Kontah-Makelben Day 7 Part II

After church on Sunday, we came back to Kontah for lunch.  While we were waiting, one Pa (one man in the village) came to us to say that they think it is unfair to have all the teachings in Makelben when its them hosting us.  We explained that we were sorry, but we wanted less people to have to walk over from one village to the next and since Makelben is at least 5 times bigger that is why we are having it there.  We did promise to start walking from Kontah to Makelben each evening with anybody that wanted to come.


While its never fun to be misunderstood and unintentionally make people feel excluded, its awesome that the people in Kontah are so open and receptive to the Good News that they are jealous to hear more of it.  We pray for more workers (specifically Sierra Leoneans that speak Themne) to work in these parts.


After lunch the Courtneys left and we got ready for the soccer team. I was hoping Aden would sleep during the soccer game because he was having trouble sleeping earlier because church had been loud with people clapping and singing.  But if anyone has been to a soccer game in an African or Latin country, it is anything but quiet.  The game was Kontah v Makelben in the Makelben field (another thing Kontah was upset about... they had wanted the game to be in the Kontah field)


At first I sat by the kids and then realized that was a mistake (they were all hyped up even before the game started).  I did see one boy that had a shirt one that said "Everybody loves a German Girl" and it made me laugh to myself.  I then decided to sit on a stump under a tree.  Somebody brought me a chair to sit in.  I was kind of off by myself and I was thinking "Ok, good, its quiet and Aden can fall asleep."  But once the game started people migrated towards me and toward the action of the game.  I had John Barry move my chair again.  Just as it was getting quiet, some young adult female friends of mine came to love on Aden.  My plans for him to fall asleep were yet foiled again!


I didn't want to be rude but I flet a bit smothered for me and my baby as this group of girls were fawning over him.  Everyone knows a baby that doesn't sleep well or misses a nap makes for a grumpy baby.  So I just left on a walk down the nearby bush wearing Aden on my front.  After a bit, he fell asleep and I decided to walk back to Kontah.  John made one of his well drillers walk back with me... it was James.  It was nice because I could practice my Krio with him.  We talked about his family (most of which are back in Liberia).  He seemed a bit easier to understand that some people when they speak Krio.  I have a harder time understanding John Barry and Ernest when they speak Krio.  They don't seem as clean in their enunciation whereas James, Abdul, and Kaprie enunciate better.

When John and the boys got back (their team lost 8-9) I took a quick bush shower and then had a few pieces of Robin's delicious banana bread that she left for me for dinner.   For some reason I was quite tuckered out and fell asleep around 7:45.  It was a good but long day.

I Ate Monkey

We were served monkey while visiting one of our churches in Ronurie... and I ate it!

source

I only ate one piece though because I had done some research into eating monkey and found that it is one of the most likely theories of the first transmission of HIV.  It was okay... the flavor definitely not my favorite compared to the other bush meat I've eaten or maybe I had a bias with the foreknowledge that I was eating a primate. John had multiple pieces and really enjoyed it.  For me... it was more like a bucket list item "ok, I did it... I ate monkey."

Konta-Makelben Day 7 Part I

Another long day that I decided to split up in between two posts...
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We slept in a little today because we weren't going to work on a Sunday and had a later breakfast.  I knew that Chad was planning to come to preach at the church we were starting.  Mid-morning he called and said "we are on our way." I got excited and told John, "call him back and find out who 'we' are!"  Apparently the whole family was coming! I couldn't wait to see Robin and the kids... to have them join with me in what I was doing and how I had been living... if even for a day.

While we were waiting for them to arrive, we were talking and learning from Pastor Abdul more Themne words.  As he was describing certain words, I guffawed a few times because they were clearly bad words in English.  For example... house and tree.  He was telling us how to say house (which sounds a whole lot like the four letter 's' word in English).  I tried to repeat it the same as Pastor Abdul was saying it, but there must have been some slight nuance in the pronunciation that I was not picking up on and he was really trying to help me say it right.  So he would say it, then I would say it and again and again we would go, but it all sounded like the 's' word to me.  Both John and I couldn't keep a straight face.  We told Pastor Abdul while we were laughing and he, too, thought it was funny.

