What do you do when...?

Tom with police friends

Imagine the following scenario.  Someone came into your house without your realizing it, rifled through your belongings, took all the money they could find, and left.  When you realized what happened.  What would you do?  How would you handle it?  You’d probably begin by calling the police, right?  911?  It’s a little different on the islands.

About a week ago, this very thing happened to some of our teammates.  What should they do?  Since there is no 911 on the islands, it becomes a game of who do you know.  Our teammates came to us and we put our heads together and thought about who we could call.  Before long Tom had called a police officer who was a former student.  That got the ball rolling, but then we thought to call one of our English program administrators.  He has no connection with the police, but he is well connected.  He made some phone calls and soon we not only had the police involved but also the gendarmerie (sort of a rank up from normal police officers).

But that is not the end of things, because before long the neighbors found out, and the neighborhood has it’s own way of dealing with crime.  Do you have $3?  Someone asked my teammate who had just been robbed—the irony was lost on the neighbor but not on us.  What’s the money for?  To make a public announcement.  So off we went to the center of town to a small building next to the town’s main mosque.  A wire ran up from the room to the loud speakers that sits atop the minaret.  As the neighbor fed the announcer the details, the theft was proclaimed to the entire neighborhood!  As details that we might consider private echoed around the neighborhood, the subtle undercurrent of the announcement said, “How shameful that our English teachers who help our town have been robbed.  Let’s find the thieves!”  On the walk back to the house everyone had a piece of advice or a word of encouragement or an assurance that we would find the thieves and that “What happened is not good!” 

If only it were to stop there, but this was just the beginning of the process.  Why?  In the islands we have the dual problem of a tight-knit community—so everybody knows everybody and everything that goes on—and corruption—so everybody might know what’s going on but that doesn’t mean anything is going to be done about it.  What has followed has been a great ordeal for our teammates:  Multiple trips to the police are required because you have to find the police officers who are trustworthy and they only work on certain days.  While we try to speak truthfully about the situation, we see rumors and lies both intentional and unintentional spreading through the community (they can identify the thieves, they have security cameras, etc.)  Families have accused families leading to fights and feuds of a tangential nature, but still requiring time, energy, and mediation.  Suspects have been brought forward, but no one is sure he is guilty and there is little evidence beyond the fact that “everybody knows this guy is trouble.”  The police want to flush out the culprits with cunning psychological pressure tactics while the neighborhood simply wants to find the guy and beat him up.  It’s a horrible mess. 

On her way home for sports

So we’re left to wonder…how do you find justice in it?  How do you offer forgiveness?  How do you even know how to stand in the light when all around you seems to be muddy, messy, darkness?

PRAYERS ANSWERED
Even in the midst of trouble there are things to rejoice about.  Though they might have had opportunity, computers and important documents like passports are all accounted for.  We are thankful that we are a team and so no one has to go through this kind of thing alone.  We got our visas very easily and quickly— we give credit to our teammate who helped follow-up with the appropriate offices. Our gathering about English teaching went well. We had a great weekend with some of our colleagues and friends and they made it back safely to their respective islands. Our short-termer’s orientation and homestay went well (her host family wanted her to stay longer!). One of our island brothers who happened to be in a nearby country when he suffered a medical emergency (details not clear, might have been a heart attack)—  they say if he had been on the islands he may have died.  We thank God he was in the right place at the right time.


PRAYERS REQUESTED  Pray for our team and our teammates especially as they navigate this quagmire of good intentions and corruption.  It is moments like these that we are thankful that we do not work in our own strength.  Our teammates have done so well, but it is certainly disturbing to know someone has been in your house and gone through your stuff.  Not to mention the continued trips to the police that are yet to come to an end.  Pray for a peace that passes understanding, a freedom from anxiety, and the words of our Helper to come to them in every situation.  Pray for our short-termer who is settling into life living with our teammates and learning language for the next few weeks— pray that we would know how to support her well and that this experience would be a good confirmation for what her future holds.  Pray for translation work as it gets going again after a few week break.

