Merry Christmas from the Shaftos!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

...(at least what Christmas looks like in Burkina Faso).

Lots of dust, no more rain for several months, cooler temperatures with Madeleine heading off to school in a jacket (only 80 to 85 during the day), street vendors with Christmas trees and blow-up Santas somehow hanging from their shoulders and arms.

  

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and in the Shafto home we love, love, love to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior.  We love to decorate; we love to listen to Christmas music ring out while we study and cook holiday treats.  We love to contemplate that special Christmas gift for family and friends.  Jay loves to find the funniest re-gifts.  We love this time of year so much because it is an extended time of reflecting on God’s goodness in our lives through the birth of His son.  And that, friends, is a reason to celebrate!

To all of you, we extend tremendous heart-felt thanks for your support of our ministry.  Certainly, your prayers and notes of encouragement are the driving force which allows us to be ambassadors for Christ here.  To our Southern Baptist friends and family, we add another sincere “thank you,” an enthusiastic “merci,” and a warm “barka goata.”  Your gifts to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering are invaluable to us.  Frankly, without your generosity, we simply could not be here.  From transportation to medicine, from food to our children’s education, from literacy materials to leadership training conferences for our Baptist brothers and sisters – your unselfish giving makes possible our livelihood and our ministry here in Burkina Faso.

[Jay & Kathy celebrating their anniversary in New Orleans]

girls' center...

I’m excited to show you all the progress that is being made on the girls’ center that UOBC is working on!  I love working with these ladies!  There has certainly been no grass growing under the feet since they’ve decided to begin the renovation of a local building given to them where they hope next year to open a center for at risk or exploited girls.  In some of the photos you’ll see a volunteer team from First Baptist Church, Philadelphia, MS who spent one day of their mission trip to Burkina working at our center.  They helped to move dirt in the courtyard, and worked on painting the UOBC logo on an inside wall of the house.  We had so much fun together!  When one of the ladies from Burkina asked if someone wanted to ride on the back of her moto to the market to get an extension cord, Mrs. Joyce quickly volunteered, saying that riding on a moto was on her bucket list.  Retired teacher and grandmother of 10!  You’re never too mature to try new and fun things…

living out scripture...

There are several verses in the Bible I come back to repeatedly.  Verses that remind me what it’s all about.  One of those is the Great Commission, “Go into all nations and tell everyone the good news, baptize them and teach them to obey everything I have taught you.”  The other is the Greatest Commandment, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.  And love your neighbor as yourself.  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

When you put these two verses together and live them out it looks like…

            Youth going to Buffalo

            Reaching out to orphans in Honduras

            Disaster relief in Haiti

It looks like my family in Burkina Faso.

It looks like regular Scotts Hill teams in Ghana.

When you are doing missions and being God’s hands, God’s heart, and God’s voice, it turns into something else:

            Mustafa

            Victor

            Cesare

            and others  loving God with their whole heart and loving their neighbor as themselves.

For over 6 years we have partnered together, sharing a burden for the lives of the Bissa people living in Ghana.  Most have moved there in search of work, or grown up there because of parents who left Burkina Faso looking for work.  Although surrounded by churches and Christians, the Bissa were overlooked because of their strong ties to Islam.  “Why bother to share with them when others are more responsive?” was the prevailing attitude.  Accra, Ghana, is a 2 day drive for us.  As our responsibilities changed and grew, our dream of reaching the Bissa in Accra began to fade.  It was just too far for regular ministry.  But not too far for prayer!  Shortly afterwards, Scotts Hill Baptist Church accepted a call to engage the Bissa of Accra.  And the teams started to come!  With the gospel story on their lips and its life changing power in their lives.  They told it on the streets and in homes, in schools, storefronts, and movie houses.  Several recognized the story.  “When I was growing up in my village in Burkina Faso”, one said, “I heard this story from an American missionary named Shafto”.  “We know him, too”, they replied.  The gospel story - sown in one country, harvested in another!  It knows no borders or barriers, be they political, ethnic, or religious. 

