John in Burkina, 2008—Léo School of Mission Photos

This gallery contains 43 photos.

Fond memories, from the third Léo School of Mission, November 2008, photographed by good friend and associate, Andrew Taplin, who accompanied me on this trip

John in Burkina, 2005—The Full Story—Part 3

A Week in Léo

Straight after completing the RESJSED School of Mission I was met by my good friend, Pastor David Zopoula. It was great to meet up after many months of only being in touch by email. We immediately set out for Léo, hoping to make the journey before nightfall.

Progress was halted early on at one of the military-style gatehouses out of the city. It seemed to take an inordinately long time for his few documents to be checked. David said that when they stop you like that it can be that they are looking a bribe, particularly if they see you with a westerner. Eventually we got going again.

John in Burkina, 2005—The Full Story—Part 2

A Week in Ougadougou

For some reason people who are less than familiar with Africa almost inevitably chuckle when you inform them you will be visiting Ouagadougou (For the record, it is pronounced: Wa-Ga-Doo-Goo!) as if the name somehow embodies their notion of what Africa is like.

John in Burkina, 2005—The Full Story—Part 1

First: How NOT to prepare for an important trip to an already challenging destination…

Picture it.

John in Burkina, 2005—Léo School of Mission Photos

This gallery contains 64 photos.

A slideshow of photographs and a host of good memories, from the second Léo School of Mission, held August 2005 Click on an image to begin a full-screen slideshow

John in Burkina, 2005—RESJSED School of Mission Photos

This gallery contains 73 photos.

Precious memories from the RESJSED “Young Servants of God Conference” and School of Mission, Ouagadougou, 2005 I conducted this School of Mission over a five-day period, on behalf of a conference of around 250 young people, members of the Mouvement des Jeunes … Continue reading →

Léo, Burkina Faso, 2003

My first and only previous visit to Africa focussed upon the countries of the East African Rift valley and began with a hail of well-aimed bullets which ripped through the shell of the Sabena aircraft that Sarah and I were travelling in.

Before we would finally arrive at our intended location of Nakuru in the uplands of Kenya we would also spend a night in Bujumbura, Burundi, under armed military guard, our passports taken from us, and about two hours stranded in darkness on a main highway in the middle of Kenya’s bandit country.

How would I fare then, in West Africa, visiting the small, landlocked country of Burkina Faso, just south of the Sahara?

Nakuru, Kenya, 2000

In December 2000, Sarah and I flew to visit Pastor Anthony and his wife Josephine, who had organised a conference in their church, in Nakuru, in the uplands of Kenya, inviting me to teach on the subjects of Prayer, Intercession and Overcoming the Powers of Darkness.

Neither Sarah nor I had ever visited the African continent before. As our plane began to descend into Bujumbura airport (in Burundi), en route to Nairobi, a loud piercing, grating noise was emitted along with sparks of white light which could be seen out of the left hand side windows. An electrical fault? Something exploding from within the hold? People speculated about these things, as the plane came to rest safely and passengers for Bujumbura disembarked.