Greetings from Burkina Faso! I arrived safely with all my luggage (unlike the first time I came here). We had a few delays but no major problems. I was welcomed by my old supervisors and new: the Shaftos and Woods. “Supervisors” is how I usually refer to them, but they are so much more: friends, mentors, doctors/nurses, cooks, a second family. I am blessed to have the Shaftos and the Woods as all this and more. The Shaftos are now living in Ouagadougou while the Woods will be nearby in Bobo. So far I’ve not been terribly busy. Just catching up on the past with old friends, making new friends, and running some errands. Went to church yesterday. Some things were different from last week in Hardinsburg. The service was in French and Moore (the dominant language around Ouagadougou). The service was about 3 hours long. My supervisors and I were the only white folk. No pews, organs, ties (well, maybe one or two), stained-glass windows, or carpet (therefore they need not argue over the color). Yet the important things where there: brothers and sisters in Christ singing praises to God, prayer, a message from the Word, and fellowship (Ezekiel 37).
I’ve come to realize that both my flights to Burkina have been very special times for me. I have tended to be very reflective and philosophical at these times. I wrote about that in my journal on the way. Here’s an excerpt:
It is flights like this that are so monumental. They are like a period at the end of a sentence. In this case, the sentence was about 3 years of seminary, youth ministry, and time at home with family. It was a good sentence. Unexpected in many ways. But what do we do after a period? Begin a new sentence. Yet thus far I have only blank lines, space waiting to be filled. So I ponder what I would like to write. But is God not the author and I the pen. I certainly wouldn’t have written the last sentence as it turned, but that is what God had for me and it was wonderful. So yes I have my thoughts and plans, but I must let God have His way. May He be glorified in me and through me. (the end)
Here’s a general schedule for the near future. I am currently still in Ouaga, but tomorrow we will leave for Bobo, my home base. That’s about a 4 and a half hour trip. The first order of business will be to settle into my house, which I hear is very nice, with electricity, a lazy boy, and other amenities. The bad news is I will rarely be there with all the traveling I will do. Soon my supervisor, David Wood, will be teaching me how to do the research. They have been doing it for several months. I will learn by going on a research trip or two with him. At the end of March, a Journeyman from Senegal who is doing the same work as me will join me here. Then we will go to northwestern Ghana together for a research trip. (I’ll tell you more about the research when I learn more.) After that trip, I will likely take time for some Jula language study before our summer volunteer teams arrive. Some good news is I’ve retained most of the French I picked up last time. That will allow me to survive without Jula for a while. Well I guess that’s all for now. Oh, and the question so many are interested in: How hot is it? I saw a sign at noon today that read 43 degrees. You can do the math or trust me that that’s about 110 degrees. It will get worse. April is actually the hottest month. I hope to get this newsletter and maybe a Top Ten list on the website soon. Again that’s kerryspencer.blogspot.com. Check it out. Here are a few matters for prayer:
Praise God for a safe arrival for me and all my luggage.
Pray for me to learn well how to do the research task.
Pray for me to settle in well with my team and new home.
Thanks for all your prayers. I’ll be in touch. God bless!
kerry spencer
No comments:
Post a Comment