Blessed Holiday!

The new moon is sighted

Looking up into the sky on Sunday night, one could see it clearly—the first small sliver of moonlight, signifying the end of a month of fasting for islanders and billions of people around the world.  At last, this long, hard month has come to an end.  Let the feasting begin!

The next morning, dressed in the best new and formal wear, men and children take to the streets to share “the hand of the holiday”  with neighbors and friends.  Women wait in their homes to welcome the men and children, serving them cakes or samosas, and for the children—candy.  Everyone we see on the streets extends their hands and smiles as they greet us with the special holiday greeting, which literally translates “Blessed Holiday!”  Phone calls are made and text messages flash through the ether clogging the phone lines as salutations are made to more distant friends in neighboring villages.  Those with cars drive slowly from place to place greeting each neighborhood in turn. 

Tom and boys greet neighbors on street

As the day goes on the visits slow to a trickle.  We exchange photos with our neighbors and get ready to eat lunch together—something we haven’t done for the past month.  The children, tired from all the walking and full of candy, shed their traditional island outfits and settle down to watch a movie.  Like most, we will relax for the warm hours of the early afternoon and then go visiting again as a family to those particularly good friends like Ma Imani’s and others who don’t live very close.

Our daughter with women of one family

We’ve also planned to stop by the carnival.  At the local community center they’ve arranged a number of simple fair-type games for kids to play: Fish for gifts; wear a blindfold and cut the rope;  throw the beanbag through the hole, etc.  All the games are for a small price of course, but prizes of toys and candy are easily won.  But by the time we’re done visiting with the last family, the sun has already set and we’re tired. The carnival, being a two day event, will have to wait till the next day.

On our afternoon walk, we ran into the friend of one of our old teammates.  He followed us on the whole long walk home. As Megan prepared some dinner for the kids he sat down in the living room to talk some more.  After a little while our downstairs neighbor, Twama, comes up with her 1-month old, because her family has gone out and left her home with the baby. So the four of us are all sitting in the living room when the conversation turns to important things, to light shining in darkness and how real change is possible.  We share with them the story of the two kingdoms and of the opportunity everyone has to walk in the light.  They listen and ask questions and then say their goodbyes.  Twama returns to her family, and our new friend walks out into the night.  A holiday is always good news.  May there be more good news on these islands.

Visiting good friends in the afternoon

PRAYERS ANSWERED
Megan’s finger is healing very well and with no infection! Thanks for praying. Our kids finished their year of homeschool (1st and 3rd grades)! We’re very proud of all the work they did and thankful for how well they are learning. Our newest teammate had a scare this week when a pressurized container that was among burning trash exploded. She had flash burns on her face, arm and foot. She acted quickly to cool the burn and we are very thankful that she ended with mostly superficial burns and only a couple blisters (it could have been a lot worse). We are thankful for how well the month of fasting and the holiday went. We had opportunities to share with new people and strengthen relationships.

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Continue to pray that our teammate heals well after her traumatic burn experience. We have a colleague from the small island who will be visiting this coming week and working on an audio project that we are excited about— pray that his travels are smooth and that his time here goes well. He is hoping to get all the work done in three days. We’re taking a break from homeschool— pray that we can find constructive things to keep our kids occupied. Now that the month of fasting is over, we have to figure out our new schedule— pray for wise choices about how to spend our time. Pray for all those islanders that heard good news this past month that it would stay in their hearts and minds and they would continue to learn and grow.

A Knife in the Kitchen

Tom documents the bloody knife

In hindsight it was a stupid thing to do…the meat was still frozen as hard as a rock. Dinner was going to be a little late, but I should have had patience and just let the meat sit. Then there was the angle of the knife as I tried to cut apart the two hunks that were frozen together and the force I was using to get them to separate. In a flash of movement, the knife slipped violently off the rock-hard meat and I felt the shot of pain in my hand.

So there I was pacing in the kitchen, clutching my hand. I had stabbed completely through the pointer finger on my left hand. It was a pretty spectacular cut (two long cuts where the knife entered and exited the finger). Still it was not overly serious. If we’d been in the States, we’d probably have gone to the hospital or a clinic. It was deep enough to warrant stitches and the knife had been dirty.

So why didn’t we just go to an island hospital or clinic? Well things are different on the islands. Medical care is not very good. We actually worry that by seeking care we may end up worse off. The doctor on our last team had some very sobering things to say about the basic sanitation practices at the local hospitals.

So for minor medical situations we usually take care of things at home. We have a large first aid kit and resources like "Where There is No Doctor" (a book for people in our type of settings). Still we have to know when situations are beyond us. Island doctors and nurses may not have the training that we'd hope, but in a real emergency we would go to them. If it was serious, most likely we'd have to leave the islands.

