The Power of Song

We open up our holiday songbooks full of Christmas songs in our language. The songs are familiar friends whose melodies help to lift us into the holiday mood and whose words remind us what this season is all about. But what about songs in the local island language, where will they get the songs that will lift up their community?

Singing Christmas songs with our English Club

—Last month, I had an unexpectedly longer visit on the small island (thanks to last minute flight cancelations), and I found myself visiting an island sister there. As we sat in her dirt floor courtyard and my son tried unsuccessfully to pet one of the chickens roaming the yard, this sister shared her joy in writing songs. She had written so many songs that she struggled to remember them all! She smiled as she talked about her kids singing wholeheartedly one of her songs about the joy that God brings. This month she has started posting simple recordings of her singing to the group chat between brothers and sisters around the islands. People write back their encouragement and thanks, and suddenly her songs can lift up more than just herself and her individual family!

Our kids Christmas morning

—One of colleagues on the medical team had been thinking for awhile that she wanted there to be some Christmas music in the island language, sad that islanders didn’t have that. Then this year ,some of the printed Word was released, with the translated story of the shepherds and angels. So our colleague sat with a local brother, who also loves music, and read over the translated narrative. He loved the story. As they wrote a song based on it, he didn’t want to leave any bit of it out. They picked some melodies with a celebratory tone but in truly island style, and then set the translated story to the tune. A draft recording of the song was quickly shared among the brothers and sisters with great joy, praising the song, the story, the rhythm— “it soothes our heart.” One island brother just kept repeating how happy it made him.

—Earlier this month another new Christmas song hit the islands. Last year one of our colleagues heard a Christmas song in Swahili while in mainland Africa. She thought about how easily it could be translated into our island language, so she wrote the group to ask permission to potentially translate and record a version of the song on the islands. The group responded by offering to do a professional recording of the song themselves, at no cost, as a blessing to the islands. So she sent them the translated words and just recently we received the beautiful and catchy Christmas song in the local language. Many islanders have been touched by this gift and marvel that it isn’t islanders singing their language. One island sister responded to the posted song, “I’m so happy. This will be my favorite song!”

Cooling off at the river!

—Finally, just this past week, a new song was shared with the community. This one coming from the French Island and titled, “Today is Christmas!” We marveled as we listened to words and melody that rejoice in the birth that brings peace, hope and joy to the world!

We’ve been told that a faith community often struggles to grow if they don’t have music. Obviously other things are important— prayer, teaching, gatherings, but music is one of those crucial components of health. So what an encouragement to see the number of island songs growing, we pray for more!

PRAYERS ANSWERED
We are so thankful for all these songs— may they continue to encourage our island brothers and sisters. Our English Club Christmas party ended up being during a rain storm, which decreased our numbers, but we still had a good group and were able to engage with the story in a deeper way and have fun together. We were able to video chat with Megan’s grandmother for her 100th birthday— we praise God for her century of life and ministry.  We had a nice time celebrating the holiday with our team on Sunday evening and Monday afternoon.  Some European colleagues celebrated their recent marriage with an island-style wedding event, which was well-attended and will hopefully deepen their connections with islanders and open doors. Our team had many opportunities to share baked goods and the story behind the holidays.

PRAYERS REQUESTED
We are traveling to mainland Africa for a break. We will then say goodbye to our two oldest as they head back to boarding school. Pray that we would have a good and relaxing time as a family— that shopping errands would be completed quickly so that most of our time away can be restful.  The islands are in the middle of campaigning season for the elections happening in mid-Jan. Pray for healthy debate and peaceful pathways to change. One of our colleagues on the big island has been very sick, so they weren’t able to really celebrate her son’s first birthday— pray for her full healing and a wonderful belated celebration.

Why is Mary Singing?

In an advent devotional I’m reading, one week focuses on the Magnificat—the song Mary sings from her heart, praising God to be honored to be the mother of the Messiah.  It caused me to ask, “Why is Mary singing?  What was it about this moment that caused her to break out in praise?”

Singing our own songs

Really, we know so little about Mary.  We know virtually nothing of her parents and family.  One hint we get is that Elizabeth is her cousin.  Were Mary’s parents even alive?  What would they have thought of it all? She answers the angel with humble submission, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.”  But in that moment, had she thought about the consequences?  What would people say?  What would people do?  I am sure it must have bothered her after the angel left.  There would be a great possibility of shame.

On the islands, the birth story that people hear about is very different.  In their version, Mary’s story is one of great shame followed by vindication.  In this version, no one believes her when she tells them it is a virgin birth.  And, not surprisingly, in this version the people treat her like she has sinned.  They cast her out and scorn her.  In that story, Mary takes it all submissively and in silence only to give birth and have the newborn baby miraculously speak up on her behalf and rebuke those who questioned her!  An interesting story…but it is not the Christmas story.

In the Christmas story, Mary, upon hearing from the angel both the promise of her coming pregnancy and that her old cousin Elizabeth is already pregnant, hurries to go see Elizabeth. I imagine Mary thinking about things on the way.  After the amazement of seeing an angel, did she start to wonder, “How am I to tell Elizabeth?  Will she believe me?  What will happen to me?  Will my family accept me?  Believe me? Reject me? How do I even begin to explain?”

But when Elizabeth sees Mary, Elizabeth is given a great revelation.  The baby jumps with joy and Elizabeth proclaims that Mary is pregnant and blessed for it!  How did she know this unless it was revealed to her by God?  What a miracle!  What a relief!  Mary doesn’t need to explain anything. She is already believed and accepted.  No wonder she sings.  Her fears of shame and explanations and of not being believed—all of them gone—Elizabeth is her family and she believes her.  In that moment of relief she can truly embrace the role she has been given, to bear the Messiah, free of the fear of shame. And so she sings,

“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for He has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.

I think in that moment, Mary knew that the same Lord who had chosen her to do this great and difficult thing would also protect her from shame.  She could sing because her heart was free from fear.  From another book, we know that God also provided Joseph with a dream and a revelation strong enough to cause him to believe the virgin birth, and to take Mary as his betrothed and so further shield Mary from shame.  Her honor and the honor of her child were protected.  No wonder Mary sings!

It reminds me of another story: Abraham took his son, his only son, whom he loved, up on a mountain to sacrifice him to God, but in the moment before the knife took his sons life, God provided a way.  Abraham did not have to suffer the trauma and grief of giving up his own son.  But we know, that though God spared Abraham, He would not spare himself.  God’s son would die for us, and the trauma and the grief would come upon God himself, instead of upon us.

