See Something More

When I walked across the courtyard toward the simple single-room conference hall, I could hear the djembe beating and hands clapping and voices ringing out, and I knew the morning devotional was already in full swing. Everyone - the 60 plus church leaders from various villages - were all standing when I peeked my head through the doorway, and I was glad because I could slip in a little let noticeably...me being the only white female to attend.    As soon as I found my place on the front row, the man leading the devotional said a few words in Dagara and everyone fell on their knees wherever they were standing and began praying a loud prayer all together at the same time. Some would call it chaos, but I thought it must have sounded like a chorus to the Lord. Some might say it was rambunctious, but I thought it was quite passionate. I joined them on my knees, thanking God for the opportunity to be a part of this first leadership formation of 2016.  The heart of our ministry ...

The only thing I could see was his smile shining white in the darkness because his skin was as black as the night. "Bombakebe? Is that you?" I peeked through the slits in the window panes and saw his floating smile beaming back at me. He sometimes sleeps under the hangar next door, but I guess he took the liberty to open our gate and come inside to watch us through the kitchen window. We were preparing our dinner right in front of him, and I knew he probably hadn't eaten all day. "What would you like to eat?" Suzanne asked him. Knowing he wouldn't like our American dish, we sent our guard out for a big bowl of rice and sauce just for Bombakebe.  He's been around a lot lately, which is good because we can keep an eye on him and it keeps him off the streets where he has a tendency to steal and get into trouble with stuff like that. He sometimes sleeps next door. He comes to was his clothes. He comes to pet the dogs. He has a trunk that he keeps all his stu...

I think we've found our theme song.  As a way to start the year off right, our team has been meeting every morning this week to worship, pray, and study together. We start off each session with singing, and there has definitely been one song that has stood out among the rest. One song that has marked the hearts of our team. One song that is especially applicable to us as we live in a land where spiritual warfare is real and we are faced with the reality of fighting against it every day. It goes like this:  Nous allons dans le camp ennemie  Pour arracher ce que le diable a volé  Il est sous nos pieds, il est sous nos pieds, il est sous nos pieds  Satan est sous nos pieds It means this: We're going into the enemy camp To take back what the devil has stolen He is under our feet, he is under our feet, he is under our feet Satan is under our feet Whoever the Dagara sing, they always get into it - whether that means clapping their hands or swaying to the beat. But whe...

I like it when Valentine's Day falls on Sunday. Maybe it's because the celebration of Christ on Sunday and the celebration of love on Valentine's Day just fit together quite perfectly.  I started Valentine's Day by opening a gift that my mom had sent in my luggage. I kept it in the fridge because I suspected there was chocolate inside, and I was right! And none of it even melted! She also sent a pair of socks, which I happily wore to bed even though it was like 90 degrees in my room.  Next we went out to a village church where we spent a lovely time worshipping with brothers and sisters in Christ. Charlotte and I pulled the kids aside to have their own Sunday school, and we shared the story of the feeding of the five thousand.  That evening, we gathered together with the Hiens to have a time of team worship and prayer...and of course to eat dinner after. It felt calming and joyful to be in the same room, all together again, finally! During the course of the evening we s...

It's been a few days now since I arrived to Burkina after being away for a few months, and I have made an interesting and beautiful discovery.  There are things about Burkina that I missed. Like playing  soccer in the dirt at kids' club and telling each child that their coloring sheet is beautiful, even when Jesus' face is colored blue.  Like those bubbly Lafi drinks with a crystal light mixed in and bowl of ripe red strawberries. You've never had a real strawberry until you've had one from Burkina. It makes your average Kroger strawberries seem like an entirely lesser fruit.  Like Friday morning milk distributions and bouncing black babies. They are scared of me and cry at first, but usually warm up and will even let me hold them or smile when I make a goofy face.  When you miss things like this, it can only mean one thing. This place is beginning to feel like home.  There is a great difference between my arriving to Burkina this year and last year. Last y...

A tiny tear formed in the corner of my eye as a smile wiped across my face. I felt pressure immediately released from my heart and soul like air coming out of a tire too tight. It was just what I needed to hear, so I read it again.  " You will be secure, because there is hope. You will look about you and take your rest in safety. You will lie down with no one to make you afraid, and many will court your favor." (Job 11:18-19) After three days of intense field training in security and emergency situations, I needed to be grounded in something true. This security training for missionaries was excellent, and I had learned so much about so many things - from the theology of risk to what to do in an active shooting or carjacking situation. I had practiced going through government and criminal checkpoints, interrogation, and a hostage scenario. As the directors so aptly said, "The situations are fabricated, but your emotions are real." It was intense to say the least, and...

After a hearty Italian meal with my family, including my sister and her boyfriend, in a small restaurant in Arkadelphia, we discussed options for an after-dinner activity. When  you're in Arkadelphia of all places, that's a rough place to start. (I can only say that because my college town was Searcy, where Walmart and the zonkey are the highest forms of entertainment.)  "We could go get ice cream," someone suggested and we all groaned and rubbed our bellies, knowing that no one had any room for a spoonful of anything, not even ice cream.  "It's open dorm at my place," my sister's boyfriend said, "and there is a ping pong table in there."  "I could ask my friend for his Bible trivia game," my sister added.  "We have a guitar and cajon drum in the back of the car," dad mentioned. "Anywhere we could play some music?"  My sister's boyfriend perked up and said, "Yeah! I can get the key to the church!"...