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.