Destination: S@mogh0

We are heading out as you wake up! Continue praying for and for the Samogho as we serve and share our lives with them!! Thanks for your faithfulness to bend your knees and call out to Father on our behalf!
We love you and will report back to you on Tuesday!

Re-packed and ready to go again!

We spent the day doing mounds of laundry, getting oriented to serve the Samogho, and repacking our bags for the next part of our journey with Father! We have had a great time with Lori P learning about the Samogho and preparing our hearts to follow step by step the directions of our Father.
Please pray for us as we live with and love on the Samogho this weekend! Pray for our time of worship in the village, for our journey to story in one of the villages we visited in November. Pray for our connection, especially Ann's connection with the women, and our ability to share stories-- our personal story as well as God's story. Pray for us to accomplish ALL that Father has planned for us!!

Artist to Artist

Ann is an artist but it has been about 4 years ago since she has done any artwork. Today she spent the morning with a local mudcloth artist learning how to paint with sticks and mud. The artist had a great time showing her how to do the mudcloth and encouraging her to just let go and paint. It didn't take long and Ann was in a new world. She said, "This may just spark the passion to paint again." She did a great job on her first mudcloth painting!!! You will all have to ask her to show it to you when she returns!! The local artist could not stop commenting on how good the painting was!! Our Creator God was showing off again through His children. Pray for this artist and the new depth of relationship that was begun with him today. Pray for God to open doors for deep conversations with him in the future.

Between Friends

On our arrival in the village, we discovered that the grandmother of the young woman who had been stung by a scorpion a year ago had died. Our friend was not in the village because she had gone home to be with her family. In the customs if the P@n@, the family gathers and sits for 7 days. People who know them come to visit and sit with them and offer the blessings given to family in their loss. We decided it was important for us to go greet and sit with our friend. We went and sat with the family. Our friend was out in the bush, but they called for her and she came. She was surprised and so excited to see her American friends. She loved introducing us to her parents, her sisters, and so many others who had gathered to be together. It was great to see her as well, to lavish her with our Father's love, and to demonstrate Is compassion to her and her family. I brought pictures for her from our visit in November and everyone enjoyed looking at them. We prayed for her and her family and after we finished, ourfriend asked if we would pray for a family member that was there and sick. She was having the same symptoms as our blind friend in our village. Her head was hurting so bad and it was effecting her eyesight. We prayed for and then said our final greetings.
Many of them walked us to our truck. I walked side by side with my friend, thanking Father for the opportunity to be there during this time. Please pray for Father to use this time with this family to begin drawing them to Himself. Ask Him to open the doors for them to know Him and follow Him!

Time with the Potter

Each if us has been hand-crafted by the hands of the Creator! There are no two people exactly alike, yet each of us has the imprint of our Creator's fingers on us! He has fashioned us like clay molding us, remaking us, and refining us into the exact vessels He needs us to be. We saw first hand a living example of Father's tasknwith each of us. We sat with the potter as she kneaded and worked the clay. We saw the strength of her hands and the precision of the process. We were amazed! Ann was able to join the potter in pairing one of the pots. A red dye was made by scraping a red rock against another rock. Water was added to make a paint. Ann took a piece of millet and used it like a brush...painting decorations on the pots before it was placed in the fire. What joy filled both Ann and the potter! A creative connection binds them forever. Pray for the potter and her husband to consider more fully the walk J.s.s wants to take with them. Consider your own life and how Father wants to mold you, shape you, and reveal Himself through you!

I'm Thinking

During our last breakfast with Sou, we expressed to her how much we had enjoyed getting to know her, having her with us, and how important she was to our team. Ann also told her we could not share with the Pana all about following J.s.s and not do the same with her. We asked her to consider all that we had talked about, all she had translated. Later, when we were alone, I asked her what she had been thinking about J.s.s. She simply said, "I am thinking!" In the village, Sou was a vital part of our team as she sang the songs of faith she had heard in other visits with volunteer teams. She was a huge part if the blind women having songs of praise to sing. The follower in the village said to her, "You cannot sing like that if you do not believe in your heart." Please continue to pray for Sou as she thinks about all she has seen and heard. Pray for Father to reveal truth to er through the stories she translates and the songs she loves to sing and hum!!

