Joan Neidig's daughter, Barb Woodring, is on another short, mission project with a small group of members from her church, Willingdon Church in Burnaby BC, Canada. They are away for four weeks in Bamako, Mali, and Burkina Faso, West Africa. This mission has an association with Wycliffe Bible Translators/projects.
Talk about leaving footprints of faith! Barb and her friends in Christ are leaving footprints of faith in a land that strongly needs God's presence, help and hope. They are putting their calendars and money where their faith is. Here is one of her interesting recent reports from Africa.
Hi Everyone! I want to share with you about the most amazing day that Carlyanne and I were able to share this past Saturday. We were able to visit a World Vision project in the village of Benguene, about 4 ½ hours north of Bamako, on behalf of Maureen and Oliver Eichel and their family, who sponsor Mahamoudo Drahme, a young boy there.
We were picked up at SIL (Wycliffe) after lunch on Friday and made the 4 hour drive north to the World Vision compound in Bla. How would you like to live in Bla? We got there, were greeted by some of the workers, shown our room (they have a 4 room guest house there), given instructions (the cook would prepare our dinner and leave; we could eat at 7 when the generator came on) and then left alone. There was no one else there other than the guard and now and then some villagers. This compound is home to a water project for the surrounding area (bigger than a village but not really a town by our standards) so there were people coming to use the water pump- by all modes of transportation- donkey cart and bikes mostly. We had an hour or so before the lights would come on so we decided to walk around outside the compound a bit. We were on the outskirts of the town but walked over to a small family courtyard across the way- greeted the family who lived there, took pictures, and just strolled around. We didn’t have a flashlight with us so didn’t wander too far. By the time we got back it was about time to eat- so we enjoyed our spaghetti, Malian style- lots of oil and meat but not really tomato sauce. Since it was by now dark and mosquito-y, we headed into our room and went to bed early- around 9:30- such is village life! Carlyanne was excited to finally sleep under a mosquito net. We weren’t roughing too badly though- they had a window airconditioner; It’s been needed since the evenings lately have been over 100 in the house with 60-70% humidity (very unusual for this time of year). The next day would be a treat beyond what we could have imagined!
We were told to be ready to head out to Mahamadou’s village by 7am, so had our bread and jam and tea for breakfast and headed out right on time, accompanied by our Malian driver, a World Vision Sponsor Coordinator, and the head honcho from World Vision in Central Mali, a ‘brother’ Isaac. We drove about 10 minutes north and then 20-25 minutes into the bush- no real roads, just over the dirt mounds and through the dry river bed, and arrived at the village. Right away we knew this was a big deal! Under the thatched canopy where Malians meet was set up a table with 3 chairs in front of it and then a row of about 8 chairs facing the table, with benches fit under the outside perimeter of the shelter. The ‘places of honor’ were for the WVision Sponsor Coordinator, Carlyanne and me; faced by the 8 village elders. WOW! In about 5 minutes time the ENTIRE village was there. The kids had come out of the school with their teachers to greet us; all work stopped as everyone came- all except Mahamadou’s family. They were waiting for us in their ‘corner’ of the village. The ‘official’ greetings took awhile. We were welcomed and greeted (very Malian) and I had to give a ‘speech’ too- just thanking them for allowing us to come into the village. Everyone it seemed wanted to shake our hand and greet us. That’s everyone except some of the little children who cried when they saw us. Later we found out we were the first visitors to this visit (that weren’t Malian)! Can you believe it! No wonder they were ‘in awe of us’.
After about 20 minutes the kids were shooed back into school and everyone else was told to go back to what they were doing because we were going to visit the ‘boy and his family’. The village elder and other ‘older gentlemen’ led the way as we walked out to the Drahme part of the village. It was great because we were able to take pictures of everything as we walked along. I’m not sure if they were told in advance that we’d be taking pictures and to allow it (in Bamako no one wants their picture taken other than kids unless you’re going to pay them) or that they were just hospitable. Villagers usually are quite different than the ‘city folk’. Anyway, it took us a bit to get there because everything along the way was of great interest to us.
We finally arrived and had to go through the same ‘format’ of greetings but now with his immediate family. And it was a huge family. After setting us seats of honor for us- in the middle so everyone could see us- we met the family elder, his 4 wives, Mahamadou’s mom, (his dad has recently died so his mom was married off to to the eldest brother, who happens to be the family elder-making her wife #4- I think….hard to keep track of everyone they were introducing us to. But he kept telling us how many mothers Mahamadou had now. He sat next to me looking very awkward and scared most of the time. I can only imagine what they said to him before we arrived and how he was probably petrified to say or do something wrong. He is a sweet boy and finally opened up and relaxed as we gave him his gifts. More of that in a second. But before that….
