Emmanuel(le)

Meet Emmanuel, or Emma as we generally call him.

He has a giant smile that could put anyone at ease.

I think of Emma like everyone’s big brother and I wondered sometimes if he didn’t put that role on himself too. One night he lead a bible study at the family prayer meeting. Alexis, whose french is not a very high level, didn’t understand most of the meeting because it had been conducted in french. After the meeting Emma bent over and gently spoke to Alexis in mooré explaining what he had missed. Then he took him in his arms and gave him a hug. It was a simple, quiet moment that one could easily disregard but, it was also a beautiful, tender, brotherly moment.

[Above: Emma giving Marcel a hug]

Sometimes I would debate with Emma about our slightly different views on various aspects of christian beliefs or of the role of women in society (and many times of the intersection of these two topics). We never came to any conclusions but in reality neither of us were trying to convince the other of our point of view: we talked simply because we enjoyed the dialogue and it forced us to think.

Last year Emmanuel was studying for the BACH. There isn’t quite an equivalent here in Canada as it’s a pass/fail exam that students have at the end of high school. The closest comparison is that it would be like if provincial exams were worth 100% of a student’s grade 12 year.

Emmanuel was always up early in the morning to get ready for school, do chores and study and most nights he was up late studying. I would bring the night guard his coffee, do rounds to make sure the younger children were in bed, and I would see Emmanuel hunched over english homework, or algebra equations. Sometimes he would fall asleep at his study table but, when I would wake him he would shake his head and keep studying. He must have been exhausted by the end of the day but, he kept working hard.
Emmanuel passed the BACH, as did Mathieu another student at SW that was preparing for it. Both boys are now studying at the University in Ouagadougou. Etienne, who was already studying Ouaga is continuing to study there and so SW now has three full-time students in Ouaga.

I know Emmanuel is excited about studying at the University. University though, is a transition, as is life in a new city. Ouagadougou, with a population of more than a million is very different from 12 000 person Yako.

I look forward to meeting with Emma, Mathieu and Etienne during some of the time I will spend in Ouagadougou and to hear about how this year is going.

Also you should meet Emmanuelle, or Emma as we generally call her.

She is spunky, determined and beautiful. Emma started walking at an earlier age than most of the other babies at SW and once she started she didn’t stop. We cheered for her and clapped as she wobbled on her feet, and hollered and whooped for her as she took steps. I’ll have to update you on how Emma is doing when I arrive in Yako, seeing as though I’m sure she’ll have made significant progress in the 10.5 months I’ve been away.