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July 26, 2007

Heading back to Burkina Faso

Thank you as ever for your support and prayers. This is just a quick update as I head back out to Burkina Faso tomorrow. It was great to be here, and especially to be best man at Steve and Charlie's wedding. But it feels as though it has been too short a stay this time in the UK. I need over the next year to get into a better rhythm of travel. But I am excited by all that is happening, and looking forward to getting back out there.

Coming Up...
As I head back this time, it is the middle of the rainy season. Here is some of what is coming up in these two months, although the rains of course affect every aspect of life:

  • A question of survival. As you know, last year a flood wiped out half the houses in Gorom-Gorom. Many lost everything, with no insurance, of course, and many still have no home rebuilt. The region is also still suffering from the loss of crops following the bad season last year. So good rains are desperately needed this year. Things seem to have started well around Gorom so far. Please pray that they continue.
  • A minor inconvenience. Of course, rain makes travel difficult in the area. Apparently Gorom is already cut off, which may cause me problems as I have a lot of travelling to do.
  • Kids Camp. The two churches in Gorom-Gorom will be holding a children's camp from the 6-11 August, with support and help from Pete and Maggie from my home church, Glenwood, in Cardiff. We are expecting about 100 kids, of whom about 80 should be from local Muslim families – Fulani, Tamacheq, and Songhai.
  • Food Aid. According to Reuters: "A recent OCHA evaluation mission in the Gorom-Gorom commune of Burkina Faso showed that the 6,000 people there would need humanitarian assistance "at least" up to the next harvest in September 2007." Working with the churches in Gorom, we will be doing some more food aid at the most vulnerable time.
  • Relationships. I hope to spend time with several of the pastors in the province, as I continue to seek how we can help them fulfil their mission to bring the good news and kingdom of Christ to the region. I will also continue to look at some of their ideas – from wells, to a school, to a youth ministry centre, to a training seminar for pastors, to Aids awareness programmes... - to see if we can help them make any of them reality.
  • Visitors. I expect to have a few visitors during this time, from the UK and US. The last visit by Tim and Paul from Glenwood, was excellent. Such visits are encouraging for myself and the Christians here. But also they are wonderful opportunities for the visitors to meet God in a new way, to be inspired by the example of local Christians, and be challenged to re-assess their own priorities within the life of the kingdom of God.

I will try and email – and even write more on my website – when I manage to get access to the internet.

Thank you again for your continued support and prayers.

Posted by Keith at July 26, 2007 12:32 AM