We started the day like most others, except I had a bit less sleep. I was up till after midnight, and then up again at about 4:30 am preparing a message for the pastor’s conference at which we were the featured speakers. Josh and I each spoke for about an hour and a half (including questions at the end of each segment).
The conference was held at a church in the bush about 45 km outside the city, and attended by 60 – 70 pastors. These men are so gracious. They were clearly of a different economic status than most of the other pastors we’ve seen who are largely from the city – or directors of bible schools. These men each pastor one or more churches in bush villages, and farm for their living needs. Several of the men attending this one-day conference are now out of food for themselves and their families. When I say, “out of food,” it doesn’t mean they’re getting low. It means they have nothing left. Nothing. They are now facing the rest of March, April, May, June, July, August and September before the October harvest, when they will again have food . . . if they live to see it.
I am reminded again that we need to participate with them in some way. It costs $26 for a family of 5 to eat for a month – one meal a day – but they can at least survive the famine. I’m asking God how and if we (Sherry and I) should participate in what He is doing here in Burkina Faso. One of the ideas I’ve had is exploring further some well-digging technology, where hand-dug wells costing only around $100 can be made available to the people. Local workers can be trained to dig the wells and given (by means of micro-finance loans?) the tools necessary to create a well-digging (transformational development) business. Additional training in water catchment technologies could be made available for capturing the 40mm – 100mm of rainwater which comes each year during the rainy season. Regular and consistent water availability would solve the majority of the problems faced by these subsistence farmers.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Sunday (3/9/08) in Ouaga
Sunday was a great day. We spent the morning at Eliel Church, where Josh spoke on Psalm 73. Clearly, God has given him the gift of teaching and his word to the church was well-received.
After lunch we went to an open-air market where the vendors were incredibly aggressive. This market faced a concrete waterway that was dry (like everything else here this time of year), and once we got past the first few shops, we had a feeling of being pretty “caught” by them. They were grabbing our arms and doing everything in their power to get us into their “shops,” which were cubbyholes about 5 feet wide by 8 or 9 feet deep. They had no concept of “personal space.” In-your-face hawking of their wares, yelling “Excuse me, Excuse me!” grabbing our arms and actually trying to push us into their shops. Daniel told us later that it was in the very same place that he had been cheated by the vendors. I think we got lucky! They actually had some pretty nice stuff. As far as souvenirs go, that is. I think the prices we got from them were at least fair, if not good.
Sunday night was great. It was over an hour of pure singing. There’s nothing like a whole building full of singing and dancing Africans. Part way through the meeting, they asked Julie and Josh and me to sing, which we did – and then Julie did a solo. Wow! What a voice! I had no idea she could sing. But what really surprised me was how she could dance! At the end of the service, Elienai (Daniel’s youngest daughter – about 20 yrs old) called her out to the floor in front of the podium and she danced with about 12 of the ladies and a handful of men. She got game!
I can’t imagine much more encouraging than a church full of Africans dancing and singing praise to the Lord for what He’s done . . . except the arrival of my first granddaughter! VIOLET GRACE PRINCE made her appearance at 8:16am, March 7th. She weighed 8lbs, 6ozs and was 21.5 inches long. Mom and baby are doing GREAT.
After lunch we went to an open-air market where the vendors were incredibly aggressive. This market faced a concrete waterway that was dry (like everything else here this time of year), and once we got past the first few shops, we had a feeling of being pretty “caught” by them. They were grabbing our arms and doing everything in their power to get us into their “shops,” which were cubbyholes about 5 feet wide by 8 or 9 feet deep. They had no concept of “personal space.” In-your-face hawking of their wares, yelling “Excuse me, Excuse me!” grabbing our arms and actually trying to push us into their shops. Daniel told us later that it was in the very same place that he had been cheated by the vendors. I think we got lucky! They actually had some pretty nice stuff. As far as souvenirs go, that is. I think the prices we got from them were at least fair, if not good.
Sunday night was great. It was over an hour of pure singing. There’s nothing like a whole building full of singing and dancing Africans. Part way through the meeting, they asked Julie and Josh and me to sing, which we did – and then Julie did a solo. Wow! What a voice! I had no idea she could sing. But what really surprised me was how she could dance! At the end of the service, Elienai (Daniel’s youngest daughter – about 20 yrs old) called her out to the floor in front of the podium and she danced with about 12 of the ladies and a handful of men. She got game!
