THE STORY ISN"T FINISHED.......................

After such a beautiful, long day, we had another surprise.....a picnic at the Rocks.........You all remember the Rocks from your childhood......that high rocky cliff overlooking the Bobo fields and villages....right outside the city.....The path in there is rocky as ever......but it was worth the rough ride to experience another experience from our years in Burkina........the place has not changed......we sat up on the high hill overlooking the peaceful Bobo villages...........smoke rising into the air from the fires where women cooked the evening meal........the church president, Pastor Job and his wife joined us.........Esther had prepared her usual banquet......Peggy and Jetty brought special chairs for us........and Peggy even served me my coffee in a china cup!.........As it got dark someone built a bonfire, and we sat around in the glow of the flames from the fire in the dark night aorund us........Various ones took the words and told of how they had come to know us....... and we did the same with them........Job gave a testimony of how Dad had encouraged him as a young, single Maranatha grad, who had no church.......everything was done in French and English so all could understand.....We went to bed that night - tired - but happy with all that day had held.......and we were all up before dawn the next morning to return to Ouaga........this time we were in two cars to accomodate the mission as a car needed to be returned to Ouaga.......and it was back to the big city again....with more visits from friends........and then the goodbyes as one by one some of you departed.......and John and we finally took that late night flight for Paris.......and beyond that Tunisia for us.

Tunisia - what an experience!.....It started when we arrived from the Paris flight........we had been served lunch on the plane, most of which we could not recognize or eat!........but the sights were beautiful as we flew over snow capped mountains of Europe and finally down into the Mediterranean area and over to Tunis airport.........the walk from the plane to baggage claim was long, and as we neared our destination, someone stopped us........were we Mr. and Mrs. Pierce??? ....and then we saw the sign on a board to our left: "Welcome to Tunisia, Mr. and Mrs. Pierce!".......We wondered what was going on, but allowed ourselves to be led into an office and greeted by two men in uniform!......... they took our passports to have us stamped in while we were plied with water and local television.........Finally we were led out toward the baggage claim - and there was Cheryl!!.......One of the men comes to English class at the Family Place, and Darrell had asked him to meet us and make sure we were taken care of!.....So thus the VIP treatment.
.......Soon we were on our way into the city, with Darrell and Cheryl in the van.......our major suitcase was missing....but we were assured it would be there the next day........and borrowed clothes from C and D in the meantime.........What an amazing drive through the city - it is such a beautiful city!.....Stark white buildings everywhere......tall dark green cyprus trees are interspersed among the buildings.....horrendous traffic with everyone claiming space at every traffic circle.....and there are many.......We enjoyed Phenicies' comfortable (but cold!) home, with its space heaters in each room.......it had been a long trip from Ouaga via Paris, spending hours in the Paris airport....so the good meal and the hot bath felt great!.....Paticipating a bit in the Family Place was great........meeting many international workers as well as Tunisians was a delight.....I got to share a bit with the international women at their weekly Bible study.....we were treated to beautiful restaurants of various kinds - Indian out by the sea, fancy pizza restaurant in the uppeer crust part of town, indigenous Tunisian upstairs overlooking their local Champs Eliysées.......we were treated royally.....and met interesting people, not the least the few who come to a Bible study in the Phenicies' home.....many Tunisians talked to us - they are a friendly people .....and we were treated to dental care and barber shop and hair salon........Sunday the Family Place was closed so we travelled south to Sousse.....what a beautiful Mediterranean town.....like something in Europe....we sat on the boardwalk and had coffee.....then went to the big Catholic church where Protestants share the building with Catholics and we worshipped with the handful of Christians, most of them not locals.......then to an upstairs restaurant.....and home again driving through the Tunisian countryside.......a trip to Carthage was a highlight, visiting places where the early church fathers ministered in the early years of Christianity.....visiting the site of the now crumbled collesseum where Christians  were martyred, thrown to hungry lions......what a sobering trip....There were also the temples of Baal where thousands of babies were killed to honor Baal......both a bloody and beautiful past!

We were sobered by the dark Islamic side of Tunisian society and the open friendliness of its people....we can now pray for Tunisia and its people with better understanding.  

Continuing the Journey............................

Bobo, my hometown since childhood........but oh how it has changed!........All paved streets......many of the old buildings......but changed streets.....even the route out to our old home of Santidougou is half the miles and a completely different road!........Arriving in Bobo, we were warmly welcomed by the Schaeffers.....Esther had arranged a great schedule for us there.........First thing was put our luggage in the guest house and go to their home across the yard for a dinner party!......Several couples there, old friends whom we had known since their childhood........even Fernand from France happened to be there on vacation so was included........it was a beautifully set table, with lots of food and lively conversation!   How we appreciated the Schadffers for their organization of our program while in Bobo........That evening the kids went out on the town to visit old haunts and we had a lovely evening meal with Peg and Jet in their home......it seemed like old times, so many memories!  To ward off the hot nights, Esther insisted we use the AC for sleeping so we were ready to start a big day after a good sleep.

