Our summer was awesome! One of our highlights was the teams.

If you are on Facebook and would like to see a GREAT recap of the summer teams, become friends with “Reach Burkina Faso.” If you’ve been on a team, it will bring back memories, and if haven’t, it might just persuade you to come!

In fact, why don’t you come on a “virtual trip?” Here’s what you might experience:

SUNDAY — MONDAY:
Fly to Burkina with a layover in Paris (or Morocco for a day.)

MONDAY EVENING:
ARRIVE!!! Your first impression as you walk down to the tarmac is “Wow! The engines must be putting out some hot air! No! That’s the outside temperature!” Your second impression of Burkina is how crazy the driving is!

TUESDAY:
After a late breakfast, you have orientation to learn about the culture and your schedule.
In the afternoon, you pack for your trip to the bush.

WEDNESDAY:
Are you ready to rough it? Mid-morning, you pile in the van and leave for the bush. You eat a picnic lunch on the way, while villagers gawk at the strange sight. After riding on paved road for a while, you eventually get off onto a dirt road and then a dirt track. It is bumpy and rutty, and since this is rainy season, quite muddy in some areas.

You finally arrive at the village, and the pastor and villagers gather around. After appropriate greetings, you get right to work, putting a tin roof on the church. There will be enough jobs for everyone:

• punching holes in the church wall to put the tie downs through to tie on the A-frames.
• pushing nails through tar paper
• attaching the A frames to the church
• nailing the rafters across the A frames
• nailing the roofing tins onto the rafters
• interacting with the children who arrive in droves

Right before nightfall, you set up cots near the church and take bucket baths to be fresh for your local meal of rice and sauce. When the church people arrive, you will celebrate, singing and dancing till late at night or early in the morning. During this time, you will have an evangelistic outreach for the non-churched villagers who have joined to see what the noise is about!

When you fall into bed, you stare up at the night sky — the stars are so numerous, far from city lights that you can’t make out the constellations (some of which are from the Southern sky, anyway). You get a fresh perspective on God’s promise to Abraham, that his descendents would be as many as the stars in the sky.

THURSDAY:
Today, you finish roofing and head home. You visit the sacred crocodiles on the way. You even sit on one!

For dinner, you go to an outdoor European restaurant for some fabulous food and ice-cream!

FRIDAY:
After breakfast, you head out to dig a ditch for the foundation of a school. It’s hard work, but rewarding. The Burkinabe help you—sometimes they even want to take over your work! The number of children who come is appalling. They are all so precious. You can’t believe they live in such poverty, and still can smile. Your heart aches when you realize that without Christ, they will spend eternity in hell. But then you think that this school you are helping to build, and the church that is with it are tools that will help them hear the Gospel. And you and your team are part of the process to lead them to eternal life.

SATURDAY:
In the morning, you go back to the work site. In the afternoon Burkinabe merchants set up a market at the guest house. You browse, see items you like, even try your hand at bartering, ending up with some great deals.

SUNDAY:
Church… What an experience! The worship is vibrant and heartfelt, accompanied by traditional (and modern in this church) instruments. Your group sings a song. The sermon is given in French, translated in Moré. You sit as team, and missionaries sitting with you translate the sermon for you in English.

Lunch is at the American Rec. center, linked to the US embassy. You might go swimming. Then after a short rest, you climb in the van to visit the various Ouaga CMA works, where there are existing churches and ministries, or where there soon will be. Some of the ministries you may visit are

• Dorcas house, for girls in crisis
• Ouaga 2000, ministry to the upper class with an outreach to students
• Patte D’oie youth center
• The LAC, Christian high school
• Balkui, Tanguin, Somgande — other properties where construction is happening.

At night you go to the Brokopp’s for a steak and baked potato dinner. It is yummy! Afterwards you spend some time debriefing with Pete, discussing what you’ve learned and seen.
MONDAY & TUESDAY:
You work at the site. One afternoon you build benches for a village church who would otherwise only have hard cement benches.

WEDNESDAY:
Today you visit the president’s zoo. It is amazing, with many animals in their natural habitat, and only chain linked fences separating you and them. You touch the elephants and feed the hippos. The tiger stares at you just feet away, and the lions’ roars send shivers down your spine.

In the afternoon, you visit the artisan center so you can do your last minute shopping, and so you can see another aspect of Burkina culture.

THURSDAY:
In the morning you visit a Compassion international site. Each child is supported by a donor back in the States. Dressed in uniform, the kids listen to a Bible story, sing, eat a good meal, and spend some time with you. They are taught concepts, and sometimes tutored if they need it. They are so adorable and thirsty for love attention and love. You find yourself sad when it is time to leave.

In the afternoon, you pack to leave. You eat dinner, get ready, and go to the airport.

THURSDAY — FRIDAY:
You fly back to the States a changed person, excited to share your experiences with your family and friends back home.
Thank you to the following churches who sent teams:

• Evangelical Chinese church, DE.
  Westridge church, Atlanta GA
  1st Alliance Church, Franklin, N.C.
  Appleton Alliance church, Appleton, WI
  Alliance church in Evanston, Wyoming
  Valley View Alliance Church

… and who were involved in the following ministries

LAC TEAM HOUSE:
put ceiling in
whitewashed & painted walls

LAC TEAM CENTER:
Put roof on
Whitewashed interior walls
Dug & poured foundation for wall around it

LAC SCIENCE LAB
Knocked down wall & dug trench for water & gas
Balkuy
Roofed school

CENTRAL CHURCH
Filled foundation for new building

PATTE D’OIE
Moved Debris

Delivered clothes & shoes to Bible school in Poundou

OTHER FUN STATS SINCE MAY:
7 teams
69 visitors
4 interns
4 churches roofed
120 benches
4 teams working with 4 different youth groups
18 tons of grain distributed

Thank YOU for praying for us this summer!

Pete, Alice, Charity, and Sammy Brokopp