An Angel Paid My School Fees!

Dear Family and Friends, 30 October, 2008

Finally! Everyone is enrolled in school, school uniforms are all made, school supplies have been bought and we can all step back and take a big sigh of relief.

The director of our school and our teachers picked out fabric for uniforms at our primary school this year. The children are thrilled and this past week, they started wearing their new uniforms. From the youngest to the oldest, everyone was wearing big smiles.

Through a very generous contribution from a friend, we were able to send an additional 23 children to school this year. Some of these children and their parents had come to our gate earlier asking for help and we had to send them away because our school funds were finished. Some of these children were on Social Action’s list of most needy cases but Social Action also had no funds left for school fees.

But, one very special boy named Florent went home and told his mother that an angel had visited his school and had paid his school fees! Florent lives in a village about 5 kilometers from Yako. His father has died and he is the youngest of 5 children. Florent is so determined to go to school that he walks to school barefoot each morning. Because his home is so far away from school, he does not go home for lunch but stays at school without eating, waiting for classes to resume for the afternoon session from 3 to 5:30.

Last year, Florent’s mother did all that she could but was only able to pay for about half of Florent’s school fees. The director of the school should have sent Florent away but because Florent is so diligent in school, the director allowed him to finish the school year. This year, the director should not have allowed Florent to start school because of his unpaid debt, yet out of the kindness of his heart, he allowed Florent to enter the 3rd grade.

Our Social Worker, Adiara, was at Florent’s school paying the school fees of another child that we knew was in need. While there, the director told her about Florent’s difficult home situation and his desire to study. After paying all of the school fees, Adiara had just a small amount of money left. And, after she calculated it, she found that she had just enough to pay Florent’s debt from last year and to pay for this year’s school fees.

Two days later, Florent and his mother came by the orphanage to thank us for paying his school fees. I noticed that Florent’s mother was wearing a small cross on a chain so I asked her if she was a Christian. She said that she was and that they walked the 5 kilometers each Sunday to attend the Catholic church here in Yako. The mother then continued to tell us that Florent had come home from school saying that an angel had stopped at his school that day and paid his school fees.

Florent is small for his age and Adiara told me that he was wearing the same ragged shirt and torn pants that he had been wearing 2 days before at school. He was also barefoot. So, we dug into some clothes that we had in storage and found a pair of shoes, 3 shirts and 3 pair of shorts that fit Florent perfectly.

We are now looking for a mother living close to Florent’s school who would be willing for Florent to eat lunch with her children each day and then return for the afternoon session. We have not found this woman yet but if you consider that the Lord sent an angel to pay this little boy’s school fees, He certainly has already prepared the heart of some mother to give little Florent his lunch.

Herman
Please continue to pray for Herman and a place for him in the blind school. We have run into a snag that is discouraging but not too difficult for our loving Jesus to solve.

Herman has a place in the first grade class but the school has not been able to find a foster family near the school to care for Herman throughout the year. Tomorrow I will be calling the woman responsible for finding foster homes for children like Herman to see if she has found a family for him. If she has not, Herman will have to wait until next year to start school. If she has, we will quickly get Herman ready and settled in Ouaga for classes to start on Monday, November 3rd.

Thank you so much for your prayers and for your generous tangible support. Our children are thriving! And, Jesus is King!

Love and blessings to you!

Ruth. . . . Mom. . . . Grandma

Hope Springs Eternal for a Deep Well--

A forage is a deep, drilled well. Last year an association called Friends in Action drilled in 2 different locations in our courtyard trying to get clean, pure water for the orphanage and school. In both of these drillings, they found water but it was very dirty water, full of sand and silt. We were discouraged. Friends in Action were discouraged.

This is a picture of the first of our drilling efforts last year.

There is water on our property but it is deep. The equipment that FIA has only has the capability of drilling 60 to 70 meters and the water is resting at 80 to 90 meters.

This past week I received a call from an organization called ODE here in Burkina. They are a Christian relief and development association which do water projects, agricultural projects, schools, clinics, etc. We have submitted a request for a forage with them in 2004 and our request had just worked its way to the top of their request list.

I went in and talked with ODE this past week to see what kind of drilling equipment they have and whether they would be able to drill to the depth that we need to find good water. And, THEY DO have this very powerful drill! We talked about the composition of the land here in Yako and they said that they have drilled several wells in our region and that they are aware of the problems that we have recently encountered.

ODE will be coming to Yako soon to do an initial study of our land to determine where they will drill. Then they will make a schedule of their work for the upcoming dry season and will give us a date that they will come to drill for us.

I must admit to you that I had lost hope of having a well on the property. We are connected to city water but our water bills run between $200 and $300 per month. And, that is only for drinking, bathing and washing clothes. With a well, we will be able to garden during the dry season and have plenty of water for our animals.

I am reminded and encouraged by Isaiah 35 which says that in the joy of the redeemed 'The burning sand will become a pool and the thirsty ground bubbling springs'. We live on the edge of the Sahel and we know burning sand and dry, thirsty ground, but, the Lord is going to give us streams in the desert.

Back to School - Oct. 08

7 October, 2008

Dear Friends,
Greetings from Burkina Faso!

It is ‘back to school’ time once again! This time comes every year and every year we try our best to prepare in advance but try as we may, we still end up in a crazy rush to get everything and everyone ready in time. School started on October 1st this year. At the orphanage we have 27 children in school; 1 at university, 20 in secondary school, and 6 children in primary school. In the sponsorship program there are 41 children in secondary school and 74 in primary school. In addition, through the special contributions of a few friends, we will be sending 25 more very needy children to school this year. All of these children need their school fees paid, school supplies bought, and school uniforms made.

The Sheltering Wings Primary School will hold five classes this year, first, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grades. Since we only have a 3-classroom school, the fourth and sixth grade classes will be held outside under a temporary shelter. Our teachers are busily preparing their classrooms and are excited about the new school year. Many of the children in the Sheltering Wings School have failed and have been rejected from the public school system. These children have received a ‘second chance’ to continue their education at our school. We believe that every child has a right to receive an education and in providing the right environment, every child can learn.


