CCC 8:08 Omaha - Cote d'Ivoire Africa Team

Driving in Abidjan

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Farho) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:38:00 +0000

John driving, Sue on right and Stephen in back seat

From the look of Sue's grip on the dashboard, you might think they are heading for a head on collision. However, John and the oncoming taxi are just waiting to make a left turn. Stephen seized the moment and took this photo.

-Mike

Read more bloggeries about Abidjan, John, Stephen, and Sue at the following labels:

Orphanage Akawaba Video by David

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Farho) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 09:14:00 +0000

Our soon to be very loved girls sang us a song "Akawaba," which means "welcome"

-david

Modeste church photos

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Farho) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 23:07:00 +0000

See them at Mike's Facebook photo album

John teaching English

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Farho) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 08:00:00 +0000

Three orphan girls learning English numbers by playing UNO with John

Hospitals in Abidjan

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Farho) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 23:27:00 +0000

During one of our days, the first week in Cote d'Ivoire, Mike, Ashley, and I were given the opportunity to tour one of the public hospitals in Abidjan. Being in the medical profession I found it both encouraging and a bit sad at the same time.

During our interaction with several of the doctors we were able to see both passion for improving the health of Cote d'Ivoire and also the amazing needs that this country has. When a person shows up at the hospital with a condition, they are given a list of things that they need to go buy before they can be treated.

Coming from America where health care, especially emergency life saving health care, is given no matter what condition your finances are in, made the idea of prepaying/buying your supplies strange. This may be compounded when a patient shows up without family or is unconscious and therefore cant buy supplies. Trying to put this together in my head is a bit hard as health care as i have experienced is a quite different.

One thing is that I am now more thankful for what God has blessed me with, and secondly, given me a bigger heart for working outside of the United States when I graduate from college.

-david

Sarah praying at Modeste Church

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Farho) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 21:00:00 +0000

From left: Christine, Ashley, Gavin, Sarah

From left: David, Sarah, Christine, Kira

Kira with orphan girls

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Farho) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 12:40:00 +0000

Kira singing with the girls

Singing was one of the best methods we used to teach English to the girls. They loved all the sons, from Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes to Jesus Loves Me. I'm just day dreaming what it will be like next time I drive out to visit the children at the orphanage. I hope they don't knock me over with hugs!

-Mike

Gavin preaching at Modeste

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Farho) — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 19:39:00 +0000

Gavin Johnson and Mike Farho

Gavin did a great job preaching for the folks at the Modeste C&MA Bambara Church. It was a fun service for all of us, with lots of fantastic music and even gifts for each team member. The team is working at raising funds for this Bambara Church. It is exciting to see a church of meager means reaching out and building bridges of love to their Muslim neighbors. The primary ministry they've started is a tiny elementary school.

-Mike

Modeste church worship

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Farho) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:45:00 +0000

Sue Farho leading the team singing in Bamabara

Team at Grand Bassam restaurant

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Farho) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 10:04:00 +0000

From left: Stephen, Dina, Kira, Sarah, David, Joshua, Ashley, Gavin, John, Christine.

Everyone is playing cards while we wait for our food. This was our last supper in Grand Bassam. We ate at The Quai restaurant. The food and desserts were great. The owner of our hotel arrived and treated us to our soft drinks. Normally, we only drank bottled water. It was hard for some not to get their Diet Cokes for two weeks. We had to suffer a little bit any way.

-Mike

Happy seminary boys

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Farho) — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:29:00 +0000

Photo by Christine

John pool surfing

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Farho) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 13:15:00 +0000

From left: John Farho surfing, Gavin Johnson after launching the boogie board.

John, Gavin and David enjoyed a new sport at the Hotel Assoyam in Grand Bassam. they took running jumps onto a moving boogie board. David Bebee posted a video on Facebook. For now, it is only available to Facebook members. Come back again, I'll see if I can get a public link from David.

-Mike

Blue boy bogeyman

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Farho) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:59:00 +0000

Painting on the cafeteria wall at the girls' orphanage in Grand Bassam. We asked about the mysterious blue boy. The girls told me he's the boy who sleeps in the teacher's office. I guess he's their version of the bogeyman.

-Mike

Big angry crocodile

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Farho) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:55:00 +0000

Crocodiles don't like it when you poke them in the ribs.

We had a lot of fun looking at the crocodiles. As you can see in this video, a crocodile is fast. When he snaps at the wood stick, he is just a flash of fearsome muscle. It really gets your adrenalin pumping. The guide points out that a crocodile uses his tail as a weapon. Can you make out the source of any of the screams.