My Krio has been improving a little bit as well (or in Krio... "I talk Krio bettha small small") while living with the well drillers day in and day out.  I noticed something funny about the language... whenever there is a 'sk' or 'sc' sound at the end of an English word, in Krio it is switched in pronunciation.  Ask becomes "aks, or axs" (like ebonics), mosque becomes "moks" and disc becomes "dics."

Right on time Chad and his family arrived.  We all drove to Makelben for the service.  There were a decent number of people that showed up... at least 40 adults and 60-70 kids.  Some shared their testimonies.  most were telling us how excited they were that we were there and they are with us now, etc., but there was one lady who talked about how her life has been changed by the messages and teaching that she had listened to.  Those are the things we like to hear.  Life changes when you accept Jesus.

Chad spoke on loving your enemy, blessing and praying for those who hate and curse you, and turning your cheek if someone hits you.  The ideas Chad spoke on seemed somewhat revolutionary to these people as ways they can now respond to those they argue with.  We have seen lots of fighting between people since we've been here and I hope and pray that this community really takes hold of these teachings of Jesus.

One funny thing to note was that in the middle of the service all of the kids started to get up and scream.  We were wondering what was going on? Apparently there was a snake that had dropped down the tree that we were all getting shade from.  The locals got rid of the serpent and church continued on as if nothing had happened.

Konta-Makelben Day 6

I woke up in the middle of last night and early morning with some stomach issues.  I'll spare you all the details but I, unfortunately, got to know the squatty potty fairly well.  My stomach was gurgling every time I laid  back down.  I got out a book and a head lamp and parked myself outside of our tent in the screen room so I wouldn't have to keep getting up.  After about an hour and half or so, I was able to lay back down and sleep.  I woke up the next morning feeling much better.  I do hate using the squatty potty at night because I worry I am going to fall in! The squatty potty in Konta is particularly nice because it is super deep.  It is basically a thick concrete slab with a triangle cut out of it.  And whatever you do... don't look down the triangle! Well, at least I didn't, John told me he did. 

The next well trip we go on, I want to bring a toilet seat and dig a deep hole.  A small part of me likes the 'squatty position' because I know its a healthier position.  I read somewhere that the reason America has as much hemorrhoids and colon diseases as it does is because we don't squat when we... well you know.  It puts undue strain on the rectum and prevents complete bowel emptying.  But that is neither here nor there.  Despite liking to do the 'healthier thing', a bigger part of me likes to sit down on a nice clean toilet seat, especially when I am having to spend a lot of time there (like last night).


As I feel like my attitude has had a breakthrough recently, so has the Makelben well.  They were able to get through the rock and hit water at 24'.  Yay!


The other well is getting some collapse since they were 17' under water.  They stopped around noon so the collapsing sand/clay could resettle.  Then on Monday, they will redig as deep as possible and case the hole quickly.  I went to go watch the Makelben well today where I got more free bananas and coconuts to eat! yum!

We left for the teaching in Makelben around 7 pm.  We showed a part of the Jesus film in Themne (they had yet to see the entire film in Themne... they had seen it only Krio if you recall).  The imam and some other *uslims came out from the mosque to watch it.  John did the teaching on the calling of the disciples and the Beatitudes.  After wards the people were asking to watch the entire film.  We decided to let it play.  We were happy to see that the imam and the other worshipers decided to stay and watch since it was in their heart language.  


John and I walked back to the other village because we had our guys who speak Themne to watch it and pack up after it is over.  The next day Pastor Abdul told us how the community got very angry with the Pharisees! I love it!

Aden's First Food

Interrupting the journaling to say that we gave Aden his first bites of real food when we got back from our trip..

Uh oh! No good he says! Well after a week and half of trying, he finally leans in and voluntarily takes a bite off the spoon.  Aden is still working out the nuts and bolts of swallowing but at least it doesn't disgust him anymore :)

Konta-Makelben Day 5 Part II

It was late afternoon and since Aden was already dirty (remember the palm oil incident?) I decided to give him a bath.  Usually at home, I bathe Aden in an inflatable ducky bath that he loves.  I decided not to bring it because I wanted to try to bring as little as possible on our trip.  I figured I would just use the large tub that we use for laundry.  I didn’t take into account that the tub is SUPER slippery and you really need two people if you want to give an infant a bath.  Well I decided to give it a go because I knew John may not be able to help with a bath this evening.  Aden didn’t enjoy his bath time because of the slipperiness and the cool water I used.  He was whining and slipping... I was trying to hold him up with one hand, washing his body with a washcloth and soap with the other, and then rinsing him with filtered water from a bottle.  (Note: we always wash Aden using filtered water because we don't want him getting dirty, fecal contaminated water in his eyes or mouth).