Tom reading to kids in pjs on Father's Day

You might think we're being hard on the island medical system but islanders themselves see it as one of their country's biggest shortcomings. If a medical situation gets serious, islanders always look to get off the islands because here they don't have the equipment, the specialists, the diagnostic tools, the medicines, or the funds to care for the population. Traveling seems to be the only choice, but travel is expensive and sometimes dangerous as finding visas to insure legal travel options is often unavailable.  Dangerous, illegal, unjust, and desperate—it really is a mess.

Back to the situation at hand, my bleeding finger….Thankfully not serious. We talked it through and had a medical consult over the phone. It was decided that the wound would hold together fine without stitches and our teammate (who is a nurse) came and helped dress it. Tom will begin my knife safety training soon, in the meantime he has taken over all meat-cutting.

PRAYERS ANSWERED
We’re very thankful that Megan’s cut finger was not more serious and that it seems to be healing well so far. We’ve heard word that two single ladies are set to join our team and will hopefully be ready to come to the islands in November! We’ve been praying for our team to grow so this is exciting. Megan had a good opportunity to share with a neighbor friend this week. One of the men that Tom shared with recently says he continues to be thinking about the things Tom said. We pray for open hearts. This Father's Day we were especially thankful for Tom and what a great father he is!


PRAYERS REQUESTED
Wounds usually get infected here on the islands- pray that Megan’s finger can heal quickly with no infection. Pray that a couple or family would be able to join our team— there has been some interest but we continue to pray for the right people. We’ve been making some progress on our fasting-month projects but pray that we get some good work in this week. It’s the last week of the fasting month (the biggest holiday of the year will probably be next Monday). This Wednesday or Thursday will be a special night for islanders called the Night of Power, where they believe God is close and their prayers are most effective. Pray for islanders that those who seek will find!

Fasting Month Moments

I think for many people who have not experienced it, it is a bit hard to grasp how different life is during the month of fasting.  Truth be told, in many ways it doesn't seem that different.  People still mill about the street.  Shops are still open (excepting restaurants) and life appears to be going on as normal.  But the fasting undergirds everything and manifests its differences in many ways.  Last week we shared with you about the constant barrage of questions we get.  This week we thought we'd share some of the other ways life is different.

Two of the regular visitors to our porch

• The mob of colorfully clad shoppers fills the narrow streets like a river of confetti.  It's midmorning and we're doing some shopping, but it's the fasting month.  Much like the Christmas season in the states, the fasting month turns over a lot of commerce.  The holiday at the end of the month is a time for new clothes, sprucing up the house, gifts to loved ones--you name it.  So the shops are busy, the sales are on, and everyone wants to get in on it.  Moving through this sea of human traffic can be slow going, but it's also exciting.  So much activity...where do they find the energy?

• Where did all these children come from?  It's early afternoon and suddenly our veranda is crawling with kids.  We get some neighbor kids to play on our porch but this crowd is not a normal occurrence.  As we re-instate order we recall, "Ah yes, It's the fasting month." Imagine that you haven't been able to eat or drink anything for the entire day.  Early afternoon rolls around.  It's hot, you're tired, and you barely have energy to start thinking about the big dinner you need to cook this evening.  Meanwhile your kids are out of school, full of energy (because they're not fasting) and are quickly driving you insane.  Now imagine every mother and father in the neighborhood doing the same.  Unsupervised and noisy, like packs of wild dogs, they roam the streets, looking for some place to play.

• The sun drops down behind the ocean horizon.  A call blares out from the loud speakers perched on a pole high above the neighborhood.  There is a flurry of activity for a couple of minutes.  Cars race to their homes, men rush off to pray, dishes clank as they are brought out, doors are shut and people begin to eat.  A silence falls over the city like no other time.  The streets are completely empty.  Not a car goes by, not a pedestrian is seen.  For a blessed thirty minutes or so, the world is at peace as families eat together.  For many, it is the only time they do so during the whole year.  And then, stomachs full, people step out on their verandas, children go off to play, the taxis return to the streets. 
  

  

  Kids shelling some beans that were gifted to us

• "Can anyone tell me the answer?"  I look out on a room of drooping eyes and slack faces.  It's 8:30pm and my students are tired.  After fasting all day and then eating a big meal, their bodies wish only to digest in peace.  Instead they have to listen to a guy trying to train them to be English teachers.  It's the same every year.  Why do I agree to teach during the month of fasting?  Students who have much to offer and are usually full of energy look drowsily up from their books.  Someone slowly raises a hand to answer.  I promise myself, "Never again." But next year will probably roll around and I'll forget and an administrator will suggest it as a great idea, and it will happen all over again.

• What a sound!  At bad moments it can sound like a cat fight being broadcast by loud speaker.  It's getting late into the night and the children are showing off their prowess at chanting their holy book in as loud and shrill voices as possible in a cacophonous choir. This is then shared with the whole neighborhood via the speakers on the pole.  It will go on for an hour or so nearly every night of the month.  The hard work of religious school, where children are often whipped for failure to chant correctly, can now be proclaimed to the masses in what is probably considered a blessing to all who hear.

