See His work all over West Africa!

I am in Dakar, Senegal, at the moment. I am watching the most beautiful Senegalize girl separate the different colors of construction paper. She seems to be content to just help.
She is at the home of another J-girl, Carrie, who lives here in Dakar. Carrie teaches ESL and uses it to teach Bible stories. Carrie is an amazing person and I am learning a lot about her work here and how God has used her in awesome ways over the last year.


<---This is us at the Island called Goree Island and it was the last stop before the Americans for slave ships. We hung out there for a day and it was pretty cool... this is Carrie, Emily, me, and Aaron. We are all Journeyman. I have been here for ten days following around two volunteer groups, one from New York and the other from Texas...I have also had some fun...Pictures to come... Today, I had church by myself. I studied about suffering and how when we are not suffering for Christ we tend to get ourselves into trouble-like King David and Bathshiba, also when he wanted to count the numbers in the Israelites army... I realized I might think some one is suffering...But who am I to judge whether they are suffering or not...It could just be their life! I pray that we all find peace in our suffering, like Paul, who suffered most of his Christian life, yet gave all the glory to God. Blessings to you all, Jesse
This is the door the people who had just gotten sold, stepped out to get onto the boats. It is called the door of no return...

Guys we know have BIRD FLU in Abidjan! I am running from all chickens!

This is Sammy: Mary Beth's and Deron's gate guard...he speaks English and is a really nice man. He is standing in front of our gate and if you look down the street our office is on the right at the end! A 1 1/2 min. walk!

This morning, I woke up at the unheard of hour of 5.30 a.m. to meet Emily and another worker Lucy for a morning walk around the neighborhood! Well, it was a beautiful morning and we saw a ton of people out walking...for me it turned into a sweat bath!

I guess it is something I will get used to...sweat and more sweat!

I am getting into the swing of things here at work...I am in the process of planning out our travels for the next year, well at least until Dec. It is hard work, but I am really enjoying it. I am also finishing up the stories from my trip in Burkina Faso...I think I got two good ones.

Today, Lucy invited us girls over to get our toes painted -- a women she knows is coming over to do it! I am VERY excited...clean and pretty feet, here I come.

Next day: I have pretty toes now!

Here are some pictures of my office and apartment -- enjoy...

<-- office

Our car

My apartment is on the bottomMy room--i took one of the beds out (the one in the corner) My living room

I have now lived in Abidjan for one week! And...I LOVE IT!

I love...

the weather
the people
my new apartment (pictures to come)
my job
the city
shopping

It is a huge city of 4 million people...Although not the largest city I have ever driven in, it is by far the most congested. Today, a group of us went fabric shopping downtown and decided taking a taxi would be the easiest form of transportation.

It is very expensive though for example... there is a Canadian store near by which imports goods from Canada. I found 12 tortilla shells for 7-8 bucks. Mary Beth and I made tortillas that night (from scratch).

Gas is now at 35,000cfa to fill up the tank. That would be about 70 US dollars! Talk about HI gas prices, it is well over $5 dollars a liter!

Some of you have asked about Easter worship here in West Africa.

I was traveling around Leo, Burkina Faso for Easter and was able to worship in a large (for the area) Assembly of God church and the pastor asked a fellow worker to preach. I want to give you a walk through of that day.

We slept outside, the power had been out for a little over 12 hours and it was over 110 degrees outside, so very hot inside.
Woke up when the roosters started at 3.30 am and a little later the donkeys started calling to each other.

Got up and got ready, church was to start at 10 am. I put on a traditional African dress called a boo-boo, was in it about all of five min. before I was covered in sweat.

Changed into a long, loose dress and we left for church.

By they time we had gotten to the church it had already started and our fearless leader led us through the front doors. The men (4) sat up front with the other pastors and the women were directed to sit with the other women out in the church. Let me paint a picture for you.

It is a rectangle room with about three windows on each side, a back door and a front side door. There are wooden benches (without backs) for the congregation to sit on. Women sat on the two sides while men sat in the middle row and man was it crowded. There must have been at least 500 people there.

At least five choirs sang a song to open the worship that is five different groups...

One for
-teenagers
-young women
-old women
-adults mixed
-children

and at least two quartet groups sang

After about an hour of singing and praying, began the preaching (which was very good by the way). The only thing is that it had to be translated. Normally sermons are translated into one other language that day it was two...from English into French and then into Mossi...took twice as long. Then more singing and praying. By the end of the service four hours had gone by and I loved every minute of it.