I began to get frustrated (yet again).  Isn’t John supposed to be around and available more often?  Didn’t he say we would get to spend more time together as a family? These are the thoughts that were swirling inside my brain as Aden voiced his discomfort and home was looking better and better.  Again, the vicious cycle of getting frustrated and then further upset at myself because at the first sign of annoyance or extra work and all I can think about is the easy life.

I talked to John about my feelings.  He understood where I was coming from and blames himself partially for not spending time with me.  He had said we would spend more time together, and we are, but not during the times that I really need him.  I appreciate him saying that but I also recognize that I am to find contentment in all circumstances.  John, lovingly yet truthfully (ouch!) points out that I am in not in a position of being in control of my surroundings, schedule, etc. which may be contributing to my frustrations.  Unfortunately it is true.  Relinquishing all control is hard for me.  I pray that there is more fruit produced by this trip (other than the Good News being shared) in my own life.

There is nothing like pushing you out of your comfort zone that makes apparent your current struggles and sin.  I am very thankful for having John.  He is a husband willing to give more and more of himself so my needs (and wants?) are met.  He, too, admits he can be a workaholic and struggles with wanting to be in control of the decisions regarding the well.  I appreciate his acknowledging that he is not perfect (because a lot of times I think he is).  I can also see how his hard work, getting dirty, and contributing to the manual labor needed to drill the well is a witness to the community.  He is not ‘the white man’ that makes the black man do all the hard work… he joins in there with them! It is a delicate balance though… work and family life.  We are to have balance in all things and hold all things with an open hand, everything except God.

John decides he will stay behind to watch camp (everybody has been taking turns) during that evening's teaching.  We hang out while the rest of the team goes to Makelben to teach.  John and I discuss things we can do better so we can do these trips more often.  Such a big part of me LOVES the comfort of home and the stability I find there, but another part of me knows the Great Commission the Lord has called us to.  I also know my role as a helper and supporter to John.  The inner turmoil I am experiencing is hopefully me going through refiner’s fire (Malachi 3) and coming out on the other end more like Christ.

Earlier in the evening, Kuti came to visit.  When I had first asked Kuti her name, she had told me it was Sompa Kuti.  I had thought Sompa was her first name and Kuti her last so I had been going around calling her Kuti.  Well later, one of the well drilling guys had told me that Sompa was a title given to the women who are the apprentices to the women that do the ritualistic female circumcision in these tribes.  I think a better word for it is female genital mutilation and it is, sadly, very common in these parts and not often discussed.  While some women see it as a rite into womanhood, others it is forced upon.  This practice is thankfully getting less common in Freetown but is still widely practiced ‘upline’ or ‘in the bush.’  Anyways, back to Kuti coming to visit us at the campsite… she was talking with Pastor Abdul in Themne.  He asked her if she was coming to Makelben for the teaching.   Kuti replied that she doesn’t go past the bridge that connects the adjoining villages because Makelben is full of “witches and wizards.”  Abdul asked her more about that and she said that the witches and wizards do weird things to the buried dead like burn them, sell the ashes for juju and perform other rituals on them.  She said she just won’t go there because of it.Kuti told us that many people bury their dead closer to town so the witches and wizards can’t get to them.   We told her that Jesus has power to overcome these witches and wizards and that he would protect her.  She still refused.

We had heard that in much of West Africa (where folk *slam is practiced) emphasizing and sharing the saving grace of Jesus Christ is not as effective as a ministry tool like it is in the U.S.  Instead, people are interested in the POWER of Jesus Christ to overcome the spiritual dark forces they are encountering.  I didn’t fully realize it till today.

