We came back to Norway last Wednesday. We had a long travel and it felt even longer because some of our team members were really sick. But WE MADE IT! and everybody is doing better now. :) Thank you so much for everybody who have been praying for us the last weeks we have really needed those prayers. :D
The last 2 weeks have been quite interesting.. After the conference in Timbuktu a lot of people got really sick. We had only 3 people on our team who were not sick, so we had to leave Timbuktu a day later than we had planned. Long story short. WE ended up having to spilt the team so 4 of our team members had to say behind in Timbuktu, when the rest 6 left for Douentza. We got so spent some time with our lovely garibou boys...
Hanne and Annika fly to Bamako from Timbuktu. But the rest of us took the long bus ride to Bamako. We prayed a lot before we left!! we were afraid that the trip would be really hard expecially when some people were still sick and not feeling so good.
But God is faithfull and He takes care of us!!!. In the morning when we went to the bus stop and the first thing we saw when the bus arrived was a text with big letters saying "AIR CONDITIONING"!!!! Hallelujah! we were so happy to see that! We were so blessed.
This bus trip was 3 hours shorter than last time!! we didnt stop that often.
The Next day we all left from Bamako to Paris, Oslo and Stavanger.
So we are now staying in the south of Norway Stavenger for a week. Our Outreach is not over we yet are doing some church visits in the area. :) Our base leader Leif joined us also for this time.
We have enjoyed so much the fresh air and norwegian foods ect. :) Next week we are flying again up to the north! :D
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Monday, March 3, 2008
Feet 2008 Prayer conference
The Feet 2008 Prayer conference started on Thursday evening and ended on Sunday night. For us this conference has started a long time ago when we started to prepare and pray for it. 130 people from all around the world, from 4 different continents representing over 25 different nations came together to pray for Timbuktu. We were happy to meet a lot of familiar faces from Norway. Our base leader Leif and our 5th staff member Bea and a big group of other people came to Timbuktu with a 2 day boat trip.
The conference day started with Morning Prayer for Timbuktu in the desert before breakfast and the day lasted until late evening with praise and worship concerts. We had worship in English, French and the local Tamasek language. During the conference we heard a lot of good and powerful teaching from Dr. Atef from Egypt and other people from Norway, USA and Mali.
All in all the conference went well. Before the conference we had prayed for a lot of practical things and we can say that everything went just smoothly. We saw prayer answers in small and bigger things. During the preparation time we faced some problems with the strong wind. We had heard that now is “the windy season” and strong wind and sand storms can be expected. We were afraid that the wind could cause problems do a lot of damage at the conference area. It had already done a lot of damage before. But God protected the whole time of the conference and we did not have a single sand storm. Now, a day after the conference, the wind came back. :D
We have only a couple of days left in Timbuktu. It will be really hard to leave this place and to say good bye to so many lovely people we have met and been working with. We will be traveling from Timbuktu back to Douentza. We are so excited to meet the garibou boys again and according to Lorna they are really excited to see us too. We will be spending 2 days in Douentza before we leave back to Bamako. From Bamako we will fly back to Norway…
The conference day started with Morning Prayer for Timbuktu in the desert before breakfast and the day lasted until late evening with praise and worship concerts. We had worship in English, French and the local Tamasek language. During the conference we heard a lot of good and powerful teaching from Dr. Atef from Egypt and other people from Norway, USA and Mali.
All in all the conference went well. Before the conference we had prayed for a lot of practical things and we can say that everything went just smoothly. We saw prayer answers in small and bigger things. During the preparation time we faced some problems with the strong wind. We had heard that now is “the windy season” and strong wind and sand storms can be expected. We were afraid that the wind could cause problems do a lot of damage at the conference area. It had already done a lot of damage before. But God protected the whole time of the conference and we did not have a single sand storm. Now, a day after the conference, the wind came back. :D
We have only a couple of days left in Timbuktu. It will be really hard to leave this place and to say good bye to so many lovely people we have met and been working with. We will be traveling from Timbuktu back to Douentza. We are so excited to meet the garibou boys again and according to Lorna they are really excited to see us too. We will be spending 2 days in Douentza before we leave back to Bamako. From Bamako we will fly back to Norway…
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Fun and buzy week
This week has been amazing, buzy and time flies so fast. Sunday afternoon an African DTS team from the north of
We are now 17 people with 13 different nationalities and cultures living under the same roof and loving the same God. J
In the beginning of the week we had to spend some time figuring out all kinds of practical things how we can live and work together and combine our different ways of doing things. After a couple of schedule changes and compromises living together is no problem or atleast alot easier. ;) We work together everyday so we have learned to know each other and we have a lot of fun together. We are one big family. In addition their English has improved a lot and we are trying to learn French. But the best thing is that we sure can communicate in a way or another. We have been so happy and thankful that we can live together with this team. We have learned already so many things from each other. And we are learning all the time.. We cook the dinners together so we have been eating more African food than before and a littlebit ‘western style made” foods too. Yesterday we had a special treat. We made pizza! IT was the first time for some of the African boys ;).
The week has been really busy. We mixed our teams and split into two groups. Everyday one group has been working at the conference area and at the same time one group has been doing evangelism on the streets. J
On Thursday and Saturday we also visited a Christian orphan home “Elijah House”. We told them and Bible story, taught about God and prayer, played with them, and showed them funny dramas and songs.
Every night we have worship, prayer and intersession together with the base staff and all the others who have come here to prepare for the conference. Last night an evangelizing team for
Monday, February 18, 2008
Life in Timbuktu
Saturday 16.2
We have been in Timbuktu for 2 weeks now. The environment and neighborhood has become familiar. Sand and dust is still here and everywhere, but it’s not a problem unless its windy.. we are expecting more sandstorms... The heat is getting more intense, but we are coping with it and learning to drink more. Lately no one has been sick anymore, there are so many things we could get sick from, but God is protecting us. :D And we are grateful for it.
