Look here for occassional updates from our missionaries in the field, requests for prayer, and stories of how the Lord is working through His servants around the world.
LAST UPDATED: September 30, 2009
* Jesus, Homeless in Recife
God Transforming Lives on the Streets of Brazil
Dear Prayer Family,
Wednesday night we celebrated three years of the Street Ministry in Recife. We wanted to have a little banquet and invite all our street friends. We knew a lot of them would not come to the church building so we held it in the most logical place, the center of Derby Park in downtown Recife. Most of our street friends make their home in or around the park, so it's like their own back yard.
Normally we walk a winding circuit that takes us past the street corners, small parks and business marquees where our friends are either plying their trade or bedding down for the night. There's a strange territorial aspect to our friend's existence. Many of them are not on speaking terms with others who hang out at a street corner only a few blocks away. (Not unlike some religious folk you may have met.)
We brought our soup kettle and sandwiches, a pile of donated clothes and some fresh new sheets, soft drinks and a delicious chocolate cake, and laid out our little banquet. About twenty of our street friends came. About a dozen of the young people who have embraced this ministry. And, interestingly a couple of dozen bystanders stopped by on their way back from night classes and work.
And what they heard and saw was a blessing. Edson, Odilson, and Jurandir each gave their testimonies of how the Lord rescued them from drugs and alcohol. Each could tell of how they had lived on the streets of that very park, slept under overhangs and woke up with hangovers, run from "the man" and chased after chemical dreams they never could keep.
Edson's was the most touching. I never heard a preacher make a more passionate appeal for the power of Jesus to mend a broken life. He does indeed answer prayers and he will indeed bless those who earnestly seek him. Edson could tell it with conviction. He had been there, down and out, at the bottom of the barrel and on the street with nowhere to go. And Jesus gave him a new life, a home, a job, a new family and true friends. And he wanted to call his old friends to accept the same blessings Jesus offers them.
It was powerful. It occurred to me afterward that, as Edson spoke, directly behind the men and women who listened, he could see the little street corner where he used to hang out and the ATM kiosk where he slept each night for seven years. He could see in the faces of his old buddies the same despair and hopelessness he had felt. He had been there and escaped. But he had come back, full circle, with a meaning to his life and a message to share. There's hope in Jesus. And Jesus was standing right there beside him. You can't see him in the photograph, but I swear you could see him there that night.
After Edson and Odilson's living testimony we took a brief look at a moment in our Lord's life that I thought our friends could identify with. I like the account in Matthew 8:23-27. A raging storm at sea. A dozen terrified men. A boat about to capsize. And all the while Jesus sleeps. Three words break the blackness. Master! Save! Perishing! And the Master indeed saves the perishing.
How was Jesus able to sleep in the storm? Did he have some special godly gift? Was it a miraculous slumber? One commentator suggested an intriguing answer. Jesus could relax and sleep in the middle of a storm on the sea of Galilee because he knew he wasn't going to die there. He had a date with death, but not on the high seas. His time would come, but not that day and not by drowning. It was a Roman cross on a lonely hill in Jerusalem.
It's not that Jesus had a better death to look forward to. But he knew it wouldn't be that way nor that day and in that knowledge he had peace. In visits with our friends I've learned that one of the things people who sleep on the street have the hardest time doing is just that - sleeping. They can't relax. They can't rest. A sidewalk wasn't meant to be a mattress. A store marquee is no replacement for a roof. You just can't relax when three of the walls of your room are missing and you have no idea what mortal enemy may creep up beside you as you sleep.
So how can Tavares or Maria Jose, Fatima or Carlos get any rest in the darkness of one of the most violent cities on the planet with only a sheet between them and their worst fears? Only one answer - Jesus. Only one way - Jesus. The same Jesus who warmed their insides with a cup of soup, filled their bellies with a couple of sandwiches and covered them that night with a clean, fresh sheet. Jesus. He's all we've got. He's all we need. Pray our friends will believe. And may you believe too. Thanks for all your prayers.
Dennis
Edson giving his testimony
Tavares with some fresh clothes and a sheet
It has to be called Power Sunday
From Marsha Martin--September 13, 2009.
Julie Smout was visiting for five days. She was curious about the village worship services, so I told her that they are one hour and thirty minutes on Sunday morning and one hour for the three night services each week. So much for missionaries thinking they know what to expect! Services this morning were two and one half hours of blessing. After that we adjourned to a house to give special encouragement to a neighbor.
