Baby Israel needs HELP! Please PRAY!!!

 I have just left the hospital visiting baby Israel. He is 14 months old and is very very sick. His family lives across from us and his father works at the LAC boarding school. They are at the hospital they can afford and they are doing as much as they possibly can for their son.


I never in my life thought I would experience something like this. My heart feels like it is about to explode! I was blessed to head to the hospital to minister to this woman as I too am a mom that have sat long hours praying for my childrens health. I arrived with my pastor’s wife and could not fight back the tears. There are 6 beds in one room.. not what we know as beds and certainly not a regular hospital bed. It is hot and dirty. There are not nurses or doctors around, there are just sick children. Baby Israel went to the hospital 4 days ago with a high fever and was pretty life less.

In four days this is what has happened…. Day 1- Blood was taken and an exam was done. Meds were given for the fever. An IV was inserted in his hand for sugar water and vitamins. This IV is still in his hand and the tape covering this area going into his veins is so dirty. At first, I did not understand. Why have they not changed this? It can get infected being this dirty. Here if you need anything, you go get it at the pharmacy and bring it back to the hospital… even the tape to hold the IV to the hand. When is it changed???? When the family can afford to buy more tape. Day 2- The results did not show the problem so meds are given to treat the symptoms. Day 3- Nothing is done just more meds given.. no change. Day 4- Israel continues to decline. Breathing is slow. Mom keeps putting ear to Israel’s mouth to make sure he is still breathing. Tomorrow is Day 5 and it is a holiday here. Israel will go have the same exam that he had 4 days ago, but the results will not be given until Monday. Results will be ready tomorrow evening but it is a holiday and the doctors at this hospital have the day off. Family will have to wait. Day 6- Sunday- Doctor’s have the day off so the family waits. Day 7- If Israel is still living, doctor will come and give results of test at that time. Unacceptable were my words.

I asked if this is the way it is everywhere. I called our field director here and had an intense moment of total breakdown trying to understand how this can really happen. Is there not another option?? How can a mother’s heart sit and watch her child suffer for 2 days because it is a holiday.. because you do not have the funds for other medical help?!?!? She said that it is not that there are not other places that can do more, but you have to have a lot of money to get this kind of care. Most Burkina Bay could never afford this. The hospital where they are now is $2.00 a night. A good hospital is going to be $20.00 to $30.00 a night. Each test that is run, you pay. Meds are more expensive..etc. When I asked her what it would cost if I took this baby to a hospital she recommended, she said you need to prepare yourself for this to be expensive. They have paid as much as $600.00 to help another child in the past but it could be more depending on the sickness.

Will you help us help baby Israel? We would like to take him tonight to a hospital that can give him immediate attention. We know that prayer is more valuable than a better hospital or immediate attention so please, please, please pray first. Second, if you feel the Lord lead… please make a donation to help baby Israel!

You have to copy and paste the link below to donate.  You can not just click on the link... it must be copied and pasted. This will go to our general account so please send us an email (feild2@juno.com) letting us know that you have given to the baby Israel fund and how much you donated.

http://www.cmalliance.org/give/online-giving?projectName=Approved+Special&projectDesc=Chris+and+Connie+Feild&project=1-X7434-49-12

Silas’s bags are packed!

I often crack up at my kids with how they respond when they are angry. Chris believes that the real manufacturer of the Nintendo Wii is the devil himself. We just were blessed by Samuel’s teacher. He gave us the exact power source that we blew upon our arrival. We sense that just may have been a blessing and a curse all in the same breath. Our kids fighting and fit pitching escalated 30%.

We laid the law with the children… “If you pitch a fit or fight over this Wii one time, you loose it for the day. Whoa and behold if day 2 Silas does not flip out at how he hates playing with his sisters at the same time. They are too slow and they stink! He was given grace and a quick warning of the rules. I was so mad as he let his anger get the best of him and blew it. OK Silas, your done for the day.

Without a word, he got up with a face as red as a tomato and headed for his room. About 15 minutes later I headed past his door only to notice the picture above. When I asked what in the world he was doing… this was his immediate response… “I am going back to Georgia tomorrow with the team. I am gonna live at my house with Jonah.”

