When All Is Not Enough --Here

A quick update on my time in Yako is here.

___________________________

As I sit to write this post I am sipping a hot cup of tea, listening to the rain pour down on the tin roof, and reflecting on a morning spent with the babies. I introduced the toddlers to zerberts (or raspberries? whatever you call them!) and wound-up surrounded by 8 toddlers shouting "Mama moi! Mam, mam!" (mama me, me me!). Every time they'd shout they lift their tshirts up to reveal tiny bellies, and grin from ear to ear. When one toddler received a zerbert he would shriek, and the rest would gigle at the rumbling noises before once again shouting "Mama mam!". Later some of the older toddlers discovered they could tickle me (not just me them), and soon Gille and Mariam were seated on my legs tickling my toes and laughing hysterically. Tickles have now become tickle fights that inevitably end in giggles and hugs. And as I think about all of this there's no doubt in my mind that these are beautiful, loved and loving, precious, children. 

Being back around the babies was good for my heart today. Even if it was different today. 

And so begins a story I don't know how to tell. 

Last week I spent time teasing and tickling the toddlers, but mostly I spent time with Cyrille: a 12-month-old with severe medical problems. When I was here in May he was sick, and was sick again this past week. In fact, he has spent all of his 12 months of life in, and out, of the hospital. The doctors released him last weekend and told SW there was nothing they could do; after running every test possible they could not determine the cause of his illness and had no idea how to treat him.

And so, last week we spent time with Cyrille recognizing it was the end of his time. I cuddled him, held him, and loved him whenever I could, the nurses checked him often, and the tantines fed him even when he tried to refuse food. When Cyrille had a raging fever and difficulty breathing I sat up with him in the night holding him so he could sleep better. Often during the day while I held him a toddler would approach Cyrille and offer their love: Mariam and Monica would come sit by us, and stroke Cyrille's arm as he laboured for breath, while Gille and Steve would gently kiss and stroke his cheek. And as I think about this there's no doubt in my mind that Cyrille was a beautiful, loved, precious, child. 

And on Saturday Cyrille's short life came to end. I had a chance to hold him one last time, kiss his forehead, and say goodbye. And though I had a brief cry, I had prepared my heart as best as I could to lose him. I cared for him (like I believe most people would) because I believe a dying child should be held and loved, not because I was hoping for a miracle. In all honesty I wasn't even praying for a miracle, just simply praying "your will be done".  Somehow I am at peace knowing Cyrille finally has the healing that wasn't possible for him here. And I know I was blessed by the short time I got to spend with him (recognizing fully my part in his life was just a snapshot - the true work came from those who cared for him and loved him for all 12 months of his life not just the final days). 

And though I have found comfort and peace in all of this, it is not without struggle. How do you come to grips with the fact that all that can be offered isn't enough? All that the Burkina medical system has, all the resources that Sheltering Wings has, all the love and care that Cyrille had, simply wasn't enough. And how do you come to grips with the fact that this was the outcome here. How can I not help but believe this would not have been the outcome where I am from? Even, I think, if it had been the presence of palliative care, would that not have been better? 

This summer has been an eye-opening experience with medical care in West Africa. It churns my stomach to recognize this past week meant not simply encountering the failures of the medical system, but that this encounter resulted in accepting these failures, and simply waiting for the end. I struggled to see the "fighter" Brittany that was around in Kumasi disappear, and yet I knew it would do nothing to fight. Or perhaps this fight simply took on another form. 

How does one find words for the failure of the 'system', for the recognition that Development isn't enough, for coming face to face with the injustice of the have and have not? How do you find words for the fact that life here just doesn't compare to life at home? How do I put words to the stark reality that this world, this place even, encompasses so many extremes? 

In this moment there aren't words, only the recognition that all that can be offered by man will never be enough here.  And while that sounds like an admission of defeat it's not. It's an acceptance of the challenge of responsibility and the acknowledgement that what we need is greater. And that, that is enough.

Then and Now

Five years ago, before I ventured to West Africa for the first time, I could never have imagined what life would look like in 2013. I certainly didn't think it would involved spending 16+ months in Burkina Faso and Ghana. Three years ago, after I left Burkina Faso for the second time, I could never have imagined what it would be like to come back again. 

And on my third (or fourth? May feels like ages ago and yesterday) trip here I still can hardly believe this is the path I'm on. Last monday I finally arrived in Yako. I was welcomed by squeals from the tantines, a shriek from the girls, and lots of warm hellos from the boys. I settled in to the house and immediately felt right at home here in Yako. 

And this past week has held a huge range of experiences. And a lot of different emotions. 

