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.

The Wedding is Off— Almost

 This week I (Tom) was invited to a wedding event.  We’ve written about wedding events before.  Weddings are a big part of Island culture.  There are multiple events involved in a wedding and we’ve been to so many at this point it feels like we’ve seen it all.  And then something comes along to surprise us.

Prayers being said at wedding

Of all the wedding events, there is one event that is considered the most important.  It can often be a very small affair, a dozen people or so in the home.  It is the event where the groom, in front of a religious teacher, agrees to pay and then proceeds to pay the bride price.  After this event, the two are officially married.  No other event is required.

The funny thing about this event is it can be very simple or quite extravagant.  It really depends on the family and the desires of the bride and groom.  There is no time limit on when to do the other wedding events, so many couples choose to marry and do it as a small event early and then save up money to do the big expensive events later in life.

This past week I was invited to one of those small events by my friend Muki.  I’ve known Muki since the first days we arrived on the island. When I first met this wiry little old man with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, I didn’t trust him at all—and with good reason—everyone told me not to trust him.  But despite that, we became friends.  Over time he’s gotten to be one of those people who come by and ask for things, with Muki, it’s usually fry oil.  It doesn’t seem like he can come by without asking for something.  But somewhere along the line, we started having deeper conversations and reading the good news together.  He loves to read and loves the stories from the Word.  Lately he’s discovered that he can come and get a cup of instant coffee.  So he comes for a cup of joe and to read the good book with me.  May the Lord use it!

Bride, groom and relatives

So when Muki invited me to a wedding, I wasn’t going to refuse it.  He took me to a far off neighborhood up in the hills.  We traipsed over muddy paths until we found the house.  The religious teacher was with us.  We arrived to find a small house with a few dozen people sitting around.  The groom got himself ready for the proceedings.  The religious teacher called some of the older people into another room to sign the papers.  That’s when things got interesting.

Apparently to make a marriage official you need the signature of the groom, the signature of the bride, and the signature of the bride’s father, brother, or uncle.  (Notice, the mother does not qualify.)  Well, after a while the religious teacher came out and explained the situation. We could not proceed without the bride’s father.  With that announcement they called the bride’s father, who apparently had no interest in being there but was willing to come.  Twenty minutes later the religious teacher asks the man who has arrived, “Are you the father?”  He launches into a long story about how he has taken care of the girl and provided for her from a young age, but in reality, he is not the father.  At that the religious teacher says they have a problem.  

After suggesting they wait and reschedule (an idea that was disagreeable to all) he shared one possibility.  In cases where no relative can be found, then the village chief becomes responsible.  So, after some talk they decided they would contact him.  It took some time to determine who that man was and more time to find someone with his phone number.  Then they cold-called him.  The religious teacher carefully explained the predicament.

“We’re in the middle of a wedding ceremony,” he says. “And we need you to confirm two things.  First, can you confirm that she has been divorced for more than 3 months?”

The wedding actually happening!

What!?!?  Apparently there were two possible problems with this wedding going forward, though this was the first time he had mentioned it.  The village chief didn’t seem very sure how long she’d been divorced, but he was willing to go along with it.

“Secondly,” the teacher continued, “We need you to sign off on this wedding.  Since she has no living relative, will you sign for her?”  There was silence on the other end of the line for quite a while, then a quiet, reluctant voice said, “Okay.”

With that, the wedding went on. Vows were made, money was exchanged, pictures were taken and everyone went home happy.  In the end a success, even if it was almost canceled.

PRAYERS ANSWERED
Our son is feeling much better. He’s out of the health center and catching up on his school work. Megan has made it safely to her destination and is enjoying the conference.  Tom and the youngest son are getting by just fine on their own.  We are excited that Megan will be with the two older children this week. Praise that Megan and a good friend and island sister are making plans to start studying together regularly.

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Pray for Muki.  God protected him recently from two pretty bad falls.  Pray that these close calls would be working in his heart.  Pray for our youngest as he gets used to the routines of school and getting up early, as well as home school in the afternoon.  It’s a lot!  Pray for what seems like a softening of the hearts of some of our teammates neighbors.  Pray for opportunities to come to share the good news and receptive hearts.  The cistern project continues, but we are thankful that things continue to move forward.  The internship at the hospital continues for our new family and they are adjusting to a much busier schedule.  Pray for those routines to settle in and for good health for them. Pray the conference that Megan is attending, as it discusses and prays about was big proposals— may God be the one guiding.