Day 7 (June 21) - Sirasso, Katana & Temetemeso

We woke up Saturday and after coffee and bread for breakfast began painting at 7:15AM. Everyone worked very hard and we finished around 1PM. We also painted a huge C&MA logo on the front wall. Kevin had thought that it would take us all of Saturday and part of Monday morning to finish, but we worked very hard and quickly.

Our team working on whitewashing the front of the church. We had a very hard-working team.

Natasha and Patti did a great job on the C&MA logo on the wall of the church.

The "finished product" set up for church.
They will later stucco the bottom four feet of the wall.

In the afternoon we rested a while (it was very hot and humid - especially high up in the church where many of us were painting) before going to greet the believers in neighboring villages. We visited with Blaise who is a teacher in Katana along with several other believers in this village, including Omar who has been talked about a lot in Bonnie's e-mails. Blaise is well educated and speaks French very well. He has been the main reason that there are now believers in Katana. We sat and talked with him and a few other believers for a while. When we left he wanted his picture taken with all of us (first the twins - they were viewed as quite the novelty - I told them more "freaks" than "novelty," then with all the girls, then with me, and finally that left Blaise and Jay). He had his own camera (not digital), which is a pretty rare thing around here.

Blaise with Carl and Chad (he wanted his picture taken with them first).

We then continued from Katana to "the end of the road" (literally) to Temetemeso. It is near the Mali border. A year ago there were no believers there. Now there are about 100! They gather together to pray EVERY NIGHT! People have been coming from all over to be prayed for. They have been given a great piece of property by the chief, who has been very supportive of the work even though he isn't a believer. They just finished a pastor's house where the church currently meets. They don't yet have a pastor, though (Please pray for one). Pastor Marcel pastors them (even though he must travel about an hour one way on a moto on terrible roads to get there). Kevin is very excited about this group of new believers and believes they will be used to reach neighboring villages. We gave soccer balls in Katana, Temetemeso, and Sirasso as gifts to both the village and the church. They were all so excited.

Some of our ladies in front of the pastor's house in Temetemeso

Temetemeso - a typical "bush" village

Kevin showing us the well the C&MA put in at Temetemeso

We returned to Sirasso around 7PM for dinner (you can guess what) then Kevin showed the movie "The End of the Spear" on the wall of the church using a generator. Even though they couldn't understand the language, about 75 people came out and seemed to enjoy it. We slept outside that night (no mosquitoes yet, so no nets needed - thank God) on a very muggy night. We thank God fof the opportunity to visit and work in places where Christ is so desperately needed and places and people for whom we have been praying.

Emily sharing some mango with some village boys in Sirasso.

A "bush" bathroom - a place with which we all have become way too familiar!