School is in session again

Schools back in session.

I went over to school on opening day. I wanted to take a few pictures of some of our
church kids arriving at school. I was mobbed. Everyone wanted their picture taken, and in the time
it took to get organised for one photo, I had 60-75 kids in front of me, all asking for their photo to
be taken, too.

A big thank you to some of you who have sponsored these kids to go to school. It has made a big difference
in their lives. Several of them would not be able to go at all without outside financial help.
(School is not expensive, it is $10 a month, but that is very expensive if you only make $90 a month as a family. Most families have 2-5 kids...)

Strange Sights
Have you ever seen this? Our lonely orphan kitten has adopted Lulu (our dog) as mom.

Lulu gave birth recently to one puppy, but evidently has milk to spare.
Have you ever seen a kitten nurse on a dog?
Now you have...

Can you do this?

Four on a motorbike to go to school?

Lisa is away on a trip. She & her mom are spending a special time together in Germany. They've joined a bus tour, and will have a short time to spend together. We're really glad that Lisa will have this time with her mom, and pray that the trip will be rejuvinating for both of them.

Meanwhile, in Kadiolo, Tom is baching with Caleb & Ben. Yesterday was Mali's independance day. Tom & the boys went to watch the Kadiolo league finals in Soccer. We had a great time together.
Pray for us as Tom tries a temporary hand at single parenting. :-)

We're also continuing to work on Bambara, pray for patience, and perserverance.
It takes a lot of visiting, a lot of work. A lot of saying things wrong...

Thanks for stopping by...
Tom & Lisa

Language Learning again

Ne be Bamanakan kalan.

I'm learning to speak Bambara.




We did mention in the last few weeks that we're learning Bambara.
Of course, all year we've been learning it. Informally, but everytime we greet

someone, or talk to them, it is like a Bambara class.
Since two weeks ago, we've started taking classes with a tutor.
It is amazing how much progress we've made by learning simple sentence structure,
and a list of verbs. Now we've done a lot of vocabulary words.
We need to get out and practice.

I usually get on the motorbike, and visit all over. Most days, I make 4-8 stops and
sit a talk with people. I've made vocabulary/expression cards. (the yellow papers in
the pictures...) One side is bambara, one side is English. The idea is that when I'm
working on them, the people will be curious about how to say it in English. Less of
them would be interested if it were French, they know that already. But to many
people, English is very exotic, and interesting. Even if they are not trying to
learn it, to hear a few words, or to hear what a Bambara word sounds like in English
is interesting to them. So I get lots of cooperation with language practice.



Now, I'm writing in first person, I. But Lisa gets out and does visiting rounds, as
well. She has her notebook, and is working on her phrases. You saw the pics last
week of her working on peanuts with the neighbors. The women there have no french.
That's a great opportunity for Lisa to concentrate on Bambara with women.

I like to learn languages. I guess that's a good thing in light of missionary life.
Language learning is not easy, and can be frustrating. (The same word meaning
different things, is very frustrating. (too,to,two)
But I really enjoy the visiting/practicing part of it. I don't take myself very
seriously, but the more I use the words, the more they come to mind when needed.
And each contact with people gives an opening for the gospel. That is not to say
that I preach at everyone I meet. But the relationships are being built, and often
someone will say something that can't be ignored, and I can use that opening to
share something of God's truth to them. As always, God uses whatever I can offer to
Him for the gospel.

Maybe you really see language learning as a roadblock to being a missionary.
It is really not so bad, it can even be enjoyable/fun. Even if it is bad, you're already in your mother language group. You are equipped to share the gospel where you are.

Thanks for stopping by,
Tom & Lisa Seward

Peanut Harvest!

Peanut Harvest!



I guess our theme this last few weeks has been evangelism
by actions. Last week we talked about helping our friend Abel
get away from the lifestyle of a rebel soldier in Cote D'Ivoire.
(We're helping him go to Burkina to study motorcycle mechanics.
The week before we showed me working with Bamba, helping him get
his donkey cart ready for the harvest. There are so many ways that
our actions add volume to our words, aren't there?



I wrote these stories to encourage you. Maybe you ask yourself,
if I were a missionary in Africa what would I do? How would God use me?
Maybe these action evangelism glimpses help you see yourself here.
Maybe you can say "I could do that!" Maybe they inspire you to seek
out ways to use what God has gifted you with to do action evangelism
at home where you are. Have you met your neighbor? Helped him shovel snow?
Baked him cookies? We believe God puts us where he puts us for contacts
just like these, whether we're in Mali, Indiana, Quebec, Minnesota, or
Wheaton, Illinois!



This week our neighbor, Bamba brought in 3 donkey carts of harvested peanuts!
He invited friends and neighbors to come help take the peanuts
off the plants. It was a bit like a group corn-shucking party.
Lisa worked with them this morning, then came back home to work on
homeschool preparations for next week.

