Jour 2

Philosophical sayings from the french Benjamin Lackey

"I don't even flush anymore cause no one can even tell I peed."

"if you cry in Africa you'll turn into a pillar of salt."

Day 2 began early this morning with a wonderful hot plate of Larry Wolters famous sticky buns, which after an hour of working may have not been the best choice of a nutritious meal to start a very long and hot day, none the less they were delicious.

We began the day working here at the guest house, it's not every team's ideal first day of ministry but it was an awesome way for our team to serve those who are constantly pouring out of themselves to these people. It was really cool to see everyone work with such enthusiasm, even though we had very little contact with the Burkinabe. We spent all morning digging 18 inch holes in the side lot where all of the team and construction stuff is stored, it was a lot of hard work and even harder when we figured out half of our holes needed to be shifted. After digging all morning we put the posts in the ground and the Burkinabe helped fill the holes with concrete.

(just a little fun burkina fact; most of the walls separating houses and lots are covered on the top rim with broken glass bottles, to keep people from climbing the wall and breaking in.)

After working all morning we had an hour off for lunch and resting before we headed out to see the Dorcas House. (for those of you who know nothing about the Dorcas House it's a center for women who have been abandoned by parents passing away, or by getting pregnant, or by being left on the streets to become prostitutes. Whatever their situation they are chosen to come and spend a year at the Dorcas House learning, most importantly, the truths of Scripture, as well as learning a wide variety of trades that they can take with them when they graduate from the program.

The drive out there is rather long and always filled with interesting traffic...

One of the skills the girls at the Dorcas house learn is how to make soap.

This is the line of classrooms they have, one is for bible teachings, and another is for sewing and soap making.

They recently got a volleyball net, which was such an awesome thing to come out and see, when I lived here a year ago this was one of my main ministries and we spent alot of time together learning to 'play' volleyball (which looked more like learning how to catch and throw the ball, most of these girls have never been involved in sports or been allowed to play games at all).

Just a few pictures from around the property, it's expansion over the past year, and some glimpses into what life looks like for a Burkinabe.

Baby Bunnies, these were buried in the ground with cotton and covered with 2 stones...not quite sure why

This Millet grinder thing is Dorcas House's most recent addition, they are hoping that in learning to grind millet they will be able to make enough profit to pay for health needs at the center.

They also recently started a little pig farm, they have found that pigs are the biggest income out of all of their projects.

The guard's wife just had a baby 2 weeks, ago his name is Samuel, he was a huge hit with everyone on the team.

After touring the center we had a little match of volleyball, americans vs. burkinabe.

This sweet little boy is Herman, he was adopted by the man and woman at the Dorcas house who are basically considered the managers out there (they are Burkinabe) and the wonderful boys, Jake and Ace Burns, that I babysit for in Lynchburg wanted to send some of their clothes out to Africa, this is one of their shirts. When we presented this to Herman, everyone was circled around him, he put it one with unmatched speed and then began jumping around, cheering and shouting his name, as he danced, over the joy of having a new shirt.

This is the team with all of the girls from the Center, it's a beautiful and powerful ministry. So many lives are being changed, and so many already have been changed. Please keep this ministry in your prayers, as the Nehlsen's (the primary missionaries who help out there) are transitioning back home to american in 8 months. This means there is going to be a transition for the Dorcas House as well, they are run by the National group of Women from the National church here but it costs about $1,000 a month to provide the food for all of the girls here and they cannot profit enough from all of the things they make to be capable of earning that much money. The goal of the center is that it would become self-sufficient, so alot is having to happen over the next few months to get them to that place.

These were the 6 girls who stayed after their first year to do a second year and hopefully become interns at the Center. It was so incredible to be back with them and to see how God had been working in their lives over the past year, it felt like I was home again.

Jour 1

Day one has officially come to an end here in Burkina. It has been a very full, exciting, emotional, and rewarding day. I hope that over these next few days these posts will keep you very much updated and involved in what is going on over here. So sit back, read and enjoy. (Also everyday will be featuring a few quotes from the mouth of Benjamin Lackey, as well as some sort of story from that day.)

