Living in a village of Burkina Faso, I am often reminded of what life must have been like in Biblical times. The typical Burkinabé living in the village has no electricity and consequently no refrigeration or cooling system for their one room house. There is no running water or indoor plumbing, and many women have to walk long distances to bring water from the well by carrying the containers of water on their heads. There is no wide variety of foods (as we are accustomed to) from which to choose and even if there are food choices, Burkinabés living in the village are too poor to buy them. Their meals are prepared outside in big metal pots, which are heated by burning tree branches. Any leftover food must be eaten at the next meal because of lack of refrigeration. It reminds me of the manna that God provided the Israelites, which had to be eaten the same day. They wash what clothes they have by hand and place them on tree bushes or fences to dry.

Just the other day, I had the opportunity to experience what occurs during the end of the harvest season. The grain stalks were cut down by hand and the men proceeded to pound the stalks. This is known as threshing—a process where the men use large sticks to pound the stalks until the small grains fall off. Second Kings 13:7 speaks of the King of Syria who had destroyed the armies of Judah and "made them like the dust at threshing." I can assure you there is plenty of dust as a result of the threshing process—so much so that one needs a mask to cover his mouth and nose.

After threshing, the women winnow the grain by hand—that is they divide the non-edible portions from the grain. In order for this process to occur, there must be a good breeze that will blow away the non-edible portion yet keep the good grain. To winnow, the women take a bowl of threshed grain, raise it over their heads and pour into another bowl or wheelbarrow below on the ground. The wind will blow away any non-edible portion and the good grains will fall into the bowl below. Isaiah speaks of the winnowing process when he said, "You shall winnow them, the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them …" (Isaiah 41:16).

After the grain has been threshed and winnowed, whatever remains is placed into large sacks, and this becomes their subsistence for the year. It requires a lot of hard work to produce even one bag of grain and in a good year, 25 to 30 sacks are filled. This year's harvest will most likely produce 7 to 12 sacks, which could mean a shortage of food by January. In spite of the hard life a Burkinabé faces, you notice people who are happy and enjoy life.

Christian Burkinabés love the Lord, not because of what He can give them, but because of God's goodness, grace and mercy. Reflecting on their lives gives me pause to stop complaining when the electricity goes off and fans cease, or when my refrigerated water is not as cold as I would like it to be. God is winnowing and carrying away that desire to have "stuff" by threshing out and developing those qualities that will glorify Him. He is teaching me to live with less and appreciate what I do have. It is not about my comfort or wants but about serving Him. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 reminds us, "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Pray

• Praise God for the rains he sent that produced a harvest.
• Pray for wisdom and discernment for Marian and the SIM Burkina team as they seek to meet the many needs of those around them.
Pray that God will continue to draw the Burkinabé people to himself.

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