Dec 2011 update from Jay...

Holiday time is upon us again, when our thoughts turn to birth of Christ, peace on Earth and goodwill to men.  Africa saw its share of difficulties this year and Burkina Faso was not exempt.  Many people kept us in prayer during the mutiny last spring, from which the country has emerged as strong and stable as ever. 

During that time conferences were curtailed in the uncertainty, but we are looking forward to a fruitful renewal of training programs for lay leaders across the country.  This afternoon I spoke with one of our top trainers, Paulin.  He was in the village of Semapou this past weekend where 140 church members met to learn Acts 3:1-19 where Peter and John heal the lame man in the temple.  When they went into the village to share the story, 109 people indicated a desire to follow Christ!  Follow-up plans are being made to see how deep these decisions are, but already 17 have come to church!  Wednesday, Paulin will be in the village of Kademan holding the same training/outreach.  God’s Word changes lives!

Another fall highlight is the decision to expand the Bible school to include a Moore campus in Sanwabo and a Jula department in Koudougou.  With this decision enrollment has tripled!  This change has forced our trained pastors to get more involved in passing on what they received long ago when they attended Bible school.  Each qualified teacher is being asked to teach a module during the year.  It looks like my turn will come in the late spring!

Thank you for your support of God’s work in Burkina Faso and around the world through your giving, going, and praying.  We are blessed to have such a strong and loving church as a partner in seeing God’s Kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven!

Jay Shafto

01 BP 580 Ouagadougou

BURKINA FASO

(226)50-31-29-48

(226)50-36-30-72 (h)

(226)76-01-38-52 (c)

Dec 2011 update from Kathy...

Well, dear friends, once again too much time has passed since I’ve written.  Rest assured that my lack of communication doesn’t at all signify a lack of action by our great God.  He is certainly at work as always and we see His hand in so many ways in our lives and ministry.  Our reasons to be thankful this holiday season are many.

Through these past months I have had the privilege of teaching second grade at the International School of Ouagadougou.  What a joy it has been!  My students have filled my days with joy and laughter and the heart-satisfying fatigue that every teacher knows.  My long ago years of experience in a high school science classroom did very little to prepare me for this journey.  Seven year olds bring their own special qualities which make for a unique learning curve for their teacher.  21 children (most do not speak English at home), 11 girls, 7 boys, 14 different nationalities, many different reading levels – all of these and more have presented me with a job that has required much time and professional creativity.  I loved almost every minute and have truly felt God’s pleasure as Eric Liddell did when he ran.

 

It has continued to be a blessing to work alongside the Baptist women of Burkina, “Les Ouvrières Baptistes du Christ, Baptist co-laborers with Christ.  We meet regularly to talk about God’s vision for His work among Baptist women in Burkina.   In November I had the joy of training women and other young adults of one of our Baptist associations to use Bible stories to share the “living water” of Christ with those whom they encounter in their daily lives.  I also serve on a committee of the national leadership team to plan for a West Africa-wide Baptist women’s conference to be held here in Ouagadougou next summer.
 

My “mom” job is still one of the most rewarding of my life.  It’s always a joy to talk with James and to see how the Father is molding him into a young man who is an answer to my longtime prayer for my children – that they love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength.  He has had a challenging, but successful year at UNC Chapel Hill and will be spending Christmas with Jay’s family in Boston.   Robbie gives us equal reason to be proud as he is a leader in the local youth group called WIRED (Walking in Righteousness Every Day).  His senior year is going great –with terrific grades thus far and three university acceptance letters!  He serves the Lord with his music as an excellent guitarist.  His band often leads at an Anglophone worship service that is held here in Ouagadougou.  And sweet Madeleine…  a momma could never ask for a better daughter.  She is responsible, reliable, and respectful.  She loves to cook, and this year, her pies (including home-made crusts) and Grampy Shafto style stuffing were much appreciated at Thanksgiving.  She’s a straight A student and shares interesting insights with her daddy and me from her Bible reading in her quiet times.

 

Counting my blessings would never be complete without mentioning the tremendous blessing of my dear husband.  This year of work and ministry for him has been one of the most emotionally demanding of our lives, and I am always encouraged and challenged by his desire to see God’s Word applied to every situation that he finds himself in.

 

To all of you who have supported our ministry through prayer and giving to Lottie Moon and the Cooperative Program, we say a heartfelt thanks during this time when we celebrate the birth of our Savior.  The gift of His life is truly the greatest reason for celebration and thanksgiving.   Without your generosity we couldn't be here living and serving in Burkina Faso. 

 

With much love, 

Kathy for all the Shaftos, 

Jay, James, Robbie, and Madeleine

praise report from Kathy...

You prayed and, once again, the Father has responded in tremendous ways!  How do I communicate the depth of gratitude that I have for the vital role that you play in my ministry? 