I can’t imagine much more encouraging than a church full of Africans dancing and singing praise to the Lord for what He’s done . . . except the arrival of my first granddaughter! VIOLET GRACE PRINCE made her appearance at 8:16am, March 7th. She weighed 8lbs, 6ozs and was 21.5 inches long. Mom and baby are doing GREAT.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Ouagadougou
This is the first day I've had internet access since Thursday evening . . .
FRIDAY IN OUAGA (3/7/08)
Today has been a wonderful day. The night cold (70+ degrees) was really comfortable at 4:45 am when I rolled off (not out-of because I was on-top-of) my bed. Nothing better than a cup of instant Nescafe on the patio! Pastor Daniel collected us at 7 am and chauffeured us an hour and a half west of Ouagadougou to the Bethel Bible School, in the town of Koudougou. Jeremy is the director of the school and a wonderful host. This is one of the places our church has bought roofs for some of the outdoor “kitchens” used by the wives of the students. These kitchens are each approximately 6’ x 4’ built of stone, exposed to the wind and dust – of which there is no shortage of either! There are two small holes built into the nearly flat top of a small stone cavern in which the coals are placed from the front, like a front-loading stone oven. During the rainy season (about 3 – 4 months a year), they can’t cook and have to eat the food raw or share one of the kitchens that does have a roof. And saying they have a roof doesn’t tell the complete story. These kitchens are built in a sort of pod, 6 in a row on one side, with the back wall serving as a common wall for 6 more mirroring them on the opposite side. A galvanized roof, sloping only one direction covers only the tops – with the sides still open to the air, wind and dust. All the cooking for each family is handled at one of these kitchens.
I spoke at the chapel service today on imitating Christ (from Ephesians, Philippians and I Corinthians) and attempting to use illustrations of how God has sustained Sherry and me over the past 35 years walking with Him. At the end, Jeremy asked me to pray for some of the students who are already out of food and supposedly the famine won’t be until later this summer! Clearly for these students, the famine has begun. Josh spoke well again at the 2 morning class sessions.
Lunch today was far more suitable to our wimpy American palates. We had more noodles, cooked with entire chickens in it – including heads and feet! Along with the noodles was another dish of “pental,” or roasted guinea fowl. It was delicious, far better than chicken. Veggies and bread rounded out the meal, along with Fanta (orange) and Coke. Here’s what is so tough. I had just heard that some of the students had no food – and we were treated to a complete feast. Moore culture requires that even if they have nothing, they must immediately go and borrow to provide exceptional hospitality to a visitor and then repay what was borrowed some time in the future! And it would be an affront not to accept. And it broke my heart to accept.
SATURDAY IN OUAGA (3/8/08)
Saturday was a day for visiting . . . first stop was Pierre’s church in Koubri, where we were treated to Nescafe from plastic bowls because Pierre had no cups. But Pierre DID have a Renault “Rapid,” a sweet little french version of a minivan, which he drove and we followed – to show us the barrage or dam that feeds a government-constructed system of irrigated plots where about 70 families grow various small crops. This was no small sacrifice for the man who had no cups, as gasoline costs over $6 per gallon! They were growing rice, cabbage, corn, onions, and an herb that didn’t translate to English. When other foods become scarce, they use this herb as an extender for any meat or other vegetables or boiled to make a soup. Because the land here is irrigated, the people generally have enough money and food all year round. The key to their subsistence is water. Previously they used pesticides every two weeks for pest control, but now they are experimenting with a spray concocted from crushed leaves of the NFme (pronounced “neem”) tree. It seems to work well to prevent pests from consuming the plants and is completely safe for human consumption. These 70 families are well-provisioned on about 25 hectares of land.
I wondered about the security of the produce. Why, for example, wouldn’t it get stolen at night? Pastor Daniel said it is very common practice for animists to place curses on the plots so that anyone attempting to steal would be prevented from leaving until the owner arrived in the morning. I thought he was joking . . . but he was dead serious. He said this isn’t done so much any more in the cities because it would cause the deaths of too many children who have grown up on the streets not knowing right from wrong and would get caught in the curses! In the bush, it is still common practice! People apparently do die from the curses!
