Tabitha House

Children of Sector 30

Yesterday, 9/12/2012/, John and Betty Arnold took me to Tabitha House to meet with Johasaquin, an Accedes employee who oversees the operation there. We were expecting to just meet with him, but as it turns out, the women of Sector 30 come to Tabitha House every Monday and Wednesday from 8 a.m. - noon so they were already there. In what seemed like a whirlwind moment, John, Betty and I were seated in front of the women and I was being introduced as the woman from America that had come to work with them.  It is hard - really impossible -- for anyone who hasn't visited Burkina Faso and Sector 30 to be able to understand the poverty.  They live in mud huts with no water, no lights, scarce food and where nothing is easy.  As I listened to the introduction and looked out over their faces, my first impulse was to get up and run!  I kept thinking how can I make a difference?  What can I do?  I felt totally overwhelmed.  But I heard a voice in my head saying "You can love them.  You can love them."  And I can certainly do that!  As we build relationships, and I learn more about their lives, ways for helping will come. 

I am always enamored by the children, so the pictures are a few that I met yesterday.  They are so eager to smile at you, shake your hand, hold your hand.  Most of their clothes were very tattered, so I can hardly wait to take out the pillowcase dresses that the women from Clay Church made!

There are three different languages that are spoken at Tabitha House - French, Jula and Moore (pronounced More-ay).  Betty is helping me find a young woman that can translates for me.  (It's going to be awhile before I can speak French fluently enough to communicate).  When that person is on board, then I will start going on Mondays and Wednesdays.