Consider what He has done and give Him praise:

Last minute details for the women’s training conference left me in a frantic state.  The flight of Debby Akerman, US WMU president was delayed.  She would be one day late.  Terri Willis, IMB representative  arrived on time with loads of encouragement –very helpful to me under such stress.  On Wednesday at noon, at both the guest house where Burkina Baptist women were to be housed and at the church where the conference was to be held, I saw almost no participants.  Many helpful people from Good Shepherd Baptist Church were setting up lunch and the sound system.  The guest speakers, including Baptist women presidents from neighboring countries, had all arrived safely and soundly by bus and by plane. We were to eat lunch together and then begin at 2:30 p.m.  I should have rested in the thought that you all were praying and that our great God was working His usual plan.    But my heart was racing and my mind was questioning, “Where are all of the women? How on earth will we begin on time if no one is here yet?  (Not really a necessity in Africa, but helpful to a western mind.)

At starting time, I was out in the city picking up a couple of women from a bus station.  When I returned from the station, the church was filled was singing women –more than we expected!  Where did they all come from at the last minute?  I don’t know, but I was so excited to think about the fact that the mattresses that I had left at the guest house might not be enough.

The next 3 days were filled with wonder.  We experienced heartfelt worship through singing and dancing (I love worshiping with African sisters), excellent Biblical teaching from west African regional women’s leaders, and encouraging fellowship over meals and coffee breaks where iron was sharpening iron.  We were challenged to consider how we could involve girls – young and old – to be on mission with the Father in the work of advancing His kingdom on this earth, to support missions endeavors through giving and praying and going.  Félicité Onibon, Baptist women’s president of West Africa; Tayo Olusipo, Secretary/Treasurer of Baptist women for West Africa; Dr. Rachel Lateju, executive director of Nigeria WMU;  Chantal Akodigna, Baptist women’s president of Benin;  Elise Kpanou, Baptist women’s president of Togo; Jacqueline Harris, WMU worker from Liberia; and Elizabeth Koffa, national GA leader for Liberia were present and ready to offer encouragement and ideas to the Burkina Baptist women.  Debby Akerman arrived safely from the US and we sat under her inspired and inspiring teaching about leading children to be on mission with God and about strategic planning.  I appreciate her great efforts to prepare teaching that was culturally appropriate and understandable to oral learners. 

At the end of our time together, Beatrice Zoma, UOBC president for the Baptist women of Burkina said to all, “After everything that we’ve learned this week, we certainly cannot go back home and go to sleep.”   Join me in praying that Burkinabé women will rise up and teach their children the great commission, that they will rise up and be His witnesses to the ends of the earth, that they will rise up and pray for the Son to be lifted up so that He may draw men, women, boys, and girls to Himself. 

A very special thanks goes to my colleagues Alice Jenkins and Jane Anne Gibbs, who helped out in a number of ways when our translators fell through and I was called on to help with translation.  

After the incredible time here in Burkina, Debby, accompanied by colleagues Alice and the Gibbs family, and by UOBC president, Beatrice Zoma, continued on to Nalerigu, Ghana, home of Baptist Medical Center.  There she experienced and participated in God’s incredible work among the peoples of northern Ghana through the ministry of that hospital.  

Once again, thank you, thank you, for praying.

An important prayer request from Kathy...

The Baptist women of Burkina Faso (UOBC) have the wonderful opportunity this week to be blessed by the teaching and training of experienced women of the faith.  On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, we will be hosting a training conference for Baptist co-laborers from all over Burkina.  This conference will be led by the national leaders of WMU from the US, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Liberia.

Please pray for this time as we learn about how to start and lead missions organizations for our children and older girls, how to be involved in missions action, how to organize and lead Bible studies for women, and how to support missions with both faithful prayer and finances.

 

Many thanks for your prayerful support,

Kathy

May-July update from Kathy...

Dear Praying Friends,

No dull moments in the life of a missionary in Burkina!  These past months have been filled with opportunities to be a part of His kingdom’s advance.   Amidst soaring temperatures, power cuts and political unrest, it still remains a joy to find out where He is working and join Him in it.

Perhaps my favorite times have been those where I’ve had the opportunity to train women to share their faith with their families and friends.  In the village of Goudhi, a couple of hours outside of Ouaga, an association of Baptist women were awaiting the arrival of some of the national leadership team of the Baptist Co-laborers of Christ.  UOBC (a French abbreviation) is the Burkina Faso equivalent of WMU.  We traveled the first 1 ½ hours with ease and the last thirty minutes was on one of Burkina’s worst “national routes.”  We bumped along in and out of some huge holes that spanned the entire width of the road, and some smaller, but equally annoying ones. 

