Answered Prayers After a Long Wait

Uhaju has been around more lately.  He and his wife opened a stall on the main street where they sell clothes, shoes and various other goods.  A few times, when I’ve been passing I’ve found him there and been able to stop, take off my sandals and come inside the stall, sit next to him and chat.  I’ve known Uhaju for so long and seen his interest in things of truth rise and fall like a very slow tide.  Years ago, we would read together every week, but then he would lose interest, only to have him return a year later, ready to read again, only to have another year go by where he would stop coming and I would hardly see him.  But I know that when I do see him, he’s usually interested to sit and talk.  He loves to hear a story.  So the last few times I’ve seen him I’ve shared with him whatever story I had been reading that day.

Prayer walk for cholera

This week it happened to be about a man who found that his wife was pregnant and planned to divorce her in secret, only to have a dream in which he was told not to divorce her, but to trust God in this.  I told the story in my own words, and then I read it to him.  He enjoyed the story a lot.  In fact, he had some good news for me.  His wife is pregnant—3 months along!  Another story involving a pregnancy and the possibility of divorce.

Uhaju has been married for nearly six years but he and his wife were not able to get pregnant during that time.  In island culture it is quite shameful to not have children.  For some it is even seen as a sin or a judgment from God.  So as the years go by, the pressure mounts for a man to leave his barren wife, divorce her and/or take another wife in the hope that a new wife will be able to bear the wanted offspring.  Does it sound Old Testament?  Yes.  People here can relate well to the stories of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar or Jacob, Leah and Rachel.  Uhaju had no desire to take a second wife.  Nor did he want to divorce his first wife, but as time passes, pressure mounts.

Former teammate visited for couple days

In those times when Uhaju was interested in reading together, it was a regular prayer request.  And when we would read the stories of God providing barren women with children, he would take hope.  And when we stopped reading together, prayers continued for his wife to become pregnant, and that he would not give into the temptation to leave her and find another.  So when he told me that his wife was pregnant, it was no small thing.

“It’s a miracle,”  he said to me.  “God has answered your prayers.  Five and a half years—It’s a miracle.”

I take heart in the fact that Uhaju sees it as our prayers that have brought about this good news.  I hope, in the coming days to remind him, that it has nothing to do with us, but it is rather the one in whom we put our trust that makes all the difference.  Will this finally be the catalyst that brings an end to the ebb and flow of Uhaju’s long, slow, journey toward the truth?  Who is to say?  We can only pray.  Five and a half years and we have the expectation of a new birth. May this new child catalyze birth into new life for Uhaju and his wife as well!

Our 16 year old!

PRAYERS ANSWERED
In other answered prayers, another island couple for whom we have been praying for years that they’d have a child, just had a baby boy. The rains have abated near our kids’ school bringing much needed relief to the flooded areas. Our teammate made it home safely and has already been able to be a help. We were able to have a nice visit with our medical teammates on the plateau this past week. Our daughter had a nice dinner and dessert with her dorm for her 16th birthday this past week. Our timeline in the US during this coming summer is finally coming together.

PRAYERS REQUESTED
The number of daily cholera cases on Clove Island continues to be high— keep praying with us for an end to the epidemic. Pray for wisdom for our landlord as he evaluates our sagging roof and for us as we consider having to move out of most of our house. Our daughter has injured her shoulder— pray that it would respond to PT and that she would get pain relief. Pray for complete healing as both Tom and Megan have been sick in the past couple weeks. Muki is back on Clove Island— pray that he and Tom would get back into a good pattern of studying together and that Muki would be sharing with others.

Slow Growth

Progress on the islands can often feel slow.  Growth in our own lives can be slow.  But slow growth does not mean no growth.  It’s just harder to see.  This past week was one of those moments which reminds us that there has been growth, and though it has not always been dramatic, it continues.

The gathering

It started with a rainy morning.  A morning on which we were supposed to be gathering with our brothers and sisters for one of our quarterly fellowships inviting brothers and sisters from all across the island.  We knew, if the rain didn’t let up, this might never get off the ground.  We also knew, the whole thing might not get off the ground because the main organizer was away.  We had resisted stepping in and organizing it ourselves, or making sure certain details weren’t forgotten.  We weren’t in charge of this gathering, we would simple come and support.  Well, the rain did eventually stop and we headed off to the gathering.  And that was the first sign of growth—a large gathering organized by islanders, without our help, without the help of the one leader who always does it, was happening.  This is something that wouldn’t have been possible a few years ago.  Did it go off perfectly?  No, but it went off just fine and that is how we grow.

One of the ways it wasn’t so perfect—when we got there, one of the leaders said, “What’s the plan?”  And it was clear that the plan was not much of one.  “We’ll pray…and then we can sing…” one of the organizers said seemingly making it up on the spot. “And then Tom can share something.”   Megan and I looked at each other and winked.  It’s not only the island fellowship that’s grown but we’ve grown too.  Some years ago, this probably would have been highly stressful.  “Me, share something? But I haven’t prepared.  You didn’t asked me!  I don’t think I could.”  But after going through this surprise routine more often than I’d like to admit.  We were clued into the fact that there is an unwritten expectation that men of certain standing will be expected to share.  They don’t have to inform me because it is a given. 

Our son playing in the mud

So a few days before the gathering, Megan had most helpfully reminded me (because I’m still prone to forget), “You should be ready to say something.”  It’s a sign of my personal growth in the local language that sharing something is far less stressful than it used to be.  Does it go off perfectly?  No, but it went off just fine, and that is how I grow!  When they asked Megan without warning to lead a prayer, she wasn’t fazed a bit.  We’ve come a long way, and we’ve grown a lot in local language.

As I shared I held the book in my hand—a book that hadn’t existed for the first ten years of our work here.  That I could read and comment from a book in the local language still feels like a triumph—another sign of growth.  As I looked around the room, I saw among my friends, new faces—two young men I had only met that day, and the children of my island brothers and sisters I hardly recognize, the way they’re growing like weeds into adolescence and adulthood—another sign of growth!  

As we left the gathering the weather still held—a heavy downpour could have really hampered the event, making it hard to hear each other, making it dark and dreary.  Instead the weather had been clear and cool. As the van headed back toward town it started to rain.  The rain that had been predicted all day had held off till we were all headed home.  It felt like a confirmation—this is a good thing.  Keep going!

A crash-- not a bad as it could have been

PRAYERS ANSWERED
Across the islands there have several different crises impacting our group— a plane crash, nasty illnesses, a break-in, a cyclone coming near the islands, a sudden need to leave the islands— but we put this in the prayer answered because with each one we have seen God’s provision— with bad situations not being nearly as bad as they could have been and solutions opening up to various predicaments. God, as always, is good. We are thankful for this gathering and the growth it demonstrates! Praise that the daily cholera counts have been going down over the past several days— they are still high, but we are thankful for decrease.

PRAYERS REQUESTED
There have been several crises this week (as seen in the prayers answered). Pray that this week is calmer. Our teammate is traveling last minute back to her home country— pray for safe travels and for her to be a blessing and a light once home. Tomorrow is our daughter’s birthday off at boarding school— pray that she would feel loved and appreciated even while we are afar. Pray for healing from illness— Tom is still not fully up to strength after being sick this past week and Megan is now feeling bad. Pray for some of our medical colleagues as they return to the islands (with difficulty) after some vacation— pray for them as they transition back as a family,  and as they assess the cholera situation in their area and see if the authorization has come in for them to begin medical work. Pray for an end to the cholera epidemic. Pray for an end of the flooding and landslides in mainland Africa (around where are kids go to school).