May 16, 2008
One language...
It is said that the Americans and the English are one people separated by the same language.
There are numerous humorous examples, as illustrated by the picture to the right* - taken by my good friend G-A, with whom I have been staying for the last few days. G-A and Jane are Brits, from my home church in Cardiff, now settled in Minnesota. When G-A told his friends at church he and the family were going home for their Sunday joint, it caused a certain amount of consternation...**
G-A and I went kayaking early one morning down the St Croix River, which was beautiful and calm. I managed not to fall in, and we got to see deer, bald eagles, beaver, osprey, a flock of nesting herons, and all sorts of unidentified small colourful birds.
My time in the US is mostly going well so far, with my visits to churches in Virginia, Wisconsin, and here in Minnesota. Today I fly to Charlotte, NC, where I will be meeting with friends from Burkina Faso and West Africa.
Thanks for your prayers
* "Dumping" in British slang means defecating.
** While a joint in English means a cut of meat, in American it implies smoking a certain illegal substance...
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...
April 01, 2008
Coming to America
I will visiting the USA in May to speak at a few churches about the unreached Fulani, our work in Burkina Faso, the vision for church partnerships for mission, and what God might want to say to us in the west through the church in Africa.
Below is a rough itinerary. For more details, follow the link at the bottom, and if you want to know more, email me. If you can come along, it would be great to see you.
May 2008
5th - 8th - Richmond, VA
9th - 11th - Madison, WI
12th - 15th - St Paul, MN
16th - 18th - Charlotte, NC
19th - 21st - Perkins, near Oklahoma City, OK
22nd - 30th - Hatteras Island, NC
30th - June 2nd - Madisonville, TN
FOR FURTHER DETAILS CLICK THE LINK BELOW
Continue reading "Coming to America"
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
November 16, 2007
So good they named it twice...
My visitors from hatteras island should be arriving at 2.40am tonight, after having missed their flight and being stranded for two days in New York.
When they get here, we will head up asap the same day to Gorom-Gorom and then to Deou. It will be great to get back north again.
I will probably be out of email and phone contact for a week.
November 15, 2007
France photos
Just a few photos from France from my last visit there to Marseille, Avignon, and Nantes:
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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
October 26, 2006
Going north
So I leave Ouaga today on the new tarmac road up to Dori, where I will spend the night before continuing to Gorom tomorrow.
I have finally managed to get my mobile phone to work - it took about 3 days to get everything sorted out. It turns out I only seem to be able to receive texts from the UK if they are sent via Orange! This should work while I am in Gorom too, so if you want to text me, you know what to do...
I will be glad to get out of the city. There are always important admin things to do here. They have to be done, but it drives me potty. I can't wait to get back up north. Of course, this will be an emotional time for me, seeing all my friends who have lost their homes to the flood. It will also be a busy time as I continue to seek how to respond to the various calls on my time. But it will be great to see Seydou and Monique, Pascal, Daniel, Pierre, Yusufi, and others again.
I will only be in Gorom a week or so at this time, before travelling to Niamey in Niger, where we have our annual gathering for all the World Horizons people in West Africa. Steve should be there, back from visiting his fiancee in Cambodia, and hopefully we will travel back to Burkina together.
Thanks for your prayers.
October 21, 2006
Back to Burkina Faso
Life has been very busy these last few weeks, so I have not had time to write much in the way of updates.
Arrival in Burkina Faso
I have however now arrived in Ouaga, once more with the help of Afriqiyah. My continuing observation of Tripoli airport reveals the warnings of the dangers of drugs have disappeared, and been replaced with an ATM. Apart from that, not much change - the internet café and vast Samsung televisions still stand quiet, and the souvenir shop and duty free shop never seem to draw any interest from the weary transit passengers.
I was met at the airport at 12.30 this morning by Sibidi and by Peter, which was lovely. It’s great to be back. It is quite hot and humid, and this afternoon Ouaga had a sudden downpour.
Communication
Today has been a fairly relaxed day, mostly trying to sort out communication for the coming months. This time, I have brought my laptop with me, to help me with some aspects of work and communication. The mission office where I am staying for the next few days has just got broadband, and they are kindly letting me use that while here. That means I can even Skype while here… although there is stiff competition for the only access point to the broadband connection, so I can only grab it as and when it’s available.
I have also got a dial-up account sorted for when I move up north, which means hopefully I should be able to blog from time to time.
My mobile unfortunately is not working here at the moment, but good old Sibidi is working on getting that sorted out for me.
Plans
My plan is to spend a few days here in Ouaga, sorting out some practical stuff, then head up to Gorom. Monday is apparently a national holiday, as it is the end of Ramadan. There is still some doubt as to whether it will be Monday or Tuesday – depending presumably on when the imam sees the moon. So I hope that doesn’t delay me too much.
I am eager now to get up north and see how everyone is doing – I will be speaking to Seydou and Daniel tomorrow to find out the latest. Please pray for me as I head up – I know it will be hard seeing so many friends homeless following the flood, and need God’s wisdom to know how to respond and encourage people.
Thanks. More soon…
October 02, 2006
US, UK, France, Burkina Faso...
Too much travelling...
Having returned from the US, I had a few days in the UK, including some excellent meetings at a church in Leicestershire, and more meetings looking at linking up churches here in the UK with those in northern Burkina, and am now in France, meeting with church leaders and missionaries here.
At the same time, I am trying to stay on top of the flood relief developments in Gorom-Gorom, and preparing for my return there in October for 4 months. These next weeks and months look like being really busy, so your prayers are much appreciated! Thank you.
Tags: travel
September 12, 2006
Brief Update on Gorom Relief
The latest food distribution went well again on Saturday, for which we thank God.
We have now found a source for mosquito nets at a special "social" price for the emergency relief, for which we are thankful. For large nets, already treated with insecticide, we will be paying about $2/net rather than the commercial price of $6. We are buying 1000 for distribution later this week.
Apparently the national Burkina press have also heard about our work and have been up to interview the team in Gorom!
Please pray that we can continue to respond effectively to the need. Many thanks.
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina gorom flood emergency aid crisis gorom-gorom
September 06, 2006
Telephone Communication with Burkina Faso
While I was in Burkina Faso this year, I bought a copy of the national telephone directory to bring home to the UK with me. This is a photo of it - containing all the land-line telephone numbers in the whole country - lying on top of the phone book for my home town of Cardiff in Wales...
The phone book has been very useful during this time of trying to organise the relief aid for Gorom-Gorom, as I have been able to find people and organisations to call to try and get help. I usually call Burkina from my computer using Skype. Although there is a slight delay, it is an excellent way of keeping in contact. I was talking to the pastor in Gorom-Gorom a couple of days ago about Friday's food distribution, and he asked me to pass on thanks to everyone for their prayers and help. Thank you.
