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Mali Trip: Sweat

 "The heat (is) like a hot bandage clamped over one's mouth." - Segu by Maryse Conde

The constant smell of my own sweat pierces my nostrils until Laura bakes zucchini bread or oatmeal raisin muffins or curry chicken or another fantastic meal; all from scratch. I realize more and more that ministry isn't what you program, but how you live life. If you are faithfully living as Christ, loving God and loving people, then ministry erupts around you. Like the kids Bible club that I observed today. It wasn't even on the Requadt's ministry radar, but kids kept showing up so Laura started teaching them the verses that were already translated into their dialect and a Bible club was formed. Since I can't communicate with them, I taught some boys how to throw a frisbee. They caught on almost instantly and a few boys would catch anything thrown around them. I can't wait to introduce ultimate frisbee here. They would be so good at it here! A coaches dream!

I went with Tom on his daily walk that often becomes a prayer walk. We talked football and politics and weather and truth and all sorts of time consuming chatter. He asked me about a wife, in which my reply was, "I'm praying." A wife would be necessary to live here.

Lord, as we go to the villages tomorrow, I pray that You would direct and guide us and the team to where You would have the team serve in Mali.