Have you ever tried to bless someone but were so outblessed you were humbled to tears? Carlyanne and I both were trying not to cry. As we did the greetings and were introduced it was so apparent that they were so happy to have us as visitors. Each important member of the family would come and greet us as we sat there. Some would come and bow to us- such weird emotions going through us at this point that it’s hard to describe. I wanted to take one elderly lady in particular, by the shoulders and lift her as I felt so ‘odd’ being bowed to, but I sat there humbled and in awe. We were finally through with all the greetings (which included lots of aunts, uncles etc…..) and the family was told by the family elder to ‘back off’ so that just Mahamadou’s immediate family could gather so we knew them from the bigger crowd. Hoping to find a picture of them to attach to this. There were a lot of them!
We were finally able to give him the gifts which he opened tentatively at first (well we did start with the school supplies and what boy really wants those, right?) until we got to the balls. First a football, then a baseball, then a bouncy ball, then a hacky sack, and then a soccer ball and pump. Boy did his face light up as ball after ball appeared from the backpack. Boys will be boys!
When we finished it was there turn to give us gifts. We weren’t expecting this at all- time to be humbled again. The gifts we brought we nice but they didn’t cause us to live with any great lack….BUT the gifts they gave us. Well, how many of you have ever received 6 chickens?? Live ones! Yes, I received a total of 6 birds from a variety of people, the family elder, the mayor (I’m not sure of what), and the village chief. We also rec’d calabash bowls (made from dried gourds) because every woman must have them to survive in Malian culture, fresh honey with the honey comb (and a few bees), and ground corn. These people definitely don’t eat chicken every day. I’m sure they don’t even eat it every week, and yet they gave us 6! And the corn they gave us was enough to feed their family. What a lesson in sacrificial giving. Again, humbled and overwhelmed.
We spent some time just listening to the family tell us about them, their village and all, and then continued on a tour of the WVision school and Clinic. Mahamadou joined us on our stroll back into the center of the village and took a short cut to the school so he could draw a picture for us to take back for the Eichels. Maureen and Oliver, you were thanked over and over again for your gifts through World Vision. We ‘stole’ smiles and thanks that are yours!
The school was a typical Malian school building- 4 square classrooms in a row. There was even a kindergarten in a thatched building nearby. Carlyanne fell in love with those little tykes who clapped to the drums as they were in the ‘music’ section of their day. A few even got up and danced along. Then it was onto the Health Clinic- very impressive. A maternity room (they have approximately 10 births a month sometimes more) for this village of 64 families, although the clinic services about 8 surrounding villages as well. These people are so blessed to have the building and nurses right in their midst. It had a well stocked pharmacy and pharmacist on duty (along with the 2 nurses- no doctors) There were 2 examining rooms and a ‘recovery’ room- just a plain room with 6 cots- barren but clean.
We had to be on our way again after the 3 hour visit- which was way too short but with not being able to drive after dark, the driver had to hurry to get us back to Bamako so he could get back to Bla. As it was he would be driving 2 hours in the dark- a very dangerous thing to do in Mali with the animals and people darting across the road all the time. They assume you can see them, but there’s no way they can be seen unless it’s too late. So with that, we had our goodbyes- more handshakes and waves and smiles and pictures. We stopped at Segou (large town in Mali) on the way back to Bamako, just so Carlyanne could see another place. Just walked around for a bit and were on the road again within the hour. We got home and had to figure out what to do with our chickens. Did you forget about them? I thought maybe I’d receive them from the people but they’d take them back, but NO! They were mine. So when we got back to SIL I saw Brad Smeltzer sitting out in the yard and snagged him into helping me. Ok, he really did all the work. Carlyanne and I just took video and pictures and said “Gross”. He hadn’t killed and plucked a chicken since missionary training school 18 years ago so I think it was fun for him. The SIL cook helped too. So tomorrow we’ll be eating my gifts. I’m spreading the blessing around!
We had a great Easter today. I’ll write more about that tomorrow because then it’s the final day here on Tuesday and we’ll be extremely busy- kids in the AM and then breakdown, clean up in the afternoon. Carlyanne flies home that night and Bev and Gary leave for Bougouni to spend 5 days with Sharon. Mark and I leave on a bus Wednesday morning early for Bobo, Burkina Faso. I wonder what adventures there will be for us there!?!
THANKS FOR PRAYING FOR US! Things are going well. Bev is feeling a bit better. Gary is sick though, so please pray for him. I have a sore throat and really need a good night’s sleep. We’re all tired and want to finish well and strong. Thanks for lifting us up!
Humbled and Happy! Barb
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