Go West! (by Thom)

In less than 2 hours we're heading for the airport. We're due to take off from Bamako, Mali for Detroit, Michigan by way of Dakar, Senegal and Washington DC. We'll be in airports and airplanes for 27 hours, so pray for us and the girls. They're excited to fly a plane again (especially Miriam) but that enthusiasm probably won't last the whole trip. :)
We'll update here when we arrive. Thanks for the prayers!

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Photo countdown #1! (by Thom)

In 2005 we arrived in Mali as new missionaries with the C&MA. For Amanda it was her first time in Africa and for me it was the first time taking on the role of bookkeeper. A lot has changed in our lives over the past 4 years, not the least of which is the additions of Miriam and Hannah to our lives. Now, we have only *1* day left in Mali before we return to the United States for furlough and eventually our move to Dakar, Senegal where we'll serve in a more regional capacity. With that in mind, here is a countdown of my eighteen favorite pictures during our time in Mali. 9 pictures of the twins and 9 other pictures. Today is the big day as I unveil my two number 1 choices:

#2 Twin Division:

Was there any doubt? How could our first family photo not be our most favorite of all time? This picture was taken July 31st, 2006. That day the twins were 21 days old and we met them for the first time. I'm holding Miriam and Hannah is in Amanda's arms. The girls were so small and fragile but there was no doubt they were ours. I could easily write 5,000 words right now about how special that day was to us and how special the girls have been to us. I'll spare you that now but just summarize: God's Hand has been evident to us from day one. He brought us our daughters, strengthened them through a difficult beginning, and is continuing to refine them into lovely young ladies. At the same time He has worked miracles in their lives He's taught us more about love and His strength.

#1 Non-twin Division:

This is a very recent addition to my photo collection. I took this picture in November 2008 near Siby, which is west of Bamako. My mom and cousin were visiting us at the time and we decided to go somewhere we'd never been before. It wasn't easy to find the waterfall but it was so worth it! It was completely isolated and we spent a relaxing day listening to the water and enjoying it's refreshing coolness. I think it was the most relaxed I've ever been in Mali, which is exactly what I needed in November after several very stressful months. God gave us a wonderful day that I'll treasure forever.

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Photo countdown #2 (by Thom)

In 2005 we arrived in Mali as new missionaries with the C&MA. For Amanda it was her first time in Africa and for me it was the first time taking on the role of bookkeeper. A lot has changed in our lives over the past 4 years, not the least of which is the additions of Miriam and Hannah to our lives. Now, we have only *2* days left in Mali before we return to the United States for furlough and eventually our move to Dakar, Senegal where we'll serve in a more regional capacity. With that in mind, here is a countdown of my eighteen favorite pictures during our time in Mali. 9 pictures of the twins and 9 other pictures. Today is Number 2:

#2 (tie) Twin Division:The best thing about making a list like this? From the time I started to now I've been able to tinker with my decisions. The picture above was my original choice for #2. That's Miriam standing there holding a flower. There's something about her composure in the picture that endears it to me. I took this picture just a week ago. Our little babies are growing into beautiful young ladies.

The problem with doing a list like this? Sometimes you think you have your plans all worked out and something changes. Like most people, I don't like change a whole lot. Still, something happened last night to change my mind on the list and make me add this picture unexpectedly to this list.
Amanda took this picture at church last week. Left to right are Miriam, Alec and Hannah. Alec is the youngest son of our best friends, Pastor Christophe and Jeane Dembele. Alec is one year younger than the twins. We had dinner last night at the Dembele's house (couscous & sauce) and since then I've been fighting back the tears. They've become such great friends to us and prayed so much for Hannah when she was young. More than that, as a couple they are amazing. We've really been affected by their love for each other. They also have several extended family members and other friends who live with them. A couple of them, who are roughly our age, have become close friends. I'm going to miss them dearly. It was the entirety of our evening together last night that really hit me hard and made me add this photo to the list.

#2 Non-twin Division:

(It took me half an hour to write the section above and I'm still not sure I'm happy with it. This section will be much, much lighter!)
I took this picture alongside the road between Sikasso and Bamako in July 2006. We were returning from the video trip I mentioned in #4 on the countdown. This just cracks me up. The sign reads "Ici Bon Cafe", which is translated "Good Coffee Here". This stand was 3-4 miles from the nearest village and it was that, combined with the fact no one was around that makes me laugh every time I see this photo. At the time I thought to myself, "Hey, Starbucks really is everywhere!".

Check back tomorrow when I'll reveal my favorite two photos I've taken during our years here in Mali.