What started out as sharing the Good News has led to changed lives, and a community of Bissa believers working together to love God, love each other, and love their community.  I was recently in Accra and met with Mustafa and Victor, two Bissa believers who have come to know Christ through Scotts Hill’s ministry.  They had two burdens:  1. a place for the group to meet and worship without being harassed.  2. A way to help Bissa immigrants integrate into life in Accra without pressure to turn to Islam.  Loving God, loving their neighbor.

Through your praying, giving and going, you are making a difference in reaching the unreached peoples of Africa.  If every Baptist church and every one of her members would do the same, imagine what a difference we could make together.

Blessings,

Jay

My heart will always beat to an African drum...

Two months in the US was wonderful.  Walks and laughter, hugs and prayers, special lunches and potlucks, reunions and newborns...  Time with family and special friends never seems to last long enough.  But today I saw a Facebook post with a picture that said, "My heart will always beat to an African drum."  When Madeleine and I returned to Burkina, our first Sunday back we attended Wayalghin Baptist Church.  And I felt my heart beat with joy, with praise, with thanksgiving to our Father for the privilege of serving Him here.  I love the rhythm of African worship.  I love to dance to the alter (or maybe I just sway a little bit as a I walk :) with my offering.  I love to see people lift their hands and hearts to the One who has made them new creations.  This past Sunday at Good Shepherd Baptist Church, I heard one of the best sermons I've heard all year.  I love being a part of the International Mission Board legacy that helped lead men like Vincent Konkonbo to the Lord and disciple him.  Thank you, Wayne Walton, for your years of dedicated service to Burkinabe Baptists.

This summer while I was spending time with family and friends, many of you joined me in praying for the 7th Annual West Africa Baptist Women's Conference held in Ouagadougou.  Thank you for your prayers.  Fifteen months of meetings and organization paid off, and the women who came from 9 different countries certainly danced and sang to the glorious beat of an African drum as they worshiped and praise the Lord together.  I am so proud of the Burkinabe Baptist women with whom I work.  They, along with the youth (ages 12-29ish) of our churches, welcomed all of their visitors, and I understand that the conference was one of great fellowship and tremendous teaching.  Thank you for praying with us.  I hope you enjoy the beautiful colors of Africa in the photos below...

prayer for the women...

They will come from all directions – north, south, east and west.  They will come by plane, by bush taxi, by car, by chartered bus.  Baptist women from at least 7 different west African countries will arrive in Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso, this coming Monday, July 9 for the bi-annual regional conference of Baptist women of West Africa.  Oh, how I wish I could be there to see the magnificent display of colors that my African sisters love to wear, to enjoy the worship through music and dance, and to hear the rich teaching surrounding the theme:  “Woman of Peace, A Source of Blessing.”  The speakers will share with the women how they can be God’s source of blessing in their homes, in their churches, and in their nations.

You and I can’t be there, but we can pray.  Please pray for:

• Safe travel for all participants:  Some of the women will be traveling for a minimum of two days to arrive in Burkina.
• Superb attendance:  The women of Burkina Faso have prepared for 700 women.
• Organizational excellence:  The precious Baptist ladies from Burkina have worked so hard to be well-organized for this meeting.  Pray that all of the details which have been meticulously prepared will fall in to place easily. 
• Excellent translation:  Translation will be from French to English and from English to French.  There will also be at least 3 other translations that will take place quietly in the audience.
• Excellent teaching:  Pray that all the teaching will be Holy Spirit inspired and that God’s message will be proclaimed.
• Vision for the nations:  Pray that each woman who attends will begin to see her responsibility that the gospel be preached to the uttermost parts of the earth. 

Thank you so much for your partnership in this ministry.  Your prayers are as important to its success as any other preparations which have been made.