Konta-Makelben Day 5 Part I

(Note… I divided day 5 into 2 parts because as I was writing it, I realized how long it was and was getting tired of reading such a long entry myself and would not want to force that on you all.  Without further ado…)

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This morning I brooked Aden’s diapers.  Throwing up 3 days worth of his cloth diapers (which is approximately 18 or so) on the line to dry made me feel super spoiled to have so many for Aden.  There were tons of babies around yet very little cloth diapers up to dry.  I have seen some legitimate cloth diapers on some babies.  Some have the old school cloths where you fold it over itself multiple times.  I saw one snap cover.  On the other hand, I have seen a baby with a lapa material (which is the local cloth that the women use as skirts or to tie their babies on their backs and has very little to no absorbancy) wrapped around her bum and then covered with a plastic baggie tied just so.  

I recognize that I have been a bit prideful in doing the cloth diapers.  To be perfectly honest, I probably would have done cloth diapers either way if I was living in the states or living here.  However, I felt on the inside that I was doing the ‘harder thing’ of cloth diapering as opposed to disposables, especially since I hand washed each one of them for the first 3 months we were here.  These moms are the true hard core moms.  They make do with so little and it truly humbles me.  It also seems as if all babies are potty trained by the time they are a year old or walking, maybe even sooner.  I’ve seen lots of kids ages 1-4 that don’t wear undies or diapers… they walk around the village ‘commando’.  I guess that’s one of the benefits of living in the bush, your kids can walk around naked and pee wherever.  I bet it makes them more cognizant of what they are doing.  I too am going to try to potty train Aden a bit earlier than is typical in America, but that is a topic for another post and I will keep you updated on how that is going. 

The Makelben well is going poorly.  They worked the entire day with little progress.  They’ve run up against a stone they call “iron stone.”  None of the tools are working on it.  They are thinking of having to move locations.  I spent much of the day watching as the men try to hammer and break up the rock they’ve run into without any luck.  As we watch the drilling, Aden is passed from person to person.  All the locals just LOVE him.  I am so thankful that he is happy to be held by anybody.

After work is over around 3:30 or 4, the men decide to play a game of soccer.  I got hungry and the local women had already brought food so I stayed to eat. After Aden’s afternoon nap, Aden and I played on John and I’s mattress.  One of the local women named Kuti came a callin’ from outside our tent.  “Apoto Apoto” which means white man.  I come say hi but then go back inside to play with Aden.  I like giving him some floor time so he can practice getting up on his hands and knees.  He loves it!  Soon another woman comes with my friend Kuti… I hear them when they “Apoto, Combra”  Which means white breastfeeding mother.  This time I bring Aden out to meet the other woman.  Her name was Fomata.  She was my exact same age (27) and had a baby girl born one month before Aden.  However, that one was her third pikin.   

 A picture of Kuti

As Fomata left, another women came to join us and took her turn at holding Aden.  One thing that I had to get used to quick is the dirtiness of women’s hands here.  Often it is dirt or other grime that tends to get on his face and clothes.  With this lady, it was palm oil!  All over his arm, legs, and diaper cover was the orangey oily liquid.  I just had to laugh as I took him back. 

Konta-Makelben Day Four

Every Morning we awake to the well drilling team singing worship songs and having a devotional time with prayer.  They prayed this morning for Aden and I’s health which I really appreciate considering I wasn’t feeling that good last night.  

Today I brooked the laundry.  I was able to get the hang of using a washboard although there is definitely a learning curve.  I also tried bending at the waist and having a flat back like the locals do while they brook and cook.  I definitely felt pretty sore the next 2-3 days in my back and in the back of my legs.

The Konta well got passed a rock they had worked all day on but seemed a little discouraged about opening up the hole wider in that rocky area.

The Makelben well passed through the rock they were working on but hit another at 22.

When we had originally spoke with the community about helping us cook, we asked that they only contribute one meal a day.  However, the ladies in both villages  have been cooking the men 1-2 extra meals/snacks every day.  The well drilling men are definitely not going hungry! 

I went with John today to watch the progress at the Makelben well.  It is really quite enjoyable to watch.  It’s like watching a battle… Men vs Earth.  When a rock presents itself… they bring out the heavy artillery to pound at it for sometimes hours until it breaks up into smaller pieces and can be picked out.  When gravel and clay mixed together make it hard to turn the auger, the men take turns to give themselves rest.  The battle is won when the men plow through enough of the earth to reach a sufficient depth under water that the well will not go dry during the dry season.

