Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Picture Not So Perfect and Other Notices

It's not that I do not care, but it seems circumstances ( slow internet) has forced me to post long blogs, but no worries they are split into sections, so you don't have read it all in one go!

Picture Not-So Perfect
On my way to visit some friends Sabbath evening, I had to stop by the church to lock up. On the wayI heard a strange noise, a crackling sound, it seemed to be coming from the bushes. I cautiouslycontinued hopeing that nothing would jump out at me, or slither! (Come to think of I've been heretwo months and haven't seen a snake yet, but I have not really wanted to either, garter snakes are nice, but here they don't have those.) I ventured, as the view opened up, to see if perhaps the noisewas coming from somewhere other than the tall grass, and I found it was coming from tall grass, butnot near me. Up on the side of the hill, way up there, a huge fire was burning. I would have panickedbut Suzy has already informed me that this what is done around here. Because the dry season is so drywildfires are dangerous, thus they burn the dry underbrush, to prevent huge fires. The stuff thatis still somewhat green remains. Thus it also rejuvinates the soil and allows for growth in rainy season.I locked the church, and then I just could not resist. So I climbed the hill to get a little closerto the fire. Okay my manly instincts kicked in a little, I saw fire and had to be a part of it! As Iapproached I was concerned, I saw children running to and from the fire, oh no perhaps this fire was anaccident! Maybe I'd have to save the day! Alas, the children were just playing with the fire, which was a just as concerning, as fire is not really a great thing to play with. But they seemed okay, so I enjoyedwatching the grand flames leap into the air. I thought how wonderful a picture would be of the sceneand I realized I did not have my camera. I was lamenting this revelation when I turned to lookat how far I'd climbed and behold! The view was remarkable. Here and there wisps of smoke ascendinginto the fading daylight. The mist of the evening covered the hills and the gray sky cast a shadowy mask across the trees and homes! Lights from the streets and cars and homes, flickeredin the growing darkness. I have to paint a grand picture for you to see, because again, no camera!It seems if you don't or if you do have your camera, there will be a good picture opportunity. So my ruleis always have the camera!

Deeper than the Surface
The Pathfinder members here are a very energetic bunch, they aren't always the best at followinginstructions, but this can be attributed as much to my small French vocabulary as it can be to their listening skills. We tried marching last Sunday. The little ones have a hard time graspingall the different commands, and they can't keep stride with the older kids, so it's ends up beinga little messy. I started getting a little discouraged, but God kept me in perspective, that it does not need to be perfect, and perhaps I should try to split the older and younger up, theymay learn better seperately (thanks to Suzy for the advice). Some of the older ones were missingthe Sunday, not really disconcerning since they know marching skills well. Two of them told methey'd be working in the fields, and the other two I assumed were doing the same. The assumptionwas correct I found out, when one of the absentees stopped by house after school. I was goingto give him a little speech on making an effort to be at Pathfinders, but I changed my mind. One was that Suzy explained that most of their parents don't warn them when they will be working, sowhen they are told they go! The other reason the young man gave. I have tried to find outthe stories of each of the young people I am getting to know, their background, life, etc. I usuallystart with a question like, so you were born here? how many brothers and sisters do you have, etc.I asked this young man if he was the only at the house. I had not even yet mentioned him missingPathfinders and he begins to say he has sisters and brothers but they do not go to church. Wellall I wanted to know was how many siblings, but he continued. After the new Catholic church hadgone up near his home, his Father advised the children to go there, he refused, and he was the only one. His sisters used to come to our Church, but after that they stopped, he said. I told himthat was a very good choice, but that is must be hard. My pray is that God will help me sharewhat people need to hear from Him. Before I knew I was sharing how much prayer makes a difference, how sometimes our convincing arguments for Adventism might not even work, that sometimes we just needto pray that God will change their hearts. I shared of people in family that had been broughtback to God by prayer and love, by ways we had not even imagined! He seemed to appreciate the words,and I thanked God for His words through me. Know I understood where this young man came from, inthe future any time he is at Pathfinders, I will consider it a great blessing. By God's gracefor him Pathfinders will be a rich experience and I will learn to look deeper before jumping to conclusions!

