What's going on this week?

Well, it's that time of year again! Yup - time to wrap over 2000+ backpacks filled with all kinds of goodies and toys for kids in and around Ouagadougou (pronounced WA-GA-DOO-GOO). I'll be posting short clips of the crazyness over the next couple weeks - so stay tuned and keep those Christmas tunes rolling.
Oh - and in case you were wondering, "how many backpacks is he standing next to?" This is about half of what we still have to wrap! (aprox. 1000 or so)

Another Day in Burkina Faso.....

So, I'ld like to say that this is a rare occurrence around here - but that's not so much the truth. As you can see in this pic, a dump truck was dropping a load and just as he was about finished - whoops! As you can see, a few people standing around; but not much else happening. The only thing that caught my attention about this sight was that is happened just a few hundred yards down the street from my house this time.
I figure they'll finish getting all the sand out of the truck, take a break around noon (no work here between the hours of 12-3pm) and then try and do something about getting that puppy up right. ......

The Kili Climb - back in June....

Coming Up this week.....

Check out what's happening in Tanzania!

Just to give ya the heads up.....

A Chance to Give Something Unforgettable......

Each year, we have the incredible opportunity to give out 1000's of gifts to underprivileged kids across Burkina Faso, West Africa. This short 5 minute video will give you a quick look at what last year involved and the upcoming opportunities this year. If this video grabs your heart or even if you would just like to find out more information about these outreaches, please leave a comment so that I can get in touch with you.

A Short Trip up to Dori.....

So what's downtown where you live?

About twice a month, I venture into downtown Ouagadougou to take care of everything from grocery shopping to simply running errands. It's often times the most obvious things that we often see just don't catch our eyes. That said, I was downtown with some people that were in country for just a few weeks and their fascination with this Mosque allowed me to see things in a new light. What you're looking at is one of the largest Mosques here in the capital city of Burkina Faso.
(oh, and one little detail, I do realize my mouth is wide open in this pic - so allow me to explain the context. It's an unspoken rule here that you just aren't supposed to take pictures downtown without all the proper "paper work." Now - whether that means bribing the right person or just having good friends in government, military, and/or police - well, your guess is as good as mine. That said - I'm talking with someone who is (and was) taking a picture of me..... )

Downtown here in Ouaga.