Before dinner, Daniel escorted us to the home of Abdul and Husga, one of his married daughters and her husband. Daniel had asked us to come pray for their oldest son Ismail (11years old), who is facing the possibility of death due to a kidney disease, which I believe they called glomerial nephritis (it was a tough translation of French, Moore and English). What I understood clearly is there isn’t a single pediatric nephrologist in all of W. Africa. Abdul and Husga have petitioned the government for financial support, which would allow them to take Ismail to France for treatment. Without the government approval, and unless God intervenes, Ismail will not live.
Daniel and Elizabeth Delma treated to us to a meal at their home, which was by far the finest meal we’ve had in Ouaga. African couscous, rice, noodles (what’s with the curly Italian noodles? We’ve had them at every meal!), chicken and guinea hen, an incredible salad of shredded carrots with cucumbers and cabbage covered with a home-made vinaigrette. Six of the Delma children were there along with spouses of the married ones. It was wonderful evening with grandchildren running everywhere
However, the crown of the entire evening was hearing Sherry’s voice . . . and her handing the phone to Carrie, who announced the grand entrance yesterday of Violet Grace Prince, my third grandchild and first granddaughter! While I’m sad I missed it, I thank God for little Violet’s safe arrival!
FRIDAY IN OUAGA (3/7/08)
Today has been a wonderful day. The night cold (70+ degrees) was really comfortable at 4:45 am when I rolled off (not out-of because I was on-top-of) my bed. Nothing better than a cup of instant Nescafe on the patio! Pastor Daniel collected us at 7 am and chauffeured us an hour and a half west of Ouagadougou to the Bethel Bible School, in the town of Koudougou. Jeremy is the director of the school and a wonderful host. This is one of the places our church has bought roofs for some of the outdoor “kitchens” used by the wives of the students. These kitchens are each approximately 6’ x 4’ built of stone, exposed to the wind and dust – of which there is no shortage of either! There are two small holes built into the nearly flat top of a small stone cavern in which the coals are placed from the front, like a front-loading stone oven. During the rainy season (about 3 – 4 months a year), they can’t cook and have to eat the food raw or share one of the kitchens that does have a roof. And saying they have a roof doesn’t tell the complete story. These kitchens are built in a sort of pod, 6 in a row on one side, with the back wall serving as a common wall for 6 more mirroring them on the opposite side. A galvanized roof, sloping only one direction covers only the tops – with the sides still open to the air, wind and dust. All the cooking for each family is handled at one of these kitchens.
I spoke at the chapel service today on imitating Christ (from Ephesians, Philippians and I Corinthians) and attempting to use illustrations of how God has sustained Sherry and me over the past 35 years walking with Him. At the end, Jeremy asked me to pray for some of the students who are already out of food and supposedly the famine won’t be until later this summer! Clearly for these students, the famine has begun. Josh spoke well again at the 2 morning class sessions.
Lunch today was far more suitable to our wimpy American palates. We had more noodles, cooked with entire chickens in it – including heads and feet! Along with the noodles was another dish of “pental,” or roasted guinea fowl. It was delicious, far better than chicken. Veggies and bread rounded out the meal, along with Fanta (orange) and Coke. Here’s what is so tough. I had just heard that some of the students had no food – and we were treated to a complete feast. Moore culture requires that even if they have nothing, they must immediately go and borrow to provide exceptional hospitality to a visitor and then repay what was borrowed some time in the future! And it would be an affront not to accept. And it broke my heart to accept.
SATURDAY IN OUAGA (3/8/08)
Saturday was a day for visiting . . . first stop was Pierre’s church in Koubri, where we were treated to Nescafe from plastic bowls because Pierre had no cups. But Pierre DID have a Renault “Rapid,” a sweet little french version of a minivan, which he drove and we followed – to show us the barrage or dam that feeds a government-constructed system of irrigated plots where about 70 families grow various small crops. This was no small sacrifice for the man who had no cups, as gasoline costs over $6 per gallon! They were growing rice, cabbage, corn, onions, and an herb that didn’t translate to English. When other foods become scarce, they use this herb as an extender for any meat or other vegetables or boiled to make a soup. Because the land here is irrigated, the people generally have enough money and food all year round. The key to their subsistence is water. Previously they used pesticides every two weeks for pest control, but now they are experimenting with a spray concocted from crushed leaves of the NFme (pronounced “neem”) tree. It seems to work well to prevent pests from consuming the plants and is completely safe for human consumption. These 70 families are well-provisioned on about 25 hectares of land.
