JUNE 2007 EMAIL FROM OBERGS IN BURKINA FASO, WEST AFRICA

MEET OUR LANGUAGE CONVERSATION PARTNERS
Kevin and I are so thankful for all of you who are praying for our Jula language learning. Although Jula is not a very difficult language grammatically, it is difficult how to figure out how to put things together and to “think” like an African language speaker would think. Many Jula words are very creative—for example, the word for bicycle literally translates as “iron horse”. And there are those embarrassing bloopers—Bonnie couldn’t remember how to say “granddaughter” when she was trying to help her mother buy a shirt for her granddaughter, and so she tried to get creative and “invent” a good word by putting some French and Jula together, and ended up saying that her mother wanted to by the shirt for her husband’s second wife! (Something that is common out here, but it brought much laughter because the people here know that American men do not have two wives!)
We are now meeting regularly with Marc and Nema Zerbo, a wonderful couple who are so encouraging and helpful to us. Marc, who is now “officially” retired but runs a little stand outside of his gate selling various items and mending shoes, has worked for many missionaries over the years. And I don’t know how many missionaries Nema has helped learned Jula—she truly sees it as an important ministry because she knows how crucial it is to our work here that we speak Jula. They have a wonderful family—8 living children who range in ages from 40 to a teenager, and all of these kids are following the Lord and most are actively involved in ministry in their churches. The family is very musical, and so their sons help lead worship and play instruments in various churches, and two of their daughters are married to pastors. Nema and Marc have quite a heritage that they have passed on to their children, and the joy of the Lord is clearly evident in their lives. Our conversations are so encouraging because they are people who are truly happy, serving God in whatever way they can. Please see the attached picture of these people who are becoming dear friends. We are so thankful for them!

ONE LITTLE SOCCER BALL
When my parents were out, my dad had a chance to go with Kevin to Sirasso to stay a few days. His heart was touched when he met Pastor Marcel and the believers there and saw all that God is doing in that area. When he left Burkina, he bought a soccer ball and gave it to Kevin, asking him to give it to the church there in Sirasso.
Pastor Marcel came for a visit last week and was so excited about that soccer ball! He said that in the past, the kids and teenagers of the village would stand at a distance and just watch the group of believers who live there, saying, “Those are the Christians.” They didn’t want to come close or talk with them. But, then the soccer ball arrived! Pastor Marcel said that now the kids and teenage boys come all the time, asking to play with the soccer ball, talking with them, and no longer keeping their distance. He can’t believe how that soccer ball has bridged the gap that used to be there!
This was an encouraging lesson for us! God can surely work in unexpected ways, taking something seemingly small and making it worth a hundred times more for His glory.

TRIP TO DJENKENEDOUGOU
Kevin will be taking a trip this weekend to the village of Djenkenedougou, where there is a church group of about 80 believers. We recently helped them build a pastor’s house. A young man and his family are currently in Bible School, and he hopes to be the pastor here in a few years when he is finished. Meanwhile, he is on break for the summer and is living in that house, helping the church and discipling new believers who came to Christ during the evangelism that was done in March in this village. Please PRAY that Kevin would have safety on the road (we’ve had a few close calls just in the past week with trucks almost hitting us!), and that his visit would be an encouragement to the believers and the “pastor in training” there.

END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, THE TIME WHEN ALL BOOKKEEPERS GET A BIT WHACKO!
Yes, the end of our fiscal year has come, and I am hard at work: doing all that needs to be done to finish up the books, trying to rack my brain figuring out if I’m missing anything, putting all those missing pieces of the bookkeeping puzzle together, trying to squeeze those last papers into a filing cabinet that’s ready to burst and pop everything out whenever I open the file, trying to light a few fires under colleagues who need a few fires lit under them to get me the info I’m waiting for, trying to see just how fast I can get my fingers to fly on my adding machine, and crossing my fingers every time I download my email, hoping that I can avoid a huge problem this month that will be entirely time consuming! (And there are those of you who thought bookkeeping was boring! It’s quite entertaining, depending on how you look at it . . ) Seriously, please PRAY that I will be able to finish the year well, that I will be able to catch everything that needs to be caught for the bookkeeping this year, and that I won’t stress out about it! (Anybody who wants to send me chocolate, feel free! My regional financial “boss” who I report to claims it is the ultimate source of help for bookkeeping stress, and after taking her advice, I’m convinced she’s right! Throw in an ice cold coke along with it, and I can REALLY get things done!) Thanks for praying for me—and for my husband who has to put up with me this month! :o)

STRESS FOR STUDENTS
Please pray for the students in Burkina who are taking exams this month. As I drive through town, I pass a park that at this time of year is full of students, books and notebooks perched on their laps, studying for their exams. These exams are very difficult, and to not pass them puts a real “hold” on their education (if not stopping it altogether). Several of the believers in the Kenedougou region are taking exams, and they are trusting that God will help them do well. In the same breath, they are nervous about facing these exams. Please PRAY that their hearts will be at peace, that God will help them recall all that they have studied, and that they will succeed and pass their exams.

Thanks for praying for us—you are making a difference!
Kevin, Bonnie, Daniel, Jacob, Abby and Emma Oberg
kevinoberg@cmaburkina.com

Check out our mission website at: http://burkinaalliance.homestead.com/index.html

Financial info

How You Can Give To Our Ministry In Burkina Faso . . .

To give to the Great Commission Fund (GCF: general support fund for C&MA work at home & abroad, providing money to keep Alliance missionaries on overseas fields) -or-

To give to the Oberg Work Special Fund (for ministry needs for our work here in Burkina Faso--email us if you want a list of projects we are working on):

1) Mail a check payable to The C&MA to the following address, with the appropriate information in the memo line of the check (include our name and the fund desired: i.e. “Oberg GCF/Support” or “Oberg Work Special”): The C&MA, PO Box 35000, Colorado Springs, CO 80935
2) Go to www.cmalliance.org to give online with a credit card.