What Would an Islander Think About This?

 As we walk into the supermarket, I notice the middle-aged woman in front of us.  It’s a hot day—100ºF.  She is wearing something between a bikini and a summer dress.  She grabs a cart and heads in, we are right behind her with our own cart.  As we enter the supermarket, the air-conditioning hits us with a cold blast that makes us shiver.  The woman, wearing far less clothing than either of us, seems not to notice and gets down to her shopping.  We look out on a produce section that is bigger than the biggest shop on Clove Island—and that’s just the produce section, and I stop and think: What would an Islander think about this?

In Boston for free concert!

Of course, it is very hard to generalize what islanders think.  Some islanders have traveled—seen the world—and have no problem with exposed flesh, large stores, and extravagant air conditioning.  On the other hand, some have only seen women dressed like that on internet and would probably gawk and stare, put on a heavy jacket, winter hat and mittens to navigate the cold grocery store, and take several pictures to post on their facebook page standing next to fruit and cereal boxes.  (I joke, but it’s not far from the reality.)

This week we were able to do something very Boston—we went for a free orchestral concert at the Hatch Shell.  There, next to the Charles River, we picnicked on our picnic blankets, while listening to the sounds of a full-piece orchestra playing live classical music—all completely free.  I can remember doing this with my family when I was a kid, and here I was, able to repeat it with my children—joining in a Boston summer tradition which I am told dates back to the 1910’s!  And as I lounged on the blanket eating grapes and listening to Berlioz, I couldn’t help asking myself, What would an Islander think about this?

On pedestrian bridge on way to Hatch shell

Orchestral music is almost completely foreign to the islands.  Many have never seen a violin or a cello, a bassoon or a tympani.  The way it takes 40 people or more to create the sound is also amazing.  Few islanders know how to play instruments.  Where can you find so many who play so well and such diverse ones?  The music itself is strange—not relying on drum beats to keep rhythm but rather a funny little man waving his arms.  There are no words, no repeated rhythms, and a sound that may only be familiar as the stuff you hear in movie backgrounds.  

Meanwhile, everyone is picnicking—but there is not a fire among the whole group.  In fact, people hardly even talk to each other, and no one is sharing their food.  The only one’s breaking across the social barriers are dogs!  And dogs are dangerous, dirty and scary—(even the bizarre looking little one with a bow tie!).  Astoundingly, there are portable bathrooms nearby and free, clean drinkable water is readily available.  There is even a playground—another thing islanders have only ever seen from the internet.  

Sons enjoying playground

The setting itself is astounding.  Everyone is sitting on well maintained, short clipped grass (what does that cost to maintain???). They sit in front of a grand structure specifically built for free concerts.  It is a beautiful structure, made of only the best materials with an aesthetic beauty that must need maintaining (what does that cost?).  Meanwhile, the city of Boston sits to your right, with its skyscrapers, highways and historical grandeur.  There is even a large concrete footbridge that crosses the road.  Imagine a bridge just so people can cross a road!

So I sit, and listen and let my mind wander, imagining an islander sitting next to me, taking in all the sights and sounds of a free summer concert at the Hatch.  And I recall to mind that some of our teammates have had family visiting the islands for the first time.  I think about some of the island wedding events that they are attending, which includes free music, free food, and people dressed in ways they can hardly imagine.  I smile and think, What would an American think about that?

PRAYERS ANSWERED
We got to check in and talk with a few teammates this past week! It has been good to hear their voices and hear firsthand stories from on the ground on the islands. Our colleagues received their newborn’s passport and can now travel back to the islands! We were able to reconnect with a couple friends from college this past weekend after several years and were blessed by the time sharing about our respective life and work. We had some of our plans fall through this week (mainly because of people we know testing positive for COVID), but in the scrambling to change plans, we found new opportunities that would have been missed presented themselves and the new plans have turned out better than the original ones— God provides!


PRAYERS REQUESTED
There are constant weddings happening on the island— pray for our teammates’ stamina and for wisdom about which invitations to accept. Continue to pray for the islands— the global economic situation continues to mean horrible inflation and shortages. They are coming off a period with no rice and no cooking fuel. Lots of people are struggling to find the money to get by. Pray for Tom’s parents who both came down with COVID this week, that they would make quick and full recoveries. Pray for us as we have a trip to Maine later this week and opportunities to speak and share the coming weekend— that we would be used to share truth and shine brightly.