Many blessings,

Kathy

Robbie's graduating!

Support for James...

Dear Friends and Family,

I hope this letter finds you in good health. I am currently completing my sophomore year at UNC Chapel Hill. The work God is doing on the UNC campus through Reach-UNC this year is both humbling and exciting. I am blessed to be a part of it.  As I approach the summer I am looking forward to continuing to serve the Lord through an opportunity at my church called City Project.

City Project will provide a unique experience of discipleship by seeing how the local church ministers from three levels, locally, nationally and internationally. The seven week program starts off with discipleship training led by the pastors and church leaders at The Summit Church, where I am a member. Our team will then spend a week in New York serving with Muslims in Queens. For the next four weeks we will live in disadvantaged communities in Durham, taking discipleship classes in the morning and volunteering in local non- profits in the afternoon. Finally, the last two weeks in late July I will spend in Serbia working with young business men and the Roma people.

I am excited about serving the LORD in this way, but in order for it to be possible; I will need both your prayer support and financial support. As the LORD leads you, please join in me in praying particularly for my time in Durham. After college, I plan to teach in Durham, and this summer will be a time to build friendships in the school system that will be helpful in the future. Pray that The LORD would soften the hearts of the people, that I would love unselfishly and count my life as nothing compared to the surpassing riches of the gospel. Pray also for my time in Serbia. Not knowing what to expect is scary, but I am also excited to live and worship in a new culture.

Second, consider supporting me financially this summer. My support goal is $4500 to cover the cost of room, board, and transportation. If you would like to contribute financially, send a check to my home address or directly to the church. Both addresses are shown below. Make checks payable to The Summit Church and put “The City Project: James Shafto” in the memo line.  You can also make an online contribution here.

This summer is going to be an amazing time of discipleship, growth, service, and blessing. I look forward to us partnering together in this work and outreach.

God bless,
James Shafto

Summit Church

c/o The City Project

2335-114 Presidential Drive

Durham, NC  27703 

James Shafto

102 White Oak Court

Chocowinity, NC  27817

As a prisoner for the Lord then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling which you have received.

-- Ephesians 4:1 

Jan 2012 update from Kathy...

2012 has already given so many glimpses of God’s greatness and His goodness!  Jay was in an accident where he rolled our Toyota pick-up truck as he tried to avoid a big truck carrying wood into the city.  He and the two passengers with him walked away with no major injuries at all.  Rob and Madeleine have started into their second semester at school and both of them brought home excellent report cards from the first half of the year.  Having done equally well, James ended his fall semester at UNC and spent Christmas with Jay’s family in Boston.

 

Baptist believers in Burkina encourage and challenge us regularly as God is growing and expanding their vision to see His kingdom come in Burkina and all around the world.  Last weekend I hosted the leadership team of UOBC for what Rob called “Mom’s sleepover.”  It was a planning meeting for the upcoming year – a little late because of some unforeseen interruptions in the lives of some of our ladies.  What a joy to listen to each region of Burkina share the ministries that they have been involved in!  From sweeping school and church yards to supporting orphans and widows with donations of grain and clothing, to going door-to-door and into village markets to share the good news of Jesus with neighbors, I was overjoyed to hear how God is using His daughters to show His love to their communities.

A new initiative that the “co-laborers with Christ” will be undertaking this year is the working toward the opening of a center for exploited females.   I am helping to lead the steering committee for the strategic planning of this project.  It will be exciting to see where God will lead us as you pray.  We are just in the beginning stages so please pray specifically that we will be able to narrow our many desires to match God’s vision for this center and that God will provide the necessary funds and manpower to renovate the building and grounds that we have been given by the Baptist Union of Burkina.  If you are interested in volunteering to help with the launching of this center please be sure to contact me either on this blog or at shaftojk@yahoo.com.  The opportunities for service will be many including construction and painting as well as training leaders and the ladies/girls who will be living at the center. 

Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day, 

Kathy