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Photo countdown #3 (by Thom)

In 2005 we arrived in Mali as new missionaries with the C&MA. For Amanda it was her first time in Africa and for me it was the first time taking on the role of bookkeeper. A lot has changed in our lives over the past 4 years, not the least of which is the additions of Miriam and Hannah to our lives. Now, we have only *3* days left in Mali before we return to the United States for furlough and eventually our move to Dakar, Senegal where we'll serve in a more regional capacity. With that in mind, here is a countdown of my eighteen favorite pictures during our time in Mali. 9 pictures of the twins and 9 other pictures. Today is Number 3:

#3 Twin Division:

Honestly, this ranking just kind of depends on the day and my mood. On several days this picture could easily be number 1. The joy in Miri's face and the excitement in Hannah is infectious. We had some Canadian friends here who left the country to return home and we bought the rocking chairs from them. One was broken and missing some parts but after some time we were able to get it repaired. I snapped this picture the day we gave them the chairs and they fell in love with them. The girls were 15 months old in this picture.

#3 Non-twin Division:

In March 2006 we visited Dogon Country with good friends from Dakar, Senegal. One of the big draws of this area is the cliff dwellings. It is completely unique in Mali. The Dogons are also one of the two people group of Mali that are over 3% Evangelical Christian. There are over 200 C&MA churches in Dogon country yet this still remains an area with a lot of opportunity for the Gospel. It was very hard to choose just one picture from Dogon Country.

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Countdown Interlude

I'll be posting #3 in the countdown shortly but I wanted to mention that we've updated our picture pages with a couple dozen new pictures from Christmas and since. You can see them here or by clicking on the "Our Photos" link to the right.
Fun fact: one of the new pictures will make the countdown tomorrow! Can you guess which one?

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Photo countdown #4 (by Thom)

In 2005 we arrived in Mali as new missionaries with the C&MA. For Amanda it was her first time in Africa and for me it was the first time taking on the role of bookkeeper. A lot has changed in our lives over the past 4 years, not the least of which is the additions of Miriam and Hannah to our lives. Now, we have only *4* days left in Mali before we return to the United States for furlough and eventually our move to Dakar, Senegal where we'll serve in a more regional capacity. With that in mind, here is a countdown of my eighteen favorite pictures during our time in Mali. 9 pictures of the twins and 9 other pictures. Today is Number 4:

#4 Twin Division:

I snapped this photo in April 2008 on the day our friend's baby was being dedicated at church. The girls were all dressed up. Not only do they look beautiful here but I clearly see their personalities shining through. Hannah (left) is looking sweet, demure while Miriam is puffing her cheeks and looks ready to go do something (probably something she shouldn't).

#4 Non-twin Division:

I took this picture on the edge of a very remote village called Blendio in July 2006. This girl was helping her older relative in the cotton field. Her hair has a blond tint because of malnutrition. Later that day we went into the village and I saw several dozen children. About 80% of them had the same blond tint from a poor diet.
We were in Blendio for a video project I did for the national church of Mali. They've sent 4 Malian missionaries that they are funding out to unreached parts of the country. I went and interviewed 3 of the 4 and put together a video of the trip for them to show at their missions conference. Pastor Eli has been in Blendio for about a decade now and it has been tough. There were a couple of people who accepted Jesus as their savior very early on but both of them got sick and died. The villagers decided that converting equals death so it has made evangelism very difficult. Still, I could see Eli has a passion for the people of Blendio. I believe great things are going to happen from the ministry there.

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Photo countdown #5 (by Thom)

In 2005 we arrived in Mali as new missionaries with the C&MA. For Amanda it was her first time in Africa and for me it was the first time taking on the role of bookkeeper. A lot has changed in our lives over the past 4 years, not the least of which is the additions of Miriam and Hannah to our lives. Now, we have only *5* days left in Mali before we return to the United States for furlough and eventually our move to Dakar, Senegal where we'll serve in a more regional capacity. With that in mind, here is a countdown of my eighteen favorite pictures during our time in Mali. 9 pictures of the twins and 9 other pictures. Today is Number 5:

#5 Twin Division:

This was taken on Miri & Hannah's 2nd birthday (7/10/08). For the most part the girls enjoy having their picture taken, even if they do play shy now and then. They do a very good job posing for me when I ask. This wasn't a candid shot, as much as I wish it were. Still, it's wonderful to see Miri and Hannah becoming each other's best friend. Miriam is the leader between the two and Hannah is a quiet follower. Miri has developed a "take charge" personality while Hannah is often eager to help out and display her "servant’s heart". They really are opposites but do a wonderful job of balancing each other.

#5 Non-twin Division:

Our first New Year's Day in Mali (2006) was spent camping by the Bani River with most of the other C&MA missionaries in Mali. To get to the camp site we drove about 4 hours on paved road from Bamako and then turned left. The next 7 miles had no roads whatsoever. We just drove along, hoping we didn't vary too far from the river, which we couldn't see. Anyway, we found it fine. On the way back we were a little more at ease and Amanda was holding the camera in the passenger seat. She snapped this photo which instantly became a favorite of both of us for its simple beauty. The picture is extremely accurate of traditional life here in Mali. A couple of mud brick buildings with thatch roofs, people sitting in the shade to avoid the hot Equatorial sun, and livestock roaming free. I'm often struck that the contents of my camera bag were probably twice as valuable as the sum of all the possessions in this family. I'm equally struck that there are millions of huts just like this across Africa where the people have never heard Gospel of Jesus Christ. Projects like our mission hospital and Christian radio ministry here in Mali have done tremendous work in breaking down the barriers and taking the Gospel beyond where we can physically go.

