April 30, 2008
Gorom-Gorom School Video
Here is a short (4 min) video about the school we are building in Gorom-Gorom, Burkina Faso.
Read more about the school HERE, and donate to help us build it HERE.
Tags: africa sahel burkina burkina faso gorom-gorom schools building video
April 21, 2008
Building a Primary School for Gorom-Gorom
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In partnership with the Burkinabe church, we are working to build and resource a primary school in Gorom-Gorom in Burkina Faso.
I have now uploaded pages about the school HERE, and you can DONATE to it HERE.
THE VISION
Pastor Daniel Kabore of the Gorom-Gorom church has a vision for a Christian primary school in the town - a school open to all, regardless of religion, race, or sex, and particularly aimed at helping provide quality education for the poorest and most vulnerable sector of society.Glenwood Church in Cardiff is committed to support the church in Burkina Faso in building this school, and is looking for partners and donors in this project.
EDUCATION NEEDS IN BURKINA FASO
Burkina Faso has one of the lowest literacy and school-enrolment ratios of any country, and the existing schools in Gorom-Gorom are not meeting the current need. Education is a key factor for Burkina Faso's development, and is central to achieving the Millennium Development Goals.BUILDING THE SCHOOL
The school will be built in two phases. We aim to build Phase 1 by October 2009 with 3 classrooms, a head teacher's house, a well, kitchen, and toilets. The estimated cost of Phase 1 is £40,000 ($80,000).Tags: africa sahel burkina burkina faso gorom-gorom schools building construction
August 14, 2007
Children's Camp Photos
Here are some photos from the camp. Click on any photo to enlarge.
We held the camp in the local secondary school, with the children sleeping there for the whole week. We ended up with about 250 children instead of the 100 expected, with about even numbers of children from Christian and Muslim homes, and the camp went really well.
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Pete, Maggie, Trudi, Hawa and I were there to support the churches in Gorom-Gorom who were running the camp, and they did a great job. However, with over twice the number of children there than expected, they asked us to look after 105 children from Muslim backgrounds – mostly Fulani, which was great.
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We split our children up into three smaller groups, each one with helpers from the local church, like Bernadette, Norbert, and Wenasso, who were wonderful. Pete did a lot of story-telling and juggling. Maggie did craft with the children, which they loved. Trudi taught them songs. And Hawa translated and generally kept an eye on everything.
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The children heard clearly the message of Jesus, ate well, and clearly had a lot of fun, each going back with small bags and masks which they had coloured themselves. The helpers from the local church will follow them up now. We also spent one afternoon planting 50 trees on the ground of the school that we are hoping to build.
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It was such a privilege to have Muslim families entrust us with their children for a week, and we are so pleased that everything went so well. No-one got really sick –which in the middle of malaria season was quite remarkable. The increased numbers challenged our resources – for food, sleeping space, and meeting space – but we coped somehow, and are already thinking about how we can do it even better next time.
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The journey to and from Gorom-Gorom was challenging – the roads being flooded from the rains. When it came time to leave, we couldn’t actually get out on the direct road – the car after us tried and ended up getting stuck in the middle of a river. So we took the cross-country route out – an extra day’s journey and 100 miles of tiring roads and shallower rivers, but at least we got out! Water came into the car, and it is still drying out 2 days later…
Click here for more photos of the camp, or here for a slide show.
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso photos gorom-gorom fulani children kids camp
March 16, 2007
Djibo Radio
Please continue to pray for Steve as he works on getting the Radio Station started in Djibo.
They have produced a provisional programme schedule. The paperwork is handed in, and they have started building a wall around the land they have acquired for the station. He has also had plans drawn up for theradio station itself, using the woodless construction model that we used for some of the houses in Gorom.
The radio station dossier is now in the hands of those who will make the decision as to whether they get the right to broadcast. It will be a great means of bringing God's blessing to the sahel region around Djibo. Please pray that God opens the way. Thank you.
The photos show Steve recording local music. The top photo is a griot, who recites genealogies to the accompaniement of the traditional Fulani one-stringed guitar. The bottom photos show him recording Aisata and friends singing as they pound the millet, then playing back the recording to Aisata.
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina radio radio station sahel djibo
February 26, 2007
Cheering for Jesus
It's not often I have been clapped for preaching Jesus - let alone had Muslims enthusiastically applauding. Yet this is exactly what happened last week.
A Full Church
I was about to leave to return to Britain for a while, and the 31 houses for the flood victims were just about finished. A ceremony was proposed for "handing over the keys". I wasn't keen, but the rest of the team thought it was a good idea, so I went with the flow. We also decided that after the ceremony we would surprise the beneficiaries with a sack of millet each so they had food to put in their new homes.
On the day, the church was packed. Half of it was filled with 30 of the beneficiaries - elderly and vulnerable local Muslim folk who had lost their homes in the flood and had no-one to help them. The other half was filled with local dignitaries including the Mayor, the Provincial High Commisioner, the Prefect, the Regional heads of the Army and Police, and various other notables.
On such occasions it is normal just to say a few polite words...
Pah.
A God that welcomes the homeless
I spoke first in Fulfulde, and then in French:
"The God who had provided you with houses is a compassionate God, and it is because of Jesus Christ that you have received his compassion. One day, whether we are ruler or poor, black or white, we will leave our houses. But because of Jesus, God has also provided you with a house in heaven, and he invites you to come to Christ to receive the keys."
"Before Jesus went back to heaven, he said he is going to prepare a place for us. When he comes back, if we belong to him, he will take us to be with him before God in heaven."
It was at this point that - while many of the dignitaries appeared somewhat uncomfortable - the less "respectable" half of the congregation started applauding. Of course, they were not really clapping me, but rejoicing in the a God who had seen their suffering and provided an answer. Maybe they were beginning to glimpse "the good news preached to the poor" - the good news that in Jesus God has thrown wide the doors of the kingdom of heaven to welcome them into his family.
The poor often seem to enjoy Jesus' good news more than the rulers, or than we smart, rich and religious folk who are not happy for Jesus to say that just anyone can come in. After all, there are standards, you know.
Great, isn't it?
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina flood building gorom sahel emergency housing aid gorom-gorom jesus kingdom of god
February 14, 2007
Spit on me!
“Adama, spit on me!” came Ousseini’s faint cry behind me just as I was leaving.
Since Adama is my name here, I turned back to Ousseini’s hospital room to respond to the call to spit.
