Africa, Day Two.

We started this morning at 6:30am. I took an ice cold shower (which I am not complaining because I was extremely thankful to even be able to take one at all), spent thirty minutes meditating on God’s word , followed by peanut butter and jelly on a baguette for breakfast. 

Afterwards, we headed over to Abby and Christa’s (missionaries that live in Burkina) house for our morning meeting. We worshiped and discussed our plans for the upcoming weeks. Heidi and Joel decided it would be fun to send us on a scavenger hunt this morning at the market just down the road. They gave us all a list of things we needed to buy and some items we needed to ask locals what they were or what they were used for. Basically, they just wanted us to get out and practice communicating with the locals.

There were three of us on my team, Bekah, Lindsay, and me. None of us speak much French so that makes things increasingly difficult to communicate. Fortunately, the people at the market seemed excited to see us, and they all wanted our business so they were more than willing to play charades until we fully communicated. That morning, we managed to shake at least 200 people’s hands and purchase some bananas, a mango, and maggi (rice/noodle flavoring). We learned what their brooms look like and what they use Kola nuts for. They are used for whooping cough, asthma, and they can also ease hunger pains. Kola nuts are also used as a religious objects and sacred offerings during prayers, ancestor veneration, and significant life events such as: naming ceremonies, weddings, and funerals. Our group was fortunate enough to find an African that spoke a little English so we were the only ones to find this out. However, our group was also the only one to get lost on the way back to the house. We walked and walked and did I mention we walked? If you know me well at all, you know I am terrible with directions, and apparently my team was too. After being rescued on the streets and pointed in the right direction, we made it back thirty minutes later than planned.

This afternoon we visited the “No loti” village. Upon arrival, the kids completely bombarded our bus. They didn’t even know us but were so ecstatic to have visitors. The second we stepped out of the door they grabbed a hold of us in whichever way that they could. They were so eager to be loved and held, at that very moment, I wished that I had a million arms to hold and comfort them all.

We played several games with them and afterwards we shared our “Ragman” skit. It shows how Christ can take away our pain, heal our broken hearts, and be our redeemer.  It was our first outreach since we arrived and it was really touching to see so many of them interested in knowing more about God. The kids sat very quietly as we entertained them, and when it came time to ask who would like to accept Jesus Christ into their heart over 50 of them showed boldness and raised their hands! It was the most precious thing I have ever seen. 

"Accepting Jesus!"

When it was time to leave we literally had to peel the children’s fingers one by one off of the bus. They were jumping on the back and wanting to come along. I would image it’s about how the paparazzi reacts to celebrities. It literally broke my heart knowing I may never see these children again.

This evening we went to play soccer with the “Tuareg’s” at a refugee camp. They are nomadic Muslim’s who have fled their life in Mali into neighboring countries due to the war. They plan on staying there until it’s safe to return home. They call themselves the princes of the desert and are known for riding camels and wearing turbans and swords.  

Upon arrival, the children did exactly the same thing here as the others did earlier today; they all gathered around as we pulled in and ran behind the bus until we parked. Joel and Heidi are regulars at their camp so they were excited to see them as well as a lot of new faces.  These children are definitely clingier; they wanted so badly to have our full attention and to feel of worth. 

We played clapping games, sang songs, loved on each other, and I got my hair braided over and over again! This camp has a lot of Muslims so we have to be very cautious about openly sharing Jesus with them. I believe, God called us to love others just as He has loved us, so that’s exactly how I shared Christ’s love with them. If you saw the smile each hug and kiss brought to their faces I’m sure you would agree it worked! I even noticed a Muslim man smiling under his mask as he watched us interact with the children. That truly made my night!

 “Let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. This is how we set our hearts at rest in His presence.” John 3:18-19

The thing is Jesus loved people. He loved thieves, prostitutes, tax collectors, diseased people, poor people, children and His followers. He loved people who were devoted to Him and those who were different from Him. 

The bible says to “Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other.”
 John 13:34-35

“Love One Another”   Those three words express the heart of God.

Today I felt the toasty, red dirt on my feet. I felt dirty, little hands all over my face. I felt arms wrap around my body in every which way. I felt warm tears run down a child’s cheek as it transferred to my fingertip, most importantly, today I felt God’s love at work.  I simply love these children.

My Favorite Memory from Today:  As we shared our “Ragman” skit with the children I saw their faces and realized just how much this could forever impact their lives. It was so overwhelming, I just began to weep and cry out to God. I wanted so badly for these children to know that they have worth and it is found in Him.

