Pres Sekou and a small team of helpers are working on the translation of church materials into Bambara. This morning Kara Moko Diarra was here helping go over some of these materials. They are working on The Living Christ right now.
You can see here what the Bambara language looks like.
Slowly and surely, the stone cut out of the mountain without hands will fill the whole earth and the gospel will be taught to every nation, kindred, tongue and people. We are seeing that prophecy fulfilled here, now.
The amount of dust in the air here is unbelievable! The windows at the church are usually closed to keep it out, but the dust Still Comes In. Every Saturday morning we clean the church to prepare it for Sunday. It’s a labor of love.
Today the power was out because the electric bill needed to be paid, so we worked without lights or fans to keep us cool.
Here’s the duster for the window screens and the posts outside.
I found these old bags outside as we left today. This is what the dusters are made from. Everyone uses these dusters, especially street vendors who have their goods displayed near the traffic in the dust.
President Sekou is amazing. He’s always quick to help. He’s so busy with medical school and studying at the hospital and his new little family. He spends a lot of time at the church and we love him. He’ll drop everything to do anything that’s asked to help the church grow and be strengthened.
Today we had fun (it was so hot) cleaning the courtyard too!
Here is the traditional outside bathroom. We have a guard at the church compound 24/7 and the rotating guards use this bathroom.
This morning Doctor Souleymane came by for his last visit. We’ve missed him! Last week John went to the hospital for a lung scan just to make sure everything was OK there. Today the doctor came to read the scan results. It shows lesions on 30% of his lungs, but he didn’t seem too worried about that–it’s what COVID does. He gave John another round of antibiotics and blood thinner and said that should take care of the end of his recovery. We’re so grateful for the medical help we’ve had here, far from home.
These are our Bamako neighbors who live in a traditional Malian compound right behind us. I took these photos from up on our back deck. Several happy families live here and from time to time the children smile up at me and wave and I wave right back.
This evening I went out at 6:45 when the sun was officially setting to watch how they prepared to break their fast after this long hot day of going without food or water. The children aren’t required to fast, but the adults do. The men do a fair amount of lounging in the shade on mats on the ground. The women work in the kitchen, preparing a large meal for their families.
This is the kitchen area in the northwest corner of the compound that backs up to our apartment building. All of the cooking is done over cooking fires in big pots. As you can see, there are no tables, chairs, countertops, or places to put things. Everything is on the ground. The women sit on low wooden stools as they work, preparing and cooking. This evening they prepared several large bowls/platters of rice and some pots of sauces to serve with it. I watched as they took platters of food to the men in the building, serving them first. They didn’t seem to eat together as families.
There are always so many things going on in this compound–preparing and cooking food, washing and hanging laundry to dry, bathing the children. The men take naps and look at their phones.
This video is a little grainy because it was starting to get dark.
Here is the covered area directly below us. It’s interesting to see the 3 satellite dishes ion the tin roof with holes in it.
I love watching the people around us in their day-to-day lives. They work hard and they are happy. I wish I could do what they do. They are incredible.
Every day we flag down taxis to take us where we need to go. It’s always an exciting part of this grand adventure! Each taxi has it’s unique and interesting features. Most of these features have to do with falling apart and the ability to dodge and maneuver in crazy traffic in a place with no traffic signs or rules. Once you get used to it, it really is a lot of fun! And the views from the back seat window, as you’ve seen in many of my other posts, are spectacular!
Here’s a bit of information from WikiTravel about getting around in Bamako:
The city has only a few paved main roads (goudrons), the rest of the city’s roads are unpaved, and get dusty during the dry season (November to May) and muddy during the rainy season, offering breeding grounds to malaria-carrying mosquitoes.
The city can be hard to navigate through due to the lack of road signs, the complicated layout of the streets and the one way system in the city. The roads are very crowded both with motor vehicles and motorcycles who appear to fill every available space possible. Traffic police are particularly vigilant and will sometimes appear to enforce very arbitrary traffic rules. They are usually on motorcycles as well so it is unwise to try and out run them in your vehicle as they will easily catch up.