Broadband and Mobile Phones
Apparently a few of my friends in parts of Ouagadougou now have Broadband! (Although I'm not sure that translates into quite the same speeds as the broadband we have here...).
Mobile telephone coverage is also expanding rapidly, and I am trying to get hold of a few second-hand mobile phones as people upgrade to newer models, to give to my friends and key contacts around Gorom-Gorom. Gorom is covered by a mobile network, and being able to get hold of Seydou or one of the pastors without having to leave a message and call back several hours later will be so helpful in co-ordinating relief efforts like this.
Tags: burkina faso africa burkina telephone gorom phone book communication telecommunication gorom-gorom mobiles
August 10, 2006
Heathrow airport disruption
Well, my flight to Romania today was cancelled because of the disruption at Heathrow caused by the thwarted terrorist threat. This means that I won't be able to join the team from my church, who are already there running a children's camp. Shame.
At the airport, it was of course packed, but when I was there, everyone was quite calm, and at that time most people seemed unaware even of the cause of the delays.
Sorry I don't have any photos. I did ask the nice policeman with the machine gun, but he said photos were not allowed today...
So, it looks like I have a weekend free now to spend in London... Ho-hum.
Tags: terrorism heathrow london airport travel romania airport terror threat
July 02, 2006
Back to Britain
As you will maybe have realised, I am now back in the UK, just in time for the disastrous exit of England from the World Cup.
Tripoli Airport...again
The journey back was very long and tiring, with the connecting flight in Libya delayed by nearly 4 hours, giving me over 6 hours at Tripoli Airport transit lounge. As it is not much larger than our church hall, I am now pretty familiar with most corners of it. Sitting opposite me was an Arab mother fully robed in traditional Muslim clothes, with her teenage daughter in a tight t-shirt and combat trousers.
Tripoli Airport is definitely making an effort. There are now large flat-screen tv's (not yet working), and an internet cafe (also not yet working), some colourful plastic children's slides, display cases of cigarettes and perfume, a bar selling cakes and non-alcoholic beer (in support of Libya's anti-drug stance), and shops selling souvenirs and duty-free goods.
To bribe or not to bribe....again
I bumped into J, an old friend from Burkina, there. After one of my tours of the transit lounge, I came back to find him in discussion with a nervous young Chadian man in a red jumper. The man had apparently been travelling on a false passport, and had been arrested by the Libyan authorities. He had apparently spent about £200 for the false passport, when he could have had the real thing for £20 if he had been prepared to wait 3 months. Now he was facing being shipped back to Chad.
He was asking J whether he should try and bribe the Libyan police to let him go, or the toilet cleaners to help him escape. J assured him this would be about the worst thing he could possibly do, and the young man withdrew with a worried expression to consider his fate. The Libyan police were very friendly with everyone, and very matter-of-fact about the whole incident, but were keeping a close eye on the red jumper.
Cool Britannia
It's nice to get back to the relative coolness of the UK - only about 30C at the moment, which is very pleasant after the heat of Burkina. However, with 42kg of luggage, and having missed my train because of the delayed flight, I was pretty tired and probably smelly by the time I got here, and am very grateful to the friendly railway staff at Gatwick and Reading who made my onward journey so much easier. Thanks guys, if you read this.
Overall, this trip to Burkina Faso has been an excellent and successful time, and I am looking to forging ahead now with plans for the future. Please pray as I put things into place at this end. More details soon...
Tags: libya airport tripoli bribery travel north africa
July 01, 2006
Don't do drugs in Libya
In Tripoli airport there is a new large board warning against the use and smuggling of drugs.
Libya calls for our co-operation
"to pluck out this destroying lesion and to protect our chaste society from its destroying risks, so don't hesitate to contact us to give any information that may help the security agents in tracking the trace of who may his soul entices him to violate the values of our happy jamhiriyan society."
In this context, it also advises strongly against carrying baggage for other people, with the advice: "remember that law do not protect stupidest."
At the top of the board is this stark warning from "The Revolution Leader" himself:
"Wines and drugs are total destruction weapons. Hashish is like the bacteriological and chemical weapons and the atomic bomb. Person who deals therewith he seems like he takes a weapon from the enemy and do explode it inside his country."
You have been warned.
Tags: libya airport tripoli drugs travel north africa
June 25, 2006
Leaving Dori
The rest of my time in Gorom and Dori went well, with some more interesting meetings and chats with different people, and today I had to try and find a way from Dori to Djibo
Part 1 - Sitting Under the Acacias
At 08.00 I found myself sitting under the acacias by the side of the Dori-Djibo road, hoping for a passing vehicle to pick me up and take me to Djibo. The sun was already beating down, but I had the woman water-seller for company.
By 12.00, I was still sitting there, with no sign of a vehicle going to Djibo. The sun was even hotter, and conversation with my water-selling friend had become increasingly intermittent. There hadn't been a single vehicle.
In discussion with my new friend, we decided I had three options
1. Stay by the road in the hope of a vehicle to Gorgaji, where I could stay the night, then maybe get from there to Arabinda the following day, from where I might get a lift to Djibo.
2, Take the bus to Ouaga and hope to get there in time for the evening bus to Ouahigouya and from there to Djibo - a round trip of 600km for a 200km journey, which should get me there by midnight.
3. Give up and go to Ouaga.
None of them felt particularly right. What should I do...?
Part 2 - Dancing on the stairs
I decided to go for the Ouaga-Ouahigouya-Djibo option, and headed back into town to buy a ticket for the 1pm bus. At 12.20, having bought my ticket I was sat at the bus station, when I spotted the car of the Catholic sisters from Gorom. The driver told me there is a priest going to Djibo today, so I phoned the priest, a lovely guy from Congo called John, who kindly agreed to take me. I re-sold my ticket and sat down again to wait.
While waiting, a Mossi man drives up on his motorbike, whom I knew from more than ten years ago, when he worked with our Horizons team in Ouaga. He is now working in Dori and Gorom area, trying to start a work to help orphans in the area. It feels like meeting him again was the reason for my delayed flight from Dori, and I am excited to see how we may be able to work together again in the future.
Finally John turns up, with a Fulani driver, and we head off on one of the most hair-raising rides I have had in Burkina. During the year the dirt roads deteriorate and become "corrugated" - a surface known in English as "washboard" or in French "escaliers" (stairs). This surface will rattle your car apart unless you are prepared to drive at dangerously fast speed, when the car "dances" over the "stairs", threatening at any minute to dance off the road and tip over. You can guess which option our Fulani driver took...
Anyway, as you can see, we did arrive safely in Djibo, in time for a shower and a meal of chicken and bread with Steve, before catching the second half of Argentina v Mexico. It's great to see Steve, Cris and Irenaldo again, and we have a lot to talk about. Tomorrow we will join the Fulani church here, and I will be able to catch up with the Fulani Christians here before leaving for Ouaga on Monday.
