My carpenter

Well, I call him "my" carpenter, but he's not really mine, he just makes all my stuff. The struggle to learn French continues, but weeks ago I needed to have a couple of tables made for my kitchen--shelves and counter top workspace really--so I decided to try a place I had seen on the side of the road. I knew that it would be difficult without a picture and with little French vocabulary in woodworking to describe in a foreign language exactly what I wanted. I prayed that the Lord would bring someone into my path who could help get me what I needed and He did exactly that.


After about 30 minutes of explaining and many gestures, I left. We had settled on a price and he said he understood, but I laughed the entire way home wondering what I would actually end up with when I returned to pick up my items. A day and a half later, when he called to tell me my tables were ready, I thought, "This could be a really great story. No matter what these look like, I can use them somewhere in the house." To my astonishment, when I pulled up to his workshop, these were sitting out front...



If I could have taken a picture of what was in my mind....this was it, exactly. So, thus began what has become for me, a beautiful relationship.

Since that time, my carpenter has made several other projects for me and they have all been great. My carpenter works with hand tools, no electric tools or sanders at all. Just regular, good old-fashioned hand tools. I've done some woodwork in the past and I know that electric tools make the job more efficient, more accurate and so much easier. To do good woodwork, takes time, patience and lots of hard work. My carpenter is always sweating when I see him, not because of the heat, but because of the energy he is expending. He always has a measuring tool with him as well--checking, rechecking and writing things down so he won't forget. And, no matter what I say, there is always something a little extra, some little detail of beauty that my carpenter adds to my pieces. Kinda nice to see, his own personal touch.


This morning, as I was reading about the death and resurrection of C, I started thinking about his life before ministry, as a carpenter. I know that His carpentry workshop must have been similar to that of my carpenter--no power tools, just good hand tools. The smell of lumber and sawdust, and the sound of sawing and hammering. And I wondered, almost pictured, C measuring his lumber and remeasuring, then cutting and constructing perfectly made furniture with his own little touch of beauty and creativity added to each piece to make it His own. I wondered about the sweat across His brow in the heat of the Israel (similar to the heat here) and His pride when He finished His work and another piece of furniture was done. What patience He must have learned; the value of hard work and the joy of finishing a project to witness the final results. All of these things are a picture to me of what He accomplished on the cross and what He is accomplishing in each of His children.


Scripture says, "looking to J, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of G." When C finished that work, although it was more difficult than I could ever imagine and I know I will never understand it fully, He sat down at the right hand of the Father, with great joy. That work was greater than any that had been done and any that ever will be done. It was done with great patience, lots of sweat and tears, and even, I think, some measuring (Mk 14:36). It was not an easy task, but it was one that He did thinking about what the outcome would be--perfect masterpieces with His own touch added to each one.


As I reflect on all this today, in preparation for the celebration of His birth, I do so in a culture dominated by Isl_m. A religion where G is not personal at all...in fact to think you can approach him at all is almost considered blasphemy. There is no thought of transformation by His working in you, but a constant striving to be good enough, so that at one's death, one will be allowed to enter paradise. I am thankful that I know the true G, the One who worked on our behalf to secure for us a way to Himself and works in us to make us pleasing to Himself. A perfect masterpiece, with His own touch of beauty added to each piece for a display of His magnificent glory. Remember Him this season!

Thanksgiving....almost

With Thanksgiving just right around the corner, I started to think about what I am thankful for so far here in Mali. So, I thought I might write this week about some of my favorite things and I also wanted to write about some things that have happened to me or that I see here that I think are funny and you might too.

My tire started going flat last week so I drove to a place where I know they patch tires to get it fixed. This "place" that I am talking about is just a little stand on the side of the road with some tires laying next to it and some guys either sitting around talking or fixing tires. The funny part of this experience was that in order for them to fix the flat, I had to tell them where to put the jack, put it together, and show them how to use it.

