[Dagara Digest] New Arrivals

[Burks]

Be sure to visit our website, for other pictures and updates

The Burk Family

This hot season has seemed longer than previous seasons. We're glad though that we've finally had a couple of really good rains. Our friends are finally able to start planting. Pray that the rains last long enough for them to have enough food to eat this year.

We've been having a few little setbacks in the work lately. The opportunity to preach in Sorkawn fell through. Kpe-zuo's student is also nowhere to be found. We'll just shake the dust off our feet though and get going to the next place soon. We are excited about possible Dagara literacy schools to open up in each cluster. This will help more Christians be able to read the gospel of Mark and Acts. Now they don't have to just take our word for it.

Our team is growing and getting better settled for better work. Congrats to our teammates, the Johnsons, who have welcomed the third addition in as many years to their family. This month, the Richters are also moving to Dano. We've been waiting for this for a long time.

Aaron, Andrea, Daniel, and Dylan Burk

The Carter Family

This month with the Carter Family we have had several unique events. Chad had the opportunity to spend time reviewing Train and Multiply with the Dagara Bible Translation Project Coordinator Stanislaus Hien. He also has been working with church leaders on opening a Dagara church communication center and bookstore. This will be a fantastic 'movement' step because it takes the missionaries more out of the link for organization, message relaying, and being the holders of printed biblical materials. Our family was blessed to work with the Star Stream kids from Richardson East in preparing a few famine relief sacks for the upcoming seasonal need in our area. We celebrated our eighth anniversary with a special evening out in Ouaga (pronounced: Wah-Gah). For those of you who have been following our house reconstruction you can look at pictures with the following link. Thank you for all that helped us in the re-build. Thank God for the many Christians who volunteered days to make bricks, the people who gave safety advice from the States, and the Lebanese hardware importer who gave us all supplies at his cost.

Thanks for your daily prayers.

The Carters

(The 12ft high ceilings, 3ft thick walls, and some space illusions were fun in building this 1100 sq.ft. mud home)

See pictures in this online album

The Richter Family

Our bags are packed and ready to go, well mostly. As we move from Ouagadougou to Dano, we do so with a great deal of appreciation for what we have gained from living in the capital. God blessed us with some great people to help us as we transitioned to life in Burkina Faso. Looking back over our experience we wouldn’t have it any other way.

The past few weeks have been non-stop as we have had the opportunity to be involved in many projects. From medical outreach clinics to transplanting moringa trees, from food distribution for street children to repairing broken down water wells. We are privileged to serve in the name of Christ and extend His love to the poor. Thank you for making all this possible through your prayers and support of this mission.

We couldn’t be more excited to be able to finally move to Dano, the place where we will call home and work in the Kingdom for many years to come. We really want for our home to be a house of joy, love, peace and prayer. In fact, our family is inaugurating our beginning in Dano with 40 days of prayer. We hope this will help us to build a strong foundation and be a good start for our family. So, would you please pray along with us during this important transition to life in Dano?

Geoffrey, Suzanne, Caleb, Seth, London, and Micah Richter

The Johnson Family

And then there were five!

We are proud to announce the arrival of Isaiah Stone Johnson. Born around noon on June 2, Isaiah and his mama are both doing very well. The delivery at the clinic went well, although Melissa’s doctor was out on an emergency call, and Isaiah was delivered by a midwife. After more than three weeks in the capital (with capricious – at best –electricity), we were eager to return home and were thrilled when the doctors gave us the green light to hit the road. With Chad’s help, we were able to get everyone (and all our stuff) back to Dano.

Melissa’s parents Joe and Joy Mears arrived a few days before the birth and will be here through the end of the month. We’re glad to have the extra hands around to help, and Joe and Joy seem thrilled about every minute with their grandkids. We’re also excited about showing them around the work, too – there are a few times more churches and Christians since their visit three years ago.

Thank you for all your prayers for us, for our team, and for the Dagara – God hears them!

Blessings.
Andy, Melissa, Elijah, Amelie, and Isaiah

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Posted By Burks to Dagara Digest at 6/10/2009 11:31:00 AM