Three years ago when I was here in Burkina some of us volunteers started building relationships with surrounding villages. On Tuesday I visited one of these villages again, this time with the mobile clinic that has been started there. And later that same day I returned to another to learn more about the Widows Basket program there. It was amazing to see how the work of Sheltering Wings has grown! 

In addition to opportunities to see how Sheltering Wings work has been growing, this past week has held many tickle fights with the toddlers, cuddles with the babies, philosophical discussions with Sara and Enock, card games with Achille and Aristide, hang-outs with Biba, and a once-in-a-lifetime kind of opportunity to see a very popular project on the ground (read: TOMS Shoes - more on that another day though!). My heart is full of many special moments. 

Five years ago I never could have imagined feeling so at home in a place so far away from "home". And I never could have imagined how much this place would shape and change me. What a treat it has been to be back.

More Yako updates to come...

The 3 Year Visit

My first true update from Africa is a little bit overdue but, due to internet issues, I am hoping you'll accept that's it's better late than never. I have been blessed with the opportunity to spend the past week and a half in Burkina Faso. I have spent the majority of this time in Yako, reconnecting with Sheltering Wings, spending time with old & new friends, cuddling babies, and learning lots about what is happening in Yako these days.

One friend told me he knew at the beginning of the year I was coming this year to visit again. I asked him how he knew when I didn't even know at that time, and he told me it was simple. Three years ago he, and Edouard, had asked me when I would come back to visit. "Will you come next summer?" they asked. "No. I don't think so." I'd replied. They nodded. "What about in three years?". I smiled, and said "Yes. I will be here again in three years." And three years later I was reminded of this promise I had long forgotten, but still was blessed enough to be able to fulfil. 

All in all, my heart is so full of stories and wonderful moments from this visit that for one of the first times in all of my time in Africa I have no words to begin to describe it all. I'll leave you with a few photos (more photos on my photo blog) until I find words again. They're simply a sampling of a little bit of the Yako life... 

The Big Kid Yako Family (missing 3 kids). 

Spending time with old friends & cuddling babies. 

There were so many adorable little ones!  

Like these two. 

My pal Achille digs his new wheels. 

Visiting my family's sponsor child Fatimata and her family. 

Being silly with the big kids. 

Got to spend time with this remarkable woman. Love Mama Ruth!


Tomorrow I leave for Ghana. I hope to update here soon. Until then, I am travelling and getting settled in my Students for Development Internship in Sandema.  

Mutiny

I have to admit that it happened. I panicked about what is happening in Burkina. Somewhere between reports of the government being dissolved on friday, and continued mutiny throughout the weekend, I lost it. Blame it on emotions, or stress, or a combination thereof, whatever it was it caused my head to be somewhere else.  I struggled to think of anything else. So here's the lowdown. 

For most, the dismissal of Compaoré's government was a sign of great distress. And I wouldn't suggest this should be understood to be any different, however this doesn't breed full understanding. The president dismisses his government following every election. As such, in isolation, this dismissal shouldn't be considered cause for great concern but only in the context of the past month's events. 

Friday to saturday night the military continued demonstrations in Ouagadougou. The reports appear all too common: shooting, looting & car theft. There are conflicting reports of what ouagadougou was like during the night. While some expats some reported the experience to be "terrifying", others suggested they aren't fearful and that life has simply established a new normal. A new dusk to dawn curfew has been imposed in Ouagadougou from the hours of 19h to 6am. Saturday morning angry shop keepers lit buildings in Ouagadougou on fire. One of these buildings included the ruling party's headquarters. 

Sunday Ouagadougou was reported to be calm, while protests have commenced in Pô and Tenkodogo. Pô, a town on the Ghanian border, is the home of military training camps for Burkina. The explanation for protests in all three cities is unpaid dues for Burkinabé military that participated in the war in Ivory Coast. 

Turning the Page

Cote D'Ivoire has turned a "painful page" in it's history, according to President Alassane Ouattara.

No need to backtrack that wasn't a typo; Ouattara is President. Although he's been recognized by the international community as president for the past four months, former president Laurent Gbagbo has, until today, refused to leave office. It's been reported, however, that today Gbagbo and his wife were captured by troops loyal to Ouattara.

Ouattara has promised to commence judicial processes for Gbagbo and to institute a truth and reconciliation committee. He urges a return to order and calm for the country and pleads to all involved in the conflict to set aside their arms. His speech can be view here. He suggests a "white page" is open for Ivory Coast, and it is now that the country has a chance to write their history together. A beautiful sentiment.

Ouattara is viewed to have strong ties to Burkina. Perhaps a little more stability in Côte will aid the situation in Burkina. Problems in Burkina have arisen from different circumstances, but it's certain the conflict in Côte has impacted Burkina. At the very least the Ivory Coast conflict has lead to increased inflation which resulted in the April 8th protests against la vie chère. 

