Elephant & Easter Extravaganza

Happy 69th Birthday Daddy!  I love you! 

Last week I had the chance for the first time to actually do some sight-seeing in Mali.  We went about 10 hours northeast of the Capital in the hopes of seeing the last herd of wild desert elephants on their migration through Mali and Burkina.  They make about a 350km loop following the last of the water holes in the desert.  You can Google Dountza Elephants and read all about them.  National Geographic, Animal Planet, etc. have all documented these amazing animals journey. 

Our first night we stayed at a very nice hotel actually that had a pretty pool area (kind of forgot we were in Mali for awhile) and we got to swim for a bit, but believe it or not, the water was very cold and it was later in the evening so we didn't stay in long.  It was still fun to actually see water  you could get in and put your head under :) Needless to say my skin itched afterwards pretty bad from the intense chlorine but it was still worth it!

We picked up our guide Daniel and headed out the next morning in search of the elephants.  Picture full-fledged four-wheeling, open desert, no roads, deep sand then wide open flats, seat-belts strangle you from all the bouncy, knocking your head on the roof of the truck, bouncing, bouncing, bouncing some more and lots of camels and cattle and the occasional nomadic persons.

We drove for about 2 hours as we got deeper and deeper in to the desert.    Then 'we' began tracking for the elephants.  We found some great elephants tracks in the sand.  We started to see more small trees uprooted and of course the ever so popular feces or as my nieces and nephews like to say 'scat' (which is like the size of a coffee can!).   We also looked for bunches of green trees (kind of like an oasis) because that would mean there was water and possibly the elephants.

Our first encounter was helped by the fact that we came over a hill and there was a nomad family's tent, few belongings and camels.   Our guide, got out and talked with the man while the women and children came pouring out of the tent.  You just have to scratch your head and wonder how they live like that in the middle of no-where and pack up and move all the time (they are nomad herders).   The man said, yes, they had seen the elephants this morning, "They woke us up he said!" (shoot those darn loud elephant neighbors!).  He jumped in the back of the pick-up and took us to the watering hole they had been at earlier.   

We got out of the trucks and silently walked for a ways to the edge of the tree line and we could see one large elephant and a baby through the trees (mostly just their legs), they were eating so they stayed pretty hidden.  Riding in the back of the pick-ups ourselves we drove ahead a little further in the hopes of seeing a larger group and we did.

Through the trees again we could see the rest of the group passing in front of us.  Probably not more than 75 feet away.  They walked in such a tight format you could hardly tell the difference between where one stopped and another started.   We crouched down very still and quiet so as not to disturb them.  We did get to hear a few "elephant roars" too.  After they had passed us, we walked a bit further just to the open of the water hole and we could see them crossing across the flat, the part of the hole that had already dried up.  Turns out there were about 50-60 of them in the group.  IT WAS BEAUTIFUL!  They believe there are only about 400 of them left.  It was well documented last year the peril of these animals.   

Quite a few died last year because the water dried up before they could reach Burkina and the June rains.  So seeing a good part of these watering holes so dry already is really sad.  The one that we saw the next day is actually the last great watering hole before Burkina.  It is huge, stretches for mile and miles and miles.  Looks more like a small lake.  Cattle were 15 feet off the shore and up to their bellies.  And you look at this massive lake and think how in the world could that dry up.  But there are pictures online last year of this hole completely dry with several dead elephant in it.  

 

On the drive up we kept seeing these boys in royal blue robes & hats alongside the road and waving some type of wood instrument and saying stuff...... turns out these are the 'circumcision boys'.  These is part of their ritual as becoming a man and being circumcised.  Most are about 8-12 years old or so.   That night at the hotel, very loud desert music was playing and we could see from the roof (you sleep on your roof if you want so it is normal to have steps up to the roof mudded right to the side of the building) that there was a party of some sort.  So we walked over there because desert music and dancing is very distinct.  It is a type of guitar made from a calabash (like a huge gourd) and they hook it up to a car battery and speakers - Voila! electric guitar.  We find out the party is for all the boys coming out of the circumcision tent.

There was also a beautiful range of mountains that we drove along.  Something you don't expect to see as you head into the desert.  And at one location there was actually a village nestled right into the side of the rocks of the mountain.   One of the mountains is named "The Hand of Fatima" which is the mother of "the prophet M". 