Hearts of Praise

Our bucket bath area was on the outer wall of the village so if you looked over the wall you saw a path around the village as well as the fields where they plant. On the morning after we spent the evening with the women sharing stories, we heard the sweet sound of praise filling the air! It was the beautiful sound of a young boy singing songs about J.s.s. He had heard them the night before as we sang with the women. He was a little shepherd boy guiding the cows around the village singing with a heart of praise! All day we looked for the little boy who blessed our day with the sounds of praise! In the evening he came to the house and was there at the same time as the chief. We played the recording of the Demon Possessed Man story for the chief in the Pana language. This young boy listened intently alongside the chief. The chief shared with us what he got out of the story. As we discussed it, the young boy began helping the chief remember the story. He told the entire story back to us in Pana. This young boy also joined us for worship to help lead us in the songs. His heart is tender, open, and filled with understanding. Pray for M as he tends the cows. Ask Father to draw him into a personal relationship with Himself. Pray for his mind to dwell on the stories and the songs he heard about J.s.s and for his heart to continue to be filled with praise, understanding, and desire to know and serve our Father!

Women and His Word

The second night in the village 5 women came to story with us. We were so excited because they had all been telling us they were coming all day! We sang some songs with them, then Ann received her P@n@ name--Bintu Senou. Bintu shared her testimony with the women-- how Father has walked with her through the difficult times of her life especially these last two years. The women listened and poured out blessings on her. Then Hawa shared the Cain and Abel story with the women! It was awesome to actually hear them listening. With every new detail of the story, you could hear the response... Ahhhh and huuuuhhhhh were said in unison. It was also incredible to discuss the story and see how well they understood. When asked to repeat the story, the women all worked together to get every detail. They did a great job and we praise Father for the understanding He gave them. Pray for Father to use that story in their minds to reveal truth to them in the days to come!!!

Memory Test

Our first morning in the village was spent with the one follower and witness in the village. In November, we had worked together on the Demon Possessed story and the beginning of translating it into P@n@ language. that first morning bece memory test as I asked him without warning to share the story with us. Our Father was amaInf in him. After 3 months, he was able to retell the story almost perfectly!! It was a great time as we talked about it and went over it again. After the discussion, Sol retold the story to about 10 or 12 children who had gathered to sit with us. After telling the story, he went through the teaching process by asking the children questions as well as asking them to repeat the story. Throughout our time in the village there were three young boys who stood out as exceptional in their understanding, their desire to listen, know, and repeat the story. Please pray for these young men who were with us continually, who have heard the Demon Possessed Man as well as the Cain and Abel stories. Father has given them a hunger to know, ears to hears, and mouths to repeat. Pray for them to have hearts that choose to follow! Pray that the stories will stay fresh in their minds and when we return they will also have opportunity to take the memory test. Pray for Sol to have more opportunities to mentor and spend time with these young men while we are away!

Sikasso Town

Greetings from Sikasso!
We had a great trip to Sikasso including a picnic under a tree on the side of the road. There was a breeze but it was hot wind. Our families are emailing of snow in Texas AGAIN and we are experiencing quite a contrast--105 degree temps! We took pictures with the big Baobab trees-- the legendary tree all over Africa. It was fun and made the journey enjoyable! Thanks for praying us here!! Enjoy the snow and think of us!! Both times I've been in Mali this winter it has snowed!! At first I thought that was not fair, then I thought I do love Mali better than the snow! So... I am blessed to be in the place I love ing the people I love!
More to come...
Lori

Rested and Ready

Greetings!
We have had a great time of rest and shopping. We enjoyed a sunset ride in a Bozo boat on the Niger River and a visit with a young missionary couple from Texas last night. We are headed out this morning to Sikasso to wash our clothes and repack to go live and love with the S@mogho Continue praying for us, for the P@n@, and the S@mogho. We all trusting Father for everything He has for us!
Lori

Eyes Opened

"I, the Lord, have called you to demonstrate my righteousness...you will be a light to guide the nations. You will open the eyes of the blind. You will free the captives from prison, releasing them from dark dungeons. I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not give my glory to anyone else nor share my praise with carved idols." Isaiah 42:6-8