Passing the Torch

English Club

One of our goals on the islands is to work ourselves out of a job— to see others empowered to do for themselves what we are doing. This is something we hope for in all parts of our work. It is why we are team leaders and why we are working to mentor islanders. But part of passing the torch, part of empowering others is allowing things to get messy. If others are going to take things on, they have to be given the opportunity to try, to struggle, to even fail.

One small example of this is with our English club. We’ve convinced islanders that they can teach English classes but most of them still look to us to lead the club. So we’ve been encouraging them to volunteer to lead an activity for our club. We’re there to support them but when they lead an activity it is their show.

Recently we have had a number of people step up and take on the challenge. It isn’t always pretty. This past week was a good example. “Bako” had offered to lead an activity. Bako is an interesting guy. We’ve known him a long time now. He’s very serious and formal, almost incapable of light-hearted joking. He tends to be longwinded and use big words. He also respects Tom a lot and has done English teacher training with him. He wants to improve himself, which is a wonderful quality.

So we’ve taught him how to make his classroom a fun environment, a place where it is safe to make mistakes. We’ve show him the value of encouraging students and even playing silly games to reinforce your lessons.  But it doesn’t seem like these values have quite gotten through to him.  I think, deep down, Bako actually prefers the normal island way of teaching, which is writing on the chalkboard, a good deal of lecturing, and just having your students copy it down. He likes the authority and respect of being a teacher, which is somewhat diminished by silly fun in the classroom.  But at the same time, he sees our success in the classroom, and respects us as teachers.  So he listens and he tries.

At the club, we caught ourselves smiling and shaking our heads several times. There was still a lot of mini-lectures with him writing on the board and expounding in big words. But we see him learning too. Okay so his monotone delivery of phrases like “Let’s have some fun” and “Good try” make you doubt his sincerity, but at least he is saying them!  At least he’s going for it!

The reality is that perhaps we could do better clubs if we just always planned and did them ourselves. We have enough experience to not make a lot of the “beginner” mistakes, but if we are always the ones in charge then when we leave it all stops.

This principle extends beyond English teaching. We want to see others empowered to carry on the things that we are passionate about.  We want them to embrace for themselves the vision of a bright future for the islands. But if we are the only ones that know how to do something or feel capable of doing something, then we are failing. We are succeeding when we aren’t needed, when things don’t grind to a halt in our absence, when the work can carry on even when we move on to something else. 

Greeting short-termer at airport

So we cringe through bad English clubs.  We give constructive criticism and encouragements.  We try to keep a balance between effective work without reproduction and reproduction without effective work.  But like we tell our students.  If you’ve never made a mistake, you’ve never really tried. 

PRAYERS ANSWERED
Our new short term team mate has arrived safely.  It looks like she is going to be a great addition to the team.  Tom’s final mediation meeting went well with general agreement found and more chances to share about the importance of forgiveness.  The government meetings were completed without incident.  There are still a lot of questions about what the results will be, but for now things are peaceful. 

PRAYERS REQUESTED
We are looking to renew our visas.  This is an annual event and though not usually a problem, there is always potential for disruption, so pray for a smooth processing.  Two of our teammates were victims of theft- pray for them as they navigate the island justice system and process this experience. We will be hosting a small gathering of our NGO’s English teachers this coming weekend.  Pray for those traveling from other islands and that the time will help to solidify some of our new curriculum and strengthen the English work on all the islands.  Our short termer is living with us for a few days of orientation and then she has a week long stay with a local family ahead of her.  Pray for stamina, openness, and a good heart as she engages in this new culture.

More Medation

Regular card games on road by our house

Last week’s blog “Accuse, Deny, Accuse, Repeat” was a bit of a downer.  The mediation had not gone well.  It seemed like there was little to be done in a “He said/She said” fight where neither were willing to back down to seek reconciliation.  But apparently there was something to be done.  Namely, make things even worse by escalating the situation!  So imagine my dismay to learn that one of the parties had taken the other party to court for defamation and was charging them for the equivalent of $1250!  That’s 6 months of pay for a manual laborer here on the islands.   Not surprisingly, this meant I was right back in the thick of it as each party came to me to express their anger.