Often the best way to navigate around the city is to hire a taxi-motorcycle to lead you to your destination. These are relatively cheap and depending on the distance can be as low as 100 cfa. There is no meter and price is negotiated upfront.
I love this description posted by Anne Harkin of Melbourne:
Ah! The taxis! What a wild bunch of beaten up, Mad Max-style, barely hanging in there jalopies – strung together with bits of coat hanger, rubber tubing, sticky tape – bits falling off, no mirrors, no door handles – inside or out -cracked windscreens, no interior door linings, no functioning seat belts, every exterior panel a different colour, seats that lost their springs long ago bring you closer to Mother Earth, wiring hanging out from under the dashboard – handy for starting the vehicle when you’ve lost the key – dashboards covered in dust-coated fake fur and lined with grubby stuffed animals. Noises from the rear indicate there’s a little man located somewhere in or near the boot hammering away at something = shot shockers. But taxis here in Bamako are ever ready, ever present, ever available and CHEAP! eg in the morning it takes about half a minute to flag down a taxi and agree on the price – Mille, 500 cfa [about $1.oo USD] to go the 4 or 5k to the Maison des Jeunes. There’s often great music playing when you get in – mostly Malian- trad or pop or reggae. Sometimes there are other passengers. We exchange greetings in Bamanakan and stop- start our way through the stream of belching motorbikes and choked roads to our destination. The taxi man will take you right up to your destination, wish you a good day and choof off. Bonne journée!
These drivers seem to love having a strip of fake fur on the top of their dashboards, often colorful, tinged with a good deal of dust.
Here is one of my favorite rides–in what we called “the gorilla cab!”
I get very excited when my back seat spot includes a knob to roll down my window. Most taxi’s knobs are long gone. Air conditioning is never an option, so having some circulating air is a good thing.
Floor to ceiling, the innards of the taxi are exposed to view.
Seat covers are also interesting and varied. Most taxis have some sort of cover covering the torn and worn seats.
I usually check to see if there are rear view mirrors. The outside mirrors seem to be the first to go. Most have an inside rearview mirror. Many have Islamic prayer beads hanging from them. And the windshields are usually cracked in more places than one.
I found a great post written by Bruce Whitehouse called “Le taximan bamakois: A tribute.” These are his words:
Driving a cab is nowhere for the faint of heart, least of all in crowded cities like Bamako. It takes boldness for a taxi driver to insert his vehicle into narrow spaces in busy traffic, to thread a path safely between slow-moving pushcarts and tricycle taxis on both sides, swerving onto the shoulder when the need arises, holding his own against swarms of motorcyclists and corrupt policemen.
Being a Bamako cabbie also takes encyclopedic knowledge of the streets and neighborhoods of a city home to over three million people. This knowledge is normally acquired, mind you, without recourse to GPS, Waze, maps, or even street names (which exist only for main thoroughfares like Avenue Al Quds, better known as Kulikoro sira or “Koulikoro road”). I have yet to see a Bamako cabbie consult a map or digital device to check his route. Drivers’ understanding of urban space is relational, based on landmarks and a keen awareness of how their city’s many spatial pieces fit together.
In setting out, therefore, you must tell your driver the name of your destination neighborhood, then one or more reference points (e.g. “Just past the Shell station” or “Before you get to the Gendarmerie”). Given such minimal information, most drivers know immediately where to go. Should the need arise, you can always call up someone at your destination and hand your phone to the driver for further explanation.
But it’s not enough to know the route: a good cabbie can predict the fastest route, and that depends on time of day and day of the week. Any taximan worth his fare knows that traffic jams will form around municipal government offices on Sundays, for instance, because that’s where and when many weddings take place. He plots his route accordingly–again, without checking his phone. He knows when certain roads and bridges switch from one-way to two-way traffic and back (to accommodate weekday rush hours). He knows shortcuts down residential streets that bypass clogged avenues.
Along with raw distance and dynamic traffic patterns, a good cabbie must know the condition of the roadways themselves. Driving one kilometer down a badly potholed laterite street might cost him more, in travel time and vehicle wear, than driving two kilometers down a more circuitous but smoother route.