Burkina saw a less optimistic turn of events today. 

Student protests in Yako today lead to school closures (until the 13th at best), damage to public property and a provincial representative's house being burned down. It appears students were protesting the fact that some had been "blacklisted" (meaning they will not be able to write exams to complete their school year) following violent protests earlier this month.

Every hope is that protests will subside and students will permitted to complete their school year.

Every hope is that peace will return to the small West African Nation.

We wait & we pray. 

10 000

Today's protest in Burkina Faso drew 10 000 to the streets nationwide. The protest was against rising food prices and according to some to send the message that "[Burkina Faso] is badly governed." (source)

The rising food prices in Burkina have been linked to the war in Cote D'Ivoire, as the conflict has limited imports to Burkina. 

As of yet there haven't been reports of violence during these protests & it's hoped schools will re-open shortly. If the schools aren't reopened soon the risk becomes one of an année blanche, in which every student will have to redo this school year.

We wait. We pray.

to quote K'naan

the worst thing is the waiting man. 

And even if you aren't an avid K'naan fan I'm sure you can identify with the sentiment. The worst part about unrest (for me here) is waiting to see what will happen next. In the past months we've seen the continent of Africa explode. From conflicts in North Africa, protests & problem presidents in West Africa, to student strikes in South Africa. It's all been a little too much for the world. 

And the crazy thing is this: there are multiple reasons for the protests. Each country has a unique set of interrelated issues that have lead to the unrest. And while each country faces unique circumstances there are unifiers too. One of these is the rising cost of food. 

Burkina is no exception to this. Protests planned for April 8 seek to raise awareness to the plight of rising prices (la vie cher) in Burkina. In response to these planned protests schools have been closed again and are not expect to open until after the 8th. (Source) 

The relationship between rising food prices and in-country protests is not a new phenomena. It’s a relationship that has been graphed, charted & observed for years. We saw increased rioting in 2008 as food prices reached all time highs. And today, as food prices reach similar levels (the average family in the 3rd world is spending 50% of their budget on food), protests have spread like wildfire. See Good's February article on this issue here.  

In other news: 

The soldier accused of raping a 14 year old girl has been returned to prison. He was freed last week during protests in Fada N’Gourma. (source) 

and now...?

Although the curfew has been lifted in Burkina that doesn't mean all is solved.

Students have been told classes will run a month longer than previously expected (until mid-June) and citizens are in a process of determining a "new normal". The new normal is a period of adjustment found when one reconcile's what's happened with the new way of life. For Burkina this new normal will, at best, look like re-establishing confidence. At worst, for some citizens, this will mean dealing with loss and heartache.

Let's do as we always do: Wait - for news that continues as normal is once again established. And pray - for the country as they do just this. 

exclamation point

I got the same news several times today, but every time it was just as exciting. 

To the best of my understanding the streets of Ouagadougou have been free of gunfire for 2 days now. And - the Marshall Law (or curfew) in Burkina Faso was lifted today!

It seems all is calm. I don't think I need to elaborate. It's fantastic news to know all is well. 

Vive

I'm writing this in the early hours here, but in Burkina the day is already beginning. And that means updates on the current situation.

President of Burkina, Blaise Compaoré, released a statement on the 30th. 

Until now he has remained relatively silent through the unrest. Compaoré addressed the demonstrations that have 'disturbed the tranquil life of the general population and compromised security, peace and social cohesion of Burkina' firstly in addressing his condolences to the people of Burkina most affected by the demonstrations. He then addressed his 'fellow men' and argued blatant disregard for the law would not be tolerated in a state based on rights. Compaoré suggested the measures (largely economic) his government seeks to go to maintain peace in the 'state of rights' and the way in which they are seeking to aid victims of the demonstrations. Finally Compaoré called upon the citizens of Burkina to stay strong, be patriotic and protect Burkina just as they have done during past struggles. 

Compaoré finished his address by saying "Vive la Republique, vive le Burkina Faso" or 'long live the republic, long live Burkina Faso'. 

A few quick updates: 

• The military took to demonstrations and shooting North of Ouagadougou (Yako lies Northern of Ouaga) the night of the 30th to 31st. 
• Marsahll Law has been imposed and a curfew of 9pm through 6am is in place all across Burkina (not just Ouaga as previously suggested). 
• Blaise Compaoré is scheduled to meet with militants today in Ouagadougou to discuss the current unrest. 
• Some news sources have suggested the unrest is manifestations of a rebelling army. This is serious news when one considers Burkina's history the marks no peaceful changes of head of state. 

