November 04, 2009
APT Website is Launched!!!
This is the new website for the Acacia Partnership Trust (APT) at http://www.acaciapartnershiptrust.org.uk
APT is the charity that Lynne and I have set up to facilitate all the work we are doing with the church in Burkina Faso, and at the new site you can find out more about everything we do, including:
- evangelism and church planting
- the gorom-gorom school
- the Oudalan Ministry Centre and our plans to develop it
- mobile dental clinic
- church partnerships
... and much much more!
Online Donations
You can also now Donate Online to support the work of APT or one of our Current Projects.
There are still some minor adjustments to make, and we hope later to add other bits, such as a shop where you will be able to buy "alternative gifts" through the website. In the meantime, do let us know what you think.
Many thanks to David Nelson from Mossvale Community Church for his wonderful work on the website design!
November 03, 2009
Pick A Fight
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute." (Prov 31)
"Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow."(Is 1)
"Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness..." (Matt 6)
Christ calls us to leave the sin and emptiness of destructive self-gratification that shapes so much of our life, and to start living for something greater. His call is not just to believe in him so that you can go to heaven - his call is to leave self-centredness and to live a costly life of discipleship to bring freedom, healing, and salvation to others. He calls us to stand with the poor, weak, and vulnerable, to stand for justice and truth, to live passionately, purely, and sacrificially to bring God's kingdom of peace and justice to a needy world.
We have only to look at the news to see the suffering and injustice that break the heart of God, whether it is a billion people living in poverty, girls trapped in sex slavery, children taken as soldiers, racism, aids, corruption in high places, homelessness... and you can name many other issues. The God of love and justice cares about the poor and suffering, and calls us to join him in standing up for them.
These are all battles that are worth fighting, but at times it is overwhelming - you cannot fight every battle... But you can do something.
Don't reduce the life-changing gospel to just one aspect of its outworking in social action. But if your life is truly changed by the gospel, if your life is ruled and shaped by the suffering servant, you will find somewhere you can make a difference in the world. Pick a fight - find an injustice that wounds the heart of God, a people suffering, or beaten down by the sin of others, and get involved. Fight for something that is worth giving your life for, and not just for your own comforts and concerns. There are so many fights to be fought. Somehow, somewhere, give yourself to bring God's justice, peace, healing, and freedom to others.
Go on... pick a fight!
"Evil prospers when good men do nothing."
More Than Conquerors
The impetus for this post came from my friend Simon Guillebaud, who has been working in Burundi since 1998, and set up Great Lakes Outreach in 2003 to work for the spiritual and physical development of the country. He has been living for Christ in a war zone alongside radically committed Christians bringing the life-changing grace of Christ to a needy nation.
Simon has now written a book and has just produced a dvd with 13 short films, called "More Than Conquerors". The book and dvd are to "stir up, envision, and challenge followers of Jesus to embrace a costly authentic discipleship." You can buy the book or dvd at the More Than Conquerors website. I will be buying copies, and will review it here in due course. In the meantime, you can see a preview of one of the films here: http://www.more-than-conquerors.com/preview.html
October 27, 2009
Songhai Village Evangelism
There is a new openness and responsiveness to Christ in Songhai villages in northern Burkina Faso, as Pierre, Pascal, and Seydou have been going out regularly teaching people the good news of Jesus.
In the province of Oudalan where we work, there are three main people groups: the Fulani, the Tamacheq, and the Songhai. All are Muslim peoples, with a respect for the Jesus of the Quran, but with little understanding of his power to change lives today. Over the last couple of years, we have begun to reach out to a number of Songhai villages, and are now beginning to see people getting hold of the truth of Christ, and deciding to follow him for themselves.
Pastor Matthias has moved into one of the villages, and now has two Songhai men in his church. Pierre and Seydou (right) and Pascal have been visiting four other villages at least every two weeks, and a few individuals have now been baptised. Potentially there is another pastor getting ready to move into one of these villages after the millet harvest is in.
This week, Pierre, Pascal, and Seydou have had a team of Brazilian, Nigerien, and Americans working with them, going into all five villages to teach about Christ. They have found a lot of openness, and in one village three men made the decision to follow Christ.
