Burkina Faso Update From Peter/ “Laafi Bala”

“Laafi Bala” (Wellness and Health) in Moore`

I would like to share a chapel style sermon I had the privilege of sharing at the Bible college at Nagabagiri a small village to the east of Ouagadougou about 25 kilometers. “I have been given a great gift, that of traveling to Burkina Faso from America. Back in America I have a Beautiful family, I have ONE wife, ( great laughfter and applass) She loves and supports me. I am very Blessed to have her because she is a Good Cook(more laughter and applause). She can make anything taste good I also have been blessed with two beautiful children. My oldest, a girl, is named Charis. Her name means “One who is governed by the power of Devine grace”. She is eight years old and is gifted in music and language. My other child, a daughter is named Olivia, symbolizing fruitfulness, dignity and beauty. She is six years old. She has a big heart and loves her Daddy. My home is greatly blessed with sound of Laughter and Music. One day my pastor, Loren told me about this place in West Africa called Bukina Faso. I had never heard of this place, but as he told me about the beautiful people that were in this very warm place, and about how their hearts were even warmer than the Air. My heart began to burn. I was feeling that I needed to go and meet these people. Pastor Loren told me he was planning a trip to see his friends from many years before. I told him I wanted to go with him to africa. I asked what we would be doing while we were there. In america when someone thinks about missions to Africa, they usually think about building something, or digging wells, or helping the sick, or even just feeding the hungry. These were the sane thing I had on my mind. I figured that since I am a man who works with my hands, I could do just about any of those things. I was only thinking about what Peter could do as merely a man. Not to mention what God wanted me to do. Pastor Loren then told me that the only thing the people wanted us to was to come and teach, I thought Ok I can teach, I could teach building, or well drilling or maybe helping some sick, and on and on as I was looking at my personal bag of skills. I can do a lot of things and even if I can’t I can usually figure it out. I figured I can handle this. Then Loren said that I would be teaching the Bible, the Word of God. Even with that I could wrap my brain around how to study, I am a pretty good speaker so I got his handled. I have sat under some great bible teachers and read a lot of good books so how hard could it be, right. So I went to work studying and reading and rrading and studying for about three months leading up to this trip. I was still feeling like I wasn’t getting any where, like something was missing. I thought about it, I have my notes, I have the chapters figured out so it must be that I have to learn some more about public speaking, that must be the missing piece. Time to go. The Lord had blessed us with the funds for the tickets, and the time to take away from work. So off I go to this country in the Middle of West Africa that nobody knew anything about. Before I had gone I had told some people about where I was going and what I would be doing there and I was told I was wasting my time. “There are already to many missionaries in Africa, the work is already done there.” Or I was told, “You are just one person on a very large continant, you can’t even speak the lanuage, how can you make a difference?” As I am sitting on the plane I began to dwell on these things. I began thinking that I was just one guy, how could I be of any help to even one person, let alone help change an entire nation. I began to doubt that I had anything to offer. I began to miss my wife. I began to miss my children. Then the plane landed in Burkina Faso. I was defeated and I hadn’t set foot on the ground. I had made a huge mistake and I didn’t even realize it yet. The whole time I had been in my preparation and travels I had not yet really sought God on what he wanted from me on this trip. I had not yet asked his help in ministering to these people. Most importantly I had not ask God to truly empty me, in order for him to work trough me. I was still operation on the premise that Peter had some thing to offer these people here. What I really needed was for Peter to step aside and for the Holy Spirit to fill me up with his Love, His strength, so that He could minister to these people not me. I was here to teach the bible to Pastors so they could than go out to their churches and teach what they had learned. This was very sobering to me. I began to realize that if left to my own devices that was an Impossibility. What I had come to do here was Impossible. Not because God couldn’t do it, but because I was still in the way. I was like a bottle filled with mud that was good for nothing. I had to be emptied so I could than be filled again. I was about to learn this the hard way, unfortunately that is how I learn a lot of things. I had been here for five day, I had struggled to give two teaching, my preparation time was a struggle. The teaching were OK I just never felt like it wasn’t just me trying to show I was capable of doing the task set before me. I was operating on my own power and that was fading fast. Saturday morning came along, I had been looking forward to Saturday because I was had been invited to share a meal in the home of one of the Pastors who lived Ouagadougou. Jean Kabore` was a missionary pastor to Niger, a very nice man who had a little English along with French, Moore` and I am sure a few others as well. I love food and new food is even better so today was going to be a great day. We were then given the schedule for the Sunday services. Up until this point I had not really thought about the services, I did not even think that I would have to share at a church. I was given a pulpit for Sunday. “What am I going to do with this?” I though. I had been given an assignment that I was not prepared to do. This was impossible. I had nothing to offer these people. This was not just reading and interpreting the meaning, this was truly share of myself to a people that had more to offer in the way of Joy, Love, and Faith than I could even hope to experience in a lifetime. I began to wilt. I was not qualified for this and I now realized that I needed something more than I had to offer. There was Crack. A little fear crept in. I looked at the guys and began to explain what I was feeling, that I was incapable of truly Ministering to these people so I didn’t want to. Then it happened. I broke. Tears began to flow down my face, I wept. I was being emptied. I had come to the end of what was possible for Peter to do now I had let God come in, fill me back up with his power so I could even continue. This was the part that I realized that I had made the mistake of not bringing in God long before. We prayed that the holy spirit would empower and fill me so I could do what had to be done in His name not mine. In his strength, not mine. In his will, not mine. As a team we were than able to than ask for the guidance in burkina Faso, that we would be the tools for Christ’s work while we are here. I finally had the realized that I was useless in this place. I had nothing. I needed to see that with out be filled with holy spirit I was useless and nothing was possible. The time here after that has been a series of beautiful events well orchestrated by God to further his Kingdom. I have been nothing more that a vessel for the Lord’s work here in Burkina Faso. I have been able to study more freely. Knowing that all I was going to say was the Lord speaking through me to these men that had taken time out of there lives to come for 10 days on there own dime to learn God’s word. Thank God for his work in this amazing place.

Peter