We arrived in the village knowing only 1 beli.ver of J.s.s; we left the village knowing 3 beli.vers of J.s.s….  

The school house was loud, filled with the many voices of small children singing a song about J.s.s. The sound of their singing reaching out to the ears of both young and old women, drawing them toward the school house. The pounding and sifting of grain stopped momentarily as the women were curious to see what was taking place in the school house.  As the women came to join us, a young woman with a small baby took a sit listening intently. Slowly, the women started to leave one by one, as they had more pounding and sifting of their grain to store; however, the young women with a small baby continued to sit there listening intently and even participating in the singing. After 2 hours of singing and telling 2 stories from Father’s W0rd we dismissed the children.

As the children were leaving the school house, I began to speak to the young woman with the small baby. H3lene introduced herself to the team and told us she was a believer of J.s.s. She told us that her husband and she had recently moved into the village looking for work! They hadn’t meet S@li (a beli.ver) and thought they were the only beli.vers living in the village. 

As it was approaching lunch time, H3lene had to return home to fix lunch and the team began to walk in the village greeting and visiting the people.  As time allowed, the team was able to find where H3lene lived and took the opportunity to sit and visit with her. H3lene shared with them her struggles to living in a village, not knowing many people and not able to find work. H3lene also shared with the time that they do not have much food to eat because they do not have money to buy it. The team was able to encourage her and pr@y with her right then, believing that Father would provide work for them. As the team was ready to leave H3lene told them that they could not have the road. H3lene had sent somebody to go buy tea and sugar to honor her guests for spending time with her. The little money that her family had, she wanted to treat her guests with an M@lian tradition of tea.

As the team made its way back to the school house for lunch, we had heard all the struggles that H3lene and her husband are currently going through. We then began to share with P. D@o that there was a new family of believers in the village and also asked him to pr@y for them, for they do not have work and are struggling to live here. Immediately, P. D@o said “They can work for me…I need help harvesting my rice fields!” Father was already beginning to provide work for this family and showing us an answer to our pr@yers. 

For one last time we visited the family, introduced them to S@li and pr@yed with them. We give thanks to Father for showing us to this family of beli.vers and all the opportunites we had to spend with them. 

Please pr@y for H3lene, her husband and their child! Pr@y for them to see Father in H1s provision of work, food and a family of beli.vers.

Continued Connections

We had not been on the road very long...about an hour and a half. The rental vehicle that was traveling with us, overheated and was unable to continue with us. We were stranded (our perspective) or purposefully stopped (G0d's perspective) in a v1llage called T1ng0le for a few hours while we waited on a replacement vehicle. There was an older woman sitting on the roadside under a tree with a young child in her lap. We didn't stand long before she had some children bring us some chairs to sit down with her. I love that about this culture...all are welcome at any time to sit, greet, and enjoy a few minutes(or hours) together. We greeted and talked for a bit. More women gathered on their way back from a B@mb@ra language class. These women were learning to read their language through a class being taught by Chr!st!ans.

We began telling them a story from G0d's word and talking with them about it. They loved the story but were not yet ready to f0ll0w J.s.s. They responded,  "We are waiting on the chief and men to lead us". The team shared testimony about how their decision to f0ll0w J.s.s is a personal decision...how they could not f0ll0w because of someone else. The women listened and asked if we would come back to tell them more stories. They liked the stories and hearing about J.s.s. We promised we would stop and greet them. In my heart, I felt a tug from our Father to come back and spend time with them. We travel through this v1llage every time we journey to our people, and stopping to spend a few hours with them is doable.

On our return from the v1llage, C@therine, J0ke, and I stopped to greet the family we had spent time with while purposefully stopped. We were welcomed in the midst of their surprise to see us. We just greeted not staying long since they were heavy into preparing dinner and we needed to get to B@m@ko before dark. During this visit we met a new woman. An elderly woman who was working shea nuts and preparing them to make shea butter. After greeting each of them, we made our way back home.