I wondered about the security of the produce. Why, for example, wouldn’t it get stolen at night? Pastor Daniel said it is very common practice for animists to place curses on the plots so that anyone attempting to steal would be prevented from leaving until the owner arrived in the morning. I thought he was joking . . . but he was dead serious. He said this isn’t done so much any more in the cities because it would cause the deaths of too many children who have grown up on the streets not knowing right from wrong and would get caught in the curses! In the bush, it is still common practice! People apparently do die from the curses!
Before dinner, Daniel escorted us to the home of Abdul and Husga, one of his married daughters and her husband. Daniel had asked us to come pray for their oldest son Ismail (11years old), who is facing the possibility of death due to a kidney disease, which I believe they called glomerial nephritis (it was a tough translation of French, Moore and English). What I understood clearly is there isn’t a single pediatric nephrologist in all of W. Africa. Abdul and Husga have petitioned the government for financial support, which would allow them to take Ismail to France for treatment. Without the government approval, and unless God intervenes, Ismail will not live.
Daniel and Elizabeth Delma treated to us to a meal at their home, which was by far the finest meal we’ve had in Ouaga. African couscous, rice, noodles (what’s with the curly Italian noodles? We’ve had them at every meal!), chicken and guinea hen, an incredible salad of shredded carrots with cucumbers and cabbage covered with a home-made vinaigrette. Six of the Delma children were there along with spouses of the married ones. It was wonderful evening with grandchildren running everywhere
However, the crown of the entire evening was hearing Sherry’s voice . . . and her handing the phone to Carrie, who announced the grand entrance yesterday of Violet Grace Prince, my third grandchild and first granddaughter! While I’m sad I missed it, I thank God for little Violet’s safe arrival!
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Thursday in Ouagadougou (3/6/08)
This morning we went to Koubri Bible School, about 30 minutes outside of the city. Josh preached at the main chapel service and Julie spoke to the women just prior to the main chapel. Afterwards, we attended one of the classes for the graduating group (they graduate in 51 days), who will soon be returning to their villages. Josh taught again, this time from I Timothy, and then we had nearly an hour for answering questions. Most of them were excellent questions, focused on what living out the Christian looks like in practice. From the sound of it, the school is every bit as rigorous as any Bible school in the US.
What really impressed me about the school is that all the students live together with their families in community. Each family is responsible to farm part of the common garden from which comes the bulk of their food. The women are all trained in some sort of craft like weaving, so that they can have a skill with which to augment the family income. Each year, the graduating women weave a special color fabric from which the graduation skirts are made. This year it is a black/white striped fabric.
Lunch at the Bible school was a real experience. There was spaghetti, different than any spaghetti I’ve ever tasted; some type of green beans with carrots. What I couldn’t figure out was the bones (maybe fish bones?). Then there was sagebo, which is a local staple made from maize, along with what they called “sauce.” I had actually been looking forward to this dish, thinking it might be like the Ugandan posho, which I really enjoyed. Uh uh. This sauce turned out to be parts of grilled fish (with the heads), including all the bones and skin. I tried. Honestly, I did. Couldn’t eat it and desperately fought to keep from gagging at the try! The only part of the meal that was “easy on the stomach” was mashed potatoes with some kind of bland gravy. We ate with the head of the school, several teachers and their wives – and with the two American missionary ladies who have been there since 1978. Overall it was a wonderful experience. In spite of the "lunch."
What really impressed me about the school is that all the students live together with their families in community. Each family is responsible to farm part of the common garden from which comes the bulk of their food. The women are all trained in some sort of craft like weaving, so that they can have a skill with which to augment the family income. Each year, the graduating women weave a special color fabric from which the graduation skirts are made. This year it is a black/white striped fabric.
Lunch at the Bible school was a real experience. There was spaghetti, different than any spaghetti I’ve ever tasted; some type of green beans with carrots. What I couldn’t figure out was the bones (maybe fish bones?). Then there was sagebo, which is a local staple made from maize, along with what they called “sauce.” I had actually been looking forward to this dish, thinking it might be like the Ugandan posho, which I really enjoyed. Uh uh. This sauce turned out to be parts of grilled fish (with the heads), including all the bones and skin. I tried. Honestly, I did. Couldn’t eat it and desperately fought to keep from gagging at the try! The only part of the meal that was “easy on the stomach” was mashed potatoes with some kind of bland gravy. We ate with the head of the school, several teachers and their wives – and with the two American missionary ladies who have been there since 1978. Overall it was a wonderful experience. In spite of the "lunch."