Back from the Big City
Suzy and I and our other passengers arrived safely at home on Friday night, from ourtrip to the big city Cotonou. I was able to get my passport finally on Thursday morning. The immigration place doesn't give out visa's until 11am, so it wastoo late to leave that day! We got home an hour before sunset, and I opted to stay home from vespers, after nine hours in the truck I didn't think my bottom, normy concentration could last the program. God gave me a great testimony in Cotonou,about little things. I have been working on, okay stressing over a little, the uniform situation for pathfinders. There are plenty of pants and shoes, but shirtswere lacking. They are usually easy to find, but I had not found any on the marketfor a few weeks. So we went to the clothing market in Cotonou, where they are literally mounds of used clothing shipped from Western places, mostly the USI think. Suzy advised me to just keep on the lookout and know that God knows whatI need. I do believe He does, yet I did not have the shirts and time is short.Faith is without sight! And in one pile that day God showed me four shirts and onein another, all that I needed! Just shirts? Well it's all God to me for sure.
The Dog gets the right away I have never really had a chronic fear of dogs. Once our family kept my uncle's great dane in our backyard for a while, while he moved. She was a gentle beast andI enjoyed playing with her, even if she was almost as tall as me! But that's a friendlydog. It seems in foreign countries I have somewhat of a nervousness around them. In Belize I was chased by a group, the same group that later bit one of our team, so the fear is not without foundation. In actuality most dogs here are quite friendly, well I have not ventured to find out how friendly, but they stay clear of you. However there are few that like to bark as I pass, these have a bark worsethen their bite however. But the one dog that gives problems is on the regular routeto church no less! He has only ventured to bark at me once, but nonetheless I takethe precaution to pick up a stone as I pass his place, a stone in the hand is enoughof a threat to scare any dog apparently. Sometimes I be almost at church withthe stone in my hand and forget why I have it, and then oh yeah, the dog I forgot!Really though, I need not be scared, God has it covered. If a dog should becomehostile, He's there. While I need not be careless, petting dogs I do not know, I cantrust He's watching me, whoever is barking at me!

Change of plans
One of the greatest things I have learned from working at camp for five years, andin most other experiences I have had in life, is flexibility. Not flexibility in faith, thatshould always be strong. If something is wrong, faith grabs hold with prayer. ButI mean with plans. I do not have a daily schedule here, but during the week, I doschedule bible studies, visitations, market trips, etc. But as it turns out, I usuallychange plans. Like this past Monday, I went to a regular Bible study group, thatwe had missed for a week because of the Cotonou excursion. They weren't ready, no worries.I'll stop by tomorrow. Then I stopped by Suzy's. I was about to leave and I lether know I was off to the market. Market? That's tomorrow, oh my mistake. My morningwent from full to blank. At times like that I ask God for the agenda. Well I ask for His guidance in all the plans I make, and when they turn don't work out, wellHe must have another plan. I cannot quite remember what I filled my time with thatmorning, I do believe that I got some essential financial things worked out and a friend stopped by for lunch. Sometimes I can see why plans don't happens, other timesno, but whatever the case flexibility works and most importantly, a strong faith even just as big as a mustard seed! Check out the book of James for more about planning and works and faith! God bless His plans in your life!

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Dear Eric:
Once again I really enjoy reading your day-to-day life...it makes it so real to me and it strengthens my faith and my walk with God. Thank you Eric for that. I appreciate you so much and love you and miss you! I love the text in Ecc. 3:2...to everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven....
We need never forget that wherever God has posted us is where He will work through us.
May God continue to richly bless you and keep you in the palm of His hand.
Grosses Bises,
Maman :-)

Florence said...

Okay Moses, I read it all in one go, do I get a prize? You are very brave, walking toward a strange noise, a crackling sound in the bushes. Glad you didn't find a huge snake or some other slithering creature. As I was reading I thought you were going to tell us you found a "burning bush"...That sure is a unique way to prevent huge fires and rejuvinate the soil. Funny how in one country fires are set deliberately to better things and in California they cannot stop and/or control large fires which have costs many many $$$$$ and put people out of their homes. Too bad you couldn't record that having no camera. NEVER EVER GO ANYWHERE WITHOUT your camera from now on.
We had a little "honor the Veterans" ceremony put on by the Pathfinders at church this morning. Veteran's day being Tuesday, they played the American anthem etc. By the way I wanted to ask has there been any parties in Benin pursuant to Barak Obama being president elect of the United States as of November 4 election? Since his dad was from Kenya and all the news reported that there were parties in the streets in Africa.............wonder to what extent????Anyway I digress.............it's painful to read all the issues you have to straigthen out in your pathfinder club............that must be quite the exhausting task. I pray God continues to bless and sustain. Thanks for sharing your woes as it is very helpful to read the lessons you are learning, like not jumping to conclusion and listening to people. The bible gives us that advice too
James 1:19 Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak.... good reminder, thank you Eric. Isn't that something that God is into details, who would have thought that the King of the Universe would lead you to a pile of used clothing with what you needed in the middle of the market in Cotonou.. Who would have thought..........How great is our GOD, it all goes back to Louis Giglio and Laminin.............yes it does. But God cares about even the smallest details of our lives. Even the hairs on our heads are counted. We should never lose sight of what God can do, big and small. Thanks for the reminder Eric and thanks for giving us homework. That book of James is fantastic.
James 5:8-9
be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.
Lots of Love
Florence