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.