Thanks for your prayers - the answers to prayer and meetings along the journey make the uncertainties and discomfort worthwhile. Thanks too for your emails - sorry I can't answer them all while in the sahel. I will do when I get back.
More soon
June 21, 2006
The thirsty search for water
Thanks for praying for rain for Djibo. Steve says they have now had a good rain. We didn’t get any of it in Gorom – just the wind and dust that disturbed our night trying to sleep under the stars. Please pray now for rain for Gorom - it is stiflingly hot, and people are longing for a good rain to kick-start the season’s field work.
Gorom-Gorom and Markoye
My time in Gorom and Markoye is going very well – thanks again for your prayers. I have had an excellent time with the pastors here, as well as with Seydou and Monique and others. One Christian here, called Pierre moved to Gorom in 2000 in response to a vision where God offered him the choice between a pile of money or a New Testament in Fulfulde. He has learned Fulfulde, and has put his earnings from his tailoring skills to buy a tv and vcd player, which he uses for evangelism in his workshop.
Seydou and I had a very fruitful and encouraging day in Markoye – though an exhausting one. It was non-stop, from leaving Gorom on the motorbike at 7am until we arrived back home nearly 12 hours later. The road was terrible, and the burning sun reflecting off the sand of the Markoye dunes was draining. But it was great to see the pastor and what God is doing there, to share our hearts for the future, and to walk through the market and meet old friends I haven’t seen for years. The pastor is respected throughout the town for his character and for the work he has done helping people – whether in Aids awareness, food aid, or so many other ways.
Things generally seem to be coming together very well, as I spend time with these excellent guys, and I should be able to tell you about some of our plans soon after I get back to the UK.
I also managed to fit in watching the England-Sweden game in a friend’s yard. England are gathering a bit of a following here – it is quite fun to hear Tuaregs in their turbans extolling Joe Cole’s abilities with the ball, or barefooted kids knocking a ball about on the sandy streets claiming to be Beckham.
The next few days
Tomorrow is market day in Gorom, which is always a fascinating day, and will be an opportunity to catch up with more friends. On Friday I will head back to Dori (if the rain hasn’t cut the road off), then on Saturday try to get to Djibo to catch up with Steve. This will be hard as there is no regular transport, so I will be sitting at the side of the road hoping for a vehicle to come by and pick me up. Since time is short, if I don’t get a lift on Sat, I will just have to head straight to Ouaga on Sunday, so please pray for this. Thanks.
More whenever I can next get to a cyber-café.
June 18, 2006
Gorom-Gorom
I am now in Gorom-Gorom, without cellphone contact as it turns out it is a different network here from the south of the country.
The journey to Dori was surprisingly easy – the previous night’s rain had cooled the air, and the newly-tarmacked road made it a comfortable ride - so different from past experiences of arriving exhausted and covered in red dust. On my way into Bani, with its dramatic mud mosques, I spotted two Fulani girls walking along the road, hair braided, milk pots on their heads – and wearing Arsenal shirts. A few minutes later I received a text message from a friend telling me England had beaten Trinidad 2-0. Is this globalization…?
My meeting with the pastors in Dori went really well. Thank you for praying. I am now trying to see the pastors in Gorom-Gorom and Markoye over the next few days, and will then return to Dori again for another session with the guys there. These are key meetings as we talk and pray about how we can work together in the coming years, and I appreciate your prayers. I think there is a lot of vision and commitment, and I am excited to see where it will all lead.
Seydou and Monique are doing well. “W”, who had been thrown out of his family for becoming a Christian has passed his exams and will pass into his final school year. “B”, a Fulani Christian girls who got baptised this year is also doing well at school and growing in faith. “Yusufi” is doing well, and tells me my cows are in good form.
Tomorrow Seydou and I go to Markoye on his motorbike, planning to come back the same day if rain doesn’t cut the road off.
More soon
June 14, 2006
Heading north
Unfortunately I haven't been able to get use of a vehicle, so will be heading north to Dori on the bus tomorrow.
In Dori I will be meeting on Friday with some local pastors to talk about how we can work together over the coming years. These are wonderful men of God who are key for the work in this region. Please pray for these discussions that God leads us by his Spirit.
Afterwards, I hope to continue to Gorom-Gorom, then to Markoye, and hopefully Djibo - though this last is now looking unlikely without transport. This is quite frustrating, but I trust God will help me see all those I need to. I will definitely catch up with Steve in Ouaga if not before.
It has been hot and humid today, and the skies have just opened up wit a good rain here in Ouaga, preceded by a strong dusty wind and a short powercut.
However, I spoke to Steve on the phone yesterday, and he said Djibo has a real problem with lack of water - please pray for rain there. He and Cristiano and Irenaldo are enjoying the world cup and hoping for an England-Brazil final!
Thanks for your prayers and encouragements. More soon.
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso travel sahel
June 13, 2006
Arrival in Ouagadougou
Well, the plane was over 3 hours late, but I finally landed in Ouagadougou to temperatures similar to those I'd left in England. It was 30C - but it was midnight. Daytime temperatures are around 40C - check them out here
I managed, with the kind help of my good friends at SIM, to get quite a lot done today, including - appropriately enough - getting a new SIM card in my mobile phone so I can use it in Burkina.
Unfortunately I still don't have transport. So, if things don't come together tomorrow, I'll be heading north on the bus on Thursday.
More soon.
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso travel sahel
March 15, 2006
I'm Muammar Abu Minyar al-Qaddafi - fly me!
Tripoli Airport
Location: the international airport at Tripoli, capital city of Libya. I am sitting in a large, characterless transit lounge, with a few brightly-lit shops around the outside that seem to be closed. In the corner is a small coffee shop, outside of which is a display cabinet laden with pastries, and piled high on top with mini tubes of Pringles.
It is about 4am, and there are barely-awake rows of West Africans, surrounded by their bags, unusually sombre on the lines of hard metal chairs. Groups of North African men are drinking coffee around the small round tables by the coffee shop. A large black departures board takes up most of one wall, flashing up departure times in red lcd, alternating between Arabic and English.
The last time I was here was in 1988. Since then Ghaddafi’s Little Green Books that covered every surface have disappeared, and now only one large poster of the great leader smiles down at us from above the transit desk.
Leaving Burkina
I am on my way back to the UK at the end of my three weeks in Burkina Faso.
At Ouagadougou airport, there was concern when they tried to process my ticket as I checked in at the desk of the Libyan airline Afriqiyah,:
“The computer says ‘Destination Invalid’” said the young lady suspiciously. “Where are you going? London? Are you sure Afriqiyah flies to London…?”
Soon a small crowd of friendly and concerned airport staff were gathered round the console, making helpful suggestions.
“We may have to leave you in Tripoli!” twinkled one large beaming lady, and they asked me to wait while they processed the next passenger, Chantal, on her way to continue her studies in London.
However, after 20 minutes of the same problem with Chantal and other passengers, the system was “re-configured” and I was finally booked in – to my relief, all the way through to Gatwick.