Wednesday in Ouagadougou (3/5/08)
On Wednesday, Jean, the man who works at the house, cleaning and maintaining the outside, drove us to what is called the Artisan Village. It is a showcase of Burkinabe products and wares. We bought a few things, and then went to the American Club for lunch – where we ran into one of the missionaries living at the school we visited Thursday. The late afternoon and evening were filled with visits from various local pastors, along with Daniel Delma’s son David, and Dieudonne, married to one of David’s sisters. Speaking with David and Dieudonne was completely refreshing and a total delight. Here are two young men (both early 30’s) whose hearts are to find ways to help lift their communities out of poverty. They spoke of many ideas and I asked lots of questions. It seems they are willing to work as hard and long as is required to effect the change for which they’re dreaming and praying. It is amazing to me that they truly seem to want to do this for their communities – without expecting to earn money themselves. It is so different than other places I’ve been, where the people said they wanted to help others . . . and yet, you knew they wanted “stuff” for themselves.
Throughout the evening and into the night I wondered if God might be nudging Sherry and me to help these guys to find ways to impact their people. We’ve only chatted over IM for a few minutes about it, so it remains to be seen what direction it might take!
Throughout the evening and into the night I wondered if God might be nudging Sherry and me to help these guys to find ways to impact their people. We’ve only chatted over IM for a few minutes about it, so it remains to be seen what direction it might take!
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Ouagadougou - Vert Doyant Tuesday March 4
So its now 9:30 pm. After my nearly 2-hour nap in 107 degree, power-out-air-deadstill siesta time, I'm wired and doubt I'll be able to sleep any time soon. The church next door is having a revival, so I suspect I would be hearing plenty of noise anyway.
I'll tell you about the day, but first have to relate our adventure in getting to dinner and home again. We began by purchasing a phone card from a vendor on the street just outside where we're staying. All the directions are in French, but we managed to get the minutes loaded into the phone Jerry left for us to use. But . . . something still doesn't work because we can't seem to successfully place calls. We had hoped to call Daniel Delma to see what a taxi would cost - and to perhaps have him tell the driver where we were going for dinner.
Despite having no options at communication besides our wits and my patetique French, we decided to be adventurous and take a taxi to the Vert Doyant restaurant. We found a landmark near our house to tell the taxi driver on the return trip and flagged down a taxi. The driver spoke not a word of English (or Spanish, can you imagine?) but seemed to know the restaurant. The dust on the street is like tule fog, obscuring much of what is ahead. And what is ahead are hundreds and thousands of bicycles and motos. People driving crazily and seemingly coming out of nowhere daring you to hit them. We arrived at the restaurant without incident, to find the power out, but assured that they could still produce anything we might want (and they did!). When the lights came on just as we were leaving, I was shocked to see the whole place full of white people (none of whom were speaking English)! Uneventful taxi ride back to our house.
We began today at a meeting of the National leaders for the Assemblies of God church in Burkina. Josh had been invited to speak on unity, and he spoke well from I Corinthians. Here's what amazes me: all the leaders of the National church meet every 90 days to pray and plan and evaluate what God is doing and has done since they last met. At each meeting, they ask His counsel and look for areas they need to change or any plans in place that need modification. They also consider the needs of individual churches and pastors. I was completley unprepared for - and greatly impressed by, their attention to detail and exceptional organization. The devotional given by one of the leaders focused on leadership and leading by example. One of the specific illustrations he used was maintaining integrity in handling financial matters. Pastor Daniel Delma is a living example of that integrity. We (Grace Church Long Beach) had wired him several thousand dollars for various projects and he had every single dollar accounted for. He is truly a trustworthy man!
Realizing that this year's harvest was bad, we asked what percentage of bush pastors were suffering from hunger. Daniel said, "100%." By the end of May, most of the people will be out of food. By July and August, grain will be virtually impossible to find and buy - and what is available will carry exhorbitant cost. We bought 160 bags of grain today and the National assembly will make the determination as to who is the neediest and who will receive the grain. It is staggering to realize that one bag of grain can feed a family of 5 for a whole month - and the cost for that (220 lb) bag of grain . . . $26. For want of $26 per month, entire families will starve. Its difficult to imagine, but reality. I spend twice that amount on just coffee and bagels every month. We spent more on a single meal for 3 of us tonight.
It isn't right, is it?