Our son as King Herod

In the same way, Mary was spared.  She could have been reviled, insulted, gossiped about, spat upon, mocked.  But God protected her from that.  In that moment when Elizabeth cries out “blessed is the fruit of your womb,” Mary knows she will not be subjected to shame.  But what God shields from Mary, He will not shield from her son.  Her son will be insulted, gossiped about, spat upon and reviled.  They would mock him and tells lies about him, though he was righteous and just.  The trauma, the grief, the shame—He would spare of Mary, but not of Himself.  This is the good news.  This is the Christmas story.

PRAYERS ANSWERED
Thanks for praying for the big gathering. Despite some difficulties (broken down van, illness and heat), there were many people and good fellowship. The kids blessed the gathering with songs, dance, and a drama. People heard the good news, and one island man decided to accept and was prayed with at the end of the gathering.

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Pray that the follow-up from the big gathering would go well, that people would continue to think about the messages they heard, any misunderstandings would only lead to greater communication and unity, and that lessons would be learned for the next big gathering.  It has been hot and power cuts have increased.  Some nights there is no power for fans which means not great sleep. Pray for better power and for cooler nights. This week we will have our annual Christmas party with our English club— pray that people would come and be impacted by the things we discuss. Pray that those around the island would have good smaller gatherings this coming weekend continuing to celebrate this wonderful Christmas story!

Giving

 I’m not very good at giving.  It’s an area I’m growing in.  I’m not much of a gift giver.  I rarely think of a thoughtful gift unless someone points it out to me first.  But I don’t think I’m particularly generous either.  I’m more inclined to think about what’s appropriate rather than what I feel like giving.  Maybe that’s because I rarely feel like giving.  Whether it is things or money—there is always a hesitation in my movements.  I am slow to give.  I’m learning, but I wish I could do it more naturally and wholeheartedly.

Recent island sunset

On the other hand, giving is complicated.  We don’t want to create dependency.  We don’t want people to listen to us or accept our views because of the gifts they hope to receive.  We’ve seen time and again how money can ruin a hopeful situation as it distracts, tempts and motivates people towards greed and what they can get rather than the relationship and love that it was meant to foster.

I continue to be challenged by my friend, Muki.  As you may remember, Muki is the skinny old man, with a twinkle of mischief in his eye and not a penny in his pocket.   He comes to my house nearly every day for coffee and to read the good news with me.  We have gone through a story set of 35 stories and when we finished he asked to go through them again.  So we are reading them again.  He loves them and I see him gaining more insight on the second reading.  It’s a joy to meet with him.  

Whenever he comes over I give him a cup of instant coffee (the gift from my aunt that keeps on giving!) and whatever food we have available at the time.  As we talk and read together, he has shared with me how he struggles to find something to eat everyday.  When I see his thin frame I can’t help but believe that he is telling me the truth.  That makes me want to be more generous with him, but I know that at the same time I need to be careful.  I don’t want money to ruin the good thing we have going.  At the very least, Muki can know that if he comes to visit me he can get something to eat, whether he wants to study or not.

Good dirt!

I’ve thought many times about how I might be able to help him out in a way that would give him dignity.  A small job, perhaps, something like washing my car—only I don’t have a car.  Really, I hadn’t been able to think of anything.  But then this week I had an idea.  What if he could get us some good potting soil.  Our son loves planting things and our porch has all sorts of plants.  But one of the hardest things to get has been good dirt.  Why not ask Muki?

Sure enough, the same day I mentioned it, Muki came back with a flour sack full of beautiful black loam—some of the best potting soil I’ve ever seen.  He spread it out on a plastic sheet and searched through it for rocks.  He was so happy to be able to help us out in this way.  I was happy too, to be able to give him something for his trouble.

The funny thing was, when I gave him the money, he took it and said, “This is not a payment.  This is an offering.  Friends don’t do work for friends.  So I’m giving you this soil and you’re giving me this gift.”  I couldn’t help but smile.  Here I was, seeing this transaction as a way to legitimize my gift.  So he would be able to take the money without shame—he didn’t beg for it—it was given for work done.  Instead, he turned the tables on me.  Friends bless friends with gifts.  We were simply blessing each other—no transactions involved.

It’s Christmas time and most people in America are thinking about giving and getting and buying and wrapping.  We’ve been watching Christmas movies with the kids and the same themes about giving and receiving come up time and again.  But I think Muki is doing a better job of teaching me about giving than all those Christmas movies.  Giving is about blessing.  How can I bless those around me?  How are they blessing me?  What if every relational transaction, monetary or otherwise, were actually an opportunity to bless someone?  What might we learn about giving then?

Celebrating end of exams

PRAYERS ANSWERED
Water has improved lately! Even one of our friends who has bad water problems was saying that they had lots of water this weekend. Thanks for praying. We’ve also had some rainy days that helped to bring some nice breaks and relief from the heat. Megan and Ma Imani had a nice study with one island sister, with hopes that weekly study with two island sisters will become a regular thing.  Our youngest son finished his local school exams without too much stress!  We were able to go visit our former teammates (who recently joined the medical team) in their new house— we are thankful to see them well settled and in a great location.

PRAYRES REQUESTED
This coming weekend is the big holiday gathering, celebrating with islanders and expats from around the island. There are several last-minute details that still have to be discussed and figured out. Pray that there would be unity in the final logistics and finances, and that the whole event would be a blessing. Pray also as all the kids have prepared a performance for the event— pray that their inclusion in the event would help them to feel a part of the community and add to the sense of unity and family.  December is a busy time, but we also want to spend quality time with our kids while they are home. Pray that we would strike a good balance between getting work done, being out in community, and spending time as a family.

The Sound of Water

 Something catches our ear. It is the sound of water! Quickly, we go and investigate. Has the water come on for our downstairs neighbors? Is it coming up to our taps yet?

The joy of a filled bucket and barrel!

We’re in a time of year when water is not plentiful. We get some rainy days every once and awhile, but on most days, the water coming from the pipes is limited to a couple hours each morning. Because of water pressure issues, sometimes water comes to our downstairs neighbors’ house without coming up to our house. We’ve actually learned the water-pressure sequence: First it comes to the downstairs taps, then it will rise to the lowest tap in our bathroom, then if the pressure gets better it will come to our outdoor tap (where our laundry is washed), next it will come to our other bathroom and finally it will reach as high as our sinks and shower.  

