Cleaning Beans

Cleaning Beans
There are many tasks that have challenged me in Benin, from Pathfinders, to bush taxi travel to spending three days sitting with an old guy I couldn’t talk to, but there is one that I am deathly afraid of, you guessed it, cleaning beans. Beans here are usually small whitish ones, that turn light burn when cooked, I don’t their official name. Before you cook them, you have to go through them and take all the bad beans. I used to let Manny do that, he didn’t seem to mind, although I helped once in a while. It’s tedious for sure. I bought some beans like two months ago, and finally decided to face my fears. I had company coming on Sabbath and set down to clean those beans. I barely got through a pile and my neck hurt and my back. I sit in one chair with the pile of beans on another, then with a bowl in between my knees I clean the beans, a bit tough labor yes (hey if you know a better way let me know). Well I have a bucket full several kilos, but only did what I needed for the next day, maybe one kilo, and it took an hour and fifteen minutes about!
I have been reading the life of James O. Fraser pioneer missionary to the Lisu people of central China called “Mountain Rain” by Eileen Crossman Fraser. He once wrote:
“The temptation I have often had to contend with is persistent under many forms; ‘If only I were in such and such a position’ for example, ‘shouldn’t I be able to do a great work! Yes, I am only studying engineering at present, but when I am in training for missionary work things will be different and more helpful.’… Or’ Well, here in the training home, all my time must be given to language study- how can I do missionary work? But when I am settled down in my station and able to speak freely, opportunities will be unlimited!’ etc.,etc.
It is all if and when. I believe the devil is fond of those conjuctions…The plain truth is that the Scriptures never teach us to wait for opportunities of service, but to serve in just things that lie next to our hands… The Lord bids us work, watch and pray…
Since the thing things that lie in our immediate path have been ordered by God, who shall say that one kind of work is more important that the other.” (pg. 28)

Very thought provoking and moving!

These past few weeks I have struggling over a decision, whether to leave a little early or not. I have been dealing with emotional and mental issues that had me questioning whether I should stay or not. In the end I decided to head home the end of January, a little earlier than the original beginning of April. It is not an easy decision, but a necessary one for my long term health. Don’t anybody worry, I am not on the verge of collapse, but see this as an opportunity for prevention of future problems as much as it for healing. I can only praise God for how He has been able to get things done here. The Pathfinder club is getting along well, they have several people who will sustain it after my departure, and the culture study research is wrapping in the next month. I will be continuing to write and compile at home for the cultural scrapbook, so I won’t be necessarily be giving up my post entirely. Though this does mean my time with AFM will come to a close officially. I am heading out on January 21 to Cotonou and flying to France for a small visit on the 24th, then home on February 8. So much is left to do in this last month, and I look forward with dread (is that possible) to see friends and family, but the dread of leaving all my wonderful new friends here! Thank you always for you prayers. It thus has helped me thinking of James words, I know that what God has put in path here in Benin, from cleaning beans to counseling and praying for a broken marriage, has been all sacred work, and I am confident He’ll be leading me on His path in the future too.