Our pit stop in paris brought much necessary sleep as well as a few long tours around the Charles de Gaulle airport. 27 hours after departure we finally made it to Burkina, around 3:30 a.m. american time it was about 7:30 p.m. here. We were happily greeted by Larry Wolters and Steve Nehlsen. We have very few problems getting through security but alot of difficulty getting all of our luggage. 4 of our bags got lost in paris, one bag didn't make to franklin, and Courtney Green's bag didn't even get taken to the Atlanta airport. All in all we arrived with nothing to complain about except our lack of sleep.

Philosophical Sayings from the French Benjamin Lackey

" Everything in Africa has a beat, even the fans..."

"After being in africa for a week people are going to smell us and ask, what have you been huffing?"

"I'm not showering for the next 4 days..."

The view from the plane as the sun set over the sub-sahara desert. It was breathtaking.

Sunday morning started early for us, we had to leave the guest house by 7:30 to get to church by 8:00. When we arrived we were greeted by a crowd of Burkinabe. After an hour or so of Worship this little girl asked to present a song. After she sang, we heard her story...

Recently her father took a second wife, and left her mother hurting and lonely. (I have always wondered what the women thought when their husbands took another wife). During this rough time the mother told her daughter that the only thing that brought her joy anymore was to hear her sing, and so now every sunday this little girl asks to sing before the church, in which her mother sits.

Here are just a few pictures of our time at Balkouy Church (this is a recently begun church that has a very new Compassion program....www.compassion.com (for more info on their ministry and how you can help).

Courtney and I attended the children's sunday school class and were asked to present a few songs, which actually ended up meaning, 'sing for the entire rest of the class.'

After quickly fading lungs Micah Wolters decided to give singing a break with a little red light, green light.

Dane spent a few minutes hanging out with the Burkinabe and playing the djembe.

After church we all went to the Rec center, which use to be the American Embassy, for lunch

After lunch we had a few hours of napping, praise the Lord, and then a mini-market and for dinner we went to the Nehlsen's to enjoy a great time of fellowship, worship, and prayer.

Overall everyone on the team is in high-spirits and healthy, which is a huge blessing thus far. We have a very busy week ahead of us the schedule looks as so;

Monday: Working at the guest house to put up a hangar, and clean out the magasin for the Wolters.

Tuesday: Building a wall at a ministry center called the LAC, and then touring some ministry sites before going to the huge artisian festival, SIAO

Wednesday: Working again at the guest house, and touring ministry

Thursday: Compassion day

Friday: heading out to the bush where we will be helping a recently reached people group called the Daphine, minister to an unreached people group the Noomani through an evangelism presentation, as well as building a hangar for them to meet under.

Saturday/Sunday: still unknown, the possibilities are endless.

So please be praying for continued health, for guidance in going to the bush and for God to meet the needs of people hearts both on our team and in this city.

(more to come from my heart over these past few days, hopefully tomorrow)