The Afriqiyah flight from Ouaga to London is long and tiring, with stops in Bamako in Mali (where a dust storm last week prevented some flights from taking off), and then Tripoli. The flight takes about 13 hours overnight, leaving everyone somewhat frayed around the edges. But it is much cheaper than Air France, and the Tunisian staff are cheerful, relaxed, and – given the opportunity – enthuse readily about their own homeland.
I managed to grab a couple of hours sleep, and was awoken by the captain’s announcement that we were preparing to approach Tripoli. I blinked blearily out of the window into the night, and did a double take. For a moment, I thought the sky was below us, with constellations of stars underneath our feet. Having reassured myself that the blood was not rushing to my head, I watched as the occasional lights became a whole carpet of stars, the street lights of the flat and broad city of Tripoli spread out in the darkness below us.
Returning to the UK
A few hours later, the final leg of the flight takes us from the fresh sunny morning crispness of Tripoli, with the smell of the sea in the air, to the grey coldness of London in March. On my left is Chantal, the charming young Burkinabe lady, studying in London, whom I met at the check-in in Ouaga. There are not many Burkinabe in the UK, so I am thrilled to meet her, and she tells me there are a few doing higher studies there who have often first studied in Ghana. The UK rarely has problems with people from Burkina, but can often be discouragingly harsh with those wanting to visit. Chantal has invited me to come and eat a traditional Burkina meal with her and her friends next time I am up in London.
On my right is Jideh, a very softly-spoken Nigerian pastor from “Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries”. He sounded like he should actually be from “Mountain of Still Small Voice Ministries”. He is looking forward to his first visit to the UK.
The three weeks have gone very quickly, and have been very filled with visits, travel, meetings, ministry, and – above all – time with old friends. Once more it struck me how much richness there is in Burkina Faso, that we need to receive and learn from – richness in relationships, in community, and in spiritual life. How much we need that to speak into our money-, success-, and pleasure-driven lives.
It was very easy to be back in Burkina. I have enjoyed the time immensely, and believe God has been speaking through this time. But it is right to come back to the UK at this time. Please pray for me over these next few weeks as I seek God’s way forward for my life. Thank you.
I will continue to post stories and thoughts from my trip, including the follow-up to the Bribery post, over the coming weeks.
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso tripoli travel ouagadougou libya airport afriqiyah
March 08, 2006
Eating the white man...
Well, I am back in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, and writing this from a very clean and efficient air-conditioned cyber cafe! A bit different from Gorom-Gorom.
On Monday night in Gorom, Steve, Cris and I had a little farewell party with Seydou and Monique and their children and W, who I wrote about a couple of days ago. As a special treat, Monique cooked up spaghetti - known in Fulfulde as "tekketti tubaaku" or "white man's innards". And from somewhere she came up with some prawn crackers - known in Fulfulde as "noppi tubaaku" - or "white man's ears"! Our Tamacheq neighbour was fascinated, and so we subsequently learned the unpronouncable Tamacheq phrase for "white man's ears" which Steve then started teaching the Fulani...
Monique also bought some meat for the feast - very expensive at the moment as animal prices are high. The only affordable meat is chicken - as everyone is trying to get rid of their birds in fear of bird flu. In case you are wondering, she chose goat meat...
It has been great to renew friendship, and to laugh, cry, pray, and serve together again, even for such a short time. Please keep praying for them. Seydou did find work recently, helping a builder, but never actually got paid for it. They are persevering in the faith that they are where God wants them.
The next day we made our way on a rickety old minibus to Dori. That night I headed out into town to buy a torch (75p with batteries), a sachet of waxhing powder (5p), and a roll of toilet paper (30p). As the moon was shining brightly, and the air was cool after a hot dusty day, i flip-flopped my way through the sand into town to look for an internet cafe (30p for 15 mins). Unfortunately both were out of order. But on the way, I passed by several little shops with televisions out on the street, and small crowds standing in the road watching Chelsea v Barcelona on the national Burkina tv channel.
It was another long and dusty ride the next day down to Ouaga, and I have a few more busy days visiting ahead of me. I am looking forward to catching up with more friends, and to talking with my Horizons leader who is coming over from Niger to meet up with me. As well as enjoyable, my time here has been very instructive, and I have a lot to think and pray about as I prepare to return to the uk. I will write more about stuff that has happened, and about vision for the future over the coming months. Thank you for your prayers.
More soon....
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso gorom-gorom travel ouagadougou fulani mission sahel
March 05, 2006
Snapshots
Life has been busy here in Gorom-Gorom. I've not managed to get online all week till now. Yesterday's post was dictated to Steve on his laptop, which he then uploaded for me. A few snapshots from the last few days -
* Relaxing with Yusufi and his family on the sand dune, and sharing Christ with his Fulani neighbours. All my cows are doing well, and I have two new additions.
* Talking with J&S about their new association to help orphans
* Being constantly greeted by children by my Fulani name as I walk along the road: "foofo Diallo Adama!" - and having no idea whose children they are
* Being thanked by everyone for the grain that was sent and distributed. Apparently even the Imam was in the queue to get some
* Suddenly realising I had no idea where my return ticket was, and silently panicking until i found it again
* Being asked several times if I am merried yet, and when the answer comes in the negative being offered various daughters and sisters
* Talking with pastors and Christians about vision for the work here, and sensing that God is at work and speaking
* Seeing seriously ill children whose parents don't have the means to take them to the hospital
* Sweating constatnly in the heat!
On Tuesday we leave Gorom to head to Ouagadougou again. More soon...
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso gorom-gorom travel fulani mission sahel
March 04, 2006
In memory of Muusa
I followed Muusa's older brother Boureima, the village leader, past the sheep to the millet-stalk shelter, where he placed a low, wobbly stool outside the entrance. I perched precariously on it, conscious of the sun beating down on my head, and peered inside. The cool shade of the shelter looked dark in comparison to the glaring sun outside. On either end of the traditional Fulani bed, perched like bookends, were two older Fulani women, Muusa's mother and mother-in-law. Behind them, stretched out on the bed, and half-hidden by one of the bookends, I could just make out the shape of the lower half of Muusa's widow Jelika, with their two-month old girl lying by.
'Salaam aleykum,' I greeted them.
We went on to ask after each other's health, family, children and village. Then there was a pause.
'Mi nani kibaaru Muusa,' I said. (I heard the sad news about Muusa)
I spoke about how I had been looking forward to seeing him again, and how the news of his death had shocked and saddened me.
*
I had first come to know the people of Yengerento years earlier, and we had often visited each other. Whenever we visited they would welcome us, often killing a goat in our honour. They listened attentively whenever I shared the message of Christ, and were always respectful and interested, but they continued diligently in their Muslim prayers five times a day. It was Muusa who seemed most interested, and he used to come regularly to Gorom to visit us. After a few years he prayed to give his life to Christ. He couldn't read, and being the only believer, twenty-five miles from the nearest Christian, was hard for him. He was nervous about sharing his faith with his family. They saw him come to meetings in Gorom, and Fulani Christian gatherings elsewhere, but they never bothered him about it.
