Learning and laughing along the way!

With the realization that 6 weeks have already passed in Bamako, I am overwhelmed, excited and happy to say that life is starting to feel normal. I also must look back and reflect on what God has been teaching me and allowed me to learn in this time.

First, is the power of focusing on the positive. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 " Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." God longs for us to overflow with His joy- not superficial happiness- but pure joy that only comes from Him. To receive this joy, my heart must be right before Him and my attitude must be that of humility and openness. Since arrive in Bamako, there have been joyful days and not so joyful days. Some days I am excited about teaching, other days there it is a sturggle to get up in the morning and go to school. Regardless of my feelings, I am called to BE JOYFUL. That means on the days when I am grumpy, I must reflect and make time to get right before my Father. I have taken up the habit of counting my blessings and regularly rejoicing on the positive!

Second, enjoy the moment. God has allowed me to live in a country where nothing is every done the simple way. Things such as eating, getting from place to place, and just making plans take so much more effort than in the States. This would frustrate most, but so far- it has allowed me to slow down, enjoy the event, and laugh my way through it.

For example: this past Wednesday was Mali's Independence Day. In the morning a group of us went to the parade- where I got incredibly sunburnt. That evening we decided to celebrate American style and barbecue hamburgers. The process started about 5pm yet Dinner was not served until 10pm. In the 5 hour span a combination of wits, muscles, and creative solutions involving: dental floss, oven racks, malian charcoal, gas burners, yeast, too many onions and straw hats. It was a great evening and a little too long of a story to post to completion. BUT enjoy the picture!

Third- Celebrate! The Bible is full of mentions of feast, holidays and celebrations used to focus on God. So many times I forget to stop and celebrate! Holidays become busy social calendars that I even forget what I am celebrating. Instead- God laid out times for me to remember Him, thank Him for who He is and join with others in the celebration. Malians know how to celebrate! To embrace the festivities, BCA had Mali day complete with a traditional lunch for the kids! Check out the giant bucket of rice and sauce! YUM!

The Egg Saga

Last Saturday Ed and I decided to make muffins so I could bring them for snack at Sunday School the next morning. We started to gather ingredients in the kitchen and realized we were out of eggs. That is not really a problem, since there is a boutique (small tin shed that sells most basic ingredients) across the street from our door. After confirming the French word for egg with my roomie- oeuf, pronounced uff- we walked out the door.Walking around my neighborhood after the rain. Yay sheep!

Unfortuntely, the boutique was closed and according to the body language and lively hand motions from the group sitting outside the guy that has the key was away. We were not discouraged, however, and continued onto another boutique (there are about 10 within a 2 block radius). This one was open- yet they were out of eggs.

The next shop also was out of eggs, so we went to the last one- the shop we most frequent because of his friendliness and its a bit bigger than the others. This one was closed. We decided that this was not our day for eggs and we would have to wait and try again in the morning. Ed and I walked back, not really discouraged, just amused at the lack of eggs in our neighborhood.

On the trek back, as we passed the third shop again, the owner motioned to us and asked how many eggs we needed. Being just 2 he smiled and handed some money to a boy that was standing nearby and the boy ran off. We realized he had just had someone run an errand for us and we were touched at the extra effort he was willing to go to for our business. In about 2 minutes the boy returned with no eggs. Instead of leaving it at that, the guys hands the boy the keys to his moto and the kid drives off. The owner motions to us to sit down on a bench and he proceeds to turn on the tv (animal planet in French I think). Ed and I looked at each other and laughed at the amount of effort people were going to in order for us to have eggs.

The boutique when it's closed.

About 5 minutes later, the boy returns with 2 eggs and we pay. I dont even want to know where he found the chickens to squeeze on such short notice. It was at no extra cost for the added moto expenses and they seemed so pleased to help. We took off, back towards the house- laughing and thankful for the eggs. Now anytime we walk by the shop, the owner points to his stack of eggs (apparently he got more in) in case we ever need any more.

Ramadan

The 40 days of fasting are over and the official celebrations have begun!

As an outsider, it has been so much fun watching the change in the city, as well as the general vibe of the people. No longer are people grumpy or vacant from the street, rather they are out, in their best clothes celebrating with friends and family. Here are some fun observations.

