Some Like It Hot (by Thom)

It is definitely getting warm around here! When we left Bamako for Dakar, Senegal a few weeks ago it was starting to warm up. Back then, our average daily high was about 98 or 99 degrees. In Dakar, we were averaging 85 degrees. What a difference! Getting back to Mali, though, has been a bit rough. As spring has started in the US, our hot season has begun in full swing. We're now averaging about 102-104 degrees daily, and I can tell you: there is a big difference between 98 and 104. Yesterday, our mission's field director, Joel Bubna, mentioned to a Malian, "It's getting warm." The man replied, "You haven't seen anything yet!"
Next month, April, is our hottest month. From what we've been told, it wouldn't be strange for temperatures to reach 120 degrees. This is added to what is called harmattan winds: dry winds that blow in from the desert. The harmattan picks up a lot of dust into the sky, and often we can only see a short distance. Sometimes, visibility resembles that of a fog from all the dust in the air! In the picture here, you can see the dust in the air. It looks a lot like a mist.
Please pray for us in this time of transitional weather. Pray that we can adjust, sleep through the heat, and find the energy during the day when the heat tries to sap it away.