Slowly Muusa was growing in faith and becoming part of our little family of Fulani Christians in Gorom. He got on particularly well with Yusufi and Hamadou. In 2003 we went to Yengerento at the villagers' invitation to spend three days preaching the gospel and showing the 'Jesus' film. That was my last time in the village.
During my time in Britain last year I heard that Muusa was ill, but it was a shock when I got to Gorom to hear that he had died.
*
I tried to encourage the women with the assurance that Muusa's life was safe in God's hands. The older women in return, with Fulani stoicism, said that's the way life is and when your time has come, there's nothing you can do about it. 'Crying does no good - it was the will of God.' Jelika just lay silently, almost invisble, in the background. Finally I gave them the little present that I had bought for Muusa and his family - a shirt, some toiletries, some children's clothes and a toy dog. I added a bit of money to help with feeding the children, and then I followed Boureima back past the sheep to where the men of the village were drinking tea.
Muusa left eight children. Seven were his own: Aisetu, Hamsetu, Amadou, Ibra, Oumarou, Mariama and Hajata. The eighth was his grandchild, whose parents had both died: Aissa. Now Boureima, with six of his own children, would have responsibility for an extra nine people. He seemed unfazed by the challenge. As he said, 'Muusa did well; he sowed a lot of seed.'
Shortly before we left, for the twenty-five miles back to Gorom-Gorom, four-year old Mariama came out to say goodbye. She was dressed in one of the children's outfits with the toy dog tied on her back like a baby.
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso gorom-gorom travel fulani death sahel
February 27, 2006
Birth and death in the sahel
There are many encouragements - and a few discouragements - as I continue my travels. On Saturday we went to see B, a Fulani girl who became a Christian in our yard in Gorom-Gorom a few years ago, and she is doing really well in Dori. A few hours later, after a sweaty bus ride to Gorom, i finally arrived home and was able to catch up with Seydou and Monique. They have a young man staying with them, from a Muslim family, who became a Christian and was thrown out by his family. Next year he hopes to do his A-levels, but his family won't pay for him to stay at school.
Walking through the market today took about three hours as I was stopped every few yards to greet people - at least I'm not forgotten... The church's response to the food crisis last year has also had a big impact, and many people even now are saying thank you for the help.
Yusufi came to visit yesterday, and is doing really well. He wants to go to Bible School to study the word of God more, and be equipped to serve God as head of the only Christian family in his village. As a husband of two wives, it is unlikely he will be allowed to have an official role as church leader, but he is effectively the leader of the church in his village. Please pray for him, and ask that God will guide concerning the possibility of Bible school.
Hamadou's wife Wadda gave birth to a little girl called Seyata a week ago, and we went to see them today out in their Fulani hut on the outskirts of Gorom. Mum and daughter are doing well, and dad is expected to arrive any time now.
On the other hand, I have been sadly struck by the number of people I knew here who are no longer with us. Most sad was hearing of the death of M, a Fulani Christian from a village 25 miles from Gorom. He was the only believer in his village and was struggling to grow in Christ there, but really came alive when he got away to the Fulani Chrisitan gatherings around the country. He apparently became very ill and went downhill quickly, and died about 2 weeks ago. Tomorrow Seydou and I will go to his village on Seydou's motorbike to give our condolences to the family. Please pray for this visit and for his family. Thank you.
As internet connection is not good here, I am not yet able to reply to emails, but thank you to those of you who have written.
More soon...
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso gorom-gorom travel fulani mission
February 25, 2006
Incontinent goats and other animals
Steve, Cris and I are now in Dori, in the north-east of Burkina Faso, trying to get to Gorom-Gorom.
Wednesday was market day in Djibo, and I spent the morning down the cattle market, watching the animals and greeting the Fulani herders. Djibo cattle market is big, and fun to watch, with occasional animals making a mad dash to escape bringing some excitement to the proceedings. Afterwards I went to join Steve in his market stall, where we played cassettes of the gospel, and spoke of the message of Christ to the small crowd who came to listen. Interest in the story and message of Jesus seems more alive in Djibo than in Gorom. I have also been encouraged by the number of people who have said they have been listening to me preach over the last months - either on cassettes or on the radio!
The next day we headed out to Boukouma, where we had the Fulani Discipleship Community and rice fields in 2003. Hamadou was there, with his two oldest sons Amadou and Isa. His wife, Wadda, and their youngest, Yunus, had returned to Gorom to her parents to give birth. Apparently she had a little girl on Saturday. Please pray for them.
As we walked around Boukouma, and visited the rice fields with Hamadou, we laughed at the many memories we shared: here Adama fell in the water; here we pulled the cow out of the canal; here we got caught in the sandstorm; here Keith chopped a bit off his finger... Ahhh... the good old days...
Yesterday we sat by the road at Boukouma all day, waiting for a lift to Gorom-Gorom. Finally, at about 4.30pm, a pick-up passed and picked us up to take us to Dori, and we climbed in the back to join a large goat. Half way down the road, the goat proceeded to send forth a stream of urine, causing us to all jump out of the way to save ourselves from being soaked!
Nearly home... This morning we will try to see B, a Fulani Christian girl from Gorom at college here in Dori, then try to find a lift to Gorom. Only 56km to go... More soon....
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso gorom-gorom travel fulani mission djibo goats
February 20, 2006
First lines from Djibo
I am in Djibo, and having a great time. In many ways it is just like I have never left.
The plane arrived in Ouaga on Saturday shortly after midnight, and Steve was there to meet me. It was great driving through the streets of Ouaga again, picking up the atmosphere of being back in Burkina. Steve and I chatted until about 2.30am, before hitting the hay, and by 7.00 am I had my first visitors – two Fulani friends, Jodoma and Elie, had come for breakfast. They are at Fulani Bible School in Benin, but were back in Burkina for a few days break. It was great to see them and their enthusiasm for the work of the Lord.
A few hours later, we were on the dusty road to Djibo. It is so good to be back, and to see everyone again, and to sleep in my Fulani hut, or sit under the stars drinking Fulani tea. Church on Sunday was very encouraging. About 25 Fulani adults were there. Not all are yet following Christ, but among them are those who have persevered through mocking, opposition, and hardship, and remained faithful – not unlike Heb 10:32-34. Please keep praying for them. I was pleasantly surprised at how well my Fulfulde came back. No major mistakes – apart from when, instead of encouraging us to look at the 23rd verse, I suggested we study the 23rd scorpion!
Steve, Christiano, and Irenaldo are doing really well. We went out this morning to see the land we are trying to buy for the radio station, and we prayed out there. Steve has put an enormous amount of work into this. We are awaiting two “permissions” – permission to buy the land, and permission to broadcast. There is competition for both, so please pray. It is a great vision.
