October: Fall or Mini-hot season?

I love the stark contrast of the love for October in America vs. the love for October in Burkina. I miss the Mississippi days of crunchy leaves, long walks around Old Town in Clinton, football games, boots and scarves. This October, to illustrate the contrast, has included lots of dead leaves too (because the trees in our yard are diseased), long walks to the neighborhood market, Spades nights with friends, flip flops and ponytails. Not to mention a lot of water cuts (every Sunday, y'all) and power cuts. My favorite season has looked a little different.

And let's remember, October is a beautiful month to get married. Ah, I love a fall wedding. Seth and I slightly attended a wedding yesterday. Accidentally. Leaving the grocery store after stocking up on supplies, we somehow got caught in the middle of a wedding procession. In Burkina, the cars line up, honking, flashing lights. And here we are! Cruising up beside the bride and groom before we even realized what was happening. Oopsy!

October is known as "mini-hot season" here in BF. While the temperature lingers around 100F during the day, the heat is more stuffy than in March/April/May. I think that knowing "mini-hot season" only lasts a month makes it a little less miserable as well. Don't get me wrong, it is HOT. But I would rather have one October than one March/April/May.

When I think of fall memories, I have certain pictures that come to mind. These are kinda "oldies" but "goodies". Enjoy!

Mississippi State Fair

That time we had our picture made in a pile of leaves

Saturdays at the Howard farm

 Such sweet memories! I think of all my "firsts of fall". Like the time I carved a pumpkin start to finish as college freshman, homecoming, and fire pit evenings. I think of that time I was 10 and shut my finger in the car door at Papa's Pizza and didn't get to go trick or treating. I think of big bonfires and the time we did square dancing with friends. I think of taking my IEP students to the Mississippi State Fair and watching the pigs race. I remember crisp mornings when I decided to talk to work instead of drive, just to enjoy some lovely weather. I am big on memory association, as you can tell. Take a minute and think of a few of yours!

Images of daily life

Maggie! Hanging out on the rug. She is so dramatic when she gets hot. She rolls around on the ground and lays right in front of the A/C at night. She's pretty sweet though. Look at that face!

 Baby Mireya on our way to see the boys on their well drilling trip. She is such an angelic baby. 

Pumpkin season in Burkina. As far as the eye can see, there are stacks of pumpkins. This woman is guarding hers. Ya never know if someone is going to pull over and load up!

Our youth are so special. I can't think of any other 9th to 12th graders who beg to watch Secret Church on a Saturday night. They take their faith very seriously, and I love watching them grow. This particular Secret Church was about how to study your Bible. I think they all got something from it!

I love a good iPhone pic. This is Bingo Market (well, most of it. I took it from the car). This is where we do most of our grocery shopping. It is about the size of a nice gas station, but it has all the necessities (ground beef, cheese (usually), canned goods, and Pringles). 

The majority of people in Ouaga get around via moto. They are all over the road at all times. It can be quite stressful, but you maneuver and use your horn. :)

Another Maggie picture. She has a new favorite sleeping place --- the bottom of the closet. She loves to crawl up in Seth's clothes and fall asleep. It's kinda cute, so we let her.

All aboard! Never say "I don't have room for that in my car". It is always untrue. All I know is I would not want to be the guy in the back! 

(photo props to my friend Molly who took this because I was driving)

WIRED Trivia Night

Another fun event we had during fall break was a trivia night. Our super awesome adult leader Isaak orchestrated the whole thing. I love being able to just show up to events. He did a great job coming up with categories, writing questions, and making rules. The kids were put into teams of 6-7 and had to have one middle schooler, one high schooler, and an adult. 

Team name time! The miscellaneous peanut bandits and the...? vs. The Unicorns (our youth love unicorns) and the Pink Panthers

The Thomas family graciously hosted again (they are spoiling us!). Sweet Emma popped about 9 bowls of popcorn for everyone. The kids loved having a treat.

This is the only picture I have of the winning team (The Unicorns). Their prize included Coca Colas, Fantas, PopIce, FunDip, Pringles, Haribo candy, Snickers, and Kit Kats. What a treat!!!

