Tijuana 2012

I have be back in Tijuana, Mexico almost a whole month and I can't believe how the time flies. It has been an interesting and stressful month but I can see the Lord working. I have become the Director of Communication/Assistant Administrator/Mission trip Coordinator of Baja Vision Ministries and City of Angels Orphanage. It is a quite a long name for a job but it holds so much more than that! HAHA

I came down with a friend, Emily, in the middle of january- we drove 26 hours in my car- My car is holding up well here and I am so glad I have it. I asked God to give me peace while driving here and in San Diego and he has tremendously... BUT I do live with my GPS next to me at all times while driving in the US. I don't know what I would do without it.

The Orphanage has changed a lot but is still such a vibrant place that still has my heart. The other night I was sitting in the patio area while all the kids were inside watching a movie. It was dark and cold but I just wanted a little time alone. I began praying out loud for courage, strength, passion, more love, knowledge, and guidance for my life here. I know that this job is a huge responsibility and I have a lot of people relying on me. I have messed up some already in just small things but it keeps humbling me everyday haha. But I try to take every step careful with the hand of God holding mine.

We are starting up a sponsorship for the orphanage-- for each child AND some University kids that really need help. It is going to be a full time job by itself but the benefits that it will bring in will be huge! I am excited that it will make a difference in the lives of these people. I am trying really hard to help them be more organized here and to be in contact more with the supporters that we do have along with adding new ones! Sergio (the main missionary I work with) keeps saying the quote- "out of sight, out of mind" and it is tremendously true. If people don't know that there is a need how can we expect the help?

I promised the mission that I would be here until the end of year. I have no idea if I will be here longer... live in Africa for a little longer... come back I don't know but I am trusting our awesome Savior to lead me. I have to remember to enjoy where I am and take it all in. Each hug, kiss, smile, laugh and "I love you"-- I am here for the Lord. I was reminded recently of why I do missions as my full time job... It brings me the most joy I have ever experienced and I can't imagine doing anything else.

I was able to sing and speak for the youth at a church here in Tijuana called "the Arena" it is a church of like 17,000 people. We go there every Sunday. They asked me to sing 3 songs and share about my time in Africa. It was a great experience and I am going to be joining the youth worship team. It is definitely stretching my Spanish and sometimes my comfort zone. I love the friendships that I am building through it though. I know that is the main reason I am involved.

I truly believe one big reason I am here right now is to encourage the people of Tijuana. To come along side the main people of this mission and stand next to them with words of encouragement and really helping them. Also, with the youth here. I have been building some friendships with kids my own age to just talk to them... be here for them.. and to remind them of who they are in Christ. I have been extremely blessed by my times with them.

I am also leading worship every Thursday at the orphanage for our Jr. High age kids-- they are inviting kids from school to come and hear the word of God and worship. It is such a sweet time and their faith is growing more and more. I love singing in Spanish with them.

We have lots of new kids at City of Angels and they are all precious. I hope to keep everyone updated more on here at what is going on in the orphanage, the mission, and my heart. Thanks for your amazing support and prayers!

Back in the states

My last couple weeks of Burkina are still burned into my mind so clearly. With each smile and hug, my heart is constantly there. I been thanking the Lord constantly for sending me. For opening my eyes up even more and guiding me to a country that I honestly had not heard of until a year ago. I had always dreamed of my time holding little African babies, walking the streets, being in their culture, and really seeing first hand what this "Africa" was like. I know that I only saw a glimpse of life in Burkina and the other countries or even tribes of people in the same country are so different but nothing could have prepared me for my time. God is working in Africa! He really is... and I feel so blessed to be beside a ministry that is making progress and really reaching the people for Christ.

I think back to the great experiences of really hearing the children's stories. When they finally trust you enough to open up their hearts to you. It feels like I just made progress and then I was on the plane home. I feel deep in my heart that God is calling me back to the Burkina Faso. I didn't really realize that, that feeling of something missing was there until I left... it is amazing how our hearts, when they are for God, can hold so much love and compassion.

These past few weeks have been just adjusting to the time change and catching up with friends. Sharing with them crazy stories- that truly I can't believe myself and i experienced them. I wanted to thank everyone so much for their support and prayers. And I ask you to continue to pray for me--  for my heart. I know God is working even with my time at home and I am moving onto the next step of life.

I move to Tijuana, Mexico on January 16th for at least a year.  I will be doing administration and group coordination for the mission that I have been working with for the past like 4 years. I miss my mexican kids and it seems surreal that in a few weeks I will be hugging them all again. I am not super "excited" about the new job as I am just running around like crazy trying to get caught up and learning everything. I don't know if this is my heart-- I know it is a need that needs to be filled but I keep thinking am I truly the person that God has called for this for a long extended period of time. I am playing it day by day hoping God will reveal to me exactly what He wants.