Recent notes have suggested an air of "serenity" has returned to Ouagadougou following a night under marhsall law.
Word is 'things are calm in Yako' despite the implementation of Marshall law.

Dieu merci - Thank God. 

Alarming

Lately every time I think things are calming down in Burkina something else happens.

The recent reports out of Burkina are:

• Military in FadaN'Gourma have shot a rocket into the local courthouse and blocked the city off with tanks. Background on the unrest in FadaN'Gourma here. 
• Simon Compaoré, mayor of Ouagadougou, was attacked by military and his home was ransacked. Simon Compaoré is considered third to rule in Burkina (behind the President and the Prime Minister)  
• Blaise Compaoré, President of Burkina Faso, is scheduled to meet with the military tomorrow (Thursday) as he calls for calm. It appears his calls have been ignored. It is suggested Blaise is "between the devil and the deep blue sea" (entre le marteau et l'enclume). This dilemma is rooted in the balance between justice and the desires of the military. 
• Some reports have suggested Blaise Compaoré was also attacked, alongside Simon. I suggest this is false as last week reports suggested Blaise had fallen victim of a coup d'etat. 
• The University of Ouagadougou reopened today. The atmosphere was suggested to be sombre.

 A very jaded perspective of these events would say Burkina is due for this kind of unrest for many reasons that include:
1. Burkina's neck of the woods includes Ivory Coast and Niger - both countries that have experienced intense civil unrest in recent months (and in Cote's case years).
2. Burkina has experienced little more than union strikes (petrol companies, and banks) since the last coup d'etat in 1987.
With this in mind...
It shouldn't be considered surprising that student groups and military remain part of the unrest in Burkina or that reports of military unrest across the country continue to surface (especially in Bobo Dialassou - Burkina's second largest city). 

The fact that a curfew on the city of Ouagadougou has been imposed has caught no one off guard. 

It's not surprising that any of this is happening, but it is concerning. It's not alarming, but it deserves our attention and our prayers. 

Protests in Yako

The What: Students in Burkina Faso are striking despite government orders to return to school.

Why? After protests in the northern city of Koudougou last month a student was killed. While the government maintains the student died of meningitis, protestors argue he was killed by police. There are conflicting reports that suggest a police officer and four additional students have been killed.

The Current Stuff: Yesterday protests in several cities were taken to new levels. In Yako students set fire to the local police station releasing more than a dozen inmates. Similar protests took place in three other Northern cities of Burkina. In Ouagadougou the public library was set ablaze and nothing remains. At least one government official has lost their job due to the way issues in Koudougou were handled.

The hope: A peaceful resolution resulting in students returning to school. The longer schools are closed the less likely students will be able to finish this school year - and most will be forced to repeat next year.

You're Invited: You're invited to stay informed! And pray through this news.

Check out news from News 24 and The Washington Post  or the New York Times

Picture from here 


***UPDATE March 7, 15:47
According to Fasozine: Tomorrow (Wednesday, March 8) there is a student protest in Ouagadougou.
Police visited families of the deceased and injured in Koudougou yesterday afternoon. Initial reports are that calm has begun to return to the region where civil unrest has been present for the past two weeks. This via AfricaTime News 

Sponsorship Distributions

Yesterday was the first day of our two-day sponsorship distributions with Sheltering Wings (SW). The distributions provide time for SW to connect with all sponsorship children, for families to connect with each other, and for the SW team to work with children on correspondence to their sponsors. 

Before & After the distribution. 

As we distributed bars of soap and sacks of grain to each sponsored child I noticed some sacks were frayed around the edges. When the bags were moved small amounts of grain would slip past these frayed edges and onto the dusty ground. 

The image of corn amidst the rocks brought back a memory I have fought with since the distributions in 2009. It’s the kind of memory that brings with it intense sadness, but that also creates renewed understanding. 

While visiting the house of a young boy in the sponsorship program we divided a 100kg sack of corn into the family’s storage bowls. While doing so a handful of grain landed outside the bowl; I thought nothing of it. 

The boy helped his mother carry the grain into their courtyard, and then returned to the street. I smiled while he shook his hands and when his mother thanked us profusely replied “It’s nothing.” 

And as I climbed into the back of the pickup to return home the little boy dropped softly to his knees: one by one he picked up the kernels of scattered corn with his right hand, and drop them wordlessly into his left hand. I’d been so wrong: it wasn’t nothing. 