As soon as I entered the church, Bakari the preacher handed me four slips of paper to give to children so they could read his sermon texts. For a church that has had a Bible in their own language for just four years, this was revolutionary. It was a first. Yere read the passage from Genesis 37, which described the struggles of Joseph.
Next came another first. Each family stood and sang a song for the church. It was the first time I had ever seen many of the families function as a unit. The men, women, and children eat and sleep and work in separate places. So seeing a family sing together was like seeing a tender green shoot emerging from a seed that has been waiting in the ground. God’s seed is bearing fruit. In this village the norm is to see children, women, and men each doing their own tasks separately, and rarely operating as a family unit. Often it seems that they are held together by economic ties more than cords of love. God’s teaching concerning the family has been present here for just a few years, and the written New Testament just arrived in 2005. Culture changes slowly, but God’s Word is a special catalyst.
After considering as a church how the family of Joseph isolated him and almost killed him when he followed God’s will for his life, we visited Samuel’s house where a similar drama plays on. Samuel, who died five months ago, was the only member of his family who followed Jesus, in spite of great pressure applied by his family and his wife’s family. But Samuel taught his son Yere about Jesus, and his son is a follower. Since Samuel’s death in April, his son has attended every service and practices with the youth choir 6 nights per week. This Sunday ended the time of mourning for Yere’s mother. So the church went together to celebrate with her the beginning of her new journey. She will take off her mourning clothes and begin a new life. Hymns, prayers, monetary gifts, and a feast of rice and sauce with chicken—those were the gifts from a church family who did not forsake Samuel’s family when he could no longer provide for them.
It was another rich chapter in the story of my life with the Yalunka people. God has used us to bless each other. Today I saw people following principles they learned from Jesus, against the grain of tradition handed down from their ancestors. He is able to finish the work he has started in them. I celebrate the marvel that God’s Word works in the hearts of men, women, and children. Even more marvelous, He can change the way people see each other and hear each other and love each other.
The wonders of Romans 12 have been worked among the people who have adopted me. Their hearts have been transformed…their culture is being transformed…their abundant life has made them rich. Then God planted a question in my heart: What about my culture, my family? Does He see us willing to let Him remold our minds, to have the mind of Christ? Missionaries are blessed to glimpse God’s power as He moves in His people in every corner of the earth. Dear God, what a privilege to be sculpted by you. Make me into your perfect design, and give me the courage to yield to your hand.
Marsha with a few of the ladies from the Y... church.
Historic Dagara Leaders Meeting in Burkina Faso
On August 28-30, 2009, 50 church leaders came together from 22
different village churches to give praise for the things God is doing
among them. This was the first multi-day meeting in this church
movement among the Dagara people that is reaching its fifth
anniversary.
The weekend was historic in that these churches became a legally
recognized association in Burkina, electing officers and a
constitution stating who they are and what they are about.
Overwhelming they chose to be known as Christ's Church among the
Dagara, focusing on being Jesus in both word and deed. One of the
highlights was discovering their need and enthusiasm for developing a
water ministry to rehabilitate broken water wells and develop new
water resources in Jesus' name.
The leaders said, "There are a lot of good things that can be done
here, but if you don't have water, everything else is useless." They
said, "You can work for three days without food, but you can't work a
day without water." As they spoke, it was clear that they were
speaking from a definite lived reality of water shortage.
It was exciting to see their desire to use water ministry as an
opportunity to show God's love and present the Gospel to those who
haven't yet become children of God. I firmly believe that's why God
called us to be here at this specific time. Thanks for your prayers
and support of God's mission in Burkina Faso.
For the Glory and Purpose of our Lord,
The Richter Family
Historic Floods Hit Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Ouagadougou is in the aftermath of the worst flooding in 90 years that occured on September 1, 2009. Thousands of people are still trying to find their way after
their homes were destroyed and are striving to stay healthy. Of Ouagadougou's population of approx. 1.4 million people, at least 150,000 have lost their homes ... either they collapsed or washed away, or have partially collapsed and are no longer safe for habitation; some may be repaired once the rainy season ends. We're
headed to Ouaga this Thursday for five days, so we'll get a better
view for ourselves of the damage and the recovery work being done.
