I awake in the pitch blackness that is our nights here . . . Though the moon is shining bright and the sky is a wonderland of stars, there is NO ambient lighting from artificial sources. We see as God first allowed humans to see, in dusky barelight. It is enough.
The rain pounding on our sheet metal roof has woken me, the sound is deafening, and I think of our clothes hanging out on the line, rained on for the second night. Mold. Yuk. Where is that dry season we’re supposed to be having? Then, remembering the two foot long snake that crossed the path in front of me yesterday, I am thankful for the rain. The hot, dry weather draws out the snakes.
I sit outside still in darkness, cuddling Jessy, our two month old puppy. She was getting wet in the driving rain that was soaking half of our covered porch. She is beside herself with joy at this unexpected night time attention - her moans and growls of happiness make me laugh, freely, lightly. Thank you, Babwisi people, for teaching me to laugh.
The rain churns and gurgles and I hear it flowing down noisily into our water barrel. The water lines here have been having some momentary issues, and I am more grateful than I’ve been before for our access to clean water to drink and abundant stored water for bathing, cooking and cleaning. Meanwhile, those who travel to and from Congo must carry water in fear that the taps they find along the way will be empty or unsafe.
And what about food? There is speculation that there will be a serious food shortage in this region within the next few years. The most valuable cash crop here is cocoa, which takes three years to mature to begin production. So many people are investing into cocoa, that many believe soon we won’t have enough food produced to feed our local people. Even right now, much of our food comes in from Congo, or in the case of vegetables, eggs - from over the mountain. It’s hard to make any money selling carrots and rice, and since the culture is moving farther and farther away from subsistence tribal economy, people need to find a way to make money.
As a World Harvest Mission team, our purpose is to “lay down our lives to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ through teaching, healing and equipping”. We are primarily a holistic ministry team - meaning that we focus on lifestyle evangelism through meeting of felt-needs rather than on overt and specific pastoring, evangelism and church planting. The going is slow anyway you approach it. We know that Jesus Christ has the power and authority to transform both individual lives and entire cultures . . . We wait on Him.
I feel anger towards the suffering I see around me. Children who come to my yard every day skinny, malnutrived and not able to run or think well. How to help in those cases where the parents are not really interested in caring for the children?? I can give some small daily food to the children, but really they need a complete change in diet, in access to food, medicine and water. They need bandages for their wounds so they don’t turn into huge, tropical ulcers. They need, most of all, to be told they are loved, precious, valuable. That their circumstances are what they are, but that they can still be children of the King. My heart aches for them and revolts at the impotence of my own reactions. Even here, we can feel what difference do I make?? My anger and sadness does nothing help them, nothing to suage their pain.
God, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth . . . . Have mercy, God. We know you do have mercy, help us to trust your plan for this broken world and the perfect fulfillment of your timing.