This is what I was thinking today when I watched a mother, or maybe grandmother, begin to scoop up spilled grain off the cement floor of the church. She too worked silently, but had a fierce look in her eyes; perhaps a combination of shame and her desire to protect. 

a sponsored child and family leaving with grain 

OOne might suggest I am simply a result of a culture that places little emphasis on the things we are entrusted with. This suggestion could explain why I am so struck by the way in which the people here have gathered up every last piece of spilled grain. However, I would boldly suggest, I have also been struck by the realization that there is a poverty mentality at work that I am not privy to understand. Perhaps, there is an understanding of the world that I simply cannot hold because I will never know what it is to be without. Maybe this poverty mentality is derived from the basic desire to survive.

My lack of this understanding of poverty is why seeing a small boy, and an aging woman, meticulously picking up grain piece by piece from the dirt, strikes such a chord in my heart. And perhaps another way in which I can know that this work is not done in vain. 

these children live in a village recently added to the SW sponsorship program

Check out sheltering-wings.org for more information about the sponsorship program and to see bios for children in need of sponsorship. 

Salif

The orphanage just welcomed a new baby boy.

Salif’s mother, who is mentally ill, was sexually abused and Salif was born as a result of the abuse. His mother gave birth alone and it wasn’t until Salif started crying that his mother’s family knew he was born. Because of the circumstances surrounding his conception Salif will not be welcomed into or cared for by his family, and because of his mother’s illness she is unable to care for herself let alone a child. And so it is in these circumstances that Salif was brought to Sheltering Wings.

It is possible Salif’s family will chose to release him for adoption. Right now he is being loved, cared for and prayed over by the staff at Sheltering Wings. Please pray for Salif, for his family as they begin to make decisions regarding his future, for Salif’s mother and pray for the staff and volunteers that are caring for the children.

I pulled my information from Ruth's blog, and would encourage you to check it out for yourself too: burkinaorphanage.blogspot.com

Tene

Last Monday (18/05/09) was a day full of interesting stories so here’s a quick update:

The orphanage received a huge gift Monday morning. A missionary family brought 350 Moringa trees to the orphanage that they’d grown from seed in their courtyard. We thought it might take our team a while to plant the trees (it was us four, their family of six and a couple of our staff) however, Adiara suggested we ask some of our school children to pitch in and was I ever amazed. Swarms of children flocked to the truck to unload trees: I’ve never seen trees fly into so many hands and then off to so many directions! We literally had to hold children back because they were so eager to help. Since our boys already had holes dug everyone split off into teams: the first watered the ground, second put in manouere, third filled the hole back in and the put the tree in and covered it. All 350 trees were planted in less than two hours! The Moringa trees will be a huge blessing to the orphanage. Sometimes they are called the “Miracle Tree” because the tree is so rich in vitamins. It has more potassium than bananas, more calcium than milk and more vitamin c than carrots. There is a whole list of other vitamins it contains iron and magnesium being only just a few.We will harvest the leaves of the trees, dry them and prepare a powder from it (the best way to get the most vitamins from the leaves) and add the powder to the children’s food. This past weekend we started including the Moringa Powder in the children’s meals. Although preparing a powder as we do is the best way to prepare the moringa leave you can prepare it various other ways. You can also eat every part of the tree including the seeds. The seeds can be used to purify water. Moringa powder can be used to treat malnuritrion, as well as help breastfeeding mothers ensure they are getting the nutrients they need to give their child what it needs. We watched a video Monday afternoon that showed some health clinics where they have been treating malnuritrion with powder made from the moringa leaves. I was amazed to see how much weight children would put on in just weeks of taking small amounts of the powder in their diets!I also saw a map of where the moringa trees grow contrasted to a map of where malnutrition occurs globally. Would you believe it the two maps were nearly identical?

It’s obvious God planned this tree to grow where the people who needed it the most would be able to get to it. (I recognise of course there remains a huge need to give these people access to the trees and to educate them on the benefits of using it in food preparation and how to prepare it. But it is there!)If you’re interested in more information on Moringa trees the website recommended to me was Echonet.org

Above: A newly planted miracle tree!
Below: This is a picture of a large Moringa. It was already growing in our courtyard and has depassed the size we would use for harvesting leaves. However it is perfect for cultivating seeds!

I was privileged to witness a rare spectacle here in Burkina Faso while tree planting! A perfectly circular ring appeared around the sun a little before noon. I was working outside near Jean and I asked him what it was. He explained it was in fact a rainbow.Jean and the kids told me they happen every so often, however it was Ruth’s first time seeing one and she’s been here nine years. So I felt privileged even if the kids say they aren’t that rare. It was beautiful. The children and staff seemed to hardly take notice of it. However we all stopped what we were doing and grouped near the house to marvel at the beauty of this world God has created.

