Safe and sound

I just arrived this afternoon safe and sound in Toronto. The flights were very usual, no great
turbulence or anything. I am just so thankful for the opportunity I have to back here to visit my family and friends. I met a guy at Paris who was heading home from another West African county. We talked about culture shock and he confirmed, what many say, that sometimes coming back to the West is worse than leaving. Well it has only been a few hours for me, so I do not sense much yet, other than that the internet is super fast and I am overloaded by all that I can do at once, but that really is a good thing! Well I will try to give a few entries on my home leave, but as it seems I may be busier here than out in the field!

Fly Away Home

I hope I haven't infringed any copyright laws with using that title but it is fitting! On Tuesday night I'll be inone the big metal birds flying my way (well God's laws of physics will cause the plane to fly and I'll simply ride along)to the north country of Canada. After 11 months in Africa, I expect great shock and wonder and cold to come. Eventhough it will be August, but who knows. These last few days of packing and running around have been tiring, butsoon I will have a chance to chill, figuratively and maybe literally as well! I have seen from the three times ofmoving from house to house in Benin that I can know just how deeply rooted by relationship with Jesus is on moving days!All the stress and unknown at times, without putting my life in the hand of my Creator, I am really in deep water!(well that goes for any day really) I am not too excited about flying. But I know that stastically its saferthan driving (especially compared to driving in AFrica!). Anywho, I have been also saying good-bye to many friends.Though it is a parting we hope to see each other again when I return after some weeks at home. I really want to sharewith you about Fidard. He is doing so much better. He is never drunk and he says there is peace at home more and more.He tells me that he just can't describe the change that has come over him! I am so glad and humbled. All I'vedone is prayed and shared a little of God's love and counsel, and look at the wonderful results. With the crammedschedule of this last month we did not start the Bible studies but he is looking forward to doing so uponmy return. Well thanks again for you prayers and God bless.

Investiture Fun

We had out investiture on July 25. Pastor Simon, our mission director for Pathfinderscame up from Savalou, and did some training with the youth, and on Sabbath for churchwe did an investiture program. It was real swell, although stressful. Since I was the onethat taught all the pathfinders for the year, it was hard to see them be tested and suchbut they came out great, and all eleven were invested plus three adventurers. Theywere pretty nervous at first, well actually most of the time. But what they didn't knowfor investiture they studied during the few days and came out great. It was a greatprivilege to know that despite frustrations, failings, and hardship, God used meto help the church establish its youth program. Already other adults are looking at taking up the reigns of the youth work. Please pray as I work to hand over the club to the local leaders.

Low Patience

Manny and I are coming down to the last two weeks of our time in Benin for now. I plan to return, but still it is an interesting time. I have noticed my patience wearing thin. For the past months I have been kindly dealing with all the misconceptions that people have of white people here, as well as the harsh realities of behaviors in the people. The people really are wonderful they just are well, lost! It is easy to see why anger, jealously, immorality are so prevalent. People need the Lord, as my good friend (I wish) Steve Green would say. Even now as I type outside the office, there is loud music playing in a language I cannot understand, and that's not the frustrating part, it is the annoying African pop music with no point and rythm of about two notes repeating over and over. Yesterday playing soccer I got stern with some of the young boys playing. The goalie missed a shot and the other team scored a goal, and the other team made fun of him. I immediately shot back with a comment that they might have done the same place. They maybe thought I was not serious. But I continued sternly that I really do not like mockery, and they should stop, how would they feel? They went silent, and one kid said, that I was right. We actually did not have as much making fun of others after that. I wondered if that was the right approach, I certainly was stern, but not shouting, and tried to show an example by encouraging everyone even when they did mistakes. The harder part is dealing with the misconceptions. People ask for things. After pathfinders yesterday, a guy was walking behind me as I headed home. Arnold one of the church kids was with me holding my nalgene water bottle. The guy asked if I had something to give him. I didn't even know who he was. I breathed deeply and said I did have something a handshake! He laughed but was not impressed. He said how about the bottle it is food in it right? No just simple water. I felt like pouring some on him to prove the point. But he relented and I turned to my house and he continued on. I told Arnold how little effort people put it. At least the guy could try to befriend me and then as our friendship grows I may out of the bonds of our relationships give him something in appreciation. But that would be too much work. For now, I just have to: "Say oh, and let it go." (I read that in one of Suzy's old "Country" magazines)

