Our life in Burkina Faso!: First ever!

Last weekend was a first for Burkina Faso. It was truly historic! Beginning last Friday, we took a big step towards catching up with the rest of the world! What's that? You didn't hear about it? There wasn't any announcement? Not to worry, we were there, so we can tell you all about it!
Last Friday began the first ever LDC visit in Burkina. That is to say, the first Kingdom Hall inspection and maintenance training session ever in the history of this country. Some of you in the U.S. and elsewhere are already familiar with this program, as it has been in place for some time. Even countries right next to us have been part of this arrangement already. And now we are part of it too!
We had the privilege of attending, even though the Kingdom Hall that was inspected is in Ouagadougou, about 6 hours from our home. It seems like they may have chosen the oldest Hall in Ouaga to start the inspections... The Hall is 26 years old and has never been remodeled. It's squeezed onto a very small lot in a residential neighborhood. Overall, it was good place to start, as this Hall is fairly worn around the edges. It gave the inspectors lots to talk about and report!
What really made this event a joy for us were the brothers and sisters though. To start, the LDC representatives were a couple from Togo, who have been involved in Kingdom Hall construction (and now inspections) for decades. They drove up to Burkina to have a look at many of the Halls here, and to train local representatives so they can continue the inspection process. So, we had the pleasure of meeting these brothers from Ouaga, plus one who had taken a 13 hour bus ride from his home in neighboring Niger and will have the responsibility of covering that whole country for the LDC! Not to forget the local brothers and sisters, of course... We had heard of the missionaries who hosted us, but had never met them. The brother is American/German and his wife is Ghanaian, so we were completely at ease speaking English the 3 days we spent with them. Besides the language, they were a pleasure to be with, showing incredible hospitality to us, even letting us drive their car to go the Kingdom Hall and the bus station.
Many from the 2 local congregations were at the Hall every single day during the inspection, ready to do anything asked of them. Additionally, teams of sisters made sure that we were well fed every day, bringing much more food than we could possibly eat. Their willing spirit was heartwarming. To top it off, both congregations were invited to be present Sunday morning, for the maintenance training. They got to benefit from the same video presentation that you have likely had in your congregation, building appreciation for their Kingdom Hall. Then, they all went to work! One team of brothers learned how to clean and grease the ceiling fans, bringing their noise down to a minimum (before this, we weren't even sure how they could hear the speaker over the terrible noise the fans made!). Another team of sisters learned how to clean the fan controls (the dust here is terrible, and easily clogs up electronics of all types). At the same time, the young brothers took all the benches outside and our hardworking sisters scrubbed and rinsed them. Finally, one more team learned how to trim the shrubs that line the parking area, including how to safely use ladders. Many of these brothers and sisters worked tirelessly, and with a smile the whole morning, which truly brought joy to our hearts. By noon, the Hall was refreshed and we were tired, at which time all the visitors and LDC reps were invited back to our host's home for lunch. This even included a surprise visitor, a recent Gilead graduate who now works in the LDC office at our branch. Finally, we made our way to the bus station, heading back to Bobo, tired but excited. It was truly a joy to be a part of this new arrangement, and we are looking forward to seeing how it continues closer to home.
Undoubtedly, this arrangement will accomplish exactly what it is designed to do, keeping our Kingdom Halls in top condition and saving the organization money. Most importantly, we are sure it will praise Jehovah's name!

Don't go away yet, scroll down for pics!