I realise my pictures don’t quite capture the whole thing, so you’ll have to fill in the blanks for yourself. The inner ring is the sun, the next one was a really dark spot (almost shadow like), and then the outer ring was a magnificent bright light with hints of colour that I could tell were the colours of a rainbow.

Back in February when we had a team come in, we hired a local cuisinière to prepare some meal for us. Since then every time we are served riz sauce en patte d’arachide (rice with peanut sauce) Liz and I say “Oh this is good. But not as good as Samuel’s sauce!” So when we had a team coming monday we couldn’t pass up the opportunity for a cooking lesson with Samuel. He showed us how to prepare his “famous” riz sauce. It was fun cooking lesson. He told us stories about his time in Cote d’Ivoire in between asking us to check the sauce so as to make sure we saw it at every stage of it cooking. We are fortunate in that Samuel’s sauce only takes 45 minutes (for him) to prepare. Depending on the individual’s recipe it can take anywhere from 20 minutes to all afternoon! He made sure to suggest lots of other veggies we could put in that aren’t currently in season or that we didn’t have on hand. I was thankful for all his tips and look forward to trying my hand at the sauce sometime in the future.




Finished (and delicious) product!

Tene: Moore for Monday

A few brief updates

Francois is a boy that attends the Sheltering Wings School here in Yako. Last Thursday he fell from a tree and fractured his femur. His mother brought him to the hospital in Yako where they determined it was broken and prescribed painkillers and antibiotics, and told him he would need to go to Ouahigouya for an X-ray as Yako does not have an X-ray machine. His mother couldn’t afford to bring him to Ouahigouya and so she sent him to a nearby village for traditional treatment.

I tagged along with Ruth and Innocent (the director of the school) for a visit to his house on Sunday. We had thought we would still be at the village but sometime Saturday or Sunday they brought him back from the village and to his home in Yako. He was laying inside on a mattress on the ground, and when we arrived his mother helped him sit up. His leg was braced with a stick and wrapped in heavy fabric. I could see that his in injured leg was very, very swollen. His arm was also swollen and his mother said the healer had been doing something to that as well, although it wasn’t wrapped or braced. Beside his leg on the mattress were cement blocks, they told us the blocks were to keep his leg from moving.Since the traditional healers can only do their best to put the bones in place and keep them there the children receiving treatment run the risk of their bones healing misaligned. Ruth has seen children crippled because of this. As of now Innocent believes things are going well for Francois’s healing but Ruth has asked Innocent to check on Francois again after his next treatment from the traditional healer, to ensure he is still comfortable with the level of care he is receiving. Should he not be SW would help Francois by taking him to the hospital for the Xrays (while still respecting the family culturally of course as they chose the means of traditional healing.)

A couple short stories:
The other night Liz and I went out to bring coffee to the night guard and do our tour of the courtyard before going to bed. We checked particularily on the primary school boys room because one of our boys has taken to sleeping outside in funny places. I understand his desire- it is HOT inside and so much nicer outside, however family rules are everyone sleeps in their own rooms (with so many children and girls and boys in the same courtyard the rule is a no brainer really). We observed he was not in his room and so set out to look for him. We started with where he’s been before: under the hangar, on benches around the courtyard, near the clinic and he was nowhere to be found! Then we were walking back towards the kitchen and I saw something. I motioned to Liz and she went “No!” I nodded. Once I got closer I couldn’t contain my laughter. He had pulled a mat up on top of the monkey bars and was sleeping up there! I had to reach up to poke him awake. He seemed surprised to be awakened but agreed to go sleep inside. What a kid! Sleeping on the monkey bars...

Thursday we had our first rain storm. By rain storm I don’t mean drizzle I mean downpour! At the time the rain started I was at the house with Therese, Ferdinand and Osseus. They stayed at the house until the rain ended, mostly I think because people just don’t want to go out in the rain! Therese and I went out for a couple minutes, because I was so excited for the relief from the heat but quickly we were wet and cold and wanted to run back inside. They helped me run around and shut windows. But we had no power so I tracked down a lantern and the three kids snuggled on the couch in blankets (I wasn’t that cold!). We did shadow puppets on the wall for a little while and then I pulled out cars and barbies for them to play with in the dark. Because of the noise of the rain on the roof we couldn’t talk to each other, but hey it was a fun rain shower! Friday the termites came out!(apparently they come out the night after the rain) These are not wood termites but another variety. There were hundreds of them clustered around each light and filling the pathways! They got through the front door and every few minutes we’d kill 5 or 10 until we managed to get it closed enough that weren’t coming in... And then as suddenly as they appeared they died.

Here’s a picture of Joseph and I taken fairly recently. He’s taken to shushing me if I ask him questions or to talk- not because he doesn’t want to talk but because he thinks going “SHH!” with his finger to his lips is hilarious.

