ADOPTED

This is from an email from a lady, Amber who is teaching at Bamako Christian Academy in Bamako, Mali. Armee has been her taxi driver for the past year and a half. He like so many others there are Muslims.

I have come to love Mali's slow leisurely pace of life, but time has flown by since my last update. And as usual, I have so much to tell you! Ever since my dear friend Becca sent me a shirt that says "ADOPTED Ephesians 1:5" across the front, I have been thinking about the wonders of adoption. So of course, the updates in this newsletter seem to center around that beautiful theme of being adopted.

Armée. When I received the bright red ADOPTED shirt, Armée was with me. We were sitting in a small room in the post office waiting for the postmaster to finish praying so he could sign off on my packages. Being impatient, I had already opened the one from Becca and was wondering how I would explain the significance of "Adopted—Ephesians 1:5" that Armée questioned. Luckily, adopted translates almost directly and praise God for once again giving me the French words to describe something complex like how I was adopted into God's family. I savored the 15 uninterrupted minutes of discussion we had about God, prayer, and even a few days later—sin. I later found out that the postmaster didn't know we were waiting for him: he had been sitting outside drinking tea with his friends the entire time. If he had happened to see us come in, I know I might never have had that opportunity to talk with Armée in such a quiet, serious atmosphere. Dooni-Dooni (small-small) as they say here, Armée is getting a glimpse of what it means to be adopted into the family of God. Praise God for the verses and songs I continue to share without opposition. Please pray for Armée and the many other Christian influences he has in his life.

Orphanage. In my many trips to the orphanage I've never been greeted like I was a few weeks ago. One of the Nunus came to me with a big smile and pulled at her t-shirt while pointing at a small baby carrier on the floor. She was trying to tell me about a newborn who was in that carrier a couple of weeks ago. I remembered dressing him in a donated t-shirt. I only had one t-shirt and chose him because she had informed me that he had worn the same dirty shirt since being born 5 days before. Now as I looked, a new baby was in his place—he had been adopted! She began thanking me for the beautiful gift that had greatly improved his circumstances. And I now I thank you, whoever gave the tiny blue shirt with turtles on it! Praise God for thankful nunus who see what a difference these gifts are making. Pray for our ministry to the orphans. Pray for my visit to a different orphanage outside of Bamako next Monday.