Leaving Town (by Thom)

This is just a quick informational update:
Amanda and I are going camping this weekend (a New Year's tradition among the missionaries here in Mali). If you send us an email, just know that we won't see it until Tuesday January 3rd, 2006.
Hopefully we'll have a lot of photos to post when we come back. Have you seen our Christmas photos yet? If not, click here.

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Random Christmas Observations in Mali (by Thom & Amanda)

• It just seems too hot to be Christmas!
• Mali is mostly a Muslim country, but Christmas is an official holiday here.
• Christmas is a church, not a family, celebration here.
• For the first time in 10 years (since I started working in radio) I’m enjoying Christmas music this year.
• Malians begin their Christmas celebrations with singing and dancing at church before the 25th.
• 91 degrees on Christmas?
• The Christian & Missionary Alliance Church in Mali puts out a Christmas cloth for sale every year at this time.
• This year they forgot to put the Alliance logo on the Christmas cloth!
• I noticed that most of my gifts for Amanda were entertainment-related.
• Most of our gifts for Jeanette and our guards were practical.
• Did I mention it’s warm? Really, really warm?
• Baptism is a big deal here and the annual city-wide baptism service is held during the Advent season.
• Amanda and I are trying some new traditions: our Christmas Palm, Ice Cream sundaes on Christmas (don’t laugh, it’s very expensive here so it’s a rare treat!), and opening one gift on Christmas Eve.
• There were too many people at church today to fit in the building so we held the service outside.
• I guess the heat has its benefits, huh?
• Malian Christians just “get it” when it comes to passion for the things of Jesus, Christmas included.

Going back to point #3, Christmas is truly a church celebration because for many former Muslims and animists the church is the only family they have. Revealing our American heritage, Amanda and I have really noticed in the last couple of days how much we’re missing spending this time with our families. At least the telephone works!

Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noël!

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Expect the Unexpected (by Thom)

I came home from the mission office Friday and Amanda and Jeanette were wrapping up some cooking. They were baking brownies and apple bread and as they finished I tried talking with Jeanette a little, both to get to know her a little better and to work on my French. I asked her for her favorite Christmas song sung in Bambara. She told me that she normally sings her Christmas songs in French, so I asked her favorite song in French. She told me that she couldn’t pick just one. She then (unfairly!) asked me my favorite. However, for me this is easy. It’s not a well known song or traditional. Andrew Peterson wrote it and released it on his album “Behold the Lamb of God”. The song is called “So Long Moses” (click for the lyrics) and chronicles Israel’s struggles knowing they are a different people, set apart my God, but wanting to hold their place among the realm of men.
The nation of Israel decides it needs a king. Here is the chorus:

We want a king on a throne
Full of power,
with a sword in his fist
Will there ever be, ever be a king like this?

As the song tracks through the history of God’s people it goes from Moses to Joshua to Saul to David to the broken kingdom. At this point the people have had a taste of a strong king (David) but believe God has something bigger for them. They’re right, of course, but not in the way they expected. At the end of the song they ask Isaiah about the coming King. He answers (from Isaiah 53):

"He'll bear no beauty or glory
Rejected, despised
A man of such sorrow
We'll cover our eyes

He'll take up our sickness
Carry our tears
For his people
He will be pierced

He'll be crushed for our evils
Our punishment feel
By his wounds
We will be healed."

"From you, O Bethlehem
Small among Judah
A ruler will come
Ancient and strong."

As I explained this song to Jeanette (in French, of course) I realized I had never spoken with such passion in a foreign language before. Christ came, and came in a way we didn’t expect. Instead He came as a much greater king then we even imagined! Jeanette was really interested in the song and I was so grateful that I could relay it to her. If you haven’t heard the song, I encourage you to find it, but know I’m biased! Andrew Peterson is my favorite singer/songwriter.

Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noël!