 

Happy Easter!  We attended service at Bethel Baptiste celebrating its 21st Anniversary so there were believers from around the country in celebrating as well.  A packed house and overflow under a tent in the courtyard.  It was at least 120 degrees+ inside the church but it was such a celebration.  After the service they baptized about 20-25 new believers.  They only do it a few times a year because of water logistics.  It was such a touching scene, I cried, just thinking about what this means for them. 

Just the day before I had read Matthew 19:29 where Jesus tells the disciples, "Everyone who has left houses, or brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or lands for My name's sake, will receive hundredfold and will inherit eternal life."  Here this takes on true meaning!  The pastor asks the usual "Do you accept Esa as Savir?", response "Awhoa" (yes) but I kept hearing "Ieee" (no) sometimes.   I found out later that the Pastor asked different questions usually something along the lines of   "if you can't find a wife will you leave the Esa Road?,  if you can't find work will you leave the Esa Road?,  if your family will not let you eat with them will you leave the Esa Road?   I cried when I understood.  Again, for them this is real.  Can you imagine asking this in the US?

The guard, "Yo-Yo" of one of our workers was baptized and looked so happy.  Of excitement too, the Pastor has a really big prison ministry because he actually spent 10 years in prison but was lead to the Lord through one of our workers while in prison!  Neat huh!  He helps run a half-way house for prisoners and three of those men were also baptized.   PRAISE AND GLORY TO OUR FATHER! 

I got to participate in a different witness this past week but was very encouraging.  I taught English to people who attend our free English class every day for 2 hours in the morning in hopes of passing to potentially be a translator for us with mission teams, etc.   We had about 10-12 people each day.  These are all pretty good English speakers already and a few that continue to come to practice their English even as they are already doing assignments for us.  We teach English by telling stories from The Word.  Two reasons - gives us a good witness plus it is what they will need to learn to translate if they go out with us... so it a win-win! 

I told the Resurrection story (because it was right after Easter) and brought a dyed Easter egg in too.   I shared with them about Esa saying "Tetelestai" or "It is finished" and how that was actually found on ancient tablets as a paid receipt.  So Esa was in essence saying "It is paid"... he paid for us.  Several of them were very intrigued by this and asked if it was true - ABSOLUTELY.  Imagine how many amazing things you wouldn't know if you've never read the Bible either.  I also shared about how scripture says the curtain in the temple torn when Esa died and explained why that was important... that we can go directly to Our Father now because of Esa.  Again, some very inquisitive responses.   

Then I shared the story of the Man Possessed by Demon's cast out by Esa into the pigs.   I tell it several times and then we talk about questions they have and discuss translating of important words.  For instance, in Bambara, there is a word for a story if it's fictional and there is a word for story if it is true.... so we start each sharing my saying, "This is a story from Our Father's Word".  So it's imperative they use the correct word for story. 

After we repeat, discuss, repeat the story again we break it down line by line so they can take turns translating.  They listen to each other and correct each other because we don't know if they are translating it correctly but the others in the class do.

We know some in the class are believers, some we do not know because they've never really indicated and some we know for sure believe in "I".    In the Demon Possessed Man story,  the evil spirits actually say "Son of the Most High (Our Father) why are you torturing me?"  One of the translators when it was his turn, stumbled around with this phrase and kept trying to say other things but the others in Bambara we could tell where really getting on him.  We let them discuss and then ask them to explain in English what was being discussed.  Turns out he told us he was trying to say other words, that he did not like that"  (which being of the "I" faith they would have difficulty saying).  Which gives us to explain the importance of the infallibility of Our Father's Word and not changing it no matter what we might believe.  And that as a translator you have to say what the person is speaking, NOT what you want to say.  Eventually he acquiesced but he never would say the line. 

So, you see it is difficult sharing the Word here in more ways than one.... you have to work with translators who are sometimes not believers - sounds crazy doesn't it.  But we have quite a few who aren't believers and are some of our best.  There are actually 2-3 seekers in the class based on the questions they ask and the things we discuss.  Several of them have been invited and have attended church with our workers as well.  Pray for these translators as they are exposed to more and more of the Word they will come to know the truth!