Lots of days pressure isn’t great, so water will only come to the one tap in our bathroom.  If that happens, then we have to fill up the reserve water barrels in each bathroom, the kitchen, and outside, all from that one tap. It takes time and effort.  Sometimes the water stops before we can fill everything up. But we take what we can get, and thankfully, what we can get is usually enough.

But we live on alert. The sound of water puts us into action. Our house isn’t very quiet. In the background there is often the sound of babies crying, trucks passing, cars honking, children playing, people talking, someone yelling, motors revving.  These sounds are normal and we don’t even register them.  A couple weeks ago someone was meant to pick Tom up. Tom waited and waited and finally called, only to learn that the driver had come to our corner, but not knowing which house was ours had just honked his horn multiple times, assuming Tom would come out. But honking horns don’t stand out to our hearing, so Tom hadn’t even noticed.  

Finding water elsewhere!

But the sound of water stands out. We have been sensitized to pick it out from the crowd of noises.
Our hearing for water has gotten sensitive enough that we can begin to distinguish the difference between the sound of water coming to our neighbors versus our taps. We can tell the difference behind the sound of a basin filling and the sound of it overflowing. We are especially sensitive to the sound of wasted water splashing out from a tap onto the ground, with nothing catching and collecting it.

It reminds me of times when my kids have been sick and I have woken up to every cough, sniffle and cry— sounds that I would normally sleep through, but which in a time of concern will immediately get my attention. My brain is on alert to hear them.

We know that if water was plentiful we probably wouldn’t register the sound of water so clearly.  It would just be another sound in the background.  It makes you wonder, what other sounds we could be hearing if our ears were sensitized to hear them?

PRAYERS ANSWERED
We are thankful that many of the people who were sick have gotten over it, especially the family that just moved over to the plateau.  They are all feeling a lot better and enjoying the cooler weather that the plateau altitude provides.  Some of you must have prayed for the trash truck to come, because the very next day after posting this blog it came.  (The first time in weeks!)  Our kids are home for Christmas break with us and we are so enjoying having all three kids in the house again.  Megan was able to study with Ma Imani last week and they have a plan to study with two other island sisters this week.

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Pray for water to come consistently to the island neighborhoods.  We are blessed to have it come nearly everyday.  Some neighborhoods get water once every 3 days, and some neighborhoods don’t get any water at all!  Our youngest has exams this week at local island school.  Pray that he would both work hard and not stress about it.  Pray for Megan and Ma Imani’s plans to bring others into their study time, and for the bigger monthly women’s study this week as they study the Christmas story.  Christmas season is upon us, pray for many opportunities to share about the reason for the season.

What Is Important?

 There are lots of things that you can find back home in the States that we can’t get on the islands. As time goes on, we miss the things we can’t get less and less and we have gotten used to living with what is here. But we notice the missing things more around the holidays.  

Island-made pumpkin pie!

There are different strategies to consider as the holidays approach.  One approach is to go the extra mile to get the thing you’re missing.  But that takes time, effort and extra expense. It takes considering who might be traveling and who has room in their bags and is willing to bring something for you.

We’ve heard stories of people working hard to get turkeys for Thanksgiving on the islands. Sometimes a random occurrence has dropped it in their laps, but other times they have had to hunt something down in another country and then figure out how to bring it to the islands, through customs and trying to keep it frozen in tropical climates. Obviously having gone to all that trouble, there would have been a feeling of victory in enjoying their Thanksgiving turkey! But there is the question of, is the turkey important?

We’ve never attempted turkey on Clove Island.  Instead, we take the creative approach. If we can’t find it, we can find substitutes and make some version of it ourselves. We usually have chicken on Thanksgiving.  We can buy whole chickens and cook them up like we would turkey with most of the fixings. Simple mashed potatoes can be made almost anywhere, green beans are available. There are even local pumpkins so we usually have homemade pumpkin pie. Stuffing is a little harder to do, but we’ve seen very successful attempts that taste like home (though you sometimes need to import the seasonings—not very heavy—and cope without celery). Cranberry sauce is the one that usually isn’t reproducible, though we can sometimes find red currant jelly that is a good approximation, and one year we did a mango chutney in its place.  Recreating an American-style Thanksgiving is not really the point or that important.  We’re not really disappointed that it isn’t quite the same.  But we have fun making something that gets us in the holiday spirit.

When we first came out respecting the actual day seemed important.  But these days we very rarely celebrate on the Thursday anymore. It’s a normal day on the islands and there is often lots to do, so we’ve often moved our celebration to Friday or Sunday. This year our kids were delayed coming home from boarding school because of a flight cancellation, so we’re going to celebrate today (Monday). The day isn’t important.  Being together is what’s important.

The holiday/lychee season begins!

This week lychee season has arrived.  This special fruit has a very short season.  It arrives at Thanksgiving and leaves around Christmas.  As we peeled the skin and tasted the juicy, sweet flavor for the first time this year, we felt the same sort of things the taste of cranberry sauce brings to mind—Thanksgiving, family, the beginning of the Christmas season.  Our time on the islands has changed us.  Now lychees will forever be connected in our minds to Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Ultimately, we realize that being thankful and rejoicing in the bounty of what God has blessed us with is the really important thing about Thanksgiving. And the really important thing about Christmas is celebrating the birth of our Savior and the hope, peace, joy and love He represents.  The rest is just bonus!

All 5 of us back together!

PRAYERS ANSWERED
Megan and our younger son finally made it home to Clove Island! They didn’t make it until Thursday and had to travel via the big island at extra expense, but we were all very thankful to be back together. Our older two kids also had to contend with a cancelled interisland flight, but they safely arrived yesterday (Sunday) and were in good spirits. What a joy to be back together as a family of five! Muki has finished the studying a full set of stories with Tom, and wants to start over and study them all again! We are praying that this eagerness for studying will lead to a changed heart and life in Muki. One of our island sisters is sharing a study of the book of Ruth that she was trained in. Often times people receive trainings abroad and forget to share them with other islanders when they get back, so this is encouraging!

