Over the mountain and other encouragments

I feel like it's gets old to say, " a lot of exciting things happened this week" or "this week was another full and fulfilling week", but it's true there isnot much of a week that has it's own challenges, blessings, and varied events. I am sure it is the same for you, but the whole missions aspect may makeit seem like here it's just more thrilling, but really we all deal with the same things just surrounded by different cultures and contexts. Had a really neatexperience with friend of mine this week. I was going to take some sickly blades up to a missionary retreat centre just out of town (a missionary froma town north of us, asked Suzy or I to take them there to get handles put on them). I was starting out on my bike when my neighbor, Roland noticed and askedif he could come along with his bike. I was kinda hesitant, just what I need someone to slow me down (it turned out, I slowed him down on the flat parts, andI took the lead on hills). But I thought the company might be nice. We enjoyed the ride, despite two very large hills and lots of gravel to ride down. We arrivedand I set to look for the head guy at the mission centre, he was in a meeting. But a feller my age said he'd give them to him. He asked me where I was from, Canada,I said, and his response, "Me too" Neatness super sweatness, another Canadian. I told him my region and he said he was from Saskatchewan, being that I workedat Camp Whitesand, I told him and he was familiar with Theodore, (being a student in Alberta, summer worker in Saskatchewan and living in Ontario I can usuallyfind common ground with many Canadians!). We gave the mutual invitation to visit each other. And then Roland and I were off again, up and down the hills.When we arrived back at the house, he came in to relax and chat. He then told me about his big brother (actually cousin, but everyone is either an uncle, aunt,mother, father, brother or sister, and not always by blood, just good friends). Well he was pretty close to him, but he had moved to France and had married there.And within the last week he had died of gas poisoning, probably carbon monoxide. My friend said he was very shocked, so shocked he was forced to eat something.Just lost his appetite for the day. He wondered why. Instant witnessing situation! But I was at a lack for words. These moments I wait for with dread and joy.If I knew about the cousin, I could give Roland the great assurance of a better place, of Heaven some day, but what did I have now. I have comforted fellowChristians, but this is a Catholic (only by name), and his cousin who knows what he believed. I am saying his cousin won't be in Heaven, no, but it might alsobe presumptious to pass out that hope flippantly. But in another perspective, this is a moment to ask about Roland's own life. A time for him to wonderwhat will happen to me when I die? Again I thought about words, but I was attempting to share with a person who doesn't even know Jesus. These were allreal interesting excuses. So I tried to ask, what he thought about it, the death issue? Roland's not really a conversationalist, so I didn't get much. Well he said he had to go (after some silence), so I tried something else, I offered him a free new testament. I had promised him one before, but had forgotten.He accepted and I suggested he start by reading John 11. He said he would. I prayed that this would be a bridge to talk to him, and not an excuse for meto say, hey I gave him the Bible that's all he needs. He is leaving tomorrow for the funeral in the south, so I ask you to pray for him and his mother whoare going. Visited the High school again this week, very interesting experience. The last two classes I observed were physics and French. The teachers being very kindquietly sharing their insights and problems with me. The History/Geography teacher I visited this time was a different story. Very accomdating to me, butwell a bit overwhelming. He decided to use my presence as a means of getting the class to behave, we have a stranger visiting and you behave like this, he said.I wanted to be more a fly on the wall, but it didn't quite work out. A few times he loudly refered problems to me, commenting on what he had to deal withlarge class sizes, students not writing the same name all the time, and asking me if it was better in Canada, and also assuming it was by other comments he made.So it was a bit uncomfortable, I wanted to respect the teacher, but also not get on the bad side of the students for siding with punishment in a sense. Despite the odd time together, afterwards one student approached and asked about Bible studies, wondering how he could get involved! I was glad to tell himwhere I live and that in the New year we should definitely start. Was feeling a little down this week. Dealing with culture shock, feeling a bit out of place in this society, as a white person. I personally thinkI am black sometimes, don't laugh, I said before if I don't look at my arms, I forget (not that I think I am completely the same, but I see all thesepeople as like me, as in fellow humans). But it is not so easy for the people here to look at me as that way. We are different, but I have ears, eyes, nose.But it is what the colonization and media has built up, and it is a large wall indeed. Also struggling spiritually, I have the tendancy to want faith that last forever, a character that is all good now. But the fact is, I have a forever faith, but it is only for one day at a time, and the formationof character takes years, I can't be perfect overnight. So I asked God to not help me worry or fret. Nonetheless in a sullen mood I went to the Wednesdayprayer meeting, as we approached the church I could see Boni sitting in the front. He is an evangelist in a nearby town who visit once a week. This timehe was staying overnight. He was the only one singing, as the other lady there early only speaks Dittimari. I went and sat at the front with him, and sang along with his strong mellow voice. When the song finished he turned to me, with a big smile said he was doing wonderful. This is what inspired me,right now, He is working in a village with no Adventist presence, the church meets in his home (him, his family, and one other guy). His wife, a wonderfullady in the last month has been going blind, can't see during the day. And he has several children to take care of. But from his handshake, voice, eyes I was almostoverwhelmed by strength. You cannot borrow strength from anyone, but he surely inspired me to ask God for more! I felt uplifted and encouraged. During testimonytime, his were so long and many that no one else shared. What a testimony. I pray my life shines as such, that my atmosphere is so compeling! I wrote outa quote on our living wall, which encourages Manny and I. Originally it is "Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man. We shall this day lightsuch a candle, by God's grace, in England, that I trust shall never be put out." This was said by a dieing Hugh Latimer, who was burned at the stakein 1555AD. I replaced Master Ridley with Manny and Eric, England with Benin, and day with year. Maybe you can do the same, (you can change man to woman if needed!) Everywhere candles can, are and will be lit, around this world. I'll pray for the light in your life and all around you. God bless.

