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Burkina Faso

Ok, I've been wanting to share this story, so I guess now is as good a time as any, right? It's a story of God's great love and mysterious workings...lol. It's funny, amazing, sad, and yet inspiring. I'm hopeful for the ending, but I will wait patiently for what God has in store for me.
Fasten your seatbelts OR grab some popcorn, because this story is crrrraaazzzyyyy....

"Ok, the name of the country north of Ghana is Burkina Faso. (Pronounced: Bur-key-na Fah-so)
So, it was in early June of 2007 (around two weeks before a minister from our church fellowship named Pastor Tetteevi (sp?) came to our church for a revival) that I first heard from God the words Burkina Faso. I didn't know at the time if it was from God. I just thought I had heard something from a movie or something else on my mind, because I kept on saying it. It would constantly be in my heart and continually in my mind. So much so, that I would catch myself just saying Burkina Faso for no reason at all other than that it was growing on me and I liked the way it sounded.
This foreign word (foreign to me) was picking at my curiosity. I had a couple of "theories" as to what it might be. Burkina Faso sounds like a foreign actress' name so I thought that was what it was. But then I heard from God and this time I knew it was from God and he confirmed it was a country to me. Initially, I thought it was a country in South America. So, once and for all, I would stop the guessing and look the word up online.
The strangest thing, or I should say the most amazing thing (because God works in mysterious ways doesn't he?) was that I knew how to spell the name Burkina Faso. I had never seen or even heard about it before all this, but I knew how to spell it. God is so amazing! I immediately looked it up and found out that it was a country, but not in South America - in Africa.
This was very interesting since we were having Pastor Tetteevi next week for a 3 day revival and he was from Africa. Was God trying to tell me something? Little did I know, he was doing more than just "trying to tell me something?".
So, I found out so many things about Burkina Faso. The most ironic, or not?, was that it was located just north of Ghana. Once again, my God is so amazing! Here we were, about to hear from a Ghanaian minister. God knew and already preordained this all. lol.
That night, I dreamed a dream that I can still see and remember vividly. I knew it was a dream from God. The dream was of me, Tisha, and Rey in Burkina Faso. Rey was building a school and LaTisha was teaching the women there on how to teach. I was just in a daze and floating here and there helping out with everything and never wanting this dream to end. But it eventually did.
In my dream, the three of us were preparing for an extension of our church school in this country. It was an exciting time. I remember a kind of like opening ceremony for our church school there. They were a part of Desire the Fire Ministries.
So, I looked up Burkina Faso more in depth the next day. I wanted to find out about this country. If anyone knows me real well, they know that once I get something in me, I have to know everything about it. lol. I have to learn the language (or try to) before a missions trip. I have to learn about their stats of a country as a whole. And that's when I found out two important things. Both of them foreshadowed in my dream.
The first thing I learned about was the language they spoke. They speak primarily French. This would not have been that special had it not been for the dream. In the dream my sister was teaching the women on how to teach. This is amazing, because of my sister's choice of language study in high-school. You know, where we live, it would be more beneficial and convenient to have learned Spanish like I did. However, she chose French! My mom put that together immediately.
The second thing I learned about Burkina Faso would "seal the deal" that God wanted me to go there. I mean how many more amazing, ironic, coincidental facts did I need before I knew that this was a country that God is leading me to? lol. It was then I found out that Burkina Faso was the most illiterate country in the world! It only has a 12.8% rate of literacy. (It has since 2007 gained more literacy percentage, however the demand for better educational resources is still needed greatly.) The dream was all about education...Rey building the school, LaTisha teaching. God is amazing! And I can't say that enough.
So Pastor and Sister Tetteevi came to our church, along with Bro. Chapel (at that time our church's fellowship P.A.G.A.'s ambassador to Africa) as their host. I had the chance of telling them about all that had happened. They were surprised as only ministers working in the prophetic can be...lol. They knew that I would be going to Ghana one day. Then my dad said something I will never forget. "God gave this dream to you as a foreshadow of what will be. So, don't try to find your way there...let God lead you there. If it means going somewhere that doesn't quite really make sense then you go and let God lead you. Only go where God leads. Some time he leads to places that don’t make sense but in His plan it all makes sense and works together. You may meet someone from Burkina Faso or knows something or someone in that country. The most important thing is to let God lead you." Simple advice, but something I needed to hear. Or else I would've tried to do it on my own, because of the excitement...lol.
One thing after another seemed to point to Burkina Faso. As if all that wasn't enough, on Amazing Race that season, one of the stops was for Burkina Faso - and at a school no less! AT A SCHOOL - where they were learning the language! My mom and me just looked at each other and laughed. What more can you do in that situation. lol.

It doesn't stop there. I was supposed to go to Africa this past fall of 2008. However, financially I didn't get quite all I was supposed to get. AND there was a major civil war, so I believe that when the time is right, God will open all the doors for me to go.
This coming fall, I was asked to go to Africa, but on the eastern side (Tanzania and other places, Burkina Faso is on the western coast). I know that if it is God's will, he will provide a way for me to go. And not only that, but like my dad said to me all that months ago before the Ghananian minster came to our church, "...If it means going somewhere that doesn't quite really make sense then you go and let God lead you..." If by going to Tanzania leads me to Burkina Faso, then I will go - only if it is God who is leading me to do so."
Well, that is my story. lol. Until I go, I will dream of being among the Burkinabe people. Only going where God leads to get to the fruition of that dream. Thanks for reading my novel...lol.
Love and Prayers,
Tiffany

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