Thank you for praying,
Geoffrey Richter
Update from Sao Laurenco
From Bio Nascimento: My dear friends, here are more news from SL (Sept. 7):
=> we had two baptisms over this last weekend. The husband of christian lady gave his life last saturday evening. he studied the bible with one of our dear members months ago but bore no fruit. suddenly he made a commitment. in addition, a mother of a young lady that attends our services was baptized last night. we are glad the Kingdom is growing in numbers!
=> Last night we had our general assembly and the church approved to build our church sunday school classrooms in the back of land lot, cross the street. all the paper work and blueprint plants are ready. there were some suggestions, but overall everyone present were very joyful of our decision and agreed. there was a feeling it's about time to move on. the youth and children's groups are in need of a decent space for their classes and activities. the next step will be our auditorium.
Important Next Steps in PBT's Expansion
Dear friends and family,
On Monday (Sept. 14) the plans for the proposed PBT building itself will be reviewed by a group of city officials and engineers for approval. Please pray for us to get this approval. We already have the civil engineering plans approved. We are extremely close to a building permit. Pray also for us to be able to get a three way contract signed between us, the city, and a potential contractor to start the construction of the sewer. Pray that the contractor can get “bonded.” The details are coming together!
It’s important for us to get this building built soon. Yesterday I saw two people who needed to have a confidential conversation so they ended up standing on the front porch of the building partially exposed to a rainstorm since there was no unoccupied place inside the building to meet. Meanwhile our whole team continues to grow at 12.5% annually or more. Pray that God would continue to help us.
Also pray that our plane tickets to Guinea would be affordable. We want to spend 5 weeks or so in Guinea in January-February to record a dramatized audio version of the Yalunka New Testament. So far, the ticket prices have been coming out $2500 each instead of the expected $1700. We are afraid we won’t be able to afford for all of us to go at that rate. Pray for us to be able to get those tickets lined up at a reasonable price so that the Yalunka people who can’t read would have access to God’s Word and the dramatized audio version of the New Testament could be used to plant new Yalunka churches.
Greg Pruett
Bio Blogging From Brazil
Follow what the Lord is doing through Bio and Dayse Nascimento and their partners in São Lourenço da Mata, northeastern Brazil, and the greater Recife area, at his new blog:
Last week I started another course at the "Escola da Bíblia," at the downtown church. This time I am teaching the Book of Psalms. Teaching the Pentateuch was a great experience.
The Torah teaches ethical values that instructs us how to live orderly and how to please God, whereas Psalms teach us how to cry, rejoice, and give thanks. The Psalter is a book of prayer and of tears before the Father, who understands so well our diversity of emotions.
There is a good number of students and some of them haven't found a church to worship.
-- Pray this course will be as fruitful as the past ones.
Monclova church hosts neighborhood conference for families
(June 15) Aquí les mando las fotos de la conferencia "Tipos de familia" que tuvimos el viernes gracias a Dios el cual la gente estuvo contenta y decidieron seguir asistiendo a estas, así que les pedimos sus oraciones para este proyecto, el cual tiene el propósito de que la iglesia crezca.
Dios les bendiga y les amamos!!
Jose Luis Estrada
I am sending photos of the conference "Types of Families" that we hosted for the neighborhood on Friday. Thanks to God that the people were happy with it and many decided to continue with the program. For this we ask for your prayers for this project, and that it leads to growth in the church.
God bless you and we love love!!
Jose Luis Estrada
Chankins kick off Work at PBT
(June 15, 2009) It has been a little over a year since our departure from God's work among the Dagara people of Burkina Faso. As you may imagine we have had many adjustments, decisions, prayers and tears. Through it all, God has given us comfort and peace and a new direction. While a huge part of hearts still remain in Africa, we have been so blessed to be invited to work in Dallas with Pioneer Bible Translators. Our lives remain focused on the task of reaching the unreached with the Gospel of Christ, and we are thrilled to have a role in this ministry with PBT.
We have been warmly welcomed and are excited to be part of this community. When we arrived with our truck load of stuff in the rain, there was a team of people here to help unload and move all the belongings into our house. During the unloading of our stuff, Jack had to make sure that all these people around knew which stuff was his. He took a moment to put on 4 or 5 of his tee shirts. As people were hauling boxes, moving furniture and setting up beds, Jack was standing there showing them all his shirts. He and Emma are adjusting well to their new environment and are enjoying a little more room for playing.
