Holy and blameless in his sight, He predestined us for adoption--

For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will-- to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. Ephesians 1:4-6

Adoption comes from the very heart of our Father God. Adoption into our Father's family came at the great cost of the suffering and death of God's own son, Jesus.

Our adoptive families have suffered, not to the point of physical death, but they have suffered the frustration of painful waiting, the inability to understand the broken social and legal system of Burkina, the loss of their money, etc. They have suffered the loss of control when inexplicably their court case has been extended over and over again.

But, for those who persevere, for those who are called to step out of their comfort zone, to step out of the boat, so to speak-- God has children in Burkina who are waiting and waiting, sometimes for as long as ten years, waiting to be united, waiting to be introduced, waiting for that first embrace from their mother and father. This is what adoption is all about. This is the moment that parents and child look forward to, not even really knowing what it will look like or what it will feel like. But, waiting to take their child into their arms and ultimately take them home as their adopted son or daughter.

This month Linda and I had the privilege of sending two more precious children home to their Forever Families.

This is DJ with his Mama and Papa. He recently went home to meet his four older sisters.

This is Claire with her Mama and Papa. Claire is one who has waited for over ten years, passing her days in an orphanage, waiting for paperwork to be done and then to be redone, waiting for her parents to come for her.

Our God is so good! He loves the children of Burkina and He loves to place them in Forever Families. If you feel that the Lord is calling you to adopt a special needs child, please contact me or contact Kim at kim@allblessings.org – All Blessing, Intl.

Daniel is Home!

Daniel is an amazing little boy who has been dealt a very unpleasant start to his young life. You

wouldn't know this though because he has a very tender heart, a winning smile, and a very gentle disposition.

At a time when some parents are counting the months and years to the 'empty nest' period of their lives, some parents are actually asking to take a new child into their family. This was the case of our most recent adoption.

Older children are hard to place. Older boys are harder to place than older girls.

Yet, Daniel has a Forever Family! He has an older brother who has been counting the days until his new brother comes home. And, he has two older sisters. What a perfect environment for a 12 year old boy to grow and thrive! God is so good!

Sponsorship Works!

This past week we were visiting Nonfesso, a small neighboring village of Kimini, and the director of

Salif, 6 Years Old, First Grade

the school had lined up over 100 children needing sponsors. The children's stories are all very similar. . . too many children in the family, father not able to grow enough grain to feed his family, no money for the most basic medical care, no money to send the children to school, etc. 

The children were almost all barefoot and wearing clothes that would not even be found on our rag shelf.

The needs of the children here are overwhelming. God has sent Linda and I here to do what we can. And, we cannot turn our backs on their needs.

We asked the director and the teachers to choose 25 children with the greatest needs. We have signed these children up for sponsorship and when they are all sponsored, we will add 25 more to our waiting list.

My name is Fanana and I am in the 3rd Grade

Today, we are turning to you expressing the need and asking you to consider taking a child into your heart. We will send you a sponsorship packet with a picture of your child and their story.

For just $35 a month, you will send a child to school, provide books and school supplies, provide a food distribution for the family in June and in December, and provide medical care as needed.

Would you please help us to care for these children?

Arouna, 6 Years Old, First Grade

Fatimata, 11 Years Old, 4th Grade 

Medical Evaluations for the Kimini Primary School Children

We recently had a wonderful visit from a medical team from Ouagadougou. Two ex-pat doctors, Dr Peter and Dr Caroline, one Burkinabe nurse, one French intern nursing student, and a Burkinabe support person made the trip to Kimini to do medical evaluations on each of the 215 children in our primary school. 

Dr Peter - checking eyes, ears, and throat

The work was organized into an administration room and a consultation room and the team worked nearly non-stop from 9 AM to 4 PM for two days. 

The evaluation for each child included weighing and measuring, an eye test, a urine test, and then a visit with the doctor where their ears and throat were checked, lungs and heart were checked, as well as a routine abdominal check. A team of 5 translators from Kimini worked to support the team and two local ladies made delicious meals for us.


Many of the children tested positive for malaria and various other parasite issues in the stomach and intestines. Many of the children needed their ears flushed out and the nurse was available to take care of these children. If the children were sick they received the necessary medications and each child went home with a new toothbrush and toothpaste.

