Week 21

Dear Family and Friends,

           This week has been amazing! I have really enjoyed myself. I am doing my usual activities but God is moving. For example, on Tuesday when I went into the deaf school. Someone had broken into the school and  had stolen a lot of money and a digital camera. It was a very stressful situation. The younger kids are gone for the summer but for the older kids are still in session .  They were standing outside the building wondering. I was informed they thought the theft was done by three hearing people.  The deaf students told me that several of the hearing teachers had stolen things before and they hated them. Let me remind you that the school is rather corrupt because it is run by the government . I told them that it is fine to be angry but not worth hating them over.

Well, I wasn't sure how to deal with the situation. People were crying and one of the deaf men brought out a machette. I decided to call, one of the missionaries on our team and she gave me excellent advice which I quickly used. In this culture it is not a sin to steal unless you are caught and then it is a great shame on your family and wrong. The things that were stolen were  in just, one building and they knew exactly which two metal cupboards to break into. It was an inside job done from one of the teachers, students, or the deaf people who hang out at the school. It was very sobering to think that a person would do that to someone else, with such extreme poverty all around.

So I told them about how I was very grieved about what had happened. Not only did it hurt me, but the school, the students in the school, and most of all it hurt the heart of God. God only wanted good things for the school and the deaf students. I also mentioned that even if we may never know who had done this horrible thing, God almighty knows all and sees all and He knows who did this. I feel sorry for the person who did this because they have stepped outside the blessing of God. He can't bless them in what they are doing. They are putting  sin upon sin because they have had to lie about where they got the money. God can't bless them and they stepped out of His protection too. This was wrong. And to step outside the blessing of God is a very scary place to be. I told them that God would only forgive the person if they returned the money. God wanted to forgive them but only if they returned the money.I will pray for the school and that the money is brought back.

Now to most people may believe  the ending might sound harsh, but the reason that it was said is because what happened was an inside job and it was to let them know it was a sin. It was essentially guilting them into giving it back. They believe in the wrath of God and judgment.  I stated this to the students and the teachers. They all agreed and understood, since the little kids aren't there anymore, I could use a larger vocabulary.

Well, later in the week, Balkissa Maiga, a highly respected deaf woman there, texted me. She said that they caught the thief and got the camera back. Although, they didn't get the money back. But what stood out to me the most was when she told me in the text, thank you very much for your prayers. That broke my heart. I was upset about what happened at the school that day but I wasn't distraught over it,but God answered that prayer. God truly knows all and sees all. He keeps giving me unmerited favor with the deaf people here. He answered that prayer for them and for me. He is still the same today as he was during the Bible days, and if you say that God can do anything you need to believe it because it is true.

Please pray for Mali, and for the deaf people here in Mali. They are just as much of an unreached people group of the world as any other group. What about them? They the need  the gospel just like we need it. Look at those beautiful faces in these pictures, without Jesus they have no hope. Please pray that God gives ways and opportunities to share the gospel, and that more workers come to this large field. It sobers me to think that these beautiful faces will go to hell without Jesus. Please pray.  I am not trying to sound depressing but this is urgent, we need to take our command to go and spread the good news seriously. I don't want anyone to go to hell, forever being separated from God's presence!It just makes me want to weep.

Additionally, please keep me in prayer also as I am still trying to learn Bambara. It is such a slow process and it limits my communication in the other ministry activities I do outside of the deaf school. Thank you all for your prayers and support.

                  Love and Blessings,

                                                    Cami Lynn

Week 19-20

Dear Family and Friends,
           I apologize for not writing you last week. These past two weeks I have continued in my usual activities studying Bambara, working at the deaf school, and spending time with the Caritas girls to name a few. Here are some of the pictures you have been asking for...


Mr. Monecata(my Bamara teacher) and I reviewing a conversation. 



The deaf kids and I at the school



As you can see many of the kids try to spell their names while I was trying to take pictures. They have been doing well. The kids are learning more vocabulary all the time and there hasn't been as much fighting over puzzles lately.



This is Kamissa, she is one of the girls from Caritas. Kamissa in fact,  is the girl that the other girls named me after. She is very sweet and young. The baby she is holding is her son. Now that she has finished learning to dye clothing and many other skills at Caritas she has gone back to her village. I will miss her deeply.



In the picture is  Kamissa and her teacher dying some clothing.

Another awesome opportunity I had gotten this last week was to be able to go to a Malian Wedding. I loved it. I wanted to give you a small recap in a 4 min video. :) Here is the link. I tried to upload the video multiple times but experienced many technical difficulties.

 

http://youtu.be/bPzLukpUtSo

All in all the last two weeks have been awesome! They have been very busy but they also have been incredibly wonderful! :) I love and miss you all.  Remember as all our hands are to the plow 1 Corinthians 15:58

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."

 Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Love and Blessings,

       Cami Lynn



Week 18

Dear Family and Friends,

 

             This week has been awesome. I apologize for not writing last week, but I did post a video on facebook and youtube about the village trip.  There have been several changes in my schedule. I am taking Bambara classes three days a week now and meeting at a school to do so. I hope to learn enough to where I am explain the gospel message adequately in Bambara. Addtionally, I am going to the deaf school twice a week now. I am dropping the day of the week that I spent at the orphanage and I am going to be at Caritas Ministry several days of the week. I am also part of the praise and worship team at our home church and I meet with them on Thursdays and Saturdays. Teaching English at the schools and teaching the missionary kids has ended because the school year has  ended.

Some of the girls at Caritas and me. :)



 

The most eventful thing that has been happening lately for me has been working at the deaf school. Last week, we went to the park with the deaf students. We had about 100 deaf kindergarten and first graders. It was an experience. The kids were so cute.  We were planning on going ot the zoo that day and it was closed so we went ot this beautiful garden park with them. It was an interesting experience to say the least. There was a small play ground area there and the children began playing. However, if you didn't watch them they would get into fist fights over the swings and springy toys. Literally, they could throw some good punches at a young age.  The teachers and I had to supervise them on the toys. I watched them on the springy toys. We made a line and I had a count down for 10 seconds before the next child's turn. It was enough time for the kid to have fun and keep the line moving. I had to keep a special eye on the boys because they kept cutting each other in line and hitting.

 

The reason I am telling you this is not to paint a bad picture of the deaf children in Mali, but because God taught me a lesson in all of it. God began showing me what it means to lay down my rights. Now it doesn't mean that you are going to make yourself a door mat. However, if someone cuts you in line or inconveniences you, or you know that you were wronged that you don't have to get into a fist fight about it(figuretively speaking). God has been reminding me that Jesus laid down his rights for me, when He went to the cross. He has the right to have a fit. The perfect lamb that was slain for the sins of others. So if I am minorly inconvenienced by what someone else is doing does it truly matter? Dying to myself daily has been a conscious thing. A very hard conscious thing on most days. There are things in life that aren't fair that I don't want to do, but in 20 years will that minor thing truly matter? Instead that thing will become a character building experience.

 

Well, after playing at the park for a while, we ate then left. The kids at the school can't speak but they have their own loud personalities. I feel truly blessed to be here and I love what I am doing at that school. Sadly, I don't have any pictures of the deaf students with me because I forgot my camera that day. But hopefully I will get some good pictures of them before the next blog. Thank you for your prayers and support.

                                 

  Love and Blessings,

                                                                  Cami Lynn

 

Village Trip Video

We had an awesome time!!! :)