I'll be praying for you

Suzy, Uli, and I (FYI: from now in this entry to be known as “we”) are always on the lookout these days for contacts. Now for penpals, or outer space messages, but cultural insiders, those who can give us the scoop. We are drying up on them. All the friends we have we used quite sufficiently, and it seems it is not what you know but who you know! But good things for friends who have friends! If we have a friend who has friends, then this connection can get us some needed information. One block is that there are some things that people will not share with outsiders, meaning those who have not done the ceremonies themselves. They will tell you all about sacrifices and work rituals and seasonal changes, but not the secrets, if they did, it’s not us they’d have to kill, it is them who would pay the price. But it is not like everything one may share is useless, they can share valuable insights. And praise God he has blessed us with a church member north of here that has been doing cultural research for years, and who is more than happy to help us as he can! Today I was supposed to go to a village with a friend, it was market day, a good time to talk to lots of people. But he had an errand to run in the morning, and promised to call me on his return. No call! I was frustrated, but realized I should pray for him, something bad could have happened on his travels! It is so evident how much more I need to pray because people don’t realize what they are doing. In other words, when I have a cultural insider, he or she is helping to give us information that will help to evangelize and bring Jesus to the heart of the Otammari people, something the Devil doesn’t want, so he will do all to distract or harm our contacts. They aren’t aware of this, and sometimes I can’t make them aware, lest they get upset that this is some religious cause, so I pray for them! How much we need prayer. I know how so many of you are praying for me and the project here! The difference it makes I can’t always see, because in reality there are so many storms God never lets me see, and I am glad about that.