Some of you might know that I have had problems getting my thyroid medication here (still working on that problem). I was worried about that so the second week I was here I went to the Pharmacist to see what I could get locally. After talking with the Pharmacist, he said, "Let me go and look something up on the computer. I'll be back in a few minutes." Completely reasonable so we sat down and waited for him to return. In a few minutes, he was back with papers in hand that he had printed off the internet. He handed the papers to me and explained, "If you ever need to know if two medications are the same, all you have to do is Google (pronounced Goo-gell) them." Then he proceeded to explain how to use Google to me. This was very sweet and he was being so nice and helpful that I never told him that I knew how to use Google already. It was only when we got in the vehicle that I started laughing. Now, at any opportunity possible, we reference that something can be looked up on Goo-gell.

I love the fact that I can get almost anything that I need at a store within walking distance from my home. A few weeks ago, Judy and I needed to buy minutes for our phones. We had forgotten, but as we stopped at a stop sign a man thrust some at our car window. We were so thankful that we were reminded to buy the cards and we didn't even have to leave our vehicle to do it. You can also order fruit and veggies from you car at the side of the road too. It gives a whole new meaning to "fast food".

I love that I can wear sandals year round. I love that the temperature is not in the 30's, or even the 40's or 50's. I get cold in the 60's so the nights are perfect right now. I am dreading April and May though when the temps get super high and stay there, but I'm thankful for not having goosebumps and static electricity in my hair.

I love that I have national friends who call me part of their family and miss me when I don't come to visit them. And I'm thankful for M friends who come to check on me when I'm sick and make me soup and stay with me to make sure that I'm ok.

I love the example of nationals who use and reuse everything that they can and are creative in doing it. For nationals who are thankful for food, and who are helpful in language learning and forgiving when I make cultural mistakes. Who spend hours helping and are not frustrated by my slowness in catching on.

I love the children who flock to me on the street wherever I go and their curious smiles as they greet me and shake my hand. I am thankful for the kindness of the people I have met here and burdened for them to know the reason why I have come. I am thankful that the language is coming slowly but surely in hopes that one day soon, I will be able to proclaim fully and completely the message I was sent to bear.

I am thankful for a family who was willing to let me go and able to put the desire of our Father above the desires of their hearts. I am thankful for technology that has allowed me to see my nephew without his two front teeth and my neice's pumpkin that she decorated with a picture of Africa for Halloween. That is amazing to me and makes this much easier. That same technology allows me to stay connected with the lives of friends who have encouraged me more than they know.

But most importantly, this year, I am thankful for the One who sent me and the message that He gave me to bring. I hope that I will be able to proclaim Him the way He deserves to be proclaimed so that those here might be thankful that I came.

Hairdo and Friends

So, many of you asked me what I was going to do about getting my hair cut here in Mali. In fact, there were many of you who were worried about that for me. So, I wanted to show you what I had done to my hair yesterday. The market lady that I have been meeting with was so excited about doing my hair that I finally agreed to let her do it. She had been working on it for about an hour when one of her friends came by...we were on the street, by the way, when she was doing this. Her friend said a few things to her in Bambara and then took over working on my hair. They took everything out and started over again. So, 5 hours later this is what I looked like....

Is that not crazy??!!!! I have never had my hair braided before (like this) and wasn't really sure what it would look like, but that's actually pretty scary. I agreed to get it done for the sake of the good news and I would have kept it that way for a while just to appease, had my guard not looked so scared when I got home. So, you know where I am going...my hair did not look that way today. Sorry to all those who are disappointed in me. At least I tried it.

I also wanted you to see the group of kids (it always seems to grow) who greet me outside of my house and walk with me for a portion of the way to wherever I am going each day. They were so excited when I took their pictures today. I need to find a place where I can print them out so that they can have some of these. They always want to carry my things for me and if anyone gets left out of carrying something they cry. So usually I have to pull things out of bags to make sure that each child has a little something to carry. Oh, and I have taught them my name so that when they see me, instead of screaming out white person, they now scream out my name. I like that much better!