Ousseini
I had been visiting my friends at one of the “tent camps” for the flood victims, some of the people we are building houses for. They had a visitor from Tasmakat, Ousseini, who was lying on a mat on the ground in obvious pain with swollen feet and a very distended stomach. They of course had nothing with which to pay for treatment, so I took him to the hospital, paid for the few pounds of his prescription, and prayed for healing for him in the name of Jesus.
The next day I went to see him. It was then, as I turned to leave the room, that he called me back: “Adama, tuutam!” - “Adama, spit on me!”
Spit and Mission
Islamic religious teachers here are regarded as having healing as part of their role, which usually involves reciting certain Quranic verses, accompanied by light spitting on the ill part of the body (for example see here). So Ousseini was asking me to pray for him again.
I prayed again for healing in the name of Jesus, laying my hand gently on his head. (And not actually spitting in case you were wondering…) And each time I visited him he would hold out his hands and – day by day with slightly more strength – ask me to spit on him.
Today at Gorom-Gorom Hospital
Today I was woken from a well-earned siesta to come and see Ousseini. Gorom-Gorom medical centre was unable to do all needed to help him, and he had to be evacuated to Dori. I came to the hospital and sorted out the ambulance and gave him a bit of money for his treatment when he got there. And prayed for him of course.
The hospital was an emotionally challenging place today. In the next room to Ousseini was a young man crying out in pain, who had apparently been bitten by a rabid dog. Aisha, a Bella lady whose uncle had a distressing-looking fungal growth over a large part of the side of his head called on me to come and look at him. And Amadu, an old man with what looked and sounded suspiciously like TB, also called me in with the now familiar “Adama, come and spit on me!”
Jesus the Healer
The Quran acknowledges that Jesus healed the sick and raised the dead, and Muslims here know that he rose alive into heaven. So it is unremarkable to them that healing should be asked for in the name of Jesus.
Please pray for healing for my friends, and that our Lord would stretch out his hand more to heal in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. And please pray that people would see and meet the God of love who is revealed in Jesus, and come to him for fullness of life. Thank you.
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina gorom-gorom gorom spitting sahel healing Jesus mission spit
January 29, 2007
Rebuilding the broken walls
A few photos of the rebuilding work we are doing in Gorom-Gorom after the flood:
1. Most of the 31 houses we are building are like this – built of mud brick with a tin roof, but with tarmac plastering to waterproof it, and a cement “belt” round the bottom to protect the first 40cm from flooding erosion. This was the first one completely finished, and the owner, Diao, has already moved in.
2. We chose the most vulnerable people, like Aisetou here, looking at her house, which is about to have its roof put on.
3. Five of the houses are of woodless construction like this, being built in collaboration with the Development Workshop. The houses need no wood, with even the roof being made entirely of mud bricks, formed into this domed shape.
4. This is one of the teams working on the domed roof of the woodless house. Each brick is placed carefully in its exact location. The whole process is great to watch.
5. Although the work is well over half-way finished now, the Gorom authorities were keen on having a “stone-laying ceremony”. We did this for Alaye’s house which we were about to start building, and the Prefet of Gorom-Gorom, the Mayor’s representative, and the General Secretary for the Province of Oudalan all came. We also happened to have with us this week visitors from my church in Cardiff, Glenwood church, which was the main donor for the flood victims. The brick is being laid by The Secretary General and Peter Cole from Glenwood.
6. Me with Alaye, for whose house the stone was being laid.
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina flood building woodless construction sahel emergency housing aid
January 08, 2007
Gorom-Gorom Flood Response Phase 2
I have been really busy with the second phase of our response to the flood in Gorom-Gorom that left thousands homeless.
Phase 1 was emergency aid, including food, mosquito nets, blankets, and mats.
Phase 2 - rebuilding
We have now moved on to help some of the most vulnerable people rebuild their homes. We have identified about 30 of the most needy people - mostly widows and other elderly people who have no-one to help them. While others have started building for themselves, these are the people who would remain homeless for years unless something was done for them. They have been mostly sleeping under mat shelters suffering with the cold season.
The need to build was urgent not only because of the cold, but also because of the shortage of water for building. We have now nearly finished 12 houses, and are as yet the only people to have started building to help people, although other agencies have plans to start soon. We are building simple homes of two models: one is a mud and cement structure with a metal roof. The other is a woodless construction as a joint venture with the Development Workshop.
Woodless Constructions
These are fascinating buildings built entirely of mud - even the roof. They are not only environmentally friendly because they do not use up scarce wood supplies. They also have a better internal temperature - staying warmer in the cold season, and cooler in hot season than houses with the tin roof. And they seem to resist the rain better than other mud brick constructions. We would have liked to do all our buildings in this style, but some very practical limitations prevented that. However, we hope that those we do build will also promote awareness of the benefits of this model.
Thank you again to those of you who by your generosity have enabled us to take these actions. Our team for organising and overseeing the rebuilding is a small group of volunteers from the local church in Gorom. Please pray for us as we continue to try to serve faithfully. Thank you. I will post photos with more information soon.
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina flood building woodless construction sahel emergency housing aid
November 04, 2006
Update on Gorom-Gorom flood and emergency aid
Click on the links here for updates on the following subjects:
Continue reading "Update on Gorom-Gorom flood and emergency aid"
October 13, 2006
Gorom-Gorom Flood Relief Update : 12 October
Background
Update
• Stories and Pictures. Steve has some stories and photos from Gorom at his blog, including the photo above of Pastor Pascal’s church, which was destroyed by the flood.
• Blankets and mats. Thank you for your prayers for the problem with the blankets and mats. We finally managed to get 1000 blankets and 1000 mats up to Gorom, and Seydou and Daniel are getting ready to distribute these. With the cold season coming up, the blankets will be very much needed – especially as most people will not have been able to rebuild their homes before the cold starts.
• The food situation. Seydou and Daniel are saying that we should do one more food distribution, as people are still in need. In addition, although the rainy season is just about finished, and people are getting ready to harvest, the harvest looks likely to be very poor this year. We are likely therefore to need to do follow-up food aid around May/June next year.
• My travels. I am heading out to Burkina on the 20th, and will arrive in Gorom about 5 days later, so am looking forward to seeing for myself the situation on the ground.
