tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88276393971832553162012-01-28T10:43:03.585ZUpdates on Steve and Debbi Clouser's ministries in the African nation of Burkina Faso.sclousernoreply@blogger.comBlogger1011100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-80826710616554613092012-01-28T09:55:00.002Z2012-01-28T10:43:03.596Z

Sorry for the delay.  This post is a week late due to internet problems! Thank you for praying for Steve’s trip to the bush last weekend for the annual Dafing Conference in the Nouna District!  The Lord protected him over rough dirt roads filled with detours, anointed him for preaching the Word and blessed and encouraged him through many personal contacts. One Dafing woman who attended

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-11589765307539580282011-12-30T17:10:00.001Z2011-12-30T17:31:32.628Z

We want to give you an update on our Christmas outreach event here in Ouaga 2000 that took place last Friday evening. Prayer is powerful and we saw the results of your prayers in what took place here. Our little church of around 50 people hosted a dinner and a presentation by a former president of Burkina Faso who was converted from the major religion of this country and is now a member of

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-50320355346243799162011-12-25T16:43:00.000Z2011-12-25T16:46:48.923Z

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dclouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07136679630450800282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-41693458722242163042011-11-04T17:59:00.000Z2011-11-04T17:59:58.553Z

We're not doing so great at keeping up with our blog these days. Part of the reason for that is all that has gone with the big transition we've just made (see former posts). One of the biggest reasons, however, is that I've been working night and day on my thesis project for finishing my Masters. A little over a week ago I taught a workshop to the target audience of my thesis project: home

dclouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07136679630450800282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-14915658996071398412011-10-14T18:07:00.000Z2011-10-14T18:07:59.711Z

We want to thank all of you for the many ways you have supported us during our time of transition to Marketplace Ministries of the C&MA. We have been blessed to hear from many of you since our last prayer update. It has been an extremely busy time for us as we have dealt with a lot of correspondence, filling out of forms, and phone calls – in addition to both of us working full time and

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-21088936628259407012011-09-26T18:55:00.000Z2011-09-26T18:55:45.050Z

Our world seems to be changing at a dizzying pace, including the face of Missions.  A few months ago our Field Leaders and also those from International Headquarters decided that because of the maturity of the National Church in Burkina Faso, they would be phasing-out the role of traditional church-planter.  Missionary activity will continue in Burkina Faso but there is a definite shift of

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-24669942576667654392011-09-08T19:13:00.003Z2011-09-11T08:23:01.311Z

I have now been back at the International School of Ouagadougou in my role as librarian for a few weeks and am beginning to settle into a routine. I love interacting with all the children who come through the doors of the library each day. This year we have over 230 students from 36 different countries. Talk about diversity! ISO certainly is a fun place to be.School will be starting in the very

dclouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07136679630450800282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-34601917443571146372011-08-15T08:37:00.000Z2011-08-15T08:37:27.603Z

By far the biggest challenge of our lives right now is being long-distance parents and grandparents. Technology has made it a little easier because we can talk with our kids on Skype and even watch our adorable little grandson learn new milestones. Being an ocean away from each other keeps us from spending most of our holidays together, however, and makes it impossible to give the hugs and kisses

dclouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07136679630450800282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-27458120283461689112011-07-14T19:58:00.000Z2011-07-14T19:58:16.487Z

 Summer is a time for warm weather and vacations in the part of the U.S. that we're from. Children are home from school and schedules are more relaxed. Vacations to the beach and family reunions are planned. Many people look forward all year to summertime and hate to see it come to an end. Here in Ouaga the summer is quite different from summer in the eastern U.S. but there are definitely some

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-33962117914680778882011-06-20T06:50:00.005Z2011-06-20T09:16:47.514Z

Our hearts filled with gratitude to the Lord last Friday evening as we listened to our daughter, Elizabeth's, testimony. In her beautiful French she gave God all the glory for His help through the past four years of college. It was a proud moment for us as parents.Four years ago Elizabeth and her Burkinabè friend, Laury Traoré, embarked on their college career at Toccoa Falls College. Laury's

dclouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07136679630450800282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-62067282999380079872011-06-13T17:54:00.006Z2011-06-13T18:38:23.627Z

Steve just finished preaching a series of messages on various aspects of the principle of sowing and reaping here at the Ouaga 2000 Alliance Church. He emphasized putting God's Word into practice in our lives in many practical areas.We have been in a period of heavy sowing in this new church plant since we started it over 2 years ago. Many of our church members are young people who are new

dclouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07136679630450800282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-60388120772060527162011-05-30T06:45:00.002Z2011-05-30T06:55:53.062Z

The summer months are bringing some much-needed change to our lives.After several months of hot season, the rains have begun and things are starting to cool off. What a welcome relief!Our new college graduate daughter, Elizabeth, has arrived home for the summer and we are thrilled to have our chick back in the nest! She will keep busy teaching English, decorating cakes for profit, teaching a

dclouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07136679630450800282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-24310135734680649072011-05-17T09:53:00.001Z2011-05-17T09:54:34.235Z