New Orphanage Children
I would like to introduce some new children to the orphanage to you. “Back to school’ time brings one or more new children to our door needing a place while they continue their studies. And, this year is no exception.
Alexi – 11 years old, orphan of mother and father, fifth grade
Abraham – 12 years old, orphan of father, sixth grade
Barkwendi – 13 years old, orphan of father, seventh grade
Adjertou – 15 years old, orphan of mother and father, first year in technical school to learn to be a tailor

We also have also recently received 5 new babies: Esaii, newborn; Estelle, 14 months; Salif, 3 months; and twin girls, Fatimata and Mariam, 3 months old. Each of these little ones have come with their own stories of tragedy even at their young ages.

Estelle has been placed with us by Social Action. She is 14 months old and her mother is just 15 years old. In desperation, the mother is abandoning Estelle because she cannot care for her or provide for her. The mother is an orphan of both mother and father. Because of the shame of her pregnancy, she has been kicked out of the extended family courtyard and has been living on the street. Depending on the final decisions made by Social Action, we will care for Estelle and possibly place her on the list for adoption. At the same time, we are looking for a family or school who will help Estelle’s mother to stabilize and get her life back on the right track.

Here are photos of Alexi, Barkwendi, and Estelle.

Sponsorship Program
September was the quarterly food distribution for the Sponsorship Program. We are in the process of dividing the children into smaller groups which meet in 5 of our local churches. A weekly meeting is held in each church where volunteers teach the children Bible stories, sing songs with them and interact with them. With this new organization, we see the children each week and can more closely follow their progress in school, talk to them about problems at home or at school, and have a weekly opportunity for evangelism.

Many of our sponsored children live 10 or more kilometers outside of Yako so this new system brings the distribution closer to their homes. Each of our participating churches held their own distribution this month. Most of sponsored children attend primary and secondary schools near their homes. Because of this seeing that every child is enrolled in school and paying school fees is a major challenge. But, our lists are taking shape and in the next one to two weeks, all of the children’s school fees will be paid. These are photos from one of the distribution sites.

Clinic News
Our clinic is slowly taking shape and is now in use by our nurses. There were very valuable medical supplies and equipment stored in our container which have now been moved into the clinic. Things that we still lack are beds and some tables and chairs.
Because of our lack of beds and supplies we are not yet ready to hospitalize a child but we are able to treat all of our children and 2 mornings a week, the clinic is open to children in the community. If a child needs to be hospitalized we refer them to the local hospital or to Dr. Zala’s clinic in Ouayaghuia.

Herman
Herman is the little 7 year old that we found in a remote village and who is blind. We have been assured that Herman has a place in first grade this year but still there are a few obstacles to overcome. The school is searching for a family for Herman to live with during the school year and has not yet been able to find one. This family must live near the school and there must be someone to take Herman to school each morning and then return to take him home at night. School will start for Herman on November 1st. Please pray along with us that the Lord will provide the perfect family to care for Herman while he is in school. Herman is the little one sitting between his mother and his father.

Thank you so much for your consistent and loving support of our projects and our children both through your prayers and your financial support. I wake up every morning amazed at the kindness and abundant provision of our Heavenly Father and it is through faithful friends like you that the Lord meets our needs. I rejoice in Him and thank Him daily for your part in what the Lord is doing in the lives of our children here in Burkina.
Love and blessings to you!
Ruth Cox

Prayer requests:
· Please pray for the funds to build another 3 classrooms for our school.
· Please pray for the Holy Spirit to permeate the classrooms of our primary school and for children to invite Jesus into their hearts.
· Please pray for baby Estelle and for a safe environment for her mother.
· Please pray for a foster family that lives close to the school to care for Herman during the school year.
· Pray for the health and safety of our children and our workers.

September 7, 2008

Dear Family and Friends, 7 September, 2008

Earlier this week as I passed through the baby rooms to great our daytime workers and the children I could not pass up this ‘Kodak moment’.
We are in the midst of the rainy season and the local people actually call it wintertime. It is true that when the rain comes, the temperature can drop down into the upper 60’s. For me this is comfortable weather for a t-shirt or possibly a long sleeve shirt but for our local friends this is terribly cold. This was the scene in one of our baby rooms.

Good News! Herman has a place in school!
This past May while visiting a baby in the village who has been in our Friday Milk Program, we found this little boy, Herman, who has been blind since birth. This is a photo of Herman, his parents and several of his siblings.

We received a call this week from Ouagadougou saying that Herman has been granted a place in the blind school. Really, the Lord gave us great favor on behalf of this child. There is a waiting list at the school and some children have waited 3 or 4 years to have a place there. Through a friend at Social Action in Ouaga I was introduced to the woman who is the head of the government Ministry of Handicapped Children and Adults. This woman personally knew the director of the blind school and through this relationship Herman was given a place in the first grade class.

Many of you generously responded to this need and we lack only a small amount to send Herman to school for one year. Thank you so much for your gifts. Please continue to pray for Herman, for his family who do not know the Lord, and for his adjustment to this new school.

Therese is much better
I wrote to you recently that Therese was sick and having trouble breathing. Today Therese is again her happy and gentle self. Once again, the Lord touched her and healed her of the malaria and cold that was causing her to have trouble breathing.

We are in Ouagadougou right now, Therese and I, and tomorrow we will pass by the lab and get some blood work done that the doctor prescribed for her.

Babies Come and Go--

Since last writing, 2 of our babies have integrated back into their families and we have received 2 little newborns. Salimata is now living in Ouagadougou and being cared for by an aunt and Madina is now living in Ouayaghuia and being cared for by an aunt.

We received 2 calls this past week to take little ones whose mothers are not well mentally. Wendemi is premature and only weighs about 4 pounds. His mama refused to care for him and her family felt that there was danger of her harming him. Fatimata’s mother is just 17 years old and she also does not have all of her mental faculties. After home studies to see if there is someone in the family who wants these babies, they may be available for adoption.

This is Fatimata. This is Wendemi.

Love and blessings to you!

