Hello from Pondou!!!

Hello from Pondou!!! This is where you end up when you drive for two hours northeast of Bobo. Temperature hit about 110F today, you know I love it! Eighty families live here at Pondou (which is really more like a compound, then a village). Each of the families brought their own chickens, burros, pigs, etc. The men are in a four year training program to be pastors of Burkina villages. The wives also get some training, but have the additional responsibilities of children, meals, getting water from the local pump (see photo)... This was our first opportunity to share with Burkina women. Cheryl (or Debbie- as she is called here) worked with Susan and Janna to present the up cycle plastic bag crochet project. The women were very interested and many already had crochet skills. This was VERY helpful, because we were not prepared for the lack of scissor experience! They were excited to see the possibilities, which included tote bags, hackysack type balls, wallets, and even a pair of sandals that were crocheted out of used plastic bags.
Pantomining was the key communication in this session! The Burkina sisters did very well and were excited about the project.
Lori and Mia had fun teaching new sunday school teaching tools. At one point, several women were pantomiming Daniel in the Lions Den. This is VERY outside their normal style. Usually very reserved, etc. It's so fun to think of 80 pastors wives headed into Burkina and able to make the bible fun for kids to learn from.
Deb presented Moms In Touch Prayer format.

Please pray for Miriam and her baby, Zaphat. When I saw her, I immediately realized that she was carrying around a great deal of pain and shame. As the day went on, I was increasingly aware of her. Just before we left to go home, she was brought over to our group to be prayed over. She suffers from epilepsy and had tried to run away because of the shame, but thanks to God protecting her in an unbelievably dangerous situation, she walked one and a half days back to Poundou in the 100 degree weather with her baby on her back.
If you are at all prompted to pray for Miriam, please pray that her husband will not beat and shame her. Please pray that she will receive medical attention for the epilepsy. And that her son does not have it (she is very worried that he will have it too). She is SO stoic, so strong, so silent, and carrying around a burden that could destroy her. It breaks my heart.
posted by Debbie