Saturday, May 14th was a day that we have awaited for many years. Zan André, a young Dafing pastor, graduated from  Maranatha Bible Institute in Bobo-Dioulasso!  André is the first Dafing pastor from the Safané region to have a high enough level of education to attend this French-speaking Bible School.  I was able to be there to see André receive his diploma after four years of study. He will now

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-24256085343357769522011-05-10T09:10:00.000Z2011-05-10T09:10:15.120Z

It was at least 110 degrees outside in the hot May sun, but no one seemed to mind (except for us, perhaps!). Crowds of people streamed into our Center yard and sat under a tent that had been erected for the occasion.  A large orchestra and worship team assembled on our front verandah, and the bridal party and their families gathered under the hangar where our vehicles are normally parked. 

sclousernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-61513201623411768192011-05-02T18:30:00.000Z2011-05-02T18:30:19.653Z

Our church here at Family Life Center is growing! In fact, our conference room is getting too small to hold all of us. In keeping with our family atmosphere, we don't mind the cozy surroundings, but at the same time we're thinking ahead to building a structure that will give us the room we need as we look to the future. This weekend we will have our second wedding and the entire church community

dclouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07136679630450800282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-11980362727680784732011-04-24T16:32:00.002Z2011-04-24T16:50:20.353Z

I just returned from my annual educational consulting trip to the country of Guinea, spending a night in Dakar, Senegal both going and coming.As I've said before, traveling within West Africa is very challenging, for multiple reasons. I had to change my itinerary six different times for this trip, for example, due to changing flight schedules. There are often unforeseen delays, cancellations, and

dclouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07136679630450800282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-88797500442308941562011-04-12T08:28:00.000Z2011-04-12T08:28:15.953Z

Thank you for praying for our evangelistic effort in Sono last week.  This village has been very resistant to the Gospel.  Just the fact that we got permission to go there was in itself a miracle. The local Pasteur, PARE Jérémie sees himself as a missionary to the Dafing and called to Sono.  He and his family have courageously persevered some persecution and several attempts to remove them from

sclousernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-34754321711576211552011-04-03T07:28:00.003Z2011-04-03T07:34:47.016Z

I remember the days when I loved to travel. The allure of new sights, smells, tastes, and most of all seeing friends and meeting new ones would make packing and bumpy roads or long waits in airports seem like fun times.Either I'm jaded or just getting old, but nowadays my comfortable bed, routine, and familiar home cooking are by far more alluring that exotic locations ever could be.Nevertheless,

dclouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07136679630450800282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-22560794888225747292011-03-18T08:59:00.000Z2011-03-18T08:59:03.965Z

We would like to thank all of you praying for my 10-day ministry in Congo.  The Lord blessed in remarkable ways, more than we expected.  Our efforts were not without resistance but through your prayers, we prevailed and the Lord’s name was glorified. The first obstacle was my visa.  A man had been paid to do the paper work so that the visa would be ready for me on my arrival, March 6th.  Well,

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-42229301509302777692011-03-15T19:39:00.004Z2011-03-15T20:34:33.326Z

The past few days have been unsettling ones here in Ouaga. The public schools and universities have all gone on strike in protest to purported police brutality against a high school student in the town of Koudougou. There have been marches, tires set on fire in the middle of streets, people throwing rocks at cars (including mine last Friday), and lots of anti-government rhetoric.Our problems here

dclouserhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07136679630450800282noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-51830965351683933622011-03-03T11:31:00.001Z2011-03-03T11:34:16.973Z

I just spent a few days in the bush in the village of Ziga for our annual Dafing Conference in the Nouna district.  I look forward to this conference every year for several reasons.  The Bible comes alive in this rural setting where people still live very much like they did in the Biblical times.  I get to visit with old friends and brush-up on speaking Dafing.  What I enjoy most of all is

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-526476286747237022011-02-28T19:22:00.000Z2011-02-28T19:22:44.342Z

I’ve recently added a librarian hat to my collection and am thoroughly enjoying wearing this one! Since January 4th I’ve been spending the hours of 7:00AM-2:00PM 5 days a week at the International School of Ouagadougou. This new role came as a big surprise to me. I actually applied for an elementary teacher position, but the librarian opening came up instead. I’ve discovered that this is an

sclousernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-87788347301215983642011-02-15T08:26:00.000Z2011-02-15T08:26:57.290Z

Planting a church and serving as pastor in a cross-cultural context provides many interesting challenges and opportunities. Each day is a new adventure for us in one way or another. On Saturday we held our first church committee retreat and, as usual, there were surprises that came out of our meeting. This committee is actually called a steering committee and is comprised of several families

sclousernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-37536933136796781352011-01-24T21:06:00.000Z2011-01-24T21:06:10.452Z

Last weekend we participated in a very special event that has had me reflecting on the significance of faithfulness in life. As the sun came up on Saturday morning, we jammed ourselves into a 4WD vehicle with 6 other people and took off for a remote village 3 ½ hours’ drive from Ouagadougou. We had been invited to celebrate 35 years of marriage and 30 years of ministry with some dear friends of

sclousernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-90604591643983062372011-01-17T09:49:00.001Z2011-01-17T10:11:07.281Z

