Continue reading "Update on Gorom-Gorom flood and emergency aid"

Posted by Keith at 09:19 PM

October 13, 2006

Background

• Gorom-Gorom
  
• What Happened
  
• The Needs
  
• Response
  
• How to Help
  
• Photos
  

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

Posted by Keith at 02:48 PM

October 02, 2006

Background

• Gorom-Gorom
• What Happened
• The Needs
• Response
• How to Help
• Photos

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

Posted by Keith at 04:17 PM

September 16, 2006

Background

• Gorom-Gorom
  
• What Happened
  
• The Needs
  
• Response
  
• How to Help
  
• Photos
  

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

Posted by Keith at 03:11 PM

September 12, 2006

• Gorom-Gorom
• What Happened
• The Needs
• Response
• How to Help
• More Photos

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

Posted by Keith at 01:36 PM

September 04, 2006

Background

• Gorom-Gorom
• What Happened
• The Needs
• Response
• How to Help
• Photos

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

Posted by Keith at 03:55 PM

September 01, 2006

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

• Gorom-Gorom
• What Happened
• The Needs
• Response
• How to Help
• More Photos

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

Posted by Keith at 08:52 AM

August 28, 2006

Background

• Gorom-Gorom
• What Happened
• The Needs
• Response
• How to Help

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

Posted by Keith at 08:07 AM

August 23, 2006

Background

• Gorom-Gorom
• What Happened
• The Needs
• Response
• How to Help

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

Posted by Keith at 12:11 PM

August 21, 2006

Background

• Gorom-Gorom
• What Happened
• The Needs
• Response
• How to Help

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

Posted by Keith at 10:43 PM

August 19, 2006

Background

• Gorom-Gorom
• What Happened
• The Needs
• Response
• How to Help

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

Posted by Keith at 05:21 PM

August 18, 2006

Background

• Gorom-Gorom
• What Happened
• The Needs
• Response
• How to Help

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

Posted by Keith at 03:22 PM

August 17, 2006

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"

Posted by Keith at 10:41 AM

August 16, 2006

Background

• What Happened
• The Needs
• Response
• How to Help

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

Posted by Keith at 05:57 PM

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

Posted by Keith at 11:04 AM

August 15, 2006

Update
Background

• What Happened
• The Needs
• Response
• How to Help

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

Posted by Keith at 12:40 PM

August 13, 2006

This page is being updated regularly.
Three people have died, and thousands made homeless following flooding around my "second home" of Gorom-Gorom.

• Latest Update
• Gorom-Gorom
• What Happened
• The Needs
• Response
• How to Help
• Photos

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

Posted by Keith at 07:08 AM

August 09, 2006

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."

Posted by Keith at 10:40 AM

August 06, 2006

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.

Tags: mission ministry

Continue reading "The Mission Continues..."

Posted by Keith at 07:29 PM

July 29, 2006

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..."

Posted by Keith at 07:37 AM

June 07, 2006

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.

Posted by Keith at 08:54 AM

February 17, 2006

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

Posted by Keith at 08:05 AM

February 03, 2006

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

Posted by Keith at 04:16 PM

January 07, 2006

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

Posted by Keith at 06:11 PM

December 14, 2005

“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

Posted by Keith at 08:14 PM

December 03, 2005

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

Posted by Keith at 09:57 AM

November 09, 2005

In part 1, I began to tell the story of Yusuf’s struggle to get baptised, and the hesitation of his pastor because of his denomination’s opposition to baptising polygamists.

Several interesting comments were made, generally agreeing that theologically there is no reason why Yusuf should not be baptised. But the issue we faced was how to do that. For Suley to do it would be to dishonour and disobey his leaders. For me to do it would be to undermine the authority of the local church which I am there to serve in Burkina Faso. And to suggest Yusuf goes elsewhere to get baptised assumes the presence of another denomination, an awareness that Yusuf did not possess of such options, and an individualism that is more western than Biblical or African.

The story continues…

In fact, there was another church in the area, and this denomination took the attitude that men with more than one wife could indeed be baptised, without having to send any of them away. They could not of course take any further wives. But they would have to continue to provide for all their wives. (It is interesting to see the proscription in Exodus 21:10 : “If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing and marital rights...”)

Pastor Suley agreed that the best solution would be to approach pastor Pierre of the other church, and suggest that Yusuf join his church.

I don’t know how many church leaders would be so generous and selfless as to actually suggest that a valuable member of their church should join another church because it would be better for their spiritual growth….?

Pastor Pierre, a Mossi like Suley, was very welcoming. Sitting under the mat shelter in the church yard, a pot of Fulani tea bubbling away in the corner, I translated as he interviewed Yusuf about his faith. Pierre thought he could find someone in the church to translate the Sunday messages into the Fulani language for Yusuf. And he asked me to lead Yusuf through the baptism classes.

Yusuf started coming to the new church, a challenge in itself. The Mossi and Fulani have very different cultures, and a history of conflict and mutual distrust (I wrote about some of these issues here). Often, after a church service, Yusuf and I would sit for ages, discussing why things were done the way they were, and looking at the Bible together. With Pierre and Suley’s agreement, I started a mid-week cell group for the Fulani from both churches, where they could worship and develop an understanding of their faith within Fulani culture. On Thursdays Yusuf would walk into town from his village for the main market, and in the evenings we would meet with the little group. Often Muslim Fulani friends would join us too, as they became interested in the story of Jesus. Yusuf would stay the night with me, and in the morning he would head back to his wives and children. But on Sundays, he would come in again to the Mossi church service, and more discussion afterwards.

The day and night of Yusuf’s baptism was one of the highlights of my life. Read about it here.

Back in his village over the following months, Yusuf worked out how to live out his faith as the only Christian in his village. Little by little he shared what he had found with his family and his neighbours. When I visited him, it was great to hear him telling Fulani parables to his visitors, drawing them in as he asked them questions about the meaning, and leading them to the truths of the gospel from within their own culture. I resisted teaching him the “4 Spiritual Laws” approach to evangelism, as I saw the good news being told among the Fulani more effectively than I would ever be able to.

And then one market day several months later, he and his wives and children all came to town and stayed the night with us. Gently Yusuf told us that he thought his wives were interested in following Christ, and would we interview them please? Hawa clearly had more understanding of the message of Christ than Salimata, but they had both seen the change in Yusuf’s life, and that the way of Jesus was good. They were nervous about the consequences, but both decided they wanted to follow the way their husband had chosen. That day Hawa and Salimata both prayed to give their lives to follow Christ, and to receive life in his name.

