple of children move into the orphanage. And, this year is no exception.

In watching over our sponsored children we made the decision this year to invite three of our primary school age boys into the orphanage so that they could continue their studies. We do not have very many primary school age children in the orphanage because usually they can stay with their families and attend a primary school near their home. But each of these boys were in very vulnerable situations so we appraoched the families asking whether they could come to the orphanage for the school year and then return home in the summer to help the family with the farming chores. And, each of the families readily agreed.

Jonas Illy
Jonas is an adorable little 6 year old who has been sponsored since he was a infant. His mother is not well mentally. Jonas is her oldest child and he has two younger siblings. Because his mother is unstable, she stays home with her husband sometimes but she also leaves home sometimes and randomly roams from village to village, sometimes with her children and sometimes leaving her children at home.

Jonas is now old enough to start school, so we talked to the family about the possibility of him coming to the orphanage. We are not completely sure whether Jonas is 'normal' or not. We have no way of testing him to determine his level of development. But, we are hoping that with a change in his environment that Jonas will succeed in school.

Zidane Sankara
Zidane is a young boy of 11 years old. We have been working with the family for 2 years now on behalf of Zidane but his situation at home has not improved. Zidane has been under the care of his aging grandmother who does not have the strength or the mobility to adequately take care of him.

Zidane is failing in school. His marks at the end of last year were 1.3 out of a possible 10. He was in a 4th grade class but could not speak or understand French.

Zidane is very small for his age so we are hoping that with a few months of good food and some vitamins, he will put on weight and grow. We have put Zidane back into 3rd grade and have set up special classes in French to help him come up to the level he needs to do 3rd grade work.

Idrissa Tebda
Idrissa is also 11 years old. His father is very old and he is blind. His mother has died. The family gave his father a new wife but she is very young and is not well mentally. Essentially Idrissa was the care-taker of the family.

This past year, Idrissa dropped out of school. In talking with the family and his teacher, Idrissa dropped out because of discouragement. He often missed class because of problems and responsibilities at home.

We talked with the head of the extended family as well as Idrissa's father about the possibility of Idrissa coming to live at the orphanage during the school year and everyone was in agreement for this to happen.

Because Idrissa has also done so poorly in school and because his French is not at the level that it needs to be, we have put him back 1 grade into the 3rd grade class.

Safe Arrival Back in Burkina!

2010-10-23T13:15:00.000-07:00

Arrived back to my 'African Home' early this morning, October 23^rd. The flights were all good. Left pretty much on time and arrived pretty much on time. Not bad for international travel.

Thought that I would give you a general summary of my time at home. My calendar was full and it was a very blessed two months of time with family and friends and work related activities all mixed in together.

Attended the Festival of Nations where Small Rain hosted an 'American Food' booth as a fund raiser. Attended a Small Rain board meeting and a strategic planning meeting.

Made annual visits with my dentist to get a crown. . . . yuck! And visited a general surgeon to have a growth removed from my arm. . . . another yuck!

Had two opportunities to visit my home church, Southgate Church in Crestwood where I was able to greet the people, give a 10 year summary of the work in Burkina, and host a sponsorship drive.

Attended a craft night at Southgate where a group of ladies made bibs and burp towels for me to bring back to our babies. At this event, it was great for me to meet some new friends and to share their joy and entheusiasm in making these things for our children.

Attended 2 of the Southgate home groups, one in the home of the Joggerests and one in the home of Vince LaRusso. Great fun to meet and get acquainted with Southgate folks.

Had numerous lunches and dinners with new friends, old friends, high school friends, and family. Enjoyed the time immensely over coffee and cheescake but have returned to Burkina with a little excess baggage around my middle.

Made a trip out to Pennsylvania to meet with a church there thinking and praying about drilling a well on the new school property for us.

Met with several different people thinking and praying about making a trip to Burkina. . . some for a 2 or 3 week visit and some for a longer length of time.

Made a trip to Columbia, MO to visit with friends and the church there.

Made a trip to California, MO to visit with friends and the church there.

Celebrated with my mom on her 87^th birthday.