WIRED Girls Sleepover

This past week, our students have been out of school for fall break. Initially, Seth and I had planned to jet off for a quick trip to see my friend in Central Asia. However, we had a change of heart and decided we really needed some quality time with our students. During our weekly events, it is difficult to sit down and have intentional conversations with them. Being the leaders, we are always running around, cleaning, setting up, tearing down, and crowd controlling. It was nice to have some good downtime to get to know them better.

On Monday night, the boys had a sleepover at our house. Seth didn't take pictures, but they had a good time. They played video games and grilled meat. I believe they stayed up until about 5:30 AM. 

Luckily, I was at the girls' sleepover at Sherri's house. One of our youth moms volunteered her home, and hospitality is definitely her gift. I did not have to worry about a thing. She spoiled me and took care of every detail. All I did was show up and make pancakes!

I'm so thankful for our adult leaders as well. Corrie, one of our new leaders from the UK, brought some fingernail polish and face masks. The girls were so excited about this special treat! It isn't a slumber party without manicures!

Slumber party food = breakfast for dinner. I spent a significant amount of time making about 60 pancakes. Sherri continued to spoil the girls by making them several kilos of bacon and having "liquid goal" (maple syrup). They loved it.

These are my sweet/crazy girls. I am so grateful for Molly and Jessica and all of their help with youth too. Our adult leaders are essential to our ministry, and we couldn't do it without them!

 The girls had a wonderful time. The host family is here with the Embassy, so we were blessed with having A/C all night. The girls were cuddled up in blankets all night staying warm. I told Sherri it was the best 4 hours of sleep I have gotten in Burkina. A real bed, A/C, and giggles. It doesn't get better than a sleepover with these little ladies!

 Entertaining this bunch was easy.  We played board games, Apples to Apples, Just Dance, Psychiatrist, watched a movie (Ramona and Beezus), ate breakfast for dinner, and talked a lot. It was fun!

I don't want to die under a rock: My thoughts about Ebola and how Christians should respond

*warning: I rarely am opinionated, so give me some grace and don't read if you don't want to*

Outbreak? Epidemic? Incurable disease? Shutting down airports? Quarantine? Schools closing?

I can now declare that Ebola has gotten out of control. I think there are millions of people in the world who agree with me. If you already know everything you need to know about Ebola because you watch Fox News and ABC News every night, then you can scroll past this post. No hard feelings.

My heart tightens every time I see a post on Facebook or a news report about "closing airports" and "stopping travel to Africa" (I'm assuming they mean the country of Africa, right?) and "quarantining travelers from West Africa". Might I add, all of these wild accusations could affect me. When I hit American soil, I would much rather be embraced by family and friends I haven't seen in a year rather than be put into a hospital room because I've been in WA. People are running around like "chickens with their heads cut off" about this business. The root (well, one of them) of this problem is that the media has scared everyone silly. They make it sound like you can catch Ebola from making eye contact with someone who made eye contact with someone who had a fever. I guess this "riveting" news brings in viewers, but it does so in all the wrong ways.

Conakry, Guinea is 575 miles from Ouagadougou, BF. If driving, the journey would take about 23 hours (African roads) and if flying, the journey would take under 2 hours. I say this to let you know how very real the threat of Ebola is here. However, you do not see Burkinabe rushing to store up 500 bottles of Smart Water, bandaids, a solar generator, a lifetime supply of canned chicken, and whatever else people are doing to prepare for what sounds to be a zombie apocalypse. Rather, they zap temperatures at the airport, tell people to wash their hands, and post (fairly graphic) pictures of the symptoms of Ebola. They understand the situation but refuse to live under a rock because of it. They continue to live in their mindset that there is work to be done and daylight only lasts so long.

This is an opportunity we have been given to look beyond ourselves and see the need and hurt of the world. Let's not make it about us. Let's make it about the thousands of orphans, the homeless, the recovering victims, and the families who have been affected. I know this is an outlandish, bizarre request. I can't stop thinking about how Jesus would be walking amongst these people. Some people can't bear the thought of looking at them, let alone pray for them. What if we began fervently praying for these people? What kind of difference could that make? What if we prayed for their salvation, for the Holy Spirit to be overwhelmingly present during this oppressing time? For local people in these countries to go out and minister to those around them? For God's hand of protection over missionaries who continue to work in these countries?
A step further would be to sacrificially give to organizations who are helping these people. Before Ebola, they were starving and that has multiplied. If someone in their family has Ebola, everything in their home is burned and they are left with nothing. Young girls have to earn money by prostituting themselves out of desperation to feed their families. Children have not gone to school in months. This is quickly becoming a reality for so many West Africans.

