Sleep and the Dentist

So last night was my first night since I have been back (one week) that I slept normal hours!  I tried to go to sleep at 10:30 p.m. and I did!  And then, I woke up at 7:30!  No more of this going to bed at 1:00 in the morning and not being able to pull myself out of bed until 10:00 business.

Today, I am going to the dentist - which I am actually very excited about.  Can you believe that I was not able to go when I was in the States?  My parents called in April and they didnt have room so I was put on a waiting list - unfortunately I am still waiting :) Yesterday Karen called the dentist here and they said they would get me in today - no waiting list needed here!  Now I am going to find out what a dentist in Burkina Faso is like...haha should be interesting!

I'm coming home

Well I am home, but I am also going home – oh man I have way too many homes! J  My vacation has been amazing.  I have had so much fun the last few weeks – and its not over yet.  After my California friends headed out I went camping with my family, spent time with Lewiston Idaho folks, went shopping in Spokane with my mamma, saw Nate and Tracy and the kids, hung out with my brother, spoke at church and youth group, ate all sorts of yummy food and drove to Ellensburg. 

I am in Ellensburg now and am staying at my grandmas house.  Michelle came over from the west side and so I had dinner with her and Geoff and the Wilson’s which was so great!  Then I hung out more with Michelle on Friday and with the Bender’s – Erin, Josh, Reagan and Quincy in the evening.  It has been so great seeing so many good friends!  Today my friend Kendra drove over from Seattle just for lunch, we had a great chat – so good.  I still have more people to see today and tomorrow as well as speaking at church and then in the evening we will be having a potluck dessert where I will talk more about my job and the CMA’s work in Burkina.  Its been busy but oh so good! 

I fly out Monday to my other home in Burkina and I am actually looking forward to it.  Its nice to know where I am going and what it will be like and that there are actually people there that I like and are excited for me to come back.  

Ouaga and Asotin

Here is an update you on Burkina living for my last few weeks there before I headed home for a little vacation (which is where I am now). 

We headed up to Koubri for 3 days and 2 nights for an end of the year retreat.  It was such a fun few days and I really enjoyed hanging out with the youth kids for this extended time.  We had a lot of the kids who were away at boarding school or who live in the bush that came for this so it was such a joy to get to know more of the youth kids that I don’t get to see as often.  We had a great time of worship, sessions, games, food, campfire, swimming, and just a ton of hanging out. 

Right after camp I hit the ground running and packed up my house to move to my new one.  I did not move far, nearly walking distance from the other.  This one is closer to the international school and has already been such a blessing.  It is much more comfortable and home-y.  Also, I got a new roommate – Susan.  She is working with the CMA by helping Larry in the office.  She will also be helping me with youth group.  I am just so excited to have a roommate for the rest of my time in Burkina.

Also in the last few weeks I have had to say goodbye to a ton of youth kids.  Many of them are leaving because their parents are done with their time in Burkina and so it may be a very long time until I get to see them again.  I got to experience a little piece of what these kids go through every year.  People come and go from their lives all the time – turns out its very hard.  I would say it is one of the least fun and hardest things I have had to do since moving to Burkina. 

Now, however, I am at my parent’s house enjoying a nice break!  So far it has been such an amazing time!  My parents picked me up at the airport and it was/is so great to see them!  Then I headed to Ellensburg and got to see my brother and grandparents and some of my other family.  Now I am all the way at my parent’s house in Asotin.  My friends Mandy, Kandice, Scotty and Ryan all drove up from Redding, California to see me and we have been hanging out since Saturday.  We went boating, on 4-wheeler rides, shooting guns, playing games and just hanging out and catching up.  It has been so great!

30 Hour Famine Summary

I hope you all are having an amazing summer break!  I am sending you an email to let you know how the 30 Hour famine fund raising and projects went.  I know this is a little late but it is very important. 

Thanks to you and the youth groups that partnered with us we raised 8,940,000 cfa or $19,865!

Here is the breakdown of where that money went:

Paam Laafi – 2,115,000 cfa.  Through the Paam Laafi medical outreach we gave 800 children in Yagma medical checkups.

Christian World Outreach – 760,000 cfa.  Through this organization we helped feed their women at their Village of Opportunity vocational school for the next year and a half. 

SIM – 2,250,000 cfa.  SIM was the venue in which we did our grain distribution in the village of Yagma to 400 widows and their children.  We also gave a portion of this money to the Yagma school to feed the children.

Friends in Action – 3,500,000 cfa.  We successfully drilled a well in the village of Yagma.

Pan Bila – 315,000 cfa.  This organization will use the funds to help with their street children ministry. 

As a youth group we spent 2 days in Yagma doing many of these projects.  The boys helped Matt Durkee and Friends in Action drill a well.  The rest of the youth group participated in the medical outreach.  In the afternoon we did a grain distribution to some of the most needed people in Yagma.  Also, we partnered with SIM and Edge to put on a worship service in the evening of May 14, 2011.  After we finished our projects in Yagma, SIM used this opportunity and continued to do ministry and did a church plant.  Many people came to know Christ and now there are about 50 people who are going to Bible study every week.  Please continue to pray for Yagma.  

Please watch this video of our famine and the work in Yagma: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHLLPqsF9nU

I want to say a BIG thank you to everyone who donated and helped us with our 30 Hour Famine. 

Again, thank you guys so much – you are all such a blessing in my life! 

In Him,

Hannah