Burkina Update, Shock!

While driving in the car the other night we were joking around about how I mentioned the term homeless in a teaching.  Marcel stopped me and started laughing because they didn’t understand the term.  Earlier today the men had a hard time understanding homeless in a land that was so plentiful, so they asked why there are homeless.  I gave several answers from, runaways, to drugs, to mental illness etc…. but it was hard for them to understand in a land of such plenty how could people be left on the street for eve those in Burkina have “homes”.  So we were laughing about my miscue on that but then Marcel opened up in His Jolly Happy way and said do you know I didn’t know that I was poor until I came to America.  When I got to America I saw water everywhere.  He said I never thought about  walking 5 kilometers until I saw the plenty of the U.S..  Then (and this cracks me up)  I saw animals running wild in the “bush” and nobody wanted them! =)  Then I cam back home, and I got sick with Typhoid and I went to the doctor and the bill would be 100 dollars that I had to pay or else I would die, it was then I realized I was poor because nobody would die for a 100$ in America!  I then saw this first hand today on my way out to the retreat center.  In the middle of the road we came upon a scooter accident.  3 people were laying dazed/dead in the road.  It looked like a girl 18-20 on a bike had tried to cross this crazy African road when she was hit by 2 guys on a scooter.  The 2 men were totally bloodied up with broken bones lying dazed in the middle of he road, and the girl who may have been dead was totally out with a pool of blood coming out of her head and pooling up on the street.  I asked how long until medical would come (30-60 minutes) and that they would lay there until it happened.  As we drove back that afternoon the stains on the street were a brutal reminder of how spoiled and fortunate I am, how unthankful I can be.

This is important because I have written much about how God is working on my heart over here, and I want to be clear on this.  My heart is not broken because of how poor they are (they don’t know it) my heart is broken because of how poor we are.  America in General fits the laodacean church to a T!  We are neither hot nor cold, we say we are rich and we have prospered, but we ARE the ones that are wretched pitable poor blind, and Naked!

It is for this reason that I had such a difficult time answering a girls question when I was teaching the kids.  She asked  “ Is it easier in America”?  I said some things are easier (life, comfort, etc….) But some things are harder, like desiring Jesus and really needing and relying on Jesus because we are so caught up in ourselves.  I guess I would ask you back home what are you thankful for!  What things do we quickly take for granted.  We don’t need to get rid of them, but we should thank God everyday for the simplicity of what they have.

Do you have a dishwasher… Be thankful and use your extra time to love your family

Do you have medication… Be thankful you can get to it

Do you have water…. Be thankful you don’t have to wake up at 3, go to the cistern find out the water gone, and then have to drive 15 minutes to get some….

I think because we are rich, we have so much time to fill our lives with something…. For many that is malcontent, bitterness, entertainment etc…and they are sucking the life out of us.  Think about it nobody here would really have enough time to read this blog.  The men are just trying to get food, and the woman are trying to make it in a pot on the fire, and then they hit repeat.  Just a heart check TFAB.  I know mine is all messed up…

On a side not I met the new president of all the Ag churches here in Burkina.  Pastor Michael.  He said you have a open door to do whatever you want in any church at any time, because we are connected to Marcel and the Swansons.  So thankful we get to stand on other peoples shoulders and continue a work God has begun!!!

I want to say thank you for those that have donated money for the roofs.  We are trying to do 16 total from TFAB!  So please pray and see if God might have you give, to cover the household of faith here in Burkina!

Finally, I had the honor of baptizing 5 people yesterday.  3 that were muslim, and 2 that were atheists.  Then I taught on God is able, and just hit on the fiery furnace, and a Muslim woman came to the Lord!  That’s a Shocking highlight!

Much Love TFAB,

Loren