Expiration Date

I am quickly discovering that everything has an expiration date, but not everything goes bad on that day. For example, over a month ago I purchased a carton of eggs (probably closer to 2 months ago if I am really honest with myself) and just last night I did the 'bad egg test' to see if they were bad, hoping by some miracle they wouldn't be...low and behold regardless of their expiration date they were placed into a mix of brownies and very much enjoyed. You are probably wondering what in the world am I thinking using old (very old) eggs and not just buying a new carton? Well it's a 2 fold answer. After having shingles for nearly 3 1/2 weeks I was completely unable to babysit, because of the fear of giving any of the kids chickenpox, therefore eliminating my income completely, then add in a trip home, a trip to georgia, plus living in the boonies of north carolina, driving into town, driving back to lynchburg, an oil change, the list could go on and on with these basic needs and you have the first part of the answer....I literally am living off what is already in my pantry and in the back of the fridge....Normally buying a carton of eggs would be no problem but with my leave of absence from babysitting and my parents financial well crisis (aka we are living off all they saved, which is apparently only going to let us keep the house until january, unless by some miracle dad starts to get some plumbing work) I am finding that I have to be all the more resourceful in my daily life, which means using out of date eggs whether or not I want to. The second part to this phase of my life is that I am trying to take these somewhat stressful stages and turn them into a learning process. I have been extremely challenged to live on much less than I do, to live without excess, and to truly balance out my life in regards to luxury and necessity. So what better time to do so then when I really have to? I can confidently say that I am learning a lot about my life and about what my life needs to look more like but I would be lying to say it hasn't been hard. It's begun a beautiful transition in my life, I am daily being reminded that though I feel lost in this I am still considered the one of the world's wealthiest, I have never had to be without food or shelter and therefore am still blessed beyond belief. I am also beginning to own the reality of the life Christ has called us to, a life of radical abandonment. A life not guaranteed comfort, pleasures, and luxury here on this earth but promised an even greater reward of His overwhelming every surpassing peace and presence. Nothing compares to this type of life, even if it means eating some frozen vegetables for breakfast every now and then. ;-)

Fading with Time

I never imagined those these words to be true, but feelings, thoughts, and even passion....they can all fade with time. Time has crept up and stolen away so many memories. I am a 10 days and 14 hours away from once again stepping foot on my beloved Burkina. I never dreamed that I would be going back so soon, and yet here I am, bag packed (yes only one bag this time in comparison to the 8 I took before) and more anxious than ever to get on that plane.

On June 30th this past summer I found out I would be going back to Burkina for a short 11 day stint to work with a team from Franklin, building the new STMO center (where I will hopefully one day soon be living). When I committed to going I naively assumed that the preparation for this trip, spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally would be simple and insignificant. I mean c'mon I had been to Burkina twice already and lived there for 6 months, what could I possibly be in for before going again? Little did I know at that time that my confidence would bring about extreme vulnerability and many trials in the months to come. It wasn't until just 2 weeks ago did I start to really see and literally feel the effects of attack I was under. I woke up one morning with 2 what I deemed 'spider bites' on my neck and an extremely sore and swelling throat. Within a matter of hours the 'spider bites' had gotten worse and would continue to get worse for the next few days. Being in a Microbiology class I found it rather ironic that the Professor was talking about MRSA (a staph infection) that was easily mistaken for 'spider bites' and knowing that at least once that week I was in the Lab with a dirty lab coat working very closely with the MRSA bacteria I began to get a little worried. I asked my professor what he thought it could be and his response was, well, rather far fetched...He thought ring worm...None the less I headed to the doctor, for the first time in years only to discover I was presently the wonderful recipient of SHINGLES! What in the world? Shingles? Who even gets shingles? I hadn't had chicken pox and that is what the virus is derived from, I was utterly confused and beginning to be in a lot of pain with constant itching and an extremely swollen throat. I was immediately prescribed a genital herpes medicine and vicatin, 2 lovely combinations. After about a week of the shingles slowly getting worse and then fading I started to notice other patches of similar red itchy bite like patches all over different areas of my body. Out of the normal for me I returned to the doctor to now discover that I was a wonderful candidate of HIVES...at this point I just began to laugh, and joked to the Doctor that the next week I would be in with Bed bugs. It was during these 2 miserable weeks that I realized I was in fact under attack. The naive confidence I had had become humility and would begin a week of awakening in my life. I sat down just sunday with my boyfriend Dane who confronted me about my joy and passion for God. He said something that opened an area in my heart I had shut out since I came home from Burkina in december. I began to pour out my heart about all of the stuff I had been carrying since coming home. Things I just stacked one on top of the other putting God at the bottom of it all, I knew that deepening my intimacy with him meant I had to deal with all of these things, obstacles, emotions and experiences that I hadn't dealt with but rather just hid behind for this entire year. Everyone told me the transition back would take awhile and I would feel the effects of my time there for the rest of my life but I had no idea it would take me almost an entire year to confront with God the things I witnessed and the things I was carrying since coming back. A lot has changed in my life since that year but the passion and love I felt during my time there has not left, it's just been suppressed and unfortunately so. So yesterday was a day of awakening, a day of new beginnings, a 6 hour drive that turned out to be 8 grueling hours in the car alone, just me and God. A time where I could begin to un-shovel the stack of things I had piled on in my life that allowed me to hide from the reality of dealing with the difficult emotions. And so here I sit, renewed, and genuinely excited about what is to come in 10 days, and what is to coming during these 10 days of preparation. Before this past week I had hoped that this trip would bring to fruition and conclusion all of what I was hiding from but now I am praying that it brings about more upheaval in my life and more burning passion in my service. Stay posted to see how these next 10 days lay out and what going back to a place I have been craving to be for the entire year I have been home.