The team did in fact leave; yet, the bags stayed packed until they were gone…Poor Silas!

I was chosen!

To be continued…..

18 months later in a different country, with many different languages, and a different culture…God spoke. I have been operating out of truth and not feelings. I think this is a good thing because our feelings often deceive us, but to feel a break in what has seemed to be silence or distance from the Father has been a revival in my life.

As I was feeling inadequate to be here in Burkina and feeling like there were a million other people that were a better choice, it was not autoable but it sure felt like it… I felt as if my Father with joy in His heart and a smile on his face- whispered , “Connie, I chose you and you are the one I want here for this season.” I think every woman and man alike want to be chosen. We want to be liked and be the one picked. It makes us feel accepted, wanted, a part of, like we have some value to add, etc. I pondered this for a couple days. The God of the universe chose me for this task! It suddenly did not matter if others thought I was a good choice because God did. I have always said that I want each day of my life be one that honors the Lord and I still pray for this. BUT, looking though a different glass and being chosen by God for this work….Oh, how I long that each breath of my life be formed, filtered, and used for your glory.

My next step in healing came from the Bible study I am doing. The focus just happens to be love. I was studying Agape love and I love what Beth Moore had written. “Agape means God did what humanity most needed. He pursued in us that which was highest and best. Agape always flows from what is right and what is best. Agape is not as much a feeling as it is a response. ” Over these last 18 months could it be that God has been showing me His agape love!!!

I know that I am not the only one that has struggled. I know I am not the only one that feels or felt like a failure, unusable, not good enough. I know that through many different situations many have also felt a silence from the Lord. If you are at a low point, I challenge you to hold fast to the truth despite what you may feel and despite the amount of time you have walked in the desert. It is ok to be angry, sad, discouraged but when you put your head on your pillow at night, know that there is an Agape love that God the Father has for you. I pray that during this season you will hold fast for the other side…

What is the purpose of me being this open on these two blog posts??? I want to shout it out that I am humbled and blessed to be chosen by the King. With this truth brings confidence and I long for others to feel and know this same sweetness that I am experiencing right now…. Because you too have been chosen!

Psalm 119:29-32

Keep me from deceitful ways; be gracious to me through your law. I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws. I hold fast to your statures O Lord; do not let me be put to shame. I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart FREE!!!

Did God stop loving me?

Did God stop loving me?

January 2008 was a year that started off ugly. We had just hit failure right in the face with a church plant we were doing in the metro Atlanta area. The words, “I don’t think it has what it takes/ I don’t think you have what it takes still at times haunt me.” Even if these thoughts held truth, no one ever wants to hear these words. These words in my mind translated- you are a failure, you are not good enough, you are not the right person for the job because you did not do a good job, you’re a failure, your giftings are somewhere else, you’re a failure etc. Times like these open the door for several things. First is the obvious. It is a time of teaching and growing in the Lord. A time for Him to prune you and draw you closer to Him, become more usable. Or it can be an open door for discouragement, bitterness, resentment, even a turning away from the things of God.

For me, this turned into bitterness and some very deep wounds. Not for one moment did I ever stop believing God loved me, but I sure did not “feel” that He loved me. I also felt like the more I sought Him the more silent He seemed to be. Having a relationship with the Lord since age 7, in times like these I get so frustrated because I feel like I know most if not all of the churchy (which really equals truth) answers. If I were to share, I could play in my mind what this person or that person would say. As well as even telling myself what I would say to someone else in this position. I wanted to be allowed to be hurt, I wanted my hurt and despair to be understood, and I wanted to be given back what I felt at the time was stolen from me. I wanted our reputation to be restored and I even found myself wanting my husband and myself to be something we were not. I wanted us to be that dynamic couple that would grow a huge church, lead people to the Lord, make disciples, and have books written about our success. Believe it or not, my heart was very pure. I wanted to be part of kingdom work with a huge success rate. I was desperate for answers and understanding of why the Lord allowed this to happen. We really thought you lead us here Lord. We thought we were doing what you asked. How did we blow it or better yet, you could have done it through us. Why did you let us fail? I wanted all these yucky feelings many of them lies to melt away. Can you say “counseling” was much needed!

