Keeping Busy (by Thom)

Normally when I set out to write my posts on this blog, I have my topic and outline already finished in my mind. The process is just a matter of transferring thoughts to the computer, and then uploading to the ‘net. Today has been another story, though. It’s funny to me, since I had about 4 or 5 ideas for updates yesterday and today they’ve all left me. In fact, I’ve started several different things, only to delete them. In the end I’ve come to realize that I didn’t want to write the truth, that sometimes things are difficult. Usually our reports are in reaction to observations or praises, but I want these updates to be an honest reflection of our lives.

With that in mind, I will say that the last 2 or 3 weeks have been very difficult for me. It’s no coincidence that we started classes to learn the Bambara language at that time. Time management has really been my problem. We have class in the morning on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. I’ve found that fitting all the bookkeeping duties in around the language school (not to mention studying) along with adjusting to life in Mali, buying a car, and setting up a house to be daunting. Not for one moment do I think I’m the first to juggle all these things, and that comforts me, but I would appreciate your prayers for Amanda and me as we continue our studies and our lives. Please pray specifically that I’ll be able to sleep restfully (sometimes difficult in times of stress), finish my bookkeeping reports for the field in a timely fashion, and be able to retain what I learn in classes. This next week loams especially large for me, since the beginning of the month is my busiest time and we will also have our field’s Prayer Conference.

"Prayer is not a way of making use of God; prayer is a way of offering ourselves to God in order that He should be able to make use of us. " ... William Barclay, The Plain Man's Book of Prayers