Fun In The Sun!

Today was a good day! It was jammed packed full of excitement and activities. The day started off with a widow’s distribution. Rebecca and I, along with Jean (the orphanage’s “do all” man), Wenosou (a local lady), and some of the older orphanage boys, ventured out to distribute grain and soap to sponsored widows. We all piled in the back of the pick up truck with the grain and headed out to the different villages. Once at a widow’s courtyard we would bring the soap and grain to her and then pray with her. It was a time of blessing, laughter, fun and lots of sun!

Later in the day we played with the kids; doing various activities. Playing cards is our favorite one. But, whatever we are doing it is always with lots of love and laughter. I am constantly learning new words in both French and Moore, singing songs and clapping. It is always a blast. It is so great to be back here and be with the kids I met in January and strengthening our relationship. And it is also a wonderful feeling to be bonding with the new kids at the orphanage.

To end the day out in the courtyard, I sat with the babies while the toddlers ate their dinner and got to experience a very precious thing. A few of the older boys were helping feed the toddlers their food. For some reason it always touches my heart when boys/men interact with babies. While they were eating I got the little ones all changed and ready for their bottles and then bed. It was a great way to end my day out in the courtyard with all my friends. To top it off, it was a beautiful sunny day :-)

BUS ADVENTURE

Riding a bus is usually not seen as an activity that is exciting or even adventurous; however in Burkina Faso…it is quite an adventure. In the quest to pick up a check that was gifted to Sheltering Wings from Social Action, Ernest (the orphanage’s administrative assistant) and myself traveled by the public bus to the capital of Burkina Faso.

We first had to wait 45 minutes at the Social Action building for the lady that was gifting us the check to get into work, then when she arrived we received the check and we were off to our next stop. We had to get a taxi to take us to our next destination, the bank, because it was too far of a walk. Ouaga is a very busy city and the roads display that perfectly; motos zooming past and cars pushing their way to the front. At the bank we again had to wait about 45 minutes to deposit the check, but this was not a big deal to me. I enjoyed people watching and soaking up every inch of this culture.

After finishing our task in Ouaga we were ready to head back to Yako. We bought our bus tickets and waited for our bus to arrive. Once on the bus, Ernest and I both settled in our seats and were ready to take the hour and 45 minute drive home. But neither of us were expecting what was to come.

The bus made about three stops before even getting out of the city. However, during these stops Ernest was kind enough to get me a soda and a sandwich; which were sold on the bus by a young boy. And, although I felt a little guilty, it was SO good. It was lunch time and both of our stomachs were growling. So a soda and a sandwich were just the remedy.

Once a little ways out of Ouaga we stopped yet again. This time it was for a lot longer. People were starting to get out of the bus and sat under the trees alongside the road. After some time passing Ernest and I figured out that our bus had broke down. So we too went to sit under a tree and waited for another bus to come rescue us. The first passing bus came but it had very little room so we could not get on. Then the second bus came and we fought our way on. Squeezing our way on we had hope that this was our final leg on our journey home to Yako. And sure enough we made it home!

After what we thought was going to be a four hour trip, turned out to be an eight hour venture. It was truly a Burkina Faso adventure; experiencing “African time,” bus rides and break downs, and the hustle and bustle of the big city. What a day!

LOVE and LAUGHTER

Jules is a three year old who can be easily defined by the phrases of “wiggle worm” and “busy bee.” He has the pearliest whites and uses them to his advantage. Well, I know they certainly won a few people over today…

Today Jules’ adoptive parents came to bring him home. They are the sweetest Italian couple. When I first met them they were, as the mama put it in her very thick Italian accent, “very emotional.” I mean, who wouldn’t be when you are going to meet your son for the first time.

It was truly a heart warming experience seeing this couple meet their son for the first time. Tears were shed, smiles were given, and there was love and laughter all around.

The three of them were so fun to watch; especially the love you saw in both of their eyes every time they caught a glimpse of Jules.  The way the couple talked to Jules, played with him and all the all together interaction was awesome. The best part was they were Italian! It was a riot hearing all the cliché Italian words we hear in the U.S. They would call him bambino, they would say “bravo” after Jules did something good, and the enthusiasm and hand movements constantly kept me entertained. It was a lot of fun having them as guests for two days. The house was relentlessly filled with happiness, love and excitement.

First Day in Yako (Monday June 20th)

Butterflies are welling up into my stomach. The car is zooming down the road; I see tiny villages on the right and the left. The people are hard at work in the fields and children are playing along side them. I begin to get more and more excited. Finally we reach the edge of town. Yes! Just a little while longer and I’ll be to Les Ailes de Refuge. We are in Yako now. We pass by many familiar places: the church, local shops and the ladies selling produce. Rushing water zooms past us on both sides of the road. Not too long age there was a large rain; probably the kind we experienced in Ouaga.

