The Stolen Jewelry Skit

After introducing two skits last week, the students voted to write their own skit for this week. I was very impressed with how the children worked together in a fair matter so everyone had speaking parts. They really did a great job communicating a message to their audience as well. I attached the second half of the skit in the video above. Today, they performed the skit for the other grades and parents. They all did a fantastic job considering they had two days to write the skit, one day to stage it and memorize speaking parts and two days to practice performing it. I am truly blessed to have had the opportunity to work with this group of students. I enjoyed teaching them these past two weeks.

Life in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Ahhh....I'm finally beginning to get settled in here at Ouaga. I bought a bike so I can get around.

Although, I am still getting comfortable riding my bike among mopeds, cars, donkey carts and trucks all on the same road going all sorts of directions. I am guessing it will get easier the more I get out there and ride.

I have also spent some of my time becoming oriented with the land, the people and the work that Wycliffe is doing here. There are several languages which Wycliffe is working on translating and writing the New Testament.

It is amazing that I am helping Bible translation to continue by teaching the missionary children. Praise God that I am helping in this way!

We have had a cat who recently had kittens on the center grounds. So, we have been looking after them. They are adorable!

What a treat it has been to give some affection to these cuties!

Well, I have a lot coming up on my agenda. Things are really going to start picking up from here. This coming week, I will begin teaching third grade for a 2 week special ICO program. It is a program that allows home schooled missionary children to gather together and learn in a classroom setting for two weeks. This will help them to learn what it's like to be in a classroom since many of them are home schooled and don't have the opportunity to learn this way. After this program ends (in 2 weeks), I will begin teaching third grade for the regular school year. I am excited to see how God will use me to touch the lives of missionary children as I teach this year.

In addition, we have our Wycliffe annual conference coming up which will have a "fun night". I am currently working on choreography and teaching for a dance that some missionary kids and I will perform at the event. Also, I am working on organizing a consistent and repeated dance class for the missionary children for one evening each week (this is still being worked out).

I also hope to help out at a local orphanage or similiar facility to work with the local children. This will come in time. I need to sort out the other things before jumping into this...but I am looking forward to helping in this area as well.

There is soooooo much to do! Yet, I am taking it day by day, inch by inch.

To sum it up, my days lately have been filled with the following:
donkeys, peanuts, french language which I don't understand (except a few words), goats, chickens, sheep, more donkeys, donkey carts, markets, rain, dirt roads, puddles in the middle of dirt roads, mosquitos, bug spray, more mosquitos, trying to get familiar with where I am and how to get around, visiting different markets, visiting different stores, scratching mosquito bites, killing mosquitos, shooing flies, meeting new people, trying to remember the names of all the new people I have recently met, and the list goes on and on. It has been a learning experience for me.

Praises - God has safely brought us to Ouaga even though we had many car problems. God protected and returned all of my luggage safely. My computer issue has been figured out and temporarily fixed. Praise Jesus for all He has done during the past 2 weeks!

Thank you for all of your support and prayers! The next few weeks will be very busy as I start teaching. I will be sending out my September Newsletter within the next two weeks so keep your eyes open for that.

In the meantime, take care and know that I am truly thankful for your support. I am praying for you. May God bless you!

Traveling with Adventures from Mali to Burkina Faso

It all started with a car. We left Bamako in two cars heading for Burkina Faso. We traveled outside of Mana, kept going, passed several villages and kept going. We were several hours from Bamako when our directors car's brakes locked up and he spun around almost 360 degrees. God protected him and us during this situation. Praise Jesus there were no cars, donkey carts, motorcyles or people coming in either direction at the exact moment it happened. Also, the luggage weighed the car down so his car did not flip over. Praise Jesus for keeping us all safe.

He tried to get the car to move onward but was unsuccessful; therefore, he decided to head into town to look for a mechanic leaving Kim and I to stay behind with the car. Kim and I experienced all different types of company during our stay which included a man and a herd of cattle.

After our director returned with the mechanic and they both worked on the car. It was decided that the car needed to go into the shop. So, they drove the car 20 mph to the next town/village to go get looked at in more detail.

After some time, we figured out that a major part near the front axel was broken and we would need a part delivered and replaced to continue on. Our director stayed with the car and Kim and I traveled onward to a friends house 2 hours down the road. I had to leave behind my luggage as well since it wouldn't all fit into one car. We ended up staying at our friends house for a few days. Our director ended up taking a bus and meeting us there after he realized he'd have to leave the car behind to get fixed without him. My luggage was left in the same town as the car. During all of this chaos... we still had peace. I went to the roof of the house and saw a wonderful sunset one night during our stay.

We then were picked up by another couple missionaries and continued our journey towards Burkina Faso. We crossed the border and then stayed at a missionary compound. Our journey crossing the border was quick and we had no problems. I was able to watch a beautiful sunset that night as well.

Check out the key... it almost feels like I went "back in time" when I used this key to get into my room where I stayed for the night.

The next morning, we headed onward to Burkina Faso. We managed to stop and do some sightseeing on the way. We went for a little hike.

I really love the grass out here. It is so pretty and long. It looks really neat when the wind blows against it and there are waves throughout the grass fields.

After 5 days, we finally arrived to Ouaga, Burkina Faso. Praise God!

Thank you to all of my supporters and friends who prayed for me during this journey. Stay tuned for upcoming news as I settle into my new home in Burkina Faso.

I have arrived to Bamako, Mali

Well, a little over one week ago, I arrived to Bamako, Mali. I remember the first thing I noticed when I woke up the first morning, was the smell of Africa smacking me in the face. There is a specific smell that is in the air in Africa. Like a musty, wet, dusty smell. I found my favorite place to go at my temporary home. I like to take the stairs to the top and look out at the views.

The second thing I noticed was all the different sounds of the city of Bamako. The children laughing and playing, the baby crying, people talking in Bombara and French, the sound of a hammer at work, cars and motor bikes driving by, the prayers and music coming from the mosque. It all blended in to make the harmony of Africa.

The third thing I noticed when I woke up was the sights. The sights of women wearing bright colored clothes, carrying bananas and fruit in big bowls upon their heads, bus and vans filled with people, motorbikes dangerously driving in between traffic, kids and adults trying to sell all sorts of things from tissues to phone cards.

It is rainy season, so it rains often. It rains for long periods of time and it rains hard. Today, I forgot I had clothes on the line and all of a sudden it started to pour so I had to run down and get the clothes off the line. Now, I have my clothes hanging up all over my house to dry.

I bought my first round of veggies for my road trip coming up. All together, the plate of veggies you see below cost me about 550 in Malian money CFA...that amounts to a little over $1.20 US Dollars.

I have just been getting comfortable here in Bamako and I am already packing up my belongings to go to Burkina Faso. I am thankful I was able to get outdoors and do some hiking and rock climbing before heading out of town. It really gave me the opportunity to see how green and beautiful Mali is during the rainy season.

Well, it's off to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso now. I am excited to see how God will use me there, who He will bring across my path and the adventures I will experience while I live there.