-Mike

Kira tug-o-war

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Farho) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:44:00 +0000

Kira is playing tug-o-war without a rope. They were having a lot of fun and having a good workout too.

It makes me wonder how the girls are doing today, two weeks after the team has gone home. Are they bored, lonely, having great dreams about the team or still having a lot of fun with each other? Probably a combination of all of the above. Most Ivorian orphanages only function during the school year. Nearly everyone has aunts or uncles that can take care of them, but attending school could be impossible. So the children only live at the orphanage during school months. When school is over, they return to live with family.

-Mike

Happy Ivorian kids

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Farho) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 00:13:00 +0000

Christine took this joyful photo of kids playing after church at the Abobo Abidjan Baoule and Bambara Church.

-Mike

David Bebee masking seminary windows

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Farho) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:38:00 +0000

David Bebee is working hard

We went through about 20 rolls of masking tape. It really made the painting go fast. The students who were painting followed with wide and narrow rollers. Others were trimming with brushes.

-Mike

Finishing up at the seminary

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Farho) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:58:00 +0000

Professor Randy Harrison, John, Gavin and Christine

I took this photo during the last hour of work at the seminary. Maybe that was why everyone was so happy. The work was difficult. I'm not sure what Gavin has behind his back, but I know Christine has the dustpan full of paint that was peeling off the wall. We didn't get the paint done in this reception office, but we did get it prepped for the painter. The team left enough cash with the seminary to pay a local painter to finish up the remaining work. We actually did much more work at the seminary than we had planned. The team worked so hard and fast that they finished the planned project, the student dormitory halls and staircases in only two days. The last two days were spent painting the administration and classroom building halls, conference room and a couple of smaller rooms.

The next day, Friday, we drove to Grand Bassam to start work at the Modeste Church and the orphanage.

-Mike

Cookies at orphanage

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Farho) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:02:00 +0000

English class

It is very rare for the girls at the orphanage to get to eat cookies. Two of the girls mentioned that to me at the beginning of our week of ministry there. The last day of our ministry there, we purchased three cases of cookies. Each individually wrapped package contained six cookies. It cost about $17.00 to buy enough cookies for all 150 children and staff.

-Mike

Building benches at Modeste

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Farho) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:57:00 +0000

David Bebee and John Farho

We just noticed that we don't have any photos here at the blog about the building of the 28 benches. Our goal was 30, but we ran out of wood. One of our boards split down the middle since we bought it. The guys did a great job. The benches came out beautiful.

-Mike

John's departure to USA

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Farho) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 18:13:00 +0000

Abou and John

John said goodbye to Abou. He flies out tonight at 10 PM on Air France Flight AF0703. He arrives in France in the morning and then makes his Delta Flight DL0029 connection to Atlanta. He should arrive at Omaha Eppley Airfield on Delta Flight DL4604 at 4:52 PM.

-Mike

Lunch at orphanage

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Farho) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:23:00 +0000

The team and Joshua at the lunch table

The talented cooks made us AFC, African Fried Chicken with rice and attieke, a fermented product made from grated manioc root. It looks similar to couscous.

-Mike

Ashley at Boulay and Seminary

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Farho) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 18:55:00 +0000

At the Beach at Boulay Island

At the Seminary in Abidjan

Ashley and a seminary student in Abidjan

Photos by Christine

Dina and Kids at Seminary

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Farho) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 18:43:00 +0000

Photo by Christine

Kira's photos

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Farho) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 16:59:00 +0000

Kira posted a lot of fun photos for us to enjoy. The links below will take you to her photo albums at Facebook.com. She did a great job organizing them by category. Hope you will enjoy them as much as we do!

Africa un 39 photos of our flights, Bateau Bus, Boulay Island beach, and the Abobo Abidjan CMA Church
Location: Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, Africa

Africa deux 59 photos from the Alliance West African Theological Seminary
Location: Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire, Africa

Africa trois 38 photos of days at the girls orphanage
Location: Grand Bassam, Cote d'Ivoire

Africa quatre 42 photos at the Modeste Village/Assoyam Hotel
Location: Grand Bassam, Cote d'Ivoire, Africa

Africa cinq 30 photos of last day at the orphanage
Location: Grand Bassam, Cote d'Ivoire

Africa six 22 photos at the crocodile farm!
Location: Assini, Cote d'Ivoire, Africa