It was hot though and almost no ventilation. There were three rotating fans for the pastors upfront, but none for the congregation.

I had a Kleenex to constantly wipe the sweat dripping down me, I don't think I have ever sweated as much as I did that day.

Because it was Easter or in French "Pacques" the church had a "fete" or celebration. Which means FOOD! (We thought they were closet Southern Baptist)

I really don't know what to tell you we ate it was good though! They went and bought cokes for the visiting missionaries and it felt so good going down my very dry and hot throat. I think I also drank four bags of water and a koolaid type drink called beesap. (very good purplish drink they usually freeze)

That afternoon we took a break and really relaxed. I sat outside (power still out) and swung on a hammock and sang praise and worship with five MK's (missionary kids). It was one of my best Easters!

This tree is on the mission property...work was started 25 years ago and at the time, the people of the village said this tree was haunted by evil spirits...but after the missionaries came the spirts left and have not returned.

For your thoughts...

The work among the Wala people

The workers in Leo

Starting new work in Abidjan. Right now I am working on travel plans to Senegal

For a Tennessee church to catch a vision to reach an unreached people group in West Africa.

What a week!

Riding an African driven bus!

Three nights in three different villages

Getting to know two awesome missionaries who have a daunting task before them

Hanging out with Mary Beth and mice

Realizing you can sleep and sweat at the same time

Eating…well who knows what

Meeting a village chief (70ish years old with maybe a 6 month old daughter!)

Watching a village pastor hunt termites

Seeing a village church worship

Understanding women’s roles in different cultures—work, constant back breaking work

Going one WHOLE week without being asked to marry some African!

Thanking my mom for giving me a touch head of hair…Africans do know how to do your

hair!

Getting sick of mangos and being sick from mangos…we think I am allergic to the skin!

(my tongue swelled!) It is mango season and there are tons of mangos and we were given tons of mangos!

But I was able to cook...I made mango up-side down cake, mango bread, mango muffins and Tami made a mango cobbler!

This guy is picking mangos!

Contentment is what you make of your life no matter what you have-or don’t have

Visiting "The Neddles" -- A wonderful example of God creation!

Realizing reaching the lost for Jesus Christ has only just begun!

Here are tons of pictures-Enjoy!

Pointing at a poisonous fruit with a nut on the end!

David and Deron with village chief to trying to communicate. The Chief does not know French and we did not know Viega.

P.S. The Otter did go with me…but he had to stay hidden (not culturally excepted!)

Today I am going to start a week long adventure in "the bush" of Burkina Faso....for those of you who do not know the meaning of "the bush" it is everywhere that is not a big city (ex: Ouagadougou, Bobo...) We will be traveling by bus (closes example I can think of is Greyhound) for five hours to team up with Tami and David W. who are researchers in Burkina Faso. We will travel to several villages and discover village life.

Pray for us:

-as we travel.

-as we practice or French.

-as we experience something new.

-that there might be an opportunity to share about Christ.

-for health as we can not carry enough water for a week...we will be eating and drinking village food.


Also....Thank you for your prayers for my language study. I finished yesterday and I would not have done as well without all of your prayers. Blessings and I will update in a week!

Finishing Up and Moving On:

Thank you for your continued prayers for my safety, language learning, friendships and travel.
Thank you for the countless e-mails which encourage me daily!
Only a week and two days left of French classes. We take test next week to find out our level of learning. Pray I retained enough information to do well on this test.

I wanted to give you my new address for Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire. We move April 13. Do not send anything else to Burkina Faso…It probably will not make it to me before I move!

Jesse Lyautey
Mission Baptiste
01 BP 6491
Abidjan 01, Cote D’Ivoire

Remember: Packages can be no larger than an VHS size envelope! Thanks!

Here are some things that I can not get in the stores and are comfort food!

Slim Jims
Muffin Mixes
Cake Mixes
Books
DVD’s
CD’s
Oatmeal
Grits
Koolaid
Pictures
Taco Mix

Though the temperature is rising here I am still finding ways to stay cool. Only two more months of Hot Season!

Je vais decorer ma femme!

This guide to an interest in me and asked the missionary couple we were what was the price for me to become his wife...!

While they were rowing us back to shore he and the other guide made us females flower necklaces and crowns. This guide was in the other boat...not mine another boat! He moved our guide out of the way so he could put the crown on my head! Life in africa!

