Burkina newsletter #17

Seasons Greetings from Burkina Faso! First, some thoughts on Christmas: E.B. White wrote books about talking animals. He also said “To perceive Christmas through its wrapping becomes more difficult with every year.” I think he’s right; at least when I consider the American “wrappings.” As I mentioned last newsletter there are almost no wrappings here in Burkina Faso. There’s the occasional random sight of street vendors selling artificial Christmas trees and the local grocery store (run by Lebanese) decorated with Christmas lights. I recently was in downtown Bobo and was pestered by a little boy selling postcards. Just for fun I asked if he had any Christmas cards. He said “oh of course” and began thumbing through. He pulled out one with a girl carrying carrots on her head. He said “cause there are lots of carrots during Christmas time.” It’s true actually. He was funny and persistent so I bought the carrot-head-Christmas-card. So the point is there’s virtually no Christmas season here. And that’s OK because it challenges us as Christians to discover how important Jesus’ birth really is to us. We must remind ourselves about the story and make time to worship the Messiah. And we do. The challenges in America and Burkina are similar but different. Either way we have to give the celebration of Immanuel’s birth our attention and effort in order to make it meaningful. He is certainly worthy of that.

Well I suppose the gig is up by now. My supervisors, David and Tami, went home to surprise their family for Christmas (as well as take a couple short seminary courses and speak in some churches). They’ll be back here in February. That means I’m alone in assisting the volunteers we currently have here. Nonetheless Sam, Mark, Stephen, and I had a safe and beneficial time traveling among the Dogose/Komono peoples. I was reminded of how undeveloped and unreached the area is. I must say I have quite a burden for the people of that region. They need so much (roads/schools/health facilities/drinkable water), but most of all they need salvation in Jesus Christ. According to our research these people are around 0.003% Christian. Still on one occasion we managed to “run into” one of those Christians by stopping at a random little shop on the side of the road. It’s fun serving a sovereign Lord. Just after Christmas I’ll be going back to the region with Sam, Troy, Paul, and Meagan. One thing we’ll be doing differently is taking some video footage to produce a “virtual prayerwalk” (you may hear more about that later). Please join us in praying for the Dogose and Komono peoples that they would come to know the Jesus who “is the image of the invisible God”(Col. 1:15) and “the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature”(Heb. 1:3).

For those wondering what I’ll be doing for Christmas: We plan to attend Christmas Eve services at a church in Ouaga. Then the Haber family (IMB missionaries in Bobo) have invited us (myself and our four volunteers) to celebrate with them. I look forward to the joyous day.

“Because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Luke 1:78-79

Praise God:

* for Christian family to celebrate Christmas with while away from my family in Kentucky.

* the volunteers who God has sent during this time (Mark and Paul leaving on Saturday; Sam, Paul, Troy, and Meagan staying through Christmas and New Years).

* the birth of the Messiah.

Please pray for:

* the Dogose and Komono peoples – that God would open up to us a door for the word among them.

* me to be a good chauffeur, translator, teacher, leader, and servant for our volunteers.

Thanks so much for you continued prayers for me and the unreached peoples of West Africa. God bless and have a joyful Christmas!

Travels among Dogose and Komono

Here is our team who traveled/researched among the Komono/Dogose: Sam in front; then from left to right: Stephen – Pastor Denis – Mark. The guide is in back and those lumps in the water are our friends the hippos. This was a little tourist sight we were able to take in on our way.
This was part of the cotton harvest for one of the pastors we visited. We took a little time to pick some ourselves. I guess I can never again argue if someone calls me a “cotton picker.”
This is a picture I’ve been trying to get for a long time. Believe it or not this is a fairly regular sight on the highways. We simply call him “the chicken man.” Yes they’re alive. I wonder if this is how KFC transports their birds.
Just liked the sight of this young boy intently reading his Bible in church. He can play a mean beat on the djembe (drum) too.
We came upon this village and stopped to ask some questions. We were greeted by this touching scene. This is a believer from a nearby village who is teaching these kids (for no money) reading/writing/arithmetic since this village has no school and there is none nearby.

Burkina newsletter #16

Greetings from Burkina Faso! I had a wonderful Thanksgiving and an enjoyable time in Togo for our Re-new conference. I am blessed to have such a great missionary family: both in Bobo and scatter across West Africa.

I have often asked you to pray Luke 10:2 with us: “Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” I praise God that He is answering that prayer. Recently we have been receiving messages seemingly every day from new people who are interested in serving among the unengaged peoples of Burkina Faso. We have already scheduled six groups for the first six months of 2007 and are still trying to make plans with several others (but there’s still room for you). God is calling and sending laborers and we are thankful.

That is not to mention the four college/seminary students who are coming this month. Due to the groups coming next year we have some work to do in preparing the way for them. That is largely what we will be doing this month and next. On the 11th we welcome two more volunteers: Mark (a buddy from seminary) and Stephen. They will join Sam and me in traveling/researching/ministering among four of the least evangelized people groups in Burkina Faso. These are four different, but related peoples in far southwestern Burkina who (for simplicity’s sake) we will call the Komono peoples. (I would refer you to Newsletter #4 if you want to read up again on the Komono – who I was calling the Dogose at the time.) According to our previous research these four micro-peoples total only about 35,000, and we know of only about 30 believers among them. We found them to be almost exclusively Muslim - of course with some traditional religion (animism) mixed in. Our purpose on this trip will be to learn more about the Komono peoples (as they are a very complex group of peoples) and to seek out where would be best for us to plug in volunteers for ministry among them. Of course, if the opportunity presents itself we would love to begin sharing the Gospel even on this trip. Please pray for that. As Paul requested: “praying at the same time for us as well that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ . . . that I may make it clearly in the way I ought to speak” (Col. 4:3-4)

The 20th – 23rd we will have a transition time with this group leaving on the 23rd and another group of two (or possibly three) arriving on the 20th. With this second group (Troy and Paul) we are planning to continue our work among the Komono and then begin preparing the way for some more work in a different area of the country. Of course, we will also be celebrating Christmas on the 25th. I hope those of you in the States have a very meaningful and joyful Christmas season. Here in Burkina Faso there is no Christmas “season,” only Christmas. Though this may seem a little sad in some respects it personally helps me to focus on the bare truths in the story of Immanuel.

While speaking of the Christmas season, I want to speak briefly to you Southern Baptists. It is this time of year that you give to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering. Know that 100% of that offering goes directly to the IMB to support people like me (well, mostly people a lot better than me). I am deeply grateful for your gifts which make it possible for me to be here serving the Messiah. I am truly blessed through your generosity.

Praise God:

* a time of refreshing in Togo.
* that He is sending laborers into His harvest.
* the birth of our Messiah.

Please pray for:

* the Komono peoples – that God would open up to us a door for the word among them.
* us to make the best use of the volunteers who will join us in the coming days/weeks/months to reach the unreached.

Thanks so much for you continued prayers for me and the unreached peoples of West Africa. God bless and Merry Christmas!