Boukouma was the first village in the Sahel to start growing rice. When Fritz first voiced the idea of putting paddy fields in one of the driest areas of the world, he was told in no uncertain terms and in several different languages that he was off his trolley. But he reasoned that rice likes the heat and would grow well, if only one could collect enough of the rain that does fall. He chose Boukouma for his experiment because there was already a big reservoir here.

At first Fritz just grew enough rice for a paella or two. But once people saw that it worked, and that they could make a good profit from the rice, they began to get involved. Families from all over the north of Burkina Faso began to move to Boukouma for the rainy season, to work a few 'parcelles' of rice each. Since then, similar projects have been started all over the Sahel.

We have been here in Boukouma for about a month now, and are working about 20 'parcelles'. Our group consists of six men, two women and four children - mostly Fulani Christians from Gorom-Gorom. Life is a heady mix of growing rice, eating rice, praying, singing and Bible-study. The actual work is quite hard. Rice likes nothing better than to stand all day in mud and shallow water under a hot sun, which unfortunately means that we have to do the same. We have each had our fair share of minor injuries - thorns in the feet and so on. A couple weeks ago I was letting water into a field where there was a four-foot high termite mound. For a long time I did not notice the termites swarming out of the mound and making a desperate bid for freedom - up my trouser leg. I had to go home from the field early that day. Anyway, praise God, we are more than half-way there with the actual planting.

Our biggest problem at the moment is rain, or lack of it. There has not been a significant rain for well over two weeks, and the small reservoir which irrigates most of our fields is now completely empty. The bottom of the reservoir has that classic cracked-earth look about it - very photogenic but otherwise bad news. Apparently the reservoir has never before emptied so early in the season, but there you have it: until it rains properly we can't irrigate our fields and we can't get on with the planting either.

While we wait for rain we are enjoying more leisure than usual. Keith has started a morning teaching programme for the adults, which is going well. Meanwhile, I take the children off and we sit under a tree, playing and singing and looking at Bible stories. We take turns on the one-string guitar and make up songs to belt out over Boukouma. Yesterday, Amadou was telling the others the story of Daniel, it was brilliant. In his re-telling of it, the king gets up early after a sleepless night and hurries to the lion's den and yells, "Jam waali, Daniel!" (Did you pass the night in peace, Daniel?). And out of the darkness comes a victorious "Jam tan!" The names of these children are Amadou (10), Amadou2 (9), Tobo (a girl, 7) and Iisaa (6). They are the first generation of Fulani children to grow up having Christian parents. Please pray for them.

Love as always to you and your families.

Alla beydu jam,

Steve