Learning French and New Friends

Although I have had 3 years of French in high school and 1 year of French in college, that was about 20 years ago, somewhere in the recesses of my mind, and I have studied Swahili since then. Learning a language in class and actually speaking a language are two totally different things. I knew that it would be difficult to pick up my French again, but had been encouraged by many people that it would come back. Well, it is coming back, little by little thankfully, but I have so far to go. My main goal in learning French is to be able to communicate the good news to those I come into contact with, not an easy task. The trouble with learning French in Bamako is that even though this is the capital city, not many people here speak French so finding people to practice with, which is necessary to learn to speak the language, is difficult to do.

This week, Judy M. who knows about my struggle, met a lady in the market who spoke French. She told her about me and asked her if it would be possible for her to come to our house so that I could take her home and practice with her. She agreed. I have met with her 3 times now and will go again in the morning to her home to speak with her and the others who live in her compound.

When we met her, we had no idea that this woman lives in the same compound as a man who teaches English at a high school and his conversational English is excellent. Each time I go, we schedule our time so that the English teacher is there. We sit in the courtyard and all speak French with each other. There are usually 4 of us who sit together and chat. Myself, the teacher, the market lady and a truck driver from Burkina Faso. An interesting combination, but I have grown in a very short time to love them.

The conversations vary and each of us have a different level of French, which makes it interesting. I have been pr*ying that I would have the opportunity to tell my new friends more about why I am here and tonight I had that opportunity. As we were talking, the English teacher asked what I had done before coming here. My reply was that I was an English teacher and a teller of stories. He asked, "Stories about what?" My reply, "Stories from the B*bl*, about G*d and J*s*s." The conversation went from there. I found out that my friend has a B*bl* in French, and had gone to ch*rch often growing up with some believing friends. His favorite part of the B*bl* is the book of John.

Suddenly he began quoting the first verse of the first chapter of John and I began translating in English. In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with G and the W is G. Amazing! We talked about what that meant and then he said, there is a passage that no one has been able to explain to me and maybe you can. (Does this sound like any other stories from G's word? Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch?) So, he turned to the end of John 15 and asked, "Who is this talking about?" In this passage, J is telling His followers that the HS reveals the truth about G and J and that He will send the HS to the world after He leaves. Try explaining the trinity in two languages to a non-believing, folk M*sl*m. Not an easy task.

The teacher and I talked for a good while about many things and he finished by saying, "I am not a M*usl*m and I'm not a C, but of the two books (the K*r**n and the B*bl*) I'd have to say that the B makes more sense to me and I believe it."

As I was leaving tonight, after they fed me my first Malian meal, they asked me why I was 34 and not married. I am going in the morning to answer that question. In Mali, well in African society, being my age and not married makes no sense at all. This provides great opportunity for G to display His glory and grace in an amazing way.

Please pr*y for these wonderful people that I am meeting with, that the Father would open their eyes to see Him as King and worthy of w*rsh*p. Pr*y that the HS that the teacher and I spoke about, would come to him and the others and reveal to them the truth about the Father and about His S*n.

Meeting with followers of the Way

I went to my first meeting on Sunday morning where there was a gathering of followers of the Way. The men sat on the left, women and children on the right. We started with pryr, much pryr and singing of a variety of songs. Sometimes we stood but often we sat even while singing. The meeting was in 2 languages, French and Bambara. Since there were many American guests, and a visiting speaker from Niger, the message was translated into English. We were thankful to be able to gain some understanding from the meeting which lasted about 2 1/2 hours.

The building we met in was concrete with open windows and doors so that air could circulate well. There were ceiling fans to help give a breeze (it was only in the mid-90's), and wooden benches for us to sit on. The speakers and musicians used microphones with a sound system turned up very loud. The noise attracted children on the street who came and stood at the door to watch, listen and wave at the strange looking visitors (that would be us).

