In This Section:
- Roles
- Administration
- Bible Translation
- Computing
- Finance
- Language Survey
- Linguistics
- Literacy
- Scripture Use
- Teaching
- Trustees
- Other Roles
- Vacancies
- Events
- "Engage" Short Term Summer Teams (4 wks)
- One-to-One (6wks-1yr)
- Aaron's story - IT in Mali
- Ben's story - Translating in Burkina Faso
- David and Denise's story - Retirees Teaching in Cameroon
- Kat's story - Teaching in Cameroon
- Stephen's story - Art Student Illustrating in Ethiopia
- Language Related Work (2+yrs)
- MA courses
- Use Your Existing Skills (1+yr)
Engage - Jayne's Story (Burkina Faso 2009)
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4
"Everything we did was fantastic..."
Jayne Chuter, a 3rd-year Music student at the University of York, joined one of Wycliffe UK’s Engage Summer Teams and visited Burkina Faso in West Africa for the month of July 2009. A few days after returning home to the UK, Jayne reflects on some of her African experiences.
Well I am back safe and sound in England now. We had a remarkably smooth and unproblematic month, thanks to all your prayers: nobody got very ill, no near-death experiences and the team got on really well with each other. Praise God!
Everything we did was fantastic, and for me it was a wonderful introduction to Burkina Faso and Africa. Meeting so many different people - children, students, Pastors and Christian families, translators, even people in the marketplace - was amazing as they are all so friendly, open and generous in Burkina. The music professor in Tougan lent us his instruments after we spent a whole evening being shown many sides of village life at his family's courtyard (read more in another article by Jayne), and another family we went to visit gave us a guinea fowl to take home!
Everybody has so much time for people, greeting them and so on. Children in Diebougou were interested in us so came to our house and we spent a fantastic afternoon showing them pictures, singing, and having our hair done. Even though we couldn't communicate that well verbally we all had a really good time.
We saw three such different areas of the country, and so many different lifestyles - it was good to get a glimpse of how local people live in the different villages as well as both rich and poor in the city, and expats with Wycliffe and other organisations. The four churches we visited were also vastly different: from the International Church in Ouaga in English and French to the small Dagara church in Bapla; and the 3000-strong CIE (Internationall Centre for Evangelism) Church in about 6 languages to the Jula and San church in Tougan people worship God in their own way. To join with members of the family of God so far away from home was a real highlight of the fact that we are one body and will all be worshipping in Heaven together.
The image above is of the Choir singing at the end of the church service, Bapla village.
So pray for the members of these churches, who have often given up a lot to follow God. We heard many stories of rejection and casting out by families and villages of new believers. Pray also for the pastors of churches, who are often fairly new Christians and have not had much training in Biblical knowledge or leadership. It can be hard for them to guide and care for a Church and disciple people if they have not been discipled themselves and if they do not have a Bible in the language of their people.
Read more about Jayne's time in Burkina Faso in part 2.
Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4
Details of Engage 2010 teams are now online and here's how to apply. If you are interested, please contact us.