Another new beginning, and the story continues. Please pray for Yusuf, Hawa, and Salimata as they seek to live for Christ as ambassadors for the kingdom of God among their neighbours and community. Officially, as a man with more than one wife, Yusuf can never be a church elder. But in practice, he is the most mature believer in a large area, and effectively the founder of the church in his village. In the meantime we look for the day when both his wives also choose to take the step of following Christ through the waters of baptism.

Tags: burkina faso africa polygamy burkina fulani church baptism mission

Posted by Keith at 02:59 PM

October 20, 2005

The pastor wouldn't baptise Yusuf. What should I do now?

To be fair, pastor Suley wanted to baptise Yusuf, but his denomination in Burkina Faso wouldn't baptise polygamists. They insisted that only the first wife was truly the man's wife, and that he should get rid of any subsequent ones.

No-one questioned the reality of Yusuf's faith. He used to be a religious teacher in Islam, and could actually read and understand the Quran in Arabic. He had seen how highly the Quran spoke of Isa al-Masih, ibn Mariyama - Jesus the Messiah, son of Mary, and had discussed with teachers of the "Jesus way" over a period of time. Finally, he came to pray and receive forgiveness in the name of this same Jesus the first Fulani Christian in his village.

I say finally, but that was the start of a long period of discipleship. He testified that straight away he saw changes in his life - he no longer got angry the way he used to, and his character changed as he became a calmer man. But he also had a lifetime's worldview, teaching, and practices to sift through, to see what from his previous life he should retain, and what should change. Since there was no church in his village, could he continue to pray at the mosque, but in the name of Jesus? Could he fast with everyone else during the month of Ramadan? And what about Tabaski, when the Muslims killed sheep in memory of Abraham offering up his son, who was saved by the sheep provided by God? Could he kill a sheep too, in thanks for that event's prophetic fulfilment in Christ's death? Islam and the Quran, he said, had helped him develop a love of God, and had led him towards Christ - what should he think of that now?

So many questions.

He was unfazed by being the only follower of Jesus in his village. He was the head of his household, and a hard worker, whose fields generally gave a good harvest, so he was not dependant on anyone. He read the Bible on his own, switching between Fulfulde and Arabic to check more accurately the meaning. Not everyone understood why he had decided to follow this way, and there were some who ridiculed him. But he was patient and calm, and answered when people asked him. And little by little he tried to explain the Jesus way to his two wives.

Funnily enough, he hadn't even intended to take two wives. He loved his first wife, Hawa, and they had moved some years before to another village to be near a charismatic Islamic teacher who had started a new sect. Yusuf had got disillusioned and had returned home, but Hawa had decided to stay. So, when Yusuf arrived back home, he took another wife, Salimata. Then Hawa came back too. He loved them both, and did his best to treat them both the same, even buying them the same sets of clothes.

When he could, he would walk into the nearest town on Sunday to go to church. Whenever he came, pastor Suley would try and find someone to translate everything into Fulfulde for him. And whenever he could, Suley would get his 50cc moped and head out across the fields and dunes to visit Yusuf. They had no language in common, but they developed a friendship. As Yusuf grew in faith and read his Bible, he started to ask about getting baptised. That's when Suley came to see me to explain that his leaders wouldn't allow him to baptise Yusuf unless he got rid of Salimata. What should we do?

Interestingly, the Bible doesn't actually make such a big deal of polygamy. Yes, it is clear that "one man, one wife" is God's plan for marriage from the beginning, and is the reflection of the relationship between Christ and his one bride, the church. This is the solid foundation for society, and in fact, most polygamous marriages I know have endless problems of arguments, favouritism, and manipulation.

And so, a qualification of eldership is that they have only one wife, unpholding and modelling this good basis of society. And yet, the very fact that that is a qualification for eldership indicates that there must have been other Christians in the 1st century church with more than one wife. They are nowhere told to get rid of any of their wives - they are simply disqualified from eldership. On the other hand, divorce is clearly frowned upon, and to get rid of a wife would have been to bring shame upon her, and maybe to leave her destitute.

Pastor Suley agreed with me that it wouldn't be right to tell Yusuf to send Salimata away. But he also didn't feel it was right to go against his leaders by baptising Yusuf. What then should he do...?

To be continued....

Tags: burkina faso africa polygamy burkina fulani church baptism mission

Posted by Keith at 07:50 AM

October 01, 2005

Preparations for the Radio station we are trying to start in the north of Burkina are making progress.

It seems we have all we need to make the application. Finance is coming in, and HCJB are being very helpful. Steve reports that their latest projection of the range covered, if we can get a 500W transmitter, will be 100km. This will go up to and across the border with Mali, covering the villages we visited on the trip that birthed the vision for the radio station.

Please continue to pray for this. Our vision is for a station that will not only give access for the gospel into villages that have no contact with the good news of Jesus Christ, but also that will be a channel of health, social, and other development.

Tags: burkina faso africa burkina fulani radio

Posted by Keith at 05:22 PM

September 30, 2005

Tags: burkina faso africa aid burkina fulani radio

Posted by Keith at 11:13 PM

September 13, 2005

Some quick updates of good news:

Food Aid: I spoke to the pastor's son in Gorom-Gorom today - the pastor is away for a few days. The food aid we sent has been distributed, and all went well. He will forward photos and a report asap.

Harvest: The rains have continued well, and the harvest will soon be ready. No locusts this year!

Radio station: Things are progressing slowly, but there are promising signs that things are coming together for us to buy land for the radio station.

Steve: My colleague Steve now has two Brazilian co-workers with him, whom he is now introducing to the delights of Djibo. Welcome, Christiano and Irenaldo!

Gorom-Gorom: I spoke to a friend in Burkina today who gave me an encouraging report on the progress of some of the Fulani Christians from the Gorom-Gorom area. It seems they are persevering and growing in faith.

All this is greatly encouraging for me. It is not easy to be so far away when times are hard and there is little news. Thank God for good news!

Like cold water to a weary soul
is good news from a distant land.
(Prov 25:25)

Tags: burkina faso africa aid burkina fulani radio

Posted by Keith at 08:15 PM

August 01, 2005

Thank you to those of you who have responded to the article What is a girl's education worth? Some have expressed interest in helping support others through school in Burkina. I have previously had a fund for this, and am re-opening it:

Education Fund for Burkina Faso
The fund will be used for two things:

1. Providing for orphans and other poor children to go to school. If funds and structure allow, I hope this would include one meal a day. Read about Steve's conversation with my friend Iisaa about his experience at school.

