Africa Trip Update, Our GIRLS

Well, sorry I haven't done the daily updates, but I really want to get them done by Christmas, I appreciate your patience.

Today I want to share about the new girls we have in our house. Biba has decided that we are going to name the house Second Chances and all our projects Fields of Grace. When we started we thought we would be an orphanage but God had other plans and we are now taking in young homeless girls and their babies. Biba is enjoying this so much.

Right now we have 5 young girls ranging in age from 13 to 22. They were all referred to us by Social Welfare in Burkina. They all were rejected by their families for choosing not to give up their babies and were living on the street. I will share some details but this is their story and I don't want to share it too much personal info as it is their story.

I was blessed to be able spent time with each girl and baby while I was on my trip. We have rec'd 2 more girls since I left and it has only been a week. While there I had to sit down with Biba and each girl one on one and talked to them about there story. There were a lot of tears, what broke me more than anything was each of these girls is so broken and ashamed and scared.

One of the girls lost her parents to AIDS and is a Christian. She got pregnant by a boy in CHURCH who than rejected her. Already rejected because she had another child and her parents dying of AIDS, she had no where to go. She landed at Social Welfare as she was living on the streets, no food, nothing to take care of her children. I want you to understand that these girls did not even have shoes or underwear. They were hungry, very skinny and dirty. Little Arianne, the littlest of our babies at one month was very sick. Biba took all the kids and moms to the clinic. Baby A had malaria bad and couldn't eat or keep anything in. She barely weighed 4 pounds at 1 month. I am happy to report that with her treatment and Biba's care she is healthy and growing! It is a miracle. She also has a little brother who is 3 that is staying with us. The mom is still very depressed over her past and I spoke to her again yesterday. This girl is so beautiful that her in the US she could be a TOP MODEL. Biba and I spent time talking to her again yesterday via phone trying to encourage her that it is time to turn the corner that she is somewhere safe. She could use your prayers

Another girl, one of my favorites, lived with an Aunt who she was told was her mom but found out she was not. Her father was dead.The aunt beat her, I have seen the scars. She ended up getting pregnant and hiding in the fathers room for a couple of months until his mother found out. She was than kicked out to live on the streets while pregnant. She had her baby tho the baby wasn't breathing when born. She is as cute as a button now. This young lady was so depressed over her situation and after delivery tried to commit suicide when she said an angel appeared to her and told her that her baby was a gift and to name her innocent flower and to take care of her. Floita, as her mom calls her, is 3 months old and her mom is working on her past and has come a long way. YOU WOULD LOVE THIS GIRL. She has the most beautiful smile!

The other girl that I met while there has a similar story, she is a MUSLIM and got caught selling beer, gets kicked out, guy gets her pregnant and now everyone rejects her. Living on the streets, no where to go. Her little boy is just the happiest boy ever, he is 4mo and very healthy and a very good little boy.

The 2 new girls, one is 13 yo with a 1month old baby and the other is 21 with a 3 months old baby. Biba says the 21 yo is so funny and thankful and thanks Biba for everything. When she saw she had a bed, she said FOR ME? She had never had a bed. Biba says that she starts doing whatever Biba is asking before she finishes telling her what she needs done.

Biba had all the girls cleaned up, down to having their hair done and fingernail polish. They have new clothes from head to toe and lots of food. You would not believe what these girls can eat. They have nice bed, a very nice place to live and are being well taken care of. Biba has someone who comes in to help the girls during the day. There are house rules they have to follow and one is not leaving the house by themselves. Biba also bought 3 weaving looms at $200.00 each and the girls will be learning to weave cloth starting next month. They are responsible for their children and the house while they are there. Biba and I sat down and worked on our goals while I was there. As you can imagine we had many people stop in and also call to see if we could take in someone they knew. We had to set up our mission statement in order to clarify what we are doing and who we are helping. We truly want to help the girls with nothing. Biba thinks we can house and help up to 10 girls and their babies in our current house :) We are hoping that within the next year we will become self sufficient financially with our Second Chances house financially. Until that time we will need to continue to need money to keep our house and project going.

I took lots of girly stuff for the girls and the girls got sick from eating all the chocolate in one setting :) They all are taking good care of themselves and their babies. Biba has a nurse on call and she comes when needed or at least once a week. I have to say Biba is incredible! She wears so many hats and I have never seen someone give so much of them self or what she has. Biba does not have much but what she does have she gives away. She loves each girl and spends time with them each day. As I would say, she doesn't take any crap from them. They got in a spat while I was there and we had to sit down and talk to them and Biba just told them from her heart how to work it out. I could not have handpicked someone more loving, caring and responsible person as Biba to oversee our projects. She is incredibly fun too!

I know this has been long and I am posting pictures. I have been so blessed by my trip and these girls. I would love to be able to stay with the girls for awhile, they were hard to leave.