Dr Carolyn - testing a child for malaria

Each child's information was documented and will be stored in Dr Peter's database. This documentation will be used as a starting point next year for when the team returns.

Operation Christmas Child (OCC) - in Kimini!

So much excitement!

We had a wonderful visit from a team of 5 people from Ouagadougou this month. They came with about 750 Samaratan's Purse Christmas boxes to distribute in the region of Kimini. We started in our neighboring village of Wangolo, where over 200 shoeboxes were distributed. The team captivated the children for over an hour with a puppet show teaching the value of bathing, brushing teeth, and wearing clean clothes to school.

Then in the evening the team held an outdoor evangelism meeting specifically geared towards children and youth with lots of fun songs, a movie, and a presentation of the Gospel. Twenty young people responded to an invitation to accept Christ that evening in Wangolo. Pastor Paul will follow up on these children and youth.

Each child received a gift!

The next day we held OCC distributions for the children of the Kimini primary school and the Koranic school. For these two locations, about 450 shoeboxes were distributed. Afterwards the children were warmly invited to return in the evening where they also heard a 'child focused' presentation of the Gospel and where a puppet show grabbed their attention and their hearts. Five teens responded to the invitation saying that they wanted to invite Jesus into their hearts. Pastor Joel from Niangoloko will follow up on these new converts.

Pastor Joel received 40 shoeboxes to distribute to the children in his church and Pastor Paul received 60 boxes for his church.

Presentation of the Gospel

If you have ever wondered about the validity or impact of Operation Christmas Child Gift Boxes, I hope that this answers all of your questions! We tried but we could not begin to capture all of the joy and excitement that these gifts brought to our children. Many thanks to the Ouagadougou OCC team. God greatly used you in Kimini! May God get all of the glory!   

A Forever Family for Guelil

It seems that each adoptive family that I meet is the MOST amazing family that I have ever met!

Of course, every family who opens their hearts to taking 'one of the least of these' into their home is a special family. But, it seems that God is drawing the hearts of the very best of the best of families to adopt from Burkina Faso!

We recently had the privilege of introducing a special little boy named Guelil to his new mama and grandmother. From the first minute it was love at first sight for this family. Guelil had waited for two years for his family to come for him. He was super ready and he was in his mother's arms within minutes of meeting her.

Burkina Faso suffered a coup d'etat last week. The family arrived on a Friday and civil unrest and turmoil started the following Monday. Now this is not normal and certainly is not an ideal time for an adoptive family to come for their child. But, who can predict a military and civil uprising?

Our family were seasoned travelers and also experienced in adoptions and they accepted each surprise and uncertainty with a calm heart that was full of faith. And, the good news is that the air borders were only closed for a couple of days and they were able to make their return flight home as planned.

The rest of Guelil's family were at the airport to meet them. And, the reports are that everyone is doing wonderfully well.

With the Thanksgiving season right around the corner, we are thanking God for giving Guelil a mama and a papa and two new siblings, as well as grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. God is so good!

Back to School--

School started this year on October 1^st. For days in our little village of Kimini, the children were talking, talking, talking about going back to school. The little girls were getting their hair done. Everyone had their backpacks with a notebook or two, a pen, and a small chalkboard in their pack. There was much excitement in the air!

Village life is really hard sometimes in that the organization and infrastructure needed to make things work are just not in place. Then, in a developing nation where the education system is broken. . . . . well, for the first day of school, there were only two of our four teachers in the village. There were no preparations made in advance. The classrooms were dirty and unorganized. So very far from what a sparkling clean, welcoming classroom is like in the West. Sigh!

Never-the-less, Linda and I were busy with visiting each of our sponsored children in the area. We visited schools, paid school fees, and bought school supplies for each child.

School WILL start in Kimini! It may take a couple more weeks before our teachers are here and they are ready to actually start class. But, with the help of the Lord, Kimini will be running 1^st, 2^nd, 4^th, and 6^th grades this year.

This is Reine and she is so excited to be starting first grade this year.

                                                                                                                                                              Drissa is unable to walk because of polio yet so happy to be in the 5^th grade this year.

This little girl used to be timid and shy.  Her teacher said that she often cried in class.  But today, Awa is shining with confidence because she knows that she is sponsored and that she will be able to stay in school because her school fees have been paid by her sponsor.  Awa is entering the 4th grade this year.