On our last visit to the P@n@, Father
Demonstrated His righteousness mightily in the life of an old woman who was bound by demons. He answered our prayers and set her free from their presence and their power in her life. She is also blind and experiences terrible headaches. As we visited with her this time, she continues to struggle with the physical issues of headaches and blindness. Yet she has been released from the dark dungeon and her eyes have received spiritual sight. She declare with boldness and conviction in her voice "I believe in Jesus! I love Jesus! I want to follow Jesus!" She continues to call out to Him for help in the difficult moments and tontrust Him! She learned some new songs of praise during our time with her. It was precious and some of the sweetest sounds I have ever heard as she continued to sing after the group finished. Later during the trip, we asked her, "Why do you live Jesus so much?" She smiled and said, "He took away the demons and He has helped me! I love Him and believe in Him!"
Praise Iur Father today for the confession and belief if our sister!
Thank you for your support of her and us as we follow J.s.s.
lori

Moving on....

Hi everyone! We made it to Segou, visited the Women's co-op, and then saw a beautiful sunset on the Niger river. We traveled most of the day so we are looking forward to being in the same place for a couple of days!
Lori Price will be joining us in Segou tomorrow around lunch. Please pray for her as she travels 4 hours to meet us. Pray for Rita and Sou our translator as they travel back to Bamako! It will be tough saying good bye to Sou. We don't know when we will see her again. Pray for our closure with her as we have our final morning with her. Pray for us to boldly follow God in talking with her about J.s.s.
More to come!!!
lori

Women's Initiative

Greetings partners!
We had a good nights rest and a great breakfast to start our day. Pray for us as we continue to travel today. We look forward to a couple of days in Segou to catch up on our journaling and communication with you. There is much to tell you about.
Pray also for us as we meet with a women's co-op to see options for the cottage industry work among the Pana. We had a great meeting with the Pana women challenging them to develop a women's association in the village that can help them get some things they need and want. Pray for them to take iniative in finding the things they need to find out. Pray for wisdom and discernment for us as we seek options for things to teach them to increase their ability to provide for themselves. Thanks for your partnership!
lori

Returning

Greetings from the Pana! Greetings from the team!
We are back from the bush enjoying the refreshment that only a shower and cold Fanta can bring after several days in the heat off Mali. We are processing all that God has shown us and all the ways we have seen Him work this weekend!!
We travelled through some of the most incredible displays of God's creation both going to the village and returning today from the village! You cannot pass through the Bandiagara cliffs without recognizing that our God is magnificent!
You cannot spend time serving Him and doing what He has asked you to do without gaining a new understanding of how intimately involved He longs to be with everyone! He has given new strength to Ann as she has served Him and met every challenge of life in the village! He gave her courage to share her personal life story as well as the story she prepared to tell the Pana.
Pray for us today as we rest and process everything we have seen God do! We look forward to sharing more details in the days to come. We will travel to Segou tomorrow where we will refresh our bodies, minds, and spirits before travelling on to the next part of this journey with God. During that time we will be sharing the details!
Praising God...
Lori & Ann

Stories to Ponder

Greetings!
We had a great nights rest and a wonderful breakfast! We had a special time of Storying for our devotion. It was incredible because Sou shared her favorite story with us. I ask you to join us in looking at that story today and letting God speak to you. It is the story of King David and Bathsheba. Sou did a great job sharing with with us and God showed us a lot as we discussed it. After you read it ask yourself these questions: what do we learn about Man? What do we learn about God? What does this teach us we must obey?
We are off to P@n@ land and we will be storying all weekend. join us in looking at Cain & Abel, Noah and the flood, Abraham and Sarah. Thanks for journeying with us!! Be back to blog again soon!

Traveling.....

Greetings from road weary travelers! We traveled almost 10 hours today in a truck. We were ready to get out when we reached our destination, but we have been revived by great food, a beautiful night, a gentle breeze, a shower, and beds that are calling our names!
As we traveled, we got to know our translator Sou. She is a great woman and speaks English very well. We had fun along the way and we look forward to working together. She is not a follower of J- so please pray for us as we express Father, s love to her. She will be telling us her favorite story tomorrow. Pray for her as she does this. Pray for her eyes to be opened and for Dad to draw her closer to Himself. We practiced our stories and talked about them with Sou. We will do this again tomorrow so continue to pray for us to have confidence in Father to do all He has planned.
We go from paved roads to dirt roads and then to donkey cart paths as we travel to the bush. Continue to bow before Father on behalf of us and the P@n@. We will get to the village tomorrow. May Father shine!
Thanks for doing your part!