Mandy and I officially began our work with PBT in the Pioneer Missions Institute (aka PMI) training program. This event takes place every summer for all people who are interested in learning more about PBT and perhaps serving God through PBT. It is also one of the requirements to become a PBT missionary. During this week, Mandy and I received our assignment with PBT to work in Dallas at the International Service Center. It was a great way to kick off our time here because we were able to meet many of the missionaries with whom we will be working and many of the new recruits that I will be mentoring and coaching.
PMI was a great experience for so many reasons. It was exciting to see some old friends and meet many new ones. The times of worship were a blessing to Mandy and me. One thing that I saw was the way this community works to further God's desire of reaching all people through their love, unity and most of all prayer. Here at PBT the only desire is to bring glory to God. Isn't it amazing that God allows us to be part of His kingdom work?
I will hit the ground running after PMI. My job will focus on mentoring those who arrive in Dallas for training. I have been assigned five families or individuals that I will be coaching. One aspect of my job is to help them stay focused and moving forward so they can get to the field that God has prepared for them as quickly and efficiently as possible. I will also be helping them understand and move through the maze of PBT requirements that we have just worked through as well so they will be the best prepared for their new fields.
In closing our family would like for prayers in the following areas:
* Continued prayers for our transition into life here in Arlington
* Praise God for a wonderful experience at PMI
* Praise God for those of you who have joined our Partnership
Development team
* Continue to pray for our Partnership Development (we still have
about 20% we need to raise.)
* Please pray for the families and individuals that I will be
coaching and mentoring that God will lead them where they need to be.
* Please pray for the PBT interns who are going out this summer to
East Africa, West Africa and Papua New Guinea
Thank you for your prayers,
Archie and Mandy Chankin
**New Address information**
714 Blossomwood Dr
Arlington, 76017
972-861-9154
Restoring Water and Hope in Burkina Faso
Dear Oak Hills,
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then these pictures speak for themselves. There's a lot to this story that deserves writing down and telling, but for now....
Our group left at 7AM and then due to an unexpected dust/rain storm, it was about 5PM when we got home. It was a BLESSED DAY all around. Two wells were rehabilitated and water was restored to literally hundreds of people in the village of Laye.
Mme. Zoungrana (National Director of Water Resources for Burkina Faso) was so, so happy about it all. Living Water International and the Bibleland kids have touched her life and blessed her home village beyond what she could have imagined.
And, to top it off, 15 minutes after we finished at the 2nd well, God sent a strong rain which will enable them to get their fields ready and plant their 1st crop. Today was an answer to prayer in more ways than one!
May God be pleased,
The Richter Family, Missionaries in Burkina Faso!
June 11, 2009
Springboard missions training center kicks off in Natal, Brazil.
(From Bryan Carruth, OHC missionary in Natal, Brazil. June 1)
Please be praying for Springboard. We are very pleased with the way things are starting.
Our orientation is this week and classes kick off with Dennis Downing on Tuesday the 9th. He will be teaching on devotional life..
We have a good mix this year.
We have several Bbrazilians from our city.
The 2 from Oak Hills are already here and nestled in.
We have a student from way out in the country of our state.
We have a daughter from the pastor of a very large and influential Baptist church in São Paulo.
We have two students from Japan.
We have a student form Italy.
We have a student from Cape Verde, Africa.
We have two students from Argentina.
Please pray for Gul. He is a Christian leader in Pakistan and he is fighting to get his visa for the program. His interview is today.
love and prayers, Bryan
God opens doors for water ministry in Burkina Faso
(From Geoffrey Richter, OHC missionary to the Dagara in Burkina Faso)
Hello from the sizzling plains of West Africa! This past week I wrapped up six months of French language study in the capital and began doing some searching for information on water wells, accessibility of water, number of wells which are broken down, etc. Well, you're not going to believe it but God took me "right to the top" from the start. It just so happens that my language instructor has a cousin who works in water quality testing, looking for heavy metals and arsenic which is a problem in the north. Anyway, he said we needed to go talk to this woman who could probably help answer our questions at the Minister of Agriculture, de l' Hydraulique, et des Resources office.
The woman's name is Madame Jacqueline Zoungrana and she just happens to be the National Director of Information and Studies on Water in Burkina Faso! Unbelievable! It would have taken us weeks to find such a person and she was exactly the person we needed to see. She has served in this capacity for the last seven years and has some twenty people working under her. She said she loves her job, but she is often discouraged by the lack of response she gets from the government when she submits her reports on how many people here go without water.
