This could be you!

This could be you!
We've been working this week helping Pastor Youssouf host a 19 member team from Osarks Christian College in Joppa, Missouri. 16 team members, and 3 Ghana Christians. One of the Ghana guys could translate and speak french/english. The rest were English speakers. So I felt compelled to step in and translate, and help them on their taste and see trip. These were missions emphasis students, many who have already been seeking a place to serve
God by visiting the Urbana conference. So I felt like my time was strategically spent.

They saw all the different ministries we have going on here, and frankly it was an encouragement/reminder to me of all the ways God is working to build His kingdom in Kadiolo/Southern Mali.Each time I would be telling the story of how a ministry started or what its goals are, or stories of people who've come to Christ through ministries; I was encouraged. And as I was doing most of the talking, I was encouraged a lot.
So were our African brothers who were able to share their visions for their ministries.

But the point of the blog this week is this: THIS COULD BE YOU!
One afternoon there was a little down time. The students had a lot of extra energy, and began to sing action songs with the kids who were nearby the church yard where we were waiting for supper.Kids began to pour into the gates of the church, some to take part, many more to watch the weird white people sing? (Are you white? Are you willing to be weird? You could have been there with us!!)So they sang many action songs I knew, some I didn't but laughed at. (Have you ever heard "shark attack!" it cracked me up!) The kids did not understand the words of the songs, but followed the actions so closely (as you can see in the photos.), You'd think they were choreographed. They felt the love and acceptance and joy of our visiting team.

That spoke volumes right there. (sorry, but it kind of blows our music debate in the states out of the water. EG: if you cant hear the words, its not valid Christian music... Not!) Like I said, the love and joy brought those kids in, little ones were hugged, and smiled at. The kids had fun at church. If you know kids here, fun is not easy to come by for them. And at church no less! Big stuff going on here. A section of the group were moslem tomato can kids,
they were watchers, because if they took part they could be beat when their teacher heard about their participation. The point is you could do this!

This wouldn't be our blog without a comment on life in Mali. So the team has had a good 3 days here, including an excellent rain last night that gave everyone a good sleep. It also made the ground wet. (Rain does that. :-) When they packed up their bus to leave, we realised that the bus was stuck in mud. Just slightly, so we pushed it out fairly easily and prepared for them to drive out of the camp where they were staying. Oops! Stuck again, this time up to the rear axle. Okay, so we unload the bus, and started to dig the axle out. Found some wood, jacked up
the rear end of the bus, put in the wood. And with our car pulling, and the team pushing, the bus came free!They left to continue on their trip, only about 2 hours behind schedule!




The goal for their trip was taste and see. (I call it a taste and see trip, anyway.) Taste and see if the Lord is good, He's got milk and honey for you.... Petra-Washes whiter than snow. (Mega Oldie cc 1978). (Okay, Petra took it from the psalms, which were written first, but I couldn't stop singing the song during the whole mud thing this morning.)

So how about it? Are you willing to do a taste and see to see if God may be calling you overseas? You don't have to come to Mali, but I will bet that either in your church or a Christian organisation near you is sponsoring a short term mission trip to somewhere. Maybe it is as a youth leader on the youth missions trip, etc.

Are you willing? Could this be you?
Thanks for stopping by,

Tom & Lisa Seward