Ousseni and Lassane, twins who are entering the 3^rd grade this year.

Some of our children writing letters to their sponsors.  This is Pastor Paul who helps us with the children in Wangolo.

Please send me a note if you would like to sponsor a child. Sponsorship changes lives!

A Forever Family for Arouna

God lovingly forms each child to be special and unique. He made Arouna to be a little boy with special needs, with a sweet little disposition, and a little heart made to praise his Maker.

Through adoption, God hand picks special and unique parents to care for His children who do not have parents.

What a wonderful God we serve and what a wonderful plan He has for adopting us into His family and calling us His sons and daughters.

This week we have had the privilege of introducing another little one to his new mommy and daddy. We have witnessed another miracle of life, one of rescuing a very special little boy from growing up in an institution and placing him in a loving family!

Kimini - A week at a glance--

Jackie, hard at work

Benjamin and Jackie Hodson left on a jet plane last night returning to their home and their children. What a great week we had together in Kimini! There was lots of time for renewing of relationships and building new ones, time for working in the field, time for gathering firewood, and even time for painting our living room, hall, and bathroom! Thanks so much for visiting, Ben and Jackie, and for all of the encouragement that you brought to us!

Benjamin, making our house beautiful!

Monday morning we took little Siaka to a clinic in

Siaka and his grandmother

a neighboring village. Siaka'a mouth was red and swollen with many sores and he has lost 4 of his front teeth. The diagnosis for his mouth is a severe fungal infection and in addition, he has a mild case of malaria.

We are treating 15 to 20 cases of malaria each week and treating 35+ wounds each week. The new medical clinic for Kimini is much needed and will be much appreciated by the community.

Wound care 

This past week we received an unexpected visit from the chief of Kimini and several of our village

Sand, gravel, and rock

fathers who came to tell us that the village was giving us an additional 2 acres of land specifically for the medical facility. 

This picture may not look like a lot, but the village made a commitment to provide the sand, gravel, and rock for the construction of the first building of our medical clinic.  This past week, the village hired a 10 ton truck and delivered 7 loads of sand, 3 loads of gravel, and 3 loads of rock to the construction site. 

Our kitchen

Our external kitchen and guesthouse were completed this week. Moving our gas refrigerator and stove out of our living room and into the kitchen will reduce the heat in our house and also reduce the risk of inviting little unwanted critters into our house.

Ibra -- 11 yrs old. . . .

Ibrahim

Waiting is such a huge part of life in Burkina Faso!  But, waiting in lines, waiting at the traffic light, or waiting for a strike to be over does not compare to the waiting for the heart-felt need of a child to have a family.

Ibrahim is an 11 year old boy who has been waiting for many years now for a family.  He is a boy who got lost in a broken social system that for many years did not even think that he was adoptable.  He has been passed from home to home and then from center to center by well-meaning people just trying to find something that would work for him.

But still, Ibra is waiting for his Forever Family!  Do you have room in your heart for a young boy?  As you can see in the picture, Ibra likes to dabble in art.  He loves to play the drums.  He is bright and engaging yet has struggled greatly in school because of the instability in his life.  He used to run away a lot but this past year he has settled down and is reported to be  cooperative and responsive to his care-takers.

Ibra is waiting for his family to come and take him home.

Going home--

Initial moments

These past two weeks have flown by as we met the Dorseys, introduced them to their sweet little son, Sylvain, finished up paperwork at the US Consulate and at Social Action, and saw a little bit of Burkina through their eyes.

Kellen meeting Sylvain

After paperwork was finished we made a trip to Yako where they met their child, Waogba, who they sponsor through Sheltering Wings. They brought a backpack and some clothes for Waogba, spent some time with him, and met some of the children from the Yako orphanage.

Wendinda, Cris, and Sylvain

Waogba and the Dorsey Family

We also made a trip to Koudougou to visit the orphanage where Sylvain spent the first 3 years of his life before being transferred to an orphanage in Ouagadougou. On the return of this trip, we stopped by a lake which contains sacred crocodiles where everyone had a chance to sit on a croc. . . if they so desired.

Sylvain and his family are doing wonderfully well. Sylvain is a very gentle and tender-hearted little boy who gets so excited sometimes that he can just hardly contain himself! He is already understanding many English phrases and is repeating many, many words.