What now Lord? Beyond the obvious with bills to pay we sat in this position of having no idea what God had in store all the while feeling so inadequate to do anything. I have heard the comment more than once, “Men go into ministry because they aren’t qualified for anything else.” If this were truth then what happens when you fail here as well? I knew this was not truth but it consumed so much of my thinking. What do others think and say about us. My husband as a leader, pastor, church planter??? This really grieved me. All I could think is, “Lord this has to be the bottom but that phrase that the bottom is solid just did not seem to be truth for me!” Nothing felt solid!

Here was an ongoing question I had for the Lord…. We have obviously failed at being the next Mr. and Mrs. Rick Warren. My husband does not have the natural gift of leadership and is not a natural visionary. He is not even on the top ten list of most effective communicators, but he has a heart like David, a faith like Abraham, a spirit like Joseph, is ordinary like Moses, in a small glimpse has walked in the desert like Job, he sits at Jesus feet like Mary, but….. Is our reputation like Noah and for us even a step further that the rains never came?

At this point, if my dad was living, he would hand me his all time favorite comment, “Come on Connie, land the plane. I do not need all these details. Get to the point!” Daddy, bear with me because all these details really will come to a really exciting moment…

Let me stress that I do believe it is important to pin point our gifts and work from where we are gifted and work out of our strengths. My inward struggle comes when I look to the Word. Searching the scriptures, I find God used more people to accomplish and do God sized things; yet, they were not “cutting edge”. They were simple, usable men. This is where I see it gave God all the credit. I am not suggesting that successful/cutting edge pastors that do have the huge kingdom success stories in their churches do not possess the same attributes as my husband and those in the Word I have mentioned but also with these additional gifts. Please also know that this is not an entry for my next theology contest, but truly the struggles that raged on a constant basis through my mind. I was always trying to figure this out and understand what in the world God wanted to do in my life and how He wanted to use my husband in ministry.

(For the record, I do believe that God calls us to do things out side of our area of gifting or natural ability. I believe he does this because it gives that much more room for Him to take the spot light. It draws us to a deeper dependence on him. I also believe that working from our strengths, gifts, and natural abilities is wise.)

To this day, I still cannot explain to you what God’s purpose was in this long period of waiting. I also cannot explain to you why we really feel God called us to plant a church and then it failed. This happened in December 2007 and we did not fully commit to come to Burkina until May 2009. Lord, Sweet Jesus aren’t you the one who is out for my best interest? 18 months with Chris out of a “steady/real” job and a whole bunch of silence does not feel like my best interest. We now have debt and need to raise support- and might I add this is something that does not come easy to us.

To bring a little sunlight into my testimony, we did indeed Praise the Lord with this new found direction! It was very scary, but also very exciting. We are moving to Africa. So the process and planning began. What will it take and when will the Lord send us. We had set several things as a standard for what needed to happen for us personally and financially. We would move forward in that direction until every door had been shut. In our minds, one of our biggest things we asked of the Lord was to confirm to us this direction through our finances. In this economy to raise this amount of money could only be a God thing. Even with the help of our mission’s pastor and with the church of our size, it did not guarantee financial support. As you can imagine, after what we had been through we also were very skittish. Could we really be confident in hearing and feeling that this was a solid direction from the Lord?

God opened door after door for us to be here. There were some that literally came with prophetic words of encouragement, there have been others that have been faithful, faithful prayer partners, and then there are others that have given financially. Though we do not have all the monthly support committed that we need, each month, God has blown our minds with those that have given onetime gifts that provided exactly what we need for the month. We are so close to meeting our monthly support. This has been so hard and I have hated each moment of raising support, but God has been faithful.

After being in Burkina 3 months now we have gotten the question many times from dear friends and family…, “How are you really doing? I want the truth.”

I have blogged about my two year journey to answer this one question….Growing can be painful, but I feel like this week God has brought me to my first really big ah ha moment since December 2007. This desert experience has been indescribably difficult…gosh, what was it like for Job? For most, it will seem so simple and so small, but for whatever reason, God has used my time in the Word and my Bible study to jump off the page and minister to my heart in an intimate way for the first time in over 18 months. Has the silence I have felt been broken or have I finally moved to a place where I can now hear his voice? No matter what the reason…. I not only believe that God loves me, but I feel His love for me.

