Saving Babies

I just returned from four days in the bush with some amazing people.  There is so much to tell about this vision trip, but one event bears telling by itself.  We were visiting a place where pastors are trained and then placed in villages where a well has been dug.  The team brought hundreds of pillow case dresses for the girls and the time had come to distribute them.  We were in the area where the pastors-in-training and their families live.  There are long rows of single rooms (12 x 12) with an area to cook outside and each on the pastors and their families live in that one room.  Saying that it is primitive is an understatement.  As the pillow cases were being sorted someone pointed to a woman and said she was the one that recently had twins.  Several of us made our way over to see the new little ones.  I asked to hold one and the first thing that struck me is that I could feel every rib and bone.  We were then told that the babies were five days old and since the mom’s milk had not come in they hadn’t had anything to eat for five days.  The babies were five days old and had never eaten!  I looked at John Arnold who was the leader of our trip and said that we couldn’t let these babies die.  Can you imagine – for five nights the mother and father of these two little boys had listened to them scream for food, and how the mom must have felt because she couldn’t produce any milk?  The grandmother was the one who was telling us this so we asked where we could buy formula.  She took us to a pharmacy not far from the school and the woman there told us that we should let the babies die because no one in the area had enough money to buy formula to feed the babies.  We told her that we would buy the food and where was the nearest pharmacy where we could find it.  When we walked back to the home of the twins we decided that John would drive to the village with the grandmother and father and that I would stay and pray until they returned.  The mom sat with one baby and I with the other in their little one room living space.  It doesn’t have a door – just a curtain which had been pulled back and I caught sight of two of the women from the team out of the corner of my eye.  I called for them to come and help pray with me.  One of them was a nurse, Vickie, and as we stood there with our minds and emotions reeling, she said that we should try pouring water on a rag to see if the babies were strong enough to suck.  Karen, the other woman with us, went back and brought a clean bandana she had.  We tore it in two pieces and poured water on them and put it the babies’ mouths.  Both started sucking right away.  It was the first liquid they had received and you could tell they were enjoying it.  It took about an hour and forty-five minutes for John to return.  We didn’t want to give them too much water so that they wouldn’t be hungry when the formula arrived, but those little babies were craving liquid.  John returned with a one-month case of formula, two bottles and a prescription for the mom to help stimulate her milk to come in.  One of the team members paid for everything.  Vickie mixed up the formula and explained to the grandma, mom and dad how to prepare it.  When the grandma and mom put the bottles to the babies’ mouths, both started eating right away.  We left for the evening planning to return this morning as we left the compound.  I dreaded to stop and check on them for fear they hadn’t made it through the night but when we walked up we were greeted by the grandma with a huge smile.  For the first night, the babies had slept all night without screaming from hunger!  We prayed for the little family one last time and started our journey back to Ouagadougou.

It is so totally impossible to comprehend a situation where someone has to watch as their babies starve to death because they don’t have the money to buy formula.  As a mother I can’t imagine the emotions of watching that process.  For these two little boys, we were there at the right time and had the resources to spare their lives.  The timing wasn’t by “accident” or coincidence.  As remote as the school is and with the few visitors they receive, only God could’ve come up with the plan. 

This is a hard country and starvation happens frequently.  But today, two little boys won’t starve to death and the joy of that is indescribable.

Oh Glory!

Today, Pastor Iousef, the pastor of the national church in Sector 30 gave the morning devotional at Tabitha House.  It was a very powerful devotional.  At the end he asked if there were any women that wanted to accept Jesus into their hearts.  Five women came to the front of the room – some with joyful faces, and some with determined faces because they know the resistance they will face from husbands and families.  It was an incredible moment!  Today, five women that might not have heard the Good News if Tabitha House didn’t exist are now a child in God’s family.   As I sat and watched, I kept thinking about us being in this tiny spot in the world called Burkina Faso that most people don’t even know about, but God does. He is with us and He is smiling! 

Rocking Horses

It’s hard to imagine a child in the U.S. that doesn’t have a toy and doesn’t know how to play.  In Burkina Faso it is rare for a child to have a toy, and if you hand them one, they don’t know what to do with it. 

When we opened the play area for the children of the women who attend Tabitha House, we had several small soccer balls, a plastic toy train, some wooden shakers, a couple of wooden puzzles, some Play Dough and two crudely made banjos. The soccer balls were of the most interest until these arrived:

Through the generosity of donors, and the incredible craftsmanship of John Arnold and his apprentice, Joanna Gregg, two of these rocking horses were presented at Tabitha House several weeks ago.  The pictures do not do them justice in terms of their quality.  When John delivered the rocking horses, all of the women came out to see them.  Trying to decide who was most excited – the moms or the children – was hard to tell.  The moms couldn’t wait to put their children on the rocking horse and give it a try.  Most of them, adults and children, had never seen anything like this, and they love it!   There is never a moment when the rocking horses are out that there isn’t a child on it.  Many times, we have to go out to referee turns.  Not only are the horses fun but they help to teach the idea of sharing.  Fortunately when I’m out there trying to direct the kids, there is a little girl that is probably 5 years old that is my self-appointed helper.  She is so sweet, and very motherly.  She’ll  watch me for a minute to see what I’m trying to do and the next thing I know she’s got the little ones lined up and waiting their turn for the rocking horses.   When the day ends, the children bring them inside to make sure they are protected for the next time.  No one asked them to do that – they just realize how special they are.  You know those times when words can’t express the feeling?  – This is one of them.  There aren’t words to thank John, JoAnna and the others that helped for making these for the children.  

