Sunday already

In Mali a week already! Wow, time flies. We went to Bethel Bible School for service this morning. It's conducted in both French and Bambara. Gabi, a missionary in Baku translated for us. The energy was great. And then, in true Sabbath fashion, we had a relaxing day... by the pool. Oh, did I mention that before? The pool is new since our last visit and quite a reprieve from the city and the heat. So, overall, not a bad way to spend Sunday.

I wanted to capture some other notes:
The employees at Women and Children's Hospital in Koutiala make $3/day
The power has been interrupted daily. Quite an inconvenience, but the locals take it in stride. The hospital has generators to keep the OR going.

It's just past cotton harvest time. You'll see bails/mounds of cotton roadside. It's Mali's greatest export. I hope to get a tour of the factory in town this week when another team comes in. These bails are in a field, walking distance from the guest house. The seeds are crushed for linseed oil. And yes, I've done a little more exploring of their fabrics - I just love them! The colors are intense, fresh and bold. The women at church wear their Sunday best and they look fabulous.

We take walks everyday to explore the neighborhood and trails. The people are very friendly and it feels very safe. It's very dusty and dry. The women work so hard.