Jan. 09, 2004
Dear Friends,
We hope you have all had a happy holiday time and are now looking at great prospects for 2004.
We are back in Yendi now after two weeks of almost constant travel. Thank you so much for your prayers. Our holiday to Burkina Faso was very refreshing. The missionaries with whom we stayed were extremely hospitable, and we had a relaxing vacation in the small town of Dano. It was a really nice way to spend our last Christmas in West Africa.
We noted that someone touring West Africa from America might not see many differences, but coming from Ghana, the atmosphere of Ouagadougou was surprisingly foreign to us. The streets are filled with mopeds instead of taxis, and the people riding them usually wear colorful dust-masks to protect their lungs from the Harmattan dust and diesel fumes. Others wear traditional combination turban/scarves with a final wrap across the mouth and nose as a filter. "Hawkers" sell their wares in the city streets, but they seemed far less aggressive than their Ghanaian counterparts. We saw Christmas decorations and heard Christmas music blaring in French and English ("Let It Snow"?!). Shops were even open longer hours because it was close to Christmas. Having spent the past four Christmases in the "Muslim North" of Ghana, we were a bit overwhelmed.
Outside the city Burkina was different, as well. The women still carry their babies on their backs and their loads on their heads, but they are almost as likely to have a bicycle or moped as their male counterparts, and heavy loads, like water, are more often pushed in large barrels on wheels or set into larger carts pulled by donkeys. Wood is so expensive (unlike Ghana, they have few or no forests) that window shutters are made of metal. Even village huts often had metal doors, sometimes formed from corrugated roofing sheets.
We were thrilled to learn upon our return that Samson Laar is back in Yendi and doing very well after his stroke. When we were still approaching his house he raised his right hand high in a wave of greeting. His right arm was limp and motionless the last time we had seen him. After talking with him for a while we learned that his recovery is already very nearly complete. He still has some difficulties and tires quickly, but says he is seeing improvements every day. We thank you for your prayers and hope you will share with Samson in praising God for the healing that we have already seen.
May God Bless you richly in 2004,
The Benskin Family
1st quarter 2005:
HTML
MSWord
3rd quarter 2004:
HTML
MSWord
2nd quarter 2004:
HTML
MSWord
1st quarter 2004:
HTML
MSWord
4th quarter 2003:
HTML
MSWord
3rd quarter 2003:
HTML
MSWord
2nd quarter 2003:
HTML
MSWord
1st quarter 2003:
HTML
MSWord
4th quarter 2002:
HTML
MSWord:
page 1
page 2
page 3
page 4
3rd quarter 2002:
HTML
MSWord
May 2002:
HTML
MSWord
February 2002
December 2001
October 2001
May 2001
February 2001
November 2000
August 2000
Jan. 09, 2004: Greetings from the Benskins
Oct. 15, 2003: Prayers of Thanksgiving
Aug. 12, 2003: Tamale Hospital
Jul. 17, 2003: Great Visitors!
Mar. 10, 2003: Furlough
Jan. 07, 2003: New Year's Greetings
Dec. 01, 2002: Thanksgiving
Oct. 19, 2002: A Glorious Day
Jul. 28, 2002: Campaign
Jul. 02, 2002: PHCW course resumed
May 6 & 10, 2002: The Tata
May 01, 2002: Change of Seasons
Apr. 12, 2002: Home again
Mar. 29, 2002: Yendi News
Mar. 13, 2002: Rain!!
Feb. 01, 2002: Tamale
Jan. 03, 2002: New Year Greeting & update
Dec. 12, 2001: a Christmas Message
Nov. 08, 2001: Yendi Projects
Sep. 24, 2001: Ghanaian reaction to 9-11
Dec. 09, 2000: Yendi Update
Nov. 13, 2000: One Year in Ghana
Oct. 18, 2000: Benskin Family Update
Oct. 10, 2000: Attachments
Oct. 05, 2000: PHCW Course Completed
Sep. 23, 2000: Prayer Update
Sep. 04, 2000:
Aug. 15, 2000: Benskins re-united