Adventures in Burkina

Adventures in Burkina
by Betty English Arnold

After we left, Chris settled right in, he did fine, and we continued on to Burkina Faso and our new home. (Chris is now graduating from this same school, and he thinks that ICA (International Christian Academy) is one of the best things that has ever happened to him.) Sometimes, the greatest things in our life can also be the hardest, isn’t that odd?

We soon arrived in Burkina Faso, West Africa and were driven to our new home, a scouting trip before we actually had to move in. The missionary who took us there had lived in the same house before and kept telling us how great is was going to be. We were excited. We were ready. We were really psyched!

We drove up the dirt and gravel driveway, winding our way up the hill until the house came into view, and the sight that greeted us made my heart stop and lodge in my throat. It was ugly… horrible… disgusting…. plain… isolated…. and this was to be our home for the next three years, my excitement turned to horror. I pasted one of those fake smiles on my face as I got out of the car, took a deep breath and began the tour of the property. In our front yard was a man with his young son and a group of cows, and he was holding on a stick a dead snake, a viper, similar to an American rattlesnake without the rattles, that he had just killed. He was wreathed in smiles, so happy to see us, his new bosses, and I felt overwhelmed. The missionary with us explained that we had to be careful with our three year old Brian as there could be other snakes around in the overgrown yard. We quickly pulled Brian to the side and explained with great urgency that he was not to lift up any rocks, or go off by himself, and that he had to be very careful just incase any more of those bad snakes were around. He listened with wide and serious eyes and we felt so much better.

The house was plain cement block brick, unpainted, gray and dingy looking. The inside had peeling paint, cracked plain cement floors, a kitchen sink that looked that it had been pulled from an American project home - metal - painted white years before - now chipped and aging - and the house was very small. Ss I walked around I really felt depressed. The rest of the people continued the tour and I sat in the middle of the living room and just cried. I wanted out of there, I wanted to go back to America, and I wanted to live anywhere but this ugly house on the hill. I begged and pleaded with God to change his mind, and the minds of the other missionaries, to please tell them to put us somewhere else.

I knew that the other couple who had arrived on the field the same time as we had were being sent further up country, to a newer home. I asked God to please change them to this home and allow us to go to the one that was being given to them. They had done their two years of home service on an Indian Reservation, and were used to harder living conditions, and I just knew that they could handle this place and I also knew that I could not! Finally after the tears subsided I raised myself up from this little pity and pleading party and continued on to join the others.

Outside as we were looking at some of the “out” buildings, sheds and storage rooms, Brian suddenly called out with great joy and excitement, “Look Mommy and Daddy, there is one of those snakes!”. He was all smiles and so proud of what he had discovered. Sure enough just inches away, where Brian had lifted and moved the rock, was a viper, curled and angry at the intrusion. He was quickly killed and then we both hugged and lectured Brian all at the same time. This was home……….. this was a nightmare!

Finally and thankfully this little outing came to a close and we were driven back into the city to begin our preparations for our move. That evening as we were eating with a group of missionaries one of the women told us that she would not move to Ouarakoye (the name of our village) without a car. She said that the house was too isolated, there was no electricity, no post office, no neighbors, and that she did not think it was a good idea. The other couple thought that moving up would be no problem and encouraged us to do so.

We now had to make a decision, and it should not take you long to guess how I felt!!!!!! No way I was going to go without a car, and by stalling I was hoping that God would have time to work my miracle and get us out of this nightmare. The day came when the truck we ordered arrived and all we had to do was finish the paperwork and we would be on our way. No miracle from heaven, no change of orders, just the chance to be on our way to the house on the hill! Oh goody I could hardly wait……NOT!

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I was numb and kept thinking that this had to be a bad dream and if I concentrated hard enough I would wake up. However, this was no dream, this was now our reality!

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Finally after four weeks we were ready to move to Ouarakoye and still no miracle from God. Not the one I had been praying for and looking for with such fervor. I guess he had answered my plea but his answer was no, not the answer I had been hoping for! We always get an answer from God, but not always in the form we’re hoping for!

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