The road to Santidougou, how it had changed.....the beautiful old kapok trees and the bridge had all been taken out and the road deviated through that area.......the villages had not changed.....nor the dry, barren fields.....it looked like home again!!  Who would be content living in such a dry, barren area, dried mud villages and no electricity......but God's call to a people and a place had made this home sweet home to us!......The road was shorter now with the pavement making a new path to our home.....as we approached the village, there was loud singing and drumming and crowds of people......we stopped the car and we all got out.....Dad was ahead of us and when he reached Santidougou he bent down and kissed the ground to the cheers of the people........We were being met outside the village so as to walk the last half kilometer, accompanied by crowds of people, singing and drums!.....And of course many kisses (two on each cheek) and greetings in Bobo!......They led us directly to the huge new church at the edge of the town and beside the main road, stopping along the way to hug and give four kisses to all and sundry!......Wow - what a church, huge and it was FULL!.......

To our surprise, everything was done in Bobo - songs, Scripture, greetings, everything.......We had thought they would want us to speak in French and have it translated.......no it was a Bobo fete, and so we threw away our French notes.....and winged it in Bobo.....amazing how it came back to us after all these years of disuse!  ........the church is truly beautiful.....a high cement platform......Scripture text and the Alliance symbol painted on the walls.........everyone was singing and dancing when we entered........and soon we joined in the dancing as well - our whole family.......delegations had come from so many many churches......some we had never see.......others we had helped to plant!  How the Bobos have grown - it was like a miracle!......the name of a village would be called out and the leader would get up and say a few words of greeting.....this went on for a very long time......then everyone would dissolve into singing and dancing again......it was truly a grade fête!!

Afterwards we toured the old mission compound....visited the graves of two pastor friends now in heaven.... were given lunch in our old dining room.....the kids had fun touring the old homestead and reminiscing about times long past......this was our home for many years......After lunch we visited in the homes of others and the greetings and conversations continued!   Wow, what a day!!  Our hearts were so full of praise to God for the great things He had done and continues to do among our people, the Bobos.........

Continuing the journey....................

Bobo

Our incredible journey...................................

Did it actually happen - that wonderful journey???  When we first heard about it, it was such a BIG and happy surprise. And now that it is over, so many memories invade our minds and conversations!  Again we say thank you to all of you who planned such a beautiful surprise for us!   All of our friends have rejoiced with us since we returned. The trip had so many highlights that it would be impossible to list them all, but I'll try a few........

.....traveling business class - wow!  Comfort personified, wonderful service, care taken for our every need, comfortable armchairs that made into actual lay-me-down beds.....a real linen mini-tablecloth spread on our trays at mealtime....champagne served.  One thing they forgot - to make the toilets bigger!  They are the same size as those in the cattle car in the back!  We wondered how some of those enormous people travelling on our flights could ever fit in there!!!

...... the business lounges in the various airports, complete with comfortable chairs, desks, all kinds of drinks and snacks, hot and cold, TV, even showers ) which we did not use)  but everything for the comfort of the business passenger - and we had several long waits in airports so appreciated those lounges.

.....arriving in Ouagadougou - back home again.... it was HOT and dry, a cacaphony of languages being spoken (not English)...FAMILY....old sights, familiar from the year we lived in Ouaga.....greetings, visits, HEAT, a comfortable home.....that wonderful house helper of Clousers who took care of everything....Sunday morning church in Ouaga2000, that beautiful Sunday afternoon reception planned by Debbi and Steve, with about sixty of our friends from yesteryear.....the fun family times, sitting under the fans with the air cooler going at the highest speed possible....everyone (but me) sitting with a laptop in his/her lap, commenting on all the news coming through the wire.

....there was a trip to the International School and the library there, also the pool and having lunch at the commissary.....the drives around town.... dinner at an old familiar restaurant one evening.......and breakfast at one of the most beautiful cafés in the world....dinner one evening in the cooling Ouaga air, sitting at tables on the open sidewalk.

.....then the trip down to Bobo with brave Debbi driving since Steve had to stay in Ouaga and work..... the welcome of the Schaeffers.....they had arranged such a great schedule for us working with the Santidougou church......lunch at Schaeffers when we arrived with a number of couples who were very close to us there in Bobo.....dinner also with Jetty and Peggy, just like old times, eating a delicious meal, sitting and talking, just enjoying each other.  

(to be continued!)