I wanted to end with my last days-- it was my last night in Burkina and we got all the kids in the orphanage together for a meal. It was a great time of fellowship and at the end they asked if anyone wanted to say a few words. Different children stood up and I was strong not to cry. I kept wanting to say--- you have all blessed me more than I could have ever blessed you. They gave me a notebook of letters- thanking me for my time. The next morning i woke up early to hug them all goodbye before they left for school. I stayed strong until 7 year old Jonas came to sit on my lap, the thought that tomorrow I can't wake up and hold you like I did everyday. Tears streamed down my face and he looked at me with a concern-- then he said, WHY!? Why are you crying?? please stop because it makes me sad. So I pulled myself together and made it through all the rest of the kids. It was almost time to leave and I knew it was time to say goodbye to Barthelemy, a young man that has become one of my best friends in my life. I hugged him and someone handed me the notebook of letters. I walked back into the house bawling my eyes out. It is so much harder to leave them... for they are so much farther away. And im not sure when exactly I can come back.

Burkina transformed my heart. It made me find more of myself in Christ and made me discover more of what breaks Gods heart everyday.

Overflowing Joy

You know when your heart is torn and you don't know exactly what you are suppose to do? I am leaving in around two weeks to go home. I am excited to hug my family and friends but leaving the wonderful people I have fallen in love with is eating away at my heart. I don't know if it has hit me yet that I don't know if I will ever see some of these children again, especially the babies. I was just walking by the baby area and the toddlers starting yelling at me to come over. They began to show off and scream in their little baby talk. When I hold them I think of their stories... abandonment, orphaned, unwanted, and a lot with mentally ill mothers. The thought of, "their families have no idea what they are missing! The kids have such hilarious personalities and have become such a delight." I am so grateful for places like this orphanage that can give these children food, shelter, love, and care for as long as they can. Some of the babies can be adopted out and it brings such joy to think that they will be individual loved and cared for. We pray each night for their families and that the children will grow up knowing of our loving Savior.

The director and two german girls who I stay with were all gone for the past couple of days so I have been by myself in our house and just enjoying the time with the orphanage children. This morning I was the only white person in church and I was able to sing in the french choir and sing a special song with some of our kids from the orphanage. Church here is such a joyful experience. I believe that they see God for who He really is... our big creator that can do anything and will take care of everything! The christians here pray with such passion, sing at the top of their lungs and dance with sweet joy. I was telling some of the older boys in the orphanage last night that church at home is a totally different experience. They said, what do you mean church is only like an hour long? And you don't really dance in church? I was convicted because I don't find myself joyfully dancing for Jesus very often. What are we missing? I want this overflowing joy and unstoppable faith that can move mountains.

This past week has been really difficult on my heart, yet the Lord is so faithful and through little glimpses I can see His will taking root more in my life. I love Africa- the culture, people, and I can see such a need that I want to help with. One day, I feel maybe the Lord will call me here for a longer period of time. I know my life is completely in His hands!

I can see God working so much here in Burkina. Even though Islam is the main religion and you see people praying in the streets on their mats for their "rituals" trying to earn their way to what they think is paradise. I see such desperation and I do see that when people receive Christ here, their lives are completely changed. Its something I know even myself, need to learn. I love Jesus so much... but do I trust Him completely for every little thing? The poverty here is so evident but the people are just like.. this is our life. We don't have much... but do we really need much? In an average family here- they would live in a sod like house and they would sleep on woven plastic mats on a concrete or dirt floor. They wouldn't have furniture but maybe like a bench or chair and they wouldn't have many clothes.. but just enough to live.

I was asking some of the kids last night about if they saw a lot of white people when they were little in living in the village. They said, every once in awhile they would see one and they were so happy. They would scream "white person" and "candy."  Also, they remember when they would see a car and how happy they were to see one of those! haha It made me smile to think of how simple life was in that. Playing in the dirt with rocks and running around chasing old bike tires.


The people I have been blessed enough to meet so far are just amazing. Thank you Lord Jesus for changing my life even more... I feel that I am becoming more of who You created me to be.

Meeting David...

