Our last Easter in Burkina

There are lots of "lasts" happening these next few weeks, this last week included. Today was a hard but very wonderful last. We celebrated our final Easter holiday in this country with our church and hosted our 3rd and final church potluck following the service today.

The service was packed to capacity, as Easter services typically are. We are a very small church, but today we were busting at the seams. People were packed in like sardines to come and celebrate our risen Lord. It was glorious. The girls sang with their Sunday school class a song up front. Heidi sang a beautiful rendition of Hallelujah with easter lyrics by Kelly Mooney, and as the Van dingenen's sang the Hallelujah's all I could do was listen, even as the whole church eventually joined in, raising one voice "praising the Lord". It was very moving. There is something so powerful about remembering the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf, together as a body of believers, lifting up our voices and the words we can not say to express our deepest thanks for His love.

Following worship I went and taught Sunday school and got to teach and celebrate further with my classroom of little children.

Truly, it has been the greatest joy to be able to worship and celebrate our Lord alongside this body of Christ here in Burkina.

Following church was the 3rd annual IBF Easter Potluck. Two years ago one of the elders at IBF approached Isaak and asked if we'd be interested in opening our home for a potluck for the whole church after the Easter service. Five months prior to that, in October 2012 just two months after moving here, we had already hosted a baptism at our home for the youth group Wired. It was a very large event, many from the church attended to support the kids, in addition to kids, parents, friends and family who don't attend IBF. That event at our home was the starting point for what God would utilize our home for over the next 2+ years living here.

And so every Easter, and for many events in between, we have opened our home and yard to be used by our greater community. And it has been such a joy.

God placed us in a home, that is not only spacious on the inside, but with a huge terrace, yard and a pool that is able to accommodate large numbers of people as well. Most "yards" in this country are non-existent. So to be placed in a home that has an expansive yard (with grass! Seriously, can not tell you what a gift this really is!) has been a huge blessing for not only our family, but for our church family as well.

We have loved the opportunity we've been given to open our property up and allow it to be used to serve our church. It has been a joy. For us and the church. Each year we have between 75-100 people come. It is always a bit crazy for me and Isaak as we prepare to host such a large crowd. But we have been blessed with such wonderful friends here that we are never preparing alone. People are always over here before hand helping with food, hiding hundreds of easter eggs around the yard for the easter egg hunt, just making themselves available to serve. And people always stay afterwards to help clean up and stack chairs.

  The kids stepping out of the pool only long enough to hunt for eggs then go back in!

(*Photo credit-Fina Lin)
So many people have come through our gates these last three Easters.....

Easters will never quite be the same without getting to fellowship alongside these people. They have truly enriched our time here so much and helped to create such lasting memories.

(*photo credits Fina Lin)

As soon as the last guest left our home three and a half hours later, we headed out to an Embassy easter party at the home of Isaak's boss (it was a BUSY day!) The Embassy is also a community we have been so richly blessed to do life with here, and celebrate all kinds of holidays and joyful occasions with. There was a glow in the dark easter egg hunt, great food and conversation. We came home exhausted, but feeling full and grateful.

To a very happy three Easters in Burkina Faso! Easter will never be quite the same without getting spend it will all the people we have come to know and love here. God is SO good for His provisions!