Thanks for your prayers. More soon. I am having difficulties getting online here.
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso travel ouagadougou fulani missions djibo
February 16, 2006
Back to Gorom-Gorom
So, I will hopefully soon be back at Gorom-Gorom, where I lived and worked for nearly 11 years, from 1992-2003.
It is here I have been working to try to see culturally relevant expression of church started among the Fulani in the multi-cultural community there. And it is here we have done famine relief through the local Mossi pastor.
Work and Progress
It is always difficult by post or even phone to get a real idea of how things are progressing, so it will be good to see for myself. I am keen to see how the little group of local Fulani Christians are doing, and to see if they are not only persevering in faith in Christ, but also in relationship with the Mossi church. Pray for them, and that I will be able to encourage them.
I also want to see how people are coping after the food crisis of 2004-5, and its long-term effects of debt, loss of herds, etc. I had a written report this week of the food distribution we did back in September: we apparently helped 300 people with cheap grain, and 280 with free grain. The money from the grain sale will go back into providing an emergency supply for the future. Thank God for what we were able to do, and pray that they will find ways to break out of the slavery of poverty.
Friends
But above all, it will be good to catch up with the many Fulani friends I have in Gorom - both Christian and Muslim. I have written about some of them here - though without using their real names - people like Yusufi, who was baptised shortly before I left Gorom. He lives on a sand-dune a few km from Gorom, with his two wives, who both decided to follow him in the way of Jesus shortly after. And Ali, who believes in Christ, but was not ready to "go public", preferring to point people to the way of Jesus from within the Muslim community. And Ibrahim, who likes to hear about Christ, but has not yet decided to follow him. And many many others with whom I have shared nyiiri and gappal and the strong and 
sweet sahelian tea. People with whom I have shared life and death, birth ceremonies and burials, weddings and lost cows, the message of Jesus, and laughter.
And of course there are Seydou and Monique, and their children, Oli, Sara, and Timotee, all of whom lived with me for about 8 years.
It will indeed be good to be back home!
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso gorom-gorom discipleship church mission fulani
February 15, 2006
Gorom-Gorom
Gorom-Gorom is where I lived and worked for nearly 11 years, from 1992-2003.
Gorom-Gorom is the capital town of the province of Oudalan, the most north-eastern province in Burkina Faso, bordering both Mali and Niger. In the last 15 years, the town has acquired both running water and electricity, and the market was being rebuilt when I left. But the town is still cut off in rainy season, as the dirt road gets washed away. The road from Ouagadougou is apparently being laid with tarmac as far as Dori at present, leaving just the last - and worst - 56km untreated.
But it is worth the journey. Gorom-Gorom is in all those West African guide books as a "must-see" for anyone visiting Burkina Faso. This is primarily because of the fascinating mix of peoples and cultures of the area, particularly in evident every Thursday on market day.
The Peoples of Gorom-Gorom
There are of course the Fulani. As in Djibo, the men are mostly found down at the cattle market, buying, selling, herding, or just watching the cattle. While debates about price go on, they crouch in the dust, or stand one-legged eyeing the animals that are their life. Fulani women, dressed often in the typical blue cloth of the Gaoob'e Fulani that dominate this region, and with silver in their hair, are in the main market. They may be selling mats they have made, buying food for the family, or just meeting up to chat with family and friends.
Then there are the Tamacheq - the light skinned Tuareg (the "blue men of the desert") and the Bella, the ex-slaves of the Tuareg nobles. There are many Bella, but not many Tuareg here. The Bella have adopted the turbans, robes, swords, camels, and language (Tamacheq) of their old masters' culture. Like the Fulani, the Tuareg's loss of their slaves has left them often ill-equipped for survival, whereas the hard-working ex-slaves are often now much better off.
And then there are the Songhai. Related to the Djerma people of Niger, this is about as far from the River Niger that they get. The name Gorom-Gorom comes from the Sonhai name, meaning "sit down, we're going to sit down." The name goes back apparently to two brothers who, tired from travelling first stopped here. And one said to the other.... The Songhai have a less strict attachment to Islam than the Fulani or Tamacheq, and have many animistic practices in the surrounding, mostly more eastern areas.
Also in the market you will find Mossi from Ouagadougou, Maalleebe from Mali, Hausa from Niger, Hasania Arabs from Mauritania, Yoruba traders from Nigeria, and the occasional backpacking tubaaku, who has read his "Guide to West Africa", and come up on the bus from the capital the day before. If he has the time and inclination, he will barter a price with the local tourist guides for a camel trip to the sand dunes of Menegou, or a bush-taxi ride to the more spectacular ones 60km away at Oursi.
Tubaakus aside, the particular mix of peoples and the flat, dry landscape does give Gorom, and the whole province of Oudalan, a feel unlike anywhere else in the country - more like Niger or Mali than the rest of Burkina. It will be good to get back home...
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso gorom-gorom tamacheq tuareg songhai fulani market
February 14, 2006
My new house
 This picture is the Fulani hut where I will be staying in Djibo. Steve has just had it built for me - or at least as a guest room for any transient visitors, of which I happen to be the first. You can read how it was made, and see photos of the process here. |
 This picture is the Fulani hut I had as my guest room in Gorom-Gorom (with a younger me in front of it). As you can see, the huts of the Gorom-Gorom Fulani (Gaoob'e) are different from the huts of the Djibo Fulani (Jelgoob'e). One day I will show you how the Gaoob'e make their huts. |
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso djibo gorom-gorom housing fulani
Boukouma
On Friday I will arrive in Ouagadougou, on Saturday, I will head north to Djibo, and sometime later in the week, I will head east, stopping off at Boukouma on my way to Gorom-Gorom.
Boukouma and the Fulani Discipleship Community
In the summer of 2003, Steve, Seydou, and I spent 4 months in Boukouma, with a small team of Fulani believers from around the north of Burkina. Some of you may have seen the video. Most of them were fairly new in the faith, quite isolated from other Christians, and experiencing some degree of local antagonism for following Jesus. Having become Christians, they had thus also lost their traditional networks of support, and were struggling provide for themselves.
The goal of the 4 months was to try a holistic approach to discipleship. We lived all together, ate together, prayed and studied together, and worked the fields together. A Danish agency had started a rice project, and we bought fields there, in order to teach the Fulani believers to grow rice. At the end of the year, they went back stronger in their faith, but also with food with which to provide for their families. Although, from what I gather, they all also gave a good part of it away to bless their neighbours and extended family members who had been making life hard for them earlier. Blessing those who persecute you, no less.
During that time, Hamadou's wife and children began also to make progress in the faith. Out of the pressure of their home village, they felt free-er to openly stand for Christ. So Hamadou decided they would stay in Boukouma for the time being. I will stop off to see them, and plan to stay the night with them.