Starting Wednesday, I started noticing the amount of people with freshly done hair. Little girls have added beads to their braids, and the women have fancy styling of braids and twists. The men get their hair cut and most of the boys are freshly shaved. I also noticed the tailor shops were extra busy in preparation for festive clothing.

On Thursday morning, we received the call that the official fast has broken and celebration has begun (it is determined by the reading of the moon- therefore is hard to plan for). We canceled school for the day to honor the Malian traditions, and although we were about to leave to school- it was nice to head back to bed! For the rest of the day 5 of us took a day trip to a natural bridge and water fall and went hiking/climbing as well as swimming. It was a perfect break from the city life in Bamako and great fun for our group!View from the top of the natural arch

Natural arch from a distance- we climbed to the top like cool kids!

Water fall on the way to the arch. We went swimming.

We returned to the city to find the buzz of holidays in full swing! Everyone is dressed in their best clothes- with families matching fabric if at all possible. The other fun note in terms of clothing is the obsession with Obama. An Obama t-shirt is classified in the same manner of formality as a full suit. It really is quite amusing!

Yesterday when walking into our house, Hilary (my roomie) looked at me and said "that cow is going to die". I couldnt tell if she thought it was sick or what... however, this morning as we were walking to school, we walked out our gate and both to the left and right were people butchering 2 cows. She was right! I really did not expect to have to ford the bloody river of cow guts on my way to school, but sure enough, the cow was dead, and going to be prepared for the feast later in the day.

Life in Bamako is never boring. I cant help but thank God for amazing friends here and the immediate community I was placed in. So many cultural tidbits and fun stories!

Riding a Sotrama

Public transportation in another country is actually one of my favorite things. I love encountering local people, trying to understand the system and just seeing what dodgy, awkward situations I encounter.

In Bamako, the main form of public transportation is a "green machine" or sotrama. These are green vans modified with wooden benches surrounding the perimeter of the interior and bars to hold onto attached to the roof. They run various routes around the city, and for the most part dont have specific designated stops. It costs between 20 and 30 cents for a ride- maybe a bit more for a longer trek.

There are rules of a sotrama: everyone must be sitting, it cannot go over its maximum occupancy, and be friendly to the people around you. Lets break this down a little more.

1- you must sit. Now, that sounds like a safety precaution, but can really be a hassle. In the afternoon, it can be quite crowded and finding a sit usually means standing awkwardly in the middle until enough people squish together to make room to wedge you in.

2- maximum occupancy. this correlates with the sitting, where the maximum occupancy is around 25 people. Let me remind you this is a van... to fit 25 people, it really is squished. Never did I know that my hips could condense into such a small shape to fit between two Malians. The plus side is when the driver slams on the breaks, I dont have to worry about bracing myself I am so tightly wedged in between people I couldnt move even if I tried.

3- Be friendly. Most of the time the people around me will try to start a conversation in Bambara and since I dont speak Bambara it ends fairly quickly. My favorite story so far was with a man who spoke English. Ed, Hilary (my roomie) and I were riding several routes to figure out the best ways for Ed to get around from his house. A man heard us speaking in English and struck up a conversation that went something like this.

man to Ed -are these your two wives? (referring to me and Hilary).
Ed- uh, no... but she is with me (pointing to me)
Man- Oh, so then she is free? (pointing to Hilary)
Ed- Huh...
Hilary- oh, no, i have a boyfriend.
Man- Well that doesnt matter, come to Mafti with me. All of you. You can be my wife (to Hilary) and you two can live with me. (Mafti is a neighboring city).Ed- Oh, no. Thanks though.

Well, it was rather funny, yet really awkward. Fortunately the guy really was harmless and enjoyed teasing us a little (although I am not sure what would have happened if we had agreed...)

(a poorly timed picture of a sotrama.. but you can see why they are called a green machine)

Oh, riding the Sotrama is a joy and always an adventure. I think my favorite thing is the lack of rush. People never seem to be in a hurry and know that it can take a long time to get places. When a stop comes, I typically rush off as fast as possible, but after watching people, I realize how they take their time. The operator of the door will help carry bags and lift buckets onto ladies heads. It is never rushed so that getting of is safe and I dont have to fall. I look forward to my green machine ride each day and never know what is going to happen.