Mali, Africa trip approaching a conclusion

Sorry for the delay or lack of posts. I have posted three times to this blog but our internet has been having issues. Emails and skype have had issues as well.

Here are the latest details:

• only a few of our team members have had stomach issues but nothing major
• we have laid tile, hung a ceiling, hauled tons of sand by hand, mixed concrete with homeade shovels, cut every board by hand, etc. etc.
• we survived a boat ride on the Niger River - the boats were definitely sketchy and we bailed water over the edge the entire ride
• finished the project we set out to do on time or one day ahead of schedule
• we've gained weight instead of losing it because Americanized missionaries treat us well
• ate a Malian dinner with our hands - 9 or so people around a big bowl of rice and peanut sauce
• were hosted by Dusty and Julia Reynolds at their dinner table
• toured the Sababu manufacturing company site and spent some time praying on the Sababu grounds
• I (Dusty White) drove the van today through the Malian streets - oh yes, bring on NYC now!
• have consumed lots of Coca-Cola via the good ol glass bottle with real sugar
• fixed a missionaries trailer (new bearings, grease, etc)
• bartered at the Malian Artisan and bought stuff
• visited, took notes, and strategized with missionaries for a pig farm project
• AND MANY MORE!

We're headed to church tomorrow, dinner with missionaries and we're off on Air France at night. Mail - Paris - Chicago - and home! And no, the 100 degree weather hasn't helped us prep for snow in the midwest.