Two different work teams, one from Franklin, NC and the other from Appleton, WI, came on two separate occasions to help us construct this hanger for the church in the Nounouma village of Labien. The Nounouma are an unreached people group (less than 2% Christian) here in Burkina Faso.  We began reaching out to the Nounouma in the early nineties through the ministry of a neighboring Dafing village

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-56625560033549082592010-12-31T12:27:00.000Z2010-12-31T12:27:26.341Z

The end of the year is a good opportunity for taking stock of where we are and where we’re going.  In the midst of having a houseguest and the church activities that are taking place for the holidays in the building where we live, we are trying to spend time in prayer and dialogue with each other about what God has been doing and what He’s saying to us about our next steps. Much of this takes

sclousernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-83431642280410492672010-11-29T07:29:00.000Z2010-11-29T07:29:16.731Z

When we decided to organize a day of fasting and prayer for our congregation here in Ouaga 2000, it never occurred to us that our committee would choose to hold it on November 25th, Thanksgiving Day.  It was not a problem for us, however, since our missionary team had decided to have a traditional meal together the following day due to everyone’s schedules.It turned out to be a huge blessing to

sclousernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-60279901428299024832010-11-24T06:48:00.000Z2010-11-24T06:48:40.383Z

As you share special times with family and friends this week, please remember to pray for our young church here in the Ouaga 2000 neighborhood. We are having our first day of fasting and prayer on Thanksgiving Day in order to pray for the outpouring of God’s Spirit on our group and our neighborhood. We would be so blessed to know that some of you are joining with us in prayer. We are looking

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-54613734513171410622010-11-09T15:34:00.000Z2010-11-09T15:34:23.438Z

This past week was a very eventful one for us (not that this is all that unusual!). The long-awaited mission container was finally released from customs and we were able to access all the supplies we’d been waiting for. With everything else that’s going on, it will take us a couple of weeks to get our boxes unpacked, organized, and put away. Steve went to the Nounouma village of Labien on Friday

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-81348659935209937142010-11-01T14:32:00.000Z2010-11-01T14:32:33.762Z

Within the past few years the Africa region has acquired three different home school co-ops in three different countries. This is a very exciting development as it is giving families an option for their children’s schooling that did not exist before. Rather than each family teaching their children by themselves, several families are able to form a “one-room school” and teach their children

sclousernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-71784732705798103962010-10-18T11:24:00.000Z2010-10-18T11:24:03.884Z

I had only been asleep for about 10 minutes the other night when my cell phone rang, wakening me with a start. It was a woman from our church who is going through yet another crisis in her marriage and needed my help. I slept with the phone by my pillow, expecting to hear from her again and perhaps even have her come over and spend the night, but this time that didn’t happen. This situation has

sclousernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-20366834618768537282010-10-11T16:42:00.000Z2010-10-11T16:42:17.000Z

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sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-6236017809190889862010-10-05T15:05:00.000Z2010-10-05T15:05:15.138Z

Since we returned to Burkina in July, our lives have never really settled into a routine or what we would call a normal pace. Even though we are tired from all the activity, we truly enjoy the variety of events that fill our days. Here is just a little peek at some of the great opportunities that God has been bringing our way lately to invest in peoples’ lives here: We had a “divine encounter”

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-39166393110719345692010-09-29T14:26:00.000Z2010-09-29T14:26:47.394Z

Our ministry here in Burkina Faso has been spinning along at a dizzying pace and we are aware that we often don’t take the time to stop and ask for prayer support when we should.  We are so blessed to have a list of over 500 email addresses of people who receive our updates and we know that many of you actually do take the time to stop and pray for us.  THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts! We

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-27584661787074352702010-09-20T09:22:00.000Z2010-09-20T09:22:25.257Z

Ben Nombré has been a member of our church almost since its beginning early last year.  Since we first met him, we have known him as a young man who always has a smile on his face.  It’s hard to be around Ben for long and not find yourself laughing. Until recently, we didn’t really know much about Ben except that he lived with his father and his father’s second wife.  His parents divorced many

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-24652444223467916342010-09-01T17:40:00.000Z2010-09-01T17:40:58.828Z

We have just come through a very eventful period of time in our lives and ministry.  Between July 11 and August 15 we: 1) returned to Burkina and resumed pastoring our church in the Ouaga 2000 neighborhood, 2) organized and held our first wedding at the church, 3) attended our annual mission Field Forum, 4) held our historic first Marriage Encounter weekend here, and 5) Debbi completed her final

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-55119748393573823462010-08-20T09:45:00.000Z2010-08-20T09:45:06.192Z

Dear Praying Friends,We asked for special prayer in our last update for the first Marriage Encounter weekend here in Ouagadougou (we call it ALMA) which took place last weekend. Many of you responded, and even some who didn’t wrote and said that God had prompted them to pray. Thank you!God answered your prayers in wonderful ways. For those of you who are familiar with this ministry, you know how

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-41459027649180337622010-07-22T20:28:00.000Z2010-07-22T20:28:20.755Z

Home Assignment now seems like a distant memory.  Did we really just spend six months in our passport country?  Did we really speak in almost 50 churches over a 3 ½ month span?  Did we really pack an outfit of about 80 boxes and ship it off?  Did we really spend time visiting with our families and getting to know our new grandson? We have the memories and the photos to prove it, so we must have!

sclousernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-21950540745902740432010-07-06T10:10:00.001Z2010-07-06T10:16:44.115Z

Dear Prayer Partners, Please stand with us in prayer for a very important request: Steve spoke with one of our Dafing pastors on the phone a couple of days ago and he told us that the rains have not yet begun in earnest in his part of Burkina Faso. This is a devastating situation for subsistence farmers, including most of our national pastors. The rains should have begun at least a month ago.

