Seeping Through

 Our roof leaks.

Rainbow shines out during break from rain

It’s made of a concrete slab, probably installed at least 20 years ago.  Over time, with sun and settling, cracks have developed in that slab and water seeps through.  When the rains come (and the rains have certainly come this year) the water pools up, seeps down and drips into our house.  Thankfully, it doesn’t drip anywhere important.  Our beds and our dressers are drip free.  But our back hallway develops a series of puddles after a storm.  It seems like each year we’ve been here we see new puddles—new trouble spots emerge.  We’ve told the landlord about it—reminded him that cracks only get bigger unless you do something about them.  But in classic island fashion, as it doesn’t seem to be bothering us too much, and it’s not causing damage to any of his furniture, he hasn’t made any move to fix it.

Water spot in kitchen

We’ve got another problem spot in the kitchen, too, but that one is a bit different.  There’s a pipe that climbs over the kitchen roof that leaks.  There is a constant drip up there that the landlord has never bothered to fix.  It’s not enough to bother about.  It makes a small puddle on our roof that is mostly dried up by the sun.  But the constant wet has slowly made it’s way down into the concrete.  I don’t think there is any sort of crack there, just the work of slow osmosis.  But the result is a water stain in the corner of a kitchen ceiling that never goes away.

It got me to thinking about slow change.  We have lived on Clove Island for ten years.  For all of that time I have been friends with Bako.  We’ve written about Bako before, but to refresh your memory, he’s a man in his thirties, average height and build, with a slow and thoughtful fastidiousness to all that he does.  He dresses carefully and speaks with a deep, slow, deliberate delivery, and teaches English and lives his life the same way.  We’ve known him since he was a young single bachelor.  Now he is married with two small children.  He cares about what is good and correct, and believes what he has been taught.  He is not open to new ideas or challenges to his worldview.

Many times I’ve tried to share things with Bako on a deeper level.  Many times I’ve seen it roll off like water against stone.  Nothing seems to penetrate.  There are no cracks in that wall.  But last week as we were discussing some opportunities that may or may not be coming his way he said to me, in his slow resonant voice,

“Sir, whatever happens, it will be okay.  Because ‘All the time, God is good.’  That is what you have told me: God is always good.”

I smiled and agreed with him.  It’s true.  It’s very true!  And it means something got through!  After ten years one important truth has seeped through.  And it is no small truth.  It is not a truth islanders teach or are taught.  No, this truth has been learned from the steady drip of ten years, seeping through to my friend Bako’s heart.  And it gives me hope.

Our son sliding around on rain-soaked porch

Often we talk about the walls around peoples hearts and the cracks that form, openings we hope will widen, to let in the light, love and hope of good news.  But the good news is more powerful still.   It doesn’t even need a crack. The relentless pressure of love seeps through even the toughest walls and will one day bring it crumbling down.

Bako isn’t the only one.  We know a woman who has lived alongside and worked for families like ours for almost twenty years.  Just this past year, the walls around her heart came tumbling down and her life has been filled with a new joy.  She gives me hope too.  Change is coming and nothing can stop it.

PRAYERS ANSWERED
We are thankful for the change we see in islanders, be it fast or slow.  We are thankful that Megan’s back pain has improved some— please keep praying! We were able to get a bunch of work done last week and reconnect with our team and islanders. We had lots of cooling rain this past week!

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Presidential and governor elections took place on Sunday. Pray for the islands post-election. Things are very tense. There was lots of evidence of fraud depicted on social media. Some governor results have been announced and are so far all in favor of the ruling party, not seeming to match the votes that were cast. This has been met by unrest, some violence and destruction of property. Pray that peaceful protests could happen and be heard. The presidential results have not been announced yet. We pray for peace and protection of life. Megan is meant to go up to the plateau this week and lead some concentrated sessions on the local language for the team there. Pray for wisdom about when/if/how to still do that given the unrest.  Our islands administrator (a huge blessing to us) is sadly leaving the islands this month.  Tom is meant to go to the big island next week to handover some of the banking and other admin (which needs to happen in person). Pray that national stability and weather cooperate for him to make that trip. The island body has been praying for their nation— pray that they could be a light to their neighbors and communities in uncertain times.