God is not surprised by this Ebola outbreak. Nor is he surprised about ISIS, political unrest, riots, malaria, or car accidents. In His sovereignty, I have full confidence in how I live my life.  I believe in being wise and discerning when I need to be. But gaining wisdom is the opposite of worrying. God has called us to live out our calling with confidence knowing that He is almighty and we serve the True God who not only knows "the plan" but has the ability to carry us through the hardships that life may bring.
I refuse to hide in a hole and wait to die because of old age. That sounds miserable. I am called to more than isolation.  I want to get my hands dirty and love people who are dirty too. I can't do that from under a rock. 

Reflecting on healing

On slow days in life, I like to sit and reflect. Today, in particular, I am thinking of what was happening one year ago. It is amazing to see how far we have come in one year. God's hand has been present every day, the good ones and bad ones. Today is no exception.

A little over one year ago (ok, so one year and one week ago), Seth became terribly sick (see previous post if you want). He contracted a bacterial infection in his stomach from something he ate. I remember the events of the day perfectly. I could tell it to you in detail, but you don't want that.

After having a year to think on it, I look back on that day and am overwhelmingly thankful for God's healing. His hand was all over the events of that day. He sent my friend Kate who had the sense to call the doctor. He sent us a doctor who spoke English and showed us where the clinic was. He gave the doctors enough knowledge to see to Seth's immediate needs. He gave me friends like Kate and Bridget who brought me food and clothes when we found out we would be staying the night. He provided adult leaders like Susan who could lead our ministry while Seth was on the mend. Life was pretty crazy that week. It is not something I ever care to relive. But I look back on it with confidence knowing that God made Himself known to me and comforted me during that time of distress. Even on the craziest of days, it is necessary to remove yourself, even for a minute, and see the hand of God at work. He does mighty things, and we only need to open our eyes to see it.

A Day In The Life

In the States this past summer, I often got the question "What do you do every day?" While I know you are asking me this because you are amazed at how I get SO MUCH done in a day, I would love to give you one example.

One of the perks of youth ministry is your main ministry is occupied from the hours of 8 AM to 3 PM (it's called high school). So we sleep in a lot. Our days usually begin around 8-8:30. Turn on hot water heater, make coffee, find some breakfast, shower, get ready. This morning was standard.

After getting ready, we have a special adventure ahead! Post office stop! We have had a package waiting in the post office for about 2 weeks now. The first time we went, it was closed for rest time. Second time, Tabaski. Today, success! The Ouaga post office is quite the adventure in itself. The system is as complicated as possible. They receive a package from the US, make a slip, put slip in our post office box in our neighborhood, put package somewhere on a shelf.  Our friend Joanna checks the mail, gives us the slip, we go to the post office downtown. At the post office, we present the slip, BOTH of our passports (Better bring your passport!), fill out some paperwork. The package is retrieved from the shelf somewhere, we pay customs, we sign, the package is put in our hands. We then go outside and walk around the building to another building. We show the slip and package. They cut open the box, nod, and hand us everything with a "Bon journee!" Then we climb into our car and grin because we know there are goodies in the package.

After the post office, we go to the grocery store. Today is special because we get to go to MARINA MARKET. What a treat! And what's better?! They have CHEESE. Due to the Air France strike, Burkina Faso has been out of cheese for the better part of a month. But the strike is over, cargo planes are coming in, and so is the CHEESE! We get hunks of mozzarella and cheddar. We pick up a few normal items and check out. On our way to the car with our groceries, we get hounded as usual by people trying to sell the most random stuff.  Bathroom scales, Time magazine (with huge Ebola picture on the front...no thanks), men's razors, tissues, wash rags, and (my favorite) a flashlight that can electrocute you. I always love the Tourag man who sells swords. No, sir, I will not buy your sword because you walked up to me and unsheathed it at an uncomfortable distance to my face.

We run to the ATM and make a visit to the fruit ladies. We point out fruits we want and say "no merci" to all the ones we don't. We go home with our car full of treasures--cheese, bananas, and packages from America.