In Cotonou number three

Trip 3 Welcome back to Cotonou. I have had the privilege of escorting our field director, Laurence back to Cotonou to fly to Togo before heading home. It was a nice bus ride, really nice to have some company. Just doing a few things here in the city and heading back to Nati tomorrow. We saw a few accidents while here, one we came by just after it happened there was a lady unconscious on the road; did not she what her injuries were. Of all the time here in Benin i have seen four even after two whole weeks just in Cotonou. When I saw her I immediately started praying for myself and Lorance that we would be safe. When we got to our destination. Lorance mentioned the accident, and said when he saw her, he started praying for her. That really struck me, I have found in Benin, I have much more strength in prayer when I pray for others. Lorance thought about the other person, i thought of myself. This has really challenged me to look deeper at my prayer life and commitment to God. We had alot of fun yesterday trying to find a flight for Lorance. He already had a reservation but we just had to find the office. At the Adventist Mission we looked for the number the phone book fro, 2004 had an old number and the number a lady gave us was not working. After asking everyone at the Mission we finally thought we had the place and took a taxi and left. They took us to a travel agent that was closed. So we called the agent, no answer. Then we asked a guard nearby who assured where the office was. Upon arrival it was open. We got the ticket and now we just had to pay. So off to four different banks before finding one to trade money (we should have gone there in the first place!) Then back to the office and secured the ticket! What an adventure, and I know God worked it all out for us.