We were greeted warmly by all who attended and welcomed to come again. It's amazing to know that our Father has called people to Himself from all people groups, tribes, tongues and nations and it is even more amazing to see and experience it firsthand. Just a small part of what we will experience around the throne one day.

A new home

I left Louisville about 3:30 on Wed, Oct 7 and arrived in Mali sometime after 8 pm on Thurs, Oct 8. We (a group of 5 of us traveling together from the States) each went separate directions getting settled into our new homes. For one in our group it's his temporary home, he'll be traveling on Monday to his new home in a village about 3 hours from here.

It has been a whirlwind since our arrival. Friday morning the 4 of us staying in Bamako began our orientation. We started with basic knowledge about our supervisors and Bamako, then went out to a grocery store and to a birthday party that evening where we were able to meet other folks working in our company.

Saturday morning we started out by going to the market to buy some veggies and fruit and practing French and Bambara greetings. Sights, smells, and sounds found at African markets cannot be replicated. It is a world of dirt floors, open sky, tables set one next to the other, colorful clothing, small children running, fruits, veggies, and other items lying everywhere just waiting to be bought by someone.

Greetings are the primary part of market life and are heard on every side..."How is your morning?" "How is your family?" "How is your day?" From the greetings, friendships blossom. Friendships that hopefully will result in the sharing of the good news, the most important news that we can share.

I am thankful to be settling in and getting to know more about my new home.

Training--Week #4

This past week was full of fun things. Last weekend we went without electricity so that we could go ahead and begin to prepare for what is sure to be a regular occurrence in each of our lives. Third world countries are notorious for shutting down power at random and unannounced times to conserve electricity because they cannot produce enough for everyone. We got very used to reading, showering and using the bathroom by flashlight. That's just how the week started.

We have been having these lunches called "cultural meals". Everyone is required to eat them because there purpose is to teach us to be gracious recipients of what is put in front of us. That truly is a great lesson. We had our 3rd cultural meal this week. They really have all been wonderful and easy to eat, except for one of them--beet soup. I can honestly say that meal was not my favorite, but I ate it and was thankful for it.

We also started our shots this week. Many of us have to have multiple shots to go to our locations so they spread out giving them to us in multiple clinics. The first of those was this week. I got 3 shots, not so bad. This week I will get 4 more and then at the final clinic I think I'll get 3 more. I'd rather be safe than sorry. Glad to report that we had no fatalities and no one passed out, although I did see a little girl get away from her parents and make a run for the door. She almost made it out, but they caught her. Needless to say, this is a pretty traumatic time for kids around here.

On Saturday night at 3:30 am our fire alarm went off so our building, which consists of myself, my roommate, and 3 other families quickly evacuated and waited to see what was going on. After a half hour, security determined it was an electrical malfunction and let us go back in. They said that they would disconnect it and get it fixed. On Sunday afternoon because we were all exhausted from the lack of sleep the night before, we all laid down to take naps. Of course, the alarm went off again, and yet again, so we all pretty well gave up. Then Sunday night, hurricane Bill hit and woke us all up. Needless to say, our building was very tired today during class. I'm hoping that we all have an uneventful night's sleep tonight.

On a more serious note, this past week's training was probably the most convicting of our entire time here. We spent 2 days learning about the persecuted church and hearing stories about the suffering of our brothers and sisters around the world, how to partner with nationals, how to start churches and how to NOT harm the work being done. I wish that I could pour out to you all that the Lord is teaching me through that training, but honestly it will probably take me months to process through what I heard just in those 2 days. I will say, that in a room of 250 people, after the first session finished you could hear a pin drop, and it took a very long time for anyone to move.

Once again, I am praying that the Lord would guard my steps so that I would not harm the work He wants to accomplish, that I would not be unwise in what I do, and that He would put in my mouth the words that He would have me to declare among the africans I will be working with. I pray that He will accomplish all that He wants to accomplish through me.