David

On Tuesday of this week I left early in the morning with our director and social worker to pick up a young boy named David. About two and half hours from the village where we live through long dirt roads and way off form everything we come upon the orphanage where he is being taken care of. The children ran to us to shake our hands and a boy around 9-10 years old came up and just held my hand as I walked around to the house. Then he said, I am David. He was excited to go with us and we took his care-taker as well. We began the journey of going to the eye doctor in the capital city called Ouagadougou to see what his vision was really like. He was so patient the entire time and his sweet smile melted my heart. I was struck by how beautiful he really was and they told me that he had never been in school, we don't really know his real age, and if his eye sight is really horrible that it is going to be even more difficult to place him into a family for adoption. I want to badly to adopt! It eats at my heart almost everyday that I am here.

After the doctors office we got the news that he was almost completely blind and that his optic nerve had been damaged and there was no way to re-pair it. In that moment, I knew that there was a special family out there that was going to take this boy! I said, he will be a challenge but we really need a family that wants to make a difference and give a child a life. He is so gentle, sweet, and precious.. I know that if people met him that they would fall in love with him just like I did. Please come along side us in prayer for this sweet boy.

Faical and I

The Lord everyday seems to put new things on my heart and challenge me to be more of His. I have loved my moments here with the children and beautiful people of Burkina Faso. Lately, I learned how to say "I love you" in the tribal language and I know the kids probably don't hear that very often but I still don't hesitate to say it :) This last sunday as I was walking home from church with the kids one of the little boys named Faical, who is 13 years old whispered in my ear, in the tribal language, "I love you so much" my heart just melted and I knew THIS is the love of God! This is it! That is this amazing feeling down into my soul that makes me want to jump for joy. Another young boy named Jonas who is 7 years old always brings a huge smile upon my face as I see his little stature run to me the moment I walk into his eye sight. He hugs me so tight, kisses me on the cheek, and says, I love you. I know that God is showing me how much He adores me and loves me through these people.


Unworthiness seems to always capture me whenever I am around the children. But I think God does that so I won't take them for granted. I love them all so much. Thank you for all your prayers and support. The Lord is so good and I have around 5 weeks left here in Africa. Time just goes so fast! It is going to hurt me to leave and I find myself in tears already thinking of that time BUT I am reminded that "Our God is as faithful as the rising sun"- Chris Tomlin.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. - 1 Peter 2:9

Honestly Indescribable

In all seriousness so much has been happening and I feel bad for not writing. God has been working on every bit of my heart and I feel so unworthy to even be in the presence of the wonderful people of Burkina Faso. Last week all of the kids came back to the orphanage because the school year has started. So, I was finally able to truly meet everyone and I have fallen in love! They definitely have captured my heart and have left a long lasting impression. Sheltering Wings Orphanage has a lot of young men who are going to school and some are even in their 20s and are still in high school for various reasons. But the first day I was really able to meet them and spend time with them, we sat down and started playing music together. They LOVE music... it seems that most of them are talented and are so eager to learn more. Many have asked me to help them learn piano, guitar, and more vocals. So, I have been growing in relationships with them as we work and spend the time together.

I have been able to sing in church the past two sundays with the German girls and this past week a couple of the boys joined us! It was amazing. And one of the girls and I joined the French Choir in church. Its crazy because I don't really speak french.. haha.  Church is an all together interesting and long experience in itself. It is usually 2 1/2 to 3 hours long with SO much music... and their dancing is so different but amazing. I really love how open they are to let us join in and also share a song in English. :)

Every Tuesday night is a student lead prayer night with a little sermon and some music. So, tonight the kids got all together with their drums and sang praises to our great God in "Moore" their tribal language. It is such a great experience as they honestly sing as LOUD as they can to the Lord haha. One of our little boys named Jonas who is 7 years old, did a little dance that was absolutely adorable!


Then after some songs a young man named Bartholemy stood up with a guitar, looked up and said Praise the Lord (in Moore) and sang an amazing powerful song that HE WROTE! I was in awe as his sweet voice came so alive and everyone listened. It was so great- I thought, i want to take you home and share you with everyone!! :) Hearing him praise God in 'Moore' was honestly indescribable. Then they said, okay Tenielle, its your turn to sing a song. hahaha I was like what? okay... what song? and after that? So, I sang How Great is Our God. They all smiled and clapped. During the sermon one of the older boys came over and translated it all for me. They are so respectful and thoughtful in that way. Always making sure I am taken care of and feel comfortable there.

