Top Ten Encounters: Week 10

Top Ten Encounters: Week 1

1) The tree of life. Just down the road from our home in Diebougou there is a large tree that always has people sitting in its branches or on the ground beneath them. We have never walked or driven by without several friendly people waving back. One day while Lynn was in a meeting Karen and I spent over 3 hours playing with the kids under the tree of life. We handed out notes in their language that said that we and God loved them. We painted finger nails and ran and danced and sang and laughed. By the time we left over 30 kids had gathered. Those kids were so cute! And I’m so glad that God doesn’t let a little thing like language prevent the ability to love. I love those kids and will miss them so much!

2) Visiting villages. We traveled to two villiages to check up on malnourished kids that had been treated 3 months ago. It was so good to see that most of them had improved!

3) Team arrived! The med team from Williston arrived on Thursday. It has been great seeing some more Americans and odd at the same time because it is like mini culture shock.

4) Day poolside. While waiting for the team to arrive on Thursday Karen and I got to spend a few hours at the pool in the city! I almost felt like I was back home just hanging out and swimming with a friend...until I looked up and saw gorgeous flowers blooming from the trees above us. I was glad I still had one week in Africa and it’s beauty.

5) Giant moth. I was about as fascinated as Liam with a giant moth that was right outside their house. They grow the bugs big here. It was HUGE!

6) Patrice’s driving. Driving with a true Burkinabe cut our 5.5 hour drive to Ouga down to 4. He is a pro!

7) Operation Christmas Child! While eating at a restaurant in Ougadougou Karen’s open bible prompted a fun conversation with the waiter. He told us that his son had received a box from Operation Christmas Child! He brought out the note from the child in America who packed the box along with a bulletin from the church that child was apart of. The waiter insisted that I write down the contact information and asked if I would please call the church and thank them for the box. He said his son was so excited to receive the box and it was a huge blessing. All of the boxes many of us pack every year are making a difference!

8) Mango chicken! One day I decided that mango for breakfast and lunch was not enough and I wanted it for supper as well. I did my best attempt at a mango chicken dish along with real mashed potatoes and we all enjoyed a fairly mid-western meal. I’m so excited for my mama’s cooking when I get home!

9) Soccer again! I got to play soccer again. This time I was the only girl along with about 20 guys. Karen was going to play but about 2 minutes into it she retreted to the edge of the field and took out some nail polish. Instantaneously she was engulfed by a crowd of kids and I didn’t see her again until the game was over. One thing I noticed this time was that only I and one other person were wearing tennis shoes. All the other guys were wearing plastic strap on sandals and plastic tennis shoes. Most pairs had broken and been repaired with string as best they could. Another reminder of how blessed I am in America and don’t even realize it. I have even taken tennis shoes for granted.

10) Extreme hunger. On Saturday we opened our first clinic. Child after malnourished child was brought to me for treatment. One little girl was far worse off than all the rest. She was all skin and bones and had an eerie resemblance to pictures I have seen of children from the holocaust in concentration camps. We did all we could for her but told her mother she needed to go to the hospital. The mother said she that was not an option since she needed her husband’s permission and he was in the Ivory Coast. In Dagara culture if the husband is absent the brother of the husband can make decisions for him. Unfortunately for this little girl her uncle would not give her mom permission to bring her to the hospital. I doubt she will make it much longer...she was so malnourished. All of our hearts broke at the inability to help her. I just pray that the Dagara people will learn the truth and Jesus will penetrate their culture and there will be no more stories like this.