Please joining us in giving thanks, and pray for
- Pierre, Pascal, Seydou, and Matthias as they continue to bring God's love to the Songhai
- The Songhai Christians, that they may grow in the love and grace of Christ
- The new pastor hoping to move into the region, that God opens the door for him
Thank you
October 26, 2009
Gorom-Gorom School: The Second Year Starts
35 new students have been registered for the second intake for the Gorom-Gorom school, as it starts its second year. It is encouraging to see that the good report on the school's first year has encouraged a higher intake for this second year.
New Class Starts
I spoke to the headmaster, Nicodeme, by phone this week, and he says that the new teacher has arrived, and they have built another temporary classroom next to the first one, and they are starting classes.
We had hoped to have started building the school proper by now, but unfortunately, the start has been unavoidably delayed. This has been frustrating, but it is encouraging to see Nicodeme, Pastor Daniel, and the church in Gorom-Gorom pushing on so enthusiastically regardless. The essential thing is that the children, who never before had the possibility of going to school, are now getting access to a quality education in a loving Christian environment. Please pray for the teachers and children, that they may know God's blessing this year.
Building Project
The reasons for the delay in the construction project have been various, and partly a result of trying to do everything as well as possible, and of keeping the church in Burkina and partners in Europe walking together in the way forward. Our desire has been to offer an approach to the school construction which is innovative, but without imposing western ideas. Some of the ideas that we have been suggesting have been very new for Burkina, and it may be that some are not appropriate. We hope though that the end result will be not only a quality school, but one that reflects the heart of God's love for the marginalised and dispossesed. Please pray that we may together make swift progress now on the construction project.
Class Sponsorship
We have been hoping to find sponsorship for this second intake, and it looks like we may have found it. Please pray that this will work out - we know it is difficult for people to make such commitments at this time of worldwide financial difficulties.
To find out more about the school sponsorship project and the construction project, please go to the Gorom-Gorom School page.
October 19, 2009
Hacking Timbuktu
Hacking Timbuktu is the exciting new novel by my good friend and colleague Steve Davies. Written for teenage boys, it is a great story, which Lynne and I thoroughly enjoyed reading aloud to each other during our recent trip to Burkina Faso.
It is the story of Danny Temple, a computer-hacker and parkour enthusiast, in his pursuit of hidden gold, stolen from the ancient Malian city of Timbuktu in "the most daring heist in African history". Danny and his friend Omar have to use their hacking and parkour skills to find the gold and escape the attentions of a fiendish Facebook-based group that is after them.
As with his previous novel, The Yellowcake Conspiracy, Steve's combination of cool contemporary technology with historical West African cultures provides the catalyst for a thrilling adventure. Leaping and racing from roof-top London to cliff-top Africa, the book - again like "Yellowcake" - begs to be made into a film.
Steve uses remarkable economy of words, not only to maintain the pace and excitement of the story, but also to imbibe you with the worlds to which he introduces you. There are no long boring descriptive paragraphs, yet you find yourself caught up in the Malian scenery and culture as the story runs and vaults past riverside villages and mud-brick mosques. Steve's familiarity with, and love for West Africa gives a respect and authenticity to this Malian context that is lacking in so many other books and films. And the fascination of western teenage boys with the world of computers and free-running will make this an adventure into which many will be able to imagine themselves caught up.
If you are looking for good books for teenage boys, try this. You can buy it on Amazon here.
See more of Steve's writing here
October 13, 2009
Burkina Faso Soccer School, Gorom-Gorom 2009
This is a short video of the Burkina Faso Soccer School, Gorom-Gorom 2009.
October 12, 2009
Guinea 1- Burkina Faso 2
Burkina Faso sealed their entry to the African Cup of Nations in Angola next year by defeating Guinea 2-1 this weekend.
Over the last couple of months, Burkina Faso lost their chance to seize the group's World Cup place through their two defeats by the group's heavyweights, Ivory Coast, including a 5-0 thumping in Abijan in September. Ivory Coast are reckoned by many to be Africa's best chance at the World Cup in South Africa 2010.
Burkina Faso have improved over recent years and dominated the match against Guinea. They are second in the group having won all their other matches, but they still seem to have a way to go to break into Africa's top tier. The game was played in Ghana due to political problems and turmoil in Conakry.