Trust

I knew coming to Burkina Faso I would face experiences that would affect me in ways I can’t quite explain; experiences that simply aren’t done justice by my words or explanations. Simply put i'm at a loss for how to put things a lot of the time...

In a recent blog entry I asked you to pray for three babies. Salif returned back to the orphanage on April 29. He is healthy and looking very happy. Jules returned home just last night. I haven`t heard his official weight but I can tell you his cheeks look a little chubby. Pray for his health as he needs to continue to gain and keep on weight. He is now a year old.

Rosaline passed away April 30. She came to us very small and had been recieving treatment at the orphanage for a week or so before we sent her to the hospitall. She then spent three weeks at the hospital in Ouahigouya before the sickness became too much for her little body.

One of our staff members gave Liz and me the news. After speaking with him I returned to the house. I took some time to let myself cry. I prayed a simple prayer and in a moment of silence I had a profound sense of peace because I felt the lord say ``She is home with me”. I am not saying I don`t feel sadness about her death but I feel peace. For a reason unbeknownst to me God called Rosaline home to Him. I will probably never understand why He called her home, but God has not asked me to understand His reasons he has only asked me to trust in Him.

The day after her death Rosaline`s father and 2 uncles came to visit us at the orphanage. (Rosaline had been placed with us temporarily after her mother’s death and would have returned home once she was a year old.)The father and uncles live in a village 35km away from Yako. They rode their bikes in 45degree heat to the orphanage. The purpose of the visit was for them to give us their condolences and thank us for what we had done for their child. I can`t tell how the gentleness of their action struck a chord in my heart.

I had been praying through some of the prayers written by Lancelot Andrews through the month of April. I went back to this one that day and I have gone back and prayed through it several times since. Remember the Lonely:

Remember, Lord, all the infants, the children, the youth, the middle-aged and the elderly who are hungry, sick, thirsty, naked, captive or friendless in this world. Be with those who are tempted with suicide, who are sick in soul, who are in despair. Remember those who are in prison, all those who are under sentence of death. Remember the widows and the widowers, the orphans and those who travel in a foreign land. Remember all those who this day will work under oppressive conditions. Remember the lonely.

Gros Poisson and other brief updates...

Back home on April 1st it is April Fools day. If I am truly honest I will admit I missed this tradition (although only a little bit!) on the 1st of April. That day I didn’t see any pranks or hear anything about April Fools. I suppose I missed the comfort of knowing it was there. Little did I know... Here the whole month of April is April Fools. In French it is termed Poisson d’Avril (literally translated Fish of April) and when someone pulls one they say “Gros poisson!” (big fish). So the fact that I didn’t hear anything about it on the first didn’t mean that by the second and third I wasn’t still hearing things.. The kids would come and tell me someone was waiting for me at the office, or there was a phone call for me but when I would arrive there would be no one. Silly things but the singsong of Poisson d’Avril sang through the air every time I made the mistake of trusting them! April 30 is the last day for pranks and so Liz and I planned our “revenge” for that night. We invited all the kids for a movie night to the house. Adiara even went out and told kids it was mandatory: she woke one up, and made one stop washing laundry to come for the movie! Once they were all here (okay we had 22 of 28 but that’s pretty good! It’s hard to get all our kids in one place!) we suggested we could explain to them what the movie was about. I started off by telling them the movie was about something they (the kids) all liked a lot. In fact it is something they do a lot. Someone interrupted me but one of our Abrahams (we have 3 Abrahams. This one is our oldest.) stopped them and told me to continue. I elaborated only a little bit more and then Liz pulled a drawing we’d done of a fish and taped it to the TV. She said “it’s kind of like this.” The kids gave her a blank stare “what do you call this?” she said “un poisson” they all said. And then all of a sudden a look of shock came across their faces as everyone went “un poisson?!” I said. “could you even say un gros poisson?” the room errutped with laughter. Abraham put his head in his hands, several of the kids were jumping up and laughing... It was quite the commotion.
But because the next day was a day off school, and it was May we showed a movie that day. This month is MainauDos (hand on back). Anytime sometime catches you not walking with your hand on your back they have free reign to slap you on the back. It’s not so bad though because often kids don’t do it, or you can figure out they’re planning to hit you before they do and get your hand on your back quick.




Saturday morning we welcomed Ruth back to the orphanage! Sunday morning Liz and I did a pancake breakfast for all the kids and as a welcome home Ruth breakfast. Liz and I made 65+ pancakes, homemade syrup and served pancakes with peanut butter and jam. It was so much fun. I think the kids finished off everything! We brought pancakes over to the babies and tantines and everyone seemed to enjoy them.