Since I have been away, the Discipling Community has not happened again. But I think Hamadou has continued to work some of the fields, as well as continuing to work his little tailoring business, pedalling his sowing machine down at the little market.
Please pray for Hamadou and his family to continue to grow in Christ, and to be able to continue to provide for their needs. Thank you.
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso boukouma discipleship church mission fulani
February 13, 2006
Djibo
On Friday I will arrive in Ouagadougou, and on Saturday, I will head north to Djibo.
Djibo is about 125 miles north of Ouagadougou. When you reach Djibo, it feels like you reach the start of the Sahel proper ("sahel" means "shore of the desert"). To the south of Djibo is Mossi territory, to the north is primarily a Fulani area, and the small town of Djibo is the place where the two peoples mix - together with a few Kurumba from scattered villages in the area too.
Djibo Town
I say "small" - I guess Djibo has a population of about 10 000, which has grown up around the large lake and small hills. The weekly cattle market that meets down by the lake brings Fulani in from all the surrounding villages. Many of the herders are standing on one leg watching their animals, or crouching in the dirt discussing prices. This is the literal stock market - where the fall and rise of prices week by week can devastate community life. If the big traders from the city have come, and spent their money, they will be arranging for the animals to be walked down to the capital. (Steve's account of his journey with the herders is well worth a read.)
This is a Muslim area, but there are also a number of Mossi churches there, and even a bible school run by one of the national churches. As well as that, there is a small Fulani congregation, too. 
When I was starting my work among the Fulani, I visited Paul, a missionary who had been there years. He had arrived just before the famines of the 70's, and his work had been swamped by responding to that need. A small group of Fulani had decided to follow the way of Christ. The week I went to see Paul, the new central market had recently opened, and there was a Tuareg camel race in celebration of President Blaise Compaore visiting Djibo. Paul moved on eventually, but others replaced him, and there is still a Fulani church there.
After more than 10 years in Gorom-Gorom, Steve and I moved to Djibo - although I never actually spent much time there during my year based there. I travelled a lot during that time, and we also did the Fulani Discipling Community at Boukouma, so Djibo never really quite felt like home.
Visiting Djibo
I will arrive in Djibo on the Saturday, and on Sunday morning I have been asked to preach at the Fulani church. I hope I haven't forgotten too much of my Fulfulde in the two years I have now been away. Kiwi missionaries Carl and Sharlene will be there. But I hear they have - at least temporarily - a Fulani pastor from another town to help run the church. His name is Tongooga, and I gather he is on a one-year practical placement from Bible School in Benin. There are some lovely Christians in the Djibo church, some of whom have recently been baptised. And others have joined since I have been away - like Jaynebu.
I am looking forward to seeing all these guys again, and of course my colleague Steve, and our new co-workers Cristiano and Irenaldo from Brazil. Steve seems to be doing a great job, building relationships, integrating into Fulani culture, and sharing Christ with the Fulani, and it will be great to spend time together again. He has of course also been trying to set up the Radio Station in Djibo, so it will be good to see how that is going.
And then there's Ken and Jocelyn, and their team, running a hospital where they provided the excellent surgery and care for thousands who would not otherwise have any chance of survival. And Nikiema Amade, one of the teachers at the Bible School, who used to be pastor in Gorom-Gorom.
Please pray for all these people, serving God faithfully and for God to continue to pour out his blessing and his Holy Spirit on Djibo.
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso djibo mossi church mission fulani
February 03, 2006
Burkina Faso Itinerary
I arrive in Burkina Faso at Ouagadougou airport on 17th February. My itinerary will look something like this:
17 Feb: Arrive at Ouagadougou
18-23 Feb: Djibo
23-24 Feb: Boukouma
24-8 Mar: Gorom-Gorom
9-13 Mar: Ouagadougou
13 Mar: Return to the UK
Over this couple of weeks before I go, I will try and tell you a little bit about the places I will be visiting and what they mean to me. I will also outline what I hope to be doing in each place, and what are some prayer issues for those places.
It will be coming to the end of cold season and I should be back before hot season really gets underway, so temperatures should only be getting up to about 40C (104F) in the day. (You can check the temperatures here.)
It is only about a 500 mile round trip by road, and the roads shouldn't be too bad at this time of year. The main roads are "improved" dirt roads, which get in very bad condition during the rainy season, and which become "corrugated" or "washboard" with the pounding of vehicles during the dry season. I will be going up with some missionary friends in their car to Djibo, and will hopefully have the use of a vehicle for the rest of the trip.
Tags: africa burkina burkina faso gorom-gorom travel ouagadougou djibo
January 07, 2006
Back to Burkina ! (but only for a visit)
I have just bought tickets for a trip back "home" to Burkina Faso for three weeks in February!
I discovered that the Libyan airline Afriqiyah has by far the cheapest flights - from Gatwick via Tripoli.
JOYS AND TRIALS
It will be great to go "home" again, to see Seydou and Monique and my Fulani friends in Gorom-Gorom, to eat nyiiri, and to find out how the Fulani Christians are making progress. At the same time, I know there will be some difficult situations - the year has not been easy, and there have been both encouragements and challenges:
* Survival. The food crisis at the start of the year that resulted from the loss of last year’s harvest has affected many. Along with many other agencies, we managed to distribute food aid, and the worst of the crisis was averted. The harvest this year has been good, but many are still suffering the longer-term effects of the crisis. Many lost animals, or had no seed to sow, or have debt that they took on to keep their families alive during the hardest time.
* Work. Seydou has still not found work, and he is struggling to provide for his family. Thankfully, someone has given a gift to help him out in the immediate crisis, but he really needs a job. When farming is so fragile, and there is little work around, many families suffer.
* Faith. The Fulani Christians seem to be persevering in their faith, in spite of difficulties. I heard recently that Yusuf paid 5000cfa (£5, or about 10 days wages) to travel 200 miles because he heard there was a conference for Christian Fulani there.
* National Debt and Trade. Nationally, Burkina Faso is one of the countries to benefit from the debt cancellation, agreed at the G8 in July. But there were few crumbs of comfort from the WTO trade meetings. More on that later...
* Radio Station. It seems our latest application for the radio station has been turned down again.
Please pray for me over these next months as I seek God about how I should be involved back in Burkina in the future. Pray also that this visit would be both beneficial in itself, but also help me see what my future role might be.
Thank you.
Tags: burkina faso africa fulani burkina gorom-gorom mission famine radio G8
November 22, 2005
Back from travels
I have been away for most of the last month, and - while it has been a very enjoyable and fruitful time - I am glad to be back home for a while.
I have just returned from Llandudno, North Wales, where I spent two weeks on a course called Face to Face, run by OM. This is a course designed primarily to give input to those in ministry in need of spiritual refreshment. I found the course very helpful, and made some good new friends. The location was also very restful, and we were blessed with beautiful scenery, good weather, and dramatic sunsets. You can see some of my photos from North Wales here.