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina gorom flood emergency aid crisis gorom-gorom
October 02, 2006
Update on Flood Relief: 2 October
Background
UPDATE
• Mosquito nets. We bought 1000 mosquito nets from the national malaria bureau (PNLP) at 950 CFA (about £1) per net, which is a good price. We had problems again with transferring the money, but it did eventually work, and the nets were successfully distributed last Tuesday. The team there says that “this was a very important and beneficial distribution, since mosquito nets have been needed in this area for a long time…. We have seen the church’s white nets in use at the refuge sites already, and it’s very gratifying. The more people use them, the more the transmission of the disease will be prevented. Since our current list of displaced households only amounts to 821, we have some extra nets. These we will give to the hospital and to the authorities of nearby villages which have fallen houses but have not received any aide yet.”
• Blankets and mats. We are in the process of buying blankets and mats, but are having problems again with money transfers. This has been a continual difficulty. Please pray that we can get the money out quickly without further problems.
• Help from elsewhere. The Red Cross has now begun their distributions, including food for each affected household, and mats, clothes, and mosquito nets for each pregnant or nursing woman. They also have plans to help with reconstruction. The government is apparently providing temporary shelter in tented camps, and is promising help with the longer-term housing needs. I will look into this further once I get out to Burkina in a few weeks time.
Thanks for all your support and prayer.
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina gorom flood emergency aid crisis gorom-gorom
September 16, 2006
Update and photos of Gorom-Gorom flood and relief
Background
These are a few photos from Alain Kombere of the flood in Gorom, showing some of the main streets, and thigh-high water around the bus station. You can see more here. Thankfully now, the floodwater has largely dissipated, but with the rainy season continuing, standing water is still a problem.
Update
We have managed to buy 1000 mosquito nets at a good price, and these should be distributed in the next few days. This will be a great relief for the population, as the malaria-carrying mosquitos are breeding in the standing water. Pastor Daniel in Gorom continues to pass on thanks from Gorom residents for your help. Food was a major need, but we now seem to be on top of that situation, and are focusing on other needs.
We have also found a source of blankets and mats, which we are looking at for our next target. However, the big issue is still the question of temporary and long-term appropriate solutions to the shelter situation. People sheltering in schools will have to leave soon, and will need to return to their homes. If the rains are continuing, they will need some kind of temporary shelter. But soon after, when the rains stop, they will want to re-build their homes, and many may need help with this. Please pray that we can see the best way to help people.
Thank you.
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina gorom flood emergency aid crisis gorom-gorom
September 12, 2006
Brief Update on Gorom Relief
The latest food distribution went well again on Saturday, for which we thank God.
We have now found a source for mosquito nets at a special "social" price for the emergency relief, for which we are thankful. For large nets, already treated with insecticide, we will be paying about $2/net rather than the commercial price of $6. We are buying 1000 for distribution later this week.
Apparently the national Burkina press have also heard about our work and have been up to interview the team in Gorom!
Please pray that we can continue to respond effectively to the need. Many thanks.
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina gorom flood emergency aid crisis gorom-gorom
September 04, 2006
Brief Update on Gorom-Gorom Flood Relief
Background
Update
The second food aid distribution on Friday again went very well, and we have been asked to pass on the appreciation of the people of Gorom-Gorom for the help given. This is the hungriest time of year anyway, and the losses from the flood have added to people's hardship as they were still struggling to recover from the food crisis of 2004-5. The food aid at this time is a huge help for people. Thus the team on the ground have decided to do another distribution this coming Friday.
A new and more accurate assessment has increased the figure for the number of families affected to about 800. We have found about 600 "two-place" mosquito nets, and are hoping to find more so that we will be able to give at least one net per family. Daniel, Andy, and team are meeting this afternoon together with Red Cross and local authority representatives to look at the priorities for the coming weeks.
We are still looking for plastic sheets or similar to bring up to Gorom, before people have to leave the classroooms at the start of the school year in two weeks time. It looks like we may now have someone in Ouaga to help us find these and other needs, which will be a huge help - and a relief for me, as I have been trying to track them down from here in the UK, which is not easy!
In the News
In weeks where Lebanon, Ethiopian, and other crises have been at the centre of media attention, Gorom-Gorom has not of course been in the news. I did a press release here in the UK, which got picked up by some of the local news and Christian media. Inspire magazine picked up on it, and you can read their article online.
Travels
I am off to the US tomorrow for two weeks to meet up with the World Horizons people there as well as the good people of Hatteras Island Christian Fellowship, who have been supporting our work for the past few years. I think these are important meetings as I move into this new phase of life and ministry for the coming years.
But I will also need to be keeping a hand on developments in Gorom, which will be less easy while travelling. Please pray that God blesses this time and helps me accomplish all I need to do.
Many thanks
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina gorom flood emergency aid crisis gorom-gorom
September 01, 2006
Gorom-Gorom Food Aid Distribution
Following the floods in Gorom-Gorom that destroyed half the town and made thousands homeless, we have begun our relief effort for the local population.
Background
Update
These are photos from last Friday's food aid distribution. The top photo shows the distribution happening at one of the five selected sites, at the bus station. The bottom photo shows the grain being collected. Each family received 13kg of grain, and people came with their own bowls, sacks, buckets, or cloth to collect it.
The second distribution is happening today. Please pray for Andy, Daniel, and team as they continue to seek to respond to this situation with the love and wisdom of God.
Our previous food aid distribution was sorghum, which is eaten locally, but we are responding to requests from the local population to bring millet instead, as this is more useful to them.
Please pray for today's distribution, that it goes as well as last week's, and that this helps vulnerable people to find some stability in the crisis.
Next Steps
We are trying to find a good quantity of mosquito nets at reasonable prices to purchase in Ouagadougou and bring up. Malaria is a big problem at this time of year.
IRIN reports that, as well as mosquito nets, temporary shelter is a big need. People currently sheltering in schools will need to move out shortly to make way for the new school year. Tents are hard to find - Red Cross have only been able to provide 15 of an estimated 330 needed. We want to investigate other possibilities too.
Please pray as we try to respond to the most urgent needs, that we can identify those needs and respond appropriately.
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina photos gorom flood emergency aid crisis gorom-gorom
August 28, 2006
Gorom-Gorom Food Distribution
Background
Update
Our first food aid distribution was completed on Friday, and was a success, thanks to the hard work, forethought, and effectiveness of our team on the ground.
We were able to distribute 107 sacks of sorghum, giving 800 families food for a few days. The distribution was carried out in each of the five sectors of town, overseen by Daniel, Andy, Altine, and others from the church, working through representatives of the sector where the distribution was being carried out. Representatives of local authorities and the Red Cross were also present, and the whole operation has run smoothly and with good co-operation between the various groups.