Between various parties and get-togethers, this celebration was about a week long!

Celebrated the 18^th birthday with my grandson, Nathan. Nathan will be graduating from High School in May. Nate's dad, Aaron, is on the right.

Attended a week-end retreat in Branson, MO with the Sheltering Wings board of directors.

Was grateful for the opportunity to speak at two local St Louis Rotary meetings where I was able to personally thank them for the generous gift of medicine, lab equipment, and motorcycles that they provided for us this past August.

Had a great time apple picking and picking out pumpkins with Amy, Lillian and Claire at Echert's.

Visited Goshen Fellowship in Edwardsville, met some old friends and new friends, and shared the burden of the Burkina project with them.

Attended the 2^nd Annual Run for Relief in Fenton, MO where the proceeds this year will go to Sheltering Wings. It was a little cold this day for this African Mama but a great day for the 220 runners.

Attended my grandson, Nathan's, high school musical 'You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Nate was Pigpen and he did a great job!

Left to return to my 'African home' on Oct 21^st. The flights were all good and I arrived here in Burkina around 5 AM on the 23^rd. My taxi driver needed to go straight to a gas station where he put about $2 worth of gas in the tank. We had a near miss with a moto. Yikes! But, I am safe and sound in a nice room where I slept about 8 hours today.

Love and blessings to you!

Visit to Columbia and California, MO

2010-09-15T19:20:00.000-07:00

This past week I traveled to Columbia, MO and visited with friends and the church there. It was so good to have times of refreshing with dear friends and the believers there.

After Columbia, I continued to California, MO where again I visited with friends and the local body of believers. Here in California several groups of women have been making 'little dresses for Africa' for us and quilting the guilt that Lisa and I pieced together last year. These pictures are of some of the ladies who Vare involved in the sewing projects.

In California, I had 4 opportunities to talk with different groups in the church sharing the burden and the vision of the orphanage and school.

Thank you, Lord, for these opportunities to rest and to meet new friends.

Small Rain Fund-raiser

2010-08-31T15:35:00.000-07:00

Small Rain Fund-raiser

A St Louis based non-profit called Small Rain hosted a food booth at the Festival of Nations this past week-end in St Louis with the proceeds going to the Sheltering Wings Clinic. The festival is an annual event which brings together foods and cultural experiences from many nations of the world.

The more adventuresome attendees could sample culinary delights from the Near East, the Far East, Europe and South America.

Small Rain ran an 'American' booth which made many visitors smile by serving hotdogs, lemonade, and ice cream bars.

Thank you, Small Rain! Thank you to all the many volunteers who made this great work a lighter load for Kate Horrigan and the Small Rain board!

The children of Burkina Faso thank you for your labor of love.

Appendicitis and Typhoid Fever

2010-08-21T00:26:00.000-07:00

Please Pray for Emanuel--

One of our boys, Emanuel Kouda, is in the hospital in Ouagadougou. I received an urgent call yesterday from Mathieu, also studying at the university, saying that they had called an ambulance and that Emanuel needed surgery.

As it turns out, I had gone to OUA to take care of some business yesterday. My schedule got completely changed, but I am glad that I was there and was able to meet the boys at the hospital.

Ema has appendicitis and typhoid fever. The surgery was successful and he is now recovering in his hospital room and may be released today.

Please pray for Ema. He has been discouraged about his studies and he has been dealing with 'not feeling well' for some time now. He has lost a lot of weight. He is a very tall boy and now resembles a walking skeleton. Please pray that real soon Ema will be back on his feet.

Tene's First Return Visit to Burkina!

2010-08-13T03:16:00.000-07:00

A Visit from the Alonso family!

It was a great joy this past week to receive Phillipe and Beda Alonso and their family for a visit to the orphanage and to Burkina. This was the family's first return visit to Burkina since adopting their daughter, Tene, in 2007.

Tene's early childhood was filled with pain and suffering but she has been wonderfully rescued and is now thriving in a loving family and a beautiful environment in France. One of her older brothers, Eloi, is in this picture. She has another older brother, Quinten, who was not available for the picture.

