Guest house vs. Betty's house

This week, I am preparing materials and plans for tutoring. I'm also spending some time with the 6th grade teacher of the deaf, getting math lessons. I have relearned the metric system (for weight, height, and volume). Also geometry, calendar vocab, and computation (+,-,x,/) in the French methods. And of course, I learned it in French and Burkina Sign.

Please continue to pray for the items I mentioned in my last email. My French is improving, especially now that I can use it to converse. I have a new house mate for the weekend, Elen is visiting from Piela. She leaves on Wednesday I think. So I have a housefull at the moment, we're up to 5 people here and I love it. Next week, I lose 2 on Monday, 1 on Wednesday and 1 on Saturday. Then I will be alone again for awhile. Possibly (probably) until I leave.

Next week I will actually be switching houses, Lord willing, to a much smaller, 1 bedroom apartment, with a full kitchen and seperate dining room. And a working fridge :) I will appreciate the lack of space, because the house I am in now is perfect for 4-5 people, but really way to big for just one. Also, the little apartment has a porch with a bench.

The bench and porch set up is from Betty, a missionary whose name dates back to the first few missionaries that happened upon this village. Long before Mahadaga was the hub for medical needs of all kinds, it was just a regular village. Betty came in with one other girl (about my age, if I understand correctly) and bought a house. They lived in one side, and set up a birthing center/clinic in the other side. From that sprung the blossoming ministry found in Mahadaga today. About the bench, though... Betty still comes to mahadaga, for 6months at a time, even though she is in her 80's. When she isn't driving hours away to find distant family groups and share the Gospel, she is sitting on her front porch, where she accepts multitudes of visitors each day, to come and talk, and love, and learn about Jesus. She cares for these people, and they love her. It is said that Betty "birthed" the whole village, because she is a midwife, and was probably present at the majority of the births for the past 60 years.

What a beautiful legacy. And I get to live in Betty's house, for a time :)