Jonas, and his wife Ruthi came over to work as well, Ruthi brought their
youngest daughter "Ngali" (Joy in bambara).
(The daughter was named after our Hilary Joy... Who was named after
a Joy you might know... Its interesting how far a name can go, isn't it?


A note about our car fund. This vehicle belongs to Ernie & Jan Eadelman. They've been very generous to loan it to us this past year.
They are returning in October. We are so looking forward to seeing them here
again! We're also in the car market. We've not yet found a car to fit our budget.
So many missionary cars that were available in Bamako this last year were from Cote D'Ivoire, and did not have the customs taxes paid on them. To buy a car that does not yet have these taxes paid, makes the car purchase very complicated.
So pray with us as we seek a reliable car! We've had a few generous gifts recently towards the car fund. Each gift will help a lot. Cars are so very expensive in a landlocked country that does not manufacture cars.
We are hoping to get one that can survive rainy season on bad roads!

Two other projects are available to give to.
The womens' education fund has recieved little do date. But it is an important ministry to teach women to read so they can read the Bible for themselves, and teach one another, and encourage one another. Email us if you would like to send a one-time gift to help women learn to read.
$10 can buy materials for one woman!

And the children's education fund. So many children are unable to go to school.
It costs so little per child in our money. $10 a month. At the beginning of the school year, it costs about $50 in startup costs. We've had four children sponsored
through this fund for the next school year. It is NOT too late if you are interested, email us. (One year commitment is all that is needed. You are not obligated to continue for the next school year.) We had two boys last year who started their school year in February. So LATE is not a word that really exists in Mali...

Thanks for stopping by
Tom & Lisa Seward

Homeschool opens/ Language schol again

Lisa preps school

Hello. Lisa started homeschool with the boys this past week.The school room has been readied, and the chalkboard is up. Lisa found that some of the materials she bought in the USA, the teacher guide was missing from the student guide or vice versa. So we'll have to adjust, and make thematerials work. (Unless someone would like to come visit us and bring the missing materials.;-)




We're also getting a used computer put together for home school. Our laptop is too valuable for email,and blog communication to be played on. But the boys really need computer experience. Ben is ready to learn to type, and begin typing papers for school, etc. Caleb needs computer experience. This world is computer-driven now isn't it? Can you get a job pumping gas without computer experience?
Hilary has been at boarding school in Dakar for 2 weeks now, she is doing so well!Thank you for praying for her.





Friends (Gym Class?)
A key part of school is friends. There is another missionary family in town for a short project. They came for 8 months. Their two boys are near our boys' ages, and
they have been a blessing for our kids to play with. As boys do, they play a lot with swords, and running tag like games. Would you believe this is a good part of our phys ed (aerobic exercises) program?

We all started Bambara class yesterday. We all being Ben, Lisa, and Tom.Our tutor's name is Henri. He teaches english at the local Jr high school, so he speaks English, French, and Bambara. This will especially help Ben for explanations of certain grammar rules, etc. (Ben did actually correct Henri yesterday, though.In french you don't watch tv, you listen to tv. Henri wrote in french that you watch tv because in bambara you look at tv. So Ben pointed that out.)We went very fast, actually. Bambara is widespread as a trade language for one big reason. It is simple. No conjugation! Yeah. I go school, you go school, he go school. Much easier than french. We have a lot of vocabulary to learn, new words for everything. "So" is house. Study/Learn is "Kalan". So school is: "Kalan So" Study House.

Interesting...We've started Bambara now because it is very important as a language where we are. We can function in french, and many people speak it. So we decided to get setup in our new house first, then attack learning bambara. So now we begin!It was coming fast yesterday because it has been in our ears all year. So putting ideas together is coming along... We've only had one formal lesson, but we've been learning all year informally. Especially greetings, and thank you's, which are VERY important in african/Malian culture...Pray for us as we attack a new language. Our goal is to be able to function in Bambara as well as we function in french.

Our friend Abel Soro. Please continue to pray for him. This is the young man who was a rebel in Cote D'Ivoire. He's done many things as a soldier that he is not proud of. He is a Christian, is baptized, but really needs to feel the forgiveness of Christ in his life. He also needs to get away from the rebels, and start a righteous way of life. We have helped him sign up for motorbike mechanic school in Burkina Faso. We've encouraged Abel to find a local church there, (Alliance churches are very active in Burkina in that region.)Hopefully, after 3 years of mechanic school away from rebels, he will emerge with a career, and a rooted faith in God. We pray for these things for him. School is cheap. $300 per year. If you would be interested in helping this young man with school, either in part or whole, contact us. Help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks again for visiting, and praying for ministry in Mali,
Tom & Lisa Seward