Ruth. . . Mom. . . Grandma

August News, 2008

Dear Family and Friends, 30 August, 2008
This is the rainy season and we are thankful that the Lord has been sending abundant rains this year. Here is a picture of Ange, Steven, Abraham, and Michel standing before a small field of millet planted in our courtyard.
Our children planted every square inch of our courtyard with millet, corn, and okra. Plus, they planted about an acre of millet and beans in a field about 4 kilometers from the orphanage. I’m proud of the way that our children have worked this summer both in our fields and in their studies. They have been studying hard and they have also worked in Pastor Salou’s fields and the fields of several of our workers.

School News
We have already started planning for the 2008-2009 school year. We will have 5 classes in our school this year and already each class is full. Our primary school children will wear uniforms this year so parents have already started having these made for their children. We have also started making uniforms for all of the orphanage children.
In total, with our primary school, the orphanage children and the sponsored children, Sheltering Wings will be sending 261 children to school this year.
The unrest at the university in Ouagadougou has diminished a bit in that the school will be opened again on September 1st. The students will be given one week in class for review and then there will be one week of final exams. After the exams the school will be closed until classes start again on January 5th. Etienne has continued to study all summer and feels that he is as prepared as possible to take exams. Due to the unrest, the university students missed 50% of their classes this year. Only time will tell how many students will pass and how many will have to re-do their whole year of study.

Josué, placed 4th in all of Yako
Josué is 12 years old. His mother and father have both died. Josué and his sister, Irene, both live in the orphanage.
Josué completed sixth grade this year in our primary school and was second in his class. When the standardized test was given to all the sixth graders of Yako, Josué placed 4th among all of the students in our region. Because the classrooms are so overcrowded here, this year even if a student passes this test, there will be an entrance exam given for 7th graders and only a certain percentage of them will have a place in school. Josué does not have to take this test but is already guaranteed a place in 7th grade this year.
We are very proud of Josué and the accomplishment that his hard work has brought to him.

Therese is sick.
Therese is our little 8 year old who is suffering from an enlarged heart. We took her to see the heart specialist yesterday because she is again having trouble breathing. The breathing problems this time were a result of malaria and a cold which she is recovering from. The doctor changed some of her heart medicine and with rest and a complete recovery from the malaria, her breathing should improve.
Please pray for Therese. Without saying so in so many words, the doctor told us that there is really nothing that he can do for her. But, Jesus is the great physician who can give Therese a new heart.

Prayer Requests
Ø Please pray for the funds to purchase a new vehicle. Our truck has faithfully served us for 5 years but it has entered a ‘fix or repair daily’ phase and is becoming less and less roadworthy. We will keep the truck for hauling needs in and around Yako but are in need of another vehicle for travel outside of Yako.
Ø Pray for the health and safety of our children and our workers. This is the malaria season and although we use insecticide and mosquito nets, we have 3 or 4 children and workers sick with malaria at any given time.
Ø Please pray with us for funds to equip a small lab in our clinic. We have a professional microscope which has given us a good start but we are in need of other lab equipment.
Ø Please pray for Matthew and for Ascencion, two of our boys who still need to surrender their hearts to Jesus.

Ruth. . . Mom. . . Grandma

So much to report-- July, 2008

Dear Family and Friends, 30 July 2008

School News—
The end of the 2007-2008 school year brought smiles and celebration to the Sheltering Wings Primary School. Of the 87 children enrolled in our school all of the children except 3 passed to the next class. All of our sixth graders passed and 18 out of the 19 students in the class passed the standardized test which allows them to continue to the 7th grade.

As a reward for their hard work, we took our sixth graders on a field trip to the zoo about 20 kilometers outside of Ouagadougou. Many of our children had never even been to Ouaga and none of them had ever been to the zoo. The children saw elephants, hippos, monkeys, baboons, tigers, ostriches, and many other animals. After visiting the zoo, they feasted on rice and sauce and a bottle of Fanta Orange soft drink. At the end of the day everyone was happy and content.

A hippo at the zoo. Lunch in Ouagadougou

Enrollment for the 2008-2009 scholastic year has already started and two of our five classes are already full. With the wonderful achievements of our teachers and students last year, the word is out and parents are coming to enroll their children in our school.

We are thankful to the Lord for what he has done for us this year. Everyone worked hard and the Lord blessed us with success.

Orphanage notes—
One thing that is difficult to deal with but is part of running an orphanage is change. We have had several children integrate back into their families and we have also received several new children.

Ousmane, Sarata, Joseph, and Harouna have all integrated back into their families. Each of these children’s mothers died shortly after they were born and we took them and cared for them until they were no longer needing formula, were eating table food and were walking.

Baby Daniel came to us as a tiny newborn weighing just 3 ½ pounds. Daniel’s mother was not well mentally and it is not known who his father is and because of this, Social Action took Daniel immediately after birth and brought him to us. Daniel was doing well and gaining weight but he became sick with malaria and died just this past week. A side effect of malaria is that it kills red blood cells and because Daniel was so small, his little body was not able to replenish his red blood cells fast enough and he died of anemia.

We received a pair of twin girls from the region of Ouayaghuia and although they also are very small they are slowly gaining weight. Their mother died shortly after their birth and there is only an elderly grandmother to care for them in the village. We will care for Fatimata and Mariam until they are 12 months of age and then their grandmother will be able to care for them.

Sponsorship News—
June 28th was the quarterly distribution for the sponsorship program and it was a day of joy. Everyone arrived early and each family was given a sac of millet and several other food items.

Already we are preparing lists of school age children so that all who are eligible can be enrolled in school and their school fees paid.

We have a team visiting us from Columbia, MO right now and one of the team members brought a gift for the child that her family sponsors.

Mary Moe, Rodgigue, Martinier receiving his gift, and his mother.

Widow’s Basket—
This program is a great blessing both to us who administer it and to the widows themselves. Once each month we go to the home of each widow taking her a small gift of food and visiting for a short time with her. We pray with each one of them before leaving and we are always blessed by the smiles on their faces.

The Columbia team asked if there were any small repairs that they could do for any of the widows and this is a picture of a new door for the house of this widow to protect her from theft and also from the cold evening temperatures.

