MCCOOK, Neb. — Two missionaries who have spent the last nine months building a school and educating villagers in Burkina Faso, West Africa are now back in the United States following the spread of the coronavirus overseas.

"It's something that we have never seen before," said Missionary, Barto Yelkouni.

As full-time missionaries in Burkina Faso, West Africa, Barto and Tenielle Yelkouni have been faced with some difficult decisions.

"It was something that all the country was not ready for and the way that the virus can spread, our country is really exposed to it," said Barto.

After The World Health Organization reported just over three hundred confirmed cases of coronavirus, the Yelkouni's said their local government asked them to shut down their school, just five months into their first year.

"What was really difficult was that we had to let our kids go and they're not able to learn everything that we wanted them to for this year and we don't know what the government's going to do," said Barto's wife, Tenielle.

But their hardship doesn't stop there.

As the couple had planned to come home to the states, Africa was put on lock down and all methods of transportation were ceased.

"We were trying to figure everything, our plans while everything was cancelled and we received a message from the U.S. Embassy in Burkina that they were doing a medical leave flight that if any U.S. citizens or permanent residents wanted to leave they could get out," said Tenielle.

Now back in the states, the Yelkounis are self-quarantining inside of their home in McCook, all while trying to figure out what to do next with their ministry.

"You know we are not able to visit people who are a big part of this ministry, to make it happen. So, that was also a disappointing thing especially for us because you know we're not able to see all the people we loved and help us make this happen," said Tenielle.

And while they are faced with many unknowns, The Yelkounis said they do have faith that it will all work out for the best in the end.

"We're hoping that we'll be able to go back you know July or August depending on how things are going. We'd like to so we can start the new school year because they always start in September or October time," said Tenielle.