Exciting Times

We have had an exciting week here in West Africa. It started last Tuesday at Teriyabougou, which is a resort (more like a camp), when a little 12 year old African boy was drowning. He got pulled out of the pool by two of his classmates and set on top of a table by the pool face down and not conscious. Bob Braafhart and I ran up to the boy, put him on the ground, and rolled him to his side. We cleared his mouth of saliva and a little vomit. He then took a small breath and exhaled water and air. It was 30 second until his next breath. We had called over Terri, a pediatric nurse, and she took over from that point. We all stood around and prayed for him. His breathing became more regular and we loaded him up to go to the hospital in the next village over which is at least an hour away. Long story short, he came to and made it back to Teriyabougou for supper that night. Our God is so great. The boy had no apparent damage done to his body. Praise God.

On Saturday, Ed Bonvillain's soccer team was invited to the opening ceremony of the new soccer stadium here in Koutiala and stand on the field to greet the President of the country. I was invited to take pictures and be the chauffeur. The whole experience was so funny. Everyone was allowed in the stadium without a security check or walk though a metal detector. We were allowed on the field with the President without any security check or background check. If you look closely to one of the pictures, you will see that there were village animal hunters there with their rifles and they fired them into the air when the President came in. I thought that this could not be happening. Where else but Mali would you be able to carry in a gun to a public place and shoot it off while the President was there. The military had its paratroopers fly over and land on the field. I was able to shake the Presidents hand and say a few short sentences to him. It was just a cool experience.

We now have Bethel Bible School on 100% solar power and off of the generator in the evenings. We need to now pray that the funds come in to pay for the project. Anco has taken the money out himself to pay for this believing that God will bring the money in to pay for it. Pray with me that it comes in quickly and efficiently.

I am on to my next project of making an instrument for skin grafting. I will let you know how that turns out.

God bless.