Anna, Dan, Valentin, Widow, Mary, Aaron, family member

Short-Term Team visit—
I’ve already mentioned the team from Columbia and some of their ministry but also wanted to include a few more pictures of them as they ministered to all they came in contact with. They were an energetic group who came with hearts to help and to serve. Among other things. . . they ministered to the orphanage by taking care of babies and painting 3 of the rooms of our older children, they held a day of child evangelism where over 200 children sang and danced and heard about Jesus as well as received suckers and mangoes, and they ministered to the sick at the hospital praying for children very sick with malaria and one little girl recovering from a snake bite.

If you ever feel the Lord tugging at your heart concerning a trip to Burkina, please let us know. We welcome visitors. This team was a tremendous blessing to us and we hope and pray that we also were a blessing to them.

Mary caring for our babies. Mary and Jenni painting the girls’ room.

Mary, Dan and Evance praying at the hospital. Child evangelism in a village.

Such an eventful week!

Dear Family and Friends,

The clinic is finished! This is the latest and greatest photo. This past week we held a final walkthrough of the building and signed papers agreeing that the work was finished. We have a beautiful new building and two young nurses who are excited and ready to move into this new phase of their commitment to our children.

This next week we will start moving in furniture and supplies and very shortly our nurses will be moved out of their small room in the orphanage dormitory and into the clinic.

This is Ferdinand and his new parents, Richard and Rebecca. Ferdinand came to the orphanage almost 3 years ago. He was abandoned by his mother when he was about 18 months old and his father is not known.

Ferdinand's mother left him with the mother of one of her friends saying that she would be back later to pick him up. . . and she just never came back.

Richard and Rebecca have been married for 8 years with no natural children and from the very first time that they met Ferdinand, they asked to take him as their own.

This is one of my favorite photos of Ferdinand not because he is

crying but because it reveals his sweet and gentle spirit. Ferdinand is no longer crying. Jesus has given him a home!

Blessings to you!

Ruth

Clinic News, School News, and Other News

Dear Family and Friends, 30 June 2008

Construction Update
The work on the clinic is finished! Except for very minor glitches the work was done quickly and efficiently. We give God thanks and praise for what He has done for us.

The last time that I wrote I promised a new picture. . . and I am sorry to say that as I write today, my camera is in Yako and I am in Ouagadougou. Sigh! But, I will be back here in Ouaga in a week or so and will show you the finished product.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, we will have the final walkthrough of the building with the contractor, head mason, and quality control person and if nothing is found that still needs attention, we will pay the remaining payment of 20%. There is 10% of the total which is held for one year as a guarantee of the work and this payment will be made in June, 2009.

Later this week, we will begin moving furniture and supplies into the clinic that were shipped in the container that we received in 2006. This will be exciting work and with many hands the work will be easy.

School News
The final grades are still not released for the primary school children and about half of our secondary school children! We do have through verbal information that all of our children in our primary school passed this year. Considering that the statistics in the public schools are that up to 50% of the children do not pass, the Lord gave us a wonderfully successful school year.

This was the first year for our school to have 6th graders taking the test called the CEP. This is a standardized test with a pass/fail result which allows the student to continue to 7th grade or requires him to re-do 6th grade. In Yako this year, only 30% of the students passed the CEP. But, 27 out of our 28 6th graders passed! The girl who didn’t pass is an older student but she has done well this year in school. She did well on 2 trial tests which were given but unfortunately, did not pass the ‘real’ test. We will encourage her to stay in school though and to try again next year.

We are thankful to the Lord for the results of this school year. The teachers worked hard. The students worked hard. And, the Lord blessed them all with success!

We had 3 orphanage children who took another standardized test, the BEPC. This exam is given after 10th grade and it also determines whether a student can continue to 11th grade or must re-do 10th. Two of our children, Evance and Lazarre, passed, but Augustin did not pass. Augustin is discouraged but says that he will continue to work hard and try again next year.

At the university level in Ouaga, there has been much unrest this year. Etienne has been enrolled in classes this year in the branch of sociology. Many of the university students have been striking/rioting/demonstrating for the past several weeks over the huge classes of students, inadequate resources and facilities, and the low standard of education that they receive. Two weeks ago the police used gunfire and tear gas to dispel the unrest and 3 students and one police officer were wounded. Several students passed out from the tear gas and one boy fell from a second story balcony.

Yesterday, because of the strikes, the university suspended classes until September 15th and all of the students were sent home. There is rumor that this year will be declared ‘année blanche’ which means that there will be no credit given for this year of study to any of the students. Etienne’s studies were not scheduled to finish until August 15th. Please pray with us that the university leaders will be willing to listen to the students and take positive steps towards improving the living conditions of the students and their standard of education.

The Canadians are Coming!
I introduced Miriah, Nicole, and Sabrina to you the last time that I wrote and truly these girls were wonderful blessings to our children. Miriah was here for 2 months and Nicole and Sabrina were here for one month. Each day the girls worked from morning to night, caring for and loving on our babies and talking and playing with our older children.

The talent show that they organized was a huge success. All of our children from 7 year old Ferdinand and Therese up to 20 year old Emanuel participated and we had an evening to remember. The children are now asking whether we could do this at least one time each month.

The ‘Rainy Season’ has started!
Here is Burkina, we have only 2 seasons, the rainy season and the dry season. During the dry season it is really dry with no rain from October to May. During the rainy season it is really wet and this is when our local friends plant and grow what their families will need to eat for the entire year.

The rainy season has started late this year but it has started and we are thankful for this. Our local friends start looking for and praying for rain towards mid-May but this year our first really good rain was not until June 23rd. Many people, planted early in faith, hoping for the rain, and had to re-plant. But still, everyone is relieved to have received 3 wonderful rains this past week.

Under the guidance of Valentin, the orphanage has secured a field a few kilometers from Yako. Our children have planted a field of millet and beans (a small white bean similar to a black-eyed pea). They have planted millet in the corners of our courtyard and in a few weeks, they will plant a field of peanuts. Because of the drought last year and the terribly high prices this year, our local friends are suffering to provide even the bare necessities for their families. Because a bag of rice is now $45, we have temporarily removed rice from the children’s diet. Please pray with us that the Lord will continue to bless us with adequate rains and will give us an abundant harvest this year.