Since Bamako taxis lack meters, you have to agree on a fare at the outset. In calculating the amount, a driver needs to process all the variables mentioned above, plus the odds of picking up more passengers after (sometimes while) bringing you to your destination. He must also estimate your ability to pay his proposed fare. The mathematical and psychological profiling skills required are astoundingly complex. I won’t even mention the mechanical prowess needed to keep a beat-up sedan going day after day after day.
Perhaps a cabbie’s greatest asset, though, is sociability, and I’ve found Bamako taxi drivers extraordinarily outgoing. Every cab ride is an opportunity to learn something about the city and its inhabitants.
Who needs thrilling rides at an amusement park when you can take a taxi in Bamako??
This happened today in Abidjan!! How exciting! These photos were posted by my friend, Ebick Ngoma. We miss watching the progress there every day. This day was particularly historic!
I’ve noticed that so far during Ramadan, there aren’t many food vendors out. Most of the fast food vendors who cook and prepare food-to-go on the sides of the streets are gone. There are no buyers. Even the produce ladies and fruit and vegetable stands are fewer and far between. The tables and stands are empty.
Here’s a family shop across the street from our apartment. It caters to our neighbors here who live around the mosque. We went to buy a case of water and the store was empty. Not a soul shopping during the day.
Here’s some fabric and other odds and ends.
The cold drinks will have to wait until after sunset this evening. I’m sure the store will stay open long after dark.
We are enjoying being back with our Bamako Elders! This week we had our District Meeting on Tuesday and today the Elders were trained to use the Area Book Planner app on their phones to keep track of their teaching appointments and their friends here.
John has a master mind when it comes to keeping track of things and seeing the bigger picture. He’s a huge help to these Elders as we plan and prepare how to help the people here.
John is also the king of spreadsheets and lists.
Here we are meeting about the Area Book Planner. The Elders in Abidjan helped with this training. Many of the American Elders who returned have been using Area Book Planner in their state-side assignments and they are pros.
We have entered into the month of Ramadan here in Mali. We notice changes around us everyday in our neighborhood and among our friends. Here are some of the things I’m learning about Ramadan.
What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is the Arabic name for the ninth month in the Islamic calendar.
It is considered one of the holiest Islamic months.
It’s also one of the Five Pillars of Islam. These are five principles which Muslims believe are compulsory acts ordered by God.
Muslims believe that some of the first verses of the Islamic holy book, the Qu’ran, were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad during the month of Ramadan. Extra emphasis is placed on reciting the Qu’ran at this time.
Fasting is considered to be an act of worship, which enables Muslims to feel closer to God and strengthen their spiritual health and self-discipline.
All Muslims are supposed to fast all day every day for 30 days (it starts with the sliver of the new moon appearing). So yesterday was the first day of fasting, ending at sundown. They can eat all they want all night long, but during they day, they must fast from all food and water.
Here’s what a day of fasting during Ramadan is like:
Muslims have a predawn meal called the “suhoor.”
Then, they fast all day until sunset.
At sunset, Muslims break their fast with a sip of water and some dates, the way they believe Mohammad broke his fast more than a thousand years ago.
After sunset prayers, they gather at event halls, mosques or at home with family and friends in a large feast called “iftar.”
Here are some dates for sale at different vendors I’ve noticed this week:
Fasting during Ramadan
Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection, self-improvement, and heightened devotion and worship. Muslims are expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam. The fast (sawm) begins at dawn and ends at sunset. In addition to abstaining from eating and drinking during this time, Muslims abstain from sexual relations and sinful speech and behavior during Ramadan fasting or month.
The act of fasting is said to redirect the heart away from worldly activities, its purpose being to cleanse the soul by freeing it from harmful impurities. Muslims believe that Ramadan teaches them to practice self-discipline, self-control, sacrifice, and empathy for those who are less fortunate, thus encouraging actions of generosity and compulsory charity (zakat).
Muslims also believe fasting helps instill compassion for the food-insecure poor.
Exemptions to fasting include travel, menstruation, severe illness, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. However, many Muslims with medical conditions insist on fasting to satisfy their spiritual needs, although it is not recommended by hadith. Those unable to fast are obligated make up the missed days later.
