Who Do We Look to for Change?

There is a lot of frustration among our island friends and neighbors. They don’t like what has been happening in their country. They don’t think it’s right, but at the same time we sense in many a resignation settling in. They don’t know where to look to for change.

Our beautiful island home

We recently finished watching a mini-series documentary on the Civil Rights Movement in the US. So at our last English Club, we highlighted Martin Luther King Jr’s ‘I Have A Dream’ speech and encouraged our club members to practice their English by expressing their dreams, their dreams for their communities, country and the world. We heard some beautiful dreams, big dreams. But sadly, it seems like most islanders don’t really feel like those dreams will happen. Most don’t think that change is really possible here.

One friend just today kept telling me that it would take a foreigner coming in and taking over for there to be change here. She said that those in power are too strong and rich. They had won and there was nothing that the poor islanders could do about it. I told her that realistically, I didn’t think that foreign powers were likely to swoop in and overturn the country.  She agreed, but persisted in saying that’s what they needed here for change to happen.

The Civili Rights documentary that we watched focused on the nonviolent movement, which was full of people who were looking to God and calling on God for change and justice. Now, one wise person once told us that if you start praying to God about something then you better be willing to be part of the solution, because often God responds to our prayers by asking us to do something about it. And similarly, the Civil Rights movement was not passively asking God, it was full of action, but always with the hope in God that love and light would triumph over hate and darkness.  

When I have mentioned looking to God for change, islanders readily agree, but quickly take the conversation in a different direction than what I think of when I think of looking to God. They don’t think about love and light conquering over hate and darkness. Instead, they usually immediately start to talk about God smiting and cursing people, people dying in accidents because of God’s judgment. They look for change to come in the death and downfall of those currently in power,. So they talk about praying to God, but sadly there is a hate and vehemence in their words as they talk about waiting for vengeance to come down from God.

Our English club members discussing

We pray and wait on God, but we also pray that the hate and darkness that pervades so much of the world will not enter our hearts.  We do have beautiful dreams for the islands and the world. Lord, help us to be used of you to spread your light and love.

Martin Luther King Jr:
Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.

PRAYERS ANSWERED
The rains have let up so homes and roads on Clove Island have been able to dry out. The schools reopened and kids were back to school last week. Tom was able to do the bank handover without having to go to the big island! God is good! The medical team was able to come down to the capital and we were able to have time all together for the first time in over a month.

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Keep praying for the islands. The courts validated the election results and while people are upset, an increased military presence in the cities has stopped most demonstrations of unrest. We continue to pray that peaceful protest would be allowed and that more islanders would have hope. Two of our island sisters are struggling with health problems that have left them in pain. They are both hoping that surgery won’t be necessary. Pray for their healing, relief from pain, and wisdom about what treatments to pursue. Megan will travel to the plateau to help the team there with local language grammar. Pray that her back would be okay with 5+ hours of riding in taxi buses that she’ll have to do over rain-damaged roads. We have had an increase in people asking us for food— pray that the island economy would improve so that more people could find jobs and be able to reliably feed their families.  Tom will travel on Saturday for some meetings in mainland Africa.  Pray that he would have uneventful travel, including a same-day connection on the big island on Saturday (not always a sure thing even with a long layover). Before Tom leaves, he will say goodbye to one of our teammates who will leave for her home country before he returns— pray that our last time together as a whole team would be good.