This is the guest house we stayed at in Bobo! Rulal Ramada, very nice rooms and very affortable!

Last weekend the four of use drove 5 hours to visit a couple working in the town of Bobo...This was our vacation weekend! We went to see Hippo's, a waterfall and then to church with them on Sunday.

They are doing great things with their people group and trying to start the people groups first church in Burkina Faso...Please pray for them as they work to baptize new believers!

Tengrela is the name of the place to see the hippo's!

This was the guide on my boat! He moved us through the water with a bamboo stick!A flower necklace!Le Cascade!

Yes, this would be the Burkina Faso Mc Danold's! No one from the mission has eaten here yet...kinda afraid to try!

This little boy loved to have his picture taken. There is an animal infront of him, a hedgehog!


Also…I have learned a lot about driving. Here in Burkina Faso, the blinkers on a vehicle have multiple meanings.

Turning on the blinkers mean:
1.making a turn
2.driver going around a vehicle
3.don’t go around me there is a vehicle coming
4.driver is going around a moto, person, bicycle, or animal
5.don’t pass or get in my lane there is a car behind me

It’s like having a conversation with other drivers as you try to navigate the roads. It’s a culture unto itself. I loved to drive in the states…it gave me a sense of freedom and an ability to see the world outside of myself. I feel the same way here. I told Diane Pace, driving is like learning how to play a sport, you just have to figure out the rules and watch everything!

New meanings in Africa!

In college I had to memorize a set of verses for one of my Christian Studies classes. It was part of a long list I memorized over those four years and I tucked it away in my mind. This week I read through Romans 15 and what popped out at me…those verses: Romans 15:5-7

Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.

It is amazing how verses seem to take on new meaning in a new environment. I remember reciting those verses and thinking nothing of them. I thought I accepted everyone around me pretty well.

Now, everyday…I see someone different than I am. Someone, who has a different idea of what is accepted and what happiness is in life. I see women carrying heavy burdens on their heads, men selling anything from tissues to tourist souvenirs on the street. Little kids run up and down the streets begging for the mosque or their family. Yet these same people smile and laugh.

In church I am surrounded by people who live in poverty, yet they raise their voices loudly to sing praises to God. Just like me and it is beautiful.

Did I ever think worship was beautiful? Did I see women shout praises to God for moving in her church?

God wants all to worship…and all of us to worship in one voice. God has promised us we will one day worship Him in Heaven…every tribe, tongue and nation, in one voice.

-I am suffering from a round of sinus problems. Pray they will not get in the way of my studies.

-Driving is a very dangerous thing to do in Ouaga...pray I am always mindful of those around me.

-It is getting very hot here and it is starting to affect what we do and when we do it. Pray we stay healthy and remember to drink WATER!

Thanks for all your prayers.

NAZINGA!!

This weekend, we got out! I mean we got out of the CITY! Africa is beautiful. I was driving…yes, I was driving…along a surprisingly well paved road that led out of the city of Ouaga and headed for the bush.
(note: for all of you who do not know the bush refers to the remote locations in Africa)

Emily, Mary Beth, Deron and I went to a game park, Nazinga, 3 hours south of Ouaga to see some elephants and any other “wild” animals we could find. I drove us to the park…I still love to drive. I learned not only to dodge kids, bicycles, people, motos and other cars, but also livestock and wild animals.


That was just the ride to the park…

Emily and I stayed in this bungalow.

Here is the inside…nice, isn’t it?

At the restaurant located on the park grounds I had antelope for dinner. (it was a little tough…good, but tough)

By the way it gets cold at night in the desert!

Saturday morning we got up to meet our guide at 6.30AM. The way this worked was…we drove around for a couple of hours trying to find wild animals…elephants, antelope, warthogs and anything else.

I drove again. The guide sat in the back in between Mary Beth and Deron and even from there, he spotted animals way more often than anyone else.

We saw so many elephants.

And some of them closer than I had ever thought possible!!!

I would say we saw between 40-50 different elephants…the park boasted 450+.

Here are other animals:

The park was beautiful.
It was amazing to see God in nature.

Friday night after dinner the four of us laid down on the concrete porch and just stared at the stars.

For all of us it was relaxing to get out of the city and see a different part of the country and experience different sights, sounds and feelings about West Africa.

I hope you enjoyed the pictures.

Thank our Father everyday for the witness He gives of Himself in nature.

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. Romans 1:20