We are now preparing for a second distribution this Friday, and are looking at purchasing mosquito nets as the next phase. Because of the water, there are a lot of malaria mosquitos around, and many people are suffering. We are therefore also looking at how to help people with essential medical treatment for malaria and other needs.
I want to thank Daniel, Andy and Laura, Altine, and the others of our team on the ground for the great work they are doing. Please pray for them as they continue to work at the sharp end of this work. Pray that people will retain dignity as well as being helped in their suffering. And please also pray that God will be honoured and that people will give thanks to him and recognise him as their rock and source of help.
Thank you
More photos of the flood damage, taken by Andy and Laura, the Gorom Peace Corps workers, can be found here
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina photos gorom flood emergency aid crisis gorom-gorom
August 23, 2006
Gorom-Gorom Flooding Update - 23 August
Background
The pictures show Gorom-Gorom before and after the flood.
Update
Things are happening quite quickly, now thankfully. Because of the delay in being able to collect the money, our distribution has been put back to Friday. But this will work well, as we are co-ordinating with Christian Aid and others who are doing similar distributions on Monday and today, Wednesday, to ensure that everyone in need is covered.
Members of my home church, Glenwood Church, have made a very generous contribution to the work, and Samartian's Purse and Food for the Hungry are also supporting us in our efforts.
Personal stories from Gorom-Gorom
Via Andy in Gorom:
"Everybody says thank God that this flood happened during the day. It seems like most people were able to get their family and belongings out of the houses before they fell in. But some weren't able to save anything, "not even a spoon," as my neighbor Ibrahim said. These would include people who were out of town during the catastrophe, including our Mossi neighbors, and the owner of the corner store, Adrouhaman (called "Alfa"), who lost everything in his store, including an expensive stock of cement and paint."
"Amadou the mason... worked all morning to protect his courtyard and his neighbors' by digging channels and building bulwarks of earth. In the end, the water levels raised too high... by which time he was too exhausted to get anything out of the house, even a change of clothes. He spent the following week wearing the same pair of shorts and torn shirt--here it's important to note that grown men don't wear shorts in public here, and people take pride in their clothing being clean and in good shape. His baby died two days after the flood, "still on his mother's back." He says it was malaria, but he thinks that being exposed to the cold and wet may of brought on the illness. "I don't understand why God would do this," he said."
More photos of the flood damage, taken by Andy and Laura, the Gorom Peace Corps workers, can be found here
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina photos gorom flood emergency aid crisis gorom-gorom
August 21, 2006
Gorom-Gorom Flooding Update
Background
Update
A very busy day today, and it's getting late, so I'll write more tomorrow. We have had a number of significant gifts today through my home church and through an aid agency, which I will tell you about very soon.
The guys were finally able to collect the £4000 I sent out, and the first part of this will be used for a grain distribution this coming Friday.
Please pray for good collaboration with the authorities, for the right help to reach the right people, for us to be able to steward these gifts well, and for God to touch the hearts of people.
Thank you
Photos of the flood damage, taken by Andy and Laura, the Gorom Peace Corps workers, can be found here
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina photos gorom flood emergency aid crisis gorom-gorom
August 19, 2006
Gorom-Gorom Flooding Update: 19 August
Background
Update
We have come up with an initial budget for the immediate response to the crisis in Gorom-Gorom and area. We estimate we need about $170,000 (about £90,000) for everything for 700 households in Gorom-Gorom, and 200 in the surrounding area. This is for food, temporary shelter (tents), and household provisions (blankets, medicines, mats, mosquito nets, clothes etc). We are looking for all the help we can get.
Now that food distribution will be starting, we are beginning to think of shelter, other provisions, and to mosquito nets. As it is the rainy season, there are lots of malaria-carrying mosquitos breeding in the water. Malaria kills 1 million people a year, 90% of the victims being in Africa - see this series on malaria I did last year.
So mosquito nets are a major need. As Andy says:
"We sure could use them. Lots of water. Lots of mosquitos. Lots of sick, unhappy people."
The most expensive and difficult part of this is the tents. We don't know where to get hold of these, and certainly don't have the money for them. We are in discussion with several aid agencies to see whether they might be able to help us with this. Please pray for this. Thank you.
Update
* Red Cross have just announced that they are allocating $47,941 (about £25000) from the Federation’s Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to respond to the needs in Gorom-Gorom, "or to replenish disaster preparedness stocks distributed to the affected population." Pray still for a good link-up. I have contacted them to try and co-ordinate.
* We have been told that "plastic sheets", rather than tents may be a more readily available solution for temporary shelter, so need to look into this.
More photos of the flood damage, taken by Andy and Laura, the Gorom Peace Corps workers, can be found here
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina photos gorom flood emergency aid crisis gorom-gorom
August 18, 2006
Gorom-Gorom Flooding Update - 18 August
Background
Update
The latest figures for those affected by the flood, following a more accurate census by local authorities gives the following figures for the town of Gorom-Gorom (not including villages outside the town):
- 697 households have been displaced by the flood, consisting of 5514 people
- 943 houses, 7 shops, and 20 grain stores have been destroyed by the rain
Our £4000 has not yet been collected, since the post-office at Gorom-Gorom did not have enough cash. The road from the capital is now open however, so Andy and Pastor Daniel hope to get the money on Monday morning. I spoke to the head of the post-office, and he assures me this should be possible.
Christian Aid are also starting a relief effort through their partner in Gorom-Gorom, UCEC-Sahel. Andy and Daniel will be co-ordinating with them. I am in contact with Peace Corps workers Andy and Laura's parents in the US, and we are also in touch with a number of other agencies to look at different possibilities. Andy is working on an estimate of the needs and budget for us to present an action plan to possible partners. Please pray for good communication and co-ordination between us all.
More photos of the flood damage, taken by Andy and Laura, the Gorom Peace Corps workers, can be found here
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina photos gorom flood emergency aid crisis gorom-gorom
August 17, 2006
The Mission Continues… Part 2: the faithful servants
This is part 2 of a number of posts where I will share a bit about the vision for my continuing work in Burkina, and some thoughts about mission and the church today.
“Joseph” had a dream from God. He is a tailor from the Mossi people, and is a Christian. He used to come to Gorom-Gorom occasionally to work, and would then return his home town. One day he had a dream in which God showed him a pile of money and a Fulani New Testament. God told him to make his choice – would he work for money, or for the word of God among the Fulani? Based on that dream he moved to Gorom, learned the Fulani language, and is using his tailoring business to support himself and his family in sharing the gospel.
