OBERG KID UPDATE
Well, it’s birthday season at our house again! Our four kids all turn a year older in March and April, and we like to take this time of year to highlight these special children God has blessed us with. Thank you so much for praying for our kids. Please continue to PRAY that they would grow closer to Jesus with each day, that they would thrive as MKs growing up in Burkina, and that they would follow God’s plan for their lives.
DANIEL MALCOM turned 10 this past week! Can’t believe our first kid has hit the double digits! Daniel enjoys playing game cube, doing puzzles and activity books, reading, and playing with Legos and being outside with Jacob. His favorite subject is science, least favorite subject is English grammar, and his favorite sport is baseball. Daniel is learning to play the piano and recorder, and he also enjoys drawing pictures. He is a very kind big brother to his younger siblings, he is a big help around the house, and has a good attitude about his school work. If asked what he wants to be when he grows up, his current response is “a missionary”. He’ll get plenty of exposure to that one living out here!
JACOB RYAN will turn 8 this month! Jacob is our outside-run-around-till-you drop boy! He is most often found in his tree house or in the sand box, usually with Daniel or a little sister behind as he’s instigating the latest plan. He can play with his “men” (action figures) for hours on end. He loves going into Kevin’s shop and finding pieces of wood and nails to pound together little tables or chairs. His favorite subject is math, least favorite is spelling, and his favorite sport is basketball. He is also learning to play the recorder this year. Jacob is very creative and loves to write stories, even apart from his school work. He is also a good helper around the house. At this point in time, he says he would like to be a “worker” when he grows up.
ABIGAIL GRACE (“Abby”) will turn 6 this month! She spends most of her time playing with Emma or Jacob, enjoying going along with whatever their latest ideas are. She brings me tea that she makes with her little tea set, makes us cards almost every day, and is constantly telling us how much she loves us. She is the most organized of our children—often picking up around the house and cleaning up even on her own. She is enjoying her first year of kindergarten and loves learning how to read. Abby has a very sensitive heart and will often let her brothers and sister have first choice in things. When asked what she would like to be when she grows up, she says, “A Mommy.”
EMMA JOY is 4 years old and lives up to her name! She brings a lot of joy to our family, often clowning around and saying something funny to get us all to laugh. She is definitely a child who knows what she wants and enjoys it when her older siblings will go along with her ideas. Although not one to pick up clutter and organize, she will often grab a wet cloth on her own and start cleaning the tile floors, wiping down the walls, or pull all the books off the shelf so that she can wipe down the shelf! She likes to watch Abby do her school work and participates as she is able. At the age of 4, Emma thinks it would be nice to be “a princess” when she grows up.
OBERG HOME SCHOOL
Some of you might be wondering how the home schooling is going. We spend each morning doing lessons and school work. With Daniel being in 4th grade, he also has some school work that he ends up doing in the afternoon. I have found it to be a true joy to teach the kids this year. We are going to be switching curriculums around a bit next year to allow for a bit more creativity, and I’m looking forward to some of these changes. When Kevin is around, he is the “Sports teacher” and “School Principal”. Fortunately he’s spent most of his time doing the sports and not having to call kids into the “Principal’s Office”. :o)
There are two other families with elementary age kids who are doing home school here in Bobo, so we’ve planned some afternoon activities for them to do together. On Mondays, they do a science experiment, followed by sports. The dads have all taken turns teaching the kids football, swimming, and fitness, and they’re currently taking tennis lessons. Kevin will be teaching basketball later on this year. On Tuesdays, they study French for two hours together with a French tutor. This is followed by my Music Theory class, where I’m teaching them basic music theory and they are learning to play the recorder. We had a special fun time dancing around the living room to a selection from Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” a few weeks ago . . . . The girls have also enjoyed learning a bit of ballet this year.
We are still very happy with the decision that we made this year to home school, and we appreciate all your prayers as we have ventured into this. Please continue to PRAY that we would have wisdom in educating our children. We are thinking ahead to our home assignment year when we are in the States, and we would appreciate your prayers in the decisions that we will be making for the kids’ schooling for that year.
HEALTH UPDATE
Some have asked how our health is doing these days, as we were suffering from respiratory illnesses due to the extra dust in the air. We are happy to say that there have been a few rains, which have helped considerably with the dust, and we are all feeling much better. Thanks for praying! I no longer hear the complaint, “Mom, there’s dust in my nose!” :o)
FINANCIAL CLARIFICATION
We wanted to update you on a minor change that has taken place in how some of our finances are handled, as several of you like to keep appraised of these things. Regarding gifts given directly to our family, which are not tax deductible, if the gift is sent directly to the C&MA and designated as “Oberg Gift”, it will come out to us as a gift. If the gift is given through your local C&MA church and sent to the National Office designated as “Oberg Gift”, it will be put into our outfit fund (which we can use to buy household items, clothing, and other necessities). This is keeping in line with IRS regulations. Just ask if you have questions. (See below for complete financial info.)
MINISTRY PRAISES AND PRAYER
This has mainly been a “family focused” prayer letter, but we do have some ministry updates as well. Thank you for PRAYING for Kevin and some of our other colleagues as they traveled back and forth to Ouaga this weekend. They had a safe trip and the Field Leadership meetings went well. Please continue to PRAY that our field would have guidance in our ministry as a mission here in Burkina. PRAY that we would be actively engaged in all that God would want us to be and that we would clearly see His plan. Please continue to PRAY for those who have recently come to Christ in the Kenedougou region, and that there would be good follow up and discipleship of these new believers. Please PRAY that Kevin and Toby would have lots of energy and stay healthy as they have about 1 ½ months left during this evangelism season, before everyone goes to work in their fields. PRAY that their ministry would be strategic, that they would be led by the Holy Spirit, and that they would make the most of every opportunity God gives them.
Thanks for praying! It’s making all the difference.
Kevin, Bonnie, Daniel, Jacob, Abby and Emma Oberg
kevinoberg@cmaburkina.com
Check out our field website!!
http://burkinaalliance.org You’ll see new pictures, read new stories, and find all the facts you need about Burkina Faso.
Financial info - How You Can Give . . .
To give to the Great Commission Fund (tax deductible)(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 (tax deductible)(for ministry needs for our work specifically in Burkina Faso) –or-
To give a gift to our family (non tax deductible)(Gifts given to our family through a local C&MA church will be put into our outfit fund; gifts given directly to the C&MA will come as a gift):
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” or “Oberg Gift”): The C&MA, PO Box 35000, Colorado Springs, CO 80935
2) Go to www.cmalliance.org to give online with a credit card.