Before that, I was in the US just for a week. I spent a great time with pastor Billy and my good friends at Hatteras Island Christian Fellowship, who have been a great encouragement to me over the last few years. It was great to be able to share with them my ongoing vision for the work in Burkina Faso. We also had a lot of fun together, and they even got me on a surfboard for the first time in my life. I was also taken climbing up the Prow in Linville Gorge by some other friends - an exhilirating, if somewhat nerve-wracking experience. This was a challenging climb for me, but was a mere stroll in the park for my friends, who were very encouraging and patient with my fear and inexperience. Thanks again, guys. I'm still kicking myself that I didn't take my camera with me.
October 03, 2005
Prepare for a long walk
"By one o’clock, the sun is indeed hammering our heads, and the landscape glares like an overexposed photograph. My water bottle is empty. The others, incredibly, have just one small water bottle between them.
“Diallo, is there a pump ahead?” I ask, trying to sound nonchalant.
“Not far,” says Diallo. When a Fulani man says “not far”, prepare for a long walk."
(From Steve's latest article published inthe Sunday Times.)
I was once travelling to a Fulani village on my motorbike. I'd only recently bought the bike, and it was my first time on such a sandy route. I now love biking through such terrain and over the sand dunes, but that first time I was very nervous. I had also rashly picked up a hitch-hiker on the way. The bike was sliding all over the place in the sand, and I could feel my travelling companion was getting tense, wondering what he had let himself in for. I was hoping I was almost there, so I stopped on the way to ask a Fulani herder if it was far. Predictable response: "It's not far now."
Trying to get more precise information, I tentatively asked if he knew how many kilometres - expecting that a Fulani "duroowo" would not know the measures. I was surprised
"It's only four kilometres," he replied with confidence.
With renewed courage I pressed on for four more kilometres. And four more. And four more... After 20 km of nervous sliding, we finally arrived at our destination, and I deposited my hitch-hiker. He seemed relieved that he had actually arrived in one piece, without being thrown in the sand by the "tubaaku", who clearly had no idea how to ride a motorbike.
Twenty kilometres... our herder friend's estimate had actually been one-fifth of the real distance. That seems to be a fair estimate of the Fulani perception of distance. If a Fulani tells you how far something is, multiply it by 5.
Now, of course, that perception is largely to do with them being used to walking long distances behind their cattle, as Steve discovered. One Fulani Christian I know used to walk 40km each way, every weekend, just to get to church. (Would you...?) But their mathematics of the distance is interesting. My own theory about that has to do with the way they count money...
The smallest coin in Burkina Faso is the 5cfa coin, which is known in Fulfulde as "mbuudu wooturu" or "one coin". From the days before the Fulani started to learn to read, they could not decipher the numbers on the coin, so money was calculated in mulitples of the "mbuudu wooturu". Thus, 50cfa is "sappo" - "ten". And so on. Transfer that to distance, and Amadu is your uncle.
So, when you come to Burkina, be prepared. That journey, or that nice Fulani blanket you want to buy, may be five times more than you think it is going to be!
Tags: burkina faso africa travel burkina fulani
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.
January 31, 2005
Farewell to the Fulani
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.
January 27, 2005
Fulani Fulani Fulani
Just a couple of days left here in Benin, and the time has gone by way too quickly. These last few days have been very special for the amount of contact I have had with the Fulani:
Down on the ward, the Fulani ladies have had their operations. Those who have just come back from the operating theatre are understandably somewhat overwhelmed by what they have just gone through, and the various tubes attached to them. But by the next day they seem to have recovered their poise, and treat it all as perfectly normal. One of the ladies was obviously in some discomfort, but when asked, gave the standard Fulani response that there was no pain. It took a little light-hearted badgering to get the truth from her, in order to be able to make her a bit more comfortable.
A beautiful little Fulani girl of 10 was brought back to the ship today by her mother to have her stitches removed. 4 years ago she fell out of a tree, and damaged her jaw. For 4 years she has been unable to open her mouth. The girl's father abandoned the family, and the mother was left to cope. The usual story followed - they looked into having an operation but were unable to afford it. Today, the girl can open her mouth - and is cheeky with it! Her mother invited me to come and visit the whole family. Unfortunately, I don't know if I will have time now...
Through email, I have been able, via Steve in Burkina, I have been able to contact the family of the young man from near Djibo I met that I mentioned in this post. Apparently, they have not seen him for several years, and his father even went to Ghana to look for him. I have the interesting task of informing him that in his absence, his family have married him to his cousin! They send the message that, if he doesn't return soon, he will also be divorced!
January 26, 2005
In memory of Cavilla
Yesterday a small team of us went to one of Benin's famous stilt villages. But, fascinating as the village is, this was no tourist excursion. Sonja, one of the nurses from the Anastasis was going back to visit a family she has known for several years, a family with whom she has shared both extremes of joy and sorrow.
While visiting the village back in December 2000, Sonja met Cavilla, a little girl with an orange-sized tumour growing from her eye. After chemotherapy and surgery, Cavilla recovered rapidly, and seemed to be improving well. But, in April 2001, her condition suddenly deteriorated, and Cavilla died.
Sonja has kept in touch with the family across the years, and the Mercy Ships team have been invited back to the village to share the good news of Christ, and show the "Jesus" film. There is now a small church meeting under a tree there, and the team have also been able to help with installing wells, and doing health teaching.
It was about an hour and a half drive from the ship. As we bumped down the dusty red road at the end of the journey towards the village, the greenery of the thick swathes of grass, backdropped by palm and banana trees, contrasted startlingly to the dryness of the Burkina sahel.
As we arrived, hoards of schoolchildren swarmed around us, and a few excited women, recognising Sonja, started calling her name, and led us to Cavilla's family. We sat in the shade of a large nime tree, the crowd gradually grew quiet, watching as Cavilla's family gathered. The women happily hugged Sonja, as Cavilla's father looking on, serene and self-controlled, but clearly touched by the visit of this added member of his extended family.
Once the usual formalities were over, conversation and laughter were the order of the day. Cavilla's brothers and sisters were introduced to us all. Bottles of coke appeared as if by magic. There was catching up on the latest news from the village: the family were well, the pump was still working. Cavilla's mother gave us a summary of what the teaching had been about in the last two church meetings. The villagers have started planting maize in anticipation of the "small rains" soon to start.
The village is built by the river, and is flooded during the "big" rainy season of September. Hence the stilts - the houses are built above ground on wooden poles to stay above water during the flooding. With the river lapping the shore just a few feet away, local fishermen and tradesmen paddled their canoes past the stilted houses, going about their everyday business. In the quiet and beauty, and cheerful chatter, I could have stayed there all night. But all too soon it was time to head back to the ship. Reluctantly, Cavilla's family let Sonja go...
January 25, 2005
Shame to dancing
Some of the most moving stories on the Anastasis are th