Below: two of our primary school aged boys waiting for their pancakes

The school year is coming to an end and our students face challenging exams. For our students in 3ieme(equivalent to 10th grade) and terminal (final year of school, like grade twelve) their final exams are a pass/fail exam. If they pass the exam they will pass the course if not they must repeat the grade. This is a very stressful time of year for them. Pray for them as they prepare for these exams.
While Ruth was back in the States many exciting things were put in motion for the orphanage. God made it very clear he is not done in Burkina Faso and he has lots going on here. Praise for the exciting things God is doing.

Ya Souma

This week has passed so quickly I can’t believe it’s already Friday afternoon! (Ya Souma is moore for it's good. It was a good week so Ya Souma)

Monday afternoon Liz and I set off for Yako. We walked out from SIM to the Chales de Gaulle to catch a taxi. The first taxi that stopped for us wouldn’t take us to the bus station for any less than 1500f (750f each) which although when you convert it Canadian dollars or American dollars seems like a very cheap cab ride, was outrageous for the distance we would be going and we knew he was trying to take advantage of us. We let him continue on his way without us and waiting for the next one. A little boy selling Kleenex at the intersection heard the exchange with the taxi driver and was sitting at the side of the road laughing at the price he’d suggested! The second taxi suggested the same price but we talked him down to 1000f (500f each, knowing anywhere between 400f and 500f was reasonable for where we were going.)We passed by the intersection in Ouaga that puts up the temperature on a big screen. I usually love passing by there because I never know what the temperature is until I see it. I was in for a big shock when I saw 49C! I realised of course it felt hot, but it wasn’t too hot and it was definitely liveable. I had to laugh though, 49C! When we arrived at the bus station the bus to Yako was ready to depart, so Liz quickly hopped on while I bought tickets. We could have got on without buying tickets and just paid en route but needed better change than we had so we paid at the terminal. Since the bus was ready to go there were no seats to speak of, and since we were taking the after sieste bus the whole isle was full too. We found spot on the steps leading down to the door and stood. Fortunately the ride is only 1.5hours and Mondays ride passed much quicker than it usually does (perhaps because I could see almost nothing..) When we finally got off in Yako Liz and I were joking that we hoped we ran into some of the kids on their way home from school because we had so many bags. We didn’t run into any of our kids, but a lady that lives near us stopped us on the road and asked us to give us some of our bags because she wanted to walk with us. It was so kind, and we had a nice chat with her for the walk home.

Back in Yako I’ve been splitting my time between working with the babies and working on things for the office. I had one really sweet morning with the toddlers: I was coming back from the office when I saw Ibra (like many toddlers he’s curious and he likes to take walks and we often end up chasing after him or calling him back...so I wasn’t surprise to see him walking away from the baby play area) he was walking ahead of Joseph and Tinbnoma and turning around to wave at them and call them forward. The followed me to the house. When they arrived on the doorstep I went to the door and looked out the three of them pulling themselves up on the step and grinning. “Children!” I said to them “when you come to someone’s you must say cock cock cock!” (this is the same as telling them to knock) They immediately all said “cock cock cock!” and I as I opened the door for them the three of them came rushing in. They had a great time sitting on the chairs, trading places with eachother and exploring a little bit the front living area while I finished up what I’d been working on. Then I took them over to the sink to wash their hands. It took a few minutes with each of them because they wanted to turn the water on and off a bunch of times, and I let them. Joseph discovered how to spray water by putting his hand right under the flow from the tap and soaked me. He laughed hysterically which made me laugh too, so it was all good. I gave them some peanuts to eat and then stood at the water filter while they brought glasses to drink water. Finally they felt they had enough water and wanted to sit at the kitchen to drink. The three of them looked so small sitting there I took a quick picture (above.)

Point of praise: We had another child’s paperwork and court proceedings finished this week and he was declared officially adopted! Ibra will be going home with his family very soon.

Points of prayer: We have three children in the hospital currently:
-Jules is back with Doctors Without Borders. He seemed to be improving and his weight had gone up to 5.8kg, but he got sick and his weight went down to 5.0kg. Pray he will overcome the illness that is attacking his body, and that he will be able to consistently gain and maintain weight.

-Rosalie our newest child at the orphanage is at the hospital in Ouahigouya. She has been at the hospital just over a week so we hope she’ll be ready to come back to the orphanage soon.

-Salif is our most recent child to go to the hospital. He left Tuesday evening. He had been sick since Thursday and had been receiving Malaria treatment here in Yako, when on Tuesday (the last day for his malaria treatment) he was still very sick it was determined he would be better treated in Ouhigouya.