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

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