Bugs!

Sorry it’s taken me so long to write again! Things are always busy around here and it's hard to find time to sit down and write all that's going on.

We had five people taking the BAC this year. The BAC is a test that you take after the last year of high school. If you don't pass the test, you can't go to college. It’s a big big big deal and very very very few people pass it. It’s incredibly difficult. One of our boys, Etienne took it for the second time and ...PASSED. One of our "ton-tons", Ernest, who is a teacher/translator/helper-with-almost-anything took it for the fourth or fifth time and....PASSED; and Rodrigue, who works with the sponsorship program, took it for the sixth time and....PASSED!!!! AMAZING that three out of five would pass! So now these boys will be able to attend college. The adoptive parents of one of our children have offered to pay for Etienne and Ernest to go all the way through college. WOW. That's an amazing amazing amazing gift for these boys. They are all brilliant and have worked soo hard. We are super proud of them.

This is the season for raisons. No, not raisins like we think of in America, these are round greenish purpleish redish fruits that grow on trees in bunches. They don't taste very good. You don't chew them up. You peel the skin off, while the raison is in your mouth, and then you spit the skin out and then you swallow the fruit whole. It’s bizarre because you don't really taste anything.

Our boys are always up in the trees picking them. Tuesday morning, Achielle was up in a tree and all of the sudden I heard a loud rustling of leaves, and I saw Achielle plummeting to the ground. Then I heard a THUD as he hit the dirt. He was in a lot of pain, but we think he just bruised his tailbone. He's been back to his normal, fun, mischievous self the past two days. So it’s a huge blessing that he wasn't really hurt.

We got a new baby last week. She is severely malnourished. Her name is Jeanette, and she is now affectionately called "my girl" (well, if you aren't me, then you would say "ami's girl") because, well, I LOVE her. We knew she was malnourished when she first came, but her family told us she was nine months old. So she was little but not TOO little. As I began watching her and playing with her I noticed that she was much more advanced than all our other circa nine month olds. We finally looked in her health records (which we had failed to consult before...we just believed the family) and found that she was NINETEEN months old. She will be two in November. Her family was called and confronted. Her father, who is very young, admitted to lying but said he still wanted his child. So we have decided that if he wants her when she is well that he will have to come visit her every Saturday, and he has to find a woman in his family who will come to the orphanage every day to learn how to take care of her (that's why she's here in the first place. Her mom ran off to the Ivory Coast with some guy, and no one in the courtyard knew how or was able to care for her). I have been spending some time with her every day. She really is the most beautiful little girl I've ever seen. When she first arrived she was sad. And it made me sad. But now she is smiling and laughing when I kiss her or try to play with her. It's an amazing miracle to be apart of. She's going to live!!!

On a more disgusting note, the bugs are here. And it’s gross. They really only come out at night and then it's only for a little while. But they come by the millions and it’s gross. Also, there are these ant things that BITE, and it HURTS for a couple days afterwards. I had one in my hair last week. That was pretty gross and painful. The night after a rain is the worst. These bugs, called termites (but they aren't like termites in America), come out. They have huge wings, and they fly all over and into things (kind of like june bugs). Within an hour, they all lose their wings and then die...and we can't ever really find their bodies. It's bizarre. We don't know where they come from or where they go, and they only come out after it rains. The people here love to eat them. They catch them in water, dry them in the sun, and fry them. So Nichole and I tried one this past Sunday after church. They cooked them especially for us; and while it didn't really taste like anything except for a burned crunchy thing...it was still pretty gross to think about. The thought that I was putting an insect in my mouth made me want to vomit. So needless to say, I haven't eaten any since and don't plan on eating anymore ever.

That’s what’s going on here...I love Africa. The orphanage and all the kids feel like home....

Timothe & Elisee

Sorry it’s been so long since I have written. We have had a busy couple of weeks so there is a lot to say but we didn’t have the most reliable internet connection for about five days, it was hard enough to just check our email.

This week we had to take two of our boys to the village.