At home, we unpack the groceries and begin systematically opening the packages. We like to make it last as long as possible. We take turns taking things out one at a time. We set it all on the kitchen table and grin for a minute. Then we set it up on the couch and I take a picture. Next, we put it all up in order. Today's package included goodies as follows: treats for Maggie, tshirts, postcards, toys for Maggie, pajamas, soup mix, canned soup, canned chicken, drink mixes, a candle, and Starbucks espresso double shots (special treat!).

We have sandwiches for lunch with pain au lait from Marina. I catch a quick 30 minute nap (this is culturally acceptable). I wake up and prepare for middle school girl Bible study. We are studying John this semester. Today is the story of Nicodemus and being born again. I go to their school, pick them up, and bring them to my house. My three girls (Erinn, Abby, and Deborah) love snacks, and today is chips, salsa, and sugar cookies. We sit and share about our weeks before diving into our study time. They have a lot of good input and ask questions. The discussion somehow ended with talking about heaven, babies with wings, and being blinded by the golden roads plus how close we will be to the sun. And I concluded with my usual puzzling thought, "how did this conversation start?..." Then I take the girls home.

I come back and help our new neighbors the Durkees unpack some of their boxes. They are still waiting for their container to arrive. Seth and I helped them unpack until right before worship band practice.  Around 6:15, the youth begin arriving with their instruments. They begin to set up and tune. They rehearse their three songs. I love this part of the week. I make dinner in our kitchen (which lives at about 110 degrees) and listen to them sing. Ben stays for dinner tonight, so we will use real dishes and use utensils like civilized folk. Spaghetti, homemade bread, and cake mix cookies. As I'm putting the final touches on dinner, the power cuts out. No worries, I finish dinner with the light of my cell phone.

When Seth gets back from taking the kids home, he turns on the generator. We eat dinner. The Durkees come over because the power has been out for about an hour. Power cuts are better enjoyed with friends than alone. For about 3 hours, the five of us hang out and talk. Mireya, the Durkees baby, plays with Maggie on the floor. At about 10:15 the power comes back on and everyone heads home.

My day isn't over yet. I still have my online chat for grad school at 11:30 pm. Gotta love the time difference! After class, I am hopefully off to bed. The plumber is coming in the morning because the toilet is broken. I also have baking to do for my new neighbors. My momma taught me everything I know about hospitality.

So that's a day in my life in West Africa. It may sound eventful, or it may not. But that's my day. Some days are exhausting, others are low key. They tend to even out. This is my life!

Maggie

We don't have a TV. We don't have children. We don't have video games, fast internet, a movie theater, or a shopping mall. So what do we do for entertainment? 

We have a sweet little puppy dog named Maggie. She has been with us for almost 10 months. She is about one year old and is all puppy. Maggie loves to play and be with people. Her ability to do tricks is minimal, but that's ok. 

Maggie knows what suitcases mean. Before we left for Portugal, she was so needy. She turned into a cat and wanted to be held all the time.

With her favorite toy, the fox. She loves this thing. And she hasn't managed to shred it to pieces yet! She is fun and gives us some giggles. Besides her fear of Africans, she is doing pretty well in Africa! 

Tabaski Time

A quiet Saturday morning after a crazy week. I sluggishly get out of bed to make my Saturday bacon allowance, a weekly treat. It adds new meaning to "living for the weekend". As I make our bacon in our hot kitchen, I hear people singing, sheep bleating, and babies crying. The smell of smoked meat fills the air. It is Tabaski time in Dissassgho.
Tabaski is one of the major Muslim holidays celebrated in Burkina. It is the "Festival of Sacrifice" in which they remember Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Ishmael. All of the Muslim families buy a sheep to sacrifice. The price of sheep becomes astronomically high this week. Usually, a sheep may cost between 10,000 to 20,000 CFA ($20 to $40) in the market. However, this week the going rate is up to 40,000 to 50,000 ($80 to $100). If someone waits until the day of Tabaski, the price is doubled. This is a high price for a Burkinabe family, especially if the average day's wage is $5. The sacrifice is not only the animal, but probably paying for the animal as well. Our night guard always jokes about buying chickens at Tabaski and that his family never complains.
The streets are filled with shepherds and their sheep. People spend all year raising a herd of sheep in the village to bring them to Ouaga to sell for Tabaski. Here is a picture I took on my phone of the market:

Pinelake Care Retreat: Weekend in the Algarve

I do not have the words to describe how absolutely beautiful this piece of creation is. The cliffs at sunset, the dark blue water, and the sand as soft as pillows. In June, I began thinking about what we could do during the weekend between the retreat and heading back to Ouaga. Two wise, well-traveled friend (Jayme and Rick Steves) suggested the Algarve. On our way there, I admitted to Seth that I had no idea what to expect. Let's just say I couldn't have imagined something this magical. 