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-40415380521633771112010-06-29T07:39:00.002Z2010-06-29T07:41:55.591Z

It’s a blessing to have these few weeks in Germany as a bridge between a busy home assignment and hitting the ground running when we return to Ouaga.   Although I’m taking 3 intensive graduate classes, it’s refreshing to just have one thing to focus on for a change!  Steve is spending his 2 weeks here preparing sermons since he’ll be putting his pastoral hat back on shortly. Kandern, Germany is

sclousernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-43429430013800740472010-05-26T11:47:00.000Z2010-05-26T11:47:53.372Z

As we prepare to transition back to Burkina, it’s time to reflect on these past six months of home ministries assignment.  They have been very busy months as we spent 3 ½ of them doing missions conferences in churches. We are grateful for the opportunities we’ve had to spend time with our family members.  The highlight of this time in the U.S. has definitely been our grandson’s birth and time

sclousernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-67973946350426360532010-05-06T11:22:00.001Z2010-05-06T11:23:14.871Z

“More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.”   I can’t remember who that quote is by, but as you can see from the outdated language, it’s been around for awhile! It often comes to my mind as I see God at work in His world. Though our requests often aren’t answered as quickly as we would like, Steve and I are constantly in awe of the many answers we do receive.   As we count all

sclousernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-25247439027856619092010-04-21T11:44:00.003Z2010-04-21T11:45:41.588Z

These past few months have been filled with speaking engagements in almost 50 different churches throughout several states. We have found people to be very interested in our ministry in Burkina and have really enjoyed meeting up with old and new friends. Speaking in churches, women’s groups, and schools has brought us a variety of experiences. Laughter, tears, and amazement have all been part

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-45167766232591791752010-04-09T01:45:00.000Z2010-04-09T01:45:47.634Z

One of the joys of Home Assignment is spending time with family and friends that we don’t see as often as we would like to because of living overseas.  While it’s true that we cram a lot of visits into a very short period of time, we feel so blessed by all the rich relationships that fill our lives.At the top of our list, of course, is visiting with our 3 children and their families and with our

sclousernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-1609609911116884782010-03-25T15:25:00.002Z2010-03-25T15:29:31.113Z

During these two months we have in Pittsburgh, we are not only speaking in churches but we are also shopping and packing for our “outfit” (the items we will be shipping back to Burkina for personal and ministry use). Since our arrival in the U.S. in December, we have been collecting items from our list as funds have come in. Our shopping list includes things like clothing, toiletries, food

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-40292379482583807502010-03-15T23:22:00.000Z2010-03-15T23:23:44.533Z

Dear Friends,Time for a quick update as we finish up our South Atlantic District tour and embark on our Western Pa. Choice Tour!This past month has been filled with new relationships and blessings as we have shared with many new friends how God is at work in Burkina Faso. We are unable to thank each person individually, but want you to know that God has used your heartfelt prayers, your words of

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-3046048977648561732010-03-05T15:52:00.002Z2010-03-05T15:55:48.621Z

We are presently engaged in speaking in churches in the South Atlantic district of the C&MA, each of us in different locations. This year's theme is "open doors". It has been an adventure to discover another district besides our home district of Western Pa. and we have been enriched by all of the wonderful people we’ve met!Several observations from our time in churches here:1. Missions is

sclousernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-50620311797709311212010-01-21T14:22:00.004Z2010-01-21T14:27:07.974Z

*This post was written just before we received news of our grandson’s birth and we never got it posted. Levi Evans Hackenberg was born at 4AM on 01/17/10! We had the wonderful privilege of flying up to Maryland to spend time with him. It took us only about one second to fall completely in love with our darling little boy! Debbi will go back this weekend to spend a week helping Sarah and

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-66452898241818911652010-01-11T00:21:00.000Z2010-01-11T00:22:51.407Z

We have now been in the U.S. for almost three weeks and have they ever been fast-paced! We were met at the Atlanta airport on Dec. 22nd by two of our children and then celebrated Christmas with lots of family down here, made a trip to Maryland for Sarah’s baby shower, visited Steve’s family in York, PA, and now we’re back in Toccoa trying to get settled and prepare for our speaking tours which

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-77274076837620214662009-12-13T17:38:00.001Z2009-12-13T17:41:18.719Z

As 2009 comes to a close, we would like to send you our heartfelt thanks for all you have done this past year to further the work of God’s Kingdom here in Burkina Faso. Thanks to your partnership in prayer and giving, we have seen many advances. Here are a few highlights, for which we ask you to join us in giving thanks to God:- The Alliance Church of the upper class Ouaga 2000 neighborhood in

sclousernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-14227824607855444202009-12-07T15:43:00.006Z2009-12-07T18:22:58.341Z