Timothe was the first to go. He is a six year old Burkinabe Dennis the Menace. He is adorable. He makes everyone fall in love with him; and then after you’ve fallen in love with him you realize that he loves to make trouble. When his mom died about three years ago her husband’s family said that she could stay with them if she took another husband. She refused and then did not have the means to take care of her children. Two of them stayed with the father’s family (legally children belong to the father in Burkina) Timothe came to stay with us and the baby stayed with mom. It appears that mom is now in a place where she can take care of Timothe. This is fantastic for him. We weren’t sure how he would react to the news; he didn’t know his mother anymore. He could not have been happier!! The morning he found out the first thing I heard from his mouth was “EMI!!!(that’s how they say my name) I’m leaving tomorrow!!” and I said “OHH!! Where?” He said “To my house!! To my village!! With my mom!!!” it was wonderful to see him so excited. The morning of he was a little apprehensive, but five minutes after arriving you could tell that he had a place in that courtyard. He belongs in that family. It was amazing to watch.

Elisee was the second and that one was a little harder for me personally. When I was here for three months in 2004 I taught preschool and Elisee was one of my preschoolers. He is eight years old now. He used to be crazy like Timothe, but he has grown up and is a typical eight year old. He’s hysterical. He pretends to have presents for you when they are really bugs and all sorts of things. He, for whatever reasons that I am unaware of, was not told of his departure until the morning he took him. He had been here for four years, not once been visited by family and never left to visit family. We took him to an aunt who is married to a pastor that he didn’t know. Obviously, he was scared. He packed his clothes and sat down on the terrace as we were getting ready to leave and CRIED. It broke my heart. This has been his home and his family. He hasn’t known anything else. But what is best for him (and for all the kids) is to be placed in homes. So the ride out wasn’t pleasant. We were all a little nervous not knowing what we would find. And what we did find put our hearts and minds at ease. The pastor is a wonderful man. He’s full of joy and life even though he is older. He is kind. He bought Fantas for us all (orange soda) and offered Elisee some. It is not often that an adult will offer a child a treat like that. And he was offering from his own bottle. So, when we left he seemed ok. He was smiling a little bit. He lives next door to the church, across the way from the school, and across the street from a patch of grass (well its “grass” aka weeds for right now) where some local boys play soccer which he has recently gotten into quite a bit. He watched us leave waving big with both hands as we drove all the way down the road. I teared up a little bit, but it doesn’t matter, no, because this is what’s best for him.

The orphanage isn’t the same without those guys…much quieter. For right now they are only there for the summer, but if it goes well (which it seems in both cases it will) they will stay.

On Thursday morning I got a crash course in running the orphanage. Ruth was gone and Nichole was sick. So it was just me. People came needing things and I had to figure out how to get it to them. Luckily Lynn was around, who although she doesn’t know much about the orphanage, was another brain; and she can speak French (I don’t know that I would call what I do speaking.. ha!) so nothing fell apart. Afterwards Nichole said “You’re so brave! If it was me and I had only been here three weeks I would have been like “Sorry I’m staying inside!”

I don’t know if brave is the right word, and it wouldn’t be fair to say that it was fun…but it was an exciting morning!

PS I’ve been gone for four weeks today. That’s so surreal. In some ways I feel as if I’ve been here forever and in others I can’t believe four weeks have gone by so quickly. I guess I have a messed up sense of time J