Ferdinand is the one in black :) 

I have been enjoying myself a lot as I grow in friendships with these amazing people. They keep asking me: when will you come back to Burkina? And how can we contact you when you leave? I am praying more and more about coming back maybe in a year or so :) We are still trying really hard to get all our kids sponsored for school.. its $35 a month and there is an amazing beautiful little boy named Ferdinand who is 11 and needs to be adopted! we are praying for the right family to take in this gorgeous boy. Contact me if you are interested in helping in anyway tenielle_lytle@hotmail.com :)

thank you for all your prayers God is faithful and working!!! :) I love Africa very much and I am trying to take in all the sweet moments. From delivering food and soap to widows around the village, doing bible clubs for village kids, trying to give medicine to sick children in the mobile clinic, hugging one of the babies or just helping our kids with homework! God is working!

Living for moments like these...

Honesty… Reality… getting out of your comfort zone… waking up to what really God wants for your life… stop being selfish… being confident in who I really am… these are thoughts that keep running through my mind. I want to be something more for the kingdom of God and make a difference in peoples lives. Am I really following the will of God for my life?

Today I was able to go to a nearby village with some people to put on a little bible school for the kids. It was an amazing experience and it made me realize that I am in the right place. The moment we pulled up the kids were waving and screaming in excitement. I stepped out of the car and began shaking hands with about 30 kids. They brought chairs out for us and we sat under this shaded area. I counted almost 60 kids sitting on benches with big smiles on their faces.  I started to take pictures and just watched as the Pastor (who we brought with us) lead some songs in their tribal language and the kids were so excited. They danced, clapped, and sang with such joy.

The Pastor told the kids how Jesus is with them and is their friend. When he was done the kids were able to do a craft. They were supposed to draw a picture of them with Jesus. It was adorable to see their faces light up when they saw markers- they never get to use markers or crayons or do art projects. A little girl was beside who was probably 4 years old and I motioned her to come to me. She had no idea even how to hold the marker so I put her hand in mine and we drew a picture of her with Jesus. She smiled and kept that picture close to her. I walked around and told the kids that their pictures were beautiful and took some more pictures. Then we got to take a picture with them. They all piled up with two girls from Germany (who I am serving with) and I.

After we finished the service the Pastor of the village had us come into the dirt floored church to drink coffee and eat bread. The Pastor who came with us started asking us questions like where are you from and what not. He translated for the village Pastor in thanking us for our time. I started to tear up as I said it was a pleasure and blessing to even be in the presence of these children. They asked me how long I was staying and I told them that after this trip that I will be moving back to Mexico. The village Pastor said, “we need a full-time missionary here in this village.” My heart ached from that comment—So, many people need help but so many of us are not answering the call that God is sending.

I started talking the Germany girls, Anne and Judith, and I told them that if God told me to move to a village here that I would but that I would need His complete strength to do it because they do not have electricity or running water… and you would be living in a hut with a dirt floor constantly. That would very much out of a comfort zone. I am honestly open to whatever God has in store for my life and He will reveal to me even more in time exactly what He has. I need to keep remembering to live for today and not just for tomorrow. Moments like today with those kids in the village or hugging the babies in the baby room are the moments I live for. 

My mom and I decided to sponsor one of the babies from this orphanage and I love her so much. Her name is Marie and my heart just melts every time I see her. So many of these children need sponsored on a monthly basis so they can have food, clothes, medical care, and go to school. Pray about what God is laying on your heart. I am really working hard on trying to get people to sponsor these beautiful children and to help this orphanage/ministry.

God is here and working. Islam is HUGE here in Burkina Faso. I heard that about 85% of the country is Muslim. The other day I was in the capital and I saw streets that were blocked off and hundreds of people were kneeling on mats in lines praying to their god. It was intense to see. Every night we hear a Muslim man praying loudly in a microphone system of some sort from a temple nearby the orphanage.

I praise the Lord that He brought me here. I can feel that He has a plan. Thank you for your prayers. God is good and faithful. My selfishness gets a hold of me sometimes and I think ahhhh it’s hot and I am so sweaty… or why am I sick… Or I am tired of getting bug bites… or I wish that I could have a diet coke haha but I keep remembering that I am here for the Lord and I don’t need anything but Him.

“Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.”- Ephesians 6:10

My first days in Burkina Faso, Africa!

On Friday September 9^th I headed out of Omaha to my first connecting flight in Chicago. My first flight was delayed for a while but I had a long enough lay over in Chicago that it didn’t affect me much. Then from Chicago it took me to Brussels Belgium. It was a long plane ride but surprisingly not to bad. On that plane a Children’s choir from Uganda joined us and sang for us during the end of the trip. It was pretty amazing and the kids were adorable. As we were flying into Belgium I saw how incredible green it was and the beautiful stone old houses. I waited for a little while in the airport and couldn’t really talk to anyone because it seemed no one spoke English.  I stepped on the plane that was going to fly me to Africa and it still hadn’t hit me yet.

