Tip of the Week--May 14, 2015

The rains have started!  Now, instead of having high and constant dry heat all day, every day, you ride the roller coaster of moments of bliss as rain and temperatures fall, followed by torment as the sun comes back out and turns the world into a suffocating sauna.  But more on this in later posts.

Today, I want to talk to you about puddles.  Yes, with rain, come puddles.  You probably have childhood memories of pulling on your yellow galoshes to run out and  play in mud puddles. Oh that was fun, wasn't it?  But the time for childhood innocence has past, and it is time to be discerning about your puddles.  So let's chat about the types you will encounter in the West African rainy season.

1. The very unfortunate, inside the house puddle.  Unplug the electronics, move the furniture, and pull out the buckets and rags-- your roof has sprung a leak during a rainstorm.  Hopefully you were home to see it and limit the damage.  (If not-- "i fo"--that's Bambara for "Oh bummer! So sorry!")  There is nothing even remotely fun about these puddles, so you may have to get creative.  They are safe to play in, as long as you've removed any sources of electrical current.  Once you've done so, try wrapping yourself in towels and rolling around in the water-- you'll dry your puddle and cool yourself down at the same time.

2.  The "my yard has become a moat" puddle.  If your yard, or that of one of your friends, has the dubious distinction of being the neighborhood low point, you will undoubtedly encounter the mammoth puddles that block your access to the front door.  The fun of these puddles comes in trying to figure out the most creative way to cross without becoming entirely dirty before reaching the house.  Is there a path of rocks on which you can traverse?  Watch out for mud that presents itself as solid ground.  One careless step and you'll be slipping and sliding.  Of course, if you have no need to stay clean, you can live out your childhood memories with all the gusto you can muster.

3. The moto swallower.  These seemingly innocent puddles are typically found on rural, dirt roads in the countryside.  You'll be driving along, and suddenly the road will appear blocked by puddles.  A thin path appears between two of the puddles, perhaps covered with the shallowest bit of water, and you'll convince yourself that you can run your motorcycle right down the middle of that path, emerging on the other side looking like a world class rider.  Don't do this.  It's a trap.  As soon as your back tire rolls onto this false high ground, you will be swallowed.  The forward momentum will be abruptly stopped, the moto will stall, and you'll be forced to dismount in knee-deep mud and water and will probably lose a shoe in the process.  If you've gone out looking to ride in the mud, this might be an ideal situation, but more than likely, you are headed somewhere and hoping to arrive with both of your shoes and decently clean pants.  So slow down as you approach these puddles.  Look for a detour road around them or at very least some high ground to one of the far sides. 

4.  The residential puddle.  As you drive through residential neighborhoods, you'll see long, narrow puddles that run from courtyards into the street.  Sometimes they run the entire width of the street.  As these puddles are narrow and shallow, you'll be tempted to ride right through them on your bike or motorcycle.  That is, until you think about their source.  Yes friends, these are outhouse overflow puddles.  Proceed with caution!  Avoid them if at all possible, but if this is impossible, remember that the degree of backsplash is directly proportional to the speed and force with which your enter the puddle.  Gear down, kick your feet forward and up as high as possible, and guide your moto slowly through the puddle.  Don't speed up immediately upon exiting the puddle, for fear of tire mud kicking back on you.  If you do happen to get some on you, just remember, it was 5/6ths shower water and only 1/6th urine, and that was before the rain water diluted it down!  So it's not that dirty!

Prayer Requests

1.  Continue to pray for the work in Tiere.  Pray for Youssouf Traore, the older gentlemen that has given his life to the Lord.  Pray for the school teacher that continues to be the main witness there in town; he will be discipling Youssouf.  Our team will be looking seriously into the possibility of doing another outreach in the next couple weeks.

2. Pray for a young man from the village of Tiere that appears to have a rather bizarre muscle condition, leaving him progressively weaker and paralyzed.  My colleagues will be helping me diagnosis and treat him when he comes to the hospital next week.  Pray for wisdom for us as a staff and for miraculous healing for him.

3. Continue to lift up the strategic initiative to reach the area of Mali that touches Burkina Faso.  Recent meetings have gone really well, and there is a great deal of forward momentum to see this happen.  Pray that we would follow the Lord's leading in moving forward.

4.  Pray for my good friend Jason as he prepares to return permanently to the States in the first week of June.  Pray that his goodbyes would be sweet and meaningful.  Pray that all the details of his departure would come together without a problem.  Pray for the rest of us staff who will miss him greatly.