Please pause for a commercial:

Would you consider a onetime donation? Is God leading you to give on a monthly basis? Being able to put finances on a back shelf/ knowing all our funds are raised will enable us to focus more so on ministry. If we had 75 people that would give $25.00 a month, we would have all we need! If we had 19 people give $100.00 a month we would be there. Please pray about supporting us and the ministry in Burkina.

P.S. Thank you Jesus for doctors/counselors like Melissa Hubbard who did indeed speak truth into my life. Who let me feel hurt but challenged me to forgiveness. Thank you Jesus for mothers like mine who hurt with and for me, cry with me, pray for me, and love me every step of the way. Thank you for a brother and sisters who stand by me always wanting and hoping for the best in my life, who do late night depression movies, oatmeal cookies, wedding cake, La Parilla meals, etc. Thank you for friends that show up at my house after a plea for prayer has been made with Take 5’s candy bars, encouragement, and prayer. Thank you for a co-worker like Linda that made days of intense discouragement still seem hopeful. Thank you Jesus for friends that pray just because they hate that I am hurting and want peace in my life. Thank you God for loving me so much that just like Jesus, you allowed these hardships and shattered dreams in my life to result in a long time of sufferings that would not necessarily bring understanding, but would bring life lessons and rejuvenation in my relationship with you.

My story to be continued…..

The Heart of Clarisse

This is Clarisse in the Team Center

Clarisse works at our Center and has been so blessed by the Americans that have come and shown her the love of God.

Clarisse is a 30 year old woman that has 2 children. She is married to a Mvslim man and has been married since she was 19. Clarisse is a woman who is wounded and broken.

When I arrived in Burkina she was helping the pastors wife to hand wash all of our clothes before our washing machine arrived. She seemed very shy and when I spoke to her she would never make eye contact. Every time we saw each other she would shake my hand and bowe.

Slowly Clarisse is finding that we are safe. We are going to love her and pray for her; yet, she is still very reserved. Each week she seems to share a little more about her life and her story. You see, a couple weeks ago Clarisse said that her husband had abandoned her. She has a 6 year old who is living with her mother-n-law but the mother is in fact very mean. Clarisse’s father lives in the bush area and she is here in Ouagadougou living with her brother trying to work and obtain money to feed herself, her daughter that lives with her, and then also send money back to her father. My heart ached for Clarisse as I heard her speak. As a wife, I have tried to comprehend what she must feel and I simply can’t. Even just trying, the wounds feel intense for me.

A little more to this story… I just found out last week that Clarisse used the term abandoned because that is truly how she feels; yet, this is not exactly true. Her husband did not leave her, he decided to take on and marry a second wife as well. In my ignorance, I really did not think this was still practiced. I have found that it was at one time common here to have as many as 4 wives all living under the same roof. This now has been changed to two wives and is most common when living deeper in the bush or villages.

Ladies, ponder this thought for just one tiny moment:

What would you do???…How would you feel…??? If your husband comes home to inform you that he will be marring his second wife next weekend. He loves you and you are still his first wife, but you will now have another woman coming to live in the home as another wife/lover/mother to his children. What? Come Again? Now, I am sure their conversation did not go like this, but I have tried to just envision what this conversation did actually look like. Now from what I have been taught about this, Clarisse because she is wife number 1, will always have a higher position. If there is something that needs to be said or conveyed, he will tell her and she will be the one to communicate to the family. Unreal…are my feelings exactly. No way, you’re kidding right, I’m on candid camera!

My next thoughts came as I began peeling off the layers of my heart as I am a woman. I do not care what nationally, race, or religion you are…women were created to be loved. As we are to respect our husbands, they are to love us as Christ loves the church. This would not be in the Word if it was not an essential element for us as women.

Ladies, now ponder this thought:

He is taking on a second wife? Was I not good enough? Am I too fat or to thin? Do I not work hard enough? Is she prettier than I? Does he love her more? Does she bring him more pleasure? What did I do wrong? Why was I not enough? Yes, my heart is indeed in a thousand pieces and can they ever be put back together?