We have been doing practical work at the prayer conference area and building the meeting place…ect. We are hoping to get it soon done. There are a lot of practical things to do and to pray for before the conference. Working in the heat is a bit tiring, but we are doing good and also enjoying the work.
We have been in Timbuktu for 2 weeks now. The environment and neighborhood has become familiar. Sand and dust is still here and everywhere, but it’s not a problem unless its windy.. we are expecting more sandstorms... The heat is getting more intense, but we are coping with it and learning to drink more. Lately no one has been sick anymore, there are so many things we could get sick from, but God is protecting us. :D And we are grateful for it.
We have been doing practical work at the prayer conference area and building the meeting place…ect. We are hoping to get it soon done. There are a lot of practical things to do and to pray for before the conference. Working in the heat is a bit tiring, but we are doing good and also enjoying the work.
Lenneke and Bex at the conference area
We are expecting an African DTS team coming to live with us today. So we are moving things around in the house and making things ready for them.
On Thursday we celebrated Valentines Day together with some of the local YWAM base staff. We had a fun night of fellowship, prayer and eating good food. :D I am so grateful for all the vegetables and fruits they have on the market(if they have stuff) . They don’t have everything everyday, but definitely more than on the dry season. Especially the local bananas are good. :D some people hqve been eating 10 a day ;)
Thanks for your prayers and support, we are really grateful for them. Keep on praying that we wont get sick or injured and for the conference. We have big and good expectations for it. :D
On Thursday we celebrated Valentines Day together with some of the local YWAM base staff. We had a fun night of fellowship, prayer and eating good food. :D I am so grateful for all the vegetables and fruits they have on the market(if they have stuff) . They don’t have everything everyday, but definitely more than on the dry season. Especially the local bananas are good. :D some people hqve been eating 10 a day ;)
Thanks for your prayers and support, we are really grateful for them. Keep on praying that we wont get sick or injured and for the conference. We have big and good expectations for it. :D
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Went to the churches in 2 groups. The half went to another church and the other half went to the church they were last time. After the meeting at the church we had a day off, some people spend the time relaxing, other people walking around in the area or went to the market. Many bought a lot of chocolate. They do Laundry and the donkey pooh was all over Timbouctou. Many of the girls bought a lot of material for African clothes, some could not go out or walk fast. Praying in the conferance area.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
mice, lizards and scorpions.... :)
Now we have been in Timboktou for almost a week. We are working together with Tommy and Danielle Aanstad and the rest of the team here in Timboktou. We are preparing for a prayer/intersession conference that is going to take place here in the end of this month. There is a house/tent and a stage that needs to get up, but we also don’t want to wait with the worship and intersession for the conference. Therefore we have worship in the morning and intersession in the evening every day with the whole team.
Timbuktu is a town that is a bit different than Bamako and Douentza. Especially that it is more spiritual darkness here. They say that it is the third most important city in Islam (after Mecca and Mehad) and they want to make it into Africa’s Mecca. If that happens it means that no churches will be allowed. But they also say that if people in Timbuktu get saved, that that will affect all of Mali. So it is a key city in many ways and we are definitely thankful for all prayersupport J
The day starts with Bible reading at 6:30, then some powertime, breakfast at 7:45, then devotion and some time to give thanks to God for what he has done the last 24 hours, then we get together with the team here in Timboctou for Worship and after that we go off to the different areas that we are going to work at for the day. Lunch at about 12 o’clock then back to work again. Maybe a prayerwalk. Then dinner and then intersession at 5:30 and about that time is when it gets dark. And when it is dark, it is dark.
The temperature is about 37 degrees Celsius now in the shade, and they say that it may get up to 42 during the conference. What a joy it is that we’re leaving right before the hot season.
There is a variety of bugs we kill every day. Bex had a mouse inside her mosquito net, then she got up and chased it around the room with a torch and a cup. Hanna and Annika just came screaming, a lizard had crawled through the window in their room. The goats enjoy our balcony until we chase them out again in the morning. Funny how all this things seem so usual, but when you think of the life back home it’s not really our daily life…
Timbuktu is a town that is a bit different than Bamako and Douentza. Especially that it is more spiritual darkness here. They say that it is the third most important city in Islam (after Mecca and Mehad) and they want to make it into Africa’s Mecca. If that happens it means that no churches will be allowed. But they also say that if people in Timbuktu get saved, that that will affect all of Mali. So it is a key city in many ways and we are definitely thankful for all prayersupport J
The day starts with Bible reading at 6:30, then some powertime, breakfast at 7:45, then devotion and some time to give thanks to God for what he has done the last 24 hours, then we get together with the team here in Timboctou for Worship and after that we go off to the different areas that we are going to work at for the day. Lunch at about 12 o’clock then back to work again. Maybe a prayerwalk. Then dinner and then intersession at 5:30 and about that time is when it gets dark. And when it is dark, it is dark.
The temperature is about 37 degrees Celsius now in the shade, and they say that it may get up to 42 during the conference. What a joy it is that we’re leaving right before the hot season.
There is a variety of bugs we kill every day. Bex had a mouse inside her mosquito net, then she got up and chased it around the room with a torch and a cup. Hanna and Annika just came screaming, a lizard had crawled through the window in their room. The goats enjoy our balcony until we chase them out again in the morning. Funny how all this things seem so usual, but when you think of the life back home it’s not really our daily life…
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