Burkina Update – Week 2 & 3
** For all those who aren’t interested in reading everything but would still like to pray for us, please scroll to the end of this post to see our prayer requests! **
Wow, how are we already 3 weeks into our time here? I thought I was sitting down to write about week 2, until I looked at my calendar. It truly is amazing how fast time can pass while our minds and bodies are busy doing so many different things at once!
Ok – now, where to start…
Well, our car is fixed! A big thank you for all those who have been praying for this! A few days after I posted asking for prayer assistance, Ibrahim went to another mechanic and they found the actual problem. Ultimately, it meant that it saved us time and money as we no longer needed another new car part! Praise Jesus for this provision/solution! We are praying for no more car issues during our trip.
We have been having such a nice time with family these last few weeks. Today we were able to bring them all out to eat for their first ever family meal at a restaurant! It was pretty tricky to figure out how to get 12 people from one place to another using only one vehicle and one motorbike. Although our method may not have been the most proper, safe or comfortable way to do it, we managed and had fun! Afterwards, were able to get some family photos taken, which was also quite enjoyable.
Ibrahim and I actually had our first ever date out since Lanaïa was born! Wow. It was so nice to go out without having to try and entertain a toddler. We had a great time being able to fully focus on one another. We are so thankful for Aissata, Ibrahim’s mother, who took such great care of Lanaïa while we were out.
Both of Ibrahim’s sisters are on their way to marriage and we are happy to be around to meet the ones who have their hearts. We have had “meetings” with what seems to be our future brother-in-laws. As Ibrahim is the oldest male in the family (his father passed away a number of years ago), he is the one the young men need to meet and ask permission to marry his sisters. We used this time to try and guide and counsel them the best we could. One of the sisters would be marrying a muslim and another would be marrying a converted muslim (he is the only Christian in his family) if they choose to continue to pursue marriage (culturally, their both families need to accept and decide the date, etc). Please join us in prayer for them and their futures as well as Ibrahim’s mother who is lovingly having a hard time with it all.
All of Lanaïa’s paperwork has been submitted for her passport. Her nationality is already completed and now we are just waiting for her passport to be ready for pick up. Please pray that the process will be done quickly and efficiently (no spelling mistakes, typos, etc).
We also had some time with Bienvenue and Gilles. Our hearts are always so happy whenever we can be around them. We are encouraging them to work hard and take what they are involved in seriously (both work and hobbies). They are both now 18 (Gilles turns 19 already next month! I can hardly believe it!) and it is time for them to focus on their life choices and futures. Culture is so different here. As many children do not attend school and families typically stay living all together in the same compound while having individual houses for each family, the pressure of “getting out and getting a job or further education” doesn’t really apply here. This makes it more difficult to explain the importance and benefit of these things to them – especially those who have not had much education. We pray and hope the boys grasp what we are saying to them.
We have gotten many visits in with various people and it has been great to see the Lord using us to encourage some of our friends here. Ibrahim organized a get together with 5 friends last Friday and they all had such a great time. When he and the friend staying with us came home, they were still laughing from their time all together. This specific friend couldn’t stop thanking us for making the night happen (he was thanking me for staying home with Lanaïa while Ibrahim could hang out. Which also encouraged me. 🙂 It takes a team!) and kept repeating how much their time together was needed and how long it had been since their last hangout. It definitely made my heart so happy. All of these guys work so hard and get so busy within the individual ministries they are a part of that it is a challenge to find time to meet up for some down time. I am so happy that Ibrahim could do that for them (and him). I believe everyone left feeling refreshed and loved.
Ibrahim and I stayed up with one of the friends until 2 am chatting about life with God which was wonderful. We finished the night by giving thanks to the Lord for such great friendships and chats. Although we were very tired the next day, the night was definitely worth it!
So that was our last two weeks! Our time here has been pretty intense but we wouldn’t have it any other way (except for maybe the car troubles and some other complications 😉 ). We have been hit hard financially as we have learnt that half of our monthly income will not be coming in this month. This really messes with our budget for our time here as well as our return to Togo. Please be praying with us regarding this – that we will have wisdom in what we do have (when to say no and when to say yes to specific needs of our own and others). We are believing in the Lord’s provision as He has put certain things on our hearts to do during our time here.
Now tomorrow we take off and join some other missionary friends in a town called Banfora! It is 1-1.5 hours away and I am strongly praying to see elephants. Ha! I have never seen any actual African wildlife except for dead snakes, rodents and a dead gazelle that was being sold on the side of the road by hunters. Whenever we travel from Bobo to Banfora I end up getting all giddy with excitement as I pray for the Lord to bless with an elephant viewing! But anyway… I think you can maybe feel my excitement enough already. 😉
We are so looking forward to our time with friends there. We will spend three nights with one couple and three more at another’s who has a boy that is close to Lanaïa’s age. We pray that we’ll be able to be an encouragement to them as we have fun learning more about their lives and ministries in Banfora!
Ok – to finish off, for all you who partner with us in prayer here is a quick reminder on what’s mentioned above.
Please pray for …
- Praise God for our car being fixed and pray that no other issues will arise.
- Ibrahim’s sisters and their future spouses. One is planning to marry a muslim and the other is planning on marrying a converted muslim (he is the only Christian in his family). Also pray for Ibrahim’s sweet mother who is lovingly concerned for her children.
- Lanaïa’s passport to be completed quickly without any issues or errors.
- Pray that Bienvenue and Gilles will take their futures seriously and that they will grow in deeper relationships with the Lord. Pray also for them (especially Gilles) to find strong Christian friends to lean on as well.
- Our finances. We have a lot to accomplish while here and we are short financially.
- Praise the Lord for Him choosing to use us here to be an encouragement to others!
- Our trip to Banfora – for it to be a fun, safe and encouraging trip for all. And for those who feel inclined, you can join with me to pray for an elephant sighting on our way! Hehe.
So a big THANK YOU for joining us on our journey. We love having you with us, even if it isn’t in a physical way. If there are any specific ways we can be praying for you, please do write us and let us know. We really do love hearing from you and praying for you along with all that is on your heart.