The amazing part happened after our return to B@m@ko. We were sitting on the street with O and her mom visiting after our travels. We told them about the stop we had to make in T1ng0le because of the car troubles. O's  mom said, " I know T1ng0le. My older brother's wife lives there. Sometimes I and spend the day with her there." Her brother is dead, so she goes to spend time with her sister in law. Through the conversation, we discovered that the elderly woman working shea nuts was the sister in law of Sano, O's mom. At that moment, my mind just stopped as I considered the continued connection G0d is making with us and this family. First, Oma was my driver, then O became our language and culture teacher in B@m@ko, Sano sits with us as we work and sell peanuts, and now her sister in law in a v1llage an hour and a half away stays with the family that our Father has opened a door for telling His story. Give thanks to Him today and give pr@ise for the way He connects people for His plan and His purpose of making Himself known among all peoples.

Pr@y for us as we plan to take Sano with us to T1ng0le to visit and demonstrate the love of J.s.s to this family as well as share more of His story with them.

Pr@y for Father to bring s@lvation to this family and other families in the v1llage of T1ng0le.

The Day of the Guinea Fowl

We spent the end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012 in the v!llage! As a team we spent the last hour of 2011 sharing the blessings and giving thanks to our Father for how He had worked in our lives in 2011. It was awesome to declare His Gl0ry under the stars and moon of the big Afr!can sky!! It was awesome to do this with 2 M.sl!ms who were with us...our driver and one of our translators. They both joined in with us and many times were touched by the testimonies of team members as they shared about the personal G0d we serve. After sharing with the group, then we all joined together pr@ising and giving thanks through pr@yer.

We then spent the first hour of 2012 sharing with each other what we were seeking G0d for and the commitments we were making to Him with our lives for this year. Again it was a sweet time of honesty and openness, surrender and commitment, personal relationship and testimony. Again our Father used that time to touch those who are not yet f0ll0wers of J.s.s. Again we ended that time of sharing with pr@yers of surrender and expressions of our love and commitment to our G0d.

The next morning we learned of some of the New Year customs of the D@fin people. My favorite was related to what they eat on New Year's Day. In my culture, we eat collard greens and black eyed peas so my interest was really peeked when they began talking about what they eat. For them, New Year's Day is the day of the guinea fowl. They kill and eat a guinea fowl and it is suppose to bring good luck and prosperity for the new year. This excited me because I really love the taste of guinea fowl and plus they were waking me up way too early in the morning as they ran through our camp cackling before the sun was fully up. So we adopted the D@fin New Year food tradition and enjoyed a great meal of spaghetti with guinea fowl. Now that I think about it...they were running through the camp much faster on New Year's Day...hmmm. I wonder if they know it is the Day of the Guinea Fowl.

The M@li W0rld Tour 2012

Two Teams, Three 4x4 vehicles, 11 people....New Roads leading us through New Villages...1 Team Member meeting us in the middle to guide the way...ADVENTURE WITH THE UNEXPECTED was our destination and A JOURNEY WITH G0D'S FAITHFULNESS was our experience!!
We began the morning with great excitement and anticipation..our first time to the v1llage since our return to M@li. We were traveling with a team that also had not seen their people in 2 years! Our f@ith and expectations were high as we trusted G0d to pr0tect us, guide us, and show Himself to us. He was f@ithful!

After one vehicle began the day in an accident before joining the team, our adventure with the unexpected was underway and our journey with G0d's f@ithfulness in full swing. We regrouped, repacked, and headed out in 2 vehicles. Just an hour and a half into our 5 hour journey for the day, the second vehicle overheated leaving us stranded on the road. We found ourselves stranded in a v1llage...a new v1llage. We sat with an old woman and began talking to her. A crowd of women and young girls gathered with us while the one man and one male translator sat with the old man of the compound. Each group told stories from Father's Word. A new rental vehicle was on its way, and the first vehicle and driver had been cleared from the accident and sent on their way to join us. The first vehicle arrived before the replacement vehicle. The team was altogether as Father had planned. Since it was getting late, we left one translator to wait for the replacement vehicle and the rest of us loaded in the remaining 2 vehicles and headed to the next large city for the night.