Canada encounters and other happenings this week

When I first arrived here I could not understand why Suzy would forget the past. It seemedif she tried to remember what happened yesterday or the day before or maybe even the same morningshe had a hard time. Now I know, because I do the very same thing. So much happens here that once a day finishes and the sun sets in the western sky, it's gone. That's why I journal. Of course thereare special events and happenings that are easy to recall, but I sit down here to write the week'shappening and there is too much to write about or too little, but these are minor problems, Itry not to spend too much time fretting over it! This has been eventful week, it seems there won't be an uneventful week ever here. LaurenceJohnson our field director arrived here on Friday afternoon, to check out the project and go overproject planning and details with us. It's been really wonderful to have someone to connect withand discuss over spiritual and practical issues. He was a pastor for 13 years in the UK beforethis position, so he has the experience and knowledge to help greatly. Since there are two missionaryteams right now in Africa (Mali and Benin), as the rest are on furlough or fundraising, we were hissecond stop. On Sunday night we went out to eat at a very neat restaurant. It is built likea traditional tata. The huts in the villages are the orginial, orginal. The ancient homeswere tatas and they are like a cave inside and have a little wood ladder to the roof. They have thickwalls. It was really neat, we ate on the terrace however because in the tata is a bit hot and crowdedfor our amount of people. Manny is also here now and he has been adjusting very well. He has commited greatly to learning French and is progressing fast. He practices with all the young people that pass by the houseand church members at church programs. He also helps the students with spanish and english. Soonwhen he gets a good grip on the language he will start medical work among the people here inthe form that will most feasible and suitable. But even while he doesn't do this medical work,hehas teaching the pathfinders how to play the recorder, helping with Suzy's travels to differentgroups near here, sharing household duties like cooking, dishes, and playing with the kids. For meI have been blessed to have someone to share with and pray with everyday. Together we work on languagelearning which helps him learn to speak and me build my vocabulary! It has been amazing to be around the people here and the amazing way God works. This pastI had an amazing contact with a non-local, well several actually. I went to the internet cafewith Manny and entering in there were about four white kids my age working on the computers. I'll admit I have developed a fear of foreigners here. Hey don't laugh, I want to put all energiesinto working with the people here, so I worry if I say hello to someone who is like me, I mightget to know them and loose focus. It's not really a realistic fear, most ex-patriots don't mix,they are tourists, government workers, UN task force, peace corps, so all with different duties andprograms so they just don't cross paths much. We do have regular contact with other missionariesof many denominations in the area, but that's about it. Plus even in Canada I get nervous approachingstrangers in strange places, like at church I'll go up to anybody and say hello, but in a malland I think I should talk to someone, oh boy! Well I glance at one of their computers and he wason a canadian website, I could see the red maple leaves. Well now I had to talk to him. So I musteredup the courage and asked, he said he was from Canada. I told him what town I was from and he wasamazed, he lives in a city twenty minutes from me and the other two girls with him where from 10 minutesaway! The whole municipality in one cafe in the north of Benin! They had been volunteering in another part of West Africa, and were touring through West Africa before heading home. We wishedeach other well and I gave them my blog and email. So perhaps they are reading this. I pray yourtrip went well and God bless!!! It really was interesting to meet them, a little lift from God duringthe week. Manny and I had an interesting encouter this week with a lizard. I call the little guy theignorant lizard, more because of our ignorance not its. We were going to fill up our water withour couple buckets but one of them had a lizard inhabitant. He must have fallen in and couldn'tclimb out. We were like cool, a lizard. I was even wondering to myself how I could cage him andkeep him as a pet, might be interesting. Manny thought to trying to give it water by sprinkelingwater on it. Our landlord saw us and came over to see. He looked in surprise at the creature. Informing us that this kind of lizard was poisonous like a snake, he has a bad bite. Well we quickly got rid of it.So know that you think we pick up everything in site and are probably on the brink of danger everyday, it'snot true. But now we will certainly be more careful. In one of the children's stories I shared I toldthe children God protects us even when we aren't too smart, but we should do all we can to besmart and not take unneccessary risks. It seems I am learning from my own story! Thank God for His protectionand for giving us a brain as well, I'll try to use it more! Church this week was packed, some visitors, but it seems everyone was able to come was more ofthe reason. The French choir sang and I was able to sing too, since I had practiced for a month with them. They didn't do it like we do. The choir shared eight songs inbetween Sabbath school andchurch service. Standing not in front of everyone but to the side, standing in front of their respectivepews. I thought that was nice, instead of the choir physically being the focus, the song and wordstook precedence, and also people felt better to join in when it was not like a "performance". Tome it seemed more like we shared music than just performed for an audience. I appreciate thatidea.

Changes

This is quite comical, but it appears when I added this one I copy the wrong file. I usually cut and paste from notepad, I pasted an email from someone instead of the blog, I will try to post "changes" later.
thanks the management

