We lived two terms in the village of Santidougou, and saw a lot of things started there. The girls' school, more pastors trained, the primary school and a beautiful dispensary built, the church expanding and maturing, the start of giving God's Word to our people in written form.
Uncle Dave and Aunt Margot joined us in Burkina. They were first of all assigned to Mali, but at conference that year their stationing was changed to Burkina and the city of Bobo, to do youth work. They developed a great work among the youth and also worked with US Youth Corps every year. For many years Uncle Dave was field director, so of course that kept them in Bobo also.
Uncle Jim and Aunt Donna also joined us in West Africa, and they were assigned to Mali and the Bwa people. We were all close enough together that we saw each other occasionally - at conference time and going to ICA and sometimes for vacations. We were very fortunate in having family near enough to visit each other. Separation from family is probably one of the hardest things for international workers to live with, and it has always been the case. Internet softens the sadness a bit, but it is still hard.
But at the same time, fellow workers also become like family. The Royles came to work in Burkina and were assigned to the Bobos, along with us. Our gifts were different and complimented each other and we worked together happily for years and still keep in touch. We had one single nurse who came to work with us, but after part of a term she felt that the work was not for her and went back to the States and married. We have lost contact with her. Peggy Drake came and what a sweet blessing she was to us and to the Bobo people. She loved to nurse and the people loved her. I taught her the language, and she followed everything I told her to do. I suggested that when you knew a phrase in Bobo to be sure and use it to make it yours. And she did this in praying. When asked to pray, she would start out and finish up in Bobo (which she had learned well) and say everything else in English. The local people thought this was great when I explained to them what was going on!
But with a good staff at Santidougou to continue the ministry there, it was not so hard for us to have to move to the big city of Bobo when Dad was elected field director at conference in 1972. Mark, you no doubt remember Bobo better than you do Santidougou as you were a baby when we moved. Sini could no longer be babysitter as he was for you boys at Santidougou, and so we hired Mamou to take care of you when we lived in Bobo - until you went to school.
Mamou loved you and was so good with you. It was such a fun reunion a couple years ago when we were all at Council in Louisville and she came to the States with Carolyn and Anne-Berthe. She was just SO happy to see you again - all grown up and with four children of your own and Katy's. That was a red letter moment in her life!
We lived in a lot of houses in the city of Bobo. according to the ministries that we were involved in. The church we were associated with in Bobo was Ouézzinville-Sud, which was a district church of Santidougou and did not belong to the Bobo district. We met first in a little mud building belonging to a Christian family of Bobos. I would teach SS out under a mango tree during the message. Then of course we graduated to larger buildings as the years went on. Attending this church kept us attached to the Bobos, as all services were in the Bobo language and not in Jula. We soon saw many converts and that church grew. During the last couple years before our retiral - when I was trying to finish up the Bible translation - I was asked to be CE director there and I enjoyed that ministry with people on the weekend, when I was working with the computers and translators all week.
So the first house we lived in was the mission house - there was a living-dining room, an office, a large kitchen, two nice size bedrooms and a long enclosed back porch - and we were a family of seven. The office became a bedroom and we all were able to comfortably squeeze into that house on the Bobo compound. We seldom had a meal alone as I was also mission hostess, and we enjoyed all the folks that came our way and stayed with us.
To back up a bit, actually the first house we lived in in Bobo was the small guest house over by the motel, where we were asked to stay between chairmen. Grandpa had been field director and they left for furlough before the Burns could move down from Sangha to assume the directorship in Bobo. So we were asked to fill in for a couple months. We were new missionaries and didn't have good sense about some things. We had gotten a full month's allowance from the bookkeeper (in cash) on Saturday and Dad put it in a manilla envelope on a card table, with other papers, in our bedroom. We locked the door when we took you two girls out for a Sunday early evening walk. And when we got back, we found the house had been broken into and our entire month's allowance was GONE! We got through somehow, but it sure taught us to be careful about where you keep money in the big city!
We also lived in the big beautiful house with a nice yard - but right across the street from a bar, where they played music and caroused half the night, especially on weekends. That was a beautiful layout and very elegant, it was large. Mark you had your own bathroom along with your bedroom there. The roof was flat and when you were on vacation you teenagers loved to go up on the roof and make tea and sit and chat. Peter Nanfelt was then president of the Alliance and he was at our house for dinner one evening. We were sitting out in the yard enjoying the moonlight, and he was amazed to see your friends and you, Mark, go up on the roof where yoiu liked to make Arab tea and hang out. Peter was shocked when he asked what you did on the roof and we told him you made and drank tea. You boys especially loved that ritual with your friends.
We were gone on a trip (probably to Bouaké) and someone came and stole all of the considerable amount of porch furniture we had sitting out on the open verandah! Steve came to town and found out about the theft, and went to the police. And sure enough, there sat all of our furniture in front of the police station. So he had them bring it all back and put it back on our porch! We never knew if the police had taken it or if they had found it at some thief's compound. But at least, thanks to Steve, we got it back!
We lived in a beautiful house up near Marantha during the year we were finishing the NT translation. The yard had an abundance of beautiful flowers and bushes and the house itself was very nice. I remember, Elin, you loved having your own bathroom there. We had the house trailor pulled into that yard and used it as a trnslation office where Etienne could sit and translate all day. Dad was working on new building at Maranatha all day and at night he would come home and type up the work that Etienne and I had done that day, in as many carbon copies as he could make for readers. His comment was, "This is like heaven - no day and no night - we just work all the time!" And that WAS a busy year.
You loved going out with your gun, John, before dawn to shoot birds and small animals. This was during your vacation. Mark woke up and begged to go with you one morning and it was before we were awake. You could not find Mark's shoes, so you put a pair of yours on him and stuffed the toes with enough rolled up socks so they would fit and he could walk - barely! That must have been a painful hunting trip for pre-school Mark!
After you had all left the field, we lived in Tim and Ruth's house one year, and Dad took care of the CAMA work while I was teaching at Marantha Institute and writing PEDIM courses. That was a nice house too with a shady porch and we enjoyed the work there also. I don't think any of you were living at home by that time.
Enough of our various home in Bobo for now - to be continued.....................
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