“A TCK is a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents’ culture. The TCK builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership in any. Although elements from each culture are assimilated into the TCK’s life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of similar background.” (Interaction International)The

sclousernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-20277098502297644792009-11-23T09:09:00.006Z2009-11-23T09:24:58.109Z

Recipe for a smashing 30th wedding anniversary celebration:· Over 100 guests, including all our district pastors, church members, friends from other churches, neighbors and English students.· A balmy evening in our beautiful outdoor garden.· A meal of salads, Moroccan couscous, grilled meats, and wedding cake.· Lots of good music and joyful dancing.· Prayers of thanksgiving

sclousernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-90510988713874920772009-11-10T15:30:00.006Z2009-11-10T15:59:33.556Z

For those of you who don't read ALife, here is an article Debbi wrote which appears in the current issue, concerning one of our recent converts in our church plant in Ouaga 2000:GIVING UP THE BOTTLEBut these spirits weren’t for drinking!God has been doing amazing things in the Ouaga 2000 neighborhood of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, where we are planting a church. Souls are added to the Kingdom on a

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-74470750039156821112009-10-30T07:40:00.006Z2009-10-30T07:58:49.981Z

Yes, it was a far cry from the Sahel where I live. Not that I’m putting the Sahel down, mind you, because it’s got a beauty of its own and I love it. But being by the ocean was a special treat for this desert gal. Especially since my sister and her family now reside in Dakar!Each year I make the trek to various countries where the C&MA has workers in order to check out educational options for our

sclousernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-25325115404178514972009-10-22T09:23:00.009Z2009-10-22T10:12:41.272Z

As you know, I make trips from time to time to remote Dafing villages to take the Gospel to places where it has not gone before. I take a team of Dafing pastors/evangelists with me each time. This time, we spent 5 days in the village of Léry, an unreached Dafing village at the head of the Mouhoun river. The National church's District leadership targeted this village as a “beachhead” to launch

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-39193216727181933302009-10-13T09:38:00.007Z2009-10-13T10:15:26.247Z

If anything characterizes our lives right now, it’s a lack of routine! We seem to be going from one big event to the next with very little downtime in between.Last week found us both absent from home – Steve off in a remote bush village for an evangelistic campaign, and me at the first conference of the Burkina chapter of ACSI (Alliance des Etablissements Scolaire Eangélique de Burkina Faso is

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-90414788253194079362009-10-02T05:42:00.005Z2009-10-02T06:01:24.520Z

Believe it or not, these are NOT entries for an instructables contest - just a home-made projector/sound equipment stand and screen for our upcoming evangelism campaign in the Dafing village of Léry. We try to keep it as simple and stream-lined as possible. Sometimes the kind of equipment we need or want is not readily available and thus we resort to do-it-yourself type projects, compliments

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-50207659434077830562009-09-14T14:12:00.007Z2009-09-14T14:31:09.438Z

God is at work among the youth of our neighborhood! As Phase One of construction on our Center youth room comes to an end, we are so thankful that this room will be one more way for us to continue working alongside the Holy Spirit as He draws more and more young people to himself!Check out our beautiful youth room – the paint is on the walls, the electrical and plumbing fixtures are installed,

sclousernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-78608317070590050612009-09-07T18:33:00.004Z2009-09-07T18:42:48.852Z

God is doing amazing things here in Ouagadougou!When we first began planting a church in the Ouaga 2000 neighborhood of this capital city at the beginning of this year, we had no idea that we had been sent by God to a very “white harvest field”. Our prayer from the beginning was that Christ’s ministry of preaching the Good News, healing the sick, and delivering the oppressed would be manifest in

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-60580745901733346742009-09-01T11:31:00.004Z2009-09-01T11:41:16.530Z

After two weeks of constant, nerve-wracking hammering, bumping and banging, the initial phase of transforming a section of our second floor into a Youth Room has finally been completed.We had to take out some bathroom fixtures, knock down two interior walls, re-route some of the electrical wiring and do some masonry, re-plastering and re-tiling of some of the floor space.This week, we'll have the

sclousernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-30364665309972707202009-08-25T08:53:00.002Z2009-08-25T08:59:18.519Z

This is the time of year when we who live in this part of the world have this subject on our minds a lot.Many, many people are suffering with malaria right now and all of us are doing our best to protect ourselves from those buzzing insects that seem to find their way into every corner of our homes, cars, and public buildings. Though we’re told we should sleep under mosquito nets, that is not an

sclousernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-26557536221495559352009-08-13T11:08:00.009Z2009-08-13T11:37:23.360Z

As if our lives weren’t busy enough, we are now in the midst of a major renovation project in the upstairs of our Center! Masons, electricians, and plumbers are running up and down the stairs, hammers are loudly tapping as walls are being knocked out, and a cloud of construction dust is covering everything.One of the projects on the drawing board for the Family Life Center is a youth room,

sclousernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-74130543820532616582009-08-01T17:37:00.002Z2009-08-01T17:44:13.949Z

