door of no return

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Originally uploaded by alliancevideoblog.

Just off the coast of Dakar, Goree Island boast gorgeous colonial buildings, a stunning coastline and a horrid history. Africans were once herded together and brought to this island where they awaited ships coming from the new world. Through this door, they were handed over to masters and became slaves. It was a very surreal place.. so beautiful and yet so dark.

Spot

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Originally uploaded by alliancevideoblog.

I like to ask the missionary kids about their pets... monkeys, lizards, fish eagles... but I didn't think to ask the Moms. While staying with the Belle Isles in Dakar we met Spot, Mrs. Belle Isles pet python. Spot was a very nice snake and quite a ham for the camera!

Chickens

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Originally uploaded by alliancevideoblog.

What i imagined to be a nice drive out to the bush for a few snapshots and candid footage, ended up being a long day spent in half a dozen courtyards, drinking tea and asking the series of courtesy questions.. how are you, how is your family, how is your health, how is your village, how is your... After three of our visits we had the unique pleasure of watching a kid chase the chickens around house, over the fence, behind the pig, between their legs. I really thought it was all funny and a unique honor until we got home and discovered what kind of mess they left in the back of the truck!

Blowout

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Originally uploaded by alliancevideoblog.

Cruising at 120 km/hour, the tire of our minivan blew. The rubber flew up and shattered the passenger mirror. Carina held the wheel tightly and safely pulled us off the road. At the time i didn't realize just how close we came to a serious accident. Later in our trip, i met a woman who was also going 120 when her front tire blew. She wasn't able to steady her wheel and the car jerked off the road and over the bank. Looking at the wreck later, they calculated it rolled bonnet over boot 3 times before skidding to a stop. Seatbelts saved every life. Needless to say, we buckled up for the rest of our trip!

Where's Josh?

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Originally uploaded by alliancevideoblog.

Precious

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Originally uploaded by alliancevideoblog.

During our first week in Mali, we met Precious. Precious is Nigerian and came to Bamako for a false job offer. Without money to return home or even survive, she found herself living in a cubicle just outside the bus station. In the heart of a dangerous, filthy redlight district, she was lured into the "dirty business". Through Carinas frequent visits and counsel, Precious was able to leave the bus station, open a clothing shop and pursue a relationship with Christ.

my first hooker

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Originally uploaded by alliancevideoblog.

When i went to figure my expenses at the end of the day, i scratched my head wondering how to write prostitute into my budget. Carina goes to this brothel once a week to counsel the girls. She and the owner have become odd friends. Although making a living as a pimp, he likes Carina to come and help the girls get out of the business.

After a nice long chat about how much he loves George W ("if i see him with this eye, then i can die in peace!"), he rounded up a few girls and demanded they do an interview with us. The stories were all the same... lured to bamako via deception, loosing face with family back home, unable to speak the language and finally a turn to prostitution in a state of absolute hopelessness. I'm not sure if the owner welcomed us out of a sense of guilt over his business or pride because he is at least keeping them safe from the dangerous streets of bamako, but we were grateful that he and Carina could together create a safe place for these girls to regroup and get their lives back together.

FGM

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Originally uploaded by alliancevideoblog.

Female circumcision (more commonly refered to as female genital mutilation) is the harsh reality for young girls in West Africa. I recently read that 95% of girls in Mali are "cut". Many say it is a practise encouraged by Mohammed, however, the practice can be traced back 2000 years. Even the Christians struggle against the shackles of this deep cultural tradition.
While it is now illegal in many West Afrian countries and graphic billboards speak out against it, girls continue to bleed to death during the ritual or from complications in childbirth. Men continue to endorse it because with the faith that a wife will be less inclined towards adultery if they are without sexual pleasure, and grandmothers continue to demand incision to ensure the child will have a good husband choosen for her. While the tide of change is slow, pockets of resistance are already forming as women become more educated and awareness grows.

kids

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Originally uploaded by alliancevideoblog.

Alliance Women in Mali

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Originally uploaded by alliancevideoblog.

Dressing alike is a big deal in West African culture. Each Christmas, the Alliance Women in Mali select a new fabric that sports the Alliance logo. It is manufactured in bulk and sent all across the country. We saw people all over West Africa (men and women) and even a few white folks from the States showing off their Christmas cloth outfits. Usually, i cringe when families dress alike, but in this context, it was kind of cool to see... I especially enjoyed it when the women gave josh his very own alliance women's cloth! Not sure why he got one and beryl and i did not :-)

Paparazzi

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Originally uploaded by alliancevideoblog.

The air became electric when the Minister of Labour entered the hospital grounds. I found myself following the other Africans with cameras as we fought for the best vantage points to snap snap snap. Everyone was pleased that such a notable woman (we're talking equivolent of Condy in Malian terms) came to the hospital dedication, although i could sense some disappointment that the president himself was not able to attend.

Mali has been named one of the worst 5 countries in the world for women to live. The infant mortality rate is perhaps the highest. I was told that culturally, it is not appropriate for woman to mourn the loss of a child until it is the fourth death. The new Koutiala hospital will be a beacon of light for these women.

Koutiala Hospital for Women and Children

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Originally uploaded by alliancevideoblog.

McGyver

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Originally uploaded by alliancevideoblog.

We had many "classic" missionary experiences in our travels but this one topped it for me. After driving 2 hours from Conakry, we arrived at the ferry dock only to find it broken down. Phil went to find the captain and convinced the man to let him jump-start the ferry. To everyones amazement, including the people lined up wondering how to get home, the ferry started and we made it to Kabak island with little time lost.

Everywhere we went, I noticed how Phil greeted the people with such warmth and enthusiasm. He plans to bring a new battery with him next time as a donation to the captain. His example of Christ is breaking down walls and creating a trust and respect that are difficult to earn in a place like Guinea. He challenged me by a selfless example.. a lesson i hope i do not forget too quickly.

PR-man

PR-man
Originally uploaded by alliancevideoblog.

Guinea feels a lot like china and some eastern block countries... the harsh, skeptical looks from these Africans caught us off guard. It seems Guinea was used as a transmission point for the Reds in the Cold War and the people still retain a fear of strangers with cameras.

We noticed that the penetrating stares broke into smiles only after persistant smiles and greetings in their tongue. We didn't want to capture the people this way, so we put Josh in a lawn chair on the roof of the land-cruiser. He waved and said hello (in more than one undefinable language). The people giggled and waved and smiled for the camera! It's weird to think that almost a week later, there are probably Africans sitting around a campfire having a good laugh at us even now.

Boats and Boys

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Originally uploaded by alliancevideoblog.

It was fun to watch this Guinean boy dreaming and people watching from his boat. ADD wasn't something we noticed in African kids - it was interesting to observe them.