PRAYERS REQUESTED
There are many people sick on Clove Island right now— pray for healing! One of the main sisters that was going to be part of the study is sick— hopefully there will still be a study this week, but pray that these stops and starts wouldn’t continue. Pray for us as we try to have some quality family time this first week with the kids back. The islands are heading into a time of elections— pray that this would be a peaceful time of debate and discussion and that the elections would be fair and honest, leading to the election of leaders that will work for the good of the country.  The trash pick up on our island has gotten very unreliable— leading people to throw it beside the street or in the ocean. Pray for pick-up to start again! We continue to pray for more opportunities to share truth and hope with our island friends, neighbors and acquaintances!

By Air or By Sea

The man came out of the office slowly and intentionally.  He was squat and serious and somewhat toad-like.  He looked around to the small group of us, somehow still looking down on us despite his small stature and announced quite self-importantly, “All flights have been cancelled today.”

Our son at the small airport on the small island

Someone in the crowd said, “Why, what’s the problem?”  He paused in his announcement to glower and then went on as if he had never heard the question. “The agency will be contacting you about future flight options.”

Bummer.

That was this morning at 8am.  Megan and I and our youngest son had flown out to the small Island to visit our colleagues there.  The weekend had been great.  It’s been years since we’ve been to the small island and it does wonders to see people at home, in their everyday environment.  It draws you closer to them and you understand them better.  The weekend had been a great success, but it was only meant to be the weekend.  There is a lot of work to do this week because next week our kids come home from boarding school and we want to be less busy. So we were front loading our schedule to open up the following week.  Most pressing were the teacher training exams scheduled for Tuesday morning.  But with no flights on Monday to return to Clove Island, it seemed like I would need to reschedule.

But as we walked back to our colleague's house, she mentioned that I could take the vedette…

Vedettes are the motorized fishing boats.  Equipped with outboard motors, they are the cheapest form of inter-island transport of goods and passengers.  They are about 16ft long and perhaps 4ft wide (that’s a total guess).  The ones that take passengers between islands are regulated somewhat—Everyone is required to register on a passenger list.  Everyone is given a life vest.  The boat must be equipped with 3 outboard motors.  Launches and landings are monitored by the island coast guard.

The beach the vedettes leave from

Our friend lives just a 5 minute walk from where the vedettes launch, so I walked down the beach to assess the possibility.  I soon found someone to talk to.  They let me know that the boat to Clove Island had spots available, and that it would be leaving shortly.  He pointed out to sea and I could see the boat coming in.  If I wanted to take the boat, I would have to decide quickly.

So, without much reflection, it was decided.  Tom would take the boat and Megan and David would wait for the airplane.  Hefting my bag down to the beach, I paid for my ticket and waited to load up.  When the time came, we all waded out into the waters and boarded the boat. 

What was immediately clear to me was that, though these boats are regulated for passenger transport, no one gives any thought to passenger comfort.  The boat has only the simplest, hardest, wooden boards to sit on.  There is simply nothing to hold onto except the side of the boat or perhaps your seat.  The bottom of the boat has been filled with goods (mostly bunches and bunches of green bananas), which means there is no foot room to be found.  We sit four people across on 4 benches.

Tom with colleauges

The thing about the sea is, you can never be sure of what your trip will be like.  Though my nautical knowledge is quite limited, I was able to pick up on two things.  One, the wind was at our back.  This seemed like a positive.  It meant we could go quickly and the spray did not come in the boat much.  The second was less positive: The ocean was choppy.  Choppy is a good word to describe a wavy ocean from the perspective of a vedette, because every time you cut through the top of a wave, the boat slams down and chops the next wave like a knife on a chopping block, making a load smacking sound, jarring your whole body, and making your backside dream of padded seats and pillows.  This happened every few minutes for the first hour of the journey.

Having never traveled this way before from the small island, I don’t know how typical today’s trip was.  I imagine somewhat average.  I never felt unsafe and no one seemed overly concerned—though it was clear no one else was really enjoying themselves either.

On the surface it might seem idyllic, a open air boat ride between two tropical islands, but in reality it is hard to actually appreciate that in the moment.

As we rounded Clove Island, I think we were protected a bit from wind and waves by the island itself, and so the jolts were far less frequent.  But nevertheless it was with joy that 2 1/2 hours after departing we neared the landing beach.  

After a shower and some rest and some lotion on my sunburned skin, I can now think back to some of the good moments of traveling by boat—like flying fish skimming away from the boat.  Or seeing Clove Island suddenly loom up in front of us where a moment before I had seen only a hazy horizon of ocean.  Or coming close enough to Clove Island to see the beaches, mountains, trees and towns that dot its coast and hills.  There was so much beauty, but my fellow passengers and I were blinded and preoccupied with our own discomfort and general misery.

Overall, I am thankful for vedettes. It isn’t an experience I want to repeat anytime soon, but it got me where I needed to be and as with lots of uncomfortable things in life, there is beauty and blessings mixed in if we have eyes to see them.

PRAYERS ANSWERED

We made it to the small island and had a great weekend with our colleagues there. We are excited by the prospect of new workers coming there and a new team starting there next year! Our daughter had her end of term Christmas concert, we could only watch a few clips so far, but it went well. Praise that Tom was able to make it safely back to Clove Island and that he will be able to do his exams as planned. We are also very thankful for our colleagues on the small island who continue to host and take care of Megan and our son. 

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Pray that Megan and our son can make it back to Clove Island tomorrow (Tuesday). We have heard that the pilots are sick with typhoid, and we haven’t had any confirmations that flights will happen tomorrow either. The studies with the women didn’t happen last week and with Megan stuck on the small island, it is starting to look like they may not start this week either. Pray that in this delay that the desire to meet together and study would only grow and that these women would stay encouraged. Pray that we would be able to get lots of work done this week so we can have a freer time with our kids when they get home from boarding school. Pray for our two kids as they have final exams and have to pack up and deep clean their dorm rooms before traveling home. Pray that they wouldn’t be stressed. Pray also for their travels. They didn’t get direct flights to the islands, and will have an overnight connection in mainland Africa before coming to the big island. We are hoping that after that they will be able to make a same-day connection and not have to spend another night on the big island. Pray that after a long term that they would have the energy and patience for the long travel home and that all the logistics would go smoothly. Pray that this Thanksgiving week would be a week of gratitude, family and thankfulness!

Trusting

 “Don’t worry, Teacher.  Everything is arranged.”