“Isaac” is also Mossi, a pastor working in the north of Burkina. There are no local church-goers in his town. Some missionaries helped him start a small grain bank. He buys grain when it is cheap, and when the price rises, he sells it at a slight profit, but below the commercial rate, and keeps some in reserve for people in particular need. Thus he supports himself, brings a little stability to the volatile grain market, and helps those in need. His wife also helps support him by making and selling soap. He has learned one of the local languages, and does evangelism and AIDS awareness seminars in local villages.
“Sambo” is another Mossi pastor who speaks Fulfulde, working in a remote town in the Burkina Sahel, with a handful of poor Christians, in his church, who are unable to support him financially. He works a field, but, as a “foreigner” the land he has been given is poor quality and unproductive. With a loan, he was able to buy some goats which he uses to try and support himself by fattening them up and selling. He barely makes enough to feed his family, and is frustrated that he doesn’t have the time or resources to do more in evangelism or to help the people in need around him.
Missionaries in their own land
As well as local Christians like Yero, there are increasingly some excellent Burkinabe workers in the north of Burkina, guys who are not local to the area, but who have vision, commitment, and ability. They have proved themselves in their faithful service accepting hardship to serve in this difficult area, and could do so much more if they had a little more resource and training. Many of them have learned local language, but their training as pastors has not really been shaped for the cross-cultural pioneering ministry in which they find themselves.
Serving the servers
What they do NOT need is
a) Dependence upon well-meaning but inappropriate western charity, or
b) Western-style ministry training that repeats the cultural compromise of our own failing churches.
However, with a little hand up, and some additional cross-cultural training, I believe they can become even more effective than they are now.
As outsiders to the region, they do sometimes face issues of cultural prejudice from the Fulani, but, as Isaac is discovering, the love that he is showing people is finding a response in people’s hearts and homes. It is probably more possible for these guys effectively to incarnate Christ to the Fulani than it is for us as white missionaries, because we come from – and are seen as being in - positions of influence and wealth, whereas they serve from a position of weakness and simplicity. The question is how can we most effectively work with them to combine our resources with their availability to bring a positive transformation in their communities.
So, the second area in which I want to be involved in the coming “season” is working with these guys to help them find ways to support themselves in their ministry, and to understand and work through the cross-cultural issues they face as Mossi servants among the Fulani, so that they can become more effective as agents of spiritual and social transformation in the places they live.
Part 1 was here. More soon.
Tags: burkina burkina faso church mission jesus christ missionary ministry africa fulani christianity
Continue reading "The Mission Continues… Part 2: the faithful servants"
August 16, 2006
Gorom-Gorom Flooding Update
Background
Update
Thank you to those of you who have already responded. We have just sent out £4000 ($7500) to help with food aid in the immediate aftermath of the flooding. Andy, Daniel and team are planning a food distribution on Monday. That money will help buy food for maybe 200 families for a month, or 400 families for 2 weeks.
Andy and Daniel and team are doing a great job, and we trust them to decide the best way to use the money. Food is the immediate need, as it was already the hungriest time of the year, before the floods hit, destroying the little reserve people had, and taking many away from work they could do to provide for their families.
We are trying to co-ordinate now for finding mosquito nets, tents, blankets, medicines, and clothes. We are also contacting aid agencies in the hope that they may come and help. Please pray as we seek to find the best response. Any financial help you can give us will also be well-received.
Pastor Pascal
This photo shows Pascal and his wife before the flood, with their home on the left, and their church on the right. This has now all disappeared, washed away by the rain. I spoke to Pascal yesterday - he has found somewhere to stay, and was more concerned about the people sleeping under the stars with no shelter in the middle of rainy season. He asks for your prayers for everyone.
At the same time, people still need rain - the rains started late this year, and so need to continue until the end of September for any hope of a reasonable harvest. Please pray for this, but also that everyone can find shelter quickly. Thank you.
More photos of the flood damage, taken by Andy and Laura, the Gorom Peace Corps workers, can be found here
Background information on Gorom-Gorom here
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina photos gorom flood emergency aid crisis gorom-gorom
One finger cannot milk a cow
My Fulani friend from Burkina Faso, Diallo Boureima, has just been to spend the night during his "Round-Britain Sponsored Bike Ride".
It has been great having Boureima to stay - although a bit confusing, as we kept switching between English, French, and Fulfulde...
Fulani Ministries
Boureima lives in the UK at present with his English wife Susanna, and runs the organisation Fulani Ministries, which aim to share the Good News of Christ among his people, the Fulani, as well as relieve poverty and promote education. He is currently doing the bike ride to raise awareness and money for this ministry, and stopped off with me on his way through Cardiff.
They are doing a lot of good work, including radio ministry - one of the main areas Fulani Ministries is involved in. They also partner with other individuals and organisations working among the Fulani. The work among the Fulani - as in all the work of the kingdom of God - requires different kinds of ministry by different people. One of the things that has encouraged me in the Fulani work in Burkina is how different denominations and ministries seek to work together and respect and encourage each other's ministries, rather than compete.
The Body of Christ
In the body of Christ, we are not all the same, but we do need each other, and the work will not be done by just one kind of ministry or church. Rather than criticising and judging and excluding those who do things differently from us, why can't we seek to respect each other and the necessity and complimentarity of different approaches and ministries...? It will take all of us to do the job.
As the Fulani proverb says:
"Honndu wooturu birataa nagge."
One finger cannot milk a cow.
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina ministry fulani bike sponsored bike ride proverbs
August 15, 2006
Update on Gorom-Gorom floods
Update
Background
The floods in Gorom have finally made the news - even if it is only in the African media - a week after they happened. You can read more here (English) and here (in French).
Local press in Burkina reports the number of households affected as 877 in Gorom-Gorom. The UN reports the number of people made homeless as 6000 in Gorom, and 4000 in 15 villages to the north of the town.
Injuries and deaths have remained very low, which is a cause for thanks - had the rains come at night when people were asleep inside, these would have been much higher.
Aid Situation
Andy Kostrub of Peace Corps in Gorom-Gorom says: "So far, 10 metric tons of grain, 100 mats, and 100 blankets have been distributed by CONASUR, a government food security agency, to people staying at the shelters. The grain was exhausted within one day." Contributions have also from religious and other organisations, but the total being inadequate to the need. "Action Sociale could not specify any other aid that was on the way, though he said he was in contact with Christian Aid and had received a call from UNICEF. We gather that they are waiting for the international community to act."