Lastly, ponder this:

How do you make this work? Seriously…how do two women co-exist as a wife to the same man at the same time in the same home?

Clarisse’s heart feels broken beyond repair. She has chosen to leave him- not to divorce him- but she simply cannot exist in this situation. Clarisse does have a personal relationship with Jesus. She is faithful at the church at the LAC and she does desire wholeness, but feels hopeless.

Please stop right now and pray that God will heal her broken heart. Pray that she will see His mighty hand in her life despite her circumstances. Please pray that I would be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit and know how to encourage her during this time!

Our first team was AMAZING!

This is the team with 3 missionary families.

Our first team arrived back in March. They arrived on a Friday night coming in from Pennsylvania. This was a group of 11. The team was made up of mainly high school and college students and it was an amazing start for us! We wanted to shout out a big “THANK YOU” for the love, encouragement, and hard work they poured into their time here. There worked alongside local Africans as well as students from Black Forest Academy. They roofed 2 different churches and they also had the opportunity to invest in some of the local Africans. They worked hard and will probably never know how their time, money, service, and love has impacted the lives of these Burkina Bay People.

These children and their families have a finished church building and a place to hear the Word of God!

Waking up and getting ready to start working again!

Another really amazing part of this trip was that the father of the pastor that led this team had the opportunity to do some teaching. Charlie has his doctorate and is a professor at a college on top of also being a business owner with his wife. Throughout the week, Charlie invested in the lives of these leaders by giving them practical wisdom and help in leadership. The comment was made by one of the Africans, “Even when we ask questions, he answers as if he knows and understands the life here in Burkina and how to apply these principals.” God used him and he was a tremendous blessing.

Again, working hard!

Again, we want to send a huge thank you enclosed with many hugs. For each one of you, we pray that your lives were richly blessed and encouraged. We pray that as you have returned to the normalcy of life that you will forever be changed. Many blessings to all of you!

Just a thought…. Are you living in the Spirit?

**Hope to post pictures soon, but the internet is moving to slow to do so!**

If I were asked to find one verse in the Bible that would sum up what I think life is all about…It would be more than difficult. How do you choose just one verse to define the majesty of the One and Only Lord God and the Life He created us for …It is impossible! If it was insisted upon me, I know that I would have to choose John 10:10 which says, “The thief comes ONLY to kill and steal and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.”

I trusted Jesus and gave my life to him as a 7 year old. Looking back over the years in my life, I have seen and continue to see the truth in this scripture over and over. Satan is always trying to steal from me- my hope, my joy, my strength, and ultimately the truth. He is also always working to destroy me- my reputation, my confidence in the Lord and ultimately I know he wants to kill the relationship I have with God my Father.

Yesterday, I honestly felt like I was close to the finish line. I know that in most cases the finish line is a positive thing; however, my finish line should be more defined as my quitting point. Yesterday, I simply did not have enough faith to even trust that God can do this life (living in Africa) through me. The enemy is working over time to kill, steal, and destroy the ministry set before us.

When I hit these low moments, one thing that aggravates me is that it is impossible for me to stay angry with the Lord. Here is where the rest of that verse comes in… Because God MY Father has come that I may have Life and have it to the full. In the past I really felt like having life to the full was so much about joy despite circumstances and just that intimate relationship with Him. As I have grown in my faith, wow… how it is so much more than that. I now see I will not know the complete full until I am in heaven with Him.

On a parallel note, I am doing the bible study, Living Beyond Yourself by Beth Moore. Though we are on week three, I was drawn back to the very first video. She made the comment, “If I am living in a way that I can do these things, I am probably not living in the Spirit!” So hands down, I can honestly say that I am living in the Spirit! There is no way that in my own strength I could be here for any length of time. The enemy has upped his ploy and is working over time in my life.

For the sole reason that we are serving God, we are in the center of the battle field. I know the victory is already mine because I belong to the Lord; however, the battle still feels very intense. There is so much God is doing in Burkina and I know He wants to use our family to accomplish these things; hence, I understand the enemy wanting to kill and steal and destroy.

I stress these things today as a call for prayer!!! God is at work here and the devil is not pleased in fact I assume he is ticked off. Help us by standing in the gap and interceding for the following:

-Protection-spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically

-That we could be a constant encouragement to the Burkina Bay. In specific and more personally those that live near the LAC where we live as well.

