Noticed in Translation

 Muki and Mtsa come over every day to study.  Sometimes our studies go really deep, sometimes one of them is falling asleep.  We never know what it might be like on a given day.  As we are away in mainland Africa for a few weeks, we are wondering, hoping that Muki and Mtsa would continue to study and learn and grow without us there.  This may be an important time, an important lesson for them to learn who their real teacher is.  We are hopeful that they are discovering that God will lead them and give them all they need to grow and find joy in the words of truth.

Beauty in our midst

Talking about finding joy in the words of truth, it has been fun to study with these guys who don’t know the standard answers, who are reading these stories for the first times, and are noticing things I’ve never noticed before.  Here are a list of some of my favorite recent “insights/confusions.”

Insight #1: The great teacher never gives a direct answer.  I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed this, but it’s quite true.  Recently someone told me that of the hundreds of questions addressed to him, he only answered directly 3 times.  Usually he answers with a question or a story that brings out so much more than the initial question asked.  Muki and Mtsa picked up on this early on and whenever they saw the teacher answer with a story they would laugh and say, “He’s doing it again!”  They see it as a sign of his great wisdom, and they’re right!

Insight #2: People named Anisi are liars.  Anisi is a common name on the islands.  It is also the name used to translate the name Ananias.  As you may remember Ananias and his wife die suddenly for their lies and disobedience over the sale of some property.  Muki and Mtsa agreed that lying is serious, especially concerning things of God, but then Mtsa said to Muki—Anisi’s are always bad.  Then he listed 3 different Anisi’s he knew who had got into some kind of trouble.  Muki nodded his head in agreement, “Watch out for anyone named Anisi.” He told me gravely.  I decided to just let that one slide.

Insight #3: Rich people are bad; poor people are good.  Okay, this is not so much an insight as a confusion.  It highlights how culture can get in the way of proper understanding.  When we read the story of the rich young ruler and the teacher says, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven.”  Muki and Mtsa nodded their heads and then started telling me stories of all the terrible things rich people do.  I tried to point out that, in that time, it was thought that rich people were good—that they had clearly received God’s blessing.  That is why the teacher’s friends ask, “Who then can be saved?”  But they were not too interested in that.  They instead took the time to rag on rich people and how evil they are.  This is a shame, because where the original story challenged people’s assumptions, in our context it affirms them.  Islanders firmly believe that the poor are blessed and will receive salvation for their suffering in this life.  Muki and Mtsa are poor, so they take comfort in this—and completely miss the point.  None of us are good enough.  A poor man—many a poor man—spends his life searching for and putting his trust in riches just as much rich men, and so do not see the things of the kingdom.  

Son excited about conference prizes

Insight #4: God provided for Cornelius’ servants. When Peter has a vision on the roof of the house and shortly after Cornelius’ servants arrive at the door. Muki and Mtsa were intrigued by the mercy shown to Cornelius’ servants, because if Peter had already eaten, then there would not have been food for them, but because he had the vision before the meal, he was able to inform the ones cooking that they would be having guests.  This gives an insight into island culture around food and hospitality.  If the food is gone, there is not necessarily the expectation that the host will cook again!

Insight #5: The good news is for everyone—even islanders.  When we read the story where many people heard the good news in their mother tongues, they loved the long list of languages that were spoken.  We took out a map and looked at all the different places the people came from and all the different languages they spoke.  Their conclusion:  it’s for everyone—every language—even islanders.  Amen and Amen.

These are just a few of the insights and confusions that come.  There is struggle but there is joy!  And the Word is living and active.  May it continue to live and act in all our lives.

PRAYERS ANSWERED
Muki and Mtsa say they have been studying together in Tom’s absence.  Pray that those times will be fruitful and encouraging. The conference we attended went well and we were able to enjoy a weekend with all our kids (and some of their friends) away from their school. We were able to get the rest of our daughter’s medication for her continued treatment for the rest of her school term (not an straight-forward process).

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Pray for all our island friends that they would be studying, learning and growing. Pray for our son as he has academic testing this week. Pray for our daughter as she continues to recover from a flare-up, and that she/we would continue to grow in our understanding of her disease, what triggers flare-ups, and how we can best encourage her . Pray that we wouldn’t have any trouble bringing her refrigerated meds back to the islands for her next break. Megan got to see a dermatologist and will have some suspicious moles removed at the end of the week. Pray for a smooth procedure and good results. Pray for our travels back to the islands.