Taylor’s Favorite Memory from Today:  Being able to interact with the children for the first time. He made several friends and asked me repeatedly if we could take some home with us. He made friends with a 16 year old boy at the Tuareg camp. The boy spoke broken English and Taylor loved that they could communicate some. He would ask the boy to tell the children that he thought they were beautiful and that he was going to try and learn French for his next visit.  

                                                                  

Ouagadougou, Africa, Day One.

We landed in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Africa around 6:30pm on July 5^th. This was no ordinary airport. We actually landed on a runway and were able to walk right off the plane, just like you see in the movies. That was really surreal to me. Then we took a bus to customs and met up with Joel Hayslip (our missionary friend) who helped us get our luggage and head off to his house. 

Immediately, as we got on the road, I noticed an extreme difference between Africa and America. The roads were made of red dirt and I don’t know if potholes could even begin to describe the muddled streets.  There were masses of motor scooters and bicyclers everywhere. I saw up to four people on one motor bike! Women have their babies strapped to their backs while they’re driving and they don’t seem to worry about the heavy, severe, traffic surrounding them. That made me very nervous to watch due to my love for babies.

During the drive to Joel and Heidi’s house I just wanted to take in everything surrounding me, the sounds, the smells, the complete environment.  I watched Muslims on the streets turn toward Mecca in unison and pray. I saw children walk from person to person and plead for a sale. I saw women carrying all sorts of belongings on their heads.  This was all very fascinating to me. With every breath I took--a new memory came with it. My eyes had been opened SO wide already. 

 Tonight as I was seeing the beauty in the littlest of things it made me realize that we have the world so much in our hearts, and are so taken up with thoughts and cares of worldly things, that we don’t have time nor spirit to see God's hand in them. Our life is short and uncertain and we shouldn’t take that lightly. I encourage you to see the positive in things that are happening around you. Enjoy the beauty in the simple things, don’t take one single breath for granted, and remember to thank God daily for His goodness and mercy.

"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world--the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boastings of what he has and does comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." -1 JOHN 2:15-17

 My favorite memory of the day: The cutest little boy, around 10-11 years old, came up to our window to sell us a phone card and we all just went crazy.  Although we didn’t speak the same language he could sense our excitement and he had a smile on his face that was too big to measure! He was just giggling as we carried on about how handsome he was. I just wanted to pinch his little cheeks off and take them home with me. 

Taylor’s favorite memory of the day: He loved the crazy driving and seeing so many people out and about on the streets. It was full of life and adventure.

Facts about Burkina Faso, Africa.

Burkina Faso– also known by its short-form name Burkina – is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is surrounded by six countries: Mali to the north, Niger to the east, Benin to the southeast, Togo and Ghana to the south, and Cote d'Ivoire to the southwest. The country's capital is Ouagadougou.

It is geographically in the Sahel--the agricultural region between the Sahara Desert and the coastal rain forests. Most of central Burkina Faso lies on a savanna plateau, 200 meters-300 meters (650 ft.-1,000 ft.) above sea level, with fields, brush, and scattered trees. The largest river is the Mouhoun (Black Volta), which is partially navigable by small craft. Burkina Faso has West Africa's largest elephant population. Game preserves also are home to lions, hippos, monkeys, warthogs, and antelope. Infrastructure and tourism are, however, not well developed. Annual average rainfall varies from about 100 centimeters (40 in.) in the south to less than 25 centimeters (10 in.) in the north and northeast, where hot desert winds accentuate the dryness of the region. The cooler season, November to February, is pleasantly warm and dry (but dusty), with cool evenings. March-June can be very hot. In July-September, the rains bring a 3-month cooler and greener humid season.

On August 30^th, 2009 Burkina Faso experienced the worst flood in the country's recent history, leaving 150,000 people homeless, and several dead. The people requested international aid to help the victims and rebuild the country. As a result of the flood, access to clean water has been difficult for survivors.

Average life expectancy at birth in 2004 was estimated at 52 for females and 50 for males. The median age of its inhabitants is 16.7. The estimated population growth rate is 3.109%.  Central government spending on health was 3% in 2001.  As of 2009, it was estimated that there were as few as 10 physicians per 100,000 people.  In addition there were only 41 nurses, and 13 midwives per 100,000 people.

Education in Burkina Faso is divided into primary, secondary and higher education. The UN Development Program Report ranks Burkina Faso as the country with the lowest level of literacy in the world, despite a concerted effort to double its literacy rate from 12.8% in 1990 to 25.3% in 2008.

