A lot has been happening lately here at our orphanage! We had a visit from five high school girls from a small village in France. One of our little boys was adopted by a family in their village a few years ago, so this group of girls was VERY interested in the orphanage and have even done a few fundraisers for us. They were able to make their first visit for these past two weeks. With them, they brought 200 kilos of books for our school and orphanage. They set up a library in the two weeks and came up with a whole system for checking books out. Real cool! They also helped paint a bit around the orphanage as well (lots of red paint everywhere).
Our forage/well system is now complete!! As I think I mentioned in a past blog, the well had been dug and we had a hand pump put in. For the past few months the kids have been building their arm muscles by pumping water all the time. A few weeks ago though, a very kind man, Russ, came in from the USA with a Friends in Action team (they drill wells around Burkina) and decided to spend a week of his time putting in all the pipes to run water throughout our courtyard as well as get the chateau up that has a big tank to hold water and pump it throughout the courtyard. He finished his part and a few days ago the FIA team came to help finish up the job. Sooo we officially have our FREE water that God has abundantly provided beneath the ground of the orphanage and it runs throughout our courtyard. This saves a bundle of money as well as lots of work to bring the water to different areas of the courtyard.
African ingeniousness- trying to figure out how to get the chateau up without a crane. It was heavy!! Ended up using a few metal bins as support and counted to three and all pushed hard. The last bit they had to hook it to the truck and try to pull it (was too heavy so about 15 guys jumped in and weighted the truck down). Crazy and funny to watch.
Finally up! Works great and we're hoping to get a roof on it to keep the water from getting boiling hot in the sun.
Finally, my plans for the next two months… I WILL be able to stay at the orphanage for the time Ruth is gone (March and April)! It’s so amazing how once we finally give something to God and say “Do what you’d like with this,” He will often do what is the desire of our heart. So I’ll be here at the orphanage living with Brittany and our social worker, Adiara, is moving in with us for the time. Brittany and I also head to Kongoussi (Burkina) to do the Operation Christmas Child distribution for a week in March. I’m hoping to visit Mahadaga still in the beginning of April, so I’ll keep you updated on that.
All else is going well here! Thank you so much for your prayers and encouraging emails. Please keep praying though because soon comes the HOT season of 120’s all day and night, so it’s going to be tough. Rainy season starts May/June so just pray I make it to then and then there will be relief :)
Pottytraining Joseph!
Me with a few of the younger boys- Ferdinand and Achille
Brittany and I in African garb before church with Therese
A servant for Him,
~Liz
1 comment:
Wonderful blog and news as always, and you look beautiful and healthy, Elizabeth. Thank you for allowing each and everyone of us to enter your world so far away. Much love from all the Lindstroms in Wyoming where snow still covers the ground. I'd swap for some of your heat any day! :) . . .
Post a Comment