[Dagara Digest] WAMR and Leader's Conference

[Burks]

Always wanted to send a missionary a care package, but didn't know what to get. Check out our profiles on www.dagaradigest.net and see the wish list.

The Johnson Family

Greetings from steamy Burkina! The rains are at last in full swing, and Burkina is enjoying its annual burst of green everywhere. Please keep praying, though, that the rains will continue weeks past their usual cut-off date to make up for the late start this year.
Our family had a great West African Missionary Retreat on the coast of Ghana! Greg Stanford and the Burnam family came from our overseeing congregation to teach our children and lead us in worship while Randy Harris came from ACU to speak to us. Additionally, Andy’s parents were able to make the trip; our kids won’t soon forget how good it was to be with Granny and Poppaw on the beach!

Around Dano, Andy was able to spend some time mentoring Herman (the man who planted a church on the same day he was baptized). Andy is also beginning this week to teach a new lesson series on holiness to two of our more mature congregations. Finally, his studies with his good Muslim friend in the book of Acts are progressing. We continue to be amazed at the wonderful things God is doing among the Dagara.

There are a number of ways to contact us now in addition to our regular email address. Give us a call at any

of the following numbers (all beginning with 011-226-): 20-90-80-01, 71-04-35-51 (Andy), or 71-04-35-52 (Melissa). You can also look for us on skype at andy.melissa.elijah.amelie (it was pre-Isaiah!).

Blessings.
The Johnsons

The Burk Family

We survived WAMR 2009! That's the T-Shirt I'm thinking of having printed for our annual trek down to the coast in Ghana. In the midst of 22 hours of driving and 8 days in the car and sinus infections all around, we were supposed to have a spiritual retreat. I will say the worship, and the words shared, the relationships bolstered were all encouraging. However, we are really glad to be back in Dano for awhile. We enjoyed being at Amelie's Tinkerbell-themed birthday party this week (thus the hippie pirates you see here).

We are busy right now trying to get several things started up again. The big thing on the horizon is the Dagara-wide church leadership conference where we will be covering all sorts of topics, from water-well reclamation, to legal registration of the churches, to how to study the bible and pray in order to discern God's will for the future of the churches and some practice in casting a vision for the churches (not particularly in that order). On top of that our family is doing some spring cleaning and rearranging, preparing for a birthday party this weekend, trying to get back into the swing of village visits, and get organized for fourth grade for Daniel and preschool for Dylan. Please pray that we can prioritize the things that really matter in the midst of this busy-ness.

May the LORD Bless You and Keep You
The Burks

The Carter Family

This month we really enjoyed our annual missions conference / renewal retreat in Ghana. God really blessed our trip with a toddler and preschooler and three days driving there and three days back. The unfortunate fall-out was that several different sicknesses (maybe a flu bug, a cold virus, and a stomach bug) made the rounds through the entire team.

Thankfully it only mildly disrupted the scheduled translation days with Stanislas Hien (the director of bible translation for the Dagara). He graciously agreed to take his vacation time and help us with the proof reading of Train and Multiply. With his assistance we have been able to move forward with the first mass printing of several books. The goal is to prepare all of the books for printing and then raise funds for the operation this winter.

Please remember our family in prayer as we finish what is before us and prepare for furlough this fall. Thanks for your continued partnership in ministry.

With love,
The Carters, Chad, Amy, Noah & Benjamin

The Richter Family

Life in Dano has been a whirlwind for us these past two months as we settled into our home, completed home projects, and prepared for the arrival of our first guests on the field. Despite some unsettling trials God more than proved Himself Faithful. We are grateful for enduring presence and love in our lives and know that we are exactly where He wants us to be here in Burkina Faso.

We enjoyed regaining a place to call home and put up familiar country decorations and family pictures that we had back in Texas. Our home is refreshing, comfortable, and enables us to continue ministering effectively in this place. We inaugurated the opening of our home in Dano with 40 Days of Prayer and were extremely blessed by the time in the Word and in prayer. Thank you for praying along with us. We know that those prayers made, and continue to make, all the difference. Praise God for His power and Spirit that accomplishes all things!


A special treat this summer was receiving our first guests from our sponsoring church in San Antonio, Texas. We were greatly blessed by their time here – a time of encouragement, prayer, and fellowship. God led us to some incredible experiences and opened our eyes to the needs and struggles of the Burkinabe people. We pray fervently that God will continue to lead and direct our hearts to all that He has ordained for us to be and do in this place.

May God Bless You All,
The Richter Family

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Posted By Burks to Dagara Digest at 8/21/2009 08:07:00 AM