Tene is completely integrated into her family. She is thriving physically and mentally. She will be entering the 5^th grade this Fall. She plays the saxaphone, is an avid skier, enjoys swimming, and has many friends.

Here is little Tene when she came to the orphanage in 2005.

A Tribute to Sarah and Lisa

2010-08-13T02:45:00.000-07:00

Saying 'See you again soon', not 'Good-bye'!

The Lord sent two special gifts to Burkina Faso this past year. They were packaged in the forms of Lisa Otterpohl and Sarah Oeder from Germany. Sarah and Lisa worked tirelessly with us at the orphanage for one year and they have left their mark in each of our hearts.

The list of their accomplishments and impact on our projects here is vast but to name just a few. . .

they ministered to our babies and older children by caring and loving, teaching and mentoring
they conducted child evangelism activities where 100's of children accepted the Lord
they reached out to children and churches outside of our community expressing the love of Jesus, encouraging local pastors, touching the children
they preached, they taught
they sang and they danced with our children
they participated in church activities
they painted our house!
they painted our church!

they organized our house and the clinic and the storage building
they held art classes with the orphanage children and our school children
They taught English in our primary school

and many, many more things and blessings are now ours through their time with us

So, we cannot say 'good-by' but we say 'A Bientot', see you again soon.

Lisa and Sarah, you will forever be in our hearts. Thank you for your obedience to the Lord in following his call to Burkina! Thank you for your servant hearts! If the Lord allows, we will see you again. Maybe on Burkina's soil? Maybe on Germany's or US soil? But if not on earthly soil. . . . for sure we will meet again in heaven.

With love from Burkina,

Ruth

2010-08-12T12:47:00.001-07:00

New Student Desks for a New School!

Little by little we are getting ready to start school this Fall. Sarah, one of our short-termers from Germany who just left this past week donated enough money to order new desks for 2 of our classrooms. Here is a picture of our 7^th grade classroom. . . ready for the first day of class.

Dedication Ceremony--

2010-08-09T15:18:00.000-07:00

DEDICATION Ceremony for the Clinic and a gift from the Rotary Club International--This past Saturday, August 7^th, we held a big party to celebrate the official opening of our clinic to publicly thank the Lord for all that He has done for us and to thank the Rotary Club International for the enormous gift that they recently gave to us.

With rain pending, it was not sure that the party would occur but with hopeful hearts a crew of 20 women started cooking at 4 AM. They fried 10 chickens and 16 kilos of fish. They prepared beautiful salads. And they prepared riz gras, an African rice dish made with tomato sauce and fresh vegetables.

Food Preparations--

At 7 AM, a crew of 8 men installed two huge tents and set-up 80 chairs. The whole courtyard had been swept clean. The clinic was spotless and the school classrooms were cleaned and set-up as dining halls.

At 10 AM, members from the Rotary Club in Ouaga arrived, and invited officials from Yako arrived. Friends and work associates from Yako came and all of our children and local workers were here to join in the celebration.

Several speeches were given; one by the president of the Rotary Club Crystal, one by our local director of Social Action, and by the local representatives from the Haut Commisaire and from the mayor's office.

Madame

The Rotary Club held a symbolic presentation of the gifts by passing some medical products through a chain of people with the end of the chain being one of our nurses, Josephine.

After a prayer of dedication of the clinic and the Rotary gift, we took a tour of the clinic showing the Rotary members and the Yako officials the new lab equipment, the new motos, and the stacks and stacks of medicine now available to the community.

The ceremony ended with a delicious meal prepared and served by women from the community and by our baby care-takers.

Saying 'thank you' does not begin to express all that is in my heart for what the Lord has done for us. In French to express this we say 'grande merci' or a huge thank you! And, even that only begins to adequately express our deep sentiments.

Once again, thank you to the Rotary Club! This gift enables us to expand our ministry to the orphans and vulnerable children in this region and allows us to start going out into neighboring villages looking for and treating sick children.

The Construction if finished!

2010-07-20T14:01:00.000-07:00

Our School is Finished!!

