Listen to a story bout a man named Jed!

Did you watch the show Beverly Hillbilly’s?

Seriously, go ahead and sing the show’s opening song…..if you watched the show the tune is probably already going through your mind.

Listen to a story about a man name Jed, poor mountaineer barely kept his family fed. Then one day he was shooting at some food and up from the ground came a bubblin crude. Oil that is.

Being here in Burkina but specifically on the property where we live, I have often felt like the Beverly Hillbillies just with the order being different…. Let me explain…

LAC- This is a Christian boarding school that has boarding for boys. Girls are welcome but there is not a boarding option for the girls; therefore, the population of boys to girls is a huge difference. This year there is a little over 400 students. I am not sure with this new school year what the ratio of Christians attending the school is, but many years there are more non-Christians than Christians. Why would non-Christians come to this school- The answer is easy…. This school has a reputation of assisting students to walk away with a good education. Also, there are exams that are required to advance to the next grade level throughout their education. At this school the percentage of those who pass these required exams are higher than many of the other schools. So, a devout Mvslim will agree to their child being in a Bible class every day if being at this school will help produce a passing mark.

This is the administration building.

Seriously Connie, how do the two relate???- From the start, Chris and I have felt like God lead West Ridge to partner with the LAC, and this place is a rich oil field with so much potential . Here we are this white southern family that lives with black poverty stricken Africans. Physically, we stick out just like the hillbillies did in Beverly Hills. Yet, whereas the Hillbillies went to Beverly Hills after discovering oil, we have been brought here where the riches are seemingly yet to be fully realized; we have been placed on this land before the oil has really begun to come to the surface. We believe on this campus there is some deep rich life changing oil that has the potential to change the country and beyond and unlike the hillbillies our gain is much greater than monetary wealth. Jed struck oil when he was out looking for food for his family; I believe we will strike oil as we are out feeding His.

You see, when these children give their lives to Jesus, they are coming from all over Burkina as well as a few from other African countries. They have the opportunity to return home and be a direct source of light. There are already reported testimonies of life change that have affected entire families. At times there has also been abandonment for these students as well. Their salvation has the potential to come with a grave price. Back in April, a non believer asked me the question, “If what you call salvation would cause a person their family, friends, and possibly their life..Why would you be so cruel and put them in that position?” My response to her as tears streamed down my face was, “Everything in me agrees with how horrible their circumstances could be…. I cringe at the thought of the cost, but what I do know is this…It would be cruel and selfish for me/you/us not to tell and proclaim the truth with them because of the possible horrible things that could happen. For one day EVERY knee shall bow and EVERY tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. My mind does not even want to grasp their possible circumstances, but my mind cannot handle that their knee being bowed could be upon their separation from God the Father and their entrance into the flaming confinement of an eternity in hell. I trust in God’s sovernty that losing a physical life and gaining life eternally in paradise with Him is well worth the trade off.” My friend did not respond.

This is the new LAC classroom being built.  This will facilitate students coming back here for their first year of High School.

I cannot explain the burden our family has for this school and the honor we feel to be so closely connected to them. We are very excited about the specific doors God has opened for us here…Please, Please, Please pray for us and that salvation be upon these children and their villiages.

-Last Saturday was our kick-off English movie night. Twice a month, we will have a movie night projected on a huge wall. We will stop the movie mid-way and the gospel will be shared.

-We will host the 50 plus staff members in a luncheon each quarter and share the gospel, encourage, and pray for the staff. Many of these teachers are Mvslim.

-I will be working in the admin office a couple hours a week, helping to learn and then teach a program that can help them be more efficient in the office.

-We are both working with students in a smaller setting helping the students with their English.

-We will be helping out in the classroom, having an opportunity to build relationships with the students.

-Once a month, we will have a sports day. This will be an opportunity to simply invest in these students in a non threatening way showing the love of Jesus.

We have spot-lighted the LAC and our specific ministry here and we really are asking for your help. We cannot do this without you. We need people who will pray for us on a regular basis. The spiritual warfare that takes place here is at times overwhelming. We need people praying. We also need your support financially. We have been so encouraged and blessed each month at God’s provision through His children because we cannot be here without your financial support. Please pray about supporting us financially. Lastly, we need to purchase a vehicle. This would be a tremendous help to our family and ministry and so we are asking God to bring the funds and show us the exact vehicle he would have for us. Please pray about God’s provision for us and giving towards our monthly support and or our vehicle fund.  The link below will take you directly to our giving page.  All donations are tax deductable.

[ click here for ] BurkinaBound Online Giving

There is a curve in Learning French... What I thought I said was really not what I said... YIKES!