You Never Know Who

I have a friend named “Furahi”. 

Camping on our road trip

He’s the sort of island guy that has it all together—handsome, in his 30s, a good education, strong English, a good job (not an easy thing to find on the islands), a motorcycle and his head on his shoulders, not married yet, but could get married whenever he wants (that’s how it works for well-off men on the islands).  We’ve known each other for quite awhile.  We never had any sort of deep conversations.  It usually stuck to English, island life, and interests.  If you were to ask me if he were interested in anything deeper, I would have said, “Not that I know of.”

Just before we left for America, I got a text from him.  He had gone over to the French island because he was in horrible pain.  It turned out he would need surgery.  So I sent him a text in which I prayed for his healing.  He thanked me.  We left it there for a while.  

Then we traveled to America, but as the surgery day approached, I wrote him again.  I told him I’d been praying for him.  We continued to text each other.  He would tell me his progress, I would usually answer with a prayer or some words from our father’s book to encourage him.  He seemed to take great comfort in these things.  So I decided to share with him where I find my hope.  He was quite willing to hear about it.  I sent him 16 little audio messages so I could explain it well and in the island language, all while sitting on a couch in California. After that he wanted to look at our father’s book and started reading it on his own.  Soon after that I connected him to some brothers I know on the French island over there.

On the Ohio River

That was about a month ago.  I hadn’t heard from him since that time.  But a few days ago he wrote to me.  His medical condition is improving, but more over he has discovered good news and it has entered his heart.  This is very good news!

I am, of course, eager to hear more.  I have lots of questions.  What has happened in the past month?  How has he come to these new insights?  Who is walking beside him?  Who is encouraging him?  How much longer will his medical condition keep him on the French island?  What will it be like for him to go home?  What does the future hold for him?

All of my involvement in this exciting journey has been through texts and prayers.  I’ve been thousands of miles away the whole time!  What an incredible thing to be a part of!  But as I said, a few months ago, if you had asked me if Furahi were interested in anything deep, I would have said, “No.”  It did not stop us from being friends.  Most friendships are not strategic, they are just friendships.  I didn’t expect this seemingly sudden shift in him, but it didn’t stop me from hoping.  The truth is, you never know what is happening under the surface or what God has in store for someone.  It reminds me of a quote from our father’s book. 

Taking a hike

“Farmers who wait for perfect weather never plant.  If they watch every cloud, they never harvest….Plant your seed in the morning and keep busy all afternoon, for you do not know if profit will come from one activity or another—or maybe both.”

PRAYERS ANSWERED
We are done with our big roadtrip and settled back in MA! We were blessed by many days of good weather and we were kept safe on the road. Megan’s back pain didn’t get bad. We are very thankful to be more settled and hope to establish some more normal-feeling life for the next few weeks. We made it to gather with our old community north of Boston this Sunday and really enjoyed being present with them and reconnecting with people. We rejoice over the news of Furahi— may there be more islanders like him! Pray for his growth and maturing. Our teammates had two successful visits of parents coming from the US— such a blessing and encouragement.


PRAYERS REQUESTED
Pray for our team as they can hopefully have some normal rhythms for the next couple weeks after several weeks of visitors and disrupted schedules. Pray for an island sister who is upset and needs to confront others about some of their actions— pray that she would be able to do this well and relationship and trust could be strengthened. We are seeing our remaining weeks in the US fill up, pray that we would prioritize correctly and not forget anything or anyone. Pray that when we have opportunities to share that we would be used to shine brightly for truth and good news.

Give and Take

 We have been on the road (hence the reason our blog is coming out a little later than normal). It means we’ve seen windows into lots of different communities and different local cultures and ways of living—all in the US, but different. We are struck by the give and take of every place. Every place has something that strikes us as nice or beautiful or convenient, and every place has things that strike us as hard or frustrating or heavy. At the same time we’ve seen people react to our lives on the islands— often struck by the give or the take of our lives.