Burkina Faso has one of the lowest GDP per capita figures in the world: $1,200.  Agriculture represents 32% of its gross domestic product and occupies 80% of the working population. It consists mostly of livestock but also, especially in the south and southwest, of growing sorghum, pearl millet, maize corn, peanuts, rice and cotton. A large part of the economic activity of the country is funded by international aid.

Nationality: Noun and adjective--Burkinabe (accent on last e).
Population (2010): 16.3 million.
Annual population growth rate (2010): 3.1%.
Ethnic groups: 63 ethnic groups among which are Mossi (almost half of the total population), followed by Gourmantche, Fulani, Dioula, and Bissa.
Religions: Muslim 60%, Catholic 19%, animist 15%, Protestant 5%.
Languages: French (official); More; Gourma; Fulfulde; Dioula; Tamasheq.
Education: Literacy (2009)--26%.
Health: Infant mortality rate (2010)--91.7/1,000. Life expectancy (2010)--56.7 years.
Work force: Agriculture--77.9%; industry--2.1%; commerce, services, and government--5.5%.

I am so excited to share the love story of Jesus in Africa. I am learning French (their primary language in Burkina Faso) so that I will be able to communicate with them better. Please pray that God will restore brokenness, change lives, and give hope to the hopeless this summer. Thank you so much for all of your support. I love you all!

Burkina Faso--Support Letter.

Dear Friends and Family,

As many of you already know, I am involved in many activities here in Nashville. Since I have arrived I’ve been looking for the most effective way to use my abilities to serve others. Recently an opportunity presented itself for me this summer to share Christ’s life and love with others..

I have been invited to go as a Missionary to Burkina Faso, Africa with Real Impact Missions, an organization committed to serving and ministering the saving message of Jesus Christ worldwide. The dates for this trip are July 2-17, 2012. I believe that my experience in missions, street work and volunteering have prepared me to work in extenuating circumstances and to lead youth in cross-cultural ministry. In speaking with the Project Director of this trip I was informed that the nature of our trip will mainly be to serve the poor and lost of Africa. This includes ministering to children and adults, teaching conversational English, relief projects (bringing clean water to villages), and evangelism through a drama.

In order to go, I must raise around $3,700. As a single mother, this seems like so much to raise, but I trust in the Lord’s provision. I am participating in several fundraisers and odd jobs, and I would also like to ask for your support for this trip. Your gift would be an investment into someone’s eternal life. Please pray and do whatever God leads you to do. If you do choose to support me, your gift is tax deductible and I ask that your check be written to Real Impact Missions (do not put my name directly on the check).

More than anything, I ask for your prayers concerning this trip. It will be difficult physically and spiritually but I believe it will change the lives of the people of Burkina Faso as well as my own. The combination of your prayers and support can greatly have an impact on the lives of people across the world, and give them hope through the message of Christ. I sincerely appreciate your concern for the cause of Christ.

May God bless you as you pursue Him and the establishment of His Kingdom.

Pursuing Christ,
Tiffany Barkley

The Lord’s loyal kindness never ceases; his compassion's never end. They are fresh every morning; your faithfulness is abundant! “My portion is the Lord,” I have said to myself, so I will put my hope in him. Lamentations 3:22-24

Retirement Center!

Hey friends,

Some of you may already know that Taylor and I volunteer at a Retirement Center a couple of times a week. There, they have Activities such as worship, Bingo, Card Games and we are now starting a Bible Study. When they attend such activities they receive “Bucks” to spend at their weekly auction. However; their auction prizes consist of boxes of Kleenexes, Toilet Paper, and other non motivating items.  

My goal is to get people to donate some items from around their home that are just going to waste.  Ideas are lotions, socks, flashlights, cologne, candles, bibles, books, gift cards, bag of candy, DVDs, blankets, earrings, really anything!! I’ve gathered over 20 things from my own home that I have never even used!

I feel that if we could improve the auction items it would be a better incentive for them to attend these activities. This means more people hearing about God’s Love, which is the ultimate goal! I'm so excited to love on these elderly people like He loves on us.

I would greatly appreciate it if you had anything you could donate for this cause. Please contact me if you do!

Together we can help prepare others for His Kingdom.

Africa T-shirts Now Available!

Thanks to YouthMerch and the help of Adam Hall I have officially completed my Africa t-shirts! These shirts have been designed to help raise money for my mission’s trip to Burkina Faso, Africa this summer. My team and I will be providing clean water and spreading the love of Jesus.

