My mission trip to Mali, West Africa

Back to the Mali bush today to meet more pastors

We are going back to the bush on the highway that leads to the Ivory Coast. A national pastor is taking us. We are taking rice and checking on his church needs. I've been gathering prayer requests from each other. They have asked for mine.

These pastors were really sincere. I told them about Boldly Proclaim, about reaching our neighborhoods and other needs. They said they would pray. I told them we would too.

I learned a lot about the key ingredients to plan a trip like this. The unity of purpose in our team members, including our national team members has been tremendous. That seems to be a key. I've been touched by that. I will share more as I'm able.

Spent Sunday in the bush talking to pastors

It got close to one hundred twenty degrees in the bush today.  We got within a couple hours of the Ivory Coast.  Wow.  I asked one pastor way out about his Easter Celebration and he said He is Risen.  It was a real Holy Spirit moment.  These are guys who are dealing with everything from lack of money, to sorcery, to grouchy Muslims.  I'm really sand and wind-burned.  One guy we met had been into blood sacrifices.  Twenty nine people had their lives taken.  He's now a Christian, a believer and part of this one church that we went to.  People have been tremendously friendly.  We went through a checkpoint that made me stand up and take notice.  I have to eat supper at the mission house and will try to get back on the net if it's available.  Gladys, I love you.  Same to Justin and Krista and to my OSL family.  I feel really hot.  We meet the missionaries I met through their blog tonight.

Bamako to Our Savior and Griswold Street

Hey, we have the tech details worked out for the live webcast from here to there and back.  We will be using Apple's iSight, iBook and we are using iVisit.  So, Steve Jobs can you send somebody if we have challenges.  I can't wait.

Friday at Bamako's Artisan's Market

It was probably one of the most intense moments of my life.

We went to the Artisan's Market in Bamako across from the National Assembly.  There were thousands of people there.  All African, I'm sure then us, all Michigan.  We were mobbed literally.  Our team leader had gospel tracts in Arabic, French and Bambaara. 

We gave them out to the appropriate people groups.  It was incredible.  We had four young Christian brothers who are Malian.  We had two in front and two in back after the initial experience.  They were great.  We had an incredible bond with them.  Franklin Spotts, our leader was fearless and respectful.  Everybody wanted whatever was free.

We had women come up to us nursing their baby while asking for a tract.  We had guys just get out of the prayers at the national mosque.  I stepped out of the boat with that experience.  It was pure faith.  After an hour, I was going on sensory overload.  We did buy some souvenirs.  That's a whole another experience.

I'm starting to feel the culture shock.  It's about a seven on the Richter Scale.  But, the Christian community here is incredible.

Last night, we had a visitor, a younger guy who is a member of the national parliament.  What a testimony.  The conviction in his eyes about the gospel and about Jesus was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Tomorrow, we go to an African wedding.  A young national doctor who passed all the tests was denied his license because he prayed in Jesus' name and he's getting married.

Monday, we go out with the guy described as the Apostle Paul of Mali, Jean Pierre Dabou.  What a story.  We will take bags of rice to villages and check on churches. 

I'm ready for a little cold weather.  I tolerated the heat better today.  But...it was still hot, real hot.  Burning in hell doesn't sound attractive from a temperature perspective.

I've really felt the prayers of my OSL family.  Everybody, please give Gladys a hug for me.

By the way, March 12 is on at church.  I think we got the tech part figured out.

What would Frank Barone say if he was in Mali

You all are familiar with Frank from Everybody Love's Raymond.  It's so hot here, he'd say, what--Holy  and you fill in the second word.  That sun tan lotion with the 45 spf from Meijers is being used.  Dehydration is a personal concern. I'm doing the fluid thing big time.  I'm using a Nikken water bottle.

Box of cornflakes here runs about eight teen bucks

Manager of this mission house says a box of Kellogg's Cornflakes here runs about eight teen bucks.  Need a Walmarts here. 

Justin--I talked blogs with a radio ministry director from Burkina Faso

Hey, they need to translate Naked Conversations, the premier book about blogging.  The applications here are incredible.  We met last night with the director of eight Christian radio stations in Burkina Faso.  They are trying to educate their one million listeners about everything from female circumcision to HIV.  There, apparently, are a lot of people there who go online.  They have a website.  Fairly static.  Justin, we talked blogs.  It would be perfect.  More later.

Second full day in Mali

There are so many things I want to share--

1. I miss my wife, Gladys and my kids.  There are so many tools to stay in touch, but the mission house we are at has a very basic computer setup and there's no place for me to hook up my iBook here.
2. I feel everybody's prayers big time.  Thank you a thousand times.  I really feel the presence of God in some challenging circumstances and I feel your prayer support.
3. I'm overwhelmed with impressions.  It's hard to know where to start.  It's really hot.  I've been drinking water like crazy and a couple of times I still had to go in the shade. My Jackson Prison broken ankle experience told me to know my limits.
4. Malians are incredibly friendly.  They always have big smile and greeting.
5. I met Anatole who met Krista.  He's a nice young guy helping to build the school here and who met Krista on her trip here last year.  He came up on the roof of the high school asking for Mister Thorp.  He says she's very pretty.  I already knew that.
6. There are a lot of people here who are taking heavy personal risks to share the Gospel.  Some of the stories have to wait til I come back.  I'm incredulous.
7. Every morning we get woke up by the prayers from the mosque just down the street.  It happens at 430 in the morning. 
8. We handed Gospel tracts in Arabic to some guys a block down from the mosque.  One guys name was Muhammed.  He wasn't amused.  Other guys were very cordial.
9. I have had only one cup of coffee since I've been here.  They drink Nescafe.  I don't miss it.
10. We greeted a woman this morning who had feet sticking out her sides.  There was a baby on her back.  That looks uncomortable.
11. Monday we go to the villages to start checking on new church plants and to distribute bags of rice.  That excites me.
12. I got a bunch of pictures to share, but I don't have an easy way to put them up.
13. Its amazing to be on the other side of the world and feel the presence of God and a common bond through Jesus Christ.  It's a real wow.
14. Pray for me and the heat.  My body needs to adjust.
15. If you are at OSL tell Gladys to turn on her Skype.  It's on this computer and I'd love to try it.
16. Again, keep praying for me and everybody here.  More later.

Getting ready to get on Bamako plane

We will be getting on the Air France plane for Bamako in less than an hour. I just spent an hour talking with a young Bamako doctor who is returning from Brown University in Rhode Island with an Apple iBook. We had an instant bridge. He explained a lot about his country and the health issues they face, especially HIV.

I'm getting tired. We had a sandwich in our terminal of the Paris airport and we had to pay for it in Euros. A highlight was talking to my spouse early this morning on Skype. It worked like a charm.

By the way the doctor is a Christian, a believer. I'm starting to get a better feel for this. More when I get internet service in Bamako.

We are sitting in the Paris airport

We are at our gate waiting for our flight to Bamako.  We have a wait of six or seven hours. 

The flight went well and smooth.  Meals were good and I think I slept for a while.

I really enjoyed talking to two of my teammates who I am traveling with--Lauren Hager and Paul Curtis.  We will meet others in Bamako.  The weather here is overcast and with some rain. 

I know it's early in the morning in Michigan, maybe 4:58 a.m.  I tried to find family on Skype but its not bringing anybody up.  However, IM seems to work.

I'm tired, but I feel good.  More down the line.  Maybe a couple of pics from the airport.  Carol, Lauren is drinking his Ensure.  Pictures to follow.  He'd be good person for an Ensure commercial.