Summary of Prayer and Praise:
We thank God for the completion of the construction of the clinic. Please pray for our nurses as they begin this next phase in the development of our small ‘community clinic’ project.

We thank God for the successful school year for our primary school and secondary school students. Please pray for patience for the university students and wisdom and mercy for the leaders as they seek a solution to the unrest at the university.

We thank God for the rain. Even as I am writing here in Ouaga this morning, there is a steady rain that has been falling for over 2 hours. Please pray that the rains continue to fall over Yako both in the physical sense and the spiritual.

Ruth. . . Mom. . . Grandma

June 18, 2008

Greetings to Everyone!

I must take a few minutes to write. There is so very much to tell you and so little time. That is life, huh? Generally, the pace of life is much slower here in Burkina than it is in the States but for the past few weeks it seems that life has been on over-drive speed here.

Clinic News--

The clinic is nearly finished. I'm sorry that I do not have a new photo for you but I promise that in my next writing there will be a photo and probably the 'finished version' of the clinic. The men are doing finish work, painting inside and out, installing light fixtures, plumbing fixtures, etc. By the contract, they must be finished by June 25th or else pay a penalty so I feel confident that the work will be finished soon.

The plans for the clinic are that it will serve first the children in our courtyard. These are the 45 children in the orphanage and the 90 children in our school. After our nurses have these routines down, we plan to open the clinic one or more mornings a week to serve the orphans in the area. Our nurses are young and inexperienced but we will be working hand-in-hand with a local doctor in Yako and also Dr. Zala who is located 70 km away in Ouyaghuia.

Truck Update--

Once again the truck broke down this past week. This time it is the alternator. We had the alternator 'repaired' a few weeks ago but it seems that it was just a temporary fix and it died completely last Sunday.

Today I am back in Ouaga and the truck is in the hands of my faithful mechanic, Jean. Jean just called me with the news that a used replacement part would cost $200 and a new part would be $500. Ouch! Needless to say, I felt obligated to tell him to go with the used part. He said that there is a limited waranty on the part and that if we continue to have problems we can return it.

Please pray with us concerning the purchase of a new vehicle. Our truck will continue to be very usefull for hauling sand, rock, wood, and grain in and around Yako but we are very much in need of a more reliable vehicle for trips outside of Yako.

Orphanage News--

Our children are all relatively well and we are thankful for this. We received 3 little newborns in the span of 10 days about 2 1/2 months ago. I am happy to report that each of these babies are now thriving and are doing great.

This past week, we received twin girls whose mother died about a month ago. The twins were being cared for by an elderly grandmother and they are very sick. The twins are named Fatimata and Mariam and they are much smaller than our other 3 babies of about the same age. Please pray that Fatimata and Mariam will quickly adapt and adjust to our way of caring for them and that they will start gaining weight.

School News--

All of our primary school children passed this year!!! This may not seem like a great accomplishment to you but here often 40% or more of the children do not pass from year to year. The public schools are terribly overcrowded with 100+ children in each class and only one teacher. They also do not have adequate books or resourse materials. We have less than 30 children in each class and each child has his own desk, his own books, pens, notebooks, etc.

We are thankful for the material supplies that we are able to give to our children but we are also thankful to the Lord for the opportunity we have to sew Godly principals into their hearts and their lives. We are also thankful the He helped our children to study hard and to finish their studies.

We had 24 sixth graders take the standardized test given by the government this year. This was our first year to have 6th graders and of course, the first year to take this exam. In pre-tests that were given, our children scored very well. But, the grades from the exam have not been released yet so we are waiting to hear that everyone passed. This exam is a pass/fail exam which allows the child to continue to 7th grade or to re-do 6th grade no matter whether he passed his 6th grade work or not.

The orphanage children also did very well this year in their studies. All of the final grades have not been released yet but several reports have been released and these children all passed. We had 3 boys who took a standardized test given after 9th grade and 2 of the 3 passed on the first try. The 3rd boy qualified for a second try at the exam and we do not yet know whether he passed or not.

The orphanage children will again stay at the orphanage this summer to study and to work our field of millet and beans. After the planting is completed they will be allowed to go and visit their famlies for a couple of weeks but then they will return and stay focused on their studies. We did this last year as a trial and feel that the extra work and effort paid off for our students this year. The children are all in agreement to keep working on their French and their math skills.

Well, I must close for now and publish this. I am attaching a photo that I just received from Assya's mother in Italy. Assya has grown taller and has gained weight since moving to Italy with her parents last September. She is adored by her 2 older brothers and will be starting pre-school this Fall. This is a picture of Assya and her mother at the beach.

Love and blessings to you!

Ruth. . . Mom. . . Grandma

The good news and the bad news--

Dear Family and Friends, 8 June 2008

Construction Update
The work on the clinic continues to move forward at a very acceptable pace. The men worked both Saturday and Sunday this week-end making up for time lost while our contractor was trying to negotiate a new contract. According to the contract, the work must be finished by June 20th or else a penalty will be in effect for each day that the work is not finished.

Most of the remaining work is finish work. The suspended ceiling is in place and the wiring and plumbing is in place. Interior and exterior paint still needs to be applied and the electrical and plumbing fixtures still need to be installed. Interior doors need to be finished and hung and glass needs to be put in the windows.

We are thankful to the Lord for this new building and for the hope and healing that it will bring to the children in our orphanage, our school, and the surrounding area.

School News
The final grades are still not released but I must write with some very unfortunate and sad news. One of our little second graders became sick this week and his family came to us on Thursday to say that Ibrahim was in the hospital. Ibrahim didn’t come to school on Wednesday and there is no school here on Thursday’s for the primary school children.

The nurse at the hospital placed an IV and started the treatment for malaria and then on Friday they started the treatment for meningitis. We visited Ibrahim on Friday afternoon and then again on Saturday morning and it was very clear to see that he was a very sick little boy. On Saturday afternoon, Ibrahim died.