The amazing part is not only are you helping me and those in Africa, you are also providing a shirt for a child in need. In short, it's a shirt-for-shirt philosophy through the nonprofit organization, Got Your back Movement. 

If you would like to purchase a shirt directly from me the cost is $25. I would love to ship one to you as well. The cost for that would be $30. I have sizes Small to X-Large available.

Please help me spread the word on Facebook, Twitter, (I’d say MySpace but I don’t think anyone would see it) on how you can help Others, Africa, and Me with just one purchase! Together we can make a difference!

Purchase now! http://giveh2ope2africa.bigcartel.com/product/africa-t-shirt
“Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these…” – Jesus
John 14:12

The night I truly gave my life to God--Passion One Day 2003.

I felt compelled to share my story from the “Passion One Day” Event that I attended in Sherman, TX in May of 2003. I went to the 4-day event with the young adult’s class from my church. It called a generation together not for a festival, not to hear bands play, and not for people or personalities. It called people together to say let’s put our faces to the ground and return to Him with all our hearts and see what He does.  I was very excited to see what God had in store for me. To be honest, I was having doubts and questioning if God was real…

The first night we made a camp fire, dinner, and prayed for the weekend before us. It was so beautiful outside. The weather was perfect and we were all enjoying our time together. I was getting ready to head to my tent when I heard a loud roar to my right. When I looked up in the sky, I saw golf ball-sized hail coming toward me from a distance. Words cannot describe how incredible it was to watch it hit the campground section by section like a domino effect.

It stormed that entire night. I was awake most of the time, along with the other girls, because I was sleeping in a soaking wet sleeping bag. I brought my own water proof tent but because there were more girls than guys and my tent was smaller, we decided to trade. Needless to say, they stayed dry and warm. The next day I had to borrow clothes from the guys because everything I owned was drenched.

On the second day, we approached a huge open field where the first services took place. I listed to Beth Moore talk about the storm and how we weren’t going to let it affect our time there to worship God. This had brightened my spirit because I was wearing men’s clothing, I felt embarrassed, and I had begun to wonder why I was even there.

Later that evening, I sat down to watch “Shane and Shane” play. The sky was so beautiful. It was the most amazing sunset I have probably ever seen to this day. I looked around and saw that there were tens of thousands of students there; a sea of worshiping young people. That’s when I really began questioning God; “Are you real?”, “Are you listening to me?”, and “If you are real, how could  you care about me when I see thousands of people here; only a small fraction of people in the world that love you and seek you?”. I began to cry inside feeling so unworthy as I asked all of these questions in my head. I kept hoping that the next speaker, the next worship leader, or the next prayer would set me free from my doubts. I never shared my doubts with anyone. I didn’t want to be told, “My dear, you need assurance. I can settle that for you once and for all. It says right here in 1 John 1:9, ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.’ You see? You’re saved. So don’t give the devil a foothold by doubting.” I needed and wanted to feel it for myself.

 It was as if the warmth of God’s presence came to me within minutes. It was in that moment when I was desperately calling out to God that He spoke to me and said, “Tiffany, I know every hair on your head and I know your heart, I will never leave you nor forsake you.” That’s when I broke down and fully gave my life to Christ. It’s a moment that I will never forget. I felt so at peace with who I was going to be and who He is. What helped me the most was experiencing God’s real presence.  I felt the bigness of God in the littlest of things that weekend.  I feel as though I am no longer haunted by doubts. I experienced God through nature, through other people, through circumstances, through words and pictures and impressions, and frequently through the Bible.

I heard several speakers throughout the event but the one that stood out to me most was Kirk Cameron. You may have heard of him because he used to be on the show “Growing Pains.” I loved hearing his story about how he came to know and love God. He mentioned that he had to leave his fame behind him to fully live for Christ. The reason being was to make God’s name known and not his own. That’s why he no longer wanted the image of “Kirk Cameron.”  He explained that if you fully seek God, you may lose interest in many other things you thought were important. It's Okay! 

I’ve learned that God never gives up on us, never rejects us, and never leaves us. These things are especially difficult for us to believe if we didn’t grow up in an environment of trust. But God understands our mistrust and invites us to discover, through experience, how trustworthy He is.

I now live my life with these three main focuses:

1.       Know Him—Read His word and explore who He is.

2.       Live for Him—Love others like He loves us.

3.       Tell the Story of Jesus—Share His word and help prepare others for His kingdom.

But most importantly Love Him—Because He loved you first.