Now is a Time to Pray

Relearning to ride bikes!

The month of fasting started on the islands on Saturday. Many islanders work extra hard during this special month to do everything they believe God requires. They believe that God’s eye is on them especially this month so that their good deeds have more worth and their errors are more costly. For that reason, the mosques are usually packed. Praying at home might be okay at other times, but it doesn’t cut it during the month of fasting. They even add special prayers at night and the sound of prayers and chants being broadcasted from the mosques at night is a hallmark of the month almost as much as the quiet that comes at sunset when everyone is breaking their fast.

But now the month of fasting has come and the normal displays of island religious devotion are being stopped by the government. The government has ordered a stop to corporate prayers. They instituted a curfew from 8pm-5am, so no one is to be out and about at night, let alone gathered in groups at the mosques.

This is not an easy thing for islanders to accept and the government has been sending military out to enforce it. Our teammates and other island friends have reported hearing for themselves the sound of shots fired and we hear that tear gas is being used on people trying to gather.

Taken from islanders’ perspective, the government’s restrictions could seem nonsensical. What is mankind supposed to do in the face of calamity and great illness? The proper island response is “Pray!” Islanders respond to times of great difficulty with large organized prayers, gathering as many people as possible, pleading with God for mercy! Now the government is telling them there is a great disaster coming upon them, but not only are they not allowed to organize any special prayer gatherings, but they aren’t even allowed to do their normal prayers AND during the most religiously important month of the year!! For many it must feel crazy and godless. Add to that the fact that many islanders distrust the government and expect the president to lie to them and misuse them. Plus, they don’t understand diseases and the need for social distancing. Brought all together and it seems like a population ready to go against orders!

An island household (and that's not the whole household)

Part of us wonders… can the curve be flattened in a place like the islands? The people live on top of each other. People often don’t have any extra food in their house, even for one more meal. The places where people have to go to buy food don’t have enough space for anything close to social distancing. There is no one-stop shopping on the islands. Normally you have to go to multiple different sellers to get what you’d need for one meal. The measures taken in the US just can’t work here. For places across Africa that are like the islands, it seems like the choice could be between starving or taking your chances with the coronavirus.

With the island government being so slow to acknowledge the disease and islanders not embracing social distancing (because a curfew at night doesn’t mean much if the rest of the day you are interacting with people), we wonder if most people on the islands are going to get COVID quickly. No doubt that there will be a lot of death and dark days ahead, but we can also hope that enough people will get it and recover for group immunity to start kicking in. 

Island version of the produce section

We understand the island desire to pray at a time like this.  We should pray!  We agree that hard times should draw us to our knees before God. But there are some critical differences in our understanding of what prayer is and what it does that make a world of difference. One, we realize that praying at home does not discount our prayers. For islanders, the prayers must be done in a certain place, at a certain time, in a certain language, and with certain rituals for them if they are to be accepted and heard by God. We do see the power of praying with others. It is difficult with social distancing, but we can pray “together” in spirit and purpose across separations. The Holy Spirit has the ability to unite us in prayer across vast distances and even across languages and cultures too! Two, the heart of our prayers are different.  We succumb neither to fear nor fatalism.  Some islanders respond in fear, believing God to be a harsh overlord who wishes nothing more than to see many die.  Out of fear they make bad choices that may lead to even greater problems—like defying orders to gather for nightly prayers.  Fatalism is just as grievous.  Many islanders will sigh and say “God will do as He wishes” and release themselves of any responsibility, when in reality, their actions do have significant consequences. 

Understanding the difficulties, facing hardship, grieving loss and expressing heartache are all part of our prayers.  But we are not ruled by fear or apathy.  With God’s help we continue to face this darkness with faith, hope, and trust. And we can even hold onto our joy.  In so doing, we share the hope that we have and the love that gives us strength to go on with people who are afraid, lost, or hopeless.  In these dark times, may we be bright lights wherever we are, and may our island brothers and sisters shine in the darkness.

PRAYERS ANSWERED

The islands have finally got the machine they needed to do testing for COVID on the islands (still haven’t heard if testing is happening yet, but we’re hopeful that the end of the government’s denial might be in sight). The island brothers and sisters (with smart phones) are organized in a big WhatsApp group to send daily encouragements to one another during this hard time. We got a good response from people looking to pray with us for the islands during this month of fasting —it’s not too late to join in, send us an email if you want a daily guide for the month and details about specific islanders! Megan’s dad’s different test results came back negative. So even though we still don’t know what is wrong, we are thankful that some bad options have been ruled out and that his symptoms have lessened. May he find complete healing!

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Pray that the islands would finally confirm the presence of COVID on the islands (which has now been confirmed by outside sources but not by the government). May getting the truth of its presence out in the open lead to better understanding and precautions among islanders. The month of fasting is a unique time on the islands, that will be even more unique during a pandemic. Usually it is a month of increased religious conversation and increased persecution. Pray that our friends would be bright lights during this month. Pray for our colleagues and friends who are trying to stay-at-home and take precautions amidst islanders who aren’t and still come to visit regularly. Pray that they would find ways to educate others on safe practices while still showing love and friendship. Pray that they would have increased opportunities to share with others in spite of social distancing. Pray for the political situation on the islands— dispersing people with tear gas isn’t going to promote stability. Also there was some kind of explosion on Clove Island this past week, supposedly targeting the government and many were arrested and have been interrogated (one news article said people were being tortured). We don’t know what is true but we pray for the islands to become a country of justice and peace.