It’s a typical afternoon at the orphanage. Things are quiet, mostly because its hot and people are just waking up from their siestas. Three boys are sitting outside the door of the office putting a puzzle together, which they do with me most afternoons. We sit outside and put puzzles together, read books (either Blanche-Neige, the French version of Snow White or a book written in French about an African boy and his village, Kirikou), play card games or other games. Right now, Elisee, an eight year old has put a Blaise Compare (the Burkinabe president) transparent green visor on my head. He looks at me laughs and tells me it looks good. I don’t believe him. He’s waiting for me to write this so we can open a new game that I told him yesterday we could do today.
Since I last wrote its rained four times! But only one of those rains was a good rain. It was Tuesday morning and we were expecting guests. As it turned out we ended up having a bunch of guests! A couple from Ouaga had been to the States and met Nichole’s great aunt, so they came to visit unexpectedly. They know the pastor of our local church so he came, and we signed up to have a Peace Corp volunteer and a prospective volunteer and her supervisor all came to visit at the same time. While it was POURING rain. ALL morning. It was so difficult to hear what anyone was saying. But it was fun to have so many visitors none the less. Since that rain the weather has cooled down considerably. Instead of being 94 degrees in the house at night with no electricity (I forget to say that we spend 48 hours last weekend without electricity and a few days after with it on and off and on and off…some major power lines were downed in a storm north of here) its now about 82 at night which feels wonderful with the fan on. We’ve been getting some really nice breezes too…oh it feels so good. I’m sure most of you think I’m crazy because that’s still hot. And I know its hot, but after what we’ve been through it feels sooooooooo good. Its nice to be able to not wake up from a nap or from the night sweating. Who knows how long it will last, so I’m enjoying it while I can.
This week has been a crazy week. On Monday we had a young mother (19…with her 40+ yr old husband) come to us with her malnourished twins. They are 15 mos and one weighs 9 lbs. and the other weighs 12 lbs. The mother was just not feeding her children. Out of ignornance…not out of any malicious intent. So Monday afternoon we took her to a pediatric clinic in Ouaghyia (I can’t ever spell it right) it’s a city about an hour northwest of here. Its run by a Christian man, who has the love of Jesus pouring out of his skin. What a special thing to see in a dr. here!!! Its so rare. Wednesday came and we had to make another trip to Ouaghyia because a woman brought her granddaughter to us with an oral bacterial infection, Noma. Noma is SERIOUS if its not treated right away. Its due to poor oral hygiene and basically eats away the flesh around the mouth quickly. The women said her granddaughter was two however we found out later she was three and looked as if she should have been 15 months!!!! Dr. Zala was angry because this child has been neglected and not well cared for. …I think we all felt alittle bit angry. Its hard not to when you see this kind of stuff. I often feel like yelling “TAKE CARE OF YOUR CHILD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” but seeing as that wouldn’t do anything and most of those who come to us only speak Moore, a language I don’t speak it probably wouldn’t do much good.
Yesterday, just about the time we were to leave for a day trip to Ouaga, the capital city, we found out that Therese a six year old with a severe heart condition had passed out and what seemed like a heart attack. Ruth was barely able to tell that she was alive. We rushed her to the clinic in Ouaghyia after the hospital here gave her an IV for malaria (im not a doctor…but OBVIOUSLY that’s not the problem. HELLO!!!!!!) Anyway she’s on her way home today so we think shes ok now BUT if she is not healed or if she does not get a humanitarian visa to the States ASAP then its only a matter of time before she dies. PRAY FOR A MIRACLE!!!
Today a friend of mine, a worker here at the orphanage, and the most amazing guy ever, Valentine agreed to tutor me in French! Yeah!!! I’ve been getting along fine but I need to learn more. It will be fun working with him because we are friends and he is sooo sooo sooo kind.
If anyone is wondering whether or not the African continent has taken away any of my personal… uhhh….quirks, such as my clumsiness I just want to let you know that this is not true. I frequently trip and drip things on myself, or pour water all over a table, or numerous other things that I’ve been known to do at home.
Elisee, the boy I mentioned before is going “home” in a month. We found an aunt of his in a village…so hes going to stay with her for the summer. (summer doesn’t start here until July. School doesn’t start again until October) Im SAD. I love this kid. We’ve been having a lot of fun lately. He’s decided that its fun to tickle me. And the thing is it ACTUALLY tickles. Its bizarre.
Well, I’ve written a lot but I feel as if I’ve barely scratched the surface. I LOVE AFRICA. I LOVE THESE KIDS.
I haven’t been able to get my computer working yet…something about the modem. So when I am able to use my computer I should be able to write more consistently…..
Pray for rain, pray for grace to learn French, thank Jesus the grace he’s already given….
Love you all!!!!!!!
PS today is my half birthday!