-Pray for the children at the LAC that do not know the Lord.

-Pray for our faithfulness despite the hardships we face. There is no sweeter place to be than right in the center of His perfect will!

Just a thought…. Are you living in the Spirit?

Will you go to heaven when you die?

We received some very exciting news this past week.... My nephew Jonah who is three days younger than Silas and his best friend in the whole world gave his heart and life to Jesus this past week. YEAH!!! We have all had joy, but Silas has continued to talk about Jonah knowing Jesus now. He has said at least 3 times, "Mom, now Jonah will go to heaven with me when we die." Silas is 8 and it brings me so much joy that he at a young age in his childlike faith fathoms the ones he loves spending eternity together.

The salvation of others is something we are constantly praying for in our home so this is something that our children are very aware of. Our girls have yet to make a personal/public decision for Jesus; however, Gabriella tells us almost daily that she is ready to follow Jesus and that she already believes and that she will go to heaven when she dies. We as her parents and our lack of faith want to be sure that she really understands the decision she is making. We do not want her to make this decision just because it has been modeled in our home. We want her to fully understand what she is doing.....

WELL, when your child reminds you that we should drink Jesus’ blood (really grape juice given at communion) everyday and talk about it every day because we need to always think about Jesus and how he took our punishment.... OUCH!!! I would say that her faith is more in tune to the things of God than mine at times and ... She is only 4!

Just some random thoughts...

Do you know Jesus as your personal Lord? Are you praying for your family and friends who do not know Him? Are you rejoicing like Silas is when someone you love gives their life to Jesus? Do you really focus on the fact that Jesus took your punishment?

Please pray for Gabriella and Isabella. We believe salvation is close and they are both ready to make decisions for the Lord.

Jonah Scott- We love you and are so excited about your decision. We cannot wait to see how God uses you as a light for the kingdom!

What is Your Craziest Birthday Gift?

I have been sick for about 2 weeks and just was not able to do everything I wanted for Noah’s birthday. Growing up my parents made birthdays very special and it is something I really want to pass on to my children. Noah wanted me to share with everyone back in America what his first birthday in Africa was like.


He woke up to a tradition we started years ago in France. He and Chris went to get breakfast for the family. There is a French bakery here that is amazing and has pain au chocolat and amazing croissants. We had an awesome breakfast together and then he was dying for his first gift. We were pleased to give him an addidas toiletry bag with body wash and cologne that I got at the after Christmas sales for $3.00.

This is Noah's birthday breakfast choice!

Noah got to have Fanta for breakfast!

There is a soccer guy from Cameroon that is very popular here. Noah was dying for this soccer jersey that had this guy’s name on it. We asked Emmy who helps us during the day if she would pick one up for us. The African way seems to be that if they think there is something better, they change the plan without asking. Instead of the black and blue stripped soccer jersey, she got him a long sleeved shirt that had an iron on of this guy waving. She was so excited and thought Noah would be also. Well, we were smart enough to know that since this is the only gift Noah asked for, we wanted to make every attempt to get this specific one for him. When Chris goes to purchase this, the price is 10,000CFA or basically $20.00. Being white gives the automatic your are completely wealthy stigma. Chris had our day guard go and get the shirt for him for the big price of $2.00. Amazing! Noah was thrilled to get both!

Noah in his new soccer shirt

Noah wanted Pizza for lunch so we took him to our favorite restaurant here. It is an outdoor place where there is a brick oven and the pizzas are really good. We always eat pizza and french fries. My family sent out a surprise birthday card for Noah. I pulled this card out and Noah began to fight back the tears. I think he was more excited about this card than any other gift! We all thought that Uncle Eric’s birthday wishes were the best…Instead of eating birthday cake the African tradition is to eat Rhino Hoof… We all busted out laughing and certainly drew attention to ourselves.

