Dear Friends,

 It’s difficult to find words to describe the JOY we experienced during the Dafing women’s conference that we just attended in the village of Bomboela.  We were deeply touched as we joined 200 women, plus several pastors, in worshipping the Lord beneath a large grass shelter.  The ladies danced and shouted as they sang songs of praise to the Lord who has delivered them from the hopelessness of the life they once knew.

It’s been awhile since you’ve heard from us and we have much to report! The last few weeks since we returned from our home assignment have been BUSY ones. We made our move to the Ouaga 2000 neighborhood on Feb. 5^th. Since then we have continued to supervise renovations and construction on the property. Painters, masons, plumbers, electricians, and carpenters are still frequent visitors, but the work is slowly getting accomplished. Thank you for praying for our move and please continue praying for our new ministry here in Ouaga 2000. We would especially appreciate your prayers that we will soon get internet and phone service here. It has been frustrating to be cut off from communication and not know when these services will become available to us.

                       In the midst of our move, we have been doing quite a bit of traveling. In addition to the women’s conference, Steve traveled to Nouna where he was the main speaker at a Dafing conference, and Debbi spent last week in Bobo teaching 11 missionary kids as part of her regional educational consultant role. On March 25^th Debbi will fly to Abidjan where she will teach 2 modules to 21 women who are students at the West Africa Alliance Seminary where we used to minister. Please pray for our safety as we travel and for the Lord’s anointing on our teaching and preaching.

             As you begin your Spring season there in the U.S., we here in Burkina are entering the hottest period of the year. We would appreciate your intercession for energy and strength for the busy weeks we have ahead of us in the midst of unbelievably hot weather.  Pray for important decisions that will be made in the coming weeks concerning the ministry here in Ouaga 2000, as well as for God’s provision for finances in the continued development of the property where we are living. We are excited to see how God is going to use the center (and us) to reach this neighborhood!

             On the family front, we are eagerly anticipating the wedding of our daughter, Sarah, to Jordan Hackenberg on June 14^th. We are grateful that we will be able to return to the States for Sarah’s graduation in May and then her wedding. Please pray for all of the arrangements that are being made. It’s not easy being so far away (especially with no internet!) when important events are taking place in the lives of our children.

 May God bless you for your faithful prayers for us,

 Steve and Debbi