April 06, 2008
Sorrento, Italy
I managed to get away for a holiday in Sorrento, Italy for a week. The weather was pretty awful for most of the time, but it was a good break.
The last couple of days were nice, and I did manage to take a few photos:
I also managed to get out for a day to have a look at Positano, the Amalfi coast, and the hills around Ravelo:
Now back to work...
March 20, 2008
Holy Island, Northumbria
I've just been away for the weekend to Northumbria and Holy Island, or Lindisfarne. I had a lovely much-needed break, with the sun out, and the sea wind whipping across and blowing away the cobwebs. The scenery was beautiful, and the island fascinating, with the historic castle, church, priory, and lime kilns. I only took a few photos. Here is the castle:
But I also found it moving, especially the stories of Aidan and Cuthbert. In 635AD Aidan came from Iona, and settled on Lindisfarne. There he established a monastery as a missionary base to bring the gospel back to England. He and his trainees learned language, lived simply, devoted themselves to prayer and study, lived and ministered with the poor, and went out sharing the gospel and forming Christian communities.
On the island is the church of St Mary, which houses a copy of the Lindisfarne gospels (the original being in the British Library). The beautifully artistic book is the work of Eadfrith, a monk on Lindisfarne, who died in 721. The oldest part of the church is from before the Norman conquest of 1066, and it is thought that it is built on the original site of the original monastery founded by Aidan.
The remains of the priory, built by Benedictine monks following the 1066 Norman conquest, can still be seen:
There is of course a long tradition of fishing on the island, and the harbour is lined with the upturned hulls of large fishing boats, now turned into work sheds. Many of these boats were once part of one of the large Herring Fleets that sailed off the east coast of England.
And finally, just a few scenic shots of the mainland Northumbrian coast and countryside, and of Bamburgh Castle:
Tags: lindisfarne photos
February 19, 2008
The Last Wild Giraffes of West Africa
I have just got back from Niamey, the capital of Niger, where we had our annual Horizons-Sahel conference. The conference went well, but unfortunately I didn’t get time to get around town to take photos. This is a shame, because Niamey is very different from Ouagadougou, the Burkina capital. Niamey is less developed, and more sahelian and picturesque. It is actually more like a giant sprawling Gorom-Gorom – with many sandy roads, lots of Tuareg and Fulani and Songhai, and camels being part of the daily downtown traffic. Also, of course, a river runs through it, the Niger, with the river traffic and rice-growing adding to the fascinating cultural mix.
I did put off my return to Burkina for one day to get the chance to have a quick visit to see the last wild giraffes of West Africa – about 60km from Niamey. The giraffe of West Africa are apparently lighter and less yellow than those in East Africa. Here are a few photos:
We could walk almost right up to the giraffe. Here is Charlie, Steve's wife taking a photo.
Look this way, please!
I find it amazing how something as big as a giraffe can be so well hdden. I like this photo because it shows how well their camouflaging works.
Tags: africa sahel niger niamey photos giraffe travel
February 01, 2008
More birds of Oudalan
A few more birds I snapped around and about in the north of Burkina Faso (for the others see here and here):
1. Grey wagtail
2. Hoopoe
3. Arabian bustard
4. Spur-winged lapwing
5. White-faced duck
6. Some kind of wader...
And finally, not a bird... just a nice picture I took of a lily and a wasp...
Tags: africa sahel burkina burkina faso photos birds travel
November 16, 2007
One for the ladies - a shoe shop...
November 15, 2007
France photos
Just a few photos from France from my last visit there to Marseille, Avignon, and Nantes:
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
October 19, 2007
Fishing
Just a photo I snapped of a boy fishing in the Oursi lake in Burkina Faso.
Tags: africa sahel burkina burkina faso photos fishing travel
September 27, 2007
More birds from Burkina
Here are a few more snaps of birds I took while driving on my travels the last week or so. Some of them aren't brilliant, but they give you an idea of the birdlife that is around.