The Dorsey family are a gift from God. They came to Burkina with open hearts and with deep love for this little son/brother whom they had not yet met. It was love at first sight for each one of them. Sylvain was ready for his family to come for him. And, after a long wait, the Dorseys were ready to meet their son. Sylvain has some special needs and his family is ready for the challenge.

Tomorrow will be a bitter-sweet day of saying goodby to new friends while knowing that another child has been rescued by his Forever Family!

Waiting. . . .

So many precious little children who have been waiting a long time now for their families!  Do you have room in your heart for one more child?   These children have no voice.  Would you please help me to find families for them by sharing this post within your circle of friends?

Issa

This little boy is 7 years old. He was found on the streets of a major city alone and afraid when he was about 4 years old. Already he has spent 3 years waiting for his FOREVER FAMILY to come for him.

When Issa was found he was malnourished and could not see. He has been diagnosed with congenital cataracts. Surgery was performed and his vision has improved but still he does not see well. He can see light and dark, colors, and large objects.

Issa is an adorable child who is very social. He plays well with the other children and is attending a pre-school for the blind.

Issa rez

Gelles

This little 17 month old was abandoned shortly after his birth. No trace of his family has been found. Gelles is a very sweet baby but suffers from cerebral palsy, possibly blindness, and possibly torticollis.

Gelles has been in an orphanage since his birth where his basic needs are met but where he is receiving very little stimulation or physical therapy. Gelles is waiting for his FOREVER FAMILY to come and rescue him.

Fanta could not run away--

In returning to Burkina, Linda and I took care of some business in Ouagadougou and then headed down to our new little village of Kimini. Just before leaving the paved road for the last leg of our trip, we stopped in Niangoloko to talk with the social worker that we have been working with there.

We had a list of the children from that region that we are trying to help and one by one we went through the list to see how they were doing in school, whether paperwork had moved forward, etc.

But when we reached little Fanta, the social worker stopped and quietly said 'Fanta died'. I thought that I had not understood what he has said and asked him to repeat it and then we learned this sad story.

Fanta was handicapped, probably from polio when she was very young. There were three handicapped children in the family and the mother took the children to school in the morning but because she had no means of transportation, she left them there during the lunch/recess time and then went back to pick them up at 5 PM in the evening.

One day last month some of Fanta's friends had carried her out under a tree where there was shade while they waited for class to resume at 3:00. While out under the tree some of the children started throwing rocks at a bee hive way up in the tree. The hive fell to the ground and the angry bees swarmed out of the hive and started attacking and stinging the children. To get away from the bees, the children all ran away. Fanta could not run away. Her legs do not work.

Things do not move very quickly here but within a few hours, Fanta's mother was found, someone with a car was found, and she was taken to a hospital about 2 hours away.

Fanta died that same evening having never recovered consciousness.

Sometimes the harshness of life here is overwhelming. So many times I find myself second guessing whether we have done all that we could to help a child. This was one of those times.

But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.  Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” Galatians 4:4-6

Each time that I am involved in an adoption I come away with a deeper understanding of our Heavenly Father's love for us and a deeper understanding of what it means for us to be adopted into the Family of God.


Once again God has united a family with a child desperately in need of a family. In Burkina and in the US we are rejoicing in the goodness of our God!

Is there room in your family for one more?


Introducing Raoul!

Raoul was born on July 7, 2009. Although he is under treatment he suffers from epileptic seizures and wears the helmet to protect his head in case he falls.


Raoul was found by the police outside of a bank in July, 2011. Investigations were held but there was no trace found of his parents or extended family.


Although he has not had the opportunity to attend pre-school, his care-takers say that he is very bright and that he plays well with the other children.

Raoul needs a family to provide the love and affection that every child needs and also consistent medical care for the epilepsy.    

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Christmas is a wonderful time when our hearts are turned towards the needs of others. I love this time of year when we are giving love to one another in one form or another.


If you are looking for a COMPLETELY fulfilling way to give to a child this year, would you please think and pray about sponsoring one of our children? Linda and I are almost daily finding new children with new needs to meet. For just $35 per month, you can send a child to school and help his or her family with food and medical supplies on an as needed basis.


We just met Laurence the other day. She is older for a sponsorship child but she has demonstrated a lot of determination in getting as far as she has in school.