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Photo countdown #6 (by Thom)

In 2005 we arrived in Mali as new missionaries with the C&MA. For Amanda it was her first time in Africa and for me it was the first time taking on the role of bookkeeper. A lot has changed in our lives over the past 4 years, not the least of which is the additions of Miriam and Hannah to our lives. Now, we have only *6* days left in Mali before we return to the United States for furlough and eventually our move to Dakar, Senegal where we'll serve in a more regional capacity. With that in mind, here is a countdown of my eighteen favorite pictures during our time in Mali. 9 pictures of the twins and 9 other pictures. Today is Number 6:

#6 Twin Division:

There weren't many days early on that we could call our babies"chubby". Miri and Hannah didn't reach five pounds until they were over 3 months old and were only 3lbs 14oz and 3 lbs 2oz, respectively, at one month old. This picture, taken on their 6 month birthday, makes me smile because I think it's the first time I could really see baby fat on both of them. I also love this picture because of Hannah's eyes. Hannah is on the left and her wide, curious eyes have always been her hallmark.

#6 Non-twin Division:

Another picture I took along the shores of the Bani River in February 2008. I don't have a great story behind the picture except that I love the aesthetics of it. You can see a clearer picture of the birds here.

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Photo countdown #7 (by Thom)

In 2005 we arrived in Mali as new missionaries with the C&MA. For Amanda it was her first time in Africa and for me it was the first time taking on the role of bookkeeper. A lot has changed in our lives over the past 4 years, not the least of which is the additions of Miriam and Hannah to our lives. Now, we have only *7* days left in Mali before we return to the United States for furlough and eventually our move to Dakar, Senegal where we'll serve in a more regional capacity. With that in mind, here is a countdown of my eighteen favorite pictures during our time in Mali. 9 pictures of the twins and 9 other pictures. Today is Number 7:

#7 Twin Division:

Even more exciting then learning to crawl was the twins learning to walk. It was quite a bit of fun for us both with the camera and without. This picture was taken in August 2007, just a month after their first birthday. For more learning-to-walk fun, check out this video I made.

#7 Non-twin Division:

I love African food. It doesn't love me back. We have a complicated relationship.
Still, I have nothing but love for this dish, called N'seme, which includes carrots, onions, potatoes, eggs and cabbage served over a type of rice. We eat this with our bare hands out of the communal bowl. Our church believes very strongly in eating together. There are people from several different economic backgrounds at our church but around the communal bowl everyone is equal. It doesn't sound hygienic but eating this way does indeed strengthen the bonds of Christian brotherhood.

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Photo countdown #8 (by Thom)

In 2005 we arrived in Mali as new missionaries with the C&MA. For Amanda it was her first time in Africa and for me it was the first time taking on the role of bookkeeper. A lot has changed in our lives over the past 4 years, not the least of which is the additions of Miriam and Hannah to our lives. Now, we have only *8* days left in Mali before we return to the United States for furlough and eventually our move to Dakar, Senegal where we'll serve in a more regional capacity. With that in mind, here is a countdown of my eighteen favorite pictures during our time in Mali. 9 pictures of the twins and 9 other pictures. Today is Number 8:

#8 Twin Division:

I took this a month before their first birthday. Miriam had been crawling for a couple of months and Hannah was just starting the process. It's Miri's excitement in this picture that makes it so special to me.

#8 Non-twin Division:

This picture was taken in February, 2008 from the shore of the Bani River. We were at a retreat compound called Teriyabougou for our anual prayer conference and I saw the fishermen rowing by. Contrary to the popular illustrations, this is closer to the boats used in Galilee around the time of Christ. When He called out to the desciples to cast their nets one more time and the fish were so many they were sinking the boats, this is how I visualize it now.

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Photo countdown #9 (by Thom)

In 2005 we arrived in Mali as new missionaries with the C&MA. For Amanda it was her first time in Africa and for me it was the first time taking on the role of bookkeeper. A lot has changed in our lives over the past 4 years, not the least of which is the additions of Miriam and Hannah to our lives. Now, we have only 9 days left in Mali before we return to the United States for furlough and eventually our move to Dakar, Senegal where we'll serve in a more regional capacity. With that in mind, here starts a countdown of my eighteen favorite pictures during our time in Mali. 9 pictures of the twins and 9 other pictures. Today is Number 9:

#9 Twin division:

Miri and Hannah love to climb on my scooter. I think they believe they're getting away with something when they're up there.

#9 Non-Twin Division

This is a watermelon stand behind our house. I took the picture from our roof. Where do you buy your fruit?

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