Camels and Travelers from a Far

Day 4

Who doesn't enjoy a good camel ride? We were in the process of getting started in the day, when randomly 2 camels and their owners came through the village. The Malians weren't near as impressed with the site as we 5 pale faced Americans were. They were nomads traveling North to Timbuktu (yes, it is a real place in Mali). We moved quickly to greet the nomads and brokered a deal with them for a ride and a photo of ourselves on their camels (2,000 CFA per person= $4 per person). If you look closely at the photo you will see a person in terror as the camel rocks me forward as it tries to stand up, lunging me rapidly toward an uncomfortable position as he also turns his face back toward me as to kiss me or spit on me - I didn't know. I wasn't sure whether to duck or pucker. As you can see from the by-standers, I was clearly not doing it right. The owner ran either to my rescue or the camels, I still don't know.

The camel ride was one to remember. But, so was the beautiful one to two hours of a solid conversation I had with three Muslim men about their faith and my faith. We read from the Koran and the Bible. The conversation was a growing time for us all. Pray for the three twenty something year old men who hold the future of Mali in their hands. Pray that they will continue the conversation regarding the Deity of Christ.

One focus of this trip was to train teachers to teach. It was not our aim merely to go and teach, but to train to teach so that as we leave this village they will be trained in their faith so they can train others (2 Tim 2:2). The method is called T4T (Teaching for Trainers). We all identified two men or women that we could spend some time with everyday and share the key stories that linked all the Old and New Testament together. My men, for the most part, were faithful to come together daily. We gathered under the large mango tree just east of the "GPC Hilton." We spent a couple of hours each day working through the stories. This time it was David and Bathsheba and Nathan's confrontation with David.

While we were in mid stride in the T4T that day, two men rode up on bikes. I had never seen these men. They were both wearing white robes. The older man, Koniba from J-village (see Jan. 27th post) was wearing a traditional Bambara hunter's uniform with all hunting accoutrements and a seasoned muzzle loader rifle that was no less than 60 years old. The younger man, named Fotigi, wore the West African head wrap. Fotigi was from F-village.

The men joined us under the mango tree. After greeting them we continued on with our retelling of the Bible story. When the story training time was complete, the men went further into introducing themselves. Fotigi, from F-village began to tell us about the recent 4 month spiritual adventure in his life. Fotigi came from a village far beyond J-village. Where J-village is walking distance of approximately 5 KM one way, F-village is 40 Km. The nationals told me, if I wanted to walk to F-village I would have to go alone. It was too far to walk.

During the month of Ramadan 2008, Fotigi came across a group of believers gathering with some Americans from North Carolina as they told people the story of Jesus. The village was not Fotigi's village but he stayed and listened as a guest in the village. The stories he heard moved him to following Jesus. But as the son the chief in F-village, he knew there weren't any followers of Christ in his village. What was he to do? How can he share the news of Jesus in his village?

The team gave him a "Megavoice" solar powered MP3 player with 60 pivotal stories to help bring a new believer along in their faith. Fotitgi took his new gift home to his village and began to listen to the stories. Others came in and heard the stories with him. Everyone that heard the stories of Jesus were hearing them for the first time. Fotitgi grew in his faith, but others around him also wanted to learn more.

Fast forward to this mid afternoon day in January 2009, Fotitgi came and said that he has listened to all the stories about Jesus multiple times. He also opened up his satchel and pulled out a heavily worn primary school note book that bore the names of 56 people in his village who are currently waiting for instructions and are ready to become followers of Jesus. Fotitgi's dad is the chief of the village and sent him out of the village to find some "Christians" who could come to their village and tell them how to become a follower of Christ. .....................to this day they wait, the village is waiting.

"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'"

Romans 10:14-15

F-village is waiting. Who will have beautiful feet? They are waiting...