Yuck!  It had all just gotten uglier, and I was being dragged into it. I didn’t want to be a part of it! I was already greatly tired of it.  My first reaction to the whole new mess was, “What can I do about it?!”  I didn’t do that good of a job the first time around and didn’t feel particularly equipped to dive back in. Thankfully, this is the very sort of mess where God loves to show up.

Going to Him in prayer, two things were revealed to me that offered a way forward.  One was that “taking someone to court” in this instance was not right.  If I was to stand for justice, then I could not stand by and do nothing about that.  Secondly, this fighting was not in line with our group’s values.  If these two parties wanted to continue to work with our group, they would have to find a resolution to the problem.

On the first point, why was going to the courts not right?  It’s a question of justice.  In the states we might take a case to court in the hope of finding justice.  But here on the islands, it is well known that it doesn’t work like that.  Rulings go to the powerful.  In this case, the party bringing suit was from an old, powerful family, held multiple respected positions in the community, and even had friends in the court system.  The other party had none of these connections.  The chance for real justice being done seemed extremely slim.  If we are to stand for what is right, then I must take a stand. 

Getting into Olympic Spirt

So I found myself in the uncomfortable position of offering an ultimatum.  Stop this court case and stop this fighting, or our group won’t work with you any more.  At the same time it felt freeing.  At least I had something to stand for. There was something to be done.

A few meetings later I had explained my position to the two parties.  It was a great opportunity to talk about forgiveness, justice, and returning good for evil.  In short, a great opportunity to share a lot of truth and the result was the two parties coming to the table.  In a little while the one party had agreed to put the suit aside.  One problem remained.  There was a litigation fee.  The party that brought the suit had already paid a lawyer (about $60) to draw up papers.  What about that?

It seemed like the right time to show just how far we are willing to go to find reconciliation and forgiveness.  To show how important forgiveness is. So I paid the fee.  “I have forgiven her.  That’s why I’m paying.  I am paying on her behalf.  Now you must forgive her.” I told my friend.  A few meetings still remain to be had, but it looks like some kind reconciliation is close.

Exploring our neighbor's torn down house

In the eyes of the world, I probably look like a fool.  The situation didn’t even involve me. But I had to give a great deal of my own time, effort, and even money to bring about peace.  And while I’m sure I made mistakes and could have done things better, the giving of my time, effort and money was the right thing to do.  I just hope I don’t have to do it again any time soon.

PRAYERS ANSWERED
One shortage has ended, the container with flour was unloaded! The whole island had run out of flour— meaning the bakeries couldn’t make bread or other baked goods (a staple for islanders for breakfasts and snacks). To quote one islander—“The population was suffering.” So they prioritized the flour— still waiting for relief from most of the other shortages, but we are very thankful to have flour and bread again. The family decided not to do a vision trip to the islands this month— which is a little bit of a disappointment but it also means our February won’t be as crazy. We haven’t gotten any specific updates but we know that our family member in crisis is getting some much needed care- we continue to pray. Our short-termer has her visa and plane ticket to come to the islands!

PRAYERS REQUESTED
The islands had huge government-wide meetings this past week to discuss changing the constitution and how the president is elected. Some have seen these meetings as good changes. Others see it as the president snatching up power and extending his term (perhaps even indefinitely). One major political party boycotted the meetings. Monday was declared a holiday by the president (with no reasons given), but we have yet to hear any word about what has been discussed or decided in these meetings. We pray for justice and freedom and a bright future for the islands. Pray with us. Pray for this mediation situation— Tom still has at least one more meetings to mediate. Our short-termer comes next week- pray that the final preparations for her stay will come together well.

Accuse, Deny, Accuse, Repeat

A scene of Islanders in light conflict (different story, sorry)

“It was you.  I know you did it.”
“It was not me.  I’m telling you that was not me.  You’ve been tricked.”

And so it went, back and forth, raised voices, anger and an unwillingness to listen, all on my front porch.  But I had invited it.