While watching the battle against rock #2, the community brought me fresh bananas to snack on.  They also cracked open a coconut for me to drink the water from and to eat the flesh.  I LOVE COCONUTS.  I truly feel like I am in a tropical paradise!

I did have a repeat of my discouraging day yesterday but to a lesser degree as Aden cried again before his nap for the whole village to watch.  (or not watch… I remind you that much of what the village mothers are thinking are probably amplified if not entirely made up in my mind).  I called John and he encouraged me that I have made a decision on how to put Aden down for naps and that I should stick with it and not care what others think.  I wish I cared less what others thought… a definite character flaw of mine that needs to be surrendered to God ASAP! Overall it was better today though because I was not ready to pack my bags.

We didn’t set up till later in the evening tonight… like 6:30.  We had noticed that less people come the earlier we start because they are finishing up their chores, dinner, etc.  Before the teaching Pastor Abdul asked if anybody wanted to share their testimony. 

Testimonies in Sierra Leone aren’t quite the same as they are in the states.  However, one guy got up to say that putting a well in their village is like giving them a million Leones (which would be comparable to us saying a million dollars).  Wow! That just blew my mind.  I was so thankful that God lets me be a part of bestowing that kind of blessing on others.  At the same time, it breaks my heart to an extent how needy these people are for water and how easy it has been for me to always have water.

John taught tonight on original sin.  Afterwards we invited questions again:

Question: Why are there two religions? 

Answer: (we did not bother explaining that there are a lot more than two religions haha) John first answered his question with another question… who made up religion? One guy answered “God.”  The community clapped for him assuming he got the right answer.  John gently corrected him that no, God did not make up religion but man did.  Each man unites himself with other people who believe the same thing.  He also asked if 1 + 1 = 2? And they said yes.  He said 1 + 1 cannot equal 3 or 4.  One + 1 is the truth… there is no other truth.  He then explained that religion is people searching for the truth.

As we drove home, we dropped off Pastor Abdul and some of the well drilling guys in the soccer field of Konta to set up to play the Jesus film in Themne.  We noticed people from Konta had not been walking the ¾ mile over to Makelben where we were teaching, so we decided to play it for them.  John and I didn’t stay for the showing since it is a full length movie (2 hours) in a language we don’t understand.  Pastor Abdul later told us the people were crying because Jesus didn’t do anything wrong.

Konta-Makelben Day Three

The Konta well hit water today at 27' and finished the day at 34'.

Here is some of the people clapping and cheering when we hit water!

The Makelben well hit rock at 14'.


Today Alleyo (one of the well drillers) did the morning dishes for me and helped clean up around camp... I was thankful.  I went with John over to Makelben because they were having trouble with that rock.  I am telling you... this well drilling is HARD WORK.  These men (including John) are doing back breaking labor.


I started getting a little bit frustrated (not AT Aden) but because he was having a hard time falling asleep while I was wearing him in my Ergo.  The people look at you like "why don't you just feed him" (although in Krio they call it "give him bohbie").  As his mom I knew that he was just getting fussy because he was tired and was having trouble falling asleep with all the stimulation.


A little while later we drove to Mathior (the small town that you turn off at to get to Konta-Makelben) to pick up the Jesus film in Themne.  We had found some people that had it that would let us borrow it for this trip. 


After that I took Aden back to the campsite to put him down for his next nap and he was crying for it.  I usually have no problem letting him cry for a bit before he falls asleep, but here in the campsite it was much much harder.  Maybe because the walls of the tent are much thinner, or because the ladies that make our food live right next to the campsite and them and their children are always around... or maybe its because Africans don't let their babies cry... they just 'give them bohbie'  His cries were really getting to me and I was feeling really judged as the some of the African women were staring at me to see what I was going to do.  The thing is is that I know Aden and I knew he was crying because he had had a really short nap earlier in the day and was cranky and really needed a good sleep.  Eventually he fell asleep even as I would go check on him so that I wouldn't look like a heartless mom that just lets her baby just cry the day away.