The First Few Days

Well, since I’ve been here a few days I thought it was time to update everyone! Today is my second full day in Yako and it feels like I’ve been here much longer. I’ve spent my time getting reacquainted with everyone which has been a lot of fun. Yesterday Adi and I spent all afternoon playing games. Sometimes another kid would join us, but it is mostly just us. This morning has been quiet because all the big kids (which includes Adi, even though she’s eight. You are a “big kid’ at the orphanage when you go to school) are still in school. They took their end of the year exams a MONTH ago but for whatever reason school is still in session and we aren’t very clear when it actually gets out…becasue nothing is ever very clear in Africa.
I spent the first night I was here getting all unpacked and stuff which was weird. But I am happy with the way my room turned out. I have lots of pictures that I love hanging on the wall, and I have some yellow, pink, and purple fake flowers I brought from home…It makes the room very homey to me. I will post pictures the next time I am in Ouaga where we can get wireless internet that is much faster and cheaper than the dial up service we get here in yako.
Nichole’s brother John is visiting for the next two weeks. Because he is here we might get to go on a trip to Bobo!!! (a city about five hours south west of us) If we get to go we will see crocodiles, hippos, waterfalls, and maybe maybe maybe elephants (but it could be out of our way) I can’t wait to see wildlife! Because there is NON in yako. Just pigs, goats, chickens, donkeys and weird looking cows. Oh and sheep. Nothing exciting like a crocodile. Or a HIPPO! That would be oh so fun.
THE RAINS CAME YESTERDAY!!! Hopefully it will continue. We have had two good rains a couple of weeks ago and then yesterday it rained. It was so fun!!! We could see the storm coming. The sky got dark and then wind starting blowing which brought a dust storm, so I ran inside to close up all the windows. It started thundering which was lots of fun to hear. The odler boys started playin soccer, and continued to play thorugh the rain. It looked like lots of fun, but I stayed inside because I didn’t’ want to get dust in my eyes…you know, my scratched cornea and all. But it rained long and LOUD, well loud when you have a tin roof anway! I watched out the window and saw rain drops fall to the ground and disappear because it is so dry. After the torrential downpour I came back outside and the ground was DRY. Like it hadn’t rained at all. That’s how dry it is here. The boys are in our field today planting so hopefully the ground is soft enough to get the seeds in and then hopefully the rains continue…otherwise I’m going to be privy to some very sad stuff come next year when everyone runs out of food.
Pray that the rains come!!! And pray that we (the white people) are given the grace to deal with what comes with the rain….BUGS and frogs. Gross. But its all worth it to be with these kids. They are great.
Well, I’ve been typing along time and there are others who need the computer. Ill write more later…

The Two Big Ones

Everyone has been asking me one big question: "How are you feeling?" People want to know if I am NERVOUS (I get the feeling THEY are nervous for ME) or if I'm EXCITED (I get the feeling THEY are excited for ME). I feel like those are the two big ones. The two big emotions that people assume that you are feeling right before you are about to make a major change in your life. Or rather, Jesus is about to flip your whole life upside down...and you agreed to it.
So, I thought I would take this oppurtunity to answer that question. The answer is (drum roll please) YESSSS!!!! I am excited. I am nervous. I feel catious. I feel happy. I feel unbelievable joy. I feel confident. I feel apprehensive. I feel like "Can I just GO already?!!!". I feel like my futrue is secure. I know that I have NO idea what my future holds...but I do know WHO holds my future and that gives me PEACE. Peace that surpasses all understanding. Because my Jesus, my King, my Lover, and my Friend is going WITH me. And not only that but He is already over there working in the lives of the Burkinabe'. I am just an instrument in His hand. Use me Jesus! Use me in whatever way you will.
I talked at youth group on Wednesday night about waiting on the Lord. I think I'm going to be doing alot of that in Burkina...and that is ok with me.
Tomorrow is my last day in COMO...I hope its not raining (its supposed to thunderstorm tonight...I LOVE thunderstorms :) ) so that I can lay out..I know, I know..its bad for your skin. But I'm getting ready to live in Africa....There's not enough sunscreen in the world to protect you from the sun over there.
My family is driving to STL on Saturday were I will go to lunch with my cousins for the last time and then the four members of my family are headed to a Cardinals game!! woohoo!!! Sunday morning will be "Father's Day" because neither my brother or I will be here for it. (my poor dad! If you see him on June 17 give him big hugs and tell him what an amazing father he is..its the truth!) And then we will head for the airport. My flight takes off at 120 pm. Ill have a three hour layover in Atlanta and then Ill leave for Paris. Ill have a five hour layover and then leave for Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. I should arrive in Ouaga around 740 Monday night (Burkina time. It will be 140 pm here) Those are the travel plans!
Soon my posts should get much more exciting as I am able to talk about the kids and tell funny stories and tell serious stories about what Jesus is doing.

