My african adventure: Onward to Yako!

I've been in Ouaga for 5 days now, and tomorrow I will bid farewell to this busy and beautiful town and head onward to Yako where I will be living and working at an orphanage for two months. I couldn't be more excited! Every time I hear more about Yako and the orphanage and my role there I seem to come more and more alive. On Saturday we will be doing a TOMS shoes distribution to the village children. How awesome is that?! I personally own two pairs of TOMS and have always wondered exactly HOW they distribute their shoes to the children. If you aren't familiar with TOMS, the whole idea behind it is one-for-one: for every pair of shoes you purchase, the company purchases a pair of shoes for a child in need. I am SO pumped to be part of this, and to report back on exactly how it's done! The couple who runs the orphanage told me that the shoes given to the children are, in fact, TOMS shoes and are BETTER quality than the ones we purchase for ourselves! I know there are a lot of naysayers out there who think it's all a scam... just you wait. I'll give you the WHOLE rundown.
Other things I'm looking forward to out at the orphanage are the medical clinics, food distribution, malnutrition clinics and, mainly just loving some babies! At any time, they have up to 20 babies who need to be held, fed, changed, played with and nurtured! I will get to do some one-on-one activities to help with large and small motor development, I will get to lead some crafts.... I couldn't be more excited!
Here are a few pictures I've snapped while I've been here. I haven't been able to take a ton of pictures because it's both unsafe and considered rude to do so in Ouaga. Once I'm out in Yako I will have the opportunity to take LOADS more photos, not to fret.

This is a shot of the sun coming up as I was heading into Brussels. The Brussels airport was a very, very low point. I'll tell that story once I've fully healed from the experience. Let's just say there was no English spoken and LOTS of tears shed. 

This is a shot from the porch of the guest house I am staying at it Ouaga. In the dirt lot you see, I have been enjoying watching a group of neighborhood kids play something that looks like dodgeball. I'm tempted to join them, but afraid they might totally school me :) 

This is a view of Ouaga from the home we went to for church on Sunday. Did I mention church was in ALL French? Lovely language, but not one I understand in the slightest.

This is my little monkey friend. He's cute now, but apparently they get REAL mean when they get older. The woman I'm staying with said she gave her last three to her guard and he ATE them! Crazy! Truth be told, he kind of freaked me out... made me a little nervous! I thought he might steal my camera! Ha!

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I'm headed off tomorrow at 9:00 my time (it's a 6 hour difference from CO, a 7 hour difference from CA) to Yako! I can't wait to see what's next on this wild adventure!! 

with love,

Emily

Observations from Burkina

Burkina Faso is a landlocked country in West Africa about the size of Colorado. Currently, I am staying in the capital city, Ouagadougou (said Wog-uh-doo-goo) which is the largest city in all of Burkina with a population of 1,475,223. I've been here 4 days now and sure am learning a lot about the culture! Here are a few of my top observations: 
- There are no rules of the road. Actually, there are no rules which motor-bikes observe. In a word, they're crazy. They pass on both the left AND the right, even if you're turning! They run red lights. They have a designated part of the main road (much like a bike lane except it has a small curb separating it from the rest of the road) however, they ride both IN and OUT of their bike lane. Today, I saw a woman with two toddlers AND an infant on a motor-bike! 
- The equivalent to a garbage truck here is a cart being towed by a (get this) donkey.  
- At the street market, if you take anything from a vendor (even if just to look at it) they refuse to take it back, and expect you to pay for it. 
- Monkeys are VERY mean. 
- People use any land near a water source to grow their crops even if that water source is right next to the main road. 
- Don't use your left hand. This is the hand that is used to "wipe" if there isn't any toilet paper available, so it's considered "unclean" (and rightly so!). 
- At any red light, you will be offered to buy various fruits (mostly limes), phone cards, tissues and gum. 
-At the driving school/DMV/police department there is a board where they post pictures of all the fatal motor-bike accidents. I'm talking gory, bloody, dead people pictures. 
- The material here is BEAUTIFUL. Never before have I seen more vibrant, colorful clothes! 
- Tailors, jewelry makers and the like will make "home visits" to sell their goods. 

Well, that's all for now. I'm sure I will have MUCH more to tell y'all very soon! OH, and I'm SLOWLY learning a bit of French! 

Au revoir!!!

Is this real life...?

