God’s People

Work Together

Fall 2017

give the gift of hope this christmas Send a Christmas gift to your sponsored child soon!When you send a gift to your child or widow before October 31, he or she will receive a special, locally purchased Christmas gift from you! When deciding what to buy for your child, it is good to remember that your child’s lifestyle is very simple and that they will enjoy any age-appropriate gift. Boys of all ages are always glad to get a soccer ball. The girls love school supplies, nail polish, clothes, and dolls. These can be bought locally for about $10.It’s a big honor to receive a bike (about $115). The bicycle

is more than a toy in Burkina Faso. It is a dream come true and a source of transportation. We also encourage you to think about blessing your child’s family by purchasing gifts of nutrition such as grain, chickens, goats, or sheep. These can be bought for $5 to $65. Simply send an additional amount to Sheltering Wings with a note including your child’s sponsorship number and we will hand deliver your special gift. You can help by keeping each child’s gift to a maximum of $150. A gift of $25-$50 is perfect. You may also give online at take-action.sheltering-wings.org/gift-catalog. Jade Becker Finance and Sponsorship Coordinator

BLESSINGS IN THE MIDST OF TRIALSStreet kids continue to receive help despite post-election violence

“You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings.” (Psalm 23:5)Thank God that when we face problems in life, and even danger, that the blessings of God are still available to us.

Not only that, but God can bless us so much in the midst of trials that it’s liken to having a feast. Here in Kenya recently, we’ve seen the Lord bless us in such ways in the midst of post-presidential election violence. The election was held on August the 8th and as soon as the results were announced the

following Friday there were protests in large slum areas of Nairobi, much of it taking place just outside of our Center in Kibera. Even though empty bullet shells were found in our compound, we praise God that the only damage to the Center was a broken window pane from a stray rock. I sheltered three teenage siblings during the election, two girls and one boy. We enjoyed wonderful devotions and prayer every morning, great fellowship with fellow missionaries in the mission compound, and the kids learned to bake. God was great to us throughout. Continued prayers are welcomed for Kenya and the Center as the Supreme Court recently ruled that there was corruption in the voting process, so another election is scheduled for Oct. 17th. There was some loss of life during the recent post- election violence, so we pray for a more peaceful outcome to the revote.It’s also back to school time here and we were able to place our newest boy off of the street into a good Christian school. He could use your prayers to successfully make the adjustment and do well in school. He lived on the street for four years. His name is Peter Oliwenje and he is around 14 years old. If anyone is interested in sponsoring him, that would help us to keep him in school.

by Tammy Donahue

When we moved into our village, the village chief assigned Babou to be our contact person for work in the village. At that time, we wondered, “Why do we need a liaison with the chief?” Soon, we became aware that we could not directly approach the chief with questions or

concerns. We also came to understand that there is a new learning curve in working with a different people group in a new region of Burkina.

Babou became our go-to person for how to go about doing things. He knows where to get needed supplies, which government officials to contact for approval to build a medical center and a secondary school, and what is culturally appropriate in this new setting.

Babou accompanies us as a liaison into the government offices of Social Action, the mayor’s office, the regional director of health, and the regional director of education. He then returns to the village and reports to the chief what is needed from the village for the government to approve the opening of the medical center or the opening of the school.

Babou also supervises construction projects and oversees quality control as the work is in progress.

In our absence from the village, Babou runs the milk program by signing up new babies, dispensing milk, and weighing babies as needed.

As might be expected, Babou rolls up his sleeves and works shoulder to shoulder doing whatever needs to be done! Babou is invaluable to us!

an invaluable resource Our Liaison - Babou

by Linda Wilk and Ruth Cox

Emektaşlar - The Church Ministry team Equipping Men to LeadFor several years I served as one of four elders in the church. My colleague Stephen’s recent departure back home to England now leaves me as the lone remaining elder. I certainly did not expect this to happen! But, I am not alone. We actually have quite a robust ministry team. Last year we formed a leadership team called Emektaşlar, which means co-laborers. The church has many diverse ministries such as pastoral, small house groups, worship, prayer, evangelism, youth, children, and office administration. Emektaşlar is the group of leaders from these various ministries. This is the leadership structure which guides the overall daily life of the church. We eventually want to see Turkish men appointed as elders to lead the church. With this in mind, I am giving priority to spending quality time with men in the church who want to grow as mature believers in Christ.