Surprise Birthday card from the Family

Noah reading a letter from Kate

By this time I was in quite a bit of pain so Chris brought the girls and I back to the house. They went to a nearby park that we thought had go carts. It was not what we had expected, but fun for the boys. They were able to jump on inflatables, ride water bumper boats, jump on trampolines, ride these motorized motorcycles, and ride bumper cars. Chris thought it was especially funny that the bumper cars here are quite a bit different than in the States. They look just the same and drive the same, but here you are not allowed to bump anything. In fact, only one car is allowed to go at a time and you just are supposed to drive around the circle. Silas thought that was crazy so decided to at least bump into the wall for fun!

Noah on his motorcycle!

While the boys were gone the girls and I were going to be baking Noah’s cake. Again, I was not doing well so I spent the entire afternoon in my bed. The girls had been playing in the front yard and busted in my door saying that Serge brought over a birthday present for Noah from Suzanne and Agabus. I told them that Serge could come in. As I am sitting up in my bed trying to get up, Serge comes down the hall with a live chicken holding it upside down by its feet. He said this was a gift for Noah for dinner and wanted to know if I wanted to chop the head off or if I wanted him to. You get one guess as to my response….. As my face contorted in an odd way, Serge busted out laughing and said he would do it. He went to the kitchen found a knife and headed outside. Isabella and Gabriella right on his heels wanting to watch…YUCK!

Next, I come into my kitchen to this now dead chicken with all its feathers boiling in my pot. He said he needed to boil it before he pulled off all the feathers. OK now I am really sick to my stomach and Serge is about to bust a vein laughing so hard. I tried to explain how honored we were at such a sweet gift, but I just do not think I did a great job.

The boys arrive home and are so excited to help pull off feathers and clean out the inside. Not to mention Serge was thrilled that Chris said he could keep the head. Can you say culture shock for me! Noah mentioned that he bet not too many of his friends in America got a chicken to kill for dinner for their birthday!

Samuel, Serge being silly, and Basearo pulling the feathers off the chicken

Despite having to postpone birthday cake, Noah has a great 10th birthday. Thanks also for all the phone messages…he loved each and every one!

Another Bit of Cultural Shock

I do not iron. Cannot iron. Can never get the wrinkles out when I try to iron….Hate to iron. I was more than excited when a lady here told me it is better to have someone come to your home and have them iron there. This gives them a full days work. Before I even questioned the price I told her to put me on this plan and help me find someone. As expensive as things are here, labor is not one of them. To hire someone to do a job here, it is crazy cheap. Just so you know, to have all of our things ironed for an eight hour day, it cost me $2.50. This my friends is one of the perks of living in Africa.

So, this guy shows up at my home. His name is Aziz.  He is college age, nicely dressed, and has a very warm smile. He asked where my iron was and I pointed to the ironing board and iron that I had brought from the states. He looked at me like I had 2 heads. I knew right away, this guy had no idea how to iron. My first thought was at least I am only spending $2.50. He ironed a couple things and then said that he would be back in a few minutes. I continued on, getting things ready for our first team to arrive and when I returned was amazed at what a great job he was doing. He proceeded to show me what a real iron is. Please see my pictures below.

The purpose of this post is more than just that I was totally amazed that the normal way to iron here is with a metal iron that is heated by charcoal. Though this does blow my mind, the more amazing part is that just a little over a year ago, Aziz gave his life to Jesus. He had been walking a road that was literally leading to death. He was a mVslim that had no hope. This guy was asked to help us by our pastor’s wife. His mother is deceased and this past year has been very hard for him to find work. Here is the really sweet part of this story… Many would think, “Oh wow, he has given his life to the Lord and left the mVslim faith. This is a big deal and I bet he will be immediately blessed with work, friends, encouragement, etc.” He is indeed blessed; however, his life circumstances have not gotten any easier and work has been even harder to find. Despite the struggles he may have with the Lord, He knows true joy and his life reflects that even in his despair.

We had a team that arrived from Grace Chapel church. There were two days that this group helped to roof a school and the youth from the church here at the LAC worked hand in hand with this team. This team not only helped in the way of some intense physical labor, but they invested in a relationship by serving alongside these Africans. Aziz’s life was encouraged and blessed at their sacrifice. Pray for him. Pray that we will be able to continue to encourage this young believer in the Lord. Pray that God will draw him closer and closer to Himself as he walks through these struggles. Pray that his life is richly blessed!