Live from Natitingou

Hello Jungle friends, live from Natitingou, it's New Year's Eve! On tonight's program we have a baby being "kidnapped", lots of comedy and singing, staying upuntil 3 AM, food for everyone, and whole crowd of strangers, so let's get started!First the night starts off with the arrival of Eric, Manny, Suzy, and the whole crew of children from the quarter at the church. Suzy brought a whole bunchof people from the group started in one of the nearby villages to celebrate with the church, a great way for them to connect to and see other believers. They are still very young in the faith! As everyone waits, Eric takes up a friendly and somewhat dangerous game of redlight, greenlight, with the children usinga flashlight (there is an outside light on the church). In the midst of the games, Suzy calls everyone for some questioning, seems a baby has disappearedwith a woman of no fixed identity. The children did see her, but no one recognized her. Even the regular church members. A kidnapping, maybe, a way Satanwanted to ruin the evening, definitely. So the group prays. And the hunt continues, finally someone remembers she saw a church member leave to get food. Itmay be her. And indeed it is her, she wanted to help the mother so she took the baby to sleep on her back (the mother had let her actually, oops). So thisiss followed by great clapping and rejoicing among all. In a little the food is ready but concerns for quantities arouse, so Eric and church deacon Basileare off to find 2000 francs of corn cakes, securing the cakes they return and begin the joyous feast. Turns out there is more than enough, another loaves andfishes if you ask me. Following the filling of belly's the adults separate for their sermon and prayer and the children run somewhat chaotically to therelocale for their program. After songs, there is verse memorization (james 4.7) and other activities, the topic is Satan's snares in the occult, and the childrenwrap what they can of their brains around the ideas presented. Then the big program, MC'd by Eric, well more like tied together like a sinking ship by Eric.He has a great program but the participants add skits, subtract songs, and are rarely ready on time. But no worries, everyone is enjoying themselves immensefully.The best skit is, in my books, given by the children. It's called jumping rice. In French sautee sounds like jump, and without sounds the same as 100. Thusthe skit is that a man asks his servant to make sauteed rice for his wife without pepper. The servant makes the rice jumps over it several times and adds 1,2,3... 100peppers! And this is obviously disasterous, including the firing of the servant, and the near death of the wife! There were songs and even some traditional dances(well prepared ahead of time to be sure they had no pagan conatations). The program closes at 1:30AM, with remaining stragglers holding onto their eyelids andready for bed. But it was enjoyed by all! The best part was the visit of Fidard, who Eric had not seen in a while until the day before. He came with most of the children in tow, a real blessing to have them be there! Well that's all for today's broadcast, catch the story next, we have no idea what it will be!