Finally, I can write to you with the news that the construction work on our new school is finished! This morning we signed papers agreeing that the work was finished and that the work was good. I really am happy with the finished product.

Our classrooms are big and spacious with lots of airflow and are equipped with ceiling fans. When we are able to hook up to electricity, our students will be able to study in comfort.

We are thankful to the Lord for his help and guidance throughout the construction project. There were no accidents on the construction site and we have a good quality and beautiful new school building.

School Closing, 2010

2010-07-15T01:59:00.001-07:00

School Closing, 2010

Here in Burkina, there is an official ceremony to open the school year and an official ceremony to close the school year. Our school held the closing ceremony for 2009-2010 on Tuesday, July 13^th.

Top students from each class, our staff, and short-term volunteers. We are proud of the accomplishments of each of our students but in a land where often the girls are not sent to school, we are especially proud that 3 out of 4 of the top students in our school were girls!

The day started with prayer and a recap by grade of the success of the school year. Awards were given to the top five students in each of our four classes. Thank you gifts were give to each of our teachers and our director for the outstanding work that they did this year.

In the standardized testing that is held for the sixth graders, our school ranked first in our region. All of our students except one girl passed the exam. Each of our 6^th graders who passed the exam received a new t-shirt. Each class received their own soccer ball to start the next school year with.

We ended our ceremony with a balloon game and by serving lunch to the children.

School Closing, 2010

2010-07-15T01:59:00.000-07:00

School Closing, 2010

Here in Burkina, there is an official ceremony to open the school year and an official ceremony to close the school year. Our school held the closing ceremony for 2009-2010 on Tuesday, July 13^th.

We ended our ceremony with a balloon game and by serving lunch to the children.

Orphanage Gets a Face-lift

2010-07-15T00:52:00.000-07:00

Orphanage Gets a Face-lift

This past week some friends came for a visit and they came with hearts to bless our children. They were a group of 10, the Richter's, a missionary family living in a small town called Dana here in Burkina and the Massie's, a family visiting from Texas.

They came with hearts to serve, with paint and with painting supplies, replacement screens for the baby rooms, and new mattresses for the beds of some of our older children. They built a roost and nesting boxes in our chicken house and they finished the installation of our washer and dryer.

With Sarah and Lisa from Germany, Brittany, Miriah, and Jordan from Canada, and Hayley from the US. . . . and the Richter's and Massie's. . . . we were a working force that gave the orphanage a new and clean face.

Two of the dormitory rooms were painted, 2 cribs were painted, the 4 metal doors across the back of the dormitory were painted and the main gates entering the compound were painted!

Geoffrey and Chad checked and double checked the installation of the washer
and dryer and then found that the problem with the dryer was that rats had got inside of it and had built nests. The rats and their nests were cleaned out and the dryer is now functioning properly.

Last but not least, the Richter and Massie boys built nesting boxes and a roost for our chickens. Finally, our chickens are beginning to lay eggs! Some of them are still young but a couple of them have started laying. With the comfort and security of their new environment, it is sure that they will all be laying soon and our children will have eggs to eat for breakfast!

Food Distribution - June 2010

2010-07-14T03:22:00.000-07:00

Sponsorship Food Distribution – June 2010
This past week we held food distributions at our 5 distribution centers for our sponsored children. As usual, these were days of joy.

We talked with each child noting their end-of-school-year information in preparation for school registration for this Fall.

Each child made a special gift to send to their sponsor.

Each family took home a 200 lb sac of corn to carry them through these next few months until the harvest is ready.

A mother and her children waiting for the distribution to start.

Each distribution day is a day of great joy. It is good to see each of the children, to talk with their parents, and to get a report of how the children are doing in school. And it is a great joy to see the smiles of appreciation from the children and their care-takers for your gifts of food. care-takers.

Answers to prayer--

2010-07-14T02:55:00.000-07:00

Harouna Update--

We have wonderful news to report in that our Social Action worker was able to find an uncle in Harouna's father's family who wanted to take Harouna into his family as his own son. Through past mis-communication within the family, the uncle thought that Harouna was dead and when he heard that he was a thriving little 10 year old, he did not hesitate to invite him into his home.