It was a surprising thing when a young woman came to me (Tom) with a problem that they wished me to mediate.  This is a very common way to deal with a disagreement on the islands.  You do not go directly to the person you are in conflict with but go through a mediator.  I must admit I felt very ill-equipped to handle the situation and to talk to the other person about it.  Although I may be able to help mediate conflict in English among westerners, I certainly am not aware of all the nuances that might be required of a mediator in our Clove Island context.  But neither did I feel I could refuse.  So with prayer and trepidation I arranged to talk to the other party who was accused of wrong.

I talked with this person and they denied any wrong doing.  They seemed unhappy about the accusation, but I thought I could be done at that point.  I had done my mediation duty by bringing it to the attention of the other party, right?…I was wrong.  The next day I was asked if a meeting could be held at my home for both parties to discuss the problem.  Of course, I accepted and this is how I found myself in the middle of a “He said”, “She said” argument.

If you’re hoping for a happy ending to this one, I’m sorry.  I prayed at the beginning and had talked about forgiveness earlier, but the argument went on for quite some time, and there was little to mediate.  One person said the other did something.  The other denied it.  There was no way of knowing who was right and who was wrong but neither wanted to drop it. What could be done?  They argued back and forth until finally one party had enough and left, unconvinced of the other’s innocence.  The accused fumed for a while and then went on his way.

I thought that was the sorry end of it, but I received a text message the next day that the accused planned to press charges at the local magistrate for being falsely accused.  He apologized, seemingly realizing I wouldn’t approve. So much for successful mediation!

A recreated boardgame, made from scratch!

Reflecting on this situation does reveal a few things.  First of all, this argument was very much one about honor.  One felt dishonored by what they thought was the other’s actions.  The other felt dishonored to be accused of dishonorably actions.  Neither could say, “Let people say what they want, it doesn’t effect me.” Too much honor was at stake.  It matters what people will say.

Secondly, there was an unwillingness to back down.  Both seemed to take a stand and would not give an inch.  There was a possibility that the accused was wrongfully accused, but his accuser would not have it.  As for the accused, he would accept nothing less then a full apology to restore his honor.

Lastly, and this is the saddest part for me, is the total lack of trust.  No one can assume the best of the other in these situations.  Mostly the worst is assumed.  The accused is a long time friend and I want to assume the best of him.  But my island experience tells me differently.  Maybe he did do something wrong, but his honor stops him from ever admitting it.  The accuser is also someone I know.  But I have lived here long enough to know that there are often other motivations behind such accusations.  So distrust and suspicion reign and there is little that can change it unless light shines into the darkness and exposes the hearts of men.

PRAYERS ANSWERED
We are honored that people would trust us and look to us in times of conflict (pray for us to grow in that role as peacemakers). All three of our teammates have made it safely back to the islands. Pray for them as they transition back into life here. Our three island colleagues went to a meeting of medical workers that went very well.

PRAYERS REQUESTED
We’ve had word that a family member back home is in crisis— it weighs on us. Pray for him and his family as they work back to normal that they would find healing and peace. Our short-termer has to get a visa before buying her plane ticket (something we didn’t expect)—pray that seats on the desired plane flight would remain available and inexpensive until she can buy them. A family is considering doing a vision trip to the islands this month, pray that we could find the best time for everyone involved and that they would have good discernment for the future. There are a lot of shortages on the island right now that makes life a little more challenging. Pray that the hold-up of containers at the port would end and that the needed products would make it into shops. Some island brothers and sisters are at trainings abroad— pray that the things that they learn would be applicable and used well here on the islands. We just got a new resource — a video that has been in the works for a long time. Pray that we could use it well and get others to use it too. There is still hopes for a medical team on our island but they are still looking for leadership— pray for His timing to be clear.

Bottlenecks

Avoiding Nairobi traffic by walking!

A bottleneck:  What happens when a great deal of things need to pass through a very limited space.  I’ve been thinking about bottlenecks.  In life it seems like we are always running into them.

