Here is a riddle for you: What clogs our noses, makes us cough and covers everything in our house with a fine powder that makes it look like nothing has been cleaned for months? Answer: Dust.

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It is harmattan time here in Mali when sand and dust blows down from the Sahara and hangs in our air like thick smog. Some aspects of harmattan are great for us, like the cooler air. It was a chilly 68 degrees this morning! However, we don’t like breathing all the dust and seeing it on everything in our house. We also don’t like looking out over the valley behind our house and seeing a thick brown haze instead of lovely scenery. The Malinke people don’t like the dust either. Some put a special lotion in the noses of their children to stop the dust, and everybody feels cold this time of year.

Sometimes we feel that Satan has covered the Malinke people with a thick spiritual haze, making them unable to see beyond their familiar beliefs. The physical harmattan here will end in February when the wind blows the dust away. Please pray with us for a Holy Spirit wind that will help the Malinke people see the richness of the love of God.

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