Day of Diversity

Whew! What a day of diversity! We spent the day doing many different kinds of things. We had a leisurely
morning of rest and adjusting to a new place, new way of life, new new weight of clothing. The weather is very different here in Mali from the 20 degree temps of Paris. We had a great breakfast then worked on organizing ourselves for the journey to P@n@ land. We headed out to exchange money and pick up some supplies. Ann saw Mali and Bamako for the first time in the daylight. She is taking in every detail and adjusting to it all! I must admit it can be overwhelming but she is going great!!! She is greeting and shining as she always does the joy that fills her!
We spent the last half of the day visiting with old friends and meeting new ones. We went to see our Malian friend A. It was fun just hanging out at her house bouncing from one topic to another as women do when they are together. we came home and then visited with other missionary friends. Ann was finally able to meet some of those she has only heard of as well as a couple from the Netherlands and a friend from Canada. It was a blessing to be prayed for and over by those who serve here in Mali as well! We thank God for how BIG our family is when we belong to Him!
We finished the evening putting the final touches on our bags and loading them in the truck. We will be leaving for the next part of our journey in the morning around 8am. That will be 2 am for most of you so please take a moment before you go to bed tonight to lift us up to our Father! We are counting on you! His power is unleashed as His people pray!
We thank God for you--each one of you!!!
L&A

In Bamako

Greetings from Bamako! Ann and I made it to Mali! We had angels attending over us again as we left Paris. We found our way to the train but got on the wrong one. Some people recognized we were going to the airport so they told us to switch trains. Our angel Alex from Ghana stayed with us and guided us to the direct place we needed to be. Thank you for praying! Our flight was late leaving Paris so we were late getting in. Our luggage was the last luggage to be unloaded even though we made it through the passport checkpoint in record time. Sooo that means we still waited and waited. We got our luggage , met up with Rita, then went straight to our Malian friend's house to greet her. She was so glad to see us and we were glad to see her. We will spend tomorrow afternoon with her. Please pray for opportunities to talk about spiritual things with her! It's very late/early here so I'm off to bed! More to come tomorrow!
L&A

Lookin' for Opportunities

Greetings from the Latin Quarter!
Wehad a great time! Notre Dame was incredible and a highlight of life! We asked God to place people in our lives throughout the day. He began with Justine. After our day of finding our way yesterday wewere able to help Justine find her way today!
We are off to the airport and on to Mali! We look forward to what God has for us today along the way! Praying for you all and asking God to show Himself to you today!! Thanks for taking this journey with us!

Paris, v2

Greetings from a very cold day in Paris!
God has continued to show Ann and I His Presence is with us! After arriving we boarded the train to our hotel. Two young adults here from England helped us and then toward the end of our day we saw them again at the Eiffel Tower. It was fun & almost like seeing your old friends since everyone around you is unfamiliar. We were also able to navigate around the city because of the willingness of people to guide us in the right direction. We spent some time enjoying the work of Leonardo da Vinci and other art in the Louve, riding the bus around the city, seeing the Luxemborg Palace, the Eiffel Tower, walking along the Siene River and eating crepes. The greatest blessing and demonstration of God's Presence today came at the end of our visit to the Eiffel Tower. It was late in the day and the sun was going down fast. The temperature was dropping and we could not find the right bus. I heard some people speaking English as they loaded their car. I asked them if they could help us know how to find the bus. We talked for a fewinutes then the man said they would just take us where we needed to go. We don't make a habit of getting into the car with people we don't know, but each of us knew God was watching over us at that moment. What a blessing to have God's angels attending you at a time of need. We will go visit Notre Dame tomorrow before going back to the airport. We have our eyes open and watching for God! How bout you? Praying for you all!
Resting in and seeking God in the journey...
Lori and Ann

Paris

Greetings from Paris! Ann and I arrived safely in Paris. We found our hotel without any problems and we are heading out to see some of Paris. Thanks for praying! God blessed us by taking care of our luggage and freeing us from the burden of it around Paris! We are excited and we give thanks to God for your prayers!
Lori and Ann

On their way....

Lori reports that the team is on their way and they have already seen God blessing them in their travels. Join us in giving thanks for God's blessings and how He attends to all the details!