Laurence hopes to become a nurse

Laurence is 20 years old. She is in the 10^th grade this year (2013-2014). Her father died in 2000 of an illness. Her mother left the courtyard shortly after her father died and she is now living in the Ivory Coast.

Laurence is under the watchful eye of her older sister. Laurence lives in the courtyard of her father's extended family. There are 8 children in the family. One is in Ouagadougou, four are students in Niangoloko and three are no longer in school. Laurence is the 5^th child in the family.

Laurence lives in a small mud brick house without access to electricity or running water. The family farms for a living and during the rainy season, Laurence works in her family's fields.

Laurence dreams of becoming a nurse. With a passing grade this year in school (2013-2014) it is possible that if Laurence has a sponsor, we could enroll her in nursing school next year.

Would you please consider sponsoring Laurence?

Is there room for one more in your family?

Hi! My name is David.

David -
Born: either Oct 20, 2011 or March 1, 2010, probably the March, 2010 date


November, 2013, David looks to be in good health and looks to be about 3 ½ yrs old. He was abandoned as an infant near the intersection of a rural road.


David has bright eyes and is very engaging.  Although it is sometimes very difficult to get an accurate diagnosis here, David appears to be struggling with a mild to medium form of Cerebral Palsy. His motor skills are delayed. He walks well without help but he does fall a lot. His speech is impaired, possibly due to hearing loss. He has a noticeable crossed eye.


David needs a home where he can grow and flourish. He will need specialized care including physical therapy. He responds affectionately to love and touch
.

A blessing named, Awa

The village chief has given Awa permission to be our language helper and also our care-taker here in Kimini.


Awa is a young woman with the responsibility of caring for 2 young children and she now also has the respondibility of caring for Linda and I in the village. And, we DO need a care-taker.


Each morning and each evening, Awa passes by to see if there is anything at all that we need. She checks to see if our two 20-liter water bottles are full. She takes us around the village introducing us to all of her family and friends. She takes us to the market and helps us to buy food and our daily needs. She takes us to visit the tailor to have a new skirt made. She brings us gifts of rice and beans and offers to do our laundry for us.


In addition, Awa has taken on the task of being our language helper as Linda and I study the local language of Jula.


Then, during the rest of her day, Awa cares for her two small children and watches over her fields of corn, rice, and peanuts.


How thankful I am for this precious young woman and the blessing that she is to us!

You know you are in the village. . . . when. . .

While laying on your bed, you feel critters scurrying around inside your mattress. Mice! Yikes!


Well, they died, smelled to high heaven. . . and I bought a new mattress.

Kimini News--

Week two in Kimini has brought us many opportunities to meet new people and to work on building relationships with our new friends. We are very thankful for the village chief, and Babou and Awa for their care in looking in on us everyday to see if there is anything that we need.


We met this week with the chief, a local committee from the village and a local mason to talk about our plans to build a little house. All were in agreement and we are leaning towards building a 3-room concrete block house rather than the traditional mud-brick construction. The costs are coming out very affordable for the concrete block and this will provide a much more stable building.


As this meeting was drawing to a close the chief announced that the village would provide the sand, gravel, and rock that will be required for our house. This was a very unexpected surprise and we are praising the Lord for this generous support from the village. The village men and boys will gather this from the bush and bring it in so that the work of making bricks can be started.


We also met with two men manning the Social Action office in Niangoloko, our nearest small town, and talked with them about the needs and problems of the orphans and vulnerable children in our region. They warmly welcomed us and have promised to visit us in Kiminia in the next week or so. As in all of Burkina, the needs of the children is overwhelming.

Babou and surveyors

Today two surveyors from Banfora came to Kimini to survey the land that the village has given to us.

We met first in the chief's courtyard and then together walked over to our property. The men walked the circumference of the land twice, measuring and putting down concrete markers. They then returned to Banfora where they will produce a blueprint of the land. This blueprint will be included among the many papers needed to register the land in the name of Sheltering Wings.

McDonald's

Lots of activity! Lots of fun! And, tomorrow Linda and I will be leaving our pleasant air-conditioning and wifi in Banfora to return to our peaceful little village of Kimini. But, before leaving we did enjoy a visit to McDonald's. . . . Burkina Style!