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Meet Jeanette (by Amanda)

I have written about emotions, life and people in Mali, but I have not yet written about one of my favorite people here: Jeanette. She is my Malian house help. I was not looking forward to hiring someone to come in and clean and work for me, but in the first week here I was asked to use a specific lady and since I felt it was inevitable I hired her part time. Now, I often have little to do, but the other missionaries tell me, "Wait till you get busy!"” I could not imagine my life without her. She is a Christian, originally from Mali, who worked in Cote d'Ivoire for another missionary before they were evacuated. She really has become more than my house help. Sometimes when we are preparing food we watch a movie in French together with English subtitles (French for her; subtitles for me!). We go to the market together and she watches out for me.
This week I went to an expo of Malian products because I wanted to find some presents for Thom, but I didn'’t want to go alone since my language skills are lacking and I wasn'’t exactly sure where I was going. Thanks be to God He provided me with the perfect person to help me. I was able to take Jeanette and we had a great time. She gives me such joy to have around each day. Not only is she a hard worker, but she tries to work with joy; to hear her laugh down the hall when the cat attacks the broom is just so much fun (Jeanette loves cats, which is a little unusual for Malians). I really praise God that He knew what I needed before I did.
She rearranges things as she dusts, she cooks great African food for us, she loves to laugh and help bake goodies and she can make my whites brighter in the laundry, but most importantly she has provided me with companionship, comfort and joy. God has stretched out His hand and provided us with the ability to work in harmony and to enjoy the company of each other. Please pray for her as she is having a baby in 4 months and pray for me as I have her cousin work for me for a few months after.
Philippians 1:3-4 - I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you I always pray with joy.

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O Christmas Palm (by Thom)

O Christmas palm! O Christmas palm!
How lovely are your fronds.
O Christmas palm! O Christmas palm!
How lovely are your fronds.

...or something like that, anyway. I've mentioned to a few people about our Christmas tree and there seems to be a desire to see what I'm talking about. Because we didn't bring any Christmas decorations to speak of, and because you can't go and buy a spruce tree here, I surprised Amanda by buying a palm tree for Christmas. After bringing it home, I printed out a bunch of "Christmas-y" pictures from the internet and taped them to the leaves. Later, I found some Christmas decorations at a store and paid a ridiculous amount to put some lights and balls on the tree. As you can see, we've gotten a few Christmas gifts in the mail and put them around the tree, too. Every time I see the tree I have to laugh. Amanda gets a kick out of it as well. We both love showing it off to other people. It seems we're the only missionaries here odd enough to try something like this.
By the way, to see this picture larger and our other photos, click here.
Merry Christmas!

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Peace, or Trouble? (by Thom)

As a Westerner living in West Africa, there are no shortage of "lifestyle" annoyances: sometimes the electricity doesn't work, from time to time there is no water, and when we want a cheeseburger we can't go to McD's to get our fix. For some people, these annoyances add up until they reach a breaking point. One way to keep from reaching "the end of our ropes" is to remind ourselves why we're here: the people. We are here to touch people's lives with the Good News of Jesus Christ. We also get involved in projects to better lives on this world, like hospitals, work in prisons, and internet cafes. This morning Amanda and I went to a Bambara speaking church service and were reminded of the pain and trials in the believers' lives here.
The pastor at this church has become a friend of mine and I was very excited to be finally going to his church. As is the custom here, they asked to hear from any first-time visitors. The first person to stand was a woman, probably in her mid twenties. Her story brought tears to my eyes. She shared that she recently became a believer in Christ. A few distant relatives in her family are Christians, but for the most part she is the first believer in her family. After converting her husband demanded she renounce her faith. When she wouldn't, he took away their child and divorced her. Her brother told her that he was going to come and kill her if she didn't give up her beliefs. On the way he was in a motorcycle accident and eventually died. Life is suddenly very difficult for this woman, but as she shared her trials she had a smile on her face. I've noticed that Malians seem to be much better at realizing that this life is temporary, but Christians have an everlasting peace awaiting them.
I'd like to ask prayer for this woman. Pray also for her husband, that his heart will soften, even to the point of salvation himself.

John 14:27 - Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

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