God's God It

God has blest today with faster internet. When it's slow I don't think that it's God's curse of course, just that it's not the day to have fast internet, a part of learning to trust Him! I am posting a couple weeks worth with most recent last.

Live Like Them In the ever encompassing quest of becoming Beninoise, there will always be something more. I am coming in as an outsider, but each day I can through God's grace draw myself into this cultureand hopefully have them draw me in and more importantly Christ. As I go get water from the wellI am encouraged. Here I am a white young man, living in a small compound of homes with all Black familiessurrounding me, it's not the skin colour, but really our cultures. My neigbor behind my house isa retired army officer, my landlord is a retired bank manager, another neighbor is a single motherwith 5 kids, I think, from ages 2 or 3 to 20. Sounds like it could be anywhere in the world. But here we just live a little closer.As an example of how I am getting closer I share this story. I questioned whether I should sincesome of you may worry a bit, but there's no need really to worry, I know a 17 year old who was never bit and he's lived here all his life. Bit, by what! Well more like stung. This experienceabsolutely flabergasted me. I was so filled up with gratitude to God. I was arranging the boxes with my possesions in them in my room Sunday night. I left to get something and came back to find a sand colored scorpion sitting nicely on the floor where my hands had just been. I backed away andwent to call Suzy, who didn't answer the phone so I got my neighbor friend, Ebjo. He brought a largestick and with my hoe we took care of the female. He informed it was a female with eggs and that Iwas lucky I found it now, for she could have laid eggs. We checked the room through, and found nothing elseI was a little jumpy after that. Ebjo said I was lucky, oh luck had nothing to do with. I reassured him itwas God who was to be thanked! The next day I was to share a lesson on how Satan began and the start of sin.Coincidence? Well I know for sure God protected me.Check out Luke 10:19 Behold I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power ofthe enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you."Suzy reminded me of this text. She also related a few stories that she has had being protected from scorpions.And hey in Belize we had tarantula's in the hotel, so a few scorpions are old news, but alwaysfull of God's protection!
Peanuts Fresh PeanutsWe have fun the last week harvesting peanuts. Suzy and friends planted a friend's field this yearas a part of the culture study/. It's almost three quarters done now after two mornings and one eveningof work. On the last go we had a crew of around twelve, a bunch of the neighborhood and church kids.We had races and I even picked up one of the kids and while I hurried, he hung head first and grabbed thepassing peanut plants! I found out saying last one to finish buys cookies creates a little toomuch controversy by the end. To harvest we use a small hoe and slice into the soil around the peanutpull out the plant shake off the dirt. Others do the collecting. And then after we pick off all the peanutseither at the house or at the field. The kids all climbed in the back of the truck (which has a cage sothey can't fly out) and sang all the way home, it was like a cd player, you could change the song by singinga new tune out the window to the choir in the truck bed! Manuel labour can be fun and healthy.
The Game
I haven't really experienced culture shock yet. But I have been discouraged at times over my skin. It'sreally not the people's fault. I am a different race, and that's alright. But sometimes I wish to betreated like I treat them. But as Paul asserted to the Corinthians, I have also given up my rights.I'll be nice, kind, loving, with even a wip on my back. Yes these are only words, but by God's graceI'll keep them. But still it seems like a game sometimes. Guessing who is really wanting to be friendsand who is out to make money or get a job. I've said before I just listen and try to empathize, butI find firmness is neccessary, if I am not able to help someone in the way they want, like takingthem with me to Canada, a common sometimes joking request sometimes not request, I'll let them no, kindlyof course, or try to laugh it off with them. The children are wonderful, but it's tough when they cometo you and ask for help because their parents are both dead. May be true, but who knows if they are telling the truth. Many smaller children see me and immediately sing the Yoevoe song (hello hello white personhow are you, thank you, good evening) there isn't a response to it or they ask me for money or candyor a bike. We had to laugh as we passed one home once, a child said good evening several times to Suzy,but instead she couldn't pronounce it and said swing instead (boin soir and balansior! not correct spelling).Other people the kids say hello mister, but for me it's Yoevoe. It would be nice to be seen asanother person, and not just a white person with money, but hey in a way it's true, in Western placeswe are rich. It's not racism against me, it's the media also. So even though I may not have the money they think I have, I do know a God who has allthe riches in the world to give to anyone who asks and believes. That's worth it!

