November 18-20, 2011 we celebrated 7 years of ministry for Central Apostolique Malian (CAM) here in Bamako. The ministry began in the part of Bamako known as Banakabougou, where Claudia Wintoch lived and worked, and began to reach out to the boys who lived on the streets around her, surviving by whatever means were at hand. They would congregate at 'people places' like the bus station, or traffic intersections where they could beg some coins from passersby on which to survive. They slept wherever they could find a safe place to lie down. The younger ones served the older, and in return got such protection as they could provide.
Today we are located in the quartier of Yirimadio, on a plot of land that was given to Claudia by God's grace and the at the hand of the governing body, as a base to serve the needs of these boys and others. More than a dozen boys and young men live at this base, going to school, eating and sleeping together as a family of sorts, and learning about the creator God that so loved them that he gave His only son Jesus to provide payment rescue them (and us!).
We have had a weekend of special services and have been blessed and refreshed by the teaching and Fathering presence of Pastor Anthony Turner, our special guest speaker from Colorado Springs, Colorado. Let me walk you thru the days- with pictures!
The day began for us on Sunday with a knock on the door just before daybreak. The boys were ready to slaughter the large sheep that had been purchased 2 weeks ago and has been kept on base in preparation for this day. Ray's help was wanted- and I soon went down to take pictures of the goings-on. I was more than ready for them to end the ram's marauding of the gardens we had planted - he decimated our sweet corn patch and ate tops off many of the mango plants, tomatoes and young seedlings. (Maybe that was a contribution to his tastiness!) Pastor Anthony soon came out on his rooftop to chronicle the event as well.
The kitchen was empty at that early hour, but would soon be bustling with the cooks and their helpers and friends who pitched in to prepare lunch plus an evening meal for an expected 150 guests. A huge kettle of rice, another of cous-cous, and a pile of onions, squash, potatoes and other vegatables that would find their way into a tasty stew --along with billiba sheep, of course!
Tents had been arranged for to provide shade and their set-up started early on Friday morning. For awhile there were an army of scurrying helpers laying out the poles and fittings, and they quickly began to take form. The whole open area where the boys play soccer was soon covered for the event. There was a Friday morning service in the main building, with Pastor Anthony teaching, then a full day on Saturday and the main Celebration on Sunday under the tents/ Chairs and benches were placed in the newly created shady area and mats rolled out in front of the platform to provide a place for worshipping feet to move without stirring up too much dust.
The Baptistry had to be filled, and a chair placed in the water for the ones who were to be babtised to sit on. Ray supervised that project and made himself useful in many places. After our Sunday breakfast of bread and jam (this morning we had mango jam that I had made and canned while mangoes were so plentiful), Julie and I played a game of Qwirkle with Pastor Anthony and some of the younger ones. Ray stopped for a minute to look over a shoulder, but didn't stop long when there was work to be done. (That will surprise none of you who know him :))
After lunch the gates were opened and people began to arrive. Crowds of children and a few adults came from nearby. Two bus loads of people from the old neighborhood arrived in one overloaded run, and we were amazed to see how many spilled out of it's doors when Ray drove up. A few special friends arrived on motos and by car. The radio crew—scheduled for the day of broadcasting-- did not arrive til 4 pm and so missed much of the program. They did interview Paul and Claudia after the service.
Some of our boys were stationed at each gate to welcome people and hand out a piece of candy to each child (and then later, to watch that the plastic plates that food was served on didn't go out those open gates). Others were positioned at the dining hall doorway to hand out bags of water. Flo tended the sound board and Jeremie played drums. Our resident boys all had their assignments to help with serving, gathering up and washing the plates, and then handing them out again. (Unfortunately the food did not stretch to match the crowd and some street boys went to bed hungry, with out even their customary dish of fat rice.)
A review of CAMs history and ministry was shared. Energetic Bambara worship, lead by Paul, was interspersed with the more familiar(to us) praise music of the guest band, led by Daouda, the boys music teacher. We had a boys choir to help with worship, and Claudia had worked with 6 of the kids to do a worship dance number.
A highlight of the afternoon was the baptismal service. Four boys gave testimony of their allegience to Jesus, and were baptised in the concrete baptistry that is a part of the concrete platform area. They changed clothes and returned to receive their certificates and a blessing from Claudia and Paul, their Pastor.
Pastor Anthony delivered a timely message on Fatherhood, and the blessing that our children are and give. He culminated his teaching by calling all the children to come forward, and prayed a blessing over them. He then asked them to turn and stretch out their hands to their parents and the other adults and pronounced a blessing from the children. It was awesome. A proclamation of submission and blessing was passed.
Ray drove the double-bus-load of people back to Banakabougou, arriving back well after dark. It was a full day of anticipation, preparation, stress, blessing, relationship, celebration... and then rest. Our boys gave us reason to rejoice. We see such growth and promise in them. Please pray for us and them as we live and work together.
Striving to be a blessing to those God has planted us with in this season.
Won't you join us!?!
The dust has settled. The tents have been taken down. The crowds and Pastor Anthony have gone home. But there have been lasting changes in the lives of our boys -- and of us!
Pastor Anthony prayed into each of our boys while he was here, many of them more than once. He spoke truth and life into their spirits and their futures. Last night we heard testimony during family-meeting of the changes and the impact that they, themselves, are aware of in that impartation. One of the powerful things that Claudia has instituted here