2. Individual grants to enable some girl students, to go on to a Christian college, similar to this one.

If you want to give to this, you can send a gift to World Horizons at the following addresses. On the back of the cheque, and in a convering note, state that it is for "Education Fund in Gorom-Gorom, Burkina Faso":

World Horizons, North Dock, Llanelli, Carms SA15 2LF, UK
World Horizons, PO Box 17721, Richmond, VA 23226, USA

Many thanks.

Tags: burkina faso gorom-gorom africa aid burkina education

Posted by Keith at 06:34 PM

July 18, 2005

So, it seems my car is not worth repairing. Fine. If I can sell it for scrap for a couple of hundred pounds, it will enable me to do something about the following:

A friend in Burkina Faso has been asking me if I could help send his daughter to a Christian school.

She has finished junior school, and is now moving up to "secondary" school (called high school in the US?). There is a local school she could attend. We have helped send a number of orphans to the local junior and secondary schools, who would not otherwise have been able to attend at all. The junior school costs about £20/year, and the secondary school about £50/year (fees, books, materials). Many people cannot afford that much, in an area where most live on less than £1/day.

So she could just go to the local secondary school. But there are a few issues. The teaching level is often not the best there. More significantly, the school is in an area where girls often get pregnant before marriage and at an early age, because of the sexual pressures put upon them by peers.

200 miles away, there is an all-girl Christian college. The girls live in, the teaching is to a higher standard, and the school environment is one of discipleship. Cost : about £400/year all-in.

I really wanted to do this, but I had a few qualms. Is it right to take her away from a situation where there are so few Christians anyway? How could I do this for her, when I can't do it for everyone? Could I afford to?

Then I read this challenging post over at biscotti brain. Apart from the need for stuff like Make Poverty History, which challenges our governments to do the stuff we can't - to change the structures of injustice that oppress the poor - there is also the need for us as Christians, not just to give, but to give sacrificially - and to renounce our self-satisfied materialism. She says: "I am painfully aware that some brother or sister is suffering because I've been content with token giving; because I am so slow in understanding what it is to love as Christ. I am completely convinced that the world could be changed to God's glory if we loved generously, one person at a time. I can't help everyone. I can help someone."

Of course it would be better if Christian children stayed as light among their peers. But there are also times that vulnerable plants need nurturing in a safer, more controlled environment.

Of course I can't help everyone as much as I would like, but that shouldn't stop me helping those I can. And this family mean a lot to me.

Of course I can afford it. I can afford a lot more. It will just cost me a bit more. And I can hopefully continue to do something for the others too - to help put more orphans through school. God, free me from my selfishness.

So, I'll be back on my bike. I'll be fitter. The planet will be a tiny bit healthier. I'll be spending a little bit less on car tax, fuel and insurance. And my little friend will get to go to a Christian college.

Maybe it's good my car broke down.

Posted by Keith at 11:32 PM

July 11, 2005

Food Aid
The money we have sent out for food aid has arrived. This is following the failure of last year's harvest due to a locust swarm as well as bad rains. The food aid should be ready for distribution very soon. This is a key time, when people need food for energy to work the fields. Please pray for good rains through to September. One problem with the rains is that they wash away the roads by which the food aid has to come. Please pray for this aid that it arrives without problem, that it helps many people, and that it brings honour to the name of Christ.

Steve has also been distributing seed for people to plant. Many people had eaten the seed they had kept for planting because of the food shortages.

Burkina and the G8
Burkina is one of the 18 countries to benefit from the debt cancellation arranged by finance ministers in the lead-up to the G8 summit. The lack of progress in dealing with rich country agricultural subsidies, such as cotton and rice, is a concern. These harm Burkina's economy and the lives of many people there. However, George Bush's apparent readiness to deal with them may open possibilities for the WTO in December.

Burkina benefits from the Millenium Challenge Corporation
The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) has approved up to $12.9 million for a program to help Burkina Faso improve primary-education completion rates for girls. MCC said: "MCC congratulates the people and government of Burkina Faso for their innovative program to increase primary education rates among girls." The program will fund construction of schools and teacher incentives in 10 provinces with the lowest girls' primary education completion rates.

The Threshold Program is designed to assist countries that are on the "threshold," of Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) eligibility. If such countries make reforms as stipulated by MCA, they might eventually qualify for MCA assistance.

Tags: burkina faso poverty aid africa burkina

Posted by Keith at 04:38 PM

June 22, 2005

Thank you to those who have given for the famine relief for the north of Burkina Faso. Today £2187 has been forwarded, so hopefully that will soon be making a big difference in the lives of families affected by the loss of last year's harvest.

The grain distribution will be carried out by the local pastor of the church there. He is a mature, faithful, and dependable man, who has handled such sums for me before. I will keep you informed as things progress.

We will continue to run an ongoing fund for emergency aid, so if you still wish to give, the money will be sent out as needed. Go here for details.

Thank you again.

Posted by Keith at 02:51 PM

June 17, 2005

An email from Steve this morning tells me that Djibo radio station, which we are in the process of setting up in the north of Burkina Faso now has a website.

There is no effective radio work in local language in this area. Our vision is for a radio station that will encourage engagement with the good news of Iisaa Almasiihu (Jesus Christ), and facilitate social and community development in the area.

If you'd like to get involved - through prayer, giving, or serving - please contact Steve at:
sahelsteve {at} inbox {dot} lv

Posted by Keith at 12:41 PM

May 12, 2005

Food shortages and accompanying poverty and malnutrition are getting worse in the north of Burkina Faso according to a report by the FAO.

This is due to the impact of last year's locust swarm, which destroyed 90% of the harvest in the north of Burkina Faso. This was made worse by the problems in the Ivory Coast, which has caused the flight of many Burkinabes who had been working there and sending money back home to Burkina.

"Millet prices continue to climb, while livestock prices have been falling, the agency said. The conditions for livestock production are deteriorating due to scarce pasture and water resources. The movement of animals in search of water and feed has already led to local conflicts...Severe child malnutrition is increasing rapidly." Our area is a Fulani area, where cattle are the heart of the culture and economy, so people are very hard hit.

I had a phone call from Burkina the other day, from one of my Fulani friends in Gorom-Gorom. It was lovely to hear from them, but they also confirmed that the situation is bad there. People particularly need additional food aid for the upcoming lean season, livestock feed, and seeds and other farming inputs for the next growing season. FAO is appealing for $11.4 million to provide agricultural inputs and assist pastoralists in the affected countries.

