First Week in Bamoko

Hello everyone,

We are about to finish our first week in Bamako, Mali and I know everyone is interested to know what life is like here. First, let me say we would have blogged sooner but we have not had internet access except when we first arrived. There is so much to tell so I will break it down into travel, food, ministry, and personal thoughts.


Travel - We left Memphis on Friday and flew into Atlanta, then to Paris and on to Bamako. The entire travel time took about 30 hours with layovers from the time we left Arkansas. We were traveling with other missionaries that we had trained with in Virginia and we were all met by the missionaries already here. This was a HUGE blessing! It was good to see another American holding a sign with our last name (we then knew we landed in the right country!) From the airport, we loaded up into private vehicles and started for our new home. I used to laugh about how bad the traffic was in Africa, my laughter has turned into prayer. There are taxis, moto-scooters, buses, pedestrians, animals, and me all trying to go somewhere in what seems to be mass disorganization. It will take time but I will get the hang of it.


Food - There is a good selection of food here in the city. However, the taste may be a little different from what we are used too. For example, milk is bought off the shelf without refrigeration and will last 20 to 30 days after opened but the taste is quite a bit different. We have found one "modern" store that sells meat if you catch them at the right time. There are also small market type stands everywhere to buy fruits and vegetables. These must be scrubbed and put in a bleach soak to kill any undesired organisms. I was frying potatoes last night when two small grasshoppers somehow make their way into the pan, Teresa was not ready for this type of recipe (yet!) so I had to dig them out. However, a pan of potatoes is so time consuming to prepare from the market stand to the table that we decided two little bugs couldn't hurt the whole batch. All in all, we will probably be eating healthier because of the abundance of fruits, vegetables, and all natural ingredients.


Ministry - We are just starting to learn the French language and this will consume a large portion of our week (about 40 hours). However, this 40 hours includes time spent out in the community practicing so we will be able to meet many people. It is of course difficult to communicate but we have met a few people who speak some English. I have met one in particular from Timbuktu (yes, this is a real place and is in Mali). He is a Muslim so I will have soon have the opportunity to share the gospel with him and a group of his friends.

Personal thoughts - It is hot here! Many people have asked if this is what I expected Africa to be like and it is exactly what I expected. What I didn't expect was the adaptation process. I thought that since I knew what to expect everything would be well. However, you can expect something and still not be totally prepared until you have the actual experience. For example, I knew that it would be hot here but my body has had some physical issues adjusting, I am told this will be better after a couple of weeks. Thats just one example but the principle is true for many circumstances. The people here are very friendly and give us a smile wherever we may greet them. These are the people that God has sent us to share good news with and we are blessed to finally be here. It seems like our physical bodies have caught up to where our hearts were planted some time ago. Teresa and Autumn are doing great. Thank you for your support and prayers. I will close with our prayer request and a reminder that Autumn has a bloglink at the very bottom of this blog. (She has posted pictures of our home there) If we have your e-mail, don't be surprised if you get this exact blog because we are going to try and do a bulk e-mail for those who don't check the blog.

PRAYER REQUEST
1. Pray that we will learn the French language and have the joy of the Lord as we learn.
2. Pray for "B" who will be listening to the gospel and translating to his Muslim Friends. A
specific prayer would be for a clear presentation and for light and truth to penetrate hearts.
Pray for a whole hearted decision to follow Christ
3. Pray for initial culture shock to be saturated with the presence and grace of God.

Blessings and Au Revoir (Good Bye!)

Jon