This past week we were in Nairobi - A large city with traffic problems.  This is probably the most classic example.  Too many cars trying to drive into or through the same narrow road ways—Nairobi has this in abundance!  But then we got back to the islands this week and found that there is no frozen beef!  Why not?  A bottleneck.  There is one port and after weeks of stormy weather, it is backed up.  Apparently the refrigerated meat has been sitting on a barge at a nearby port for nearly a month.  But it must wait it’s turn, and until then—no beef!

Air travel is another example of bottlenecks.  Normally air travel to and from the islands is rather uniform and somewhat smooth, but every year during wedding season there’s a bottleneck.  Everyone wants to come back for a wedding, and that causes havoc with tickets and luggage. Too many people, too many bags, not enough planes.

Visiting with friends on big island

But bottlenecks aren’t only something that happen with transportation.  They happen in other parts of our lives as well.  We have been guiding our newest team members through the process of language learning and culture.  Here we have yet another bottleneck.  There is absolutely no way to cram a whole language into a normal person’s brain as fast as one might wish.  Rather it has to trickle in slowly over time.

As an organization we find a bottleneck with leadership.  We have many people who are willing to come and give their lives for this work, but not enough people to guide them.  This bottleneck means the numbers coming to join in the work are slowed, and for good reason.  Good leadership can make or break people in a difficult setting.  But good leadership takes maturity and maturity requires time, time filled with experiences and lessons learned— so it’s another bottleneck that requires waiting and patience. People do not become mature overnight.  The road of experience, study, practice, prayer, and guidance shape us in maturity and it is a hard, slow process.  It simply cannot be hurried.

Why must so much of life be bottlenecks?

A friend of mine has been searching for truth.  He asks great questions, but there is so much truth to share.  It can’t happen all in one visit.  Another bottleneck!  In visiting our colleagues on the other island we hear of how truth is being obscured and tainted with false teaching and we see how the bottleneck of truth causes trouble.  If only our friends knew more of the truth—then they would not be swayed by false teaching.  Some of them haven’t even learned the basics and they’re being swamped with things out of their depth.  If only the bottleneck could be removed and everything could be absorbed and understood all at once—then this would all get sorted out.

Our water filter at work!

I thought of one more bottleneck as I was writing.  In our kitchen our water filter takes a large bucket of water and filters it through a microscopically small ceramic working, down a thin tube and drips it slowly into a bucket on the floor.  Another classic bottleneck problem.  And yet, this one I’m thankful for.  Do I wish it would filter faster sometimes?  Yes.  But the water that goes in at the top is often brown and gritty.  It carries dirt and dust and disease.  But the water that comes out at the bottom is filtered, refined and pure.  Good and safe for drinking.  We can’t rush the process without messing with the final product, the process is important.

And so it is with truth and maturity.  Some bottlenecks and the waiting they require seem like just a waste of time and we could certainly do without them, but others—others are important because the process matters and the ending is worth the wait.

PRAYERS ANSWERED
We’ve made it back to Clove island with all our bags and no worse for wear.  Megan’s recovery is still going well.  The kids went back to school today and all of them reported having a good day—something they were nervous about after their missing 3 weeks of school, so we are very thankful for that smooth transition.  Our printing project was completed and we are giving the finished product out to friends already.  Pray that these would be a blessing to them. 

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Pray for Tom’s friend who is still wrestling to find and understand truth.  Pray for island brothers and sisters with some big travel decisions to make.  Pray that they would make wise decisions.  One of Tom’s friends has remarried his wife!  Pray for a healthy marriage and for opportunities to encourage them to walk in the light.  We are getting ready for a short-termer to come.  Pray that her final financial needs would come in and that she would be able to buy her plane tickets this week.  Pray for her final preparations and for a blessed time with us.  Our team members will be returning this week.  Pray for safe travels.  They are in Kenya now.  Pray for the political stability of that country. We passed through the big island on our way home and saw Ma Imani— her daughter is doing much better but she has some kind of infection in her breast (it’s unclear whether cancer is a concern). Pray for healing, good doctors and good treatment. She is also discouraged by the island brothers and sisters she has met on the big island and the divisions and unhealthy interactions she has witnessed. Pray for her that this would not shake her and for the community on the big island that truth, reconciliation and unity would be found by all.