"The immediate needs are for food, medicine, mosquito nets, and tents."
Impact of the floods
This photo shows how the water erodes the base of the mud-brick house, causing it eventually to collapse.
"This time of year is normally the hungry season and the peak time for malaria and bronchitis. We expect that disease and hunger will be exacerbated by the displacement and loss of wealth and livelihood brought by the flood. One nurse at the health district is concerned that there has not been a coordinated effort to look after health and hygiene conditions at the places of refuge."
"Electricity, water pumps, telephone, and cell phone service are all functional."
The effect on fields and this year's harvest is not yet clear. Andy is not aware of great problems, but the UN says: "Local authorities reckon the floods will have wiped out harvests affecting thousands of farmers in and around Gorom-Gorom."
Response
I am liaising with Andy and the local pastor, Daniel Kabore of Gorom-Gorom Assemblies of God. Andy says: "We plan on coordinating with the Assembly of God church to do our part in the relief effort. We would like to help assure that emergency supplies reach those in need. Therefore, we’re asking those who are in Ouaga to let us know about the current availability of tents, mosquito nets, blankets, mats, bidons, buckets, clothing, soap, bleach, and medicine for sale or donation, or where we might go looking for them. We are soliciting donations of medicines for treating malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea, and basic medical supplies such as alcohol, cotton swabs, syringes, antiseptic and antibiotics. We anticipate that the church will soon be able to accept money donations to purchase and transport food and supplies."
You can send donations through World Horizons (see here ), the organisation I work with, and we will make sure they arrive promptly.
This photo shows how, with typical sahelian resilience, Gorom people carry on normal life and business as they, at the same time, clear up the mess.
The photos here were taken by Andy and Laura, the Gorom Peace Corps workers - more photos of the flood damage can be found here
Background information on Gorom-Gorom here
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina photos gorom flood emergency aid crisis gorom-gorom
August 13, 2006
ALERT - Flooding Makes Thousands Homeless In Gorom-Gorom
This page is being updated regularly.
Three people have died, and thousands made homeless following flooding around my "second home" of Gorom-Gorom.
What Happened
About 8 000 people in the region of Gorom-Gorom in northern Burkina Faso have lost their homes because of severe flooding. In Gorom itself, about 700 households were lost, affecting about half of the 12 000 population of the town. Roughly another 200 households in villages outside of Gorom were also destroyed. Many of the people affected are now sheltering in schools or with nearby family.
The disaster struck following a large rain, when 136cm (5.5")of rain fell (nearly half the normal year's rainfall) in 6 hours. A dam broke about 5 miles away, and a tide of water waist-high swept through the region. Several nearby villages were completely destroyed, as well as about half of the houses in Gorom-Gorom. Most houses are built of mud, and would have been simply washed away by the onslaught of water.
Only 3 people have died that we are aware of, fortunately. This is largely because the disaster happened during the day. If it had happened at night, when people were asleep in their houses, the losses would have been much higher.
The water largely flowed away from Gorom within the first two days, but the main road is still virtually impassable, and will remain difficult for the rest of the rainy season. Although health risks have been exacerbated, these are not extreme. It seems that fields and animals have not been badly impacted, but that many small businesses may have lost their stock.
Immediate needs
The immediate need is for food, mosquito nets, soap, buckets, clothing, medicines, mats, tents, and blankets. Mosquito nets are very important as the rains bring mosquitos, which carry malaria. Malaria kills nearly 1 million people in Africa each year.
An initial budget estimate for the immediate response to the crisis in Gorom-Gorom and area is about $170,000 (about £90,000) for everything for 700 households in Gorom-Gorom, and 200 in the surrounding area. This is for food, temporary shelter, and household provisions (blankets, medicines, mats, mosquito nets, clothes etc). We are looking for all the help we can get.
Food can be bought in Gorom-Gorom, and most of the rest of these items can be bought in the capital, Ouagadoudou. The tents or plastic sheets for shelter are the most difficult to get hold of, but are very necessary as the rains continue.
Getting help there is a problem: The only road to Gorom from the capital city remains very difficult throughout the rainy season, but supplies were initially being trucked as far as possible, and food hand carried through chest deep water to the other side, where it was picked up and brought to Gorom.
The village water wells appear to be safe. Sanitation and health risks have been exacerbated but do not appear to be extreme at this time, as the water disperses fairly quickly, and there are dry days often between the rains, allowing the ground to dry out.
Longer-term Needs
The main needs will start after the end of the rainy season, helping people re-build not only their homes, but also their livelihoods:
* Food Aid. If fields and crops will have been affected, food aid may be needed throughout the year. The rains started late this year, and the rains need to carry on until the end of Sep for a reasonable harvest.
* Housing. A simple mud-brick house costs about £100 ($200). However, this is not possible immediately, as it is virtually impossible to build mud-brick houses in the rainy season, which runs from July-Sep. There is also the question as to whether people should build in mud again. Certainly local people will not be able to afford to build for themselves, and even if they could, building in cement would be beyond their means.
* Livelihood. I suspect that people will have lost not only possessions and homes and fields, but possibly their businesses too, and there will be need to help people re-build their lives and communities.
Response
I am liaising with a small group composed of the local pastor (Daniel), an American volunteer worker (Andy), and a local nurse (Altine), who are looking at the best way to respond.
Our initial help has been in Food Aid Distribution, on the 25 August and 1 September, through the local church. We are also looking at finding mosquito nets, soap, tents etc for the next phase, and are trying to contact aid agencies who might be able to help. Members of my home church, Glenwood Church, have made a very generous contribution to the work, and Samartian's Purse and Food for the Hungry are also supporting us in our efforts.
A Gorom-Gorom Crisis Committee with village leaders has been organised, to identify priority needs and resources, gather data, get information to the country's government and to public and private aid organizations, and to request needed assistance.
The initial response of local authorities was impressive. The military and police apparently did a great job in bringing food aid in, but circumstances have made consistent distribution difficult. An initial distribution of 10 metric tons of grain, 100 mats, and 100 blankets was made by CONASUR, a government food security agency to those staying in shelters, but this was finished in one day.
We are co-ordinating with the Crisis Committee, but are unaware of any other response at present by local authorities. Christian Aid and the Red Cross are now also responding, and we are liasing with them.
