Report from Drama Team

The Jula Radio Drama team has just completed 2 weeks of touring in Bamako. They've been doing evangelistic live theatre performances in neighborhoods adjacent to churches who've invited them to come. Our friend Mark Datson, who is a Wycliffe/SIL missionary helped facilitate this tour/visit. It has been an amazing time. Churches have really had their eyes open to a new method of evangelism that is less confrontational than direct preaching.

Here is a picture of the team getting ready for an evangelism event during the last week.

Here is what Mark had to say about the experience of having them come out.

the Jula Radio Drama team 'Tour of Bamako'
2009 is now over!The team left on the bus for Kadiolo this
morning, all in good health and feeling
that 2 weeks in Bamako, though tiring, has
been a lot of fun and been a great
blessing.

Yesterday evening, the team and I (Mark) were
invited for a meal and an evaluation
session with the ECE church Bamako district
President and his committee of four
pastors. Overwhelmingly, the district President and
pastors judged the tour a success, and were
very grateful to the team for their
patience, their great testimony, and the
impact on the audiences they have had.

All the pastors are now wholly convinced
that drama adds a vital element for
communicating the good news to people here
in Mali.

One pastor reported that another person had
contacted him a few days following the
team's performance, and has become a
believer. The district President said he'd
had 3 different phone calls from people who
were really impressed with the
performances, and who wanted to know more
about these Christians.

The pastors were all thinking ahead to the
next time the team would come to Bamako, or
to other towns in Mali, and how to improve
the organisation of the tour.

I (Tom) was a bit jealous when I got these updates, because I was supposed to go on the tour with them. I had been communicating with Mark, and trying to help facilitate the tour. I really enjoy the members of the drama team like brothers and sisters, and it is always so much fun to go out with them on these evangelism events. Well, maybe next time. And if you visit, you can go too! :D

But it is great to get the news of the success of the tour, and once again to know that God is at work in Mali.

Thanks for stopping by,

Tom & Lisa Seward