That was the confirmation I had been waiting for.  It meant I was going to the English ceremony on the other side of the island on Sunday afternoon.  Going to English ceremonies is one of the duties of being an English teacher on Clove Island.  Sometimes it feels a bit like being royalty—we may have had very little to do with the teaching of English in that particular village, but we bring prestige and honor to the program by our presence at their certificate ceremonies, so whenever we can, we go.  But we can’t always go.

Tom at English ceremony

In the ten years that we have lived here on Clove Island we have never owned a car.  We’ve never really wanted to.  Cars are expensive, the roads break them quickly, they are hard to repair here, and it’s just a headache and a hassle that we’d rather not deal with.  The public transportation system, though not very comfortable is quite reliable—to an extent.  But that’s where Sunday afternoons become a problem.

Everyone pretty much knows that there are no taxis or buses on Sunday afternoon.  That is why I told the English program directors that I could only come to their ceremony if they could guarantee me a trip home.  So when they promised transportation, I agreed to go.  I caught a bus midday, and made it to the ceremony right on time.  The ceremony went well, and (as often happens in villages) they fed us all a big meal afterwards.  But by the end of the meal, it was late afternoon.  No worries, I thought.  They’ve assured me they have something for me.

From the ceremony stage

What they had was a motorcycle.  Not a problem.  I had brought my helmet in case of such an eventuality.  But, as I was getting ready to head out, they let me know—the motorcycle driver will only take you over the pass.  From there you’ll be able to catch a bus.  As we made our way down the street I thought.  “Do they know something I don’t?  There are no buses on Sunday evenings.”  As the sun began to set I could feel my concern rising.  This was not a great situation.  But what could I do about it?  I could either become very anxious, or I could trust that my Father would take care of me.  So I did my best to keep calm and enjoy the fantastic views of sunset as we drove over the mountain pass.  When I started to feel nervous I would remind myself of some verses I had read that very week:

“Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?  And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?…He will certainly care for you.”

The motorcycle dropped me off in the town on the other side of the pass just as it was getting dark.  There were no cars or buses in sight.  I sent a quick message to Megan asking her to pray, not knowing what I would do, reminding myself to trust.  After not too many minutes, a nice car pulls up—not a taxi, not a bus.  The driver greets me with a friendly smile.  I greet him back and with a hint of desperation in my voice, ask him if he can take me to the big intersection with the main road, 3 towns over.  He readily agrees.  The Lord provides! 

Looking out on the village crowd

We had a nice conversation on the way there.  He lived in the next town over, but was taking me to the big intersection out of the goodness of his heart.  When we arrived at the intersection I hopped out of the car, thinking he’d turn right around.  But instead he got out of the car too and leaned on the hood.  I asked him what he was waiting for.  He said for me.  He wanted to see me off safe.  So we stood there by his car, at a dark intersection.  No taxis, no buses, no cars coming by.  I left another quick message for Megan.  Telling her about my progress and taking a moment to remind myself to trust.  At this point I’m still a long way from home (maybe about an hour drive).  We wait in the dark.  Another man joins us.  He too is hoping for a ride back to the city.  Nothing comes but a few cars going the wrong direction.  But finally a big flatbed truck drives up and makes the turn toward home.  We yell out for him to stop.  Graciously he does, and yelling my thanks to the kind man with the car, I jumped onto the back of the truck to sit among stocks of green bananas.  The Lord provides!  It was not comfortable, but I was on my way home.  After a bumpy ride, with some wonderful views of the stars, the truck dropped me off not far from my door.  

But that’s not the end of this story.  Because islanders love a good story.  This is one I have already gotten to tell to island friends, just as I’m telling you now.  As I was going over the mountain pass, reminding myself not to worry, the thought occurred to me—no matter what happens, I can trust it will be for my good.  In the ensuing days as I got to share with others about my little journey, I could see that it wasn’t meant only for my good, but to encourage others as well.  It gave me an opportunity to share with them a bit of good news. The Lord provides!

PRAYERS ANSWERED
Today has been a rainy day— bringing nice relief to the heat. Unfortunately today was also moving day for our teammates, but thankfully they got everything in the truck and covered by a tarp before the real downpours started, and arriving at their destination the rain had stopped. Megan was able to study with Ma Imani and make a plan to start studying regularly with some of the other sisters as well. We were able to have a nice visit with our friend and former worker here. He shared things he has been learning on Sunday and it paired beautifully with what we were scheduled to be studying together. The planning meeting last week went really well. Tom was able to talk with the man from the restaurant. Tom was very encouraged and feels like he’s found a brother. The man may be returning soon to the big island but we hope that we can connect him with others. Tom and a teammate also went to talk and pray with a man that has been sick for a long time— there may be spiritual factors involved. We are thankful that Tom was able to share very openly and fully the good news before praying for his healing.

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Pray for our teammates as they settle into their new home on the plateau— for a smooth transition, good friends for all, a positive school experience for their oldest, and for positive routines and relationships in their new community. Pray for the three of us (Tom, Megan and our youngest) as we travel to the small island for this coming weekend to checkin with our group’s workers there. Pray that we would be an encouragement to them all. Pray for Megan’s studies with the island sisters— Ma Imani is sick so it isn’t clear if we will start this week, but pray that we would be studying the things that will help these sisters grow in understanding and wisdom. The large group gathering is roughly planned for December but some money decisions haven’t been made— pray that finances would not impede unity or become a stumbling block to these types of gatherings. Our older two kids have just two more weeks of their term before coming home for the month of December— pray that their final weeks of classes and exams would not be stressful.

The Time of Mangoes

“That’s how it is when it’s the time of the mangoes…”

Our neighbor's car full of mangoes

It seemed to be her continual refrain throughout our conversation. We talked about the unbearable heat that was making everyone so tired… “that’s how it is when it’s the time of the mangoes, it’s so hot.” We talked about some people getting sick… “that’s how it is when it’s the time of the mangoes, people get fevers.” We talked about the water cuts and how some neighborhoods weren’t getting much water at all… “that’s how it is when it’s the time of the mangoes, we have trouble with water.”

By the end of our interaction, I was starting to feel a little defensive on behalf of all the mangoes out there. Why do they get all the blame? I had heard similar sentiments before but never again and again in the same conversation. Of course, she was basically just saying that it is the time of year for these things. Life is a little harder on the islands right now, but it’s normal, it’s like this every year. But the realization is that for her, it isn’t linked to the calendar month, it is linked to the arrival of the mangoes.