How to Help APPEAL CLOSING
Update: 24 Oct 2006: The appeal for help for the flood relief effort is closing from 31 Oct 2006. If more help is needed for future developments, I will keep you informed.
If you are wish to support other the rest of our work in Gorom-Gorom, please send cheques made payable to World Horizons to:
USA
Burkina Faso Sahel Account
World Horizons
PO Box 17721,
Richmond,
VA 23226
USA
UK
Burkina Faso Sahel Account
World Horizons
North Dock
Llanelli
Carms SA15 2LF
UK
Thank you.
I will keep you updated as I get news. Please pray. Thank you.
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina photos gorom flood emergency aid crisis gorom-gorom
August 09, 2006
The mission continues... Part 1: Yero and co.
This is the first part of a number of posts where I will share a bit about the vision for my continuing work in Burkina, and some thoughts about mission and the church today.
A Fulani Village in Burkina Faso
Saadu, Sambo, and Hamadu lounged on the mats and chairs, Fulani tea bubbling away in the background, and listened attentively as Yero told a story. It was a story about two Fulani men travelling with their cows, and a dilemma that arose. I could see the listeners getting involved as they pictured themselves in the situation of the herders in the story.
"What do you think?" asked Yero, "What should they do?"
An animated debate started. After a while, everyone looked at Yero, and asked what he thought, as the originator of the dilemma. And Yero began to talk about the teachings of Iisaa Almasiihu - Jesus Christ. Everyone became quiet again, and listened attentively once more...
Yero used to be a Muslim religious teacher. But finally it was in Christ that he found the forgiveness, grace, and truth that he had been looking and striving for. It was in the Quran that he first came across Jesus, and it was the honour given to Jesus there that first drew him to look more at Christ. He is thankful for his background in Islam that led him to Christ, but he knows his hope is in the one who died and rose again, and he longs for his family and friends to know this same life-changing encounter.
As I listened to Yero, I knew that I would never be able to share the good news of Christ, nor incarnate the life of the kingdom of God to the Fulani anywhere near as well as Yero does among his own people. I resisted the temptation to teach him the "4 spiritual laws" - his Fulani parables were a much more powerful way of getting people to engage with the story and message of Christ, and explore what the kingdom of God might look like among the Fulani.
Be careful how you build
Small though the Fulani church there is, it is maturing, and there are people like Yero who are exploring what shape that church will take as they tell the story of Christ within the Fulani context. The church of Christ and the ministry of the kingdom of God must be built on local people like Yero, and not on expat missionaries. They are able to relate the message and life of the kingdom to their people in a way unencumbered by the cultural, economic, and spiritual baggage that we bring from our western context.
Of course, they have their own challenges, as they seek to work through how the kingdom of God relates to their own cultural and religious heritage. One of the things I want to do is to try and help people like Yero work through those issues, and find ways forward that are genuinely Christian, and genuinely Fulani - without being corrupted by a western cultural approach that has become so tainted by our individualism, consumerism, and rationalism.
Tags: burkina burkina faso church mission jesus christ missionary ministry africa fulani christianity
Continue reading "The mission continues... Part 1: Yero and co."
August 06, 2006
The Mission Continues...
Thank you to all those who prayed for my re-commissioning last Sunday. The time went very well, and I was blessed and encouraged also by friends and family who came from various parts of the country.
No, that's not me on the motorbike...
And no, my new season of mission does not involve burning up Fulani huts with a fire-powered motorbike...
More soon.
Continue reading "The Mission Continues..."
July 29, 2006
The mission continues...
This weekend I am being re-commissioned by my church to the work among the Fulani in the north of Burkina Faso. I am told that being re-commissioned makes me sound like an old boat or boiler...
This coming phase of ministry will be a somewhat different approach to previously, and I will be writing more about what this means over the coming weeks.
If you can't wait however, you can download a leaflet about it below.
Continue reading "The mission continues..."
June 07, 2006
Going back to Burkina, you are
My identifying of my church leaders with the Jedi Council caused some amusement here in Cardiff, with several people asking me which of the church leaders was which one of the Council members - a question I have resisted answering.
Maybe you want to decide for yourself:
The decision of the Council
The key decision that came out of our meeting is that it is time for me to return to the ministry, but that I will explore some new ways of working in Burkina.
I will actually be "re-commissioned" (which I'm told makes me sound like an old boat or boiler) on the 30 July. But I am beginning now to put things in place and to explore how I should approach this next phase. So, on Monday I fly out to Burkina Faso again for another short visit, to start to look into this.
Please pray for this trip. I will be there from 12-30 June, and will be trying to meet up with some of the key people out there, to find out how we can work together for a way forward in God's purposes.
Thank you.
February 17, 2006
I fly today !
Just a reminder of my travel plans for the coming month. Please pray for this trip. Thank you:
I arrive in Burkina Faso at Ouagadougou airport on 17th February. My itinerary will look something like this:
17 Feb: Arrive at Ouagadougou
18-23 Feb: Djibo, with Steve
23-24 Feb: Boukouma, where we did the Discipleship Community
24-8 Mar: Gorom-Gorom, where I worked for 10 years
9-13 Mar: Ouagadougou
13 Mar: Return to the UK
Please pray for the trip, that I can be a blessing to everyone, and that I can hear what God is saying. Thank you.
I will try to get access to the internet from time to time to post reports of how things are going. I don't yet have a vehicle, so please pray that God opens the way for me to get everywhere, and see everyone I should see.
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso gorom-gorom travel ouagadougou djibo
February 03, 2006
Burkina Faso Itinerary
I arrive in Burkina Faso at Ouagadougou airport on 17th February. My itinerary will look something like this:
17 Feb: Arrive at Ouagadougou
18-23 Feb: Djibo
23-24 Feb: Boukouma
24-8 Mar: Gorom-Gorom
9-13 Mar: Ouagadougou
13 Mar: Return to the UK
Over this couple of weeks before I go, I will try and tell you a little bit about the places I will be visiting and what they mean to me. I will also outline what I hope to be doing in each place, and what are some prayer issues for those places.
It will be coming to the end of cold season and I should be back before hot season really gets underway, so temperatures should only be getting up to about 40C (104F) in the day. (You can check the temperatures here.)
It is only about a 500 mile round trip by road, and the roads shouldn't be too bad at this time of year. The main roads are "improved" dirt roads, which get in very bad condition during the rainy season, and which become "corrugated" or "washboard" with the pounding of vehicles during the dry season. I will be going up with some missionary friends in their car to Djibo, and will hopefully have the use of a vehicle for the rest of the trip.