After Mme. Zoungrana learned that I was interested in doing pump repair in Burkina and that I had received training in the United States to do so, she asked if I would accompany her to her home village to examine the many broken down wells. She explained that the situation was so bad that the last time she visited her family they couldn't even offer her a drink of water because all the wells around them were broken. At first, I thought it would be a good idea to build a relationship with someone high up in government and water issues. I wanted to gain her trust and perhaps get something in return. But now, I realize that what God had in store through this relationship was more than I had imagined and that it was bigger than me.
Today, we travelled northwest of Ouagadougou to the village of Laye where life is based on the daily necessity of finding enough food and water. Like so many villages the availability of water is often scarce. Presently, her family is having to travel 3 KM each way to get water (that's a 3 mile round trip). There are closer wells, but they are sitting unused because there isn't knowledge or money to fix them. Mme. Zoungrana said that her village is a good example of the bad water situation that exists throughout this nation. The new government politic in Burkina is that there be one well per every 300 persons and that it be situated within 1 KM of their habitation. It's one thing for the government to set that as a goal, however, they only apply a minimal amount of finances to rural water development.
We looked at six different broken down pumps (4 India Mark II, 1 Volant, and 1 Diafa). The repairs are simple, I think, but no one has come or is coming to their aid. I was really moved by seeing their need and looking at the situation through the eyes of a "hometown gal." At the last well, we prayed that God would show us a solution so that these pumps could be repaired and water could be restored. I don't have any tools and I haven't found any parts dealers yet, but I believe God is wanting us to fix at least a couple of these wells.
In return the National Director is sharing lots of information with me on wells, pumps, and NGO's in Burkina and, will deliver a 2008 report to me on the national water situation in a couple of days. Again, I can't believe how this relationship has developed this way. Who would have thought? In addition, she asked if there would be a possibility of me putting together a pump repair training program for nationals (part of their new politic is to have one trained water well mechanic in each village). I told her that if I couldn't do it, I certainly knew some people who could... I told her all we can do is ask and pray and see what happens. That's why I wanted to introduce her to you in the photo.
National Director with Geoffrey and pump repair guys
I don't where all this is leading, but I find it very intriguing that God would have me begin repairing wells in Burkina in the home village of Mme. Zoungrana. She is a believer and, like me, sees this relationship as a God-appointed meeting. I hope I haven't taken too much of your time by telling you this story, but I just couldn't keep it to myself. And, it's not just the need or the opportunity, it's knowing the heart and character of people like Mme. Zoungrana that makes this a very gratifying work. You know, sometimes we do things in life and are tempted to say look at what I have done or accomplished. But, then there are other times that we look at something and realize that what we are witnessing is only what God could have done!
Our God is Mighty,
Geoffrey Richter
What has one cake, eight bouquets, and sixteen rings?
If you guessed a group wedding ceremony with eight couples you win the prize - a free wedding photo!
It's fairly common among working class families in Brazil for young couples to complete the civil obligations of a wedding, with the official certificate and the courthouse "I do's". However, because a church ceremony and reception can easily cost several month's wages newlyweds will often put the church wedding off for a while. And sometimes "for a while" just never seems to come.
On Friday, May 1st eight couples from the church in São Lourenço were finally able to walk down the aisle and it was a beautiful sight to behold. Our sisters Sandra and Daisy had the idea to do the group wedding. Together with several other sisters (and some help from the brothers) they planned the ceremony, organized the decorations and arranged the reception. The ceremony and reception were held at a local school auditorium. An event that would have been too costly for any one of the couples on their own served as a night to remember for all of them together.
Sixteen men and women, some of whom may have wished they hadn't a number of times over the years said "I do" once more before their friends and family - and for most of them - before their children as well. A man who had beaten his wife on several occasions promised to honor, love, and cherish her with their son and daughters looking on. Another man who had betrayed his wife a number of times looked like he had just seen her for the first time as she walked down the aisle to take his hand.
There were some couples that have been an example to us all. And there were some marriages that hadn't just been on the rocks, but had been broken seemingly beyond repair. All were held up with hope and love - and I believe with all my heart they aren't just going to make it but, they're going to set an example for all to see.
Ever wish your kids could have been there on your wedding day? Well, fourteen beaming sons and daughters watched as Mom and Dad walked the aisle and said their vows. It was one of those moments only Jesus could put together.
The youngest couple, Cesar and Gilberta have been married for three years. The oldest couple, Izidio and Mocinha would celebrate twenty two years of marriage that same week. Bio Nascimento did a masterful job with the message. I was so proud of him.