Continue to remember those in prison… Our friend and colleague Andrew, pastor of another church in Izmir, is still in prison. Please continue praying for him and his wife Norine. Twenty Years It was August 28, 1997, when I stepped off the airplane in Izmir to start a new life in response to the Lord’s calling on my life for the ministry of the Gospel in Turkey. By God’s grace, through faith and perseverance, and through your prayers and support, 20 years later I am still here. I am so grateful to God and to you. The Lord is good! Matt

bountiful fruit YaYa’s Host Father Talks of Planting a Village Church

Let us bring you once again the story of Yaya. After Yaya lived in a host family for a year and a half without anyone in the family becoming sick or dying, his birth father agreed he was not a curse and prepared to welcome him home.As always, these days of reuniting families are a celebration for the whole village and a dream come true for us. The men of the village said, “We have seen many mothers die leaving many babies, but we have never seen anything like what happened for Yaya.”The story isn’t over yet, as Yaya’s host dad is talking about planting a church in this village where there is no Christian presence, among a people group considered unreached. The village wants to know, “Who is this Jesus who is stronger than curses?” This host father, who brought a child they had considered as good as dead back to them healthy and happy, is the perfect man to share the Good News in this village. He has already lived it before them.Our part is small, simply connecting the people who are prepared and equipped by the Lord to see the work through. Baby Yaya’s host dad was evangelistic before he ever became part of our team. We aren’t creating this bountiful fruit. It is the Lord who has put this team together and in His kindness lets us see a glimpse of what is to come.Philip and Sara Matheny

the pieces come together Girls Receive Bikes to Help Them Attend SchoolGirls in our community work very hard for the family. They help with cooking, cleaning, hauling water, and looking after their younger siblings. You will often find girls as young as five or six with a baby brother or sister strapped to their back. Receiving an education is a true privilege for a young girl. In large families it can be difficult to send each child to school, therefore, the oldest boy may be the only child given the opportunity. If a girl does start school, she may only complete part of her education. After primary school, school fees are much more expensive and the time it takes to help the family after school makes finding time to study very difficult. Once you are in secondary school and the classes become more challenging, a child will suffer greatly and likely fail if they cannot study.Our friend, Faith Cathcart, has a special place in her heart for the widow, the orphan and the disadvantaged. She has visited us three separate times, bringing items for our children at the orphanage and school as well as pouring into the widows and women at our Village of Hope Women’s Crisis Center. She has seen and been burdened for the plight of young girls and coordinated a fundraiser to help girls have bicycles, making it easier for them to attend school. Uniting with a girls camp in Canada this past summer, Faith launched a fundraiser called Pedal Power. Photos of girls in need were enlarged and turned into puzzles. The girls in each cabin raised funds by selling puzzle pieces. The project helped raise awareness to the hardships girls face in West Africa. Ten girls in need will be presented with bikes at the start of the school year.Girls like Awa who lost her parents at a young age, are at greater risk. Shortly after moving in with her aunt and uncle, she lost her uncle as well. Awa struggles to help her aunt at home and attend school. With a bicycle, Awa will no longer spend a few hours walking to and from school. By saving a few extra hours a day, she will have time to both help her aunt and study each day after school.We are all a part of the puzzle. God has a way for each of us to show his love to others.Amy Riddering

NON PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGELeasburg, MO

Permit No.2

Galatians 6:9: “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.”After what seems like endless months of planting and tending, we are blessed with an abundant harvest. The construction of the community center “L’Oasis D’Espoir” (The Oasis of Hope) is nearing completion. A once weed-strewn mélange of deteriorating structures and withered trees is transformed into a welcoming place where we will distribute baby formula, teach women marketable skills, support families, and wrap everything in the Gospel.Little Mohamed now transitions at our home from his first surgery in the US to living with his mother in a Burkinabé version of a Ronald McDonald House until he has gained enough weight to return to the US for his next surgeries.Baby Alphonse, whose twin died during an unsuccessful C-section, and whose mother bled to death for lack of treatment, is being nurtured at the

Sheltering Wings facility in Yako.We have more babies in our infant feeding program: a four-month-old orphan, two AIDS babies, and twins whose mother lacks adequate milk.Lionel, who we discovered crawling in the dust of a village, was nearly naked and largely neglected. He now lives with a loving foster family, runs with the aid of a cane, and is discovering the joy of riding his new bicycle.After the harvest comes the next planting. We continue to labor to glorify God, to make Christ known, and to love His children as He loves us. Don and Janet Guizzetti

abundant harvest Oasis of Hope is Nearing Completion

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