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A Love Story Part 2

Bear Yarbrough — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:55:00 GMT

So I have realized that nothing goes according to plan in life. This doesn’t mean that we just don’t plan, for planning is essential and gives people a focus to work toward, but I believe a true test of character is when the plan doesn’t work out and...(read more)

A Love Story Part 1

Bear Yarbrough — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:04:00 GMT

So a lot has happened since I came back from my vision trip to Mali in September of 2008, but I specifically want to tell you a love story. I started at Liberty University in my undergrad August of 2004. In my sophomore year, I went on an evangelism trip...(read more)

Mali Trip: The End - 9.9.2008

Bear Yarbrough — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 18:59:00 GMT

Heading back to Bamako so I can catch my flight, we stopped for the night at the Eadelman’s (WorldVenture missionaries in Mali). I had a wonderful meal of waffles and great conversations. The Eadelmans were telling me of an oral translation being done...(read more)

Mali Trip: God Can Even Provide A Wife

Bear Yarbrough — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 04:57:00 GMT

Listening to Mamado and Douda’s testimony was moving. Mamado was the first Christian in his dialect and came to Christ through a Christian radio station. He didn’t have the Bible, so he prayed for a solid year that God would send someone to teach him...(read more)

Mali Trip: Please Silence Cell Phones In Church

Bear Yarbrough — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 22:36:00 GMT

Church went as usual this Sunday. An active, sweat pouring, xylophone banging, Hallelujah singing, old lady fan waving, whole church clapping, praise service! The prayer request time intrigued me. Some asked for crops so their family could eat and others...(read more)

Mali Trip: Prayer Card English Comprehension Lesson

Bear Yarbrough — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 04:50:00 GMT

At night, Tom, Do, Douda, the Salifous and I sat on the Requadt’s porch talking about the day. I gave the guys, who are like brothers to me now, my prayer card and to my surprise, Tom turned it into an English comprehension lesson since most of them are...(read more)

Mali Trip: Brothers

Bear Yarbrough — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 04:14:00 GMT

After lunch, a bunch of us younger people piled onto the back of the motocart and headed out to a local Senoufo village to do an evangelistic meeting. To get an idea of what a motocart looks like, picture the outcome if a Chevy S-10 truck mated with a...(read more)

Mali Trip: African Attack Lizard

Bear Yarbrough — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 00:27:00 GMT

So apparently Africa has attack lizards! As I was walking around with Tom to make a list of items the team would need to bring from the States, we walked outside to look at the generator room and tool room. I was standing just outside, enjoying the sun...(read more)

Mali Trip: Why Do You Refuse To Go?!

Bear Yarbrough — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:22:00 GMT

So, I’m still sitting under the tree with Douda and Salifou as I read and tend to my bloody blisters. I read in The Shack, “Growth means change and change involves risk, stepping from the known to the unknown.” Why is it that my generation seems apathetic...(read more)

Mali Trip: There is No Miscommunication in the New Heaven and New Earth

Bear Yarbrough — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 17:13:00 GMT

“Life takes a bit of time and a lot of relationship.” – The Shack by William Young In regards to discovering the landscape of my heart: “I often find that getting head issues out of the way first makes the heart stuff easier to work on later… when you...(read more)

Mali Trip: Deadly Vipers; Living Grace (continued)

Bear Yarbrough — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 22:15:00 GMT

After the deadly viper was extinguished, Douda proclaimed (as if the snake didn’t even phase him), “We finish!” We then set out on a vocabulary hunt. We would stop randomly, walk into a field and Douda would point at an object (plant, cow, plow, creek...(read more)

Mali Trip: Deadly Vipers; Living Grace

Bear Yarbrough — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 00:10:00 GMT

This morning I woke up to a bowl of cinnamon apple porridge and instant coffee (I will certainly have to find a way to do drip, brewed coffee here!). Douda and one of the Salifous (two young men who I have grown close too. They are the ones that took...(read more)

Mali Trip: Deep Simplicity

Bear Yarbrough — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 16:49:00 GMT

Today was relaxing and restful. I spent most of the day reading, laboriously, through Segu. I never read fiction and this confirms why, but the cultural aspects of Segu are invaluable. It has explained so much, just in the short time I have been in Mali...(read more)

Mali Trip: Begin With The End In Mind

Bear Yarbrough — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:01:00 GMT

This morning is an overcast "cooler" day, so Laura was able to use the oven and make walnut cinnamon muffins from scratch. Everything becomes harder here, like when you can use the oven and not be driven out of the kitchen by the overwhelming...(read more)

Mali Trip: Basketball and Blood

Bear Yarbrough — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 16:59:00 GMT

Mondays are market day. The once secluded street, open and free to cars, is transformed into a bustling, busy, crowded path with odors and experiences, most of which are not pleasant to the senses. There are a variety of goods to buy from NFL jerseys...(read more)