The Shumaker Family’s Blog

Last weekend I took a trip to Roungou.  Salif continues to amaze me.  I don’t think anybody can use the excuse, “God can’t use me” or “I don’t have any talents”.  God is using Salif in tremendous ways.  Salif wouldn’t impress you as one that is full of natural talents nor has he been greatly educated in this world.  He didn’t go to school as a kid but God is training him.  I wish I had 100 guys just like Salif.  Give me zeal, desire and a love for God over talents any day of the week.

Emily and Meredith went with me.  They love to sleep in the village.  As you can see they loved climbing the trees.

God is doing wonderful things in Burkina Faso.  Sure we have our struggles and our trials, but God’s blessings far outweigh everything else.

We have been able to give out many school supplies to needy kids.  Bado Neblima and I went to his village to give out notebooks, backpacks, pens, pencils, etc.  I have watched many children carry their school supplies in an old rice sack.  Can you imagine being so poor that you can’t justify the need to buy a backpack?  It is a great blessing to be able to help these children with their school supplies each year.  My mother is the one that deserves a lot of the credit.  She works hard promoting the need amongst her friends and also family members.

Church has been going great.  We are seeing visitors each week.  A young girl came up to my wife after children’s church the other day and said she needed Jesus in her life.  Praise the Lord, she accepted Jesus as her Saviour.  We have seen other professions of faith during the past few weeks also.  Thanks for your prayers.

 Last week, we had a new missionary family come to work with us.  Vicente and Gabriela Garcia are their names.  They have been here since last Wednesday.  They have already been a blessing to us and they are working hard at getting the language.

They lived in America for 6 years.  During that time they both received Jesus as their Savior.  God called Vicente to preach the Word of God and he felt led to train in Peru.  He did this while knowing that if he left the states he would most likely never be able to come back.  He trained in Peru for 5 years.  While there, God placed a desire on their hearts to come and work with us in Burkina Faso.   We are so excited about their arrival.  They are good people and God is going to use them greatly.

Yesterday, we had youth day.  The youth lead the morning and evening services.  I am extremely proud of our youth.  Youth here can be anywhere between 15-35 years old.  If you aren’t married you are considered a youth.  They did a tremendous job.  We had a wonderful crowd in both services.

Last night, a teenager named Natasha sang.  She is an orphan.  She lives with some relatives, but they really aren’t nice to her.  Sometimes they won’t let her come to church and force her to do housework during church hours.  Their other children do nothing around the house, and Natasha must do a lot of the work.  The situation is hard on her, but last night when she sang, I got goosebumps and it wasn’t because it was cold.  She sang from her heart, and it was absolutely beautiful.  She was singing with another faithful young man named Koffi.  I could feel a tear enter into my eye as I began to think, if I didn’t obey God and come here this wouldn’t be possible.  Sure it is God who has done everything but God has greatly blessed our obedience.

Most of the older people that have come to our church have fizzled out.  They just have a hard time changing everything.  They aren’t willing to sell out 100%.  I am encouraged about the faithful youth.  I believe that the youth are crazy enough to sell out to the Lord.