A note of clarificationI had talked before about people getting things here, TV's, stereo's, etc. While these I see as a bit not needed. I should mention that cellphones here aresometimes neccessary. Land lines for phones are only in certain rich homes and the bank and school, etc. So for most people and businesses to have any communicationwith relatives outside of town, or to call for daily issues, they have a cell phone, which works pay as you go. Also a while back I talked about weeding scars.I should mention that now I wear long sleeves and that the scars were really scratches and scraps that have all cleared up. Thanks.The management4 Days Free
This past week has been jammed pack with events, well, only one big one, but it was enough to use up much of the time during this week. But before I getto that I want to relate to you some great news. For me it has been a challenge to balance (as I mentioned before) responsibilities, frienships, and such. While I want to spend time with people I am also here to help strengthen the Pathfinder program and help build a lasting foundation for the future, that'stakes some preparation and work time too. Well I mentioned before my friend Fidard (just to let you know I change his name, some names I change because theirstories they have related to me personally and while you will probably never meet them or know someone who knows them, other than me, I feel I owe it to them).Anyway Fidard has been having trouble at home with wife and family. He lost his job and works here and there as a motorcycle taxi driver and collects rentfrom the boutiques his brother built. I visisted him a few times. One time he was drunk after a ceremony to complete the funeral of his father who passed awaylast year, I did not know what it was about. I had already given him a pamphlet on having a happy family based on Biblical principles. It mentionednot using alcohol or other drugs. He was so apologetic when he was drunk, saying he had to because he gave it to his family so he was abliged to as well. He askedif that was okay. I politely told him, that I did not really agree personally. He started to try to make an arguement for himself, and I realized there wasno use in persuading a drunk, so I let him talk, and just remained silent, not agreeing or disagreeing. I came back the next week, and boy was it different.As I expected he didn't remember a thing about the week before and we a nice talk. I tried to go back but he never seemed to home. Well I usually go everyWednesday and Friday evenings before prayer meeting and vespers, respectively, to see if my Bible study friends are coming (it's a bit hit and miss, with goodreasons like a funeral, sickness, but still unfortunate that Satan is working so hard to get them not to come, prayer is the answer). Well Fidard was there!Waiting for me, I had said I'd try to come to his house that try, but it didn't work out, the people at the house where I was headed said I'd come and to wait,I guess it's good to keep your word! I did come and Fidard came with me to church. He told me how for the last four days he had not touched alcohol, and haddrunk plenty of water. Now I believe him, he could be lying, but his demeanor, clear speech and such told otherwise, he seemed much less agitated than when wefirst met almost a month ago. And I praise God. I did not preach a sermon or anything, but through a pamphlet, some Bible verses I shared, and God's amazing powerhe has changed. Now this is only the beginning and I pray his resolve will stay strong. I try to visit him every week, with other responsibities taking time, I haven'tset a time with him to study each week, as I am not sure if I can keep a set time, but I do hope to keep in contact and encourage him, and perhaps connect himwith a church mentor. He is Catholic and it was interesting as we entered the Church Friday night how he crossed himself and kneeled at the back pew to praybefore sitting down. I strolled into the church as if I was entering the hippest place around, went right to the front room beside the pulpit to talk to the deacon who was preparing the night's message. When I saw what Fidard was doing I was humbled. I admire the Catholic reverence. While I do not think church shouldbe a place of mere ritual and such, the way Fidard treated church should be more on my heart. Church is a joyful place, a happy place, but it is also a sacredplace and I think I could use some more of that respectful attitude.
The Big SabbathWell indeed as I said this week was packed for it was pathfinder Sabbath! I worked during the week on getting props ready for the Samson skit, which was thetheme story for the church service. This included putting together boxes for the columns, and making a wig from fake dreads bought at a local beauty store (that was toughto explain when I bought it!) and making long sleeves white shirts into short sleeves. The hair and shirt sewing was taken up by Suzy, who graciously spentmuch time on these. The day came and we were prepared as we could be. As the week had progressed I had slowly learned that in the past there had been a bitmore preparation that I had allowed for. Like two or three weeks, but we pulled it off together. The biggest challenge is that about half the club is newthis year, meaning we have a lot of marching skills to learn. But I was glad to see many of them step up and come out of their shy shells. The older guys didshow some great marching skills in the beginning to off set a little the lack there of from the others. But Suzy kindly explained that we were only four weeksold as a club this year, so to cut us some slack. But this makes sound worse than it was. It went very well. One of the older boys shared the sermon. And allthe pathfinders were involved in the skit, if the file wasn't so big I'd upload the whole thing which is on video, but that'll have to wait. I saw my first snakeright before church, a little guy only maybe 10 or 15 cm. But apparently dangerous. I'll admit I was excited to see my first snake in a safe way! But at the timeit was a distraction. I was trying to organize the group into columns and of course they all wanted to see it. So it was not until after that I realized I seena snake! I was very impressed by Sylvain. He lives near Uli's house (another missionary here with AFM), where I stayed when I first arrived here. We have beengreat friends, he's about 15 or 16, and even though I am now about 30 minutes walk from his house, he still stops by to say hi and go with me to church andpathfinders. He was assigned as Manoah, Samson's father. He told me after that he didn't think he'd be able to talk, but somehow words just came out of hismouth, he did very well! All in all I was a little drained after the morning. But glad too. We have another skit to do for New Year's eve and another PathfinderSabbath in spring next year. I think.