The scrap metal collectors are just outside our front gate, the meat market on the corner comes complete with swooping vultures, there are shanty-style shops all around and a row of beggars just down the street.
Some chickens are running around our front yard, and there are goats and oxen kicking up dust outside, near the 10 or so people seeking shade under the biggest tree on the street.
Any romantic notions we tied to Burkina before arriving have quickly disappeared, and we have been busy adjusting to life in one of the poorest countries in the world.
The heat and humidity, as we expected, are extreme (it was 30 deg-plus when we touched down in Ouagadougou at 3am one week ago), which will take some getting used to. However, we're thankful for the air con in our bedroom - we couldn't sleep without it.
After spending a couple of days in the missionary compound, we've moved into a house about 10 minutes away, which was being used by another Australian missionary who is back home for a few months.
Along with discovering the necessities to life in Burkina (buying food from the local markets, getting a working water filter, hand washing clothes in large tubs et al), last week we met the students to whom we will be teaching English, and the Bible. We are both teaching classes this Tuesday and Thursday, and Cathlin will be taking over the running of the ESL program (there's six classes of about 15 students each), on top of the teaching role.
I (Jon) am spending some time tomorrow (Monday) learning about the computer outreach work, where Burkinabe are trained in using Word, Excel and the Internet, and are exposed to the Gospel during the training.
There are 100-other ministry opportunities that we will learn more about in due time.
We have just experienced our first dust storm (and are very thankful to the missionary who called us just in time to tell us to close all our windows), but unfortunately the anticipated cooling rain didn't come, leaving the temperature in the high 30s on a Sunday evening.
Jon & Cathlin
6 comments:
Wow - it's so far from the fin review!
I will pray !
Any romantic notions we tied to Burkina before arriving have quickly disappeared, and we have been busy adjusting to life in one of the poorest countries in the world.
Of course, losing one's romantic notions can itself be romanticised ;) Where do you get internet access?
wow...that sure is a baptism of dust. Praise God for air-conditioning. Thoughts & prayers. x
Praying for you guys
Thanks for all your comments and prayers. To answer Drew's question..there is net access at the mission compound and we actually have access from our house at the moment, but we don't expect this to last. There are a few issues we didn't even consider before arriving, such as computers are known to 'blow up' in this heat. There are also rolling power cuts that can interrupt things.
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