New Pictures and a Quick Update (by Thom)

We've had some complaints lately (mostly from my mom) that there haven't been enough new pictures of Miriam and Hannah. Well, I've added several new ones tonight. You can see them here.
It's been a while since we've written much about the twins. Rest assured, they're doing wonderful. They are now just shy of 15 months old and very healthy. Hannah's milk allergy has completely disappeared (Praise the Lord!!!). Both girls are running, not walking, everywhere and they are little explorers. Their looks keep getting more similar but their personalities are night-and-day different. Miri loves to do things and is very active. Hannah wants to wait and observe and is more reserved. There's no doubt that they are handfuls but we love them and they are a constant source of joy for us. We also get great feedback from Malians who are so touched that we brought two of their own into our family. We were brave (foolish?) enough to go to a restaurant last week and the staff just fawned over the girls, watched them dance on the floor to the music on the stereo, and gave them cookies! The Lord has certainly blessed us all.

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Sad news (by Thom)

I've wanted to share this for the last couple of days but I've had a hard time placing my thoughts to (virtual) paper. A week ago I shared a prayer request for our night guard who was sick. He had missed a week of work due to illness and had returned to his village, which is normally a sign that the illness is expected to be terminal. Last Thursday I got word that he had passed on. He was in his 40's and survived by two wives and 3 children (a teenage son and 2 very young daughters). This was, obviously, a very sad occasion for us. Madou had worked for us just two months. We were forced to fire our previous night guard after he did some very shady things and ruined our trust in him. At the same time another missionary couple was leaving the field for a time and recommended Madou to us. We are glad we go the chance to know him and he was very nice to my family and a great worker. This was my first close experience with death in Mali. There are many customs here that I've been learning over the last few days. First, and most importantly, is to go and sit with the family to give condolences. There aren't funeral homes and formal wakes here, so this is sort of like that. Friday, I went to Madou's brother's house and sat with him for half an hour or so. I gave him the sympathies of me, my family, his previous employer and the mission. I also passed along a money gift. I knew that giving a gift of money was normal but when I asked my friend how much I should give he didn't give me an amount. Instead, he explained to me the reasons for the gift. he told me that family will be coming from all over to give their sympathies as well and they will stay with the family. They won't bring food with them and will stay several days expecting to be fed and sheltered. These expenses can add up quickly and be a burden for the family.
It's interesting that during the last month our house help, Jeanette, has been in Cote d'Ivoire visiting her family because of her father's death. He actually passed last year but because he lived in a different country it wasn't possible for the family to all go right away. The family sent a representative to mourn and then last month they all went to have a belated time together.
Death is a reality here in Mali. The average life-span in Mali is less than 50 years. Compounded with the fact that only 1% of the population is Christian this just furthers the case for the urgency of the Gospel. Please pray for the family of Madou, for our new night guard (who also is not a Christian), and for Mali in general that Christ will be worshiped and glorified here.

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Joy! (by Thom)

In 2004 I made my first trip to Africa. The radio station I worked for in Ohio sent me and 7 other men to Burkina Faso to help build a radio station in the remote town of Tougan. When we went we knew the mission was having a hard time getting a license to operate the station but on faith we helped build it. Upon returning to the US we got sporadic updates on the many problems that kept coming up regarding the licensing process. There were governmental obstacles as well as social barriers that kept the license from being granted. It seemed at times that this was never going to get done. Each time I thought that, though, I'd get an update about how the people in Burkina were praying for this to happen and I was encouraged to keep praying myself. It's been more than 3 years now since the station was complete and ready for operation but unable to do so because of the license issue. However, last night I got great news! A missionary in Burkina Instant Messaged me to let me know that they are planning on going on the air in October! They are also planning a dedication ceremony for late January next year. Amanda and I are going to try our hardest to get there for that ceremony. I can't even begin to express how excited I am that after this long process the station is finally going to begin operations.
I believe that the Enemy didn't want this station to begin airing the Gospel of Christ but I also believe that the Lord heard the prayers of His people in Burkina Faso and answered them. There are so many parts to this story that I can't share in this space but I want you to know that God is good, all the time. I believe that this station, named "Good News Radio" (translated from the local language), will play an important role in bringing more people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ! Please keep the radio station in your prayers as they get closer to their official start. I'll do my best to update everyone of the progress here.