One year

A year ago today this would become my backyard.

It's hard to believe that it's been a year since I boarded a plane to spend the 6 craziest months of my life in Burkina Faso. I never expected the time to come and go so quickly.

I never expected to fall in love so quickly, to give my heart away so readily ...

To find a comfort and peace that surpassed all of my understanding, in a place that was so foreign and uncomfortable...

I never expected to discover such passion, and vision, or to experience such heartbreak...

And I never expected it to still hurt so much after being back for so long.

My Last day

First of of let me start of by apologizing for how long it has taken me to post this. Waking up that last morning in Burkina I anticipated a long day of anxiety, waiting and waiting until the plane would leave, little did I know that is not what was in store at all.

December 6,2009: I thought by this point I had reached every climax that would come during my time in Burkina but that ended up being far from the truth.

Before I came out to Burkina I had a vision of raising money to build or add onto a Compassion International site here, originally the plans were to build one on the Tanghin property but due to the slowness in which things are built out here that wans't looking like much of a reality, seeing as how a church had to first be established and at this point had yet to be built. So one day Pete came to me with a proposition to build onto a already established Compassion site because many of them were in desperate need of more classrooms in order to take in new children. I thought this idea was splendid and agreed to start investing in that instead, little did I know at that time that the Compassion site he had in mind was the same site I had visited so often, Claudine, my little girls' site. I was thrilled when I had the opportunity to go out and meet with the Pastor and the director and explain what the vision was for what we wanted to build. We ended up with building a new classroom and a new office, (since the one they had was used as a classroom); this would enable them to take in 80 more children immediately!

So just before I left I had the opportunity to go out and see the progress of what was being built.
This is to be the new classroom.
After my 'tour' of the new facilities (literally a 5 foot walk and a turn) they asked me into the office. As we sat down drinking our very cold and refreshing sprites they began to thank me for everything I had done for them, for the toothbrushes, for the visits, for the encouragement, for the pictures, and for the new buildings. They then began to bring me a brown paper bag saying that they had talked to the Compassion children who had all wanted to give me a gift and took up an offering during their church services to buy me something special to show their gratitude for all I had done.
When I opened the bag tears came to my eyes as I pulled out a beautiful white comple' (or outfit) that they had chosen just for me. I was so overwhelmed, not so much as to the outfit but more so as to how much it must have cost them and how much they cared.

After I put on the stunning outfit they wanted me to go and show all of the children, as I walked in the room a roar of applause broke out and tears began to fall. This was the end of my time, I wasn't going to see these children whom I had dearly fallen in love with for quite some time. No longer was I going to be able to drive out and see my beautiful Claudine, and yet I knew it wouldn't be forever until I saw her again just awhile. It wasn't goodbye, it was see you later, she understood.

After that I went to the Dorcas House, the other place most dear to my heart in all of Burkina, they girls had originally thought I wasn't going to be able to say goodbye so you can imagine their surprise when I showed up just before getting on the plane.

