Visas

They are Here! Thank you GOD

Our God is BIG

This has been a tough week of client cancellations. I share that because I was hoping this week to put away money in order to pay my station rent while I am gone. This morning I knew the exact amount lost, and wasn't stressing about it but for sure let God know "help." As my FIRST client left she said, "I would like to give you money to help with bills while your gone." She had no idea of my real need and gave me the EXACT amount I had calculated that morning. That was my first tears of the day! Our God is BIG


Several Months ago I asked a rep if she would be willing to donate shampoo and conditioner samples for our team to take to Burkina. TODAY SHE CAME THROUGH! She dropped off a 40lb box of samples. Let me say that again she dropped off a 40lb box of samples! Salon Centric is a huge company and does often make donations for salon events, so I was expecting about a 5lb box. I have said if you like to make God laugh make a plan....I think he giggled at that 5lb box I was expecting, and you know I cried at the 40lb box he gave. God is BIG

Our trip

A common question in regards to our upcoming trip has been "What exactly are you going to be DOING in Africa?!" So I thought I would post our TENTATIVE schedule while in country so you can pray specifically...

Day 1-2) leave home approx. noonish, board plane @PDX to Seattle, fly from Seattle to NYC and then the REALLY long leg of the journey: NYC to Morocco. From Morocco we fly to the capitol of Burkina-Faso: Ouagadougou. We are set to arrive there at about 3am the next day and stay there and TRY to sleep until about lunchtime, their time. From there we will drive to Bobo-Dioulassu, our home base for much of our time in country. We will be staying at a Bible school with a full-time missionary & all of the students & their families.

Day 3) meet w/28 of the local pastor's wives. These are pastors native to Burkina-Faso, not missionaries per se. Then we will have lunch (our intro to African food!) with the missionary team from "Bobo" and then they will take us into town to mainly observe/sight-see & visit the market.

Day 4) Travel to Kenedougou, meet & worship with the missionaries there. Looks like they will play a film about Jesus with the intent of outreach/evangelism. We will stay the night in that village this night.

Day 5) back "home" to Bobo (Maranatha Bible Institute), lunch with the host missionaries and then crochet lessons & haircuts by Janna from our team.

Day 6) Language class, looks like we'll be teaching some English and we might learn some Jula! We will also be shadowing some women this day. In the afternoon we will teach a health class and then tour the "Koro" village.

Day 7) more language classes, both with the Bible students' wives and children. This day we will picnic for lunch. Then we will go some where called the Cascades (?) and then back to home-base for supper & a prayer meeting.

Day 8) This day we will visit a Compassion International church there and later spend time with some local children w/an organized "kid's club". We will also be guests of another family for dinner this night.

Day 9) More time with the MBI women & children, there are 35 women and 28 kids. We plan to teach them some simple crafts here that they can master & teach more women in need of this trade for their livelihood even after we leave. This night we will have supper at the "Rocks" a place they picnic with all of their guests that is at a canyon and we will do some easy hiking (yay!) followed by a bonfire.

Day 10) time w/the "Bobo" district widows, many of these women have fallen into prostitution as a means of survival, workshops with them in the afternoon.

Day 11) visit the churches in Bobo with the local women, time with women's leadership

Day 12) travel to Poundou where we will spend time with 75 women & 100 children, we intend to teach some children's Sunday School lessons this day. Dinner & overnight in Poundou.

Day 13) more teaching in Poundou and then travel back to Bobo in the afternoon

Day 14) time with the Bible school children & visit the Sarafalo orphanage. Afternoon crocheting with the missionary kids & sign language class from Cheryl on our team.

Day 15) day trip to Koutiala and return that evening to Bobo. (Koutiala is in Mali, the neighboring country to the North/NW)

Day 16) travel to "Ouaga", time there visiting existing ministries, over night there.

Day 17) visit the Dorcas House in the morning, a home for women trying to escape prostitution & other Ouaga ministries in the afternoon.

Day 18-19) depart for home at 1am. Same flight schedule on return journey except bypass Seattle.

Day 20) home


ALL OF THIS IS OPEN TO CHANGE SO PRAY FOR OUR TEAM TO BE FLEXIBLE, GRACE FILLED, AND FIRMLY GROUNDED IN JELLO FOR WHATEVER GOD HAS PLANNED. 

Getting Ready

Please pray because HERE WE GO:


    -we submitted our Visa applications. Please Pray that they arrive in a timely matter, on the correct desk, and are accepted without delay. specific,YES
    -we leave in 5 weeks! pray for the women we will meet, the loved ones we leave behind and the packing we are so dreading.
    -We are in need of crochet hooks size H or larger and small sharp scissors.
    -We also are collecting recent women's magazines or books (used) to take to the full-time, in-country missionaries. Apparently this is a huge blessing for these American (and some Dutch) women who appreciate connection with their home country in this way.