Miriam is a beautiful young lady who has been attending our church and youth Bible study each week. We are always inspired and blessed by her beautiful smile and outspoken faith in Christ. Steve often calls on her to read the Scripture in our Sunday services as her voice carries well in a group. This past week Miriam told us that she was going to be making a trip to Ivory Coast (where she was

sclousernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-33165500516928560312009-07-06T09:55:00.005Z2009-07-06T10:03:57.204Z

Those who follow our blog know that I’m in Kandern, Germany taking graduate classes towards a Masters in Education (through Philadelphia Biblical University). I’ve been studying hard and enjoying this beautiful little town for the past two weeks. Daily walks in the fresh mountain air have been my salvation before and after sitting in classes for seven hours a day and studying for 3-4 more each

sclousernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-90590135796961937442009-06-17T17:29:00.001Z2009-06-17T17:36:27.106Z

Sometimes an opportunity comes along in life that is too good to pass up!I have been given just such an opportunity to fulfill a long-term goal of mine and earn my Masters in Education. Little did I know back in 1979 when I received my undergraduate degree in Elementary Education that my own daughter would begin working on her Masters the same year I did. Better late than never, however!On

sclousernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-1694194082645922922009-06-08T10:39:00.003Z2009-06-08T10:44:50.181Z

Thank you for your prayers and please rejoice with us as we celebrate a new life! On Saturday morning at 8:12 little Séphora came into the world by c-section. Though weighing only 3 lbs. 7 ozs., she is healthy and doing well. We are so grateful to God for His goodness in bringing this troubled pregnancy to a wonderful conclusion. Debbi was able to be present for the operation and hold the new

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-85670559923513024922009-05-29T08:32:00.003Z2009-05-29T08:49:20.566Z

Dear Friends,Living in Burkina Faso we are daily confronted with people who are physically needy, as well as spiritually so. Many of those who come to us asking for our help are people who are hungry or sick or can’t pay their school fees. We are grateful to those of you who provide us with work special funds that we are able to use to help out in these situations. When we offer “a cup of cold

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-15764046125229355752009-05-13T11:31:00.002Z2009-05-13T11:46:19.841Z

It’s not because our lives have been slow or dull that we haven’t posted anything on our blog in the past couple of weeks. To the contrary, things have been zooming along with many happenings in our new Ouaga 2000 neighborhood church, houseguests from the bush, a trip made to Bobo by Steve for our Maranatha Bible Institute graduation (he’s on the school board), and meetings of the Christian

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-46639720426849310102009-04-28T09:21:00.009Z2009-04-28T14:20:53.863Z

Imagine starting a church in a village of several thousand people in bondage for centuries. There had been no Christian witness for decades: even the Catholic mission abandoned this village years ago. The national church sent a Bible school grad to plant a church in this Dafing village called Nian. His core-group of believers included a local merchant (of a different ethnic group) and the

sclousernoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-75437228051125141222009-04-20T11:49:00.002Z2009-04-20T11:54:58.254Z

Sometimes spiritual fruit almost seems to fall into our laps, so to speak. Other times it’s painfully slow in coming, which has been the case with our ministry among the unreached Dafing people group. People from the M religion have always been difficult to reach and the Dafing are no exception. The existing churches among them are almost entirely made up of converts from traditional

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-43410524158509100752009-04-09T17:19:00.003Z2009-04-09T17:25:51.111Z

As we make our way through “Holy Week” and plan for a busy weekend of ministry (including showing the movie The Passion of the Christ here at the Center on Friday evening), my mind is speeding ahead to my plans for early Easter Monday.I will need to be at the airport at 6 AM that day to take off on an educational consulting trip to Conakry, Guinea. This is the time of year when I do quite a bit

sclousernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-26410861214986141152009-04-02T10:36:00.005Z2009-04-02T11:01:52.717Z

It is a tremendous challenge and an awesome blessing trying to juggle two full-time ministries: that of planting a new church and running the Family Life Center at Ouaga 2000 and secondly, church planting and evangelism among the Dafing people (which has also expanded to include the unreached Nounouma people)Clearly, both ministries cannot receive our full-time. So, we have to "redeem the time"

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-69378014262661374022009-03-23T07:41:00.000Z2009-03-23T07:44:41.436Z

Church planting in the upper class neighborhood of Ouaga 2000 is bringing us many surprises, the most pleasant of which is the spiritual hunger and openness we are finding among the young people who come to the Center and often attend our services. We have never in our ministry career had so many opportunities to easily lead people to begin a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and it is a

sclousernoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-12307126238187434572009-03-19T07:18:00.009Z2009-03-19T07:38:00.151Z

I was going to write about my educational consulting trip to Koutiala, Mali last week, but I actually have something else more pressing on my heart that I want to share.The trip to Mali was eventful because I went by public transportation and failed to get off at Koutiala (no one said, “We’ve arrived in Koutiala” so I stayed on until Ségou!). I won’t go into all the rest of my bus adventures…

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-15258416369440896002009-03-09T12:02:00.006Z2009-03-09T12:27:53.490Z

Something pretty significant is happening right now among the formerly-unreached Nounouma people group of Burkina. Many years of praying for workers has finally brought about a harvest that is in process and promises to be very abundant!Whereas the Dafing people, among whom we’ve worked since 1985, are largely Islamic, the Nounouma are mostly animistic and are greatly feared because of the

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-39081225534470123422009-03-02T11:45:00.006Z2009-03-03T08:32:04.147Z

Today is a day to rest up from and bask in the beautiful official opening service we had for our new church here in Ouaga 2000 yesterday. We are feeling so blessed for all the support and love shown to us by our sister churches and our colleagues in ministry. We counted almost 175 people in attendance, which created a crowd that spilled out of our upstairs conference room onto the balcony.