We are thankful that the Lord used us to place Harouna with this loving family.

School Construction Update--

The construction of our new school is nearly complete. The workers are in the finish work stage and the building will be completely finished in the next 7 to 10 days.

The construction process has gone well. We have a very solid building which is also beautiful. We are praying over these new classrooms and the children and teachers who will make our school a center for learning.

New children, new needs--

2010-06-11T09:08:00.000-07:00

This is Harouna. He is 10 years old.

Harouna was born in Burkina but since a baby, he has lived in the Ivory Coast. Just recently his mother and step-father returned to Burkina to live and this week Harouna's mother signed papers at the courthouse, abandoning Harouna.

Harouna's story is heart-breaking but he is a little boy with great courage.

Harouna's mother and father are cousins. The mother was able to hide this fact while living in the Ivory Coast but the problem surfaced almost immediately when she returned to Burkina. Even though her husband is willing to keep Harouna and to care for him, the mother's family will not allow Harouna to continue to live in their village. Feelings are so strong that words like 'we never want to even hear the name of the child again' have been used.

So, Harouna has become a part of our orphanage family and as his papers are completed we will look for a permanent family for him through international adoption. He is small for his age but seems to be in good health.

Please pray for Harouna!

New Special Needs Child--

This is Karim. He is 10 years old.

Karim is totally deaf. He was not born deaf but lost his hearing as a result of a high fever caused by meningitis at about 2 years of age.

Karim's younger brothers and sisters had been sent to school so this past year Karim decided that he would also go to school. And, Karim just showed up in the first grade class of a small village school about 30 kilometers from Yako.

Karim's teacher told him to go home because he was not enrolled in school but because Karim could not hear what he said, he just stayed in school! After a short time in school, the teacher figured out what the problem was but also saw that Karim was very intelligent. Together they found some simple ways to communicate. Unofficially, because he was not actually enrolled, Karim completed the first grade and he made passing marks.

This past week, Karim's teacher contacted us asking if there was any way that we could help Karim. We sent them to Ouagadougou for a hearing test at the deaf school and an evaluation for enrolling in first grade in the Fall.

Karim has a place in school and the family in Ouaga who has cared for another of our children, Yemba, who attends the deaf school, has agreed for Karim to come and live with them during the school year.

Now, the one thing remaining is to find the funds to send Karim to school and to pay a small monthly amount to the family caring for him. In total, we need $540 per year to send Karim to school. If you would like to help to with this need, please send your contribution to Sheltering Wings and put a note with it saying 'Send Karim to school'.

Evangelism in Peligtanga!

2010-05-29T10:30:00.000-07:00

After recently spending a week in the village, Sarah could not get the children and the women of the region of Peligtanga out of her heart and her mind. We started going there for weekly prayer meetings with 2 of the local pastors and their wives seeking the Lord's heart for what He wanted to do in this region. Slowly a plan of a weekly Bible Club developed in Sarah's heart and also a plan for a one day evangelism effort for the children and for the women in this region.

The man in the red hat is the tribal chief of this region. He is a believer who warmly welcomed us. The two men on the right are the two local pastors that we are working with, Pastor Samuel and Pastor Paul.

This past Thursday was the children's day. Five of our orphanage children who had been participating in the previous weeks' Bible Clubs went with us and various activities were planned for the children. About 250 children came from Peligtanga and 2 other neighboring villages.

The day started with singing and Bible stories and a skit that the children of the church of Peligtanga had prepared. When an invitation was given to ask Jesus into their hearts, 18 children responded to the call.

Then we moved into fun and games. Sarah had planned 5 different stations with 5 different activities. Everyone had a great time!

At the end, everyone received a bag of popcorn and some bee-sap to drink. (Bee-sap is a local drink that the children love that is made out of the flowers of a plant.)

Friday was the day for the women. About 160 women came and we started around 10 in the morning. The goal of this day was just to bless these village women who work so very hard just to survive and to care for their families. Many of them work in the fields and many of them work in the nearby gold mines.