Edit: For more information about the C&MA's radio ministries, click here.

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A Few Items For Prayer (by Thom)

We've been especially busy lately and neglected to keep everyone informed of what's happening in our lives. Here are a few prayer requests and praises:

• A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that my colleague was facing surgery on his broken arm. He had the pins placed in and is is recovering very well! We're so greatful for that! Please keep praying for Job as he continues to heal. He's getting impatient to start driving again so I pray that he won't overuse his arm too soon.
• A couple of months ago I had to fire someone who was being very dishonest in their job. It wasn't easy but it needed to be done. The new worker has been very good but recently got sick. He seemed to be getting better for a while but recently took a turn for the worse. He sent a message to me this week that he was "returning to his village." In this culture that phrase is often a euphemism. If someone is returning to his village when they're sick it means they expect to die. Please pray for this man, especially since he isn't a Christian.
• Amanda was presented yesterday with two possibilities for future ministry. One would involve teaching children and the other would be ministering to current and former prostitutes. She is very unsure what she should be doing. Also, how we were take care of the girls is an important consideration. Pray for guidance there.
  
• I came down with the flu at our field conference two weeks ago. While most of the symptoms have passed I'm still having a lot of intestinal problems. Please pray for my health. Because I deal with a lot of money (which can be quite dirty) in my role here I tend to develop a lot of these stomach problems. (Yes, I wash my hands)
• Finally, this isn't about us specifically, but there has been quite a bit of unrest in northern Mali. Yesterday a US military plane carrying food was shot by rebels. Thankfully no one was killed but other recent incidents haven't ended as well. Please pray for Mali.
  

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Field Forum (by Thom)

Each year all the C&MA missionaries in Mali get together for a conference we call Field Forum. This year's event was held in Segou, the 2nd largest city in Mali and a bit of a half-way point between Bamako and Koutiala. We had a speaker come from Holland (he was previously a missionary in Cote d'Ivoire) and we had a good time bonding and sharing as a team. The biggest negative to the week was that I wound up sick with the flu! For the times I was able to sit in the conference I took notes that I thought I'd share some with you here:

Report from the National Church:
In 2005, there were 65,000 Christians in the C&MA church in Mali
In 2006, there were between 71,000 and 75,000 Christians in the C&MA church in Mali
80% of all Christians in Mali were saved in the C&MA church
The national church is pushing towards more autonomy with the goals of:
“We are not timid. Jesus will be proclaimed.”

Report from Bozo ministries:
The first Bozo Christian was saved in December, 2006. He has since had dreams where a voice tells him that he needs to share the Gospel with his village and those around him. He shares the Bible with his two wives and three children.
He is learning to read, slowly.
There is no Bible in the Bozo language. There is now a vision among the people to translate the Bible into their own language.
This new believer is a blacksmith. This is important because in this culture the blacksmiths are the mediators. Whenever people from his village have a disagreement they come to him to listen and decide who is right. In the Dogon people the Gospel really spread through the help of the blacksmith Christians.

Report from the Koutiala Hospital:
There were about 1050 births in the first year of operation.
Only two women died in childbirth, well below the national rate.
Many women have accepted Christ but are afraid of what will happen now, when they return home.
One man returned saying that he wasn’t ready to convert but he knew that the reason the missionary hospital provided the best care was because of Jesus.

Our week’s speaker:
• He brought his illustrations from Picasso’s Guernica.
Man lives in an ugly, broken, twisted world of disorder and we need to recognize it to be a part of bringing the light (Christ) to this world.
John 1:5 – The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.
Isaiah 59
Rebuilding order begins with repentance
• On multi-cultural living:
Working in a multi-cultural situation we need to be aware of different ways of thinking: geographical, pre-/post-/modernism, views towards the future/past/present.
The phrase that “cultures are not good or bad, just different” isn’t always true. Cultures that look down on women or children or human life aren’t as good as others.
Respect is key to multi-cultural living.

I hope you enjoyed these notes. I found many things to pray and praise for in the time we shared.

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