Hello to all our praying friends! It has been a long, long, time since I’ve written with an update. I apologize and am grateful to those who have continued to lift us up to the Father, even in the absence of news.
The spring and the summer saw many changes come to the International Mission Board. We are now “imb connecting,” with the continued mission of assisting Southern Baptists to fulfill their obedience to the call of Christ to take the gospel to all nations. We see God’s hand at work and are grateful for the tapestry of faith that He is weaving in our lives.
Jay has begun a new ministry as a result of these changes – a calling that he is excited about and privileged to do. He will be the liaison between the mission and the Baptist Union of Burkina Faso. This union has the same purpose as our own convention in the US, and its leaders have tremendous vision to see Burkinabé Baptists do their part in going to the ends of the earth. We anticipate great joy in serving them and serving alongside them. Thank Him for speaking to our hearts and sharing a new vision and direction for our lives and ministry. Thank God with us for the renewal of our passion for ministry here in Burkina.
These past months of ministry have certainly not been without excitement. With a praise-filled heart, go back with me to May and the Bissa language conference.
In scorching temperatures surpassing 100 degrees, we met in a small Assembly of God church. With not even a fan to move the air, representatives gathered from local churches who all have a desire to see the Barka dialect of their language gain a government approved orthography. These faithful servants worked long hours to hammer out some agreed upon basics about how to write their language. The next step is mine (Kathy). Using a program which includes the extended alphabet of Bissa and other languages, I will be publishing a preliminary rough draft text to present to officials. Once we have an approved orthography, Sylvie and Natasha, dedicated Baptist believers who have for years been sharing God’s love as they teach people to read, will be able to apply for compensation for their many weeks of committed service. Thank God for these, His disciples who want to see literacy used as a means to share His love and to help young believers grow in the knowledge of His Word. Pray that I will finish the tedious work of editing and publishing the rough draft of the orthography.
June saw the arrival of our six student missionaries. It’s impossible to describe the joy and the inspiration that comes from working with college students. Their zeal always encourages us and challenges us. These six were no different. Our first two weeks, we ministered to children at Bengaleezay nutrition center, which is associated with one of our Baptist churches. At least 100 children daily heard the gospel truth with their ears, saw God’s story acted out by our summer team, and felt His love through the hugs and care of the students. We sang songs and played games and as many children as possible scrambled to hold the hands of the summer missionaries. In the afternoons, we visited families of the children. The guys played soccer in the neighborhood near the church and several young men with whom they shared made decisions to follow Christ.
After tearful good-byes, we headed to northern Ghana where the team stayed with 4 different Bissa believing families. The goals of this part of the summer term included discipleship and mentoring of local Christian youth and neighborhood evangelism. What a joy to see both American and Ghanaian students be mutually challenged and encouraged through this relationship. Pray for these young Ghanaian believers to continue to bold witnesses in their community.
September 1 brought a huge rain storm to Ouagadougou. It dumped more rain on this city than has been recorded since 1919. Around 150,000 people lost their homes and food supplies, a staggering 10% of the city’s population. Jay began immediately to work with the Ouaga association of Baptist churches to give some relief to both church members and communities surrounding our churches who were affected. Thank God for the faithful and generous giving of Southern Baptists which allowed us to apply emergency funds to this relief effort. Pray that He will continue to give Jay wisdom as he and local pastors continue their efforts to minister to those in need. Pray for the churches to be faithful witnesses of the gospel of Christ as they help their neighbors.
Blessings,
Jay & Kathy Shafto
James, Robbie & Madeleine
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