What a whirlwind the last month has been. I packed up my entire house, loaded it into a Uhaul (towing my car), drove 18 hours east to Colorado, unpacked my Uhaul, and boarded one of three planes to Africa. Crazy. I don't advise it for anyone! The good news is I have survived it all and I now sit in a guest room in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso as I type this blog! Hooray! I've been here for 3 days now and I keep wondering to myself "Is this real life? Am I ACTUALLY here?" I mean, I've been preparing for this trip for the last 3 months. Working HARD to raise support, getting visas, medicine, supplies... There's been a ton of prep that has taken place and now I'm here! For the next two months I will be living on an orphanage compound in Yako, a small village in Burkina Faso. I will be holding, feeding, changing and loving sweet babies. I will be helping with medical and malnutrition clinics. I will be helping distribute TOMS shoes to the village children. I will be meeting and building relationships with the orphanage workers and children. I am full of excitement, nerves and joy.
Since I've been here, I have had the pleasure of meeting the entire Envision team that is in Burkina. What wonderful people!! They took me to a Burkina soccer game which qualified Burkina for the 2014 World Cup. Let's just say the people were overjoyed. I've never quite seen a celebration like it before in my life. Hundreds of African people flooding the streets, full of pride in their home soccer team. It was incredible. I've been out to eat at a lovely little cafe, I've been to the market, and I've been to church. I'm still getting over a bit of jet lag and recovering from the brutal flights. One day they will invent some sort of teleportation that will completely eliminate the need for planes. On that day I will celebrate!
I leave for Yako on Wednesday. I have no idea what to expect but I'm ready for just about anything. I hope to post often on this blog to keep people updated!
I find myself SO grateful for all of the people who supported this trip. Thank you for your ongoing support and prayer. Thank you for your generosity!

With love,
Emily

My journey to Africa

For as long as I can remember, I have loved children. Even as a little girl, I was drawn to babies. I remember I used to line up my baby dolls and pretend they were my class. I would sit for hours teaching them, talking to them, holding them. I would say from the beginning I was equal parts mother/nurturer and educator. So naturally, as I grew up, my love for children grew with me. I babysat for the better part of my jr. high and high school career. I was a camp counselor at the local summer camp (my technical title was an LIT: Leader In Training… very glamorous)  and I also loved helping coach the peewee soccer and basketball teams. It wasn’t a big surprise to anyone when I decided to pursue a career as a teacher once in college. Children just kind of captivated me. I loved their innocence and the way they loved with no hesitation. I respected their honesty and cherished the moments I spent with them. Just before I graduated college, I began working at a local elementary school as a Special Education Personal Aide where I was introduced to children with special needs. God began to absolutely break my heart for these children; the ones who were overlooked and often forgotten. I began to see how deeply God burned for these special ones. This was the first time I experienced Gods passionate love for  children who seemed to be unwanted, discarded, marginalized. These were the voiceless ones, the ones who had no control over their circumstances. I believe this was my first taste of what was to come.

Last summer I embarked on a journey that challenged and changed me. I was part of a team that traveled between Kenya and Uganda and visited over 2,000 orphans. Suddenly, God’s heart for the overlooked, the marginalized, and the unwanted children of this beautiful nation was alive and raging within me. I was so grieved and broken by the intense contrast I witnessed there: beautiful and breathtaking sights surrounded by profound devastation. But what really captured my heart was the children. They were all so full of love and beauty and joy. Some were infused with sorrow as well, many of them had watched one or both parents suffer and die. Some had fought for their lives. Their stories were powerful and wonderful and through these marvelous children, God began to show me his heart for them and his dreams for them. God began giving me glimpses of his hopes and dreams for the beautiful nation of Africa.

Since I returned from that trip, I have been dreaming and longing to go back. But just as I knew God had set up my first trip with such intention, I knew the next trip would come in the right time and with the right opportunity. That opportunity has presented itself as a two-month trip (September and October) to the nation of Burkina Faso in West Africa through an organization called Envision (weareenvision.com). I will be living and serving at an orphanage in the small village of Yoko. Sheltering Wings Orphanage (www.sheltering-wings.org) is home to children of ALL ages. I will have the opportunity to care for babies, build relationships with school-aged children, teach toddlers, help with construction, visit neighboring villages to distribute food and medical supplies, and so much more!

If you are interested in contributing to my trip in any way, whether through prayer, financial or another form of support, I would deeply and greatly appreciate it!

For financial support, you can email me for more details (emily@thestirring.org)

-or-

You can also give online at www.cmalliance.org/give. Under “Give to International Workers and Special Projects” type “ENV – [and My Name]” and then add amount etc.

It’s wild to look back and see how God has had such a plan for my life from the very beginning, and how that plan has given way to such passion and so many dreams! As I anticipate this trip I am excited and hopeful for what God will reveal next! 

If you have ANY questions, please feel free to contact me! Also, keep an eye out for more blog updates and news about my trip!

With love,

Emily

I will fight.