This was a bittersweet day, not only for me but also for these girls, they were leaving to go home in a week. Their year had ended and just as I was facing the realities of leaving friends who had become family and a strange land that had become home, so were they. I was able to share with them some encouraging words and let them know that no matter the distance or the circumstances I would be praying for them. Miriam stood up and asked Amy if they could pray for me because they knew the trials in store. I remember, standing in the middle of these 15 girls who had become sisters to me, feeling their hands upon my back and my arms, listening to them pray in 5 or 6 different languages the unexplainable overwhelming realization came, I began to weep. Was this what God had planned all along? Had I really missed it until just now? 2 years ago I stood in that very spot, on that very property, hand in hand casting a vision over that land and praying for God's blessing upon it. I remember praying very specifically for the girls that would one day live here and here I was surrounded by an answer to prayer. I was standing in the vision come true. It was the most humbling and joyous moment of all the moments I had experienced. Why me? Why was I so honored to see a vision come to life, to see the lost become saints, to see the love of Christ, the intercession of prayer become a reality? I realized that if there was nothing but this moment, this is why I came, to be awakened to the reality that God is always always faithful. This moment was the Climax of my time in burkina, I didn't think the last day had anything left to offer, but I was so very wrong.

My dearest friend Martine, when we hugged goodbye she began to weep (something you will never see in Burkina), but there she was weeping over my departure, it tore my heart in two...how could six months have brought 2 stranger so close? It was only by the Love of Christ!

This was my life, this is what I hope my life to be, these girls are my family and I hope that this moment will not have been our last but only just a beginning!

Home Sweet Home

I have been home now for a little over 2 months and life has been far from easy. I anticipated culture shock coming back, I mean I was told that walking into WalMart or the grocery store would be too overwhelming and I would have to leave, but to my surprise it was quite the opposite experience for me. I walked in and found myself enamored with all of the choices and options and things a place so large could offer. And I cannot even express how happy I was to drive a car again, and yet how desperately I missed (and still do) my moto. Did I mention when I came back it was like 20 degrees? Well it was, and it snowed, almost immediately...There were days I questioned why I lived in such a cold state or country for that matter and why I ever left Burkina, despite the sweltering heat.

Christmas break was such a blessing, I so dearly missed my family and friends and it was so nice to have everyone back together in one place. It was a release to be able to speak English everywhere once again, though I often found myself still thinking and responding in French. And it was nice to have a time where nothing else mattered but being with those that are closest to you. As amazing as break was it was also a huge reality check, seeing as how I was only home for a month before life had to start again and during that month I can't remember a single day that passed by where someone didn't ask "How was Africa?" This simple question drove me to insanity. I came home realizing I needed to process everything I had experienced and yet with an unwillingness to do so. I was so use to coming home from short term trips on a spiritual 'high' and expected the same after coming home from my internship, only to find myself in a deep and dark 'low.' It was a scary place of growth to be in, on the one hand I knew I had to allow myself to process and on the other I wanted very little to do with God because I knew that once I began communing with Him again I would have to process everything and face the reality that it was over. So for about 2 or 3 weeks I put my entire trip on the back burner of my mind, finding myself so angry and bitter at things I should have done and didn't do or things going on here in America, one of my dear friends even asked me after a long conversation about my time; "Did you hate everything and everyone?" WAKE UP CALL! I had been talking negatively about things because I was so lost as to what my life was about anymore, I felt like the climax was over and God had to do some huge work on my heart to get me back to the place where I could deal with the trials I faced and cherish the moments of triumph. All of this to say often I find myself wondering if the transition back was one of the harder parts about going...It has been nothing but adventure and discovery trying to figure out what is next for me. As of right now I am back a school, more sure than ever that I need adequate training before I go back over. What does the next year look like for me? Well I am hoping to start and finish Dental Hygiene school very soon, and then there is potential that a year from this summer I will be going back to Burkina to do a 2 year Health related Internship. (Something I would definitely appreciate prayer on).

Looking back I can't believe it's already done, something I spent 2 years dreaming up and making a reality passed in the blink of an eye, and yet though there is a sense of accomplishment I also know there is yet so much to do. So many more adventures lie ahead, this is only the beginning.