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso gorom-gorom travel ouagadougou djibo
January 07, 2006
Back to Burkina ! (but only for a visit)
I have just bought tickets for a trip back "home" to Burkina Faso for three weeks in February!
I discovered that the Libyan airline Afriqiyah has by far the cheapest flights - from Gatwick via Tripoli.
JOYS AND TRIALS
It will be great to go "home" again, to see Seydou and Monique and my Fulani friends in Gorom-Gorom, to eat nyiiri, and to find out how the Fulani Christians are making progress. At the same time, I know there will be some difficult situations - the year has not been easy, and there have been both encouragements and challenges:
* Survival. The food crisis at the start of the year that resulted from the loss of last year’s harvest has affected many. Along with many other agencies, we managed to distribute food aid, and the worst of the crisis was averted. The harvest this year has been good, but many are still suffering the longer-term effects of the crisis. Many lost animals, or had no seed to sow, or have debt that they took on to keep their families alive during the hardest time.
* Work. Seydou has still not found work, and he is struggling to provide for his family. Thankfully, someone has given a gift to help him out in the immediate crisis, but he really needs a job. When farming is so fragile, and there is little work around, many families suffer.
* Faith. The Fulani Christians seem to be persevering in their faith, in spite of difficulties. I heard recently that Yusuf paid 5000cfa (£5, or about 10 days wages) to travel 200 miles because he heard there was a conference for Christian Fulani there.
* National Debt and Trade. Nationally, Burkina Faso is one of the countries to benefit from the debt cancellation, agreed at the G8 in July. But there were few crumbs of comfort from the WTO trade meetings. More on that later...
* Radio Station. It seems our latest application for the radio station has been turned down again.
Please pray for me over these next months as I seek God about how I should be involved back in Burkina in the future. Pray also that this visit would be both beneficial in itself, but also help me see what my future role might be.
Thank you.
Tags: burkina faso africa fulani burkina gorom-gorom mission famine radio G8
December 14, 2005
Gut-ache and grain stores
“Hey, tubaaku, umma! Yuwoonde wari!”
I sat up groggily and looked around me. It was the middle of the night, but the stars had disappeared in a thick blackness. The wind was whipping up unrelenting clouds of dust, announcing what Yero had just called out:
“Hey, white man, get up! The rain’s here!”
I watched blearily as, buffeted by the wind, he opened the tiny 2 ft square hatch to the granary. The granary (you can just see it in the background in the photo) was like a little thatched hut on stilts, about 5ft in diameter. He invited me to clamber in. I blinked, not quite understanding what was going on, but scrambled through, and Yero followed me.
Of course. His small hut had a leaky roof, and there was just enough room for his wife and kids to shelter. But the granary had to have a good roof to protect the precious remainder of last year’s harvest from the weather. So we settled in and tried to make ourselves comfortable in the dark amongst the millet. In the silence, with the hatch open, we felt more than watched the rain suddenly thunder down, attacking and pounding the dry earth. It was a good feeling, knowing that our work in the fields the last few days had not been for nothing. If the rains continued like this for a few more weeks, Yero and his family would have food for another year.
I had come from Gorom-Gorom to spend just two weeks with Yero. I’d been there about a year, and my progress in learning Fulfulde, the language of the Fulani , had reached a plateau. I needed a short time of total immersion to give it another boost. A nearby missionary was teaching Yero the way of Christ, and had suggested this might be a good place to come for a couple of weeks. Yero had become a Christian, but had been forced to leave his village because of his faith. He had set up a hut by his field just outside the village, and sometimes men would stop by when passing. Some came to berate him for abandoning God. Others obviously wanted to stay friends, risking the wrath of the local imam for associating with the apostate Yero. Yero had learned the basics of reading, and we were reading together through Luke - almost the only New Testament portion we had in Fulfulde at that time. The idea was that this would help his reading and his understanding of the way of Jesus, while I was force-fed a daily diet of undistilled Fulfulde.
Yero was captivated by reading the story and teaching of Christ in his own language, and it was thrilling to see him amazed by accounts which I had become almost inured to through over-familiarity. The challenge of Jesus’ words came afresh as I saw again what it must be like to hear them for the first time – the provocative and deliberate challenge to the complacent self-satisfied religion of those who considered themselves God’s chosen. How we need that challenge afresh in our lives…
Yero’s favourite bit was 6:27-42. Whenever someone stopped by, he would read that passage: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” And he would do it. Those who had mocked and rejected him, he would welcome, and give them food and tea.
I enjoyed most of my time there – apart from two days of agonising gut-cramps, which had me doubled up on my mat in the shade under the acacias. Occasionally I would let out a grunt of pain, to the great amusement of Yero and his wife. The Fulani take pride in their "pulaaku", never expressing pain or discomfort, and I heard Yero’s wife laughingly telling her friends that the white man had been “crying with agony!”
It was only two short weeks, camped out with Yero and his family by his field. But I learned a lot in that short time – not only about Fulfulde and Fulani culture, but also about weakness and dependence as part of the shape of our ministry of the gospel. Too often we go with an arrogant, even colonialist attitude, imagining ourselves saviours rather than servants. We go thinking only of what we can give or teach, rather than what we ourselves might need to learn. We have the idea it is our strengths that God will use, rather than our weaknesses. Yet the gospel is cross-shaped – expressed in weakness, service, and suffering. And its treasure is in jars of clay that need to be broken for it to be released. The cross is not just to be announced, it is also to wound our own lives.
A couple of years ago, I went back to visit Yero and his family. He is one of the strongest Christians among several Fulani believers in the area now. They reminded me about my time there all those years ago. They still laugh at me “crying with pain”, and at Yero getting me to climb into the granary in the middle of the night. I know I myself met with God there, in my weakness. I know I learned from Christ through the life and response of a new Muslim convert. I hope and believe Yero was blessed too by our time together. But I know that if he was, it wasn’t because of my brilliant preaching or powerful ministry. I didn't have any of that to give.
All I had to offer was the willingness to have gut ache, be laughed at, and spend a night in a granary.
Tags: burkina faso africa stories burkina fulani bible fulfulde pulaaku ministry mission missionary
December 03, 2005
Fulani baptisms
Back on the subject of baptism, my colleague Steve writes about the recent baptism of two Fulani men, Kunjel and Mamadou.
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina fulani church baptism mission