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School's out for now -- Missionary family home from Africa
McCOOK, Neb. — It may not have been first class, but Barto and Tenielle Yelkouni, missionaries from Burkina Faso, West Africa, were thrilled just the same with the recent emergency flight they took to get to Nebraska.
“They told us to bring ear plugs, blankets and snacks,” Tenielle said over the phone on the 21-hour flight on a stripped-down cargo plane. She and Barto, as well as their three daughters, Briella, 3 1/2, Lilya, 2 and Felicity, 10 months, are finishing up their two week self-quarantine at her parent’s home in McCook, where they’ll stay until the end of summer.
With the help of donations, the Yelkouni’s have built a school, a drinking well and home in Burkina Faso, with construction of another secondary school under way. In late March, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the country closed down all the schools, its borders, as well as transportation. The Yelkouni’s had been planning to leave at the end of March but the flights they booked had been cancelled three times. Options looked limited, until her brother told her that U.S.Vice President Mike Pence said on Twitter that any U.S. citizen or permanent resident in foreign countries should contact the U.S. Embassy in the county they resided. Tenielle did just that and made arrangements for she and her family to board a medical evacuation flight, scheduled to leave in two days from the state capital, about three hours away.
The U.S. embassy took care of passports and related paperwork, she said. The cargo plane held 54 people, along with the Yelkouni’s, and made stops in Liberia for more U.S. citizens and in Portugal for a new pilot and fuel. The blankets came in handy as it was cool in the cargo plane and the crew handed out earplugs for the noise, Tenielle said. There were a few windows and a bathroom, with medical personnel on the flight encased in hazmat suits while checking temperatures.
Traveling with three little kids under the age of 5 wasn’t hard, Tenielle maintained, as the kids kept themselves busy with an i-Pad and lots of napping. There was also a small area in the middle of the plane where the children could stand and move around a bit, she said. “They’re used to travel,” Tenielle said, with the oldest already making the trip from West Africa to Nebraska at least five times.
After landing in Washington, D.C., they all had health screenings and their temperatures checked. Since they missed their connecting flight, they had to spend the night and the next day, they flew to Denver.
Once in McCook, her father, Tim Lytle, who works for the state, moved to a motel to live until the family’s self quarantine was completed, just to be on the safe side, Tenielle said. He’d stop by and talk to the grandkids through the glass door and leave groceries for the family on the back porch.
Despite being in Nebraska, the school the Yelkouni’s started is not far from their minds. The concept of pre-school in Burkina Faso is that it’s more for the upper class because it’s expensive, so getting the parents to buy into early education is important, Tenielle said.
They must be doing something right, as the school has 300 students and 12 teachers, with 400 students already enrolled next year for both schools. There are two teachers for 40-60 kids, she said, admitting that it sounds like a lot for one teacher, except in nearby schools, there are sometimes 100 kids per teacher. “We just have to be patient and love them a lot, “ she said.
The students have no toys other than what is handmade, Tenielle said, who is hoping to bring back with her extra school supplies and learning toys. Children learn the alphabet in the village language, Moore, pronounced “Moray,” as well as in French, the country’s official language. As a way of investing in their kids, parents bring in dried beans, millet, and wood for cooking, with the rest of the food supplied by the school, she said.
Although terrorism attacks are always a threat, Tenielle said they take their cue from what she heard another missionary say. “The safest place for me to be is in the center of God’s will. If He tells us we’re not suppose to go there, we won’t,” she said.
They also have nothing but gratitude for those who have supported their ministry and help sustain the school, as well as to the U.S. government. “We are incredibly grateful to the United States government and to Vice President Mike Pence, everyone was so nice and helpful.”
Sponsorship of a classroom is $50 per month, that helps provide school supplies, the lunch program and teacher’s wages at the school. Checks can be sent to Shepherds Way, P.O. Box 914, McCook NE 69001. Their facebook page is “Love by God Ministries” and their email is theyelkounis@gmail.com.