We woke up early Friday morning, got our rental car, and hit the road to Lagos (la-goosh). After getting a little turned around, we found our way with ease. The entire 3 hour trip, we were grinning. So proud of ourselves and feeling like grown-ups for renting a car and driving it across an unknown land. I rented a little apartment (that I terribly underpaid for) (found on https://www.airbnb.com) in the center of the old city center. It was on a sweet little side road that was 5 minutes to the middle of everything. We walked several times to the beaches on the outside of the old walls to watch the sunset.

On Saturday, we went to the village (overstatement) of Benagil. Yes, thank you Pinterest for one of the most beautiful things I will ever see. For any of you who may want to go to this beautiful sea cave, be aware that there is NOTHING else to do in the "town"/"village"/curve in the road except to see this cave. But I will say it was worth it. We saw over 20 sea caves. It was definitely a highlight of the trip!

On Sunday, we went to Salema, another village near Lagos. A sleepy Sunday morning, we had the beach to ourselves. We sat and had coffee by the beach. It was a laid back day. I can point to that day and call it restful. After our coffee, we took a little hike to see some....DINOSAUR TRACKS!!! Go ahead and laugh, but it was only a little cheesy...

Dino tracks in Salema!

If ever in Portugal, the Algarve is a place to go for a vacation from your vacation. It was so naturally gorgeous. We absolutely loved it!

Living in Fear vs. Living in spite of Fear

What is the difference? Do I live in fear or in spite fear? Can other people tell?

We live in a world where people live in fear. Turn on the TV for 5 minutes and see flashes of utter chaos happening all over the world, from the Middle East to East Asia to Africa to your own hometown. It hurts. We feel our hearts tugged to the cliff of fear--a place where we have no control and look for escape. I would say "it's natural to have fear", but I feel like it is becoming unhealthy. As followers of Christ, we need to rise above that. We need to stop pointing fingers, praising God that "it doesn't happen here", and planning an evacuation route for every scenario in life.

When did we give up letting God be in control? When was He the Almighty not enough?

This past week, we have had many conversations with other missionaries. I have talked to Ms on the field in Central Asia who struggle with teams not coming due to ISIS. Out of fear. Over and over, I hear that short term teams are canceling trips to Burkina because of Ebola. While those of us on the field are saddened by this, I can only imagine the impact lost when people decide not to come. Out of fear. (I stand by my last post that Burkina Faso still does not share a border with any country with Ebola even 9 months after the breakout.) Teams are getting smaller and people are discouraged.

As a wise old friend said, fearful times provoke a deeper call to go. You get an opportunity to sacrifice some security in order to, in turn, trust the Father to lead.  In addition, think of the people who need the Lord now more than ever. Children orphaned by this terrible incurable disease. Families decimated and widows created daily. Entire countries have been gravely affected. This should be a direct command to go before God and pray for healing. See the numbers as people, not statistics. My prayer is to be as obedient as the doctors in these countries who risk their lives daily to provide care to these dying people. For them, fear has no place and serving is their only calling.

I am guilty of living in fear. Everyday, I wake up and have to pray for strength and guidance. I live in a world where diseases like malaria and Dengue fever are carried by tiny insects, hit and runs are culturally acceptable, and a robber can legally be murdered on the spot. I also acknowledge that billions of people live in a place more dangerous than I do. If I decide to focus on that fear, how would I ever make it through a day?

We can't hide in our fear. We need to choose to live in spite of fear. As believers, we made the decision to give God complete control of our lives. To put ourselves into His all powerful hands. Don't stop doing that. You have a King who has not taken a day off of work ever. He isn't going to anytime soon. We have not been given a spirit of fear and timidity. Rather, we should be living more boldly than ever before.