The mangoes have come and in abundance! The small piles being sold for 1 euro on the side of the road became big piles, and now those big piles have dropped to half price. With very little expense you can be swimming in mangoes. So while our neighbor only had negative things to say about the time of the mangoes, we usually celebrate it.

It’s mango season! Let’s take some time and reflect on the more positive things that ‘the time of the mangoes' brings.

Making mango butter

The time of the mangoes brings weeks and weeks of sweet, juicy deliciousness!
The time of the mangoes means the beginning of a bunch of other fruit coming into season- pineapples and litchees are on their way!
The time of the mangoes means lots of juices!
The time of the mangoes means we get to add cut up mango to our oatmeal, cereal and curries.
The time of the mangoes means yummy fruit salads.
The time of the mangoes means islanders are making and eating tons of mango relish to have with their savory meals.
The time of the mangoes means I make mango butter.
The time of the mangoes means getting to experiment with all the different varieties of mangoes and redetermining our favorites!
The time of the mangoes means we can end almost every meal with a slice of fresh, ripe mango! What could be better!

So yes, all this mango joy does come with heat, sickness and water woes, but rather than blaming the mangoes for all of that, we like to see the mangoes as a beautiful gift. They’re a bright spot and something positive and joy giving in a relatively difficult time of year.

We thank God for mangoes!

Getting relief from the heat at the river

PRAYERS ANSWERED
We finally got  some rain last night and today! It was a welcome temporary relief to the heat. Megan will start studying with Ma Imani tomorrow with plans to do so every week.  Ma Nadjma’s toddler son drank some unattended kerosene, but thankfully he didn’t suffer any serious effects and after some time at the hospital was released home. Thankful that our teammates internship at the capital hospital ended on a high note. We had an encouraging meeting with leaders from a different organization working on the island, getting on the same page and looking how we can support and encourage people in the future. We’re excited about new people that are interested in coming to the islands long term and shining light in the darkness.

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Pray for energy and stamina for everyone as they deal with the heat of this season. Pray for regular respites of rain and good electricity for fans. A former worker is coming back to visit the islands this coming weekend— pray for safe travels and that his visit would be encouragement to all. Pray for our teammates as this is their last week in the capital area— that their new house and furniture on the plateau would be ready for them and that all the logistics for the move would come together. Pray for a meeting this week to plan another large group gathering that there would great unity between everyone and that these big gatherings would be a blessing to all. The man from the restaurant never came to talk more with Tom and we even heard that he may have traveled— pray that wherever he is that he would continue to ask questions and seek out the truth.

Cheering for Improvement

 I was in the middle of cleaning up, when I heard the sound level on the street rise— more voices, shouting, sounds of running. I went out to see if I could figure out what was going on. People were all gathering and looking down the intersecting road. Since our more sedate, cautious neighbors were among the gathering throng, I decided to go down and see what the ruckus was about.

Our son points out where the fire location

FIRE!

A word that can spread dread anywhere! But there was no fear permeating the crowd, so I knew right away that it couldn’t be serious. People weren’t running to make a water line, people were just watching. The fire was in the big telecommunications office building near our house, but no one was in danger or trapped.

Several people ran by with fire extinguishers. Our son went on the roof and had a good view of the men rushing up the stairs to a room off the 3rd floor balcony, where the fire was. We could see each fire extinguisher come up and could hear them being used. After that, people stopped rushing around. It seemed like the fire must have been out, because people on the building’s third floor porch started talking together, and there was no rushing for water or more extinguishers.

The fire truck arrives to cheers

I went back to doing my chores, when suddenly I heard the odd sound of cheering on the street, followed by a siren coming close. The fire truck had arrived! People were hooting and clapping its arrival. The cheering swelled again when a group of firefighters in matching uniforms ran up the street. It didn’t seem to matter that the fire was already out, everyone was so excited and congratulating the firemen for coming to help.

I wasn’t sure the sentiment behind the cheering at first. Are they laughing at them because they came too late to help? Is it just the novelty because most islanders haven’t seen firefighters in action? But then I sensed that it was pride. They were proud that they had a fire truck and proud of the men responding. To be fair, I didn’t know that there was a fire truck in our town or even on the island (other than the required one at the airport). Other fires I had seen only had the community gathering buckets to respond to them.

Firefighters are on the scene!

A couple minutes later, a smaller ambulance-type vehicle arrived and my neighbor shouted, “Go, help the injured!” I turned to her confused, “Has someone been injured?” She laughed. “No, there’s no one injured.” Again I wondered if she was mocking them with her cheers, but I don’t think she was. I think she was proud to see her town having people ready to respond to emergencies and she wanted to encourage them.

Many islanders are aware of the things that their country lacks. So seeing improvement is a welcomed thing, something to be cheered and celebrated. Perhaps they were too late to be of real help this time, but there may be another time when there is a bigger fire, and unlike years past, there will be a fire truck and firefighters there to help! So, let’s hear it for steps in the right direction, and let’s hear it for the Clove Island Fire Department!

PRAYERS ANSWERED
Thankful to improvements and steps in the right direction. Muki has started coming again and Tom was able to study some more with him.  He keeps really enjoying the stories.  We just had a very enjoyable visit with one of our organizational leaders.  It was encouraging to hear some of his stories from other parts of Africa and to have him here to listen and pray for us. Our teammate made it safely to her holiday destination.

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Clove Islanders are complaining about two things right now-- the heat and lack of water. Pray that we could get some rain to break the oppressive heat that has descended, and to provide more water in reservoirs and rivers. Megan is still trying to get together to figure out a regular time of study with Ma Imani.  Everything just seems to get in the way.  This week it was a sister’s wedding.  Pray that they could make a plan this week. Tom met a man at a restaurant who wants to sit down and talk to him about the truth.  He seems very interested to learn more.  Pray that this meeting would happen and that Tom would know how to encourage this man in his journey.  As a team we are praying to see and hear of more opportunities like this, pray that we might discover and encourage many who are searching. Our other team family has less than two weeks with us here in the capital before moving to the plateau to join the medical team— pray for the remaining week observing at the capital hospital, for the packing up of their house here and for the final preparations of their house on the plateau.

The Importance of Retreating

This past weekend we took a team retreat.  It was needed.  It was good.