When I drive into the area where Tabitha House is located, there is usually a bunch of children waiting, yelling “white woman!”  They all want to shut the door for me, carry anything I’ve brought, and do the secret “Tabitha House” handshake.  It’s a simple high-five, low five, fist pound and hand explosion and then a big hug.  I don’t know how many times in a day I do that with them, over and over!  It amazes me that such a simple thing gives them so much happiness.  What I’ve also realized is that they like to make designs in the dust on my car.  There are little hand prints and drawings all over it when I leave.  If you are a clean-freak that doesn’t allow your children to touch the windows of your car – this is not the place for you!  

One of the women has three month old twins.  Lately, she hands me one of them to take care of.  The women know I love to hold the babies and be grandma-Dee Dee.  It makes me very happy that they finally feel comfortable enough to do that and realize that I am there to be one of them.

If you have a moment, we have several prayer requests: We have a woman whose husband just died of Aids, and she is HIV positive.  She was provided the money for initial testing on Monday and then we’ll find out what treatment is prescribed and go from there.  She didn’t have food, so that was also provided; In Burkina Faso, parents have to pay for their children to go to school.  We have about ten children that are not in school due to lack of funds; When we have prayer time for the women that are sick or have sickness in their family, it is usually half of the group that we are praying for.  During this time of the year, many of the children have bad colds, coughs and respiratory problems; And finally, we are in the process of researching micro-loans for sewing machines.  Betty Arnold gave us a fantastic idea – bring in a tailor to teach two or three women on Tuesdays and Thursdays when Tabitha House is closed.  When the women are properly trained, advance them a micro-loan of a new sewing machine.  As they begin to sell the items they sew, they repay the loan which in turn finances the next woman to have a sewing machine.  As you can see, there are many things to pray for.  Thank you for thinking of us.

 

Beauty and Dignity

It’s impossible to imagine the bleakness of Sector 30 – the area where Tabitha Center is located.  The houses are made of the same sand and dirt as the ground and they fade into one drab color.  The poverty is overwhelming, so there is nothing apart from the basic items that help them survive from day to day to add color.  In our devotion today we were talking about I Peter 3, and the importance of inward beauty.  We spent most of the morning talking about what that meant while we made paper flowers as a reminder of that inward beauty.  It took the women almost 3 hours to make their flower.  These women use their hands for pounding grain, washing clothes, building fires, and making food.  Most do not know how to use scissors, write their name, or draw.  The flowers were made of eight squares of red and pink paper that we folded into petals.  It was not easy for them, but they had a blast working at it!   Here’s the finished product:

Today was an affirmation in the importance of dignity.  I started bringing bread with me because I know that not every woman and child had something to eat that morning.  In a situation like Tabitha House where the women are so poor, they are usually treated as children who must wait until someone of authority comes and puts something in their hands.  I feel that is demeaning– they are grown women and should be treated as such no matter their status in life.  Monday was the first time I brought in bread.  I broke it into pieces and invited them to come up anytime during the morning when they were ready for some.  At first no one moved, just sat with puzzled faces.  Finally one woman went to the table to get her piece.  After that all the women rushed to the bread.  This reaction is why many feel they have to hand items out, but if you’ve always been treated as children it’s hard not to react like that.  Today was the second day.  Instead of all rushing up at once, they took their time and picked up a piece whenever they were ready for it.  My hope is to always treat them with dignity and love, and today proved that they will rise to that when given the opportunity.

As I was driving out of Tabitha House, one of the women stopped me on the road and handed me a letter to read.  Since she does not know how to read or write, she had a friend write it for her.  She regularly attends Tabitha House and is a very quiet and withdrawn woman, always siting in the back away from the other women.   When she gave birth to her baby about three months ago she had complications and had to have surgery, which forced her to quit her job.  Her husband has been in Fada for about 6 months now (probably went there to find work) and has not sent her any money.  Her neighbor has been giving her what little she can to eat.  The letter was a request for help.  As I watched her I could tell that asking for money was embarrassing and something she didn’t want to do. I gave her a hug and a kiss in hopes that she wouldn’t feel bad and then gave her the money I had left in my wallet – 8,000 cfa which equates to about $4.00 but a small fortune for her, and asked if we could give her a ride home.  She wanted to go to the main road where there are stands of food and merchandise so that she could buy food.  That is where we dropped her off.  Looking back at her I kept thinking:  Can you imagine being left alone in such a destitute place with no money to buy food?  This is a very hard country.

