Carla Holland & Betty Lou Matheny

We've been in Burkina Faso for 10 days. What a beautiful and green
country! (What a blessing to be here during rainy season) We are awed and humbled by the graciousness and friendliness of the people. The team of missionary families and the Dagara people have wonderfully welcomed us. We have been included in their times of worship, in their baptisms, and openly invited into their homes. Our hearts and lives our changed. We will cherish and remember our time in Burkina always as a blessing. Treat yourself to witness the work here and participate in unifying Christians around the world - PLAN A TRIP!
Betty Lou Matheny (Chad's Maternal Grandmother) & Carla Holland (Chad's Mother)

Email the Johnsons!

Greetings from the bachelor pad! Despite our best efforts, we were not able to get Elijah's passport in time for the whole family to travel back to the States to celebrate the 50th wedding anniversary of Melissa's parents. Consequently, Andy and Elijah are getting about 3 weeks of father/son bonding time. Meanwhile, Melissa is enjoying her time with family and friends in California and will then pass through Texas for a few days with Andy's parents and our overseeing church 10th and Broad before heading home.Mr. Mom and son are very happy that Melissa gets to be with her family and are also very eagerly awaiting her return!

As life has settled back to a slower pace with the departure of the interns,we continue to be amazed at what God is doing among the Dagara. It has been a good month of church growth in many places, despite this being the high work season. God is so good!

We recently had to fire our night guard after almost four years of working with us because of some dishonesty. Please be praying that God will bring our friend Alois to repentance and that his home church of Mebar will grow through this time.

Please keep those prayers going for rain; we know it's dry many places in America, too, but our friends here need rain in order to have enough food to last the year. Ask God to open the floodgates!

God bless you all.
Andy and Melissa

Email the Burks!

This has been a somewhat stressful month, a month of sadness and goodbyes and a month of joy and reunion. We are now in the States and trying to get settled and established with a doctor so that Andrea can deliver our second child here with better medical care. We were sad to leave many of our Dagara brothers and sisters and to leave our teammates. God has continually reminded us how he is in charge of the work he is doing through us in Burkina. We pray that we will trust that he is still in charge in Nakar and Nyinyime where we will not be working directly over the next 6 months.

God has also constantly reminded us how we are in his hands by how problem free our trip back to the states has been. We are excited to be reunited with our family. We enjoyed being with my sister in Portland last week. We are trying now to get Daniel registered for school where he will go for a few months while we wait for our second child to be delivered. It's a long story, but we also have to take our written and driving tests all over again to get Texas drivers' licenses. Please pray that we can remember how to answer questions like, "What does a 'Do Not Pass' sign mean?" (an actual study question in the back of the book).

Peace,

Aaron, Andrea, and Daniel

Email the Carters!

Amy was so pleased to be part of her brother's wedding in the States in August. Noah and Chad were so pleased when she was back home with them. We all were so pleased with the safe arrival of Chad's Grandmother and Mother. Betty (Grandmom) was pleased when temperatures dropped 15 degrees after her arrival to put us in the cool month of August. Carla (Mom / Gran) was pleased to dote on her only grandchild. Succinctly said, it has been a very pleasing month. The Dagara really seem to be touched in a unique way by the visit of mother and grandmother. It brightens up their faces once the complete picture is put together in their minds. Betty will be teaching in the village almost everyday until she leaves with lessons that she has prepared. Her first lesson will take place this afternoon and we are all excited with what she has to share. Please pray for rain among the Dagara. We are almost 6" behind on rain and it will take a serious toll on crops even if the rain were to pick up and get on a regular schedule right now. I struggle to see where this will lead but I know the churches are going to be persecuted. Persecuted by those who seek to bring rains by sacrifices and the persecution of hunger, famine, and shortages of water. This is not a request for better weather. This is a threat to their lives and will play out as a spiritual challenge to the church.

God bless you all,
Chad, Amy, and Noah

Email the Chankins!

In a month that has seen the comings and goings of our interns, teammates and visitors, the Chankin family has stayed put in Dano. It was such a blessing to have the 3 ACU interns with us and we are happy to have Chad's mom and grandma with our team now, too. We do miss the Burks who are in the States on a baby furlough and we are looking forward to Melissa Johnson rejoin us in a week after her trip to celebrate her parents' 50th wedding anniversary. The cooler weather has given Archie the chance to build a play yard for Emma and Jack which will provide hours and hours of fun for them. They are growing up so fast that we can hardly believe it.

Life among the Dagara churches is going great. During the rainy season there is generally a slump in attendance and in evangelistic work since most people are in the fields, but even during this "slow" time we continue to see people giving their lives to God and receiving his salvation. It is truly amazing to witness the power of God at work in the hearts of these people. We would ask a special prayer for the village of Mou. Ask that the Holy Spirit move in the hearts of those who have been coming. We are still truly desperate for rain in Dano and the surrounding area. PLEASE ask God, the giver of all good gifts, to send rain to this land so that these people may live and glorify the Lord for His provision. Thank you for your continued support.

May God Bless You!
Archie, Mandy, Emma and Jack