As is par for the course on a short term trip, our day was packed full from beginning to end. Just ask anyone who has been here and they will tell you stories of how God orders each day and provides just the right amount of strength for that day. He did it again today.
We have an amazing team. Each one is gifted in their own personal way and uses those gifts to build up the rest of team. We share our strengths, blending well together, and become a perfect whole for the work the Lord has for us to do. Earl and Erv keep us laughing all the time. Jerry comes along bringing a quiet, peaceful nature along with Brent and his soft spoken way. As you can see by the picture, they have a great time together.
Anyway, back to the eating with the hands. We all were working along this morning when Bob announced that lunch was to be served at the hospital in the true African fashion. Three ladies from town had made peanut sauce over rice and more rice and more rice. We sat on metal benches with huge bowls of rice before us as we gathered around the bowls of HOT food. Each had our own wedge section of the bowl that was alloted to us to dip into with our fingers, mash it together, and bring to our mouths to eat. (Great task if you are a practiced African eater.) The food was delicious and we had some good laughs as we attempted to eat. In the end, we could say, "Ene fara"(I am full) and "Batika"(thank you for the food).
Thurday being Market day, which is a day any traveler never wants to miss, we headed to town. The downtown area is packed to overflowing with vendors in their claimed areas along with others walking around with their items on their heads. We just "window shopped" and enjoyed people watching and they watched us and sometimes calling out "toubabou" (white person). We will go back on another day to do our real shopping.
After that experience, we were off to Bethel Bible school to greet our dear friends. Our hugs and tears crossed the language barriers as we were welcomed "home". Tabitha and Daouda proudly introduced us to their eight month old son Ebenezer. He is a big boy already and trying to walk. He is a typical active boy, into everything and keeping his parents jumping to "save" him from trouble. Unlike most African children, Ebenezer was not afraid of the toubabous. We will go back tomorrow afternoon to spend two hours with their Alliance women during their "sewing circle".
After a quick enjoyable evening at the Wright's for dinner and conversation with them sharing their missionary life and future prayer requests, we headed back across the street to the guesthouse and some much enjoyed rest.
Tomorrow brings a very early morning for the men as they want to be at the hospital at dawn. They will be pulling the main power wires in the ditch the Malians have dug by hand from the power station to the new construction. Doing it early in the morning, keeps them out of the hot sun later in the day as it hit one hundred and two today.
We have an amazing team. Each one is gifted in their own personal way and uses those gifts to build up the rest of team. We share our strengths, blending well together, and become a perfect whole for the work the Lord has for us to do. Earl and Erv keep us laughing all the time. Jerry comes along bringing a quiet, peaceful nature along with Brent and his soft spoken way. As you can see by the picture, they have a great time together.
Anyway, back to the eating with the hands. We all were working along this morning when Bob announced that lunch was to be served at the hospital in the true African fashion. Three ladies from town had made peanut sauce over rice and more rice and more rice. We sat on metal benches with huge bowls of rice before us as we gathered around the bowls of HOT food. Each had our own wedge section of the bowl that was alloted to us to dip into with our fingers, mash it together, and bring to our mouths to eat. (Great task if you are a practiced African eater.) The food was delicious and we had some good laughs as we attempted to eat. In the end, we could say, "Ene fara"(I am full) and "Batika"(thank you for the food).
Thurday being Market day, which is a day any traveler never wants to miss, we headed to town. The downtown area is packed to overflowing with vendors in their claimed areas along with others walking around with their items on their heads. We just "window shopped" and enjoyed people watching and they watched us and sometimes calling out "toubabou" (white person). We will go back on another day to do our real shopping.
After that experience, we were off to Bethel Bible school to greet our dear friends. Our hugs and tears crossed the language barriers as we were welcomed "home". Tabitha and Daouda proudly introduced us to their eight month old son Ebenezer. He is a big boy already and trying to walk. He is a typical active boy, into everything and keeping his parents jumping to "save" him from trouble. Unlike most African children, Ebenezer was not afraid of the toubabous. We will go back tomorrow afternoon to spend two hours with their Alliance women during their "sewing circle".
After a quick enjoyable evening at the Wright's for dinner and conversation with them sharing their missionary life and future prayer requests, we headed back across the street to the guesthouse and some much enjoyed rest.
Tomorrow brings a very early morning for the men as they want to be at the hospital at dawn. They will be pulling the main power wires in the ditch the Malians have dug by hand from the power station to the new construction. Doing it early in the morning, keeps them out of the hot sun later in the day as it hit one hundred and two today.
I love the picture of the guys laying on the shelves. It reminds me of one I took of our Pastor laying in a wheelbarrow. It's really cool to hear how God brought together the perfect people to form your team and how well you are working together.
ReplyDeleteEating in true African fashion is an experience I will never forget. I mostly enjoyed just fully immersing myself into what the Malians do.
I'd be curious to see a picture of the trench they dug for the electrical wires. I know that digging there can often be a major challenge. I think it's funny to hear that the guys want to be on the worksite at dawn. We said that a lot, but we didn't make it quite that early. We only experienced Mid 90's while we were there. I'm sure 102 feels much much hotter in the sun!!
God bless you all!
Greetings from Washington state! Ditto, Glad the team arrived safely. Wish we had some of your sun here, it's been pretty drizzly. Praying that our Lord continues to meet all your needs.
ReplyDeleteWow!!! That room looks great! So different from what it was like last fall. I see they are already putting boxes on the shelves. Soon I suspect Barry will need to find another resting place.
ReplyDeleteAs for the eating, I'm glad we ate our African sytle mean in the dark. I think I dropped as much as I got to my mouth. Love that Peanut Sauce.