1. Stork. This species appears at the start of each rainy season.
2. Cattle egret
3. Cattle egret again. I like this photo
4. Vultures at the abbatoir, clearing up after the morning's work
5. Another bird... anyone any ideas what this is...? I do have a bird book in Gorom, but haven't had the time to look at it...
6. Some kind of kite I think
7. Parrot
Tags: africa sahel burkina burkina faso photos birds travel
August 31, 2007
Birds of Oudalan
These are a few bird photos I took on the Sunday I drove from Deou to Oursi:
1. Abyssinian roller. Really beautiful bird, even more so when it flies.
2. Weaver bird. Build their nests hanging down. Was flitting about in the tree, not staying still long enough for me to get a good shot.
3. Bee-eater
4. Cattle egret. So many of these around, I didn't bother trying to get a photo for a long time, because I kept thinking I could get one anytime.
5. Red-billed hornbill. Often fly across the road between Dori and Gorom-Gorom.
6. Senegalese fire finch. Friendly little bird. The male is bright red like this chap, while the female is less colourful.
I was just snapping as I went (Canon EOS 20D with 70-300mm lens if you're interested). I've not really done any bird photography before, but think I might do a bit more in the future.
There were many other birds I saw that day which I didn't manage to snap included parrots, storks, whydahs, and hoopoes. And I'm sure with a bit of time and patience, I could get some better photos than these. Now if I can only find that free time...
Tags: africa sahel burkina burkina faso photos birds travel
August 30, 2007
Deou photos
A few photos of life around Deou from my time there last week:
1. Samuel's children heading home with the donkey cart at the end of the day.
2. These guys on their way home from market stopped and asked me to take their photo.
3. There are unusual rock formations just standing up in the middle of the plain where Deou is situated.
4. Samuel's son, Emmanuel. The light was lovely as the sun went down.
5. Fulani girls on their way home from Deou market.
6. Sunset over the acacias in Deou
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso photos deou travel
August 14, 2007
Children's Camp Photos
Here are some photos from the camp. Click on any photo to enlarge.
We held the camp in the local secondary school, with the children sleeping there for the whole week. We ended up with about 250 children instead of the 100 expected, with about even numbers of children from Christian and Muslim homes, and the camp went really well.
.jpg)
.jpg)
Pete, Maggie, Trudi, Hawa and I were there to support the churches in Gorom-Gorom who were running the camp, and they did a great job. However, with over twice the number of children there than expected, they asked us to look after 105 children from Muslim backgrounds – mostly Fulani, which was great.
.jpg)
.jpg)
We split our children up into three smaller groups, each one with helpers from the local church, like Bernadette, Norbert, and Wenasso, who were wonderful. Pete did a lot of story-telling and juggling. Maggie did craft with the children, which they loved. Trudi taught them songs. And Hawa translated and generally kept an eye on everything.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
The children heard clearly the message of Jesus, ate well, and clearly had a lot of fun, each going back with small bags and masks which they had coloured themselves. The helpers from the local church will follow them up now. We also spent one afternoon planting 50 trees on the ground of the school that we are hoping to build.
.jpg)
.jpg)
It was such a privilege to have Muslim families entrust us with their children for a week, and we are so pleased that everything went so well. No-one got really sick –which in the middle of malaria season was quite remarkable. The increased numbers challenged our resources – for food, sleeping space, and meeting space – but we coped somehow, and are already thinking about how we can do it even better next time.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
The journey to and from Gorom-Gorom was challenging – the roads being flooded from the rains. When it came time to leave, we couldn’t actually get out on the direct road – the car after us tried and ended up getting stuck in the middle of a river. So we took the cross-country route out – an extra day’s journey and 100 miles of tiring roads and shallower rivers, but at least we got out! Water came into the car, and it is still drying out 2 days later…
Click here for more photos of the camp, or here for a slide show.
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso photos gorom-gorom fulani children kids camp
June 30, 2007
Burkina Faso Photos
I have just uploaded a few photos to my Flickr account in preparation for updating my website. Here are a few of my favourites among the new ones (As usual you can click on a photo for a larger version):
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso photos gorom-gorom fulani
April 05, 2007
A day at Slimbridge
Last weekend I had a lovely day at Slimbridge, home to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust. Here is a selection of photos of some flamingos, a barnacle goose, swans, wood ducks, a coot with four chicks peeking their heads out, and one species of duck, whose name I can't remember.