Pretty team walk on retreat

I’m not sure what the word retreat means to you.  According to the dictionary, it has many definitions.  It can be an army’s withdrawal from a position, as well as place of retirement or seclusion.  It can refer to a peaceful quiet place, or also a period for meditation, prayer or study.  For us, I think a team retreat (as opposed to an individual or personal retreat) should, if possible, have aspects of all of those things.  

An army withdrawing from its forward position.  We’re not talking about a rout—when the soldiers are so beaten they flee in disarray throwing their weapons and losing all sense of order.  We are talking about the orderly retreat, when we move back from the place of combat to reassess, reevaluate and regroup..  We need that sometimes.  We may not be in an actual physical war, but many days it feels like we are on the frontline of a battle—and the battle is hard.  Sometimes we need to pull back and regroup.  Pulling back helps, because things look different from the back of the ranks rather than the front.  You gain perspective on the whole situation that you didn’t have before.  Then you must regroup. The need to regroup is so important—it is an essential part of the retreat.  We are a team—what are we driving toward?  What are our goals?  Where does each of us stand?  What role does each one need to play?  The regrouping is what brings renewed focus and purpose to our team.  Retreating without regrouping is a lost opportunity.

Pretty sunrise on retreat

A place of retirement or seclusion—a peaceful quiet place.  We need that too, and it can be hard to find on our little island where everyone knows everyone and what they had for breakfast.  If we don’t find a place where we can get away and stay at home, then we can be sure that visitors knocking on our doors, water coming on and the trash trucks honking will be distracting our attention.  Thankfully, we discovered a new spot— secluded, quiet and peaceful that allowed us to meet together without distraction or interruption.  How thankful we are for this discovery!

A period of meditation, prayer or study.  This too needs to be part of our retreat.  It is not really rest, unless we rest in Him.  It is not really regrouping, unless we are regrouping under His leadership.  So having and taking the time to pray, worship and give thanks are an equal part of the purpose and time.  It is wonderful to brainstorm and strategize, but unless we come and listen to the one who guides us, it will not be a retreat—it will be a planning session. But in a retreat, there is time for listening.  There is time given for Him to heal us, speak to us, redirect us, remind us of what we have been called to and correct us when we’ve gotten off-course. 

Team celebrating Tom's bday

We don’t always succeed in making a retreat all these things, but we do need them.  

Because of transitions big and small it has been a long time since our team has had a retreat—more than a year.  That is not good.  We could feel ourselves fraying at the edges—still holding together, still one—but pulled in different directions, and feeling the threads that hold us together pulling away from each other.  I don’t know how well we achieved the different parts of retreat over the weekend.  Some parts were better than others. But I know that it was needed and good.

PRAYERS ANSWERED
The retreat went well and we were very happy with the location midway between the two teams. Water has improved. We have been able to fill up all our barrels and the cistern! We got to celebrate Tom’s birthday as a team! Our kids’ boarding school had a special week with a visiting speaker and band, it sounds like it was a really encouraging time. Our colleague’s son’s surgery went well and he is recovering well so far. We continue to pray for full healing.

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Pray for a friend of Tom’s who just called today very upset and not himself. He is someone who has studied with Tom a lot in the past. Tom is hoping he will come over so they can talk and pray. Muki hasn’t been around much, pray for his interest to study to continue. Pray for our teammate as she travels off island for a needed holiday— may it be restful and restorative. Pray for us as we navigate different complex situations-- that we would be guided by the One who understands so much better that us. One of our organizational leaders is traveling to the island this weekend— pray for an encouraging visit and smooth travels between all the islands. Megan is hoping to start regular studies with an island sister. Pray for wisdom as they talk about when, what and with whom to study.

Pay for Water?!

 The outrage was evident in the voice of our friend as she shared the news:

Filling the barrels

“They are doing work to fix the pipes, and then we’ve heard that they will install meters and people will have to start paying for water?!!”

Water has always been free on Clove Island. So it is understandable that suddenly being asked to pay for water would be met with resistance.

But just because water is free, doesn’t mean that water is accessible or reliable.  In fact, the way we interact with water here is so different than in many places, it may help to give you a better sense of what we see as a good and sustainable water situation.  We generally have “good water” for our house.  Here’s our definition of “good water” : Water coming to your indoor taps at least every two days.

For us, the water comes on most mornings for a couple of hours to our indoor taps.  This is enough to keep us very happy.  Why? We have a big barrel of stored water in each bathroom and in the kitchen, plus we have some big barrels outside that we share with our neighbors for washing clothes.  Moreover, in this current house, there is a small cistern on the roof with stored water.  That allows us to have running water when we want it (though the cistern quickly empties).  So each day we use the water we need mostly taken from our barrels.  In the morning, when the water turns on we fill them all up again. Even if water skips a day, it isn’t a big deal. The next day we just have more topping up to do.

Barrels and basins waiting to be filled

So if this is “good water” what does bad water look like?  Take our teammates for example, who will go days without water from the public tap in their neighborhood and only see water come to their inside tap maybe once a month.  That’s really bad. Thus our definition of “bad water” as more than 2 days without water coming to our indoor taps isn’t that extreme.  

Last week our water suddenly got bad.  On Sunday, it had been four days since we had any water to our house.  After four days, the outside barrels for washing clothes were empty, our bathroom barrels were empty, the cistern was getting low.  

We weren’t alone. Lots of people hadn’t had water at all. It wasn’t clear if it was because of the work being done on the pipes or another issue. Our neighbors had called someone because they thought that the problem was a pipe that was leaking out on the street nearby, potentially stealing the water away from our area. So several of our neighbors were out on the street Sunday morning, talking about water. “We’re waiting for water!” they shouted when someone asked what they were all doing.

Finally, thankfully, on Sunday morning the water started to flow a little bit—from the tap downstairs in the shared courtyard. When the neighbors heard, they excitedly came in from the road. But then a strange thing happened.  As the water flowed out of the tap and down the drain for the first time in 4 days, no one bothered to turn it off or put a bucket under the tap. They walked right by it on their way to collect clothes and dishes to wash.  Meanwhile, the water in the courtyard just flowed down the drain, wasted.  Tom called from upstairs, where he could see the water being wasted, “Someone put a bucket under the tap.”  But no one moved to do anything.  Finally, Tom rushed downstairs and put one of the basins that was sitting nearby under the tap to start collecting water.  We couldn’t stand to see all that precious running water going down the drain.