Allez les Etalons!
October 06, 2009
Location, Location... err... Friendliness
The new UN Human Development Index has come out, which the BBC has, with terrible inaccuracy described as a table of the "best" or "least desirable" place to live.
Actually, the HDI, based upon statistics of Life Expectancy, Education, and Income, seeks to look at development, going "beyond GDP to a broader definition of well-being". Such criteria do have some value, and on this front, it is encouraging to see that Burkina Faso has made progress. Ever since I can remember, Burkina has been in the bottom three. But this year, it has leaped ahead of CAR, Mali, and others to be 177th of 182. I know, it still has a way to go, but in these terms Burkina is making strides, which I think reflects well upon its stability, peace, and people.
But, beyond their use to measure "development", it is absurd to use such criteria to qualify somewhere as the best or worst place to live. It is the company that gives a place its quality. Who would rather live isolated, but surrounded by clever, rich jerks, than embraced in a simple, loving community? Many so-called "developed" countries are under-developed socially and spiritually, with huge problems of loneliness, isolation, depression, family and social breakdown, drug abuse, and self-centred consumerism.
At the same time, many poor societies have maintained a strong sense of community and spirituality that bring you closer to the heart of God than the sterility of consumerism. Life does not consist in the amount of stuff you have. In fact, James said that God has "chosen those poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom..."
Life for the inhabitants of Burkina Faso is hard, and I work and pray to see them enjoy better health, education, and well-being. But, for all its poverty and challenges, Burkina Faso is one of the friendliest places you could hope to live. The people are warm and welcoming, generous, hospitable, and spiritual.
Burkina Faso is a wonderful country.
October 05, 2009
Fun Run for a Mobile Dental Clinic for Burkina Faso
Yesterday, before church, Lynne and a few friends ran the Belhouston Park 5k Fun Run to raise money for the Acacia Partnership Trust.
Together we estimate they raised about £1,000 towards helping us start a Mobile Dental Clinic for Burkina Faso:
Getting ready for the big race...
And they're off...
Donna, Lynne, and ...er, wait a minute... he's not one of ours...!
Victory!
I'm so proud of my wife.
Well done and thank you to Stacey, Corinne, Donna, Ruth, Michelle, and Lynne!
September 29, 2009
Keith and Lynne's Burkina Faso Wedding Photos
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I have uploaded photos of our wedding in Gorom-Gorom to the wedding page of my website - click here to see the photos, or click here to view a slideshow.
Here is a small selection:
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September 26, 2009
Pulling Teeth for Jesus!
One of our goals for the coming year is to begin planning and raising funds for a Mobile Dental Clinic for the north of Burkina Faso.
Lynne has worked in Mozambique and Thailand, running this kind of mobile dental clinic in remote villages and refugee camps, and training locals to provide dental health education, pain relief and dental extractions. She now wants to use this experience to help the people of northern Burkina Faso.
"Getting Our Teeth Stuck In..."
In the whole of our province of Oudalan, there is no dental care provision. People suffer with tooth pain, often with no opportunity for relief, without making a long and costly journey to one of the larger towns many miles away. We want to start and equip a Mobile Dental Clinic, taking dental care, education, and training into remote Fulani, Tamacheq, and Songhai villages in this province, working alongside local pastors. The clinic would have three main goals:
- Relief of Pain. Visiting villages, to treat dental problems and pull teeth.
- Education. Teaching people about basic dental hygiene.
- Training. Equipping local people with basic skills for dental extractions.
We would also combine the dental clinic with the preaching of the gospel. Pierre has already worked with an American dental nurse, doing similar projects a bit further south, and he is keen on the whole vision.
While in Burkina Faso this time, we met with the Regional Director for Health for the north of Burkina Faso, and he was very welcoming and enthusiastic about what we want to do.
Where From Here...?
To start the Clinic, we will need to buy equipment and drugs. In Ghana, there are people who have developed solar-powered dental units specifically for working in the African bush. We are particularly interested in visiting their work, seeing the equipment in action there, and learning from them.
Please pray for us as we seek to develop this over the next year.
If you want to support this project, please click here.