Can anyone help me out with the name of the duck in the last photo?
Tags: birds wildfowl slimbridge photos flamingo ducks swans geese
March 30, 2007
Wonderful People
These are some of the wonderful people we have been able to build homes following the flood.
It has been a real privilege to get to know them more, and to be able to help a little those who receive such a raw deal and who genuinely needed help. There are so many more people we would have liked to have helped.
Each person has their story.
This is Hama, who I have known for ages, a genuinely nice guy. He still works, walking round town selling stuff, in spite of his age and his deteriorating sight. He had no land to build on, but the mayor of Gorom-Gorom gave him a plot. It was such a thrill to see him getting his own place.
This is Mamadou, one of the people who had the woodless constructions Here he is speaking at the Ceremony of the Keys just before I left. Mamadou nearly didn't get his house, as their was confusion about where it should be built. But again, the mayor helped us sort things out.
One of the biggest frustrations for me in rushing around taking care of the building work, was that I didn't have enough time just to sit and chat more with them. Hopefully when I am next back there, I will be able to do that. Here are photos of most of the others, most of them standing in front of their new homes. Please pray for them, that God will bless them in their new homes, and give them his peace in Christ.
Continue reading "Wonderful People"
March 07, 2007
Over the sea to Skye
Having a lovely time. Wish you were here...
Tags: scotland skye travel photos
January 19, 2007
A Day at the (Camel) Races
It was a dusty day at the camel races.
The harmattan wind was in full swing, filling the air with the fine yellow dust that blocks the sun and makes the day decidedly chilly - relatively speaking of course. The races were part of the annual Festicham festival at the start of every year in Gorom-Gorom, where the traditional cultures of the Tamacheq, Fulani, and Songhai peoples of the area are celebrated.
some more photos of Tamacheqs and their camels...
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina gorom gorom-gorom oudalan sahel camel camels race festicham tuareg tamacheq camel race
December 29, 2006
Christmas in Gorom-Gorom
A few photos for you of Christmas day in Gorom-Gorom:
1. Church celebration. Christmas in Gorom is a Christian celebration, and it starts with a service at church on the evening of the 24th. No tinsel, no Slade, no fir trees, no crackers, no heap of expensive presents. But a joyful celebration of the coming of the Son of God.
2. The Christmas family photo. These are the 14 people who officially live in our yard – me with Seydou and Moumouni and their wives, children and a few extras.
3. Carving the Christmas joint. As usual, a sheep was dispatched for the celebrations, with bits shared with neighbours, and the head kept for Boxing Day.
4. Serving dinner. Oli, back from college, helps out with serving dinner.
5. Work carries on. Most of the brick-makers and other workers for the houses we are building for the flood victims, are Muslims. Their festival is Tabaski on 30th Dec, so they were keen to keep working on the 25th to earn money for their own celebration.
6. Church dance. Back to church for a meal together, and an exuberant dance, with the drums thumping out a joyful, passionate call to celebrate.
7. Silent Night. At the end of the day, after the celebrations, everyone retires early because of the cold, and Gorom-Gorom becomes still.
May 2007 be a peaceful year for us all. May you know the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, who came that we might know the full meaning of life.
December 12, 2006
Markoye
Here are a few photos from my few days at Markoye, north-east of Gorom-Gorom.
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina photos markoye sahel
November 04, 2006
Update on Gorom-Gorom flood and emergency aid
Click on the links here for updates on the following subjects:
Continue reading "Update on Gorom-Gorom flood and emergency aid"
August 12, 2006
My local butcher
Just what it says - my local butcher in Gorom-Gorom. In the villages people rarely eat meat, because it would mean killing one of your own precious animals, which are your security and stock for the future. They are usually only killed on special occasions, such as the arrival of visitors or a religious festival.