High Jump for Dumbies

The tension was building. The new white guy was going to show everyone how to do the high jump. It was pretty exciting, no one knew exactly what would happen. They warned him that the sand was pretty hard, but he seemed confident enough that they thought maybe he could do it and escape injury. Everyone cleared out and with great anticipation waiting. The young man traced his way back from the high jump rope in a large sweeping circle. Then with great concentration he made his approach. His technique was not exactly Olympic perfection but quite nice looking, even at the low height of the jump. He landed squarely on his upper back. He looked up stunned for a moment. Everyone kind of held their breath, more or less suppressing all out laughter. He got up slowly smiling and wincing a bit. He had avoided a real back breaking perfomance, so to speak. He made light of the situation and everyone had a good laugh. He jokingly remarked that at least now if another white person tried to show the "proper" jump technique, they could now say that another dumb white guy did, and it was not fun.
As you may have guessed by now, I am the dumb white guy (not all the time, but in this case yes). I really did do a good jump, but somehow I thought the sand was a bit softer! In our initiation week in April we looked at a different aspect of prayer every day. The first day was the Lord's prayer, I remember going over the line "And deliver us from evil". We mentioned how sometimes evil things happen to us beyond our control and we ask God to protect us. In my case I was keenly reminded how God protects us from evil that is because our own dumb mistakes! Manny and I were discussing my now funny but nonetheless sobering incident and he remarked that we only have two weeks left here and the Devil surely wants to mess it up. We need to be on our guard against temptation and dumb mistakes, and for the rest of the uncontrollables continually rely on God in prayer and trustful obedience.

What's on the menu?

Food somehow has become such an intergal part of our universe really. I suppose rightly
so, on earth we need it live. But in even in Heaven the grand entrance of the saints is welcomed
by a banquet feast. Thus appetite is important. Jesus' first temptation in the wilderness
was based upon appetite. Culture in our societies around the world is deeply intertwined with
the food eaten. This is all just to say that I finally got around to writing down what we ate for a week
(thanks to Uli for the idea, she did this on her blog, call me copycat if you'd like). I know many people
wonder about it. So here goes!
Sunday:
Breakfast: Leftover spaghetti from Sat. night, fried with tomato paste and onions
Lunch (or Diner if you prefer): Boiled yams and sweet potatoes, with tomato sauce
Supper (again or Diner if you prefer!): Tomato flavoured rice with leftovers from lunch (you'll
see leftovers as a common theme, we can only keep things for a day without having a
fridge)
Monday
Breakfast: Leftover rice with added seasonings
Lunch (or Diner if you prefer): Lentil/Onion soup (lentils we got in Cotonou, a real treat)
Supper (again or Diner if you prefer!): Lunch reheated
Tuesday
Breakfast: Fried spaghetti and hibsucus water
Lunch (or Diner if you prefer): Rice with tomato/onion sauce
Supper (again or Diner if you prefer!):Leftovers
Wednesday
Breakfast: Corn/ wheat flour pancakes with milk (powder milk)
Lunch (or Diner if you prefer):Brown Bean/ lentil/ yam stew, delicious!
Supper (again or Diner if you prefer!): Refried stew
Thursday
Breakfast: Spaghetti with cabbage/onion/tomato sauce
Lunch (or Diner if you prefer): Fried spaghetti
Supper (again or Diner if you prefer!): Tapioca soaked mixed with powder milk and sugar (try it so good)
Friday
Breakfast: Corn/Wheat pancakes
Lunch (or Diner if you prefer): Watché (beans and rice) with fried onion/ peanut butter sauce
Supper (again or Diner if you prefer!): Refried watché and leftover pancakes
Sabbath (I happened to fasting eating only simple foods as I was praying on certain subject during meal times)
Breakfast: Fruit
Lunch (or Diner if you prefer): Some pancakes fruit
Supper (again or Diner if you prefer!)(fast over): Fried dough like an enchalada, and fried onions
With many meals especially breakfast I might eat a few oranges, bananas, or mangoes, whatever is in season
and maybe suck a few lemons too.
Hope you enjoyed the menu!

Liberation Noise

Actually we have been very blessed thus far in Benin. After ten months, I have never had to
go ask people to turn down their music at night. During there are few times I would have
but there is less jurisdication for that. But the hour finally came. Last Friday night (July 9)
behind our house was a party for a liberation. It is actually to celebrate liberation from
being an apprentice. A young man or woman has completed some apprenticeship and is
ready to head into the work force. And it is all right behind our house and
right outside Manny's window. It went until 3 or 4 in the morning! Until finally a neighbor
told them to be quiet. The law actually is that it cannot go past midnight, but law is in the
eye of the beholder perhaps. By Sabbath night we did not want to repeat sleeplessness. (Well
I slept since my room is blocked by Manny's, poor guy.) So we thought before we call the cops
at midnight at least we can talk to them. Well around 7:15 pm the power cut so went out to
talk. We asked for the man of the house and girl took us in a room and started waking up this
guy passed out on the ground, I really did not want to talk to someone who couldn't stand on his
own feet from drunkenness. But a replacement was found, another man of the house. We told him
our issue nicely and said we'd like to keep the cops out it. Then as we were finishing the power came on
and another man came and started talking. He said very emphatically that no one could stop their party
not even the president of Benin. Well we just restated that we were asking for a favor out of decent
human respect. The guy was not convinced and we left without letting him finish. We'd said
what we needed. I asked our landlord if he was going to call the police. He said he would if needed.
Equipped with earplugs, Manny and I did sleep. Then next morning I asked the landlord what
happened, he said he sleeping, apparent he can sleep through Mount St. Helens if needed. But his
wife who was up with their baby daughter all Friday night, said at Midnight exact they cut the
music. I really am happy about the story. I shared it with the pathfinder kids. Around the world
people get made really fast. If one just takes the time and effort to do all in peace as much as possible
a lot of stife could be avoided!