Food Aid
I want to try and raise a few thousand pounds for aid specifically for the area around where I was living. This will be done throught the local church there. If you can help, please send cheques (marked on the back "Gorom-Gorom famine relief in Burkina Faso") to World Horizons, at one of the following addresses:
World Horizons, North Dock, Llanelli, Carms SA15 2LF, UK
World Horizons, PO Box 17721, Richmond, VA 23226, USA

Steve and I did distribute over £10 000 of aid across the north of Burkina at the start of the year, in liaison with the World Food Programme. But it was just a drop in the ocean, and we are now coming up to the hardest time of the year - when people have used up any resources, but need the extra energy for working the fields. Thanks for anything you can do.

God bless you.

Posted by Keith at 11:54 AM

April 20, 2005

The fund-raising do at Link Romania went really well. I survived the daunting cross-cultural experience of a black tie event. Managed to borrow a dinner jacket and bow tie. And even enjoyed the evening, which was a lot of fun.

At the same time, it was for a serious purpose. Romania is still in need of prayer and help. 44% of Romanians live in poverty on under $2/ day. Link Romania have some great projects that they support. Go to their website to find out more.

Posted by Keith at 09:37 AM

April 05, 2005

"Bismillah!" The imam stepped back to welcome me into the mosque.

I had gone on one of my 'walkabouts'. On these occasions, I set off to wander around town with no particular plan, just to see whom I might meet, and to share the story of Jesus with those who want to listen.

Although I was by now a familiar sight to locals, visitors from outside villages were often surprised to see a tubaaku, a white man, dressed in the long Muslim robe topped by the ubiquitous turban, ambling round the dusty streets of this small Sahelian town. At times like this, I would often get called into people's homes. Sometimes it would be people who had seen me around or heard me preaching at the market, but who had been too timid to come and talk to me in front of the crowds. Sometimes it would be people with sick children, asking for prayer. Sometimes it would just be the hospitable invitation to an outsider or a friend.

I had been passing the mosque, and the imam was standing in the doorway.

"A salaam aleykum!" I called out in greeting.
"Wa-aleykum a salaam!" he replied. I approached, we shook hands, and we went through the normal greeting sequence, asking after each other's health and family.
"Toy njaata?" (Where are you going?) he asked.
"I'm just off to talk with people about the story of ennabi Iisaa Almasiihu." Fulani Muslims know of ennabi Iisaa Almasiihu, the prophet Jesus Christ, and his Injil (gospel) from the Quran, and hold him in high esteem.

The imam welcomed me into the mosque. I kicked off my sandals at the door, and went in.

Continue reading "Jesus in the mosque"

Posted by Keith at 12:54 PM

March 23, 2005

Steve reports on progress with the radio station we want to start in Djibo.

It seems there is an obstacle course to pass in order to get the project up and running, but he has some good people on board to help. Pray for Steve as he continues to run with this. We do believe that a well-run radio station in this area will be good for community development in the region, as well as for making known the good news of Jesus Christ.

Posted by Keith at 09:12 AM

March 16, 2005

Steve has a meeting today about the proposed radio station that we are hoping to open in Djibo. Please pray for this.

Meanwhile, Seydou is learning to drive. Seydou and Monique lived with me for about 9 years in Gorom-Gorom, and he has begun to step out to follow the Lord's calling over the last couple of years. He hopes to help support himself in ministry through getting a job as a driver. He has passed the theory, and is working on the practical side this week.

I hope he won't be driving vehicles like this:

Posted by Keith at 08:46 AM

March 10, 2005

My colleague Steve has been stirring things up as he continues with the work in Burkina.

He was recently engaged in conversation at Djibo market by a traditional healer. They were talking about the usefulness of the various animal parts he (the healer, not Steve!) sells for use as medicine, charms and curses. At the end of the discussion - and with the understandably fearful agreement of the seller - Steve burned the two most powerful charms, to demonstrate that the power of God is greater than that of such things. You can read the whole account here.

Now, among traditional medicines, there is a mix of the good, the bad, and the powdered chalk. Western missionaries have often unfairly written off all traditional African medicine as being "of the devil." In fact, pre-modern cultures in some ways have a more Biblically holistic perspective on life than the modern world. There are several PhDs to be gained looking into beneficial herbal remedies used locally. There is no doubt also that much of the power of the "medicine men" lies in fear, superstition, and exaggeration.

However, anyone who has lived for any length of time in Africa wouldn't doubt the reality and destructive effect of the "power world" of the spirits. Anthropologist Paul Stoller discovered this to his surprise and shock, and wrote about it in his book "In Sorcery's Shadow." The world of the spirits only leaves people in bondage and fear.

But Christ is greater. Any ministry in Africa is going to require confrontation with the spirit world at some point. In Christ there is freedom, deliverance, and protection. Burning charms, amulets, and other power paraphanlaia is a regular part of discipleship as people take steps to follow the way of Jesus.

Please pray for Steve as he continues to seek to bring the love and light of Christ to the Fulani.

Posted by Keith at 09:30 AM

February 23, 2005

Steve has posted some photos of the food aid beginning to arrive at schools in the area around Gorom-Gorom. This is following the destruction of the harvest by an invasion of locusts. The three boys sharing lunch in this picture are Amadou, Iisaa, and Yunusa, sons of my friend Hamadou:

These are two of the schools in the area. With the help of various development agencies, the government has built a lot of schools, but there are still many villages where classes meet under stick shelters.

Posted by Keith at 08:46 AM

February 20, 2005

From pre-modern Africa to the post-modern West.
The first two parts are here and here.

As the first Muslim Fulani decided to follow Christ, we were faced increasingly with the question of how to do church. Should we introduce them to the Mossi church, which would have severe cultural problems and consequences? Or should we start a separate Fulani church, adapted to their culture, but effectively dividing the church of Christ along ethnic lines? Thanks for those who made suggestions. This is what we did:

Part of the problem, I decided was that we still talk, think, and act about church as though it were a Sunday morning meeting, rather than the community of believers. While the weekly gathering can have an important part in the life of the church, it is only a part of that community life. For example, how many of the “one-anothers” can we do in the Sunday meeting? Love? Serve? Offer hospitality? Forgive? Honour? Be devoted to? Accept? Be compassionate? Submit? Encourage? There is not a lot of one-anothering going on in most Sunday meetings. All these require social interaction. The church is primarily meant to be a community – a community in Christ that expresses itself in worship, fellowship, and mission.