Last Saturday night we kicked off the year with a movie. The kids started back the 1st of Oct so it has given them time to settle in and was a good break from studies. More than 200 students came and all stayed very interested to the end. We showed the movie Narnia. While Chris was setting everything up I explained to the students that Chris and I were here because of our great love for Jesus and our great love for them. All the students were quiet and Agabus was standing there with me and I noticed him looking at me weird. I paused and he got a little clarification from me... With my terrible accent, the word for love and death/to die sound very much the same. They seemed to all think I said we have a lot of death for Jesus and we have a lot of death for them and we wanted them to know the death of Jesus also. Though it was a very embarrassing moment for me, it was a great start as the kids and myself laughed. After being able to clarify, Agabus said that this was good because it broke down some walls right from the start. We invited all of them to be part of worship yesterday morning and they now know why our family is here. At the end, Agabus explained the symbolism of the movie. It was really a great night. Pray that God will stir the hearts of these students unto repentance and faith in Him.

The second thing is I have become very good friends with one of the students moms. Saturday was a day at the LAC for parents to come and visit. I have really been praying for her salvation. She is mvslim. Her son gave his life to Jesus here at the LAC a little over a year ago. Each time we are together, she has opened up more and more. Today, God opened the door for me to share the gospel with her. She is suffering and really feels like her life is hopeless. I told her she needed peace in her heart and life and that could only come from Jesus. I gave her a bible and asked her to read the book of John and on her own she promised. I do believe the day is coming that she will give her life to Jesus... please pray for her. Just pray for Philemon's mom. The funny thing about this story is that again before she left I really stressed that she needed al lot of peace in her life that could only come from Jesus.... with many tears her response was, I know!

Praise God He worked in spite of my very bad French because once again my accent did not serve me well.... (this is terrible and I feel so stupid and sorry mom for saying this word out loud) the word for peace and the word for fart sound very similar. Chris about fell over when I was so excited telling him in French what I said to her. His response was so Connie... you just told her that she needed a lot of fart in her life that can only come from Jesus. Please tell me you really did not say that.  ..... Seriously will not make those mistakes again... You better know I now have a better pronunciation of those 4 words!

Thank the Lord he works in spite of me!

We really are excited about what God is doing at the LAC!

I Love Number 32's Mom!!

In the past few months God has used the lives of others to make a major impact on my life.  I love to hear the life stories of others especially when one has allowed God to be the center point.  Over the next few weeks, I want to high light a few people that I think are hero's in the faith! 

If you live anywhere near North Paulding High School you have probably heard of number 32 on the Wolfpack football team. The name of this senior is Chris Conley. Last year before leaving for Burkina, my three boys fell in love with NPHS as well as cheering on their cousins Bo and Joel who are on this team. Our family has regular prayer time and I remember hearing my boys pray for their cousins and the name Chris Conley would find the way into our prayer time also.

I finally asked my sister about who this kid is. My boys would say that he is one of the players on the NPHS team and he is real good. They would also say, “And he’s a Christian too.” My sister began to explain that this kid started playing football in 9th grade. His mom desired that her children know and have God first in their lives above all other things. After that she desired that they be committed to their education. If those things were in check… then they could play sports.

I am all about peewee sports and even my own children have played baseball, basketball, and soccer. This is not in any way a judgment or a bash about young kids being in sports. This is simply something God used to touch my heart as I connected with hers in longing for our children to be rock solid in the Lord. I must admit that when my sister shared with me the testimony of this mother who had such great wisdom that she put what seemed to be a joy to her children on hold for the sake of what she knew held a much greater importance…. My thoughts were….”Lord, may I as well live with that kind of wisdom.” I already desire these things but never would I have made the concentrated point to hold off sports and other things so that my children have a foundation built solid on the Word of God and their relationship with Him. I must add that this could mean them never playing sports. I cannot choose Jesus for them- I can only love, live, and direct them in the way of truth and pray that they choose a life that is submitted and committed to the Lord.

I am sure that Christina Conley over the years was talked about for not allowing her children to play sports. I bet her children possibly asked her more than one time why she felt this way or even assured their mom that they were ready before 9th grade.

Her first son has graduated and is in Tennessee on a track scholarship. Chris will graduate early and is heading to UGA on a full scholarship. WOW! She also has a daughter that is excelling in track as well.

I know that faithfulness does not always bring a reward such as this on this side of eternity; however, I know that faithfulness and surrender does indeed bring blessing and honor to God and the reward will come. Christina Conley, you are a courageous woman and example of a mother who loves truth and the Heavenly Father more than the temporary happiness of your children. I love to see your strength in the Lord and I love to see how God is blessing the lives of your children. I also love that Chris has become a huge role model in our family. My boys see the God factor in Chris’s success. Know he is prayed for and looked to as a hero by us all the way over here in Burkina Faso. Go Dawgs!

P.S. To make sure I had my facts straight, I emailed Christina and allowed her to read this blog entry before I posted it. I am going to paste just some of the words in her response…. It only goes to more affirm the woman of God that she is and that she is living a life committed to him!