I will post more highlights from the trip early next week. Still to come, meetings with people needing things, meetings with the government and also a couple of orphanages!

Thanks for checking back!

Ann

Visit Updates, Day 1

I am so sorry I have not posted more about my trip. It was hard to do that from Africa and than I came home to children, jet lag, and a house with NO Christmas done :) I am going to update each day on here this week and I am working on getting all the photos online for you to see. There are plenty.

When we first arrived in Burkina (without luggage) it was so dusty and smokey we could not even take pictures. Evidently this is their dusty season and it is so think it looks like FOG and takes your breath away. The smoke if from people having fires at their homes. The nites were in the 60's and they think that is cold :) Biba whisked us off to a private party for the US Ambassador. 24 hours of flight, no shower and a fluffy party. It was fun. They love to dance and everyone was so kind.

The next day was the party for the sponsor kids at FOG. Biba totally outdid herself with the planning and organizing. We walked in the gates of our house and there were most of the children (around 10 could not make it) Biba had rented tables and chairs and even had tableclothes. The kids were all dressed in their best and very well behaved (well except for a table of young boys, but they were just being boys). Biba had arranged for a professional photographer to take pictures thru out the event which was nice as it freed me up to enjoy the kids. All together there were over 100 people there. Biba had arranged for 3 of her pastors to come speak to the kids. They gave the children an encouraging message about how it only takes one person to change their world and how blessed they were to have sponsors. Lots of praying and than it was time for the party. Biba had lots of helpers and there was so much food. There was salad, tons of rice (I think she said they cooked 50 pounds) with meat and veggies and 35 chickens. These kids can EAT. I mean their plates were piled high with food and there was very little left. WE also served pop which is a treat over there. Biba had also made up little snack bags with popcorn and other treats for the kids that they took home. Which was good because the 70 bags of candy I made up were LOST in my luggage somewhere in Paris.

I did have an opportunity to tell the kids how much you all cared for them and what a privledge it was to know them.

After the eating was done, the older boys played DJ. The kids all danced and did the bunny hop, it was so cute and they were so happy. We finally handed out the group gifts to the children. Each child got a shirt, skirt or outfit depending on their age. I have pictures of each child rec'ing their gifts that I will be sending to you. After that we did group pictures. The kids all wanted to be hugged and hang with us. Everytime you turned about there were kids hanging on you.

It was getting dark and we finally had to send them home. It was an unbelievable day and it was made possible by you. Thank you to all who donated towards the party. You made is possible and even if you did not donate we made sure every child rec'd a gift.

On a side note, since I did not have my luggage I did not hand out all the pictures and cards you sent, Biba is doing hat this week. Also, you who bought extra's for your kids for Christmas, you children will be rec'ing those this week too. There was just so little time to get everything done while I was there.

Where there is no vision, the people perish!!! Thanks for all you do!

Ann

Quick update from AFrica!

I am so sorry that I have not posted before now. Between being busy, jet lag and sporadic internet this is the first I have had the change. Burkina is amazing and I am having a wonderful time. Biba is an incredible hostess and is making sure I am well taken care of. Then we arrived after a LONG night and day, we went straight from the plane to a private dinner party for the US Ambassador for Burkina. They do LOVE to dance here and it was a beautiful party!

The next day we went straight to the FOG party for the school children. OMG it was so fun and so many people. I think 53 of the school kids were there and there were other people so we had about 100 people. Once again Biba has outdone herself. I will give more details on the party when I get home. Biba even hired a professional photographer so I have LOTS of pictures including one of each of you child rec'ving their gifts. Due to my luggage getting lost and having all your Christmas cards, the children have not rec'd them yet.

The babies at the house are DARLING and doing well. Arianne, the littlest one was so sick with Malaria when she came in (she is 3 weeks old and barely weighs 4 pounds now) is so tiny and doing so much better. Biba has done wonders with the girls. We spent yesterday talking to each girl and their stories are heart breaking. There were alot of tears on both sides. I will share more later.

Yesterday we also visited many of the homes of the school children. IT is unbelievable how the children live. Trust me when I say that you are all a HUGE blessing in their lives. So many people have come to me to ask for help with many things. They bring their kids, invite me to their house etc and their requests are so simple I wish I could say yes to all. Yesterday was a MUSLIM holiday and everyone was killing goats. So we were so lucky to see many goat heads laying around LOL

Today we are visiting Social Welfare, visiting a Hospital. orphanage and school. And then we will go to the house and hang with the girls. They love for us to hold their babies and we love to hold them

Tomorrow we are going to the poorest part of Oua to feed 200 children and meet some more families and also meet some NGO about the livestock gardening program and than I leave to come home tomorrow nite.

I promise more details later but I have to say that they people are beautiful people inside and out and the children are so DARLING!!!!!!!! Thanks for all your prayers and thoughts! We have taken a ton of pictures and I promise to share all as soon as I get home.

Ann