Best Start/ Worst Start

We've had the best start and the worst start to our time in Kadiolo.
Best because relationships have started out so strong. The church people are so pleased to see us,
we are family to them.

Our neighbor, Bamba, was so pleased to see us. He comes each morning to greet us, and see how I'm
doing. He brought us a huge bag of peanuts... it was nice to have them to welcome visitors with.
(This bamba is not to be confused with sick bamba later on in the post.)

But the downtown guys I played dominoes with surprised me. This is a group of moslems. By all human
reason our relationship should be adversarial. But because of time spent sitting with them playing
dominoes, they were so warm to me! They welcomed me like a brother who's been away, and came home
after a long trip. It is like I didn't miss a beat with them. God is going to use these dominoes for
His glory this year.

A guy came to visit yesterday that we've known for many years now. He has a demon. (Literally, and
the only person I've ever met who was that clearly not himself.)
Anyway he comes, and say's I'm sick.
I say... "bamba, how long have you been sick with this demon now? 5 years?"
he replies "yes."
I say "you've been to every doctor, witchdoctor, Imam you could see, with no results."
"Yes, he says, it has been hard."
I say, "Aren't you tired?"
"Oh, yes, I'm tired."
So I laugh to myself and say to him. "Isn't it time to you came to Jesus? jesus says come to me all
you who are heavy laden and I will give you rest." I continue, "You will never have peace and rest
in your life with this demon in you. Come to Jesus, he will give you your peace and rest and health
back." (I was feeling a bit like a name-it and claim-it Christian saying that... but What Jesus
offers this guy needs...) It was because of the past relationship with Bamba, that I felt able to
unload his need for Jesus in that way. It was because of his past relationship with me that he sat
and discussed with me.
He says, "oh yes, father, son, holy spirit."
I say, "man, you can say the words, but until Jesus is inside you, in your heart, you won't have the
peace that only Jesus gives...."
Conversation trails off as he tries to make sense of what I've been telling him.
I finish with, "You go to see Pastor Karim, and ask him to pray with you. Jesus will come..."
I don't think he's going to do it. He looks so weak and frail, and almost shivering with sickness
and hunger. I don't expect he will live out this year.


It has been the worst start physically for me. I seem to have developed an adult onset of wheat
allergies. I don't know if it is full blown celiac desease, but with it in the family, its a
possibility. Anyway, I've struggled with joint pain since August, particularly in the ankles.
God gave me the gift of being able to travel through all the airports pain free. I got to bamako,
and was bedridden, could not walk for about 4 days. Then we came down to Kadiolo, but I needed a
crutch or a cane to move. I got a bit better, and made my rounds to see everyone. Then I had another
attack... bedridden another 6-7 days. We decided to go wheat free, and relief has come... and I'm on
my feet now. Hopefully, if I'm a good boy and stay away from glutin, I should be ok for a good while
to come.

Anyway, We celebrated thanksgiving. Karin was here, she is translating the Bible into the local
senoufo dialect, she works with SIL/Wycliffe. We also have a new family from WorldVenture here with
us in Kadiolo. We are so pleased to be working with Jeff & Heidi, and helping them learn more about
working with our people. (No, the people don't "belong" to us. But I feel invested in them, like

they are family... and they are....

Here are a couple of friends who came to play with Caleb.
How many kids can you fit into a bucket?

Thanks so much for stopping by,
and we do really need your prayers.

Tom & Lisa

Tom and Lisa work with Worldventure in Mali, West Africa. If you would like to donate online to help this ministry, click this link: http://worldventure.com/Give/Give-Now.html?id=4569 If you would like to email comments, our email is: tlseward@gmail.com