Mali May 14, 2011
Saturday is a bit different-- well all the days are different, and we are still trying to remember when to be where for what. It is complicated by the fact that sometimes an event is cancelled or delayed because we are waiting on someone to return with a vehicle or supplies or whatnot. But on Saturday the boys are all home from school, after having only 1/2 a day on Friday, which is a Muslim holy day. Worchip services are scheduled for Sat afternoon here at the base, to allow Sundays to be clear for evangelism at the villages. After breakfast teams go out to "evangelize"- inviting the neighbors to come to the afternoon service. The main room--the "dininghall"- is swept out and the floor washed (chores for two of the boys). THere is no noon meal planned for today, fasting and prayer for the service instead. At 2:30 the faithful gather for intercession and then at 3:00 (or thereabouts) praise and worship marks the start of the main service.
Some of the worship songs are familiar to us-- the English translation, that is-- so we try to sing along. Claudia has the words to each song in French projected onto the wall and that helps us. Other songs are new to us, and there are a few Bambara choruses that Paul has written. The cadence of those is very different than the choruses we have known, very African. But the message is fervent and worshipful, proclaiming praise to the name of Jesus, the Lamb of God.
Jeremie has been learning to do the projection, and is doing very well. IT is quite an art to stay with the leader when they do not follow a preset pattern but repeat a verse or chorus as they feel led. I have often wondered how a projectionist can stay on track.
Paul preached today, and interpreted for himself from French into Bambarra and back again. If we could have understood either Bambara or French we could have gotten a good message, I am sure. As it is, we catch a few words, and Paul is gracious to tell us in advance what scripture he is preacing from so that we can read that in our English Bible, at least. We have also been given a Bambara Bible, and we use that for evening family meetings. More on that later.
After the service today there was a Birthday Celebration-- 3 lovely ladies were celebrating Birthdays here this week. Claudia Wintoch, whom you already know, little Sarata (age 6) and Elizabeth, one of our cooks who is a mother and grandmother at age 38.
First there is the bringing in of The Cake. While the birthday gals are turned away so they do not see them, the candles are lit and then the cakes are presented and candles are blown out while the assembled throng sings Happy Birthday. Well, actually this week there were 2 cakes. Claudia knew that with Elizabeth's birthday being celebrated, there would be several extra members of her household added to the usual number of celebrants. One cake would just not be enough, so I baked a banana bread cake (ask me about that sometime)as well as the chocolate cake that Claudia made.
THe cake is cut and consumed, the birthday gals were seated at the head of the table and family members brought their gifts and were rewarded with a bottle of Fanta or Cola. Smaller children bring birthday gifts of a piece of candy that they can buy at the local "boutique", or a mango, or picture they have drawn. Some offered apples, an exotic fruit in this climate. LOL. Adults gave fruit or a specially chosen bottle of nail polish, or a CD or perhaps a piece of money. Claudia received a set of dumbells that she has been wanting for some time. A well thought out gift.
And that is it! THanks are given and then the group scatters. Dinner will be in about 1 hour, rice and a sauce of some type of vegetables cooked into a stew. Sometimes I know what is in it. Sometimes I do not ask!
Til next time, Be blessed and count your many blessings
Mim
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