Rasmata is going to have twins!

Now we are going to talk a little about Rakieta's family. Rakieta is Muslim when she is in Africa. However, the lady she lives with is Christian and so are we. Rakieta enjoys being Christian too. Luckily we are all Roman Catholic so this makes things very easy for communication and customs. Delilah and Stephanie and their family are Roman Catholic also. In Burkina, all the different faiths blend. There are 3 primarily. Muslimism, Christianity and Animism which is the old tribal ways. Most Burkanabes are comfortable in all the different religious customs. Rakieta explained to me that "they aren't like the white Muslims (meaning Middle Eastern). They are lazy." I am not sure about that, but I know they love to celebrate and have "big food." Consequently they, no matter what the religion, love to get together

Rakieta's older sister married a Christian man. His name is Fidel. They have one small son whose name is Regis. Now Rasmata is expecting twins in late October. Medical care is improving quickly over there. Rasmata received an ultrasound which confirmed twin boys. Rakieta was ecstatic when I read her the e-mail. Sometimes news travels faster from Burkina to Michigan and back again than it does just across Ouagadougou.

Rasmata is Rakieta's older sister and the only one by this father. Rakieta's mother has had 3 husbands. The first man was pretty wealthy but she was the youngest wife. The youngest wife many times is the favorite of the husband, but is treated poorly by the other wives. In that part of Africa the men can have 4 wives at one time. She had several daughters by this man. Eventually she left him and married Rasmata's father. They had one child. Rasmata. They divorced. Later she married Rakieta's father. He is a very loving man, but not as wealthy. With him, Rakieta's mother had 4 more children. Rakieta's mother is the senior wife with this man.

Rasmata has been a godsend for her sister and whole family. She is the one who wrote to us to begin with. She is the one who learned to use the Internet to communicate. She is the one who would translate from French to Mor'e and back again to make sure documents were gotten together, etc to help Rakieta. Rasmata has run her sister to the doctor, no easy task in this country, she has kept the mail going, she makes sure her mother gets her allowance and all kinds of things. Rasmata is really a very good big sister.

Fidel is an apprentice for the growing film industry there. He used to work for a bank. They do ok for themselves. Rasmata wants to be a nurse someday.
They have asked for a small digital camera to send pictures to us with. Matt and Jeni have taken on the project of finding a good value for them.