But this is part of the confusing mentality on the island. Even though people recognize the importance of water and know how hard it is to sometimes go without, Clove Islanders are generally clueless about conservation.  Many homes will just leave taps open constantly, even if no one is around, and just let the water flow down the drain. It is a source of great frustration when we witness it. When the water is on, some seem to consider that it is unlimited.

Our kids getting on buses back to school

But water meters might change all that. If Clove Islanders suddenly had to start paying for their tap water by the liter, we wonder if a culture of water conservationism would quickly take hold. Could it be that suddenly we’d have less shortages if everyone started using water conservatively?  Would we see water pressure improve as people all over town turned off their taps when not using them?

Tom challenged our friend, “What if paying for water means that you get it all the time?” She responded with conviction, “Then I would pay.” She was still somewhat skeptical that paying for water could result in that kind of change in water availability.

Only time will tell.  It will take a long time for meters to be installed at everyone’s houses and a system of paying established, so until then, we keep our barrels ready, and we listen out for the trickle of water starting outside, announcing water’s precious arrival!

PRAYERS ANSWERED
Megan has returned safely to Clove Island after some nice travels.  The time with the kids went really well and their transition back to school after the weekend away seems to have gone smoothly.  Tom and our youngest son did fine on their own.  The women’s gathering was able to honor a sister’s daughter who just came of age and will hopefully have a positive impact on the household where the meeting was held.  Muki has come by less often since Megan came back, but he is still coming by to read.  

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Pray for that the water situation in our town would improve soon. Our team has memorized a verse in the local language about living water, pray that we’d have opportunities to share it with island friends and neighbors and see meaningful conversations develop from it. Our team and the medical team are having a joint retreat this coming weekend. Pray for us as we look ahead that we would discern how God is leading. Pray for our team family as they prepare move and join the medical team and for all the preparations for their house and life up there on the plateau. Keep praying for our colleagues from the Big island who had to travel for health concerns.  Tomorrow one of their family member’s will have surgery.

Shipotro

 Last week, we mentioned our friend Muki.   Since Megan traveled, Muki’s taken it upon himself to look after me (Tom).  He’s come by everyday to check that I’m okay.  He’s let me know, that if I’m going out in the morning I need to call him and let him know I’ll be out.  On Saturday morning, when we slept in, he came by and let me know that he had stopped by at 7am and seen we weren’t up yet.

What keeps Muki coming each day?

Every time he comes he asks for, and I bring him a cup of coffee.  Most times we then sit and read a translated story together.  As we read this morning, he said something that he is fond of saying. He points to the text and says “shipotro.”  Which is a way of saying, “This is clumsy or incorrect.”  (For you left hander’s out there , you should be offended because he’s literally saying, “This is left.”)  I am yet to see him find an actual mistake in the text..  I think he says it a lot, because he likes that he is the teacher and the one with the knowledge of the island language (which is true) and because he finds things in the text difficult to understand at times.  Often time this is because he doesn’t agree with the orthography.  He wants it spelled a different way.  Sometimes he wants it to be more clear: “Not ‘he said’ but ‘Moses said’ because, unless you really understand, you’re going to be confused about who is talking.”  I smile and thank him for his corrections.  

But today, he said, “shipotro” because of the content of the story.  We were reading about the blind man who is healed.  When it says, “Your faith has healed you”, Muki said it was shipotro.  He told me it should say “My faith has healed you.”  And when it says, “See!” it should say, “You are going to receive your sight.”  “But no,” I said.  “That’s not a mistake. Those are the actual words.”  I went on to explain how it does seem strange.  The words don’t seem right—at first.  But then we went on to talk about why the Son of Man might have said things that way.  I could see Muki processing it—the light turning on.  It wasn’t “shipotro” at all. The Son of Man said it that way because he has the power to say things directly.  “See” and people see.  And then, it says, “Your faith has healed you” because the blind man showed great faith—and that’s important too—having faith.

Megan reunited with our kids for the weekend break

We finished our time together with a plan for him to return the next day.  He left with a big smile on his face and a joyous heart. Each little insight that brings joy to his heart.  Small victories yet it feels like we still have so far to go, still a great journey for his soul to take.  But I’m still thankful for each little spark of understanding.

There’s a part of kingdom work that can feel a sense of hurry—there’s a urgency of people dying, lost, broken, in need.  People like Muki.  Who will go to them?  Who will share the good news with them?  The needs are great.  We need to act, to move, to go. If nothing is happening, or things are moving slowly, is it because we’re messing up?  Are we doing something shipotro?  

On the other hand, I know, that sometimes things take time.  Sometimes we have to be satisfied with a trickle before the flood.  Sometimes, we have to leave a seed to germinate.  The acorn grows slowly before becoming a mighty oak.  And I am reminded that in God’s economy there is no need for hurry.  The great teacher and thinker, A.W. Tozer once said, “Those who are in [the kingdom] share with [God] all the riches of limitless time and endless years. God never hurries. There are no deadlines against which He must work. Only to know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves. For those outside of [the kingdom], time is a devouring beast; before the sons of the New Creation, time crouches and purrs and licks their hands.”  

Our son excited by chores?

So I’ll drink another cup of coffee with Muki, study another story, and thank God for the way He uses even things that are shipotro to bring about His Kingdom.

PRAYERS ANSWERED
Muki is learning a lot.  We even had a chance to study with another guy who comes by the house a lot.  The three of us had a great time reading about the calming of the storm.  Megan and our two kids have been enjoying their long weekend together.  Tom and the youngest continue to get along just fine!  First week of local school went very smoothly for our youngest son!  Our teammates cistern is up and running—finally! Megan’s back has done well through travels and meetings!

PRAYERS REQUESTED 

Pray for Muki’s heart to be open.  Pray for continued opportunities to share the good news and for more glimmers of hope among our island friends and neighbors.  A family on the big island who have struggled with health problems is now facing yet another heavy health challenge.  Pray for healing, strength and wisdom for them.  The kids go back to boarding school and Megan comes back to our island this week.  Pray for the goodbyes, travels and transitions to all go smoothly. The women will have their monthly gathering this week— pray for a meaningful study and that they would be encouraging each other in the Kingdom. Pray especially since it will be held at a woman’s house (who doesn’t usually host) that it could have an impact on any family or neighbors who might observe or listen in.