Fun Things & Such

A few recent photos which are too cute not to share.

Mariama with her son Mamanjan, and his friend Abdul (on my lap)

Alyssa's little sidekick, (little) Mariama

Little Mariama & Alyssa came to rest with me

Meet Mariama

Mariama & I on moving night

Mariama is my best friend here in Guinea-Bissau.

She's (give or take) around 17 years old. It's not uncommon for Africans to not know their age.
She's married and has a little son, Mamanjan, who will turn 1 next month.

Amadori and his friend packing all their possessions
into this little hauler when they moved.

 Mariama, lived in Catel with her son, husband, and brother-in-law until about 2 weeks ago when they moved to a village a few kilometers away.  Mariama is part of the Fulani tribe which stretches across Africa and is originally from Conakry, Guinea. And thus her primary language is Fula, but she's also pretty fluent in Portuguese Kriol as well. Mariama was a bit reserved when I first met her but has generously opened her home and her heart as we became friends over the last 6 months.

Though, like most Fula people, her family is Muslim, I see her seeking truth and pray God will reveal himself to her and her husband and take a strong hold on their lives so that their son might grow up knowing Him.

Amadori & Mamanjan   May 2012

Mariama and her husband Amadori have struggled emotionally and financially as their little son, Mamanjan, has been ailed by one illness after another during his short life. A long battle with malaria, at the beginning of the year, left Mamanjan's body frail and developmentally delayed. In April, at 9 months old, he weighed a mere 4.2kg (aprox 9.2 lbs). In addition to breast milk he's being supplemented with fortified baby cereal and fortified formula to help him get the nutrients he needs to stay healthy and grow. He's now up to about 5kg and we praise god that he's been relatively healthy these last 2 months and is now able to sit on his own, play, and babble

Mariama and Amadori both adore Mamanjan and I pray that God will strengthen them as a family and that they will come to know him. I'm so thankful for the friends God has blessed me with in Catel and I pray that he will use me to be a blessing unto them!