The person I sat by was a middle aged Belgium man who was going to Africa as a director for a government film. We talked for a long time about everything. I asked him about the spiritual aspect of Belgium. He was telling me how their heritage was Catholic and most people would consider themselves Catholic but only go to church for funerals and weddings. He said I think that the church is in important for tradition and heritage but I don’t believe in God. My heart broke… he shared how most people in Belgium don’t feel a need for God or that religion is important. He said there are very few Christian Churches but he had visited them before and enjoyed them more because it was like more of a family and not just rituals. He said, In America it seems religion is was more important to people than here. My heart was aching as I saw just a glimpse of the darkness of Europe. I had heard about it before… how people really don’t know Jesus. Most are not physically hungry but definitely spiritually.

At that moment I sat there thinking… my heart is breaking and I haven’t even made it to my “destination” and I felt a strong vibe that I wanted to do more. I thought, Lord are you calling me to help the spiritually lost in Europe? Are you just opening my eyes up even more? What is this pain I feel so deeply? The song “Hosanna” by Hillsong came into my mind where it says, “Break my heart for what breaks yours” and I felt that in that moment. I know that I can’t myself feed every hungry person, hold every orphan, or reach every one that is lost BUT I can help as many as possible and challenge people to GO!

Why aren’t more people willing to step up for the name of Jesus? I feel that its selfishness, being scared, and never opening your heart completely to be willing. Every one of us has a calling whether it is in the states or in a foreign country BUT most are not listening to the voice of God. He is not just calling some but every one has a purpose in the Kingdom of God. He said for all of us to GO and make disciples… not just some.

I stepped off the plane into Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso and it was 95 degrees out and this red dirt coating everything. I got my bags and was bombarded by all these men trying to sell me things or trying to get me to pay them for helping me with my bags. I found Ruth, the director of the orphanage, and we headed to the car. Young men followed us all the way trying to help us so they could get paid. Finally we let one lift things up into the car and it was super intense. As we drove around I couldn’t believe the amount of people on bikes and motorcycles, they lined the streets. It was a bit overwhelming and honestly not real yet even though I was finally here. My dream of Africa was in front of my eyes and I was surrounded by these beautiful black people carrying things on their heads, riding in carts pulled by donkeys, and selling things on every corner.

A lot of things reminded me of Mexico in how they do things but stuff was very different too. Ruth and I started talking about the culture and it is very male dominant. Women really have no value whatsoever and they have to summit. Men will seriously ask a woman to be his wife and they have no dating process. She shared that I will probably be proposed to often and that I need to be careful because these men want a white wife.

A lot of people are Muslim here and very few have an Education. Most women have never been to school or they only went for a few years. They don’t want their women to have a mind of their own. Ruth and I have been staying here in the city for a few days getting some things done and having this house fixed up for missionaries that come into town. We have work crews of African men coming in to fix things. Yesterday one of them was trying to talk to me. I was trying to explain that I don’t speak French or the tribal language. He didn’t care he just wanted to really talk to me. Ruth translated something he said and he had asked if I was going to be here tomorrow. She told him yes and we laughed that his hopes were going to be up. Today he came back with some of the other workers and they asked if I would like to be this guys’ wife. I was like NOPE! I’m all good and I’m taken! Which is a lie in one sense but I guess I am taken by Jesus Christ. I am on my 6th day and I have already had lots of men give me looks and attention. It is a little intimidating and gross actually. We can’t even speak the same language and they want you.

The other night I was able to go with Ruth and another girl who stays here named, Becky, to the United States Embassy for Burkina Faso. We went to a meeting and got to talk with the Embassador and main workers. It was amazing actually. The people were extremely nice and want to help the orphanage. They also tried to talk mostly Becky into coming to work for an Embassy. They talked about the highlights of the work and all you get to do. It sounds super exciting and a great opportunity to help people and travel.

I have enjoyed my time so much already and I know God is working. My heart goes out for these people. I found out that in this culture they are not huggers, which is hard for me since it is one of my favorite things to do. And I always want to hug the children especially. It’s going to be an interesting time to be in such a different culture and to meet all these interesting people.

I have been now at the orphanage for like a day and a half. It has been a great time of holding beautiful babies, whom most are sick with Malaria, and getting to know the workers. J I was able to sing today with the lady baby caretakers. They sang in Morre (their tribal language) and I sang in English- Amazing Grace and How great Thou Art. The village I live in is called Yako and it definitely looks like the site I thought Africa would look like- farm animals running the dirt roads… houses made of sticks and mud… naked children running around… and so much more.