Walking Along in Africa: More experiences

“C’mon, that little?”

Bartering can be stressful. More stressful when you’re not the one bartering; you wonder if the desired deal with be made, if all will work. When you yourself are bartering you decide when to leave and what price you will accept. Going to the market, Suzy has helped me get used to the bartering process, cutting prices sometimes even less than half, which I greatly appreciate! I have gotten a hand at it a little. Now the story:
It was only about 150 francs the equivalent of 35 cents American she wanted. But I was not willing to budge either. I said 1000 and she said 1150. The war waged for a few minutes. That’s really a little what it feels like, a big fight with a complete stranger over something you may not even buy. But in context there’s no maliciousness, that’s the cultural way of buying. It’s not like if you were later to meet that person they would hate you. Eventually this present barter ended in stalemate, and I left without my intended purchase, eyes open for another vendor of the same products. In the end I was glad I had not gotten the plastic dishes I had wanted, for Suzy found a whole bunch of dishes and pots and utensils I could borrow from a friend of hers. But this instant got me thinking. While as a white person I am usually seen as having a load of cash (which in a sense is true, if you look at the exchange, but at the same time not true if you know what it takes to live here, etc.), so I am overcharged. Thus I do not feel guilty to lower prices way below what was first mentioned. But how can one survive on that little? For me it’s a little but that person it’s standard, if they have enough people pay that price they will making a good amount around here. Yes people are poor, but they can still live well here. Maybe you’re confused, well it is; it’s a complex thing to understand money and it’s relation to people. But what really got me was this particular instance. Here this lady was not willing to budge on this insignificant amount to me. I mean I am careful with my money even when you buy a baguette for 30 cents. But this later was not willing to lower 150, 35 cents. But what thought of as 35 cents, she thought of as food for her family for a couple days, she thought of as a new set of clothes for her child to go to school in, or some money to save up for that mosquito net she has always that she has needed. While I will still barter with vigor around here, perhaps I will think about people as I do.
In His grip,
Eric


“The Hopeful Side”

There is little hope. I will never be a part of this people. I can only go so far, I can only become so much a part of this culture. Why? I have not been born here, I will never have a birth certificate that says Benin on it. But this is the hopeless side of things. If one lives life here, life is always desperate, lonely, hopeless.
However on the hopeful side, we all share a common blood, and whether we all believe it or not, a common creator. As Suzy says, “We all have the same blood.” Now when people are trying to sell you something they do take this into consideration, white skin means money, but that’s only at the business level, most people are ready to be friends.
All of us have ears, eyes, noses, feet, in different shapes and sizes, and some lacking one or two, but at least we are assured everyone alive has a head and body. (Sorry if that’s sounds a little minimalist, but I just do not want to leave anyone out.) Thus it does not matter where I am from or who I am, I am human, surrounded by humans. The hopeless side vanishes away, a new life is just around the corner!
In His grip,
Eric

“Who else can we love?”

It was at a Bible study a few days ago and one of the newest members, Tabitha that said it. We were talking about Christ’s love, and she made the casual comment that really caught me off guard. From French into English it was to the effect of, “If we cannot love Jesus, who can we love?” Simple, yet deeply profound; Tabitha has begun teaching me many more things since then.
I mentioned before the friends I had met a few weeks ago, who had invited me to share some time, discussing the Bible, and praying. We have begun Bible studies. Unfortunately my friends Samson and Robert have gone to another village and have not returned, even though they were supposed to be back quite a while ago. I pray they are safe. But with those remaining we have continued to study. The three of them are brothers and sisters (although around here brother and sister can mean anything from cousin to nephew to uncle to well you get the idea), two sisters and their brother. The sisters have children, but as is a reoccurring theme here, husbands are neither faithful nor reliable, in other words I do not know where their husbands are.
The youngest sister recently joined and has really baffled me, but it’s not her, it’s the situation. A real teaching time for me; I was going over the lesson with her brother and sister and when we finished she asked if she could ask some question about what my church believes and teaches. I was a bit ashamed as it took me a bit of thinking on the go to come up with the unique beliefs of Seventh-Day Adventists (I think I’ll do a bit of a refresher course on this soon!). She thanked me. I mentioned again to all that the Wednesday night prayer meeting was coming and they could come to the church with me if they pleased. They did, praise the Lord. At the meeting the lady, Tabitha, mentioned during praise giving that she believed God had sent me, that she was not easy to convince, and I have convinced her to come to the church. She went on to mention that she enjoyed what she was experiencing at the church, and knew that the Savior had lead her to come. I was humbled. When this whole experience with this family started I thought it was just a little too easy. They must have a secret motive or something. I thought working in frontiers takes years to get a Bible study. Well God was teaching me something, not by my might, but by his. When I explained those beliefs to Tabitha I was not even trying to convince her and she said I had, the Holy Spirit worked right before my eyes. Of course this is the exception not the rule, working on a frontier does take years to get through to people, and I realize the work that Suzy, Uli, Touissant, and other missionaries here have paved the way to be able to make connections (the others sister, Bade, said that Suzy helped one of her Uncle’s daughters when she was sick, paid for the hospital bill even). So I am glad God is working through me. It is a humbling and somewhat overwhelming to realize that I’ve become as Paul to some people, thinking and praying for their souls, considering them my children, in a way. But I pray daily that God will help me to remember that He calls me to put forth effort, but the result is His, I cannot carry the weight of changing hearts, only He can, I must simply be a friend and present the truth. I will mention that with Tabitha joining, I need some real focus. She is not only not easily convinced, she is an intense lady, making sure that you are paying attention when she speaks and really seeking to understand what is being presented, not easy for me when my French is a bit limited. Take care once again and I pray you will always believe in His mighty might!
Growing,
Eric