Ibrahim was a sponsored child and we paid for all of his treatment. The nurse was doing all that was possible in this case. Ibrahim was in good general health but meningitis is a disease that can take a life very quickly if the treatment is not started early. It is very rare to see meningitis this late in the season so the family was caught very much by surprise.

Please pray for this family. Ibrahim’s mother and father have both died. He has an older brother and sister still living in the courtyard with extended family. They are a Muslim family.

The Canadians are Coming!
We have three delightful Canadian girls with us right now, Miriah, Nicole, and Sabrina. Miriah is a university student, Nicole is an Occupational Therapist, and Sabrina is in business. The girls are here for one month and they have already been a tremendous blessing. Each morning they love and care for our babies and they pass the afternoons and evenings talking with and playing games with our older children. This evening all of the older children are here watching a film and next week we are going to have a talent show. Everyone has signed up to participate and there will be prizes given for the various categories.

Well, I must close for this evening. Thank you for your faithful prayer support. Thank for your notes and words of encouragement. The Lord is hearing and answering and helping the children of Burkina through your faithfulness.

Ruth. . . Mom. . . Grandma

May 27, 2008

Dear Family and Friends, 27 May, 2008

Construction Update
Thank you so much for your faithful prayers! Our contractor has agreed to continue the work as defined in our contract. After much effort in communication, he finally admitted that he had taken money that should have gone into materials for the clinic and used them to recover from a problem on another project. He went and got a short-term loan, bought the materials needed for the clinic and is now back on-track for completing the clinic as agreed in the contract. I am thankful that the Lord helped us to resolve this problem without embarrassment to the contractor while at the same time protecting our interest and integrity in the contract.

If there are no more unforeseen delays, the clinic will be completed by the 15th of June.

School Update
Our primary school children continue to study even though almost all of the secondary school children are already finished with their school year. This week is the time of final exams for the primary school children so they are still working very hard.

Please pray for the sixth graders who will be taking the standardized CEP test in June. This is a pass/fail test which will allow them to continue to 7th grade or require them to do 6th grade again. Also, please pray for our 10th graders who are also taking a standardized test, the BEPC in June.

Although school is finished for most of our secondary school children, their final grades will not be available until sometime in July. Most of our children feel that they passed this year and we are thankful for this, but we will wait for the actual report cards before announcing the success of this school year.

A Chance for Herman to go to school?
Herman is a little 7 year old boy who has been blind from birth. We found Herman in a small isolated village about 25 kilometers from Yako while doing a home visit of one of our babies in the Friday Milk Program. (The baby, Diane, is doing very well.)

Herman is the 4th child of his mother and of the 4 children, 3 of them have very serious handicaps. The first born child, age 16, is also blind from birth and the 3rd child, an 8 year old, is not well mentally.

In talking with some friends and with Social Action we learned of a school for the blind in Ouagadougou. We went and visited the school a couple of weeks ago and then returned there this past week with Herman and a dossier requesting a place for him in the first grade in the 2008-2009 school year. There is a waiting list though because they only accept 10 children in each class.

This picture of Herman is not real clear so I will try to get a better one for you real soon.

Please pray that the Lord will give Herman a place in school this year. The waiting period can be up to 3 years and then Herman will be 10 years old before starting school.

Would you please consider helping us with the expenses of sending Herman to school? He will be placed in a family who live near the school and they will take him to school each day and pick him up. The fees for the school and for the receiving family are about $600 per year. We do not have this amount in the orphanage budget right now but we are trusting that if the Lord gives Herman a place in school then He will also provide the funds that are needed.

I must close for now but I will write again the next time that I am in Ouagadougou.

Love and blessings to you!

Ruth. . . Mom. . . Grandma

12 May, 2008

Dear Family and Friends, 12 May, 2008

Construction Update
The work on the clinic continues but not without some interesting twists. I think that you can clearly see the progress that the men are making.

The twists came in three different phases this past week, one when the contractor asked to re-do the estimates for the work because the prices of materials have gone up, and the second when he wanted to stop the work until the prices go down. On the surface one could almost laugh at these requests but they were very real and very serious.

The third twist came when the contractor wanted to stop the work because there is no cement available in Yako. He can get it in Ouagadougou, the capital, but the price is higher plus he would need to pay transportation costs to bring it to Yako.

After much negotiating and with the help of our technical advisor on the building, the contractor did agree to continue the work as agreed in our contract.

If the men continue to work at the pace that they have been working at, our clinic will be finished towards the first of June. Please pray that our contractor will remain steady and finish the work as agreed in the contract. The contract is a legal and binding contract but because of the weaknesses in the legal system here, taking the contractor to court would only be a last, last option.

Our orphanage nurses at work.

Another Adoption!!
One of our little ones, Ferdinand, has been approved for adoption and a lovely Burkinabé couple who live in Ouaga have been approved to adopt him. Ferdinand was abandoned by his mother when he was about 2 years old and she has not been seen or heard from since. The woman caring for Ferdinand often sent him into the market area to beg for food and Social Action picked him up and brought him to us because he was sleeping at the bus station.

Ferdinand is in the first grade this year at our primary school and as soon as school is out for the year, he will move into the home of his new parents.


The Truck
Again this week we had repair issues with the truck. A small oil leak turned into a problem with the brakes and then a problem with the alternator. For sure, I am not a mechanic, but when these things happen I feel very insecure regarding the ability of my local mechanic. :o)

After going back to the mechanic 6 times, and after sending him to Ouaga to get a part, the truck was running again and this morning I called my mechanic here in Ouaga to come and check out everything in the motor. He talked with the mechanic in Yako and after making another minor change said that the truck was again in good running order.

Please pray with us for a new vehicle. The truck can continue to serve us well for general hauling in and around Yako but more and more we are feeling the need for a more dependable vehicle for travel between Yako and Ouaga and Yako and Ouayaghuia.

School Updates
The school year is winding down here. Many of our secondary students have already finished their final exams and next week will be the exams for the last school. Everyone is still anxiously awaiting their final scores.

The final exams for our primary school will also be this next week. After the grades are all totaled and averaged, school will be over for all except the sixth graders who will continue to study and to prepare for the CEP. The schools have arranged 2 pre-tests for the sixth graders to help them prepare for the exam and in the second round of these tests, our school ranked 3rd in the community in the children’s scores. This is the first year for our school to have children taking this exam so we are very proud of our teachers and of our children’s work.