Response from Christina: I know the compassion of our Savior and how He knows the mess of human flesh that I was before I came to know Him as Savior and then miraculously, blood covered mess that I still am as I grow daily by His grace.

I love reading the wisdom of Catherine Marshall and Elizabeth Elliot, and I believe it was Catherine Marshall who when asked if she would talk about being a mother likened her acceptance of such an invitation at that point to someone negotiating a trip across a stream on horseback and yielding midstream to discuss how it's done well before the completion of the journey. I believe myself to be midstream with much more ground to traverse long before being the subject of one of your blogs.

Our Lord is so incredibly awesome in the LOVE that He has shown all of us, particularly me. If I could share anything with someone right now, it would not be about me, it would be that we truly cannot be separated from God's love and that He (GOD) is incredibly merciful and will forgive us our sins if we call upon His name. I am proof of that.

My HUGE Surprise

Have you ever felt so much gratitude for someone that you did not even know how to express yourself?? As many of you know, an amazing family made it possible for me to return to America to surprise my family. I did not spend one dime for my ticket and the sweet time I had going home was a gift that I will remember for the rest of my life.

To the family who did this for me… Thank you and may you be forever blessed by your graciousness!

I arrived in Atlanta and had asked my brother to pick me up from the airport.  He did an amazing job keeping a secret!  Thank you Tod!

My first surprise was when I walked into his home and was able to surprise my sister-n-law. She did as I expected- her mouth dropped open and then her hands flew up over her mouth. It was then great to receive a huge hug.

She was the camera... We did not get a picture together :(

From there we headed to the school where my nephew Robby had a football game. He was on the field but so was his older brother Bo. I stood at the fence and looked at Bo straight in the face. I normally do not wear sun glasses and was wearing them so this did throw him off a little; however, the stare and him trying to figure out how someone could look so much like his aunt was so funny. It became hilarious when he began walking backwards biting on his fingernail just looking at me… then it clicked… it is my Aunt Connie!

I had been waiting for the moment to throw my arms around my mom. I knew she would be at the ballgame so I started a few rows behind where she would be sitting with the hope that she would see me when she walked up… no luck there. I then walked down and sat 2 rows in front of her thinking she would catch a glimpse of me…. No luck there either. My sister-n-law was down at the fence taking pictures. We all wave as she takes a picture. I then turn and look at my mom and smile and she smiles back…. Again no luck there either.

 

My laughter is now a bit uncontrollable. My nephew and I both are cracking up but with such anticipation for her to see me. Well, a little help from my brother and this was her first couple moments after she saw me…….

It was everything and more that I wanted it to be. I cannot express the joy that filled my heart hugging my mom and just being in her presence.

Robby who is on the field was pretty quick. We all yell at him and wave and he waves turns around and then does that fast speed rip his head back around as we notice that it has clicked that I am there.

I did not get a picture with him that night, but here he is.

Next is Joel, another nephew. I again am sitting in front to him. I look at him several times and every time I look directly at him, he turns to talk to someone else. When it finally clicked, he busted down and threw his whole body in my lap…. Again laughter and tears flowed.

I know we look like Ken and Barbie.

Half time has come and we move on to the concession stand where my brother-n-law and 2 nieces are working. I wait in line for some time and they have now all looked at me and not noticed. A little girl asked me if I wanted something and when I asked if the cheese or pepperoni pizza was better the 2 girls busted out the door and more tears began to flow. It was amazing!

From there we do everything we can to keep my older sister at Five Guys where she is ordering dinner. Poor girl, she has now been to the counter three different times to order and all she wants to do is get home. I make it there just in time and when I walk in… her words from the start… “SHUT UP!” And yes once again, tears come.

We did not have a camera to capture the surprise, but here is my big sister whom I adore!

I think one of the saddest yet sweetest moment was when Jonah her son walks in and though he is glad to see me, his heart is so sad that his BFF my son Silas in not there with me.

 

I am sure that this is what my nephew Jonah felt until he realized that Silas was not with me.

We head back to the house and I decide to just bust in the room where my little sister and niece are… the niece I have not yet met. She was much the same as my older sister…”SHUT UP!” And yes, the tears flow. I then have the greatest joy in meeting my new niece and sitting in the presence of my baby sister and my family.

Susie- Why in the world do we not have a picture together where you can see our faces???

Lastly, my brother-n-law Eric walks through the door and by that time it is just laughter. Can I even begin to relive and tell you the joy and excitement that filled my heart that day! I LOVE my family!

I think this in and of itself is a sweet story, but the best part of this story is how down to each detail, God gave this to me as a gift. It was so detailed that I honestly feared that I was coming home because something bad was going to happen that I needed to be there for. The Father knew that I needed a time of rest, that I needed to spend some long overdue time with my family. I had prayed months back about going home this particular week because I knew that school was out and so many of my family members work in the school system. I just cannot express just how special I felt cradled in the arms of God through his presence and this gift. Others were gracious and God so blessed.