I visited with a young man today about Ramadan. I asked if he was Muslim. He said yes. I asked if he was celebrating Ramadan and he said he was. “Are you fasting now?” “Yes.” “Is it hard?” (It’s been 109 degrees this week.) He told me that fasting is a spiritual experience. He said, “it’s a matter of faith. If you think about being hungry, you will be hungry. If you think about drinking, you will be thirsty.” He said, “fasting is about faith and Allah, and when you think about that, there is no hunger.”
I told him it’s the same in my religion–we also fast, but we fast once a month for a 24 hour period. We also give money to the poor after we fast.
This young man was honest and truthful and had a gentle face. I felt my water bottle with what was left of the ice in it next to me, sweating a bit of coolness through the bag at my side. I asked, “Are you thirsty?” “Yes,” he replied, “but I have faith, so I manage.”
Yesterday on our drive home from church in Binabougou, I took another series of photos from our taxi’s window. I want to remember these places and I want others to see them too. Imagine the smells and the sounds of the people and traffic as you come visit this place with me!
Today was 109 degrees here. People here dress modestly with many layers, even in this heat.
These large trucks come filled with produce. They are emptied by hand into baskets, carts and piles. Young men are at the ready with their hand carts, hoping to be hired to transport a load.
You can tell that we were in a “go slow” or traffic jam, so many of these photos overlap, but each tells a story and shows something new. Above you see a crew getting ready to unload a truckload of plantain.
I love the umbrellas and the creative ways wares are displayed.
Here are women sorting avocados. Imagine how quickly they ripen and soften in this heat. It’s a constant sorting job!
Here is a cart load of plantain. These cooking bananas are picked green and loaded loose into the huge trucks. They eventually ripen and soften. The riper they get, the sweeter they get. They are sliced or cut and fried in oil which we call “aloco.”
The potatoes here are fresh from the fields. They’re delicious.
If you build up the sides of your hand cart, you can fit so much more in!
Here’s a load of frozen fish being sorted.
Another type of smaller fish being sorted:
There’s a lot of trash here. It sometimes feels like a loosing battle.
These are pans for frying dough balls.
Hand-washing stations for sale:
Cooking grills and outdoor stoves for sale:
More stoves and hardware:
Chicken feeders:
Homemade BBQ grills:
Wheelbarrows waiting to be put to work:
Old and used tired things:
Beasts of burden taking a breather:
A one-legged man on crutches:
Backpacks and balls for sale:
Shoe store:
Laundry everywhere!
Fast food and some laundry:
Women’s burdens:
Waiting to fill containers at a public tap:
A pot on a stove:
Doing laundry and a satellite dish:
Stuff on the roof:
Smart inventory in a place like this:
Men on the soccer field. Most are wearing socks and sandals.
Old mosquito nets are used to keep animals out of the gardens planted by the creek.
Trash piles growing everywhere. Mostly plastic bags and the unburnables.
Cleaning lettuce to sell:
A little bit of everything:
Here’s a shop with some nice signage:
Another shoe store:
Quincaillerie means hardware store. Here are some tools and propane tanks for sale.
Woman chopping fire wood for cooking dinner tonight.
A gas station for motorcycles:
Bags of charcoal and dried greens for sale:
A peek inside this woman’s compound. This is the kitchen with the cooking fires. Remember, it’s 109 degrees out here today!
A motorcycle mechanic’s shop. A favorite young men’s hangout.
More gardens and rubbish:
Here’s a rubbish pile that’s been dug into. It’s almost solid plastic bags.
Mango trees are better than umbrellas. People congregate under them to get out of the sun.
Bagged water pouches for sale. I wonder if that freezer works.
Most vendors have to be able to carry what they sell. Their loads can be so heavy and sometimes awkward.
Carts for hire:
Fruit under the umbrellas. It takes one day for bananas to ripen here. The mandarins are imported from places like Morocco.
There are villages far from here where the women specialize in making pottery. The clay is dug from the ground, and they turn it on primitive potter’s wheels. These pots are used for storing water and food items.
There are always so many things going on in this compound–preparing and cooking food, washing and hanging laundry to dry, bathing the children. The men take naps and look at their phones.
Our Cote d’Ivoire Abidjan East and Bamako, Mali Mission 