Little Teebnoma
Wanted to end with a ‘Teebnoma update’ and this photo of Teebnoma. Teebnoma was taken away from her mother by Social Action because the mother was trying to kill her. She came to the orphanage about 8 weeks ago, was sick and malnourished and unable to walk. Teebnoma has stolen the heart of each of our workers. She is about 18 months old and this week she started walking.

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

New construction photo--

Hello Family and Friends! 26 April, 2008

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blessings to you!

Ruth. . . Mom. . . Grandma

No water. . . yet--

Hello All! April 17, 2008

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

April 10, 2008

Dear Family and Friends, 8 April, 2008

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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


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

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

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

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

Orphanage, School, and Sponsorship Updates--

Dear Family and Friends, 30 March, 2008

Late Happy Easter greetings! I hope that all is well with you on your side of the world and that spring thaws are allowing the flowers to pop up and reflect the glory of our God. We had a week or two of spring-like temperatures and now we are in full-blown summer with afternoon temperatures of 110+ degrees.

The flu epidemic that I mentioned last month has passed through and now we are in the meningitis season. Sometimes I feel like here in Burkina we experience plagues similar to what God sent on Egypt to soften the heart of Pharaoh. Our plagues are somewhat different but still they come in swarms of insects, dirt, frogs, and sickness that leave the people suffering and helpless. Our God is in control though even in the midst of our suffering and lack of understanding so we stand firm and we trust in His un-measurable love.

I wrote to you last month about the loss of two of our babies to the flu epidemic and mentioned that Balguissa was still in the hospital. Just this past week, Balguissa passed away. Balguissa was born on January 2 and her mother died a few days after she was born. Balguissa’s birth weight was small and when the flu symptoms of fever, vomiting, and diarrhea started at about 2 weeks of age, she very quickly got very sick. We sent Balguissa to Dr. Zala’s clinic in Ouayaghuia in February and then again in March but she just could not fight off the infection. Losing a baby is always hard to accept but because of Balguissa’s long hospital stays we were full of hope that she would completely recover. The Lord knows all things though and He decided to take Balguissa to be with Him.

Thank you so much for standing in prayer with us concerning the civil unrest that was occurring here last month. The prices of grain and basic necessities of life continue to increase almost weekly but the rioting and demonstrating by the university students and general public has calmed. Please continue to pray for solutions to the high prices. Burkina is listed as the third poorest nation of the world and the people are suffering from the increased prices.

Hmmmmm, it seems that I have a lot of negative things to report to you today. There are some happy things but first I must give you an update on the land situation for the church. As a summary, the village of Yako had given our local church the piece of land just north of the orphanage to build a new church. The taxes had been paid on the land and the church was seeking God for the money to begin construction. In the meantime, it seems that the village also gave this same piece of land to the CNSS, the division of the government that equates to our Department of Social Security.

The national church hired an attorney to fight for the land because the church holds valid papers of ownership for the land. The attorney hired to do the work and others hired to help the church fight the case have literally dropped the ball and have not done their work. The reality of life here is that an attorney or a judge could sign the paper to end their career by taking a stand against the government. Although it appears that corruption is going to rule and over-ride justice in this case, we know that our God will have the final word against those who raise their hand or their voice against His church. The local church is discouraged but at the same time, after having done all, they are standing firm in the Lord and they are blessing the construction of the walls and buildings that are going up on what was ‘their land’.

On to wonderfully good and positive things—
The children at the orphanage are all doing well. We have several new babies who are all well and we have several toddlers who have recently integrated back into their family structures. A short-term team who recently visited us bought paint and all the necessary supplies to paint the toddler room. It has been almost 5 years since we last painted the orphanage and as you can imagine the walls are badly in need of re-freshing. The team scrubbed of layers and layers of dirt from the walls and applied 2 coats of fresh green paint. They put colored hand-prints around the windows and wrote ‘Jesus loves the little children’ in French and in Mooré as a border around the room. The room is beautiful and clean and will serve as an inspiration for us to do the same in the other two baby rooms.

The older children have been on Spring break and most of them have gone to their villages to see their families. Most of our older children are doing well in school this year. The hard work of last summer with French and math tutors has paid off and we are all thankful for the blessing of better grades this year. There are 2 or 3 children who are still really struggling to pass. Please pray that the Lord will help them to learn how to study so that they can completely understand the material in their classes.

We broke ground this past week on the construction of a small clinic that is being built in the Sheltering Wings compound. The primary goals of this clinic are to serve the 45 children living in the orphanage and the 90 children attending our primary school. The design of the clinic is multi-functional but there are sick rooms, a consultation room, a lab, a pharmacy, and reception and storage areas. I will try very hard in the next week or two to include photos here in my blog so that you can rejoice with us as the walls of the clinic start to go up.

We have hired Josie and Bea, two of our girls who have completed nurses’ training, as nurses. They have already been a tremendous blessing to the orphanage and the school children and they will lay the foundation work of our clinic. After the clinic is established we hope to open the clinic to the children in the community for one or two mornings a week.

March 22nd was the day of the quarterly food distribution for the sponsorship program. As usual, this distribution day was a day of rejoicing. All of the children in the program came with one or two family members and their family donkey carts to carry home a 100 pound bag of corn and other small food items. We assured everyone that even though Lynn Peters has left Sheltering Wings, the sponsorship program will continue to function just has it has since it was started in 2000. Many of the local pastors of the region of Yako attended the distribution and were asking how they can become involved and help in this wonderful project. After the distribution we met with these pastors to begin talking and praying about how the local churches can participate in weekly meetings with the children to evangelize and to more closely follow their progress in school. No final decisions were made at the meeting but we will continue to meet and to pray about incorporating the churches more deeply in this work.