In the towns, such as Gorom-Gorom, a few animals are killed - usually goats and sheep, but occasionally a bull or camel - at the slaughter-house each morning, depending on who has animals to sell and is in need of money. Town people can then - if they have the money - buy a handful of meat for the evening meal. On market day, when people come in from the villages, if the market goes well for them, they too may then treat themselves and their children.
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina photos work market meat butcher food
August 02, 2006
Blessed is the man who is happy in his work
This guy's work is plastering mud onto a mud-brick wall, providing some protection to stop the wall being eroded by the rain. It's a job that needs re-doing regularly as the mud "plaster" of course also gets eroded.
He probably gets about 60p ($1)/day for this job. Scarcely enough to feed a family.
So why is he so happy...?
Ever wonder if we are missing something...?
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina photos work happiness
July 26, 2006
Which do you prefer?
This is Monique, Seydou's wife, enjoying a laugh.
Just wondering - which photo do you prefer?
 |  |
| Monique 1 | Monique 2 |
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina photos
July 24, 2006
Light in the darkness
This photo shows one of the solar-powered lamp-posts that are springing up around Burkina Faso, especially in small towns which otherwise have no electricity. This one is at the colourful market in Markoye, about 40km north-east of Gorom-Gorom.
Solar power of course has considerable potential in places like Burkina, where there is more than enough sun. But the purchase and replacement costs for the equipment are still prohibitive for people's personal use.
Tags: burkina burkina faso africa market solar power technology markoye lamp post
July 08, 2006
Family photos...
The word seems to have gone round Gorom-Gorom about my photos. After my last trip, I ended up sending over 200 copies out to people in Burkina. So now, many more people were asking me to take pictures. Here is one family:
Big sister was a bit shy...
...and little sister seemed quite bewildered by the whole experience...
but mum was happy to get some pictures of the family.
Tags: burkina burkina faso africa photos travel people
May 30, 2006
Reading
I love this photo. These are two of my good friends. "Yususfi" is the Fulani man. He lives with his family about 10 miles out in the bush, where he looks after his (and my) cattle, and cultivates millet. He reads Arabic and Fulfulde, and is respected as a teacher. He is following Christ and wants to know all he can about the Bible.
Timothee is Seydou's son, from the Samogho people. He goes to school in town, and reads French (he also does some pretty mean hand-springs).
They are reading a picture book together about the life of "Ennabi Muusa" - the prophet Moses.
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso fulani reading
April 22, 2006
Photos from Burkina Faso - sun and shade
In the UK, we lust after the sun as a lover, while in Burkina Faso, people flee its fierce heat, and try to stay in the shade as much as possible.
I wrote a sort of poem thing about this, called: "It's turned out sunny again", and reflected elsewhere a bit more seriously on the sun, and how our context affects the way we read Scripture.
Monique resting in the shade, and Daniel, Seydou, Myself, and Pierre squinting in the sun.
Photographically, the sun presents challenges too, with the stark contrasts between the brightness of the light and the darkness of the shade - not to mention the contrast of dark and light skin! But those contrasts also offer interesting photo opportunities (click on any photo to enlarge):
See more photos here of from my recent trip to Burkina and friends from Gorom-Gorom , Djibo, and Boukouma .
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso gorom-gorom travel fulani photos sahel
April 03, 2006
More photos from Burkina Faso
Some of the beautiful children from Gorom-Gorom , Djibo, and Boukouma.
See more photos from my trip here.
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso gorom-gorom travel fulani photos sahel
March 26, 2006
More photos from my trip to Burkina Faso
More friends from Gorom-Gorom and Boukouma.
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso gorom-gorom travel fulani photos sahel
March 18, 2006
First photos from my trip to Burkina Faso
A few friends from Gorom-Gorom, Djibo, and Boukouma. Click for larger images.
More photos, stories, and thoughts coming soon...
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso gorom-gorom travel fulani photos sahel
March 21, 2005
More photos from Burkina Faso
See more of my photos here, at Flikr.
March 11, 2005
More photos from Benin
I have put a few more of my photos up at Flikr of my time in Benin with the Anastasis. Here is a selection. Click on a photo to enlarge, or go here to see the set.
