Greetings from Bobo, B.F.! The past few weeks have been devoted mostly to Jula language study. We are studying six days per week with an average of five or six hours of class per day. That does not include the daily homework and tasks the teachers give us to complete. And I thought I had finally finished with school in December! Nonetheless, we are blessed to have two excellent teachers. The endeavor is somewhat grueling, but I feel we are learning very quickly. That’s good since we only have a couple weeks of class left. We will by no means be fluent in the language, but we will know a whole lot more than the average white person (“tubabu” is what they call us in Jula). All that to say I am very happy with how our language study is going. Just to let yet know we are indeed learning something, my favorite word: “belebeleba” (meaning: very fat). My favorite phrase learned in class (altering the letters we don’t have in English): “Mogo doow bi tagama i na fo tonkono” (meaning: some people walk like a duck).
In between class and homework, we are also planning for the big summer ahead. We have approximately 30 summer volunteers coming in five different groups (they begin arriving at the end of this month). Among these groups we have a sports ministry team, a church group, and a lot of individual college students who will comprise the other teams. It looks like we will send the teams out to work with seven different people groups. The four of us (David, Tami, Jessica, and I) are responsible for planning the meals, transportation, “housing” (maybe the word is “huting” or “camping accommodations”), orientation, and much more while the volunteers are here. This is obviously a large task and one that needs to be strengthened by prayer.
Lastly, I have not spent a great deal of time at my house in Bobo, but in the time I have been there, there are two young men who have visited me regularly. Bouba is 15 and lives next door. Souleyman (Muslim version of Solomon) is 21 and lives around the corner. They are both Muslims from Muslim families. God has given me the opportunity and ability (despite my weak French skills) to discuss the differences in our religions, and thus I have shared the Gospel with each of them. They each have read some of the Gideon New Testaments they were given at school (Thank God for the Gideons!), and each admit to finding the Scriptures intriguing. I hope you will join me in praying for them and their families. Pray that God will give me the opportunities, boldness, and ability to share the Gospel with them and others.
Praise God for:
* wonderful language teachers and our ability to learn at a good pace.
* opportunities and the ability to share the Gospel in another culture and language.
* so many people willing to give of their summer vacation to come serve God in Burkina Faso.
Please pray for:
* the last two weeks of formal Jula study (as well as the informal study that will continue as long as we are here).
* our planning and preparation for the summer of ministry with volunteers.
* opportunities, boldness, and the ability to share the Gospel.
* Bouba and Souleyman, that God would work in their hearts and draw them to Himself, using whatever means necessary (even if that means me).
Thanks so much for your support and prayers. I would love to hear what’s going on in your lives (particularly before the busy summer comes when I will be on the internet much less frequently). Take care and God bless!
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