Our primary school continues to be a great blessing and joy to everyone. When you consider that Burkina has a literacy rate of only 18%, you can understand why a child sent to school here in Burkina is a privileged child. Our teachers are working very hard to prepare the children and the children are working very hard to succeed. Please pray for all the sixth graders in our region as they prepare for a standardized test which will be given in July. This is a pass/fail test which will permit the student to continue to seventh grade or force him to remain in sixth grade. This test is very difficult and many children take this test 2 or 3 years before they pass it. In pre-tests that have been given, our children have done very well. Please pray that 100% of our sixth graders will pass this year.

Well, I must close for now. Thank you so much for your prayers, for your love, and for your tangible support which allow us to continue to help and to bless the children of Burkina. Without your support the work could not continue. You are here with us, touching, healing, and loving the children of Burkina.

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

Please pray for Burkina!

Dear Family and Friends, 28 February, 2008

Greetings from Africa! I hope that all is well in your corner of the world. We are struggling over here with various illnesses, civil unrest, and injustice in various levels that greatly affect daily life. The most important thing that I can ask is for you to pray for Burkina and block the power of the enemy who comes like a thief in the night wanting to kill, steal, and destroy.

In the past few weeks we have lost 2 babies, Adama and Hassane, and Balguissa is now in the hospital fighting for her life. The ‘flu season’ this year has hit very hard. It is a viral infection so antibiotics do not work. The symptoms of vomiting and diarrhea are treated but because of compromised immune systems the babies and older people often do not survive.

I am in Ouaga this week for another series of meetings with Social Action to define how the orphanages and Social Action can and should work together. Social Action is like our Division of Children and Family Services. Out of the 37 orphanages registered here in Burkina, only one of them is run by Social Action. All of the others are privately run either by nationals or by missions like ours. We work under the supervision of Social Action but because of lack of organization and planning, many things that are supposed to be working between us and them, are not really working. There are several ‘decision makers’ attending these meetings so please pray that they will actually hear what we are saying and that a good foundation will be laid for the sake of Burkina’s suffering children.

The 6th graders in our school have been working very hard preparing for the standardized test that they will take in June. This test is a pass/fail exam which allows them to continue their studies to middle school or to remain in primary school. Many children get passing grades in their classes yet do not pass this test and cannot continue their studies.

Please continue to pray with us concerning the land north of the orphanage which was given to the church. The case went before the judge in Yako this past week with a request to stop the construction until the true owner of the land could be determined. But, the judge refused to even make a decision saying that the case needed to be transferred to the Ouaga courts. The translation of this ‘lack of decision’ is most likely that the judge is refusing to make a decision for political reasons. His position is assigned by the government and if he rules against the government in this case, it could affect his career. And, in the meantime, the construction work on the land continues to develop at a very fast rate.

We’ve been experiencing some civil unrest in Burkina. The issue is the rising cost of food and supplies, especially milk, grain, oil, and soap. Last week, there were demonstrations in Bobo, Ouagadougou and Ouayaghuia. They all started peacefully but mob control took over and there was rock throwing, burning of buildings and cars, and in Bobo, one man was killed. The greatest physical damage in Bobo was that rioters burned the mayor’s office destroying very valuable paper documents as well as what was stored on computers.

Today there was more rioting and demonstrations held in Ouaga. People are trying to get the government’s attention by throwing bricks at buildings and cars, burning cars and buildings, destroying signs, etc. Please pray for order and calm to be restored to Burkina and that the Lord will intervene on behalf of those in poverty who are struggling so much with the increased prices.

Well, I must close for now.
Love and blessings to you!
Ruth. . . Mom. . . Grandma

Adoption News

Dear Family and Friends,

Our very first US adoption was finalized on January 24, 2008! It was for Stephon Zoundi McAlister!

Stephon’s story is rather typical for orphans here. His mother was very young and not well mentally. She became pregnant and it was not possible to determine who the father was. Because of strain this caused in the family and because of the mental state of the mother, she left the family courtyard and was living here and there, even sometimes on the street of one of the major cities of Burkina.

When Stephon was 9 or 10 months old, out of desperation, his mother abandoned him at Social Action, the social arm of the Burkina government, and he was placed in our orphanage.
We quickly noticed that Stephon had a problem with one of his eyes and that he walked with a limp. Through working with another mission organization, we were able to get Stephon to the States on November 13, 2003 for a diagnosis and for medical care. Stephon was placed in the home of Steven and Rosemary McAlister.

The McAlisters had been talking and praying about international adoption and after having Stephon in their home, they asked whether he was available for adoption. A home study was done here in Burkina and the conclusion of the study was that he was available for adoption. A home study was done for the McAlisters and they were approved as an adoptive family.

On June 9, 2006, Stephon’s case passed through the Burkina courts and he was declared adopted by the McAlisters. Then, on January 24, 2008, his case passed through the Maine court and the final phase of the adoption was completed.

For his day in court, Stephon requested that the family dress in their ‘African clothes’ which were made for them in Yako. They sang a song entitled ‘Yaa Bamba’ in Moore which means ‘We’re leaning on Jesus’. The judge said that he had never seen an adoption proceeding quite like this one. Many family members and friends attended the event and celebrated with the family in this declaration of adoption.

Stephon still has some physical and emotional issues that he and his family are dealing with. Without a doubt, the love of our Father can be seen in the placement of Stephon in the McAlister family. He is a very special boy and God has placed him in a very special family.

Other children already adopted by Sheltering Wings in Burkina Faso!

This is 2 year old Assya with her Italian parents - 2007.

This is 6 year old Téné in France - 2007.

This is 2 year old Mathieu who is now in France - 2007.

This is 2 year old Lisa Mariam now in France - 2007.

In 2006 we placed Paul, now 5 years old, and Jacques, now 4 years old, in France. I do not have digital pictures of them to show you. I do hear from both of their parents from time to time and they are doing well.

We have also placed Dieudonné in a loving Burkinabé family. Dieudonné was abandoned outside of a Catholic sisters’ home when he was just a week or two old. The woman who led the sister to our orphanage ended up being Dieudonné’s adoptive Mom. Dieudonné is a French name which means ‘Gift of God’. We feel that the Lord has very special plans for this very special little gift. I do not have a recent picture of Dieudonné but will try to get one to let you see him now. He is a big 3 year old boy.

Love to all!
Ruth. . . Mom. . . Grandma