Our journey to Mali, West Africa

Jason, Elosia, Eva, Vaughan, Tami, Jennifer, Kristin

We departed Omaha about 1pm on Saturday and connected through Chicago for an 8.5 hour flight to Paris, followed by an 8 hour layover.  Next came a late flight in the dark over the Mediterranean and Sahara Desert that lasted 6 hours.  We arrived in Bamako about 9pm (3pm Omaha time) but didn't get through baggage and customs until midnight.  We were in bed by 2am and up at 7am on Monday to hit the road for a 6 hour drive (to go a short 170 miles) to Koutiala.  Pictures on the blog will help explain why it takes so long.  We were at the Koutiala hospital for introductions by Monday evening, as well as a potluck dinner.  They are 6 hours ahead of CST in Omaha (Koutiala is situated very near the GMT line).  The temperature is about 100*F and humidity is at 3%.   

Keep looking for our blog posts, which we will add and update as time allows.  We'll try to send photos or videos, stories, reports and prayer needs each day, but electricity and reliability of WiFi connections will determine our success at that.  Your comments on the blog are encouraged. 

Pray for our team and the staff at the hospital.  We will be conducting village clinic excursions which add an extra dimension of burden to their busy schedules, but the value of these village clinics is tremendous.  Thank you in advance for your prayers.  Financial support for team members is still needed and will continue to be accepted even after we return from the trip. 

Thank you, 
Vaughan Wenzel, PA-C and the team 

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