Continue reading "Emerging church and multicultural society 3"

Posted by Keith at 08:49 PM

February 19, 2005

Steve reports that food aid via the World Food Programme is beginning to arrive in the area around Gorom-Gorom:

"I spent the day yesterday with Victor... visiting schools in the bush which are benefitting from this aid. Overall it was an encouraging experience; I saw hundreds of children who are now being fed one meal a day in the WFP canteen project - and for some of them this is the only meal they get. The aid is not sufficient but it is significant. Photos etc to follow, when I get back to Djibo. Thanks again to all who contributed."

This is following the loss of the harvest due to an invasion of locusts.

Posted by Keith at 08:30 AM

February 10, 2005

I have just had a letter from my good friend Pastor Philippe Ouedraogo in Burkina Faso. Since I first met him in 1985, he has planted a church in the capital city, Ouagadougou, which is in the main Mossi area of the country. The church has now grown to over 800 people.

But he is not just a church planter and pastor. He is also very mission-minded, and has started an organisation called AEAD (the Evangelical Association Supporting Development), which is active in Evangelism, Education, Training, Health, and Socio-Economic Development. AEAD is also a partner of the British evangelical development agency Tear Fund, which supports local initiatives such as AEAD.

Philippe says: "Our current action includes: 6 schools with 650 children; a discipleship school; 40 literacy centres; leaders seminars; children camp; health programme; food production to support families; clean water supply; and the proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ..."

This is a man of God, committed to the spiritual and social development of his country, the 3rd least developed country in the world. The AEAD website is in both English and French. Please pay a visit and pray for this ministry.

Posted by Keith at 08:53 AM

February 08, 2005

It looks like we will be getting two new missionaries joining Steve in Djibo very soon. The two are part of the "Radical Project" of Missão Horizontes, the Latin American branch of World Horizons' facilitating Latin American missionaries into the 10-40 window.

We are finding that these guys are generally excellent - passionate in prayer, zealous in evangelism, compassionate, and effective at getting alongside people and building bridges to Islam. The journal EMQ (Evangelical Missions Quarterly) did an interesting article on their training, which includes 3 years in preparation, and 2 years on the field. The plan is to send 300 more missionaries to the 10-40 window over the next couple of years.

Much of their approach is indeed radical and exciting, and reflects the reality that, as the worldwide church is increasingly "non-western," the mission force is also more and more from "non-western" and "developing" countries such as Brazil, Korea, and India. Often these countries are less hindered by the materialistic concerns of the western church, and have a passion that we sadly lack. They face their own cultural and financial issues of course, and are not able to follow old western models of missionary work, and so it is exciting to see new, radical approaches being developed.

It'll be great to have them on board in Burkina.

Posted by Keith at 10:23 AM

February 05, 2005

Steve informs us here that the distribution of grain for famine relief in Djibo and Gorom-Gorom should be going ahead next week. This is following the destruction of 90% of this year's harvest in the north of Burkina Faso by locusts.

Posted by Keith at 02:34 PM

February 03, 2005

"Bring the child here," said Ali, and the boy's mother led him submissively to sit in the dust before us. He had been suffering with bad headaches for some time, and was unable to sleep. She knew Ali was a man who knew the Quran, and had asked Ali if he could heal the boy.

I first met Ali a few weeks before. He called to me as I was passing by his sewing machine at the market, and asked me to come and see him. When I visited him, he explained the dream he'd had of a shining white figure, holding out his arms to him. We read the description of Jesus at the start of the book of Revelation, and Ali recognised the man from his dream. Over the following weeks we had begun reading the Bible together. Ali was keen to know more about this Jesus, of whom the Quran spoke so highly, and who had now appeared to him personally. But he was a respected older Muslim in the tight community of this small Fulani town in West Africa, and had not yet decided what he was going to do about it.

He reached out his hand and gently placed his thumb and one finger on the boy's forehead. He began quietly reciting verses in Arabic, pausing occasionally to spit lightly on the boy's head. When he had finished, he sat back: "Bismillah!" he said, indicating that I too should pray. So I too laid my hand on the boy's head, and prayed in Fulfulde for healing in the name of Jesus. When I had finished, the boy got up and went back to his mother, and Ali and I continued our discussion.

The next day, Ali told me the boy was healed.

Ali and I continued to meet, and finally he confessed his faith in Christ. But Ali was reluctant to identify himself publicly as a Christian. He knew the cost would be high, that people would not understand, and he would lose the friendships and influence he had. So he continued to read the Bible, to pray in the name of Jesus, and to go to the mosque. But now, when his Muslim neighbours came to him to ask him for religious or spiritual advice, he would start in the Quran, and lead on to the Injil - the Gospel - one of the holy books of Islam.

I have no doubt of the genuineness of Ali's faith in Christ. I have no doubt too, that if he publicly confessed Christ, he would suffer as a result. If he were able to stand, and integrate into the Mossi church there, I am sure he would grow firmer in his faith. But that presents its own challenges - and he would also lose his opportunities to share Christ among his neighbours. I have laid it all out before him. He knows the choices and the consequences, and has made his decision - for now - about how to work it out.

Please pray for my friend Ali, that God will continue to lead and strengthen him. His story raises many questions. But above all, I'd like us to see that Christ is continuing to reach out in love to the many Muslims who love God. And our response should be one of love, friendship, and encouragement as they seek Him.

Tags: burkina faso africa emerging church burkina church fulani mission church and culture

Posted by Keith at 11:28 AM

January 31, 2005

I have now arrived back in the UK, grateful for the visit to Benin, and missing Africa again already.

On my last day, I went down again to visit the Fulani down on the ward. The film "Jesus" had prompted some questions, and so the Fulani men and I perched ourselves on stools between the beds and, using a picture book, I went again throught the story of Jesus. The room went quiet, and along the ward women struggled to sit up in their beds and strained to see and hear - even those who didn't understand Fulfulde.

We spoke of Christ's death to save us, and of his call to follow. They were all attentive - they have been touched by the love and care of the crew on the Anastasis and wanted to know what it was that motivated them. One of the men in particular seemed to really grasp the good news, and to be struggling about what his response would be. Please pray for these men and women, that God will not only continue to heal their bodies, but also lead them to the freedom and life there is in Christ. Thank you.

Posted by Keith at 11:21 AM

January 25, 2005

Some of the most moving stories on the Anastasis are those of women who have had surgery for VVF.

Vesico-vaginal fistula is a condition, usually as a result of child-birth difficulties, that leaves the woman's bladder constantly leaking urine. Because of the condition, such women are often abandoned by their husbands, and live apart from everyone, feeling shame and hopelessness.