Arriving in the village, we asked directions to the church and received simple ones.  In my 4x4 I turned on to what would seem to be a small walking path, but which was actually the main road to the center of town.  I wound around several mud-walled courtyards, mango trees, and tied-up goats and came to a school yard.  We asked directions again.  Oh, yes, a little ways on the other side of the school yard.  We pulled up to an empty church and went to find the pastor.  This one was not the Baptist church, but another protestant church.  The Baptist church is on the opposite side of the school yard. 

We drove back to the opposite side of the school yard to find yet another empty church building.  We asked questions and heard that the church has relocated on the edge of town.  We headed back out to the wider, but bumpier “national route” and came across two Baptist sisters on a moto on their way to the meeting.  We eagerly followed them, trusting that we’d arrive at no more empty churches. 

Taking precious time away from their fields, 86 women were there to learn how to offer living water to those around them in a dry and thirsty land.  At times those around us are so thirsty for truth that we are able to share the entire gospel message with them.  At other times we may only share a few drops of water and the listener may not want to hear more.  Whichever the case may be, let us be faithful to share part of the story or the whole story.  God has promised us that He will bless it –that His Word will never return empty.


Thank you for praying.

Kathy

April update from Kathy...

Thank you for praying and being such a vital part of my ministry!  Listen to what God is doing in response:

The month of April began with the great joy of being with over 180 Baptist women and 40 of their pre-schoolers for the national conference of the Ouvrières Baptistes du Christ (best translation is perhaps Baptist women co-laborers with Christ).  Amazing!! In the midst of some recent unrest in this country, this group of women sang and danced their way through curfews and rumors of impending military uprisings with joy and peace.  Not one person left early.  Only Jesus can do that! 

We listened to superb teaching from our Burkinabé  leaders on reaching the unreached people groups of the world, being Godly wives and mothers, and being fervent and zealous disciples of Christ.  Among the many highlights of the week for me was giving certificates to four ladies who had been trained in three different ways of sharing their faith with others, and who had then gone back to their own regions and trained over 400 others. Word has reached us from pastors all over the country of their encouragement as the women in their churches are now regularly sharing the love of Christ in their communities.   May His Word continue to spread to those who have not heard in ways that they can understand!

Another great joy was teaching two or three women from each region how to play the game of musical chairs.  The competition was great and I banned those with babies on their backs with what proved to be sound wisdom.   It’s always a joy to have fun in the Lord, and both those participating and those who were onlookers laughed until we cried.  In the midst of uncertain times, we certainly found the joy of the Lord to be our strength. 

Finally, please be in prayer for Madeleine and Rob’s outreach through the WIRED youth group this weekend.  They will be ministering in the village of Yagma, through medical clinics and puppet shows for children.  As His name is lifted up, pray that men and women, boys and girls, will be drawn to Him.

Kathy

March update from Kathy...

Hello praying friends,

What a month this has been!  I’m reminded , in the midst of unrest all over Africa, He remains our true peace.  Pray for Burkina and all of Africa to experience that incredible peace that only He can give.

Tomorrow I am off to Bobo-Dioulasso in western Burkina Faso to attend the third annual national conference of the Baptist women of Burkina.  This is our first year to meet with our new name.  I would ask that you pray for the following things:

• Safety for women who will be traveling from all over the country.  Some will have two days of travel.
• Continued peace during a time of upheaval in our country.
• An outpouring of God’s Spirit as we pray together, study His Word together, play together, dance together, fellowship together and eat together.
• Unity for Burkinabé women of many different ethnic groups and socio-economic backgrounds.
• Increased vision and passion for Burkina Baptist women to be co-laborers with Christ in bringing a lost world to Himself.

Many blessings,

Kathy

Update from Kathy...

It is truly a joy to and a source of great contentment when you have the opportunity to serve Christ as you work alongside Him in the fields that are white unto harvest.  Being a part of the birth and development of Les Ouvrières Baptistes du Christ last year was a personal high mark of my ministry in Africa.  Having been so greatly encouraged and challenged by Women’s Missionary Union in my own life, I look forward to helping the leadership team of UOBC to extend that same encouragement and challenge to the life of every Burkinabé young girl.

The word “ouvrière” in French is the feminine form of the word for worker.  Inspired by 1 Corinthians 3:9, these ladies have such a desire to be co-laborers with Christ in seeing His kingdom come here in Burkina Faso and throughout the entire earth.  Please pray that as this organization grows, that they will always keep Christ and the sharing of His gospel at the center of all that they do.  Pray for the upcoming national women’s conference March 28- April 2 to be held in Bobo, the second largest city in Burkina.  Pray that women will be motivated and creative in getting the money they need for their transportation.  Pray for safety as they travel.  Pray for an outpouring of God’s spirit which will unify us, will give us the same heart and vision for the future, and will create incredible joy in the heart of every woman present. 

Kathy