April 10, 1998
Dear Mom and Dad,

Monday, April 8th, Shirley and I moved into her home village on the mountain. We wanted to get an early start to avoid some of the heat (120F most days) and because we figured it'd take a while to unload two trucks. Despite all of our plans, we didn't get to the village until about 5:00pm. The village chief, elders and many of the villagers were sitting in the public square. The men were working on making baskets, mats and short, handleless brooms as they sat on huge logs, rocks and raised log platforms under enormous old trees whose leafy branches cast the public square into a filigree of light and shadow. The women, babies tied on their backs crossed back and forth,going from the graineries to their courtyards to get millet to pound for supper.

Since there isn't a road by Shirley's hut, both trucks pulled into the public square. I was dreading unloading the trucks but I shouldn't have worried about it. The men untied the ropes and the children, chattering non- stop, grabbed out loads, balanced them on their heads and followed a winding rocky path through a neighbor's courtyard. As we followed the children between mud huts, women called greetings to us. Some were spinning cotton, others building fires to begin cooking supper and still others had washtubs of water balanced on their heads as they returned from the village pump.

Everyone wanted to arrange the hut for us and much discussion followed as to what should be placed where. Of course, there weren't a lot of choices. The hut has a front door with the back door opposite, and two beds and several fooflockers needed to be put inside. Shirley and I let everyone work out the hut decor---we knew we'd change it to suit us later. Outside, in the courtyard, the chief and several elders had brought chairs and settled into the shade of our latrine to watch the "show", along with about a million children.

The crowning touch was putting the toilet in the latrine. This probably needs some explaining. First, you have to realize that we have the only latrine in the village. Everyone else just heads outside the village to a bush or tree. However, latrines do exist in Kenieba but they are all squatty-potties (you know, just a hole over a pit). Shirley insisted on a sitty-potty though. She had an old toilet seat which she gave to the carpenter and tried to explain the concept. What he made was a genuine throne (we're thinking on painting it gold). It has arm rests and flower box-type boxes on each side---perfect for toilet paper or books. The only problem with our latrine it that the possibility of severe sunburn does exist while using the facilities. The other half of the latrine is our "bath". Bathing out of a bucket as an almost full moon sails across the sky is an experience not to be missed.

We had a really good time and we were well received by the people. They insisted on bringing water to us each day. We especially appreciated this, since Shirley and I neither one have the neck muscles to carry several washtubs full of water on our heads all the way from the pump. People built fires for us, promised to build a shelter for us to sit under in the afternoon (there aren't any trees in our courtyard), brought us gifts of mangoes, dried beans, peanuts and a rooster, made tea for us, helped us with language, welcomed us into their courtyards and activities and began teaching us the way Malinkes do things.

Here are some of the highlights of our first time in our new home: One afternoon we spent with the village women under a huge mango tree. They were pounding millet into rice in preparation for a wedding on Thursday. We weren't very good at pounding the grain but we are experienced sifters and did well at sifting the flour. The women also insisted that we dance with them, a kind of jumping dancing---tiring but fun!

Another afternoon we spent in our neighbor's courtyard. People were spread all over the courtyard wherever there was shade. Saibo put us to work cutting up leaves for the leaf-sauce she was planning on preparing that night. While we were working on that, another friend helped us with language. Shirley and I learning Malinke caused a great deal of laughter among those in the area where we were sitting---soon the whole courtyard joined in to help us learn.

Shirley and I cooking caused a great deal of curiosity. They knew we weren't pounding grain, grinding peanuts on a rock or gathering leaves for a sauce, so what could we possibly be eating? Children pressed around us in order to better see what we were doing. Adults came and ran the children off, only to take their places, and the children hung over the fence. Yes, canned foods are a novelty.

For lunch one day, we made a macaroni and hotdog dish. When we were fixing supper that night a boy leaned over my shoulder to see what was in the can I had opened, then I heard him whisper to his mother, "It has beans in it! She opened one for lunch that had meat in it!" "Goodness," replied his mother, "there are wonderful things in those metal boxes!"

Our cans have become much sought after toys. You think Elmo was a big deal last Christmas---you haven't seen anything! Our "metal boxes" can be used in so many ways: you can bang on it like a drum, fill it with rocks, kick it on the ground and when you get thristy, use it for a cup.

The Muslim observance of Tabaski occured while we were in the village. Tabaski commemorates the time that God provided Abraham with a ram to sacrifice in place of his son Ishmael. Tabaski morning a drum began to beat with a steady rhythm. Soon we watched men, women and older children follow the man beating the 4 drum outside the village to pray (there wasn't enough room in the mosque for everyone). Seeing several of our neighbors in their courtyard, I asked the women why they hadn't gone? "Well," said one, "Someone has to stay and cook lunch."

After prayers, Shirley and I met with the literacy students and she tried out some of the Malinke literacy materials we got on our recent survey trip to another country. They all grasped the Malinke much more rapidly than the Bambara. Then Shirley said she'd like to read them a Bible story in Malinke to see how well they could understand it. She read to them the story of God providing a ram to replace Isaac as Abraham's sacrifice. Everyone understood the story.

In the evenings, our courtyard was always full. People came to greet, drink small glasses of hot, sweet Malian tea and to just sit and talk. It was a nice way to pass the time after a full day.

We really enjoyed our time and learned a lot in our new home. We're really looking forward to returning to the village the first of next week. As a way of saying thank you for all they've done, Shirley and I are taking up rice, meat and fix'ins. The women will prepare it and we'll all eat together and then the villagers are throwing us a party---complete with drums and dancing. I'll let you know how it goes.

Lots of Love,
Susan