The Anastasis provides free operations for as many as they can receive, and the lives of women such as Aminata are transformed:
"After her operation, she sat in the hospital ward, dry for the first time in seven years. Aminata said her life had already changed. “At first,” she said, “I didn’t see myself as a human being since people didn’t want to be around me. Now, I see healing and it’s like life has returned again.”

When the women leave the ship, they are given new outfits to replace their old soiled clothes, and there is often a little celebration, with music and dancing. What a great picture of the gospel - how we are saved from shame and rejection to healing and acceptance!

I heard there were some Fulani women on the ward yesterday, waiting for their VVF surgery, so went down to say hi, and was pleased to find that some of them had even been brought by their husbands or other male relatives. It must have been a huge shock for these young ladies, from remote Fulani villages, to come onto the "white man's ship" down in the big city. But they were all happy to be there, and told me of how well they had been welcomed and looked after. I am going back daily to chat with them all. The "Jesus" film has been shown on the ward in Fulfulde, and the Fulani have been asking for me to go back and talk with them about it. Please pray.

Posted by Keith at 07:20 AM

January 23, 2005

Taking a small gift of tea, sugar, and peanuts, we went back yesterday to see our new Fulani friends from the abbatoir. We met Sido, and he took us to the house he shares with a handful of other Fulani young men from different parts of West Africa. The atmosphere, so typical for a young men's house in a West African capital, was a different world from Fulani life in Gorom-Gorom.

The tv was on, with energetically choreographed music videos from the Ivory Coast. Young women were shaking various parts of their anatomy enthusiastically and provocatively in time to the beat, and the sound kept creeping up a notch or two. I suspected the gospel might have a problem competing for my friends' attention, so I went with the flow.

Across the distraction of the wiggling ladies, we discussed the recent "tabaski" festival (they had celebrated by killing a goat, and distributing some of the meat to poor neighbours), the African youth football championship (Benin's chances are not good to win), local dress fashion (Fulani in Cotonou don't wear turbans, which are seen as typical of those from Mali and Burkina), local islamic religious leaders (considered less knowledgeable than those further north), and other everyday topics.

Shortly before we left, I asked them to turn the tv off for a while, and the room went mercifully quiet. I thanked them for making me so welcome, and told them how glad I was that I had met Fulani here in Cotonou. Then I asked if I could tell them some good news from God, and they leant forward intently. The message of Christ is good news for all people. The story of the prodigal son reveals a God who welcomes back we who have wandered away from him and made a mess of things. He is the Father who, when we "come to our senses" and head home, runs out and throws his arms around us.

The tv forgotten, their attention was fixed on the story of Jesus. Muslims know and honour Jesus, and they know that all of us are in need of God's grace. That is part of our common ground. But God's promise of forgiveness and new life in Christ is still largely unknown to them after 2000 years. It is kept from them more by our own apathy and distortion of "Christianity" than by their own lack of interest.

I don't know how much Sido and friends truly grasped in the short time we had together, but please pray that light may shine in their hearts to give them a glimpse of God's desire to bless them through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Posted by Keith at 03:22 PM

January 19, 2005

What do we do about Ibrahim?

Ibrahim is a Fulani interested in the gospel. He lives in Gorom-Gorom in the north of Burkina. There are no other Fulani Christians around, and no Fulani church to bring him to. There is a Mossi church, but the Mossi and Fulani are culturally very different, don't speak each other's language, and have a history of mutual distrust. Ibrahim recognises the integrity of the Mossi Christians he knows, but his experience of the Mossi church has been rather confusing so far. Other Fulani too are hearing about Christ, and interested in following his way.

How do we do church in a way that is relevant to the cultural identities of all the different groups in our society? How can we be church in a way that will be outreach-orientated, permitting people to meet God within their own cultural context? These are questions that are as relevant in post-modern UK and US, as in pre-modern Burkina Faso.

In response to the traditional "one size fits all" approach to church, some "church growth" and "emerging church" thinkers have proposed the doing church separately for each cultural sub-group in a society. In Gorom-Gorom, this would mean a church for the Mossi, and a separate church for the Fulani. In post-modern western cities, it may mean a church for youth, a church for post-moderns, a church for Asian immigrants etc.

I've always felt a a tension with this idea. On the one hand I believe the incarnation shows us that God wants to meet us where we are in our humanity. While in some ways the church is clearly to be counter-cultural, there is also a divine approval of the relationship of church and culture. The church should still be incarnating Jesus into every society - that people may meet God and worship him in a way that is accessible to their own cultural identity. The Fulani should not have to become Mossi to be able to meet God.

On the other hand I believe in the unity of the church, and think that having separate churches for each group undermines this unity and risks perpetuating the divisions and distrust that are supposed to be destroyed in Christ. If we all divide up into comfortable monocultural groups, it raises questions about the nature of the resulting expression of church:

• In this multiplicity of church expressions, where is the visible unity and mutual love and concern of slave and free, Jew and Greek, Fulani and Mossi, post-modern geek and hymn-sandwich grandmother that demonstrates the kingdom of God?

• Who will look after the old, frail, needy, and culturally awkward? Where will their place be?

• How will we be able to benefit from those who are different to us? My friend Richard's young son, Joshua came home one day after church, and was talking about a conversation he had had with Gladys, who is 100. Where else in society outside of family do children and the old get the opportunity to benefit from each other, if not in the church? Where else in society do we get the opportunity to benefit from those who are different from ourselves? In what way are we one body, with many interdependant parts?

Jesus welcomed all to himself. His gatherings were a mix of all segments of society. Because that is the nature of the kingdom of God. And the church therefore is only truly the church when it expresses this wonderful mix.

As my good friend Richard Sudworth observes, as he labours to do church in multi-cultural Birmingham:
"My take on the nature of church, which includes, in part, a sense of how we view our "good news", is that it encompasses the young, the old, the rich, the poor, the white, the black etc. There must, then, be some striving towards connectedness that pushes us to learn from each other and to enjoy the riches of diversity within the church....Or is everyone out there assuming that the future of church is fragmentation down to multiple little moncultural units...that cease to be church?"

How do we work out this tension in relation to the need for us to be culturally sensitive so that people can meet God within their own diverse cultural contexts? There must also be ways for the whole church to interact - where grandmothers talk with chidren, where geeks eat with the homeless, where Asians hug the Welsh, where the strong help the weak, where the Mossi and the Fulani demonstrate the power of the gospel by celebrating Christ together.

