Do the Next Thing

"Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good."

Romans 12

For those of you who don't know about our family's current transition, here's the scoop.  At the very same time we were praying for guidance, our mission leadership offered Philip two additional positions within the ministry.  In addition to ministering through the Host Family project, he took on greater responsibilities with a hand in the broader ministry.  Positions that can best be done from a different location that feels safer.  Clearly, this is an answer to prayer.

At the same time, it is a significant loss for our family.  The loss of home. Again.  After one glorious homeless year of preparations in the States, followed by a language learning year living in someone else's home, we had finally put down roots.  These were the neighbors we expected to raise our children beside. This is the church family who walks with us in serving children.  This is the home where God proved Mark 10:30....no one who leaves home for Jesus will fail to receive a hundred times in this present age.

We filled it with laughter, painted the walls, and amazingly God made this remote house in West Africa our home.  "Home, once lost, can never be regained."

We feel like Simon Peter in Luke 5, given more blessing than we can handle, and then asked to walk away from it.

*Pause right here.*

In Luke 5, they left that miraculous catch, but that isn't the whole story.  Left everything and followed him.  When you think about what was to come for them, witnessing healings, teachings, feedings, being sent out, being chosen, feeling betrayed, the resurrection.....did they ever look back at those stinkin' fish?

And so we set our eyes on the following him, recounting his faithfulness to bring us this far, and set out in wonder at what He has in store next.

The New Burkina & The Unchanging King

"Lord, hear my prayer,

listen to my cry for mercy;

in your faithfulness and righteousness

come to my relief."

Psalm 143:1

It is startling how often the psalmist considers himself on the verge of death.  These are not just "having a bad day" prayers.  These are "in the hands of my enemies" looking death in the face prayers.

We are not in the hands of our enemies, but minimizing our risk of kidnapping factors into every family outing and some of our daily decisions at home.  After the loss of Mike and the Elliot's kidnapping, followed by security training, we learned to take this security map seriously.

I filled many prayer journal pages with cries to God to show us the way we should go.  This is the not the Burkina we signed up for and yet, as the author of this faith journey, He knew it was the Burkina he was sending us into.  To know Him as the perfecter of our faith is to know He is seeing this one through.  

The famous C.S. Lewis quote puts it like this: "Safe?  Who said anything about safe?  Of course he isn't safe.  But he is good."

That is what I came back wanting to know.  I know He is not safe.

But is He good?

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,

for I have put my trust in you.

Show me the way I should go,

 for to you I entrust my life."

Psalm 143:8

Rice in the Field

Knee deep in hot African mud, I started rethinking my grand field trip idea.  You see, we had noticed five 200 lb. bags of rice at our night guard's house.  It was the last of last year's fourteen bag rice harvest.  Wouldn't it be fun to follow that up by seeing this year's rice growing in the fields?

Ultimately, I was right.  It was a great, eye-opening experience.

Each year this man asks the government for a piece of land on which to plant to feed his family. Impressive that in addition to working for us full-time, he grows the rice his family will eat every single day for the whole year.  That pretty much sums up the local work ethic and monotonous diet for you.  Need I mention the field work is done by hand?

In Quiet Celebration

On Monday our ministry leader got a call about a two week old baby.  The baby's mother had died and the father came from several hours away to leave the baby with his sister, and then he went back home.  Now the aunt and her husband were wanting to be done with the baby, too.  Instead, we offered them bottles and formula and taught them it was possible to care for the baby themselves.  Rather than being abandoned, this baby is now being cared for by his aunt.

On Tuesday our ministry leader got a call about a two month old baby.  When the mother died ten days earlier, the family started feeding this baby and his twin regular powdered milk.  The twin did not live long on such milk and at that point the family went in search of someone else to care for the baby because they recognized they didn't know how.  Again, our ministry leader offered bottles and formula and this baby returned home to be raised by his grandmother.

Following days of meeting families in crisis like that, the ongoing formula distribution seems ordinary.  There are no notable photo ops, no culturally shocking stories, just family members passing by from miles around to get the formula they need for the child in their care.  In the Kingdom of heaven, though, I think this day may be even greater than the others.  It's in quietness that families are preserved and the need for orphanages decreased.  Today let's thank the Lord for the babies who were not abandoned.  May you also keep sharing the strength of quiet stories of hope.

"The Lord's justice will dwell in the desert, his righteousness live in the fertile field.  The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever."

Isaiah 32:16-17

Photo Friday

This is how the chicken crosses the road Burkina-style.

 It has been a week for fastfood.  Every single day we've eaten from a little food shack around the corner from our house.  Every day they serve white rice and a sauce made from peanuts and fish.  You can get the food to go if you bring your own containers, which we did.  Today we served our family and four guests for $4.  Can't beat that!  The cute little bags of water were extra.

 This group of host mamas came by today.  The two requests they made were to pray for our family and to pray for the church in America who sent us.  Love, love, love these ladies.

Happy Friday!

Each Color A Story

Can't help but think of the Tapestry poem popularized by Corrie ten Boom when I see all these colors for Coulibaly's weaving.  The story of those highs and lows all woven together into the tapestry of our lives for the glory of the One who holds the pattern.

My life is but a weaving

Between my Lord and me;

I cannot chose the colors

He worketh steadily.

Oft times He weaveth sorrow

And I, in foolish pride,

Forget He sees the upper,

And I the underside.

Not til the loom is silent

And the shuttles cease to fly,

Shall God unroll the canvas

And explain the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful

In the Weaver's skillful hand,

As the threads of gold and silver

In the pattern He has planned.

Whatever Your Hand Finds To Do

Since this spring, Coulibaly has been our night guard, and we are beyond thrilled to help this brother have a steady income to support his beautiful family.  More than a guard, though, Coulibaly is a skilled craftsman.  From his "old father" (could be any older man in his family) he learned to weave. 

He has this homemade loom set-up under some trees not far from his house.

 Titus was brave enough to take a turn.  It's not easy!

 See that smile?  Each week at our church each of the six or so people groups take a turn singing praises in their own language.  Coulibaly always leads his group with that smile.

 As he works, the rock in the distance creating the tension moves forward.

 There you have it, folks, the finished product.  As our neighbors called it, a "true, original African blanket."