I'll tell you about the day, but first have to relate our adventure in getting to dinner and home again. We began by purchasing a phone card from a vendor on the street just outside where we're staying. All the directions are in French, but we managed to get the minutes loaded into the phone Jerry left for us to use. But . . . something still doesn't work because we can't seem to successfully place calls. We had hoped to call Daniel Delma to see what a taxi would cost - and to perhaps have him tell the driver where we were going for dinner.
Despite having no options at communication besides our wits and my patetique French, we decided to be adventurous and take a taxi to the Vert Doyant restaurant. We found a landmark near our house to tell the taxi driver on the return trip and flagged down a taxi. The driver spoke not a word of English (or Spanish, can you imagine?) but seemed to know the restaurant. The dust on the street is like tule fog, obscuring much of what is ahead. And what is ahead are hundreds and thousands of bicycles and motos. People driving crazily and seemingly coming out of nowhere daring you to hit them. We arrived at the restaurant without incident, to find the power out, but assured that they could still produce anything we might want (and they did!). When the lights came on just as we were leaving, I was shocked to see the whole place full of white people (none of whom were speaking English)! Uneventful taxi ride back to our house.
We began today at a meeting of the National leaders for the Assemblies of God church in Burkina. Josh had been invited to speak on unity, and he spoke well from I Corinthians. Here's what amazes me: all the leaders of the National church meet every 90 days to pray and plan and evaluate what God is doing and has done since they last met. At each meeting, they ask His counsel and look for areas they need to change or any plans in place that need modification. They also consider the needs of individual churches and pastors. I was completley unprepared for - and greatly impressed by, their attention to detail and exceptional organization. The devotional given by one of the leaders focused on leadership and leading by example. One of the specific illustrations he used was maintaining integrity in handling financial matters. Pastor Daniel Delma is a living example of that integrity. We (Grace Church Long Beach) had wired him several thousand dollars for various projects and he had every single dollar accounted for. He is truly a trustworthy man!
Realizing that this year's harvest was bad, we asked what percentage of bush pastors were suffering from hunger. Daniel said, "100%." By the end of May, most of the people will be out of food. By July and August, grain will be virtually impossible to find and buy - and what is available will carry exhorbitant cost. We bought 160 bags of grain today and the National assembly will make the determination as to who is the neediest and who will receive the grain. It is staggering to realize that one bag of grain can feed a family of 5 for a whole month - and the cost for that (220 lb) bag of grain . . . $26. For want of $26 per month, entire families will starve. Its difficult to imagine, but reality. I spend twice that amount on just coffee and bagels every month. We spent more on a single meal for 3 of us tonight.
It isn't right, is it?
Monday, March 03, 2008
Ouagadougou Monday 03 March (#2)
Its about 8:30 pm. Sitting on the patio, thinking that God has indeed been gracious and faithful to have brought Jerry and Jan to this place. Jerry's local name is "Wend Panga (God's Power)." For the last 20 years or so, they have come alongside the Burkinabe people and helped as they were able, for whatever the people requested. They have built churches, put roofs on other churches, built Bible schools and mentored national pastors. This trip, 2 of their sons (both pastors) were here teaching at a pastor's conference. What an amazing legacy these two have created! It will be an incredible privilege if God chooses to have us participate in whatever else He might still be doing here.
Our meeting with professor Zacharie was informative. He is a specialist in solar energy and teaches that subject at the university. Extremely gracious, he said he would research some water projects involving solar energy and irrigation and send them to me (after translating from French to English!). One thing he did say was that one of the greatest challenges was providing security for any solar setups that might get installed. For the most part, components for every project get stolen before the project gets up and operating. When he approximated costs for a solar array along with pumping mechanism (not including a well), his price estimate came in at a staggering $35,000. This option seems unsustainable, so I hope to find some creative ways to find alternatives.
Our meeting with professor Zacharie was informative. He is a specialist in solar energy and teaches that subject at the university. Extremely gracious, he said he would research some water projects involving solar energy and irrigation and send them to me (after translating from French to English!). One thing he did say was that one of the greatest challenges was providing security for any solar setups that might get installed. For the most part, components for every project get stolen before the project gets up and operating. When he approximated costs for a solar array along with pumping mechanism (not including a well), his price estimate came in at a staggering $35,000. This option seems unsustainable, so I hope to find some creative ways to find alternatives.