So what do we do with Ibrahim and his friends? Do I aim to start a separate Fulani church? Or do I try and get him into the Mossi church?

I will write more about some of the ways forward I have been exploring in the Fulani ministry in Gorom-Gorom in Burkina Faso, as I struggled with these questions. But, whether you are writing from post-modern UK or US, pre-modern Africa or Asia, or elsewhere, I'd like to hear any comments.

Part three is here

Tags: burkina faso africa emerging church burkina church fulani mission church and culture

Posted by Keith at 10:30 PM

January 18, 2005

After an hour of dodging the crowd of cars and motorcycles on the main road out of Cotonou, we finally turned off the tarmac road onto the dusty dirt road heading towards the village. 20 bouncy minutes later we pulled up at a village school, closed due to the teachers' strike for better pay. But among the mango trees, from a small structure of corrugated iron sheets over a simple wooden frame, came the tapping sounds of a stick on board followed by the murmur of responsive voices.

A dozen or so men and women, gathered in small groups around school desks, were watching Olivier as he pointed with his stick to the combinations of letters they had been learning, and they read them out:
Tap: "at!"
Tap: "it!"
Tap: "an!"
Tap: "in!"
Tap-tap "atin!".
One of the older women giggled as she recognised the word she had just read: "Tree!"

The class is in the Fon language. Each week the teacher writes "nukplonkplon enegoo" ("Class four") at the top of the blackboard, and some of the class recognise even the longer word already, and point it out and read it when they see it.

While the school teachers are on strike asking - reasonably enough perhaps - for more pay, Olivier and Theodore from the local church and trained by Mercy Ships, are offering their service as volunteers. The students are supposed to contribute, but few manage to come up with the 5p/week required.

The class splits into groups and they help each other out: young women laughing, with babies on their backs; older women, frowning with concentration at the unfamiliar symbols; and the young men, more at ease, and eager to show their knowledge by helping those who are struggling.

Literacy in Benin is about 41%. The inability to read or write is linked to poverty and disempowerment. When asked about their reasons for wanting to learn to read and write, responses from the class vary: to be able to help their children with their schooling; to get knowledge; to avoid ridicule; to find a job...

But most often people just say they want to be able to read the Bible - and above all to read it in their own language.

Posted by Keith at 01:52 PM

January 17, 2005

We arrived this morning at Cotonou's main abbatoir, where Jacob's friends are working. Immediately several Fulani men surrounded us in anticipation that we were there to buy a bull for the forthcoming "tabaski" festival.

The initial surprise at the white man dressed in Fulani robes and turban soon gave way to amused banter in Fulfulde, as they realised I spoke their language. A crowd gathered, some peppering me with questions about where I came from, while others were eager to show me their animals, in the hope of an early sale. Each time I spoke to answer a question, admire a bull, or compare the animals with my own cattle back in Burkina Faso, the babble would quieten for a few moments, and then start again with renewed vigour.

After looking at the cattle for a while, we were invited by Jacob's friend Sido to come aside and sit and drink tea and chat for a while. A smart Land Cruiser pulled up, and some of the men dashed off to try their luck with the new arrivals, while a handful of others came and crouched in the dust to chat, still with one eye on the haggling going on across the road.

Conversation soon turned to the forthcoming "tabaski" festival, that honours Abraham, one of Islam's greatest prophets. Tabaski remembers Abraham offering up his son to God in sacrifice, and God's provision of a ram in his place. It is one of many places where Christianity and Islam find common ground. Although there are differences in the details of the Biblical and Quranic versions, the basic story is the same. Many of the men were hazy on the origin of the festival, so I told them the story, drawing out how it reveals God's initiative in saving humanity through a sacrifice that he himself provides. The story of course illustrates our own need of salvation, which God has provided in the sacrifice of Christ.

The conversation continued animatedly for a while as we talked about the frustration of religious practise that couldn't free us from sin. But I soon realised that this was not the best place to talk, as the men would soon be distracted by their need to get back to work. So they invited me to come back another day, when they have more time to sit and talk.

Before heading home, we went to visit a nearby Fulani family, where we were welcomed with milk fresh from the cow. One of the young men there was from near Djibo in Burkina Faso. He had come to Benin two years ago to look for work, and had heard nothing of his family since. Nor had he found work. He was glad to hear the little news of Djibo I was able to give him.

The other man there was called Nuuhu (Noah), and this led to more story-telling, this time about God's grace and salvation revealed to the prophet Nuuhu. Before heading home, I prayed for God's blessing on the family, and everyone offered a hearty "Amen" at the end.

It has been such a joy to be back among the Fulani, sharing the good news of Jesus again, and a relief to find I haven't forgotten all my fulfulde. Please remember to pray for the Fulani, that God would open their hearts to the story of his love and salvation for them in Jesus Christ. And please pray that God helps me as I share this good news with them in the coming days. Thank you.

Posted by Keith at 12:00 PM

January 11, 2005

Yesterday I made my first visit to the surgery ward of the Anastasis.

The first thing I noticed was the atmosphere of hope and care. At one end of the ward were those waiting for their turn for surgery - mostly for the removal of facial tumours. Understandably nervous, they were nevertheless happy to see Peggy, the American grandmother I was accompanying, as she chatted, hugged, and prayed with them.

At the other end was a small group of patients from Togo, who had had operations when the ship was last there, and were now back for follow-up. They were singing songs of praise and reading a Bible study, and were obviously happy with their new appearances. One had recently given his life to Christ.

The story of Max is typical. Two large tumours not only disfigured his face, but also caused the loss of his job and his family. He couldn't afford the £40 necessary for an operation locally, but when he heard about the free operations provided by the Anastasis, he made his way to the ship. The operations were successful.

Max before and after.

Now reunited with his wife and children, Max is keen to find new employment. He truly feels he is starting a new life:
"God is marvelous, wonderful!” he exclaimed. “He has heard my prayers and He has done this!”

Posted by Keith at 11:04 PM

Following his visit to the World Food Programme in Ouagadougou, Steve has just written to say that the grain distribution will be going ahead at the end of this month. The food aid, in response to the disaster caused by the locust invasion which destroyed this year's harvest in the north of Burkina will be distributed through school canteens.

Posted by Keith at 10:42 PM

December 23, 2004

The first time I took Ibrahim to church, I realised it was a mistake.

Ibrahim is Fulani, and a Muslim. He is a tailor at the local market, and was one of my first friends in Gorom. As I began to learn the language, I would go and sit with him to drink tea and try out my new phrases. As his friends came and started chatting, I would sit precariously on the wobbly wooden bench by his old foot-powered sewing machine, frowning with concentration as I tried to make out something of the banter.