Our kids at pond in Ohio

“Do you ever wonder, ‘how is this my life!?’” A friend.
“I don’t know how you do it!” A new acquaintance.
When our friend made this comment we were talking about everyday (seemly mundane) parts of our life on the islands, so her sentiment didn’t really resonate with us. We don’t really marvel at our life on the islands regularly because it has become our normal.  Live anywhere or under any conditions long enough and it begins to feel routine and loses that feeling of being extreme or unbelievable. Whether it is good things like eating mangoes and lychees or seeing bats fly through the sky or the not so nice things like showering from a bucket or sleeping in the humidity through a power cut. Sometimes when we are getting bogged down in the everyday life and struggles, suddenly the natural beauty of the islands will hit us, “We live on a tropical island!”, those are nice reminders of the gifts this life brings.

“My kids have never been to all those places and we live in the US.” A friend.
“When I grow up, I’m not doing this.” Our daughter in regard to traveling around and camping.
Part of our life that sometimes strikes people is actually these times in the US. We leave our normal, island life for months, traveling from place to place. Some have pity in their eyes when they hear how many hours our family is stuck in cars or airplanes. As our kids get older, the traveling is easier because they can help with bags and packing, but it is also harder to be cramped together, and it wears on them to be shuttled around to lots of places where they don’t know people well and not having the stability of routines or their own bed or space. Others are envious at how much we are able to travel, to see the country and the world. We are blessed. We have gone to National Parks and saw fireworks from the Mall in DC! It is definitely a give and take.

Camping while on the road

“Wow!” Including big eyes and then stunned silence. Lots of people.
This is the reaction we often get when we tell people that our daughter will be going to boarding school in mainland Africa this coming year. Some have said they didn’t know boarding schools were a thing that still existed. We admit it would never have been on our radar for our kids. The give for this one is heavy.  But there are big takes as well.  She will be going to a school with lots of kids a lot like her—who can relate to her cross-cultural upbringing.  She will be gaining opportunities impossible to give her on the islands and often in even in America. She will be poured into by other wise and faithful adults who can be good influences when she’s at an age to neglect the influence of her parents.  But she will be away from us for three months and with us for one.  There will be lots of give and take.

Getting to walk a dog!

“When I grow up, this is the kind of house I want.” Our son.
We were stopping for a short stay with friends as part of our road trip this past week. It had been several years, but our kids clicked easily and were having a blast together. Our son’s comment was laced with longing and present contentedness. He liked it here. It echoed some of my own feelings, the house and their lifestyle and standard of living had already made me think, “This is how we would be living if we lived in the US.” I have these thoughts and am quick to check myself lest it lead to discontentment. As I said every place has its give and take. The grass can always seem greener. Our son wants a yard, a dog and a basement (all things we don’t have on
the islands), but that doesn’t mean he resents living on the islands.  He tells us sometimes about the things he misses there too.  We can celebrate both and be content and happy with where God has called us with all the gifts and opportunities for growth it presents.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again, rejoice!

PRAYERS ANSWERED
We had a nice time visiting in Ohio this past weekend— we were graciously welcomed and were happy with the connections and reconnections we were able to make. Last week we rejoiced at three new women in one family making decisions, yet another woman from the same family has made a decision and another young woman is close! Rejoice and pray for this family of women! May they grow together in all ways! After a week of waiting (from a positive COVID test) the procedure was able to go forward for our colleague’s baby girl and went well. They hope to travel back to the islands soon, assuming all the needed paperwork comes through.

PRAYERS REQUESTED
We have a couple more long days with lots of driving ahead of us this week— pray that we would keep in good spirits (especially the kids in the back seat), that we’d be safe on the roads, and that the long drives wouldn’t aggravate Megan’s back.  Our teammates are busy going to weddings and one still has family members visiting her from the US.  Pray that these special times in community will result in lots of deeper relationships and meaningful friendships that lead to life and hope.  Keep praying for our sister and her daughter who have been driven out of their family home.  We have not had any recent updates, but we continue to pray for their well being, good-spirits and strong influence among their family and community.  Pray for all these new sisters who will need much mentoring and encouragement as they embark into new lives full of grace, hope and peace.

Encourage or Discourage

When we read the descriptions and watched the videos about the hike, they used words like “very strenuous”, “grueling”, “most difficult day hike”.

Can you see Megan?