            We turn the corner and I see it! The orphanage! The gate doors open and I see smiling, familiar faces on either side. I have finally arrived. I am SO excited to see everyone.

            Once inside our house we open everything up, unload and then get ready for the Italian family that is coming to adopt one of the orphanage children. I go to my room and begin to change the sheets. I already knew I’d have to do some damage control when it came to debugging the room. Yes, spiders already came to invade. Now, when it comes to bugs, I am obviously not a huge fan, but spiders and me…No, no. we are not friends. So I get my game face on and start the killing. Once I knew my room was safe I began to unpack and make myself at home. And it truly feels like home here. I am so glad to be back.

Last Day in Ouaga (Monday June 20th)

It is our last day in Ouaga…well at least for a little while. We start our day with going to the bank. Burkina Faso banks are quite busy. Every seat was packed full with people waiting. After the bank we headed to the Ouaga orphanage run by a French woman. We were there to visit a little boy by the name of Samson.

            Samson is 3 years old and blind. When he was just a baby he was put in a well. This well was not an empty well, or even a clean one. It was very dirty. Because of this Samson got bacteria in his eyes which eventually blinded him. The happy ending to the story is that Samson is being adopted by a loving, believing family in Kentucky.

            We sat with Samson for a little while and I could instantly tell he loved, loved music. We brought him a singing card from his family along with a few other toys. When opening the card he started tapping his hands to the exact rhythm of the song. It was really awesome to see! When a nurse sang to him he started tapping to the beat as well. I love to see the way children communicate, especially those with special needs. It was a great experience.

            Right before lunch and then heading to Yako, I had my first experience of an African thunderstorm. Wow! The clouds rolled in and were darker than I have ever seen clouds get. They also had a red tint to them, due to the red dusty ground. Winds blew the dust all around and created a blinding atmosphere. Everyone was frantically trying to get home to safety. Motos going this way and cars going that way; it was a mess. We drove through it to get to our lunch destination. Once at the restaurant we hopped out of the car and sprinted through the torrential downpour to get inside. There we ate lunch and waited out the storm. And then…it was time to head to Yako!

Last day in Ouaga (Monday June 20th)

Last day in Ouaga (Monday June 20th)

In Ouaga!!!

Wow, it is SO nice to be back. When I stepped foot on that red African soil, my heart just pitter-pattered. I really do love this place.
When we got into the airport in Ouaga, we went through "customs" (you basically just take a few steps, someone checks your passport) and then headed to baggage claim (just a few steps past customs) Instantly Burkinabae men were fighting to get to us to be, as I put it, "luggage guys." Bascially they grab our luggage off the conveyer belt. Which, by the way, the conveyer belt is a new addition since I have been last. Nice touch :) Anywho...so our luggage guy came over with us (Ruth, Rebecca Dalton, and me) and helped us grab our luggage. So, Rebecca's bag was first spotted then the four tubberware containers were grabbed. So all that was left was my suitcase. Welp, had a bit of a scare becasue all of a sudden there were no more bags being sent on the conveyer belt. Oh man, it happed to another Graczak, my luggage is lost. Then I looked outside the window, and praise Jesus there was a whole other pile of luggage coming. I was releived and so was the luggage guy. He could see the worry in my eyes...and all over my face. But when I pointed my suitcase to him, he just smiled. Now we are set...to the car!
When we got outside there was Immanuel waiting for us (He is from Yako and helps a lot around the orphanage) He was very excited to see us and I was excited to see him. A familiar face! I even got the four head bump thing from him. (If you haven't been to Burkina you don't know what this is but it's cool...) So, we loaded up the car and were off to SIM mission base where we will be staying until Monday morning.
Tonight we are just taking it easy :-)

Two days away!

I can't believe it....
Just two days away until I fly off into the sky towards Burkina Faso. I am filled with many emotions as I think about my trip. I am excited and nervous all at the same time. My first trip to Burkina Faso was with a team of six, which included my mom and brother. So it was a very comfortable and vacation-like. This time, no family. But it will be a great opportunity for me to experience something new.

I really believe that through missions trip, God has great things in store for me. I think that it will be a time that God will reveal things he has in store for me and I will grow in intimacy and a better understanding of him.

I am going to try to post a lot about what is happening with me in Burkina as well as the people in Burkina. And hopefully there will be pictures to go along with my posts. (If the internet cooperates).

Thanks again for all the love and support! Please pray for me as I make my journey to Burkina Faso as well as my time there!

Love,
Kelsey