Last Sunday Church In English For One Year

Yep, today was the last church service on a Sunday morning in English for a year. It was bittersweet. My church family prayed for me at the end of the service and I was encouraged by their prayers. Prayers of physical healing for my stomach and my eye. Prayers of annointing to do the work Jesus has called me to in Yako. Prayers of strength. Words of encouragement that I AM NOT ALONE. No matter how alone I may feel, not only do I have Jesus who is more than enough but I have my church family who is supporting me, praying for me, loving me, sending me...Encouragement that Jesus made me for this mission; the blueness of my eyes a clue to my mission: bring the ocean of God's love to Burkina, a land locked country that sees little water. Encouragement that there is grace for EVERY day. It's not going to be easy, but there is GRACE.
Thank you to all of you who hold me before the throne of grace daily, or weekly, or whenever you think of me...words fail the gratitude I have towards you...

You say goodbye, I say hello

I'm discovering I don't like goodbyes.
I'm not sure anyone really likes them, but having never really said them to so many people before it's quite a daunting task. I feel as if the four weeks from the day I graduated until the day I leave for Burkina (which is now 2 short weeks away) have been and will continue to be one long drawn out goodbye. However awful it is draw out goodbyes, it also wonderful to think of the "hellos" I will soon be saying, as my aunt recently reminded me. ("You say goodbye, I say hello..hello..hello") Nicole, the 24 year old with whom I will soon be living in staff housing on the orphanage compound sent me an email today saying that she has started telling the kids that I am coming back. She only told a few and soon word got out and she had some of them come and ask her "Is it true? Ami's coming and she's staying for awhile?" One girl in particular, who you will probably read alot about, Adilene (Adi for short) a seven year old has been praying for me every night since she found out I was coming! Adilene's mother died when she was very young and when she was around the age of four her father died from a snake bite. She came to live at the orphanage my first week of my first trip to Burkina in March of '04. I instantly fell in love with her HUGE eyes and big grin. I felt really blessed to witness the transformation that happens when kids come into the family created by those in the orphanage. The first few days she was quiet and withdrawn, but slowly she started coming out...alittle bit more every day. Unitl the day I left she was a bubbly, talkative, affectionate four year old. When I came home from that trip I started to sponsor her. That fall I returned to Burkina for the second time and I found myself teaching preschool to Adi as well as three others (one of them, Elysee is still there. The other two have since gone home with extended family) I spent every morning with these kids. We had a lot of fun together. Bubbles, snacks, sleep overs, books with no relevance to Burkinabe life (any story that has a boat in it...) In January I got to see her sweet face again (she's the one I'm holding in the picture to the right) I don't have kids so I don't know, but I can't imagine loving my own kids more than I love these kids...and THIS kid in particular. Like she is just an extension of my heart. To know that she is praying for me is an unbelievable and unexpected blessing. This is one hello I CANNOT wait to make...
I have to say that while I'm discovering that I'm not a fan of goodbyes, I'm realizing how amazing the people in my life are. I have some TREMENDOUS friends and family. I've spent the last couple weeks hanging out with friends. I've had numerous lunch dates and oppurtunities to spend quality time with the people who mean the most to me. I couldn't do this without you!! Your love, support, and your PRAYERS mean the world to me.
When I sat down to type this out I thought it was going to be like two sentences...oops! I have one more thought: GOD IS GOOD. And He is in this thing. He has assured me, reassured me, encouraged me....that this is where He has me right now. He has a place for me in Yako, Burkina Faso, West Africa. I'm not entirely sure what that looks like, but its ok BECAUSE He's gone before me. I'm so excited to see what He's up to on the other side of the world. :)