by Sarah Stillion

If you watch "The Amazing Race," you might have heard of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso—and perhaps you even got a small glimpse of everyday life for Bethany’s Jane Gunningham. She has been serving with World Concern in West Africa’s Sahel desert for two years, and it’s clear she has embarked on a marathon.

World Concern sees doors opening in Burkina Faso with the Fulani people group, the largest semi-nomadic Muslim group in the world. They live by raising cattle, but are sometimes subject to forced relocation in disputes over land and ethnicity. In one village, Boussouma, World Concern hopes to establish a project to promote peace between the Fulani and the Bissa (another ethnic group) and help settle land disputes through agricultural, environmental, and economic development.

Jane asks us to pray for Boussouma and other aspects of her work in Burkina Faso:

• To get logistical challenges and obtain approvals on beginning projects.
  
• To find a new veterinarian to take the place of the Christian vet who is retiring.
  
• To locate a community development specialist to join the team, someone who has experience with nomadic
  pastoralists.
  
• To build trust with all the local leaders involved.
  
• To gather materials and experienced people needed to establish clean water, sanitation, health, education, etc.
  
• To develop durable financing.

This race has no end in sight, but pray that Jane can keep her eyes on the prize beyond the finish line.