The park service described all the rescues they have to do each year for people that attempt the hike without enough water, the correct gear or the right fitness level. The descriptions scared us. We were discouraged. Suddenly our shoes, our water bottles, our level of fitness all seemed lacking. We were on the brink of not going at all, when words like “amazing," “bucket-list experience," “once in a lifetime," “one of the best” started to enter the conversation. Suddenly we were encouraged again. So we went for it. We kept our expectations humble and were prepared to not push for the top if we were too tired or struggling. But we decided to go.

In the end, it was a very strenuous but truly amazing hike.

After we had reached the summit and started coming down again, we saw lots of people struggling as they made their way up. At the sight of them, my first inclination was to say something encouraging, but words of encouragement got caught in my throat. I couldn’t say, “The rest is easy!” or “You’re almost there!” because the final stretches to the top were brutal and could take a long time (especially if someone was already struggling). I didn’t feel comfortable saying, “You can do it!” or “Keep going!” because I honestly didn’t know if they could or should make it to the top.  Because getting to the top is dangerous and the top isn’t even the end of the hike, there is still the long downhill, and some people should actually stop and save their energy for the return trip. Some people if they push themselves won’t make it and could get hurt. So I just gave some smiles and generally passed the struggling strangers, saying little prayers that they would make wise decisions.

Megan & siblings at the summit

We feel this tension when we meet people interested in serving with us on the islands. Like the hike it is rewarding but difficult work.  Do we stick to just encouraging comments at the beginning or say truthful things that may be discouraging? Part of us wants to say how amazing it is, talk up the fact that it is a tropical island and all the cool things we’ve seen happen there.  We absolutely want people to come and join us! If we’re not encouraging enough, then people may be drawn to other places where the workers are more encouraging or just decide they don’t want to go overseas at all. But then again, if we are too encouraging, we may get people so excited and engaged with the islands that they make a decision to come before we get to the difficult side of things.  If we don’t prepare them properly, they may feel cheated or lied to or just unprepared when the hard times come, when the poverty, injustice, corruption or difficulties of life and work on the islands hit them. Being unprepared for hard times can make them so much worse.   Preparation can be the difference of making it and not making it through.

All the scary videos and descriptions of the hike changed how I packed and prepared myself. We left earlier. We took more care to have enough water and snacks. We made a last minute purchase of trekking poles that were game-changers. I decided to wear my back brace for the downhill and finally I decided to ask some different people to be praying for us as we hiked!

So ultimately I was encouraged to be more prepared, to not take success for granted and to consider how I could help my odds.

For the islands, we try to maintain a policy of helping people come to the islands with their eyes wide open to the challenges and risks. Not that we can anticipate or always remember every possible challenge area, but we try. Because we want people to know how and to what degree life on the islands will be hard. At the same time we encourage them to pray— (prayer is a lesson we’ve learned again and again). God likes to give good gifts. We may not be well-prepared or well-equipped for every challenge, but He is, and He is faithful to equip us with the discernment to proceed wisely. He leaves us encouraged, whether we reach the summits or not!

On a shorter hike


PRAYERS ANSWERED
Our colleagues’ baby is out of the NICU and the MRI came back normal!  We praise God for his provision for this wonderful family and their baby boy.  It sounds like family visits for our teammates are going very well.  Travel had been made more difficult last week by all the local airlines being grounded!  But we rejoice that one of the companies are up and running again just in time for most of our teammates (and their families) to travel!  We have traveled back to the East Coast over the holiday weekend, and are thankful for safe and easy flights despite some changes to our itinerary, considering all the problems with flights and cancellations here in America over the weekend.  A huge praise is that three new women from the same family on the big island made life-changing decisions this past week!

PRAYERS REQUESTED
After a few more days with family, we will head out to visit Ohio this week!  Pray for safety on the road and good times of reconnecting with this community we haven’t been able to visit (because of COVID) for over 5 years.  The procedure for the other colleagues’ child had to be postponed because of a positive COVID result.  Pray there will be a quick recovery for this little one and that the procedure will be able to take place soon with excellent results.  Pray for this family to have peace, and to trust in the Lord’s provision.  Continue to pray for the island brothers and sisters, new ones on the big island and Dunga on Clove Island, and all the others in between.  May they walk in the truth, showing love and light to all around them as they grow in heart, mind, soul and strength.