Burkina Faso is alive with soccer!  They made it to the semi-finals and will play Ghana this evening.  Our neighbors set up a TV in the road so that friends can come together and watch the game.  The TV is small, so they all have to scrunch in to see the screen.  They started partying around 10 a.m. and who knows when it will end tonight!  When Burkina Faso scores, you can hear the roar of cheering all over the city.  It’s nice to have something to cheer about!

When Something Goes A Way You Don't Expect

Have you ever done something that you thought was a great way to glorify God and once it was completed, wondered if it really did what you had hoped for?   Today was that day for me. 

We have 40 women coming to Tabitha House on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays.  40 women usually equal 40+ infants and small children.  With that many little ones, the day starts in a bit of chaos and ends in a bit of chaos.  The noise level can almost be deafening and it is hard to communicate information or directions.  (Our number has decreased because some of the women thought it was going to be a full-time income and some of the Muslim faith have been forbidden to come).

We were given the idea of creating a gated area for the children of the women who come to Tabitha House to play in, freeing up the moms for their work and reducing the noise level.  The work for the play area began immediately.  Under the oversight of the local pastor, a concrete slab was poured, and metal railings were put in place to enclose the area.  Today was the dedication day of our newly completed children’s play area.  Simple decorations were added, and a hand-washing station was enclosed in the area so that the children could begin to learn about washing their hands.  Each child came in one by one, washed their hands, received a cookie and orange drink and the toys we currently have were opened up to the them. What should have been a fun and exciting event in the continuing growth of Tabitha House was not at all what I experienced.  As soon as the festivities began, children from all over the village began to arrive - they wanted a part of the fun and food.  Those children were not allowed in the area because their moms do not attend Tabitha House, and so they watched through the metal railings.   Watching those little ones peer through the railings with looks of disappointment and unhappiness had not even entered my mind as a possibility.  You may be asking why those children were not allowed in the area.  If we did, there would literally be hundreds that would show up, and in no time the area and toys would be destroyed and it would be dangerous for the little ones we have.  It is a hard life in Sector 30 and that is reflected in how the people treat each other and in possessions.  Although my mind knows the reasoning, my heart is really struggling.  How can we be a beacon of God’s love when we turn those children away? 

I am not the first one to deal with this struggle and I won’t be the last.  I could pour every dollar I have and all the energy I could muster into this country and it would only be drop in the bucket.  But I want that drop to count as an example of God’s love and somehow better the lives of people here as much as possible.  So I’m not through with this dilemma.  If you have a moment, please pray that God will provide wisdom and guidance on how we can make the play area a win-win situation for both the children of the women at Tabitha House as well as the children in the village of Sector 30 and that they can all experience His love.

A New Year

We are now well in to the new year here in Ouagadougou.  I had the wonderful opportunity to go home for the holidays.  It was totally unexpected, but Tabitha Center closed for the holidays and I happened upon a very inexpensive airline ticket.  It was good to be with family.  I was able to see my 2 month old granddaughter for the first time, her 17 month old brother, and help out their mommy (who I found totally exhausted physically and emotionally!)

As with any group of people trying to work together, Tabitha Center experienced some rocky times just before the holidays.  Some of the women lost sight of the purpose of the Center and that led to misunderstandings and unhappiness.  Fortunately, through prayer and communication, we have worked  through the issues and start the new year strong.  In the African culture, women do not usually assume a leadership role.  We've divided the women into groups and appointed one of them to lead each group.  It is very difficult for them and will require some extensive training so that they can be effective. 

Betty Arnold found a translator for me and she started today.  Her name is Anna and she is a smart, polished young Burkinabe woman.  I couldn't believe how great it was to have her with me!  It meant I could really communicate with the women and we were able to work out some kinks in the jewelry production.  Anna jumped right in to learn how the different items are made and assist the women.  

I witnessed something today that I have never seen before.  Just before we were closing at Tabitha House, we heard hysterical screaming and saw a young boy running from a man holding a leather whip.  The man caught the little boy and started whipping him as hard as he could.  Several of the women and I ran over to where it was happening, and before we got there the man took off.  The little boy was bleeding from both ears, his head and back.  I took him to the center and washed and dressed his wounds.  Poor little guy was scared out of his mind.  We found out that his mother was scared of the father and fled to her village, leaving the little boy behind.  The father is taking out his frustration on the little boy, who is in first grade.  The little boy doesn't want to go to school because he says they beat him there as well.  He snuck away from school and that's why his father beat him.  The little guy hadn't eaten or had water in who knows how long.  I gave him my water bottle and he drained it.  Then the Pastor's wife took him to their home to feed him, and the Pastor will take the little boy home later and talk to his father.  He will tell the father that it is against the law to beat children and if he does it again he will be arrested.  My heart hurts for that little boy.  Life can be very, very rough here.

My time here is flying by.  I've been here four full months now and know that there is so much work yet to do.  I'm encouraged and grateful that there is visible progress with the women at Tabitha Center and that God is being praised.  I am so fortunate to be a part of it!