After a good night's rest, a good breakfast, and a devotion to encourage us, 2 vehicles went to get gas.

 While getting gas, a flat tire was discovered along with a flat spare. Giving thanks to G0d for His revelation of those problems in the city, we got them fixed and got on the road as quickly as possible. We had a LONG day of travel ahead on roads we had never traveled. We found our turn off to the new road and continued our adventure into the unexpected. Now traveling on nice dirt roads we were spinning up a dust storm of fun....well until the unexpected hit us again. A dip in the road for water drainage during rainy season was the culprit this time. Vehicles #2 and #3 couldn't see it because of the dust, so we hit it at full speed. After coming to a stop and the settling of the dust, the luggage rack full of trunks and supplies had slid forward so that on third of it was hanging over the windshield. The men worked to get it back in place while some of the women took a little walk. On the walk they met a young girl who had run away from home. They shared a story from G0d's Word, gave her a bottle of water, and a snack. Just in time to get back on the road.

We met our team member that was waiting for us, loaded up his moto in the back of one truck. While waiting we met a deaf man. We encouraged and showed G0d's love to him then continued on. The road was uncertain, crossing the rocks and escarpment, having another flat tire on the same vehicle, and traveling through the real bush of M@li. Stopping ALL along the way to ask for clear direction, we journeyed with G0d's f@ithful Presence. The sun was setting and the v1llage we were looking for seemed too far but the place we were was not a place of peace and rest. We stopped one last time for direction and decision making. Before traveling our last 10 km for the night, we pr@yed with those who had gathered to help us and blessed them. Finally, we reached the v1llage where we stayed an extra night on the road. It was a night of rest, peace, and protection...
We got up early the next morning to seek our final destination and be with the people we were longing to reach. The road was long again, but lunch was awaiting us at the home of a friend. We had lunch and then headed to the v1llage where we would spend the next few days...REAL EXCITEMENT AND JOY FILLED EACH OF US AND THE PEOPLE OF THE V1LLAGE!

After a great time in the v1llage, we began the adventure and journey back to B@m@ko. Again we took a new and different road, experiencing new and different v1llages along the way!! With only a stream to cross along the rugged bush road, the journey home had fewer struggles and difficulties...just the peace and presence of our G0d and a greater understanding of His f@ithfulness to go with us wherever He sends us! We saw HIM f@ithful as He did for us everything He said He would do, as He worked in the v1llage and opened unexpected doors! He gave us new doors to explore as we did the M@li World Tour through so many new v1llages and peoples! May it just be the beginning of His Glory being known among the nations and peoples of M@li!

Singing and Dancing with the Children

As the truck enters the village, children begin to chant “tomboubu mobile” (which means white person in a truck) with smiles on their face, some even dancing. Many children of any village gravitate toward the while person standing at a distance watching our every move.  

Nevertheless, it is not every day that we can interact and spend time with the children. In fact, a lot of our time is spent with the men and women of the village to continue to build relationships, gain trust and plant the seed of our Father’s W0rd. For in the M@lian culture, the elders and adults have the respect and authority in the village and the children….well they are just children

.

Over and over in my mind the words of J.s.s tells me that He loves the children. For J.s.s says “…Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children…Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.”  Mark 10:14,16 

 On our last day Father gave us not one time, but three times to interact and spend time with the children.  Sitting in the school house waiting to start the morning; many children surrounded the door just to watch what we were doing. J0ke, our translator and teammate said “hey with all these children we should tell them a story about J.s.s.” Pushing their way through the door, about 25 children sat in front of us attentively. We began to tell them a story, drawing more children and adults to come join us. After the story we then began to teach them the song and the motions (for every African song there are motions) of “This Little Light of Mine” in B@mb@ra.  

As they learned the first song, the children then wanted to learn another song and another song! So they came back after lunch and after dinner to learn more songs about J.s.s. As they headed off to bed, they continued to sing the songs about J.s.s.