I had a dream last night that I was in Kenya again.
The sights and smells and flavors were so real.
The faces and smiles and hugs and laughter.... so real.
Waking up is always the hardest part.
The dreams are the easy part, but realizing they are over never gets easy.
My heart STILL longs for that place. Maybe more than ever.
The dreams are more real. The waking up more difficult.
God has given me the smallest bit of HIS love and HIS passion and HIS hurting for Africa.
He has placed in me HIS burning for the father and motherless. HIS desire to seek justice on their behalf.
A year ago the statistics were just statistics. Just numbers on a page telling me how many children were dying, how many were left to raise themselves with no parents, how many were malnourished, mistreated and left to die. A year ago the numbers were shocking, but they weren't impossible to forget. But after only two weeks in one of the world's poorest nations, I am forever changed. Those numbers on a page now have a name. And a story. And a smile. And a laugh. And a voice. And suddenly it's become personal. Their story becomes personal. Their struggle and pain becomes personal. Their impossible circumstance becomes personal. The fact that they were left to fend for themselves at the age of four becomes personal. The fact that they've gone days with no food becomes personal. The fact that they've watched their friends die due to lack of simple and basic medical care becomes personal. It becomes personal.

So, I fight.

I join with God, with his heart for these little ones, and I fight for more. I fight for justice. I fight for hope. I may only be one, but I have a mighty God on my side, and it only takes one.
God has given me faith to see a nation reached and a nation restored. It may be a lofty goal. Some may call me foolish, but I would argue that often the foolish are the ones used to do the mighty.

So this is the new year...

I'm a big "reflector".
I love to celebrate.
Looking back, seeing where you've been, what you've come through, what God has done, how He's shown up in your life.
It's my favorite.
THAT is why I love this time of year. How incredible is it that we get to start a brand new year over after 365 days? I love that. I love the definitiveness of it. 2012 is over. And I get to reflect, look back, celebrate, enjoy what God has done this year. And let me tell you, it's been QUITE a year!
This year I:
- Spoke at a Sexual Assault Awareness gathering
- Added to my tattoo collection
- Stamped my passport for the first time
- Ran a half marathon
-Made some INCREDIBLE friends
-Went to tons of amazing concerts
- Started Crossfit
-Over came HUGE obstacles in my walk with the Lord
- Traveled across the world and had my life irrevocably and indescribably changed.

Without a doubt, my trip to Africa topped my list for this year. My life was changed. My heart was broken, in a way I NEVER knew it could break. God showed me his love, his compassion, his joy, his heart in a way I have never experienced. I'm an absolute changed person because of my trip. I now am part of a family of 28 that is scattered all over the US. What we experienced together is something that will forever bind us to one another. There aren't words that express my gratitude.
I say it every day.
THANK YOU for Africa.
THANK YOU for my time there.
THANK YOU for the people I met on the trip.
Thank you for Leah 
I am changed.
I am bold.
I am passionate.
My heart beats for Africa.
My heart cries for Africa.
I'm grateful for every experience. Every child. Every smile. Every tear.
I'm thankful for the way my heart is broken and filled with joy all at the same time when I remember my time there.
I'm thankful for the way I can bring those experiences and pains and joys with me into this life, and I can share all that God did and is doing.
What a year it's been.
2012, I loved you. I loved every beautiful, heartbreaking, tearful, lovely, joyful, confusing moment.
2013, I can not WAIT to see what you have in store for me. And for the nation I love.

Giving thanks

It's easy to focus on the negative. On what we DON'T have. On what is lacking in our lives. It's easy to let our circumstances dictate our attitude.
OR we can pick gratitude.
Gratitude is contagious.
It's infectious.
It changes things.
I live a life of abundance. I have SO much. My life is so rich. Sure, there are things in life that I am lacking. Things I desire. Things I wish could change. But I live a life of incredible abundance!
I've been seeing people's posts on Facebook about their 30 days of thanks. I love it, but I wonder, shouldn't we live a LIFE of thanks? Not just a month? The holiday seasons are hard. We are bombarded with bigger, better, newer, shinier, fancier, more expensive things. We start thinking "maybe the 20 pairs of shoes in my closet AREN'T enough. Maybe I DO need a bigger TV, a newer car, a better phone..." It's in these moments that I'm reminded of the hundreds of faces I saw while in Africa. The children begging for as little as an apple. The teeny, tiny little kids who didn't have ANY shoes, who were lucky to eat one meal every other day, who lived with 7 other people in a "house" that we would consider a small closet. I remember hearing my dear, sweet Leah tell me of how, after her mother died and her father abandoned them, she had to do "horrible things" to provide food for her and her two younger siblings. She was 6 at the time. Six years old. She was a child, carrying the burden of an adult.
And it's in those memories, those moments that I am reminded of just how incredibly lucky I am. How much luxury I live in. How much I have to be thankful for.
I was given an INCREDIBLE education. For free.
I got to eat three meals. Every single day.
I never shared a room. Ever
Every year, I got at least one new pair of shoes.
I have lived a life of absolute abundance.
I have SO much to be grateful for.
And trust me, I get it, my life has NOT been perfect. I have had my fair share of heart ache and pain and suffering and brokenness. But that doesn't mean I can't live a life of gratitude. That doesn't mean I can't be grateful.
It's challenging. But I think it's a challenge we absolutely need to approach.
Our lives need a huge dose of gratitude. And not just once a month. But once a month is a beautiful place to start.