As you imagine experiencing this day in the island life, imagine also the heart behind it.  For many it's nothing more than an annoying obligation.  They don't like fasting, but everybody else is doing it, and the religion says they have to.  For others it is a chance--an opportunity to make up for things done wrong, and to wash away the previous year’s sins.  For others it's a chance to revel in religiosity - to wear their fine clothes and remind others of their holy fervor.  For still others they are searching; hoping to have their prayers answered; hoping for a change to their circumstances; hoping to see the face of God. 

PRAYERS ANSWERED
Our son woke up crying in pain that he couldn’t get out of bed because of a pain at his hip— with a couple days of prayer he is doing better. We’re thinking it may have been a strained muscle, but we are thankful that he is walking/playing normally again. We were able to get some tables made, buy chairs and move into our new office. We were pleasantly surprised that the landlady cleaned and painted in honor of us moving in! The language project is very happy to finally have an official place to work. 


PRAYERS REQUESTED
We’re just over half-way through the month of fasting. Please keep praying for the islands during this special month— if you want the daily prayer guide then just send us an email. We are trying to work on a few projects during this month (there have been some computer issues and the month is already half way over!)— pray that we’d be able to make good progress and complete our goals for the month.

Are You Fasting?

Tom and teammates preparing certificates for a ceremony

Today’s blog comes to you about ten days into the month of fasting.  Yes, people count the days.  In fact, it’s pretty much on everyone’s mind all the time.  A few days ago I left my house for a total of 5 minutes to buy a big bottle of soda and was asked the question, “Are you fasting?” 4 times!  It almost becomes a new form of greeting.  “Hello! How are you? Are you fasting?” People we’ve known a long time to complete strangers on the street will ask us. Occasionally the the question is asked sincerely, but most of the time the questioner asks with a big proud smile on their face ready to make you feel inferior and/or ashamed with, “Oh, so you can’t do it!” 

We have literally spent hours thinking about how to respond to this ubiquitous (and sometimes annoying) question.  Partially because you have to say something.  Partially so that we don’t lose our cool when the 500th person tells us how pathetic we are.  But mostly because—as annoying as the question may be, it very well could be the door to a better conversation.  Will we let this opportunity pass or will we take advantage of it?  How do we take advantage of it?  This opens up a whole can of worms.

Our 7yr old son with newborn neighbor

The first question you might ask yourself if you were in our situation is, “Should we fast with our neighbors?”  Different people take different approaches.  Some do it. Some don’t.  Some do it and don’t tell anyone.  Some only fast when they’re invited to break the fast with islanders.  The real question is whether there is a good reason to be found for doing one or the other.

What we’ve eventually figured out is that “are you fasting?” is a bad question—saying yes, ends conversation.  Saying no gets ridicule.  So what else can we say?  How can we reroute it? Here are some answers that we’ve found that are successful:

“Yes I fast, but not like you.  It’s different.”   This answer can lead to a discussion of fasting.  Why do people fast?  How do different cultures fast?  Is fasting important? and why?  It’s a good conversation starter and can really get people thinking about what fasting is all about.

“Do you think I’m of the same religion as you?”  This often catches them off their guard.  Their responses are varied: “Yes, I did.” or “Aren’t you?” or “I know you’re not.”  At the very least we get to explain that we are different.  This answer can be good for a short reply but can also develop into something deeper, which is nice.

“Are you fasting?  Oh, so why do you fast?”  Answering the question with a question—it’s a great way to turn it back on them.  It usually gets us quickly to where their heart is at, and can often be a great bridge into explaining our foundational differences rather than just our varied fasting techniques.

“Depends, are you inviting me to eat with you?”  This often gets a laugh.  We’re yet to have it result in an actual invitation.  (During the month of fasting the nightly routine of breaking the fast can become something of a feast.  Paradoxically, people are known to gain weight during this fasting month.)

We have other responses too which provide varying reactions from islanders, but they main point is that we’re trying to be thoughtful about it and keep a good attitude…even when someone yells from a passing taxi, “Are you fasting?  You can’t do it, can you?”

Celebrating teammate's birthday

PRAYERS ANSWERED
We’ve had some chances to have some good conversations so far— we keep hoping for more! Our kids made it through their local school exams in French without noticeable trauma! Thanks for praying. We’ll probably find out this coming week how they did. We were able to celebrate the birthday of one of our teammates! We are very thankful for her and how she blesses our team with her grace, wisdom and hard-working spirit. The long-standing teachers’ strike on the island is finally over today (after almost 3 months)— we don’t know the details but we pray that this will result in better education for all islanders.

PRAYERS REQUESTED
The team that was supposed to start next year on the other side of Clove Island has been put on hold. Pray that new team leaders could be found so that we can see the work expand here! There are several people who have shown interest in working on the islands in the near future— pray that we would have wisdom as we dialogue with our leaders and these people and discern who should be joining our team. Continue to pray with us through the month of fasting— it’s not too late to email us and ask for the daily prayer guide.