Please pr@y for the children…that they may hear more of Father’s W0rd, that the words of each song that they learned be in their mind every morning and every night and their small eyes will be opened to know J.s.s.  

Celebrating A Birthday!

Throughout the week before Chr1stmas day, Lori and I have invited our friend J0ke over to participate in some of our @meric@n Chr1stmas traditions of baking, singing, and even making a navity set. As we were showing J0ke our decorations we put up in our apartment I asked her if her family put up decorations to celebrate Chr1stmas. She replied “yes, we put up decorations on Chr1stmas day.” 

It made me think twice on why they would put up decorations on Chr1stmas day and not before. After several days of pondering this M@lian tradition, it hit me that the bel1evers here are celebrating a birthday! Just as I would put up decorations on a birthday, the bel1evers here put up decorations to celebrate the birth of our S@vior on H1s birthday. 

On Chr1stmas day L0ri and I traveled to J0ke’s house to w0rship at her ch.rch. As we walked into the small ch.rch we saw many decorations, but not the decorations we would consider to be part of the Chr1stmas season. Instead we saw many streamers and balloons that filled the place of w0rship. A day to celebrate the birth of J.s.s was truly a day to celebrate H1s birthday here with our M@lian friend. This day L0ri and I spent 3 hours singing, dancing, singing some more and listening to a message in this ch.rch filled with many children and young bel1evers of the birth of our S@vior. 

I thank Father for this opportunity to be able to w0rship in M@li on Christmas day with our friend J0ke and for a refreshing new look on how to celebrate Chr1stmas day!

Please pr@y for this young and youthful ch.rch that our friend J0ke is attending. The ch.rch is small, but filled with a youthful group of bel1vers that love to w0rship our S@vior.

A Baby Worthy of Worship.

"Come, let us tell of the L0rd's greatness; let us exalt His name together."

Ps@lm 34:3

Exaltation #10- A BABY WORTHY OF WORSHIP

What a great time to be in M@li and what a GREAT message we have to share at Chr1stmas!

In M@li, holidays are celebrated with big parties, lots of food, and cloth. People buy the new celebration cloth and have an outfit made for the day of celebration. At Chr1stmas it is no different. The ch.rch here designs a Chr1stmas cloth that proclaims the message of J.s.s birth. Since we were going to worsh1p and celebrate with our M@lian friend J0ke, we too purchased cloth and had new outfits made. Our friend "O" had expressed her desire to go with us so we bought some of the Chr1stmas cloth for her, and on Tuesday before Chr1stmas we gave it to her. As we sat on the street holding the cloth, her mom began looking at the picture of the nativity on the cloth. We asked if she knew about it and she said no. She agreed for us to tell her about it, so we began. After selling some ice, "O" joined us listening intently to every detail. At the end, she sat pondering as she always does, then simply said, " If all these things are true, then He truly is a baby worthy of worship."


On Friday before Chr1stmas, we invited "O" to our house for a Chr1stmas celebration. We had created characters in the Chr1stmas story out of sticks and African cloth. We had them all...Mary, Joseph, baby J.s.s. in a watering trough, Gabriel, the host of angels, the shepherds, sheep, the wise men, their gifts and a camel, and the star. We set them all up on a little table and created a visual story to be told. "O" arrived and we showed her the characters and briefly explained who each one was. Then we went on with making cookies and candies to take to our friends who work on the street with "O". After creating the cookies and nibbling on a few, I put lunch on to cook. We shared a meal together using the common bowl and a rice dish that was similar to an African dish. It was delicious! Then we told the stories of Mary, Joseph, the birth of J.s.s, the shepherds and angels, and the wise men to "O". She listened intently to each part of the story and in her usual way, she sat pondering and looking at each set of characters. She acknowledged the miracles in each part. 

Please continue to pr@y for O to understand the truth about J.s.s. and to see that all of these things are true...that He is truly a baby worthy of worship...that He is so much more than just a baby...He is the s@lvation of every person, He is Lord of all Creation, He is the Light of the World, He is the Word made flesh, He is God with US, and the list goes on and on...