Ouagadougou Monday 03 March (#1)
OK, so its 1:30pm and about 100 degrees. This morning, I woke up at about 5:50 am, sweat coursing down my chest, neck, forehead and back. Right now, I'm sitting out on the patio of the little house we're staying in, just outside the main HQ of the Assemblies of God churches for Burkina Faso. Last night, Jerry (Josh Swanson's uncle) was telling us of a 3-week stint he had in the bush, where the temp averaged 130 degrees every day! This place is one where I think you have to feel "called to." On the edge of the Sahara desert, this is the dusty season in Burkina, where winds blow off the Sahara, bringing massive duststorms and leaving the daily air full of dust. Even more treacherous is the fact that the winds and dust are known to carry meningitis, which along with countless respiratory diseases, becomes rampant during this season.
One thing I found out last night is that when the rains did come this year, they were too hard and too much, destroying much of the harvest. Reports are that many of the farmers received only about 15% of the harvest they expected - and needed. The effect is that by the end of May or June, most people will be out of food! The next harvest won't be until mid-October and the leaders here anticipate severe food shortages and likely many deaths due to starvation.
This afternoon, we are going to visit Professor Zacharie Koalaga, professor of physics and technology at the University of Ouagadougou. My goal for our time is to find out his thoughts on the possibilities of partnering with local people in development projects.
One thing I found out last night is that when the rains did come this year, they were too hard and too much, destroying much of the harvest. Reports are that many of the farmers received only about 15% of the harvest they expected - and needed. The effect is that by the end of May or June, most people will be out of food! The next harvest won't be until mid-October and the leaders here anticipate severe food shortages and likely many deaths due to starvation.
This afternoon, we are going to visit Professor Zacharie Koalaga, professor of physics and technology at the University of Ouagadougou. My goal for our time is to find out his thoughts on the possibilities of partnering with local people in development projects.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Ouagadougou #1
What started out as a simple trip got a bit more complicated in Paris. Trip from Los Angeles to Paris was uneventful. After a ~10-hour flight, we were to have a "short" 4-hour layover at CDG2 in Paris, then fly direct to Oagadougou. Instead, we were privileged to enjoy French hospitality in the airport for just under 12 hours as they repaired our plane. No real restaurant. About $75 for a dinner of plastic-box-pre-made Caesar salads, one beverage each, a single baguette with a pickle and some strange meat inside to share and about 24 Pringles; "Stretching out" on built-in seating at one of the gates and some lady repeating at 3 - 5 minute intervals over a megadecimal loudspeaker how dangerous it is to let your bag out of your sight.
Arrived in Ouagadougou at about 2:30 am, after being mostly awake (with a few drift-offs sitting in odd positions) for somewhere around 30 hours. First impression was that it smelled just like everywhere else we've been in Africa. Hot, slow-moving lines and people packed against you vying for their place in front of the Immigration Police. Most of them (- and all of me) tired, unwashed, sweaty and quite fragrant (use your imagination about what the fragrance might have been). Even in the middle of the night, the air quality was poor, with dust and diesel exhaust haunting and clawing each inhale. And yet, I reveled in the reality that God had brought me once again to a continent and people for which He has given me an insatiable love!
Slept for about 4 hours here at the Assemblies of God Church compound and waiting for the rest of the gang to get back from church. I think Julie (Schumacher) is still sleeping (haven't seen her yet this morning), and Josh (Swanson) went to the church service to see his cousin preach. I'm gonna try to get a bit more sleep before everyone returns.
Arrived in Ouagadougou at about 2:30 am, after being mostly awake (with a few drift-offs sitting in odd positions) for somewhere around 30 hours. First impression was that it smelled just like everywhere else we've been in Africa. Hot, slow-moving lines and people packed against you vying for their place in front of the Immigration Police. Most of them (- and all of me) tired, unwashed, sweaty and quite fragrant (use your imagination about what the fragrance might have been). Even in the middle of the night, the air quality was poor, with dust and diesel exhaust haunting and clawing each inhale. And yet, I reveled in the reality that God had brought me once again to a continent and people for which He has given me an insatiable love!
Slept for about 4 hours here at the Assemblies of God Church compound and waiting for the rest of the gang to get back from church. I think Julie (Schumacher) is still sleeping (haven't seen her yet this morning), and Josh (Swanson) went to the church service to see his cousin preach. I'm gonna try to get a bit more sleep before everyone returns.
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