The Urban Witch Doctor

Another thing the islands don't have-- playgrounds!

The islands are not very urban. We live in the “capital” of our island but it is only urban if you compare it to the rest of the island villages— at most it is a town, a small densely populated town. For Megan’s medical treatment we have come to mainland Africa— here they have cities! Full-fledged modern cities. I know people have different preconceptions about Africa of the rolling savanna and wild animals, but Nairobi is a very much a modern city and  is becoming more modern all the time.  It has so many things that we don’t find on the islands. Skyscrapers are popping up on the horizon.  High end restaurants, chain stores and malls with the some of the brand names you’d find in any US mall are here in multiple locations.  You can pay by credit card nearly everywhere.  Internet is fast and reliable.  You have 4G mobile networks and all the apps that go along with them.  You can order Dominoes pizza.  You can catch a ride with Uber.  Nairobi feels like a place with all the modern conveniences, and yet it still keeps its African flavor.

Just some of the examples on our short walk

It was while we were walking down a street that we noticed a sign slapped to a telephone pole.  It seemed to be an add for a doctor.  This seemed a bit odd, but hey, people slap all sorts of posters  and adds on the sides of buildings and telephone poles—why not one for a doctor.  But a closer inspection revealed that this was no ordinary doctor.  “Love potions, lost items, man power, magic rings. job promotion, protection…”  this was no a doctor of medicine.  This was an advertisement for a witch doctor.  And as we looked around we noticed more and more advertisements of the same sort, some in English, some in Swahili, but nearly every telephone poll had an ad for someone, sometimes multiple different ads on top of each other. 

Witch doctors seem like something from the village. Something that would have disappeared in such a modern city.  Islanders often hide the fact that they still have witch doctors. But we have been there long enough that we are not at all surprised to hear that many islanders go to see witch doctors for everything from sickness to football matches, but in the big modern city?  Aren’t such things left behind?  Our western side asks, “don’t they know better”? But old beliefs are hard to shake and the desire for a quick-fix to our problems is universal. In the village everyone knows where to find the witch doctor, but apparently the urban witch doctor advertises.

We all have seen the magazines in the check out counters promising ‘5 minutes a day to rock hard abs’ or  “10 ways to keep your lover”, or “3 changes to make to get that big promotion at work”.  It’s all about power and control.  We want to be able to do something about our problems and ideally something easy and uncomplicated. One culture may look to witch doctors, while another looks to scientific studies or dubious “expert” advice, but they both promise the same thing, “get what you really want, now, the easy way.” 

It’s all about getting your way, of finding a way to have power over your difficult circumstances.  It is tempting. We see the promises and want the results. So we foolishly put our trust in the wrong things.  It something we can all fall into too.

This one's a professor

So we have to walk past false promises and remember it isn’t about us getting power and control  but about relinquishing it to the One who has all the power and control anyways.

PRAYERS ANSWERED
Megan went back to the doctor today for a follow-up. She is healing well and the lab results on the cyst showed no malignancy. So that’s great news. She’ll have to have follow-up in some months but she has almost no more pain and has her energy back.  We have been blessed by our time in Kenya— the kids have made some good friends and the medical stuff has gone smoothly. Thanks for praying. Our colleagues on the big island were able to go to the memorial service for the American who died and said it was good to be there. Our teammate is back on the island safely. The printing project should be ready to pick up tomorrow!

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Pray that Megan would continue to heal well and that there would be no recurrence of the cyst (the surgeon said it was 50/50 whether it would come back in the coming months or years). We have one more day in Kenya, pray that we get our necessary errands done. We fly back to the islands early Thursday morning. We’ll have one day on the big island before going to Clove. Pray for smooth travels. Pray for Tom as he has taken on the job of interim leader for all the islands while our leader is in the States. Pray for wisdom, humility and discernment in that role. There has been hopes for a medical team to start on the other side of Clove Island— we’re excited to see this happen but first they need to find people to lead the team. Pray that the right person/people would be found.

Responding to the Dark

There is a lot of darkness in this world. We see it around us all over the world. There is pain and suffering. There is lying and corruption. There are people that act selfishly and intentionally hurt others. No matter what country you live in, these things surround us.