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-42174221175983904812009-02-23T10:14:00.001Z2009-02-23T10:17:37.810Z

A huge victory against the powers of darkness took place at our Center here in Ouaga 2000 yesterday. A young Fulani man renounced the curses that had been placed against him, resulting in many attempts on his life, the latest of which was him being shot in the head on Friday evening (thankfully the bullet didn’t go in very far). He also removed a ring that had been given to him by his father,

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-36762939290599039242009-02-18T15:13:00.011Z2009-02-18T16:01:37.645Z

As overseas workers we often find ourselves wearing many different hats. I just put on a new one: I am now officially the pastor of the Ouaga 2000 C&MA church here in Ouagadougou. At the same time, however, I am endeavoring to fulfill my calling as apostle to the unreached Dafing people group. Debbi recently wrote about the growth in conversions and spiritual maturity among the Dafing people

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-22464188221915678862009-02-09T11:46:00.003Z2009-02-09T11:50:47.459Z

As you may know, we are endeavoring to carry on a dual ministry of church planting in the capital city and also continuing to work among the Dafing people group in a region that is a drive of several hours from where we live. Steve does most of this “bush” ministry since English classes keep me tied down at home.Steve made an overnight trip to a village by the name of Kona this past Friday. A

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-73266020229815702009-02-02T08:06:00.006Z2009-02-02T08:44:06.650Z

For many, yesterday, February 1, 2009, was the day that the Steelers won the Super Bowl. For us, however, it was the day we held our first church service here in Ouaga 2000!We have been leading up to this day for more than two years since a core group of five families began meeting together to pray and dream of what God wanted to do in this needy upper class neighborhood. God provided the

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-9953089176256647192009-01-28T17:21:00.003Z2009-01-29T07:36:31.619Z

Many people ask us what a typical day is like for us. That is always a hard question to answer because our lives are filled with variety, interruptions, and even once in awhile some routine! “Bored” is an adjective that could never be used to describe our days, but we could often use the words “exciting”, “unexpected”, “overwhelming”, or “heart-wrenching”.We live in one of the poorest countries

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-15812755702152851882009-01-19T07:49:00.008Z2009-01-19T10:40:57.798Z

It’s already been a week since I got home and I still haven’t posted anything about my trip to Niger! I came home with a bad stomach virus that lasted for several days and am just now feeling back to normal.Some of you know that I’m an educational consultant for my agency, so I was called upon to present two workshops at an education conference that was held for expatriate families, mostly home

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-39025295540748443122009-01-08T20:56:00.005Z2009-01-08T21:19:50.357Z

One of the adult children of one of our cell group members, who lives in France and was visiting for the holidays, expressed the desire to be baptised. She said she wanted to affirm her faith and grow in her knowledge of God.We spent some time together reading the scriptures and praying, making sure she was grounded in her faith. The next day, as her family and friends gathered around the

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-56401202476590148312009-01-01T09:49:00.004Z2009-01-01T10:05:11.060Z

The New Year is upon us and it’s time to pause and reflect on God’s goodness and mercy as we say good-bye to 2008. Though the past year brought some difficult events, we are grateful for all of the blessings and fruit that it also brought. Among the blessings are our faithful friends and supporters to whom we wish much joy and peace in 2009! The

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-90237183266256253672008-12-20T12:01:00.002Z2008-12-20T12:04:09.519Z

Christmas 2008Merry Christmas to all of our faithful friends and supporters,Our daughter Elizabeth is home for the holidays! We have been catching up on each others’ lives while baking cookies and preparing for Christmas. Though we are unable to see our older children this year, we are blessed to have our youngest and are also anxiously awaiting Debbi's brother John’s arrival on Tuesday evening.

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-68318083480955494812008-12-12T19:39:00.005Z2008-12-12T20:01:33.735Z

Dear Friends,One of our greatest joys living here in Burkina is the friendships that we have built through the years. We not only have many wonderful missionary colleagues, but also many national colleagues who have become an important part of our lives. We have also had the privilege of making new friends who come to Burkina on short-term missions trips. And our friendships from afar continue

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-78774840718454077532008-11-24T09:40:00.003Z2008-11-24T09:47:56.548Z

After a busy week teaching 4 English classes, helping a friend with a property purchase, receiving visitors every day at my house and making several visits myself, the last thing I felt like doing on Friday evening was having 8 overnight guests!To top it off, I had come down with a stomach virus during the night on Thursday and was in and out of bed all day on Friday. I barely made it driving

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-37337975925139952112008-11-18T07:48:00.022Z2008-11-18T08:34:09.945Z