Okay here's the real thing:
Making Sense of it all Just a little thought I have been having over the last few weeks. I am glad to write this blog and putpics up online, but I am sorry that you do have to miss out on some of the best parts. Whileyou may see, read, imagine, and if I ever get video online, listen to, you'll never smell, taste,touch. Well maybe not every, maybe some of you have already been to Africa or will in the future. Butyou know you miss out on experience. Some smells are worth it, like after the rain, or the smell of roastingpeanuts or rice and spicy sauce. Other smells are different, like moutard (or mustard) a spicethat usually knocks my nostrils out at the market, if I get caught in a traffic jam by thatstuff, I am thinking, could you please go before I barf! But I am getting used to it. Touch isinteresting, you certainly have a more intimate experience with food when you used your handsinstead of a fork. Whether the sauce is slimy, oily, or full of veges, it all adds to the experience.So if it's hard to make sense of it all, maybe if you could use all sences, would help.
JAm PackedThis week has been a full, busy, and I would say rewarding week. Good news is that Manny has finallyarrived, he is my fellow student missionary and will be doing health work here in Natitingou and the surrounding villages. After three months of solo student missionary, it is very pleasant to have a roommate and comarade to chat with. He is excited to learn and is already picking upmuch French with his Spanish language skills he has already. Pathfinders has been getting better. The younger ones are really started to focus and we getalot more done. I praise God for that. They are eager to learn and love to play! We played frisbee foralmost an hour on Sunday. Last Sabbath, I was able to preach my first sermon in French. It was avery happy time. I thanked God He got me through and I could sense His spirit working. The translatorfor Dittimari was able to understand all my French so I was glad for that. I preached on the topicof Thanksgiving, and the story of the ten lepers with only one returing to Jesus It was actually I was planning on giving in September but every SabbathI was to preach something came up, so I finally got the chance and I told the congregationthat I was glad to have three months practice before sharing. I was also able to give the sermonfor the Wed, and Fri night meetings based on chapters from Desire of Ages, two very powerfulchapters on Matthew 24 and the goats and sheep from Matt 25. Manny arrived Thursday night by the way.Along with Uli and Toussant the other missionaries here on the Ottamari project. So our teamis back together now and our field director will be here soon as well, so the whole thing willreally get going! Praise God.Had an interesting encounter this week with a young lady. I was supposed to be doing a Bible studynear my house, but the people weren't there, so as I waited a young lady came by and asked if Icome to her house to have prayer and share some Bible verses. I was happy to, but kindly askedif her husband was home, she said yes, and he was. The interesting part was twofold. First the husbandwas someone I knew well, not from conversation but more from confrontation. He is Leon and the firsttime I went to a Bible study at that place, he came in drunk out his mind. He was much of a problem at first, but then he began to interupt the study, I had no problem, I would justwait to continue, but the people were fed up, so after he started getting upset cause no onewould listen they forced him outside, he came back, and they put him outside again, by this time he was livid. And behind the building he shouted and waved his arms, I could see him throughthe window. I was a little nervous, but being in good company I did not feel threatened by oneguy. Well her husband is Leon, whom since then I have never seen that drunk again. The lady, Suzanne,told me she'd like me to pray for them and she had some question. We prayed and then I askedwhat she'd like to ask, and what kind of things she was interested in so we continue study at latertimes. In the conversation she asked my religion, I said Adventist. She was happy. She went intoher room and came back out with an amazing picture. Her baptism by the Adventist Pastor who is in charge of the north of Benin! When was this I asked. She said about two years ago. But shejust can't figure out why she doesn't feel like going to church anymore! How God leads! No Bible study but here I was to contact a lost church member. I talked with Suzy about her and she saidthey had simply lost her, she had gone to some other village or something. A church lady hadbeen visiting her again, so hopefully she'll come back soon, I said I would visit her and herhusband as well. Since then her husband has become much more friendly. On Sunday he warmly greeted me on thestreet and invited me to stop by and see some of the friends we mutually know. I was glad.Oh and Fidard is doing better, because of the business of the week, I haven't seen him muchbut last time I was there he was repentent, and I encouraged him a verse from Ezekial 36, whereGod promises to replace our heart of stone and replace it with a heart of flesh. I read it to him but I knew it applied to me just and as much and us all indeed!
Thanks A Givin'Just a littl note. I went with Suzy and another friend to Tanguieta on Thursday for good ole AmericanThanksgiving. There are a number of American missionaries in the north that do a lot of language translation and such. The families house we went to is with a group called Ministryof Jesus, and they run a Bible and Agricultural school just outside of town. We had a wonderfultime together and the whole day was capped off with Manny's arrival and meeting Toussant and Ulifor the first time.
Culture NumbRecently be going through a bit of culture shock. It's less like shock and more just like going numbfor me. I really haven't exploded. Just get annoyed, I am so far pretty good at controlingemotions, just these little things that tick me. Mostly as I mentioned in "The Game", just bugs me when I am consider white and not a man. Many people are nice, but there is still this barrier, but I can see as I live here more, people are beginning to see I do not fit the normalwhite stereotype, that I live like they live, that I want to be African. I'll admit sometimes it'sactually funny, like when my friend came over yesterday. We were just going to visit before he goeson a trip to Cotonou to makes some extra money for a few weeks. He came with his wife, whom whenhe spoke to Manny in English called his sister, so I am not sure if it's bad translation by himor if it is his sister. Anyway we had fried igname for him. And he tried some and then pronouncedthat we had not done a great job and that his wife/sister could come over later and help us learn properly. Well I didn't know what to think. I was kinda offended at first, I thoughtman you could just not eat it, you don't have to tell me it stinks. But he was onlysaying it with my best interest, so it could slide. The he asked if I had some drinks. I had alreadyoffered him water, and so I told him again that's what he had. He thought that wasn't toogreat. I of all people should have some drinks. That was funny. He thought I would have thosethings but we are living without such luxuries as pop (soda) and juice for the most part. But laterhe concentated for water. Well the rest went well, and we prayed for his voyage and bade him farewell!So while it can be wearing in a new culture it can be humorous if you look at it right.