Our son with Dati's little one

We were in the middle of a team meeting, but when Dati arrived, she pulled up a chair and started to tell us the latest update in her painful saga with her husband. We have mentioned it before in previous posts. It was an arranged marriage (not unusual here), but her mom didn’t do enough research about the guy. In short, he is not a good guy. He showed Dati no love or affection, got her pregnant right away, but quickly stopped providing for her (which is the father’s responsibility especially during pregnancy and until the child is weaned). Instead he left her, stripped the house of anything he paid for, has offered no food or money and to add insult to injury, he has publicly questioned whether she was a virgin before they married- seriously shaming her in Island culture. Dati is a sweet woman. She is not hot tempered. She is a hard worker. She wants to trust in God as her island faith tells her to.

When all this started to happen, she was naturally upset. But she told us that she would keep looking to God and she would seek justice for herself and her baby. She started by going through mediators. She didn’t see her husband but talked to his relatives. A few times during the pregnancy she got money for food this way. Then she gave birth but even with the mediators she wasn’t able to get any help for the birth or for baby supplies. The mediators started avoiding her.

But she was confident that it was her right to be provided for, so she went to the courts. They went back and forth, until it seemed like the courts had agreed that her husband must pay. The only remaining question had been how much. They were supposed to do some research into what a reasonable amount would be. She seemed content with the outcome but it was obvious that she was holding a lot of bitterness for her now ex-husband. He was like an animal to her. She assured me that God would deal with him in the last days. I warned her to watch her heart. I told her that anger can ruin your heart. She assured me that she wouldn’t lose her temper or start fights. Before I could clarify what I meant we were interrupted and she had to leave.

So here Dati was with a chair pulled up to our group. I was expecting her to say that an amount had been decided and that it was finally over. Instead she told me that her case had been handed to a new judge who hadn’t been given any paperwork or explanations of the previous meetings, instead he just ruled against her, throwing out her case.  Another typical example of the island justice system.

She was completely disheartened. She said she wasn’t going to appeal or go back to the courts. She was going to just trust in God. We shared our sadness at her news, at the darkness in the world and in our own confidence that God could provide for her. But then her face hardened as she told us, “Yes, all the students and the religious leader at the neighborhood religious school are going to pray down a curse on him.” These curses are supposed to be very powerful, causing the person to die or go insane. She said this with satisfaction and seemed to think that we would be happy with this course of action. She knew that we trusted in God, isn’t that what she is doing?

Megan home from surgery

But we surprised her. We shook our heads and told her that we weren’t pleased to hear this. Curses and hate are darkness too. You don’t fight darkness with more darkness. You fight darkness with light. God is light! Tom ended up explaining a lot that morning about the kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of light.  At the end she prayed. I’m still not sure if she understands how our world-views are different, but it is a start. The darkness is all around us but it is also within us. If our response to darkness is to succumb ourselves to hate, bitterness and revenge then we lose the battle. We admitted to her that forgiveness and love is not easy in these situations. Thank goodness we don’t have to do it on our own.

PRAYERS ANSWERED
Though it got off to a late start yesterday, Megan’s surgery went smoothly.  She got out the same day, but was feeling pretty groggy on the way home.  Friends in Kenya and even new friends we have just met have been of great assistance to us, watching kids, giving us meals, helping us out with rides and internet.  We have been greatly blessed.  Our island coworker’s surgery went well too and he is back on his feet and back to the islands.  The orientation course is going well.  Our other teammate got her new passport and our kids are enjoying their time in Kenya.

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Pray that during this week Megan can take it easy and get back to full health.  An American organization on the islands lost one of their members to illness this past week.  It was sudden and completely unexpected.  Pray for the family, friends and members of that organization.  Pray for a short termer who will be joining us in February.  She is both excited and nervous.  Pray that all her preparations will go well and that her time with us will be blessed. We have a printing project that we trying to get done while off the islands, pray that the logistics would come together for it. Pray for Dati that her heart would be filled with light even in these dark circumstances.