Life has been happening too fast these days for us to even write and request prayer! We do want to bring you up-to-date on a couple of things that happened last week and then ask you to pray about some upcoming ministries. It’s because of your faithful support in giving and praying that we are able to be here serving as Christ’s hands and feet. Dare we ask you to be even more committed in light

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-76644215978870460242008-11-08T12:10:00.002Z2008-11-08T12:12:40.862Z

Since my return to Burkina a week ago following my trip to Atlanta, I have received many expressions of sympathy from my Burkinabe friends and colleagues. These expressions of sympathy have not come in the form of cards or flower arrangements like they would if I were living in the United States. They have come instead in the form of visits to my home by these friends and colleagues.Here in

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-28817774012130672072008-10-20T11:43:00.005Z2008-10-25T11:23:48.855Z

Dear Friends,We have sad news to tell you. Debbi’s younger brother, John’s wife just left this world yesterday to be with Jesus. The news is not sad for Jennie because she is no longer suffering with cancer, but it’s sad for those of us who loved her. She loved our children as her own and blessed all of us with her love of life and her sense of humor. We will miss her terribly and our hearts

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-88616757253592791452008-10-03T16:47:00.011Z2008-10-03T17:10:38.490Z

Are you or your church group looking for a project? Because we have a church planting ministry in the capital city as well as a ministry to the unreached Dafing people in a remote rural area, we are presented with a wide range of needs on a regular basis. Here are some project ideas, large and small. Some may be suitable for your VBS, Sunday School, Men's or Women' s Groups as well as

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-54651267294651665162008-09-26T16:01:00.009Z2008-09-26T16:29:50.729Z

Dear Partners in Prayer,Dear Partners in Prayer,Government ministers, embassy personnel, presidents and CEOs of large corporations – these are our neighbors here in Ouaga 2000. Directly across the street from us the Democratic Republic of Congo is building their new embassy, and other government buildings are within sight of our property (including the presidential palace of Burkina Faso). The

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-26162646807110698292008-09-22T08:53:00.010Z2008-09-22T17:32:40.242Z

Every other year our C&MA national pastors gather on the campus of Maranatha Bible School in Bobo-Dioulasso for a spiritual retreat. This time, besides serving as treasurer of the organizational committee for the conference, Steve was also asked to give two messages on Divine Healing. Other speakers were invited from the United States, Mali, and here in Burkina. When it was all over Saturday

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-46552786514557865872008-09-14T16:05:00.007Z2008-09-14T20:26:47.120Z

God has given me the unusual privilege of being part of the birth of a movement.Some of you recall that last year I traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa for a Round Table put on by the Association of Christian Schools International. It was a conference to launch a movement to evangelize the continent of Africa by blanketing it with Christ-centered schools. This month another Round Table was

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-44555561768627277852008-08-31T20:12:00.016Z2008-08-31T21:12:44.832Z

Dear Friends and Family,We asked you to pray for the youth event we held at the Family Life Center last evening, August 30th, and now we want to report to you how God answered your prayers.The six families in our cell group joined together to plan an evening of entertainment, food, and information for the youth of the neighborhood of Ouaga 2000. Our goal was to present the Center as a place

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-43411342594084406612008-08-13T12:18:00.007Z2008-08-13T12:29:08.275Z

English Camp 2008 at the Patte d’Oie Youth Center in Ouagadougou is now history! Thank you for your prayers, which we felt deeply.Our team from Pittsburgh left during the early morning hours on Tuesday. Many of them were literally in tears as they said good-bye to this beautiful country and its wonderful people. It was rewarding for us to see them be so blessed by their experiences, just as

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-59510664665731769242008-08-02T21:07:00.005Z2008-08-05T08:45:02.731Z

Praise the Lord our team arrived safely and had a great first day in Burkina. See their blog and photos at http://burkina10.wikispaces.com.

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-53716201583652952892008-07-29T15:09:00.004Z2008-08-14T12:11:45.903Z

Dear Friends, The month of July is already drawing to a close and that means that our annual English camp is almost here! A team of 10 from the Pittsburgh area will be arriving early on Aug. 2nd and will help us run a week of English camp as well as taking a brief trip to a bush village. We want to ask you to cover us with your prayers in the coming two weeks. Here is how you can pray for us:

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-42555546526555957472008-07-14T19:46:00.017Z2008-08-14T15:10:15.125Z

Here in Burkina visits are very important. We receive many visitors, many unannounced (here they say the best visits are the surprise ones!). We want to tell you about some of the visitors we’ve had this past week: Pastor Elie Séré from OuézalaElie, one of our closest pastor friends, arrived in Ouaga from his bush village early last week and spent a couple of days with us. He and Steve were able

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8827639397183255316.post-68439332178851859382008-07-04T09:39:00.002Z2008-07-04T21:01:01.027Z

Here in Ouaga it will be business as usual for us. We are still getting settled back into our life here since returning from our trip to the U.S. a few days ago.The past six weeks have been a whirlwind! Thank you so much for your prayers and e-mail messages as we flew to Pittsburgh for Sarah’s college graduation and wedding. Elizabeth joined us in Atlanta for the flight to Pgh and the four of us

sclousernoreply@blogger.com0