Ok, so before you beat me with a stick...

...please note that the internet has been down.

There has been some sort of problem with Orange (our internet/phone provider, not the detestable fruit), after which there was some sort of problem with the... hardware...ish... things... of the... technical persuasion.

But I am here now, so console yourselves. (Or weep because you'd previously thought you'd escaped my horribly long posts because I'd expired somewhere on the school trip. Either one.)

Note form again, because I like to think that makes me focused and to-the-point. (It doesn't.)

Roughing it. Again.

Man, I am spoiled. When I was coming to Africa, I thought I'd be happy with a one-room shack and a bathroom that contained porcelain. Now we have to go to a missionary house in a village where there are all the necessary amenities, and I'm... I just donwanna!

But... but... there's only electricity for, like, three hours a night, and.... and... there's not going to be a lot of water for showers, and... and... it's cooooold...

Did I mention I was going with about sixteen high school children? For the next two days?!

(And five other adults, but lets not dwell on that.)

What?

Don't look at me like that.

Like I'm whining.

Whatever.

What the apostle Paul really needed...

...was a mic, and stereo speakers. And possibly the well-known Jesus film.

(I have no idea what the Jesus film is - I've asked repeatedly whether it's Mel Gibson's extravaganza, received a negative response and an alternate explanation. Which I promptly forget. Except that it a retelling of the gospel of Luke.)

Too bad Paul did not have these necessary implements. Instead, he wrote letters from prisons. And proclaimed Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.

The streets were alive… with the sound of baa-ing… - Part 2

First, a little explanation of Tabaski. It is a big, big festival commemorating Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Ishmael, as well as Ishmael’s willingness to be a sacrifice. Each and every family must buy a sheep to sacrifice, even at the risk of going into debt, and it’s considered a time to make amends, to ask for forgiveness, and to atone for sins committed in the past year. In essence, people recognize the need for a sacrifice, and they find it important enough to celebrate (for two-three days!), out of many other events in the Quran, the occasion when the Lord provided a sacrifice so that Ishmael (and thus Abraham’s line) would not die out.

‘S all very symbolic, y’know. 

Becky loaned me a beautiful Malian dress so that I could be part of a Tabaski celebration. We were invited by a Malian guy who comes to English Club.

(He is a single and I was a little bit wigged out to go to his house, but he seemed like a pretty nice guy. I hadn’t heard his poetry then.)

The streets were alive… with the sound of baa-ing…

...of bajillions of sheep waiting to be slaughtered on Tabaski (which was on Sunday). For the past week (at least), you could not move without bumping into a dirty little beast, hearing its anemic bleat, or being thrust aside by a person doing some last-minute Tabaski shopping for that ‘must-have’ sacrifice.

(On my way to school one morning, trying to avoid the bleating hordes, I was actually thrust aside by a person in a sotrama as it drove by me. Of course, I was first bumped by its side mirror. I kid you not.)

Since a lot has happened (for a change), I shall once again present small vignettes of A Saturday in the Life of Kermit.

Good Thing I Learned the Hallelujah Chorus

• I'm so lucky that I get to be a part of ESL classes and English Club (hang-out/discussion time with Malians interested in practicing English). I wouldn't know half the things I do about Malians if I weren't. (This is a nice way of saying that the concept of multiple wives was recently explained to me, and I still thought - as Asterix and Obelix would say - that these Malians are crazy!) 

Prayer time again!

Huge, huge prayer requests!

1) A couple here has been waiting over a month for their container to arrive from the States. The wait, itself, isn't that bizarre, but the sheer amount of hassle it has been to just get this thing through customs and into our fair city has become legendary in these parts. Also, they have put a lot of money into this and are being asked to pay even more. They are a young missionary couple here to work with unreached people groups and this is a real set back in terms of getting started on their ministry. Please pray that they can get hold of their container ASAP without having to pay too much!

2) My ticket is booked for this Friday. If I have to leave this Friday, I think I may actually throw a screaming tantrum in the middle of the nearest road. All problems of leaving Mali would end very quickly. My travel agent told me to try getting the ticket in person at the Ethiopian Air office in town. That's when I first got the Ethiopian Air blues. Now I've gone in person, had them tell me its impossible to do it from Mali, gone back to my travel agent, who is trying to do... something... [long, weepy story] ...and now I might have to leave on Friday. Did I already mention that I am just about ready to pitch a fit? So if everyone could just pray that I get a really, really cheap return ticket for the end of December or the beginning of January, that would be great!

Imagine that!

Imagine that...

...you are slightly obsessive-compulsive about the cleanliness of your feet...

...you look forward to washing your feet all. day. long. because they are just sweaty enough to turn the red dust of Mali into a protective coating of grime that wraps itself grittily (and lovingly) around your toes from the minute you step out of your house at 7am...

...you brave hordes of slavering crickets which guard an ATM that is utterly convinced that its sole duty in this world is to thwart attempts to get cash...

...you pray...