Children's weekend at FEMO

Ah, the children...Yes, we love them in North American culture: cute and they say the funniest things. But the value of children is quite different in different cultures. In Burkina, children are a resource. Sure, they are loved just the same. But the richness of the traditional family was often seen in the number of children (and cattle). In Jesus' time, children had very little value. In her Children's Sunday sermon, Tany talked about how if a couple could not have children, they would opt to adopt...an adult. Children were basically just waiting to become adults. In Burkina Faso, often, children are referred to as "half-people". That's why it is so striking how Jesus told us to change our attitudes and become like children - the lowliest of his society. What kind of unexpected kingdom person is God trying to tell you to become like? The children's weekend at the Foyer Evangelique Mennonite de Ouagadougou was a success. Sure, the children missed out on their outing to the forest to experience God in nature due to some political unrest in the city. But overall, the children were so pumped on the Sunday, the culminating day, where they led the whole service. Asher said, "That was the shortest church service ever!" - A sign of how much more children appreciate church when they participate. During the activities that preceded Sunday, children listened to some of our church "elders" tell Bible stories and give advice on how to be a kid. Usually, these activities involved sitting on a bench for an hour and a half. How different from our non-stop activity-oriented culture! When a "recess" was announced, children wasted no time at all in guzzling down bissap (a local red drink made of hibiscus leaves) and starting a quick game of hide and seek. You have to make the most of your 15 minutes before you hit the benches again!