refreshed

Half of our team was gone to Bamako for two days.  They came back last night and we were able to work some issues out that was building tension among all of us.  It felt good to be together again.  I felt unity.  I was refreshed.  Right now I'm sitting on the cement block patio in our backyard listening to Court, Chenz, and Chris type away.  I hear voices in the distance yelling something in Bambara, and once in a while a car drives by.  It is cool tonight.  After the 106 degree weather today, the evenings feel so good!  Toupas is sleeping right next to me.  Oh how I'm praying she has puppies while we are here!  It is almost that time when all the male dogs hunt her down ha!  I'm not so tired today.  The other day I slept in till 10am (because we've had no class this week) and then i had another 2 1/2 hour nap that afternoon, of course lying in sweat.  But through all the 'uncomfortableness' as many americans would say, God is always here.  I've been given the name "Nema" (nay-mah) which is grace in Bambara.  I don't know if it was randomly chosen by the Malian students, but I believe God definitely had a purpose through the name.  My theme of the trip is about grace.  The grace God gives us through His love, and the grace He asks us to give unto others.  Something that is difficult but beautiful.

Tonight was like a big celebration day for the Muslim religion or something like that.  From our home, in the distance we hear prayer and song (in another language by a man) over and over.  Usually its just a call to prayer the couple times Muslims repeat daily.  This was longer.  And I was pondering how interesting and lifechanging it would be to learn more about the Muslim religion and be able to visit a mosque and one of their leaders with Uncle Joseph.  Yet are role here at the IBR compound under the EEPM National Church is to interact and encourage the believers at the church on the compound, and get to know them. I like it, but its hard in a way too because I want to be out doing something and visiting with non-believers.  Remember, Mali is 2% Christian (1% leaders) and the rest mostly Muslim and Animist.  Yet I feel secluded among our small compound.  One teammate specifically told me how she felt when we entered Bougouni for the first time.  She felt the darkness of it.  Bougouni has a main road that stretches from Bamako down to Burkina Faso.  It's a major drug route and much more is going on then we are seeing.  I want to know more.

amanda

today in mali

Monday, we did some more class time and finished talking about Cultural Anthropology, as he gave us our big project assignments due in the next month or two.  Class is really hard to focus in on.  I find myself thinking about the heat, wanting cold ice water but its not always possible because our freezer is oh so small and you can only fit so much at a time and make so much ice at a time as well.  Cold water tastes so good all the time.  I find myself chugging it very often as I sit here and sweat, or lay down at night and just sweat.  Class is also hard to stay focused because the heat makes you exhausted (heat exhaustion) and I've been oh so tired.  We have a bunch of assignments in our hands for the rest of the 6 months, but it doesn't stop there.  We have 18 credits we are doing.  Thats alot even back in the states, and what's worse is we will all be dealing with culture shock and our own personal problems.  I find myself not even eating that much either.  At some meals, I eat way over what I would normally just so that I don't find myself losing weight.  I really can't afford to.  It's hard to have an appetite.

Jones, our professor, is flying back home on Thursday.  Today three of our teammates went to Bamako with Jones and Uncle Joseph to do some bank stuff and shopping.  Christian, Michenzie, and I stayed back in Bougouni to get caught up on sleep and just being alone.  It has been so wonderful with just 3 of us here...3 of us quiet personalities!! Today I woke up at 9 and did laundry.  Then we went to the market on our ghetto bikes to get potatoes, tomatos, and onions.  We headed to the fabric shop and picked up a bunch of material for outfits, skirts, and taffays (sp?). I had material ready to be tailored and made into a whole outfit for Sundays.  And then I bought to material pieces for taffays, and one more I found and had it tailored to fit me (with a zipper).  It's very fun and I'm becoming obsessed with buying more of their material!  Even with a little bit of french, Chenz and I managed to used what we know to get things accomplished.  The kind of adventure I like.

mali NOW

Wow it has been a long week! The days have gone by so slowly here, yet sort of fast, its weird.  We arrived in Bamako about 9pm last Tuesday evening.  Fortunately the weather was cooler than normally.  It was hot air (probably 90's) but still better than we expected.  We met Mama Sako and his wife and kids in Bamako.  He is a leader/pastor in the church and has been very involved with Grace University's EDGE Program.  We ate with them in their home for lunch one day and had a great time meeting his family.  His wife is very sweet.  Later the next day we went to the bus station to wait to go down to Bougouni (where we are staying).  It is about a 3 hour drive from Bamako.  But before we left, we waited about 1 1/2 hrs and out of nowhere became the center of attention.  This man dances for money and he walked up and started dancing...somewhat inappropriately...but also hilarious.  I guess he dances on tv here or something as well.  We got some on video as we were completely surrounded by music and probably 40+ women and men laughing and clapping.

On the way down there were so many children on the bus, and some just happened to sit right next to us! One girl absolutely loved us and kept on smiling all the time.  Another one wasn't sure about us until Chris started making weird noises at her.  Then she opened up and was a little crazy! I even got to hold a couple-month-old baby as well. 

Down in Bougouni, our team is staying in a house (pink :)).  There are two small rooms for the intern and our oldest team member (Christian).  The other bedroom has me and two other girls in it, and it is a bit crowded.  We have a small kitchen, study room, living room and bathroom.  And now had some men fix up our porch in the back so we could sit under some shade.  It is definitely liveable (sp?).  We have gone to the market many times already, and it is interesting how people completely stop what they are doing to stare at us as we walk by.  It's strange at first and sort of awkward but you get used to it and just ignore it.  We are living on the IBR compound.  It is a small bible college that the district pays some students to go to.  It is expensive for them ($800/yr). But there are only 4 students this year.  Not many huh?  They are pretty nice and fun to be around.  We have to be careful in our actions though, for continually talking or sitting by one of them many times can look like we are interested in them, and from what I've heard they are all engaged.  The relationship aspect in the Malian culture is so different.  Would it even be possible for two people from different cultures to marry.  It is quite interesting!  

Mali is definitely "real" Africa.  Swaziland was more like South Africa which is closer to how the US runs in some ways.  But here, you know you are in a different world.  We are definitely still in our "honeymoon" stage of the continuum.  But within another 2 weeks here, things will start to change.  Frustrations and struggles will begin to hit us and this is when we will have to rely on the Lord.  Nothing will get easier from here on out.  I hope this gives you a small glimpse of what has been going on.

Oh, and I got to ride a nomad's camel! 

Amanda