The day was planned to be a day of celebration with singing and dancing and teaching and eating. We emphasized the value of the woman to God through the Scriptures by using the story of Esther and declaring the women of Peligtanga to be 'women of destiny'. When an invitation to accept Jesus was made, 4 women responded to the love of Jesus and asked Him into their hearts.

Before leaving our 'serious time' and sharing a meal together, Sarah gave a teaching on foot washing and the four of us (Brittany, Lisa, Sarah, and I) washed our local sisters feet. I have many precious memories of Burkina in my heart, but I think that these moments of feel washing will remain as one of my fondest. There were moments of weeping in the house and there were moments of rejoicing in the house. The presence of the Lord was powerful!

2010-05-22T13:49:00.001-07:00

Brittany and Miriah, our Canadian friends, have returned to spend their summer vacation with us here in Yako. This is Miriah's third visit and Brittany's second. After taking just a few days to adjust to Burkina's temperatures and ways, they have slipped right into daily life with us here at the orphanage.

Even though there are still several weeks of school left for some of our children, some of them will be finishing soon and leaving to visit their families in the village. But before everyone starts leaving for the village, the girls planned an 'end of school' party and introduced this parachute where our primary school children played several different games. Everyone was delighted!

This is Brittany on the left playing with the children.

This is a picture of Moumouni taken at the end of school party. Moumouni is a new boy to the orphanage this year. He is 14 years old but is finishing 2^nd grade this year. It has been a good year for Moumouni despite all of his difficulties at home and subsequent adjustment to the orphanage. But, he is finishing strong by ranking 8^th in his class.

Moumouni is a delightful boy and it is a joy to have him in the orphanage. If the Lord has been speaking to you about sponsoring a child, Moumouni is in need of a sponsor.

One part of the 'end of school' party was an activity planned by Lisa. She purchased t-shirts for each child in the orphanage and organized a t-shirt painting party. Many of the children painted their favorite Scripture verse on the back of their shirt and a design on the front. What fun!

This is a picture of Lisa and Therese working on Therese's t-shirt.

And, I cannot write these days without a photo and an update of the progress on the new school. The work is progressing as planned and as scheduled. As you can see in the picture, the walls are up and the workers will soon be installing the roof. The metal doors and windows are being made by the solderer and will soon be in place.

We praise God and thank Him for all that he is doing for the children of Yako.

No Electricity, No Water!

2010-05-16T23:44:00.000-07:00

We have had a very busy past few days. A storm passed through last week-end and the wind blew down 4 or 5 power poles just a bit north of Yako knocking out our source of electricity. The electric company had estimated 6 days to re-set the poles and repair the damage but thanks to the prayers of faithful friends like you, our power was restored in just 4 days.

We still have one outstanding problem in that the pump for our well is not working. We have called the electrician to come and look at it but he has been detained on another job in Ouagadougou. Hopefully this is not a major problem and this week, our well will again be providing water to the courtyard. For now, we are switched over to the city water source which is expensive. Please pray that the electrician will soon be able to come and that the pump has not suffered serious damage due to the power cut.

Here is another picture of the progress on the school. It is amazing how quickly the walls go up once the foundation is laid. In the midst of other struggles and challenges, we are praising God that we can actually see the school building taking shape.

This week we walked in the new but not yet completed classrooms praying for the teachers who will teach and the children who will learn in our school.

Our New School--

2010-05-07T00:21:00.000-07:00

The work on the new school is progressing quickly. The bricks are now all made and stacked up in rows ready for building the walls.

In this picture, you can see the wooden forms being made to form a layer of iron-reinforced concrete. This will serve as a belt of reinforcement around the foundation of the building. After this row is completed the walls will go up very quickly.

We are beginning to pray for each of the new children who will come to our school this year. We will be recruiting 25 little first graders so please pray for these children. The Lord has already chosen then. He knows them by name and will be sending them to our gate.

Please pray also for a new teacher for first grade and for the teachers needed for our 7^th grade class.