The whole event was a testimony to Bio and Dayse, Mozart and Marilia, and Bira and Giovanete's leadership of the church in São Lourenço. To me it wasn't just a wedding ceremony, it was a tribute to a church that has really come of age and to men and women and whole families whom Christ has transformed. Most of all, it was a tribute to the power of the Gospel and the love of Christ. It made me long to see the smile on Jesus' face when His bride walks down the aisle. She's looking more beautiful every day. Check out the photos below.
Thanks for all your prayers. God is doing great things through you!
Dennis, Germana, Paulina & Victoria
Bio and the couples during the ceremony
Eight radiant couples.
The waltz (Izidio and Mocinha entering the dance floor on the far right. Twenty-two years of marriage on their wedding night.)
(Update provided by Misael Gomez, Care Team Leader for the Estrada family)
I just wanted to drop a note on the Estrada Family. I talked to them on Monday and they are all doing fine. That includes Ayzel and Dulce who are still in Zapata, Texas studying. The girls plan to return to Monclova to be with the rest of the family the first week in July tentatively ...... God willing. They did have new additions to the family. Their Dachshound dog had two puppies with a chihuahua before he died so they have two new chiweenie pups.
They told me they did have Life Group in the colonia on Friday, and that it went great. They put the movie Fireproof on and this time there was no rain and they were able to enjoy the the entire movie. According to Bro. Estrada their were people sitting on the sidewalk and the street, and they all thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and the movie. He said there was a gentleman there who is the security police for the neighborhood and he really loved what they were doing. He told them that he would like this to be done on a large scale. He suggested that they rent the kiosk at the plaza in the center of that colonia and put a christian movie on for all to see. He said he would check for them to see what needs to be done so that this takes place. They told me that he left very excited and anxious about the possibilities. Overall this method of outreach sounds excellent because I can hear their excitement everytime they tell me about it. This sounds like something that we all need to keep in our prayers.
Brother Estrada feels God is definitely taking hold of this congregation and preparing them for something bigger.
He totally understands that some of the members will be out of their comfort zone, but he knows that they would have preferred to remain in the status quo if they were given a option. Please keep them in your prayers.
The Long Arm of God's Word...
From Greg Pruett, OHC Missionary & President of Pioneer Bible Translators
Some friends of mine have been preaching about Jesus on short term trips in another country near where we work in West Africa. They sent me these pictures of men in this other country reading the Bible we translated. About ten men became followers of Jesus ten years ago when a pastor went through this village. They have stayed faithful these years without any other visits from believers that we know of. Now they have access to God’s Word through the Bible we translated, even though it’s hard for them to understand it since it’s not the same language, but closely related. My friends will take them five more copies of the Bible this month God willing.
I just wanted to say to all of you who have prayed and supported us over the years that God continues to use your efforts to bless people now in a related language. When will God help these people to have His Word in their own language so they can understand it more clearly? Continue to watch and pray with us. I need to go visit these men and find out more about the particular dialect they speak.
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Visit Bio and Dayse Nascimento's Blogfor weekly news:
DAGARA DIGEST - APRIL 2009 - THE RICHTER FAMILY IN BURKINA FASO, WEST AFRICA
God continues blessing our time in Ouagadougou with language learning, networking with friends, and laying a foundation for long-term ministry. Thank you all for your prayers and support. God has provided a wonderful beginning for our family here in Burkina.
Language learning is going well. In one sense it gets easier everyday, but in another, it becomes more challenging as you discover there is so much more to learn.
When we first arrived in Ouaga we felt somewhat isolated and alone. We must have entered into warp speed because now we have so many ex-pat friends and activities that it is overwhelming.
We’ve learned a lot about living in Burkina and what it takes to do missions here. We’ve also been blessed with the opportunity to serve others by starting a Moringa tree project. Moringa is perhaps the most nutritious and beneficial tree in the world. We have over 700 trees growing in our backyard which we are donating to an orphanage and a street children’s ministry.
Another project is “getting our feet wet” doing pump repair on water wells once every two weeks with another mission organization here in Ouaga. In Burkina there are over 30,000 wells serving the water needs of rural villages, however 23% of them are broken down. There are not enough organizations repairing them to keep up with the need. Both these development projects are relatively easy to conduct and can provide a significant improvement in the lives of Burkinabe.
The Richters
The Richter kids and their friend Daniel preparing nursery bags for moringa trees.
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