“Aan ka, a doomuru” suddenly exclaimed one guy, who had been watching me. I understood enough to know he was calling me a mouse, but didn’t know why. He imitated me sitting there silently, head switching side to side, as I followed the different speakers, and everyone cracked up laughing.

As my Fulfulde began to improve, they started to ask me about the way of Jesus, and I struggled to find words to express my faith. They would then reply with Fulfulde proverbs, at which everyone but me nodded with understanding. Or with local Muslim wisdom, which assumed so much cultural background that I had no idea where to begin to respond. The good-humoured discussions rambled on over several months.

So one day, I invited Ibrahim to church. Since there were no Fulani Christians, we went to the Mossi church. The Mossi are the main people group in Burkina, and the church has grown quite dramatically among them. They are a cheerful, colourful and friendly people, and they worship God exhuberantly, with drums, loud praying and singing, and sometimes even dancing. I don’t think they had ever seen a Fulani in church before. Ibrahim walked self-consciously into church in his long Muslim robe, and his turban, with every eye following us as we headed towards the only free spaces, right near the front.

As the service got under way, I began to realise that this was going to be a challenge. Ibrahim didn’t understand either French or Mossi, and no-one was available to translate into Fulfulde. The singing, shouting, and dancing were all so alien to Ibrahim, for whom worship is a solemn affair. Drums for the Fulani are for either worldly celebrations, or “spirit festivals.” It must have been all quite bewildering – nothing he could recognise as worship or prayer, nothing he could hear as good news, nothing he could relate to culturally, but rather an emotional and noisy Mossi jamboree. They were worshipping God well enough, but for a Fulani, it was just confusing.

I did my best to explain what was going on, and Ibrahim looked around, without judging, but without illumination. He spotted the guy from the post-office, a guy who Ibrahim respects as honest and upright. But after the service no-one came to talk to him. The Mossi Christians felt uncomfortable. They didn’t speak Ibrahim’s language, and wouldn’t know what to say to him anyway.

During the following weeks, Ibrahim’s friends criticised him, and made fun of him for going to church – did he want to become a Mossi? And for a while, he backed off. But he has remained a good friend. We have continued to talk about faith and the way of God. But I haven’t taken him back to the church. We have continued to chat at his sewing machine, or at one of our homes. But I realise that taking him to church was not going to help him spiritually, even if God was in the house. Other ways of introducing him and his friends to Jesus and his family would have to be considered.

Coming back to Britain, I see the situation is not so different. We also live in a multi-cultural society. And the culture of our church meetings is often completely foreign to those living around where we live. Britain today seems a much more spiritually open place than 15 years ago. But our church meetings are maybe not always the place where street youth, clubbers, refugees, or post-modern intellectuals will meet Jesus in a way they can relate to. Maybe they are not always places where everyone finds the expression of spirituality and community that their own hearts respond to. We may be worshipping God well enough, but it can leave others feeling like an outsider at someone else’s party.

We too need to think about how we should be church in a way that focuses not only on our own worship, but also on mission so that others can meet and celebrate God, find the blessing of his kingdom, and become part of his family, without necessarily having to become exactly like us.

Part two is here

Tags: burkina faso africa emerging church burkina church fulani mission church and culture

Posted by Keith at 09:04 AM

December 20, 2004

Some good news: the World Bank has approved $60m to help with projects to fight against future locust invasions in seven countries of the Sahel. Burkina will receive $8.4m, $1.6m of which was given as an advance to help with the current crisis.

As I posted recently, the north of Burkina has lost 90% of its harvest this year due to the locust invasion, and we are collecting money to help with grain for famine relief. We thank God for those who have already responded. Each gift will help greatly. If you want to contribute, please contact World Horizons. Thank you.

Posted by Keith at 01:17 PM

December 11, 2004

“A soodi baali di ginan naa?” Have you bought the sheep yet?

My Fulani friends always started asking the question about three weeks before Christmas. As Muslims, they know Jesus was born by the power of God, and honour him as a great prophet. So it was normal that we should celebrate his coming into the world.

Each year, Seydou and I would buy a couple of sheep, and invite as many of our Muslim friends as we could squeeze into our yard for a meal to celebrate the birth of Iisaa Almasiihu – Jesus Christ. Inevitably, everyone brought a friend, and then other passers-by would come and join us to. Year by year the yard grew more crowded.

Continue reading "Partying with the poor"

Posted by Keith at 11:27 AM

December 08, 2004

I’m increasingly aware that I need to work myself out of a job.

The task of taking the good news of Christ to the Fulani cannot remain the task of the missionaries alone. We are too few, too expensive, and too culturally removed to do the whole job at all, let alone do it properly. Even though it is early days in the birth of the Fulani church in Burkina, it is essential for the health and relevance of the church that Fulani Christians themselves increasingly take responsibility for the task. Thankfully, in some places, this is beginning to happen.

Continue reading "Fulani fishermen"

Posted by Keith at 09:53 PM

December 02, 2004

You have probably heard of the locust swarm that has swept through West Africa. The latest report from Burkina is that 90% of the harvest from the north of the country has been lost – first because of bad rains, and then because of the locusts.

Here are some quotes from friends in the area:

“They came twice. Giant, colourful, swarms--clouds!-- of bugs came and ate everything off of the millet stalks. The first time they came through, I think they were in a hurry to get out east. But a couple of days later they came back through and cleaned up everything they hadn't gotten before. It was a depressing couple of days…”

“The famine this year looks like it will be about as bad as it gets. People in Djibo are already getting skinny and they have nothing to eat.”

Continue reading "The locust swarm"

Posted by Keith at 09:53 AM

For about two years now, we have had a vision for starting a community FM radio station in Djibo in the north of Burkina. Steve wrote about the original vision here.

The idea is to have a station that would combine programmes on health, education, culture, music, and the gospel message. There is nothing in that area at the moment, and radio waves have ready access to the many villages that would take us years to reach personally. Radio could be an important part of the strategy for bringing God’s blessing to the Fulani of northern Burkina.

The vision has had a couple of false starts, but last week we had a great encouragement. Steve and I met up with the leader of an organisation experienced in this field who is very enthusiastic about our vision. He gave us a lot of helpful advice and some interesting-looking contacts. There is the possibility that this may lead to practical support in various forms too. Steve and I are both greatly encouraged by this, and Steve is now planning – on his return to Burkina in January – to pursue the radio project with vim and vigour.

Posted by Keith at 09:50 AM