While he was sleeping I started to get a stomach ache... I'm not sure if I was constipated due to the fear of using the squatty potty.  There is something about a bottomless pit of feces that I disdain from standing over and using if at all possible.  I knew I would have to make it work but I think in my fear, my stomach was suffering.  Aden's crying and my stomach problem as well as John being gone at the other well made me just want to give up at the whole 'camping in the bush' thing.  I wanted to be back at home where I could flush a toilet, where my feet were not covered in dirt 24-7, where I could shower in privacy and not have it open to the jungle and potential peeping Tom's, where Aden knew his crib and usually went to bed without crying and nobody would stare at me while he was crying.  I also felt like I was being a poor witness as 'the white girl who lets her baby cry it out.' And then my thoughts and emotions went wild from there... and maybe it was Satan telling me some lies.. "You can't hack it out here, why even try? Why are you here suffering like this? Go back home to the comfort... why stop there? Go back to America where you can have nice things... 24-7 electricity, fast internet, air-conditioning"  Albeit it to say, I was having a hard time and it was only day 3! Day 3!


I, too, wanted to go into the tent to cry it out just as my son was but I knew I would wake him up.  Otherwise I would have... seriously. I felt like a failure... a failure to God... a failure to John... He was really hoping this model of ministry would work for us as a family.  We'd spend more time together, share the Good News to people who haven't heard it, all while providing clean drinking water for people who didn't have it.  And I wanted to bail.  I knew I needed God to the rescue here... I had been reading and studying Isaiah of late and picked up where I left off and found comfort in these verses...


Isa 50:6  I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.
Isa 50:7  Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.
Isa 50:8  He who vindicates me is near. Who then will bring charges against me? Let us face each other! Who is my accuser? Let him confront me!
Isa 50:9  It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me. Who is he that will condemn me? They will all wear out like a garment; the moths will eat them up.


I found comfort in the fact that (although my struggle compared nothing to his and the actual judgement from the locals staring as Aden cried may have been real but was likely imagined on my part) Jesus offered his back to those who beat him.  He gave himself to those who would bring charges against him because he knew that the LORD who vindicates him is near.  And the LORD knows my intentions and my heart and they are only to raise my son the best I know how.  


After I called John and told him about my tough afternoon, I saw one of the moms or grandmothers start beating this 2-3 year old little girl on the legs for what seemed like 5 minutes as she was shrieking out in pain.  I'm not sure why she was doing this (bad behavior?) but it made me realized that our cultures raise children differently.  I would never beat my child like that, and they would never let their baby cry in his crib.


For dinner, the Konta community made John and I a special sauce to go with our rice.  I'm not sure what was different about it?  Originally I thought that maybe they took all the bones out of it so the meat would be easier to eat but after I ate it I wasn't so sure because there was still a lot of bones.


Pastor Abdul led the teaching that night on Creation.  He particularly highlighted the differences in the creation story that the *uslims believe.  At the end of the night, Abdul led an 'alter call,' a time where people could give their lives and hearts to Jesus.  John had previously told Abdul to maybe do that at the end of our time there but I don't think Abdul could help himself.  Regardlessly, we had about 4 adults and 60 kids accept Jesus as their Savior.  John asked if they had any questions.  One guy responded that they didn't and "we are Christians now, we are with you!"  Only time will tell whether these seeds of the gospel have fallen on good soil or whether on rocks or thorns or develop into plants without roots.


I woke up in the middle of the night feeling sick... I assumed it was some local food I ate.  After a little while I laid back down and woke up in the morning feeling better. 

Konta-Makelben Day Two

Our first morning in camp was pretty relaxing because we had to wait for Jenny (the representative from a church in the US that raised funds for these wells) and a representative (Val) from Heifer International before we began work on the well.


I did get quite a crowd that was staring at me while I did the dishes.  Maybe 20-25 women and children just stood around and watched.  Made me feel a little uncomfortable but I new they were curious.  I said 'hi' to them in the local language but also wanted them to see that I am a normal person that has chores to do.  I was hoping they would get used to me being there after a day or two and not come to stare.


A little while later I brooked Aden's diapers (aka laundered them).  It wasn't that much different from when I would handwash Aden's diapers at home.  Getting the poop off was a little bit more of a challenge but definitely manageable.


Val and Jenny came much later than expected so we didn't get to start on the wells till about noon.  And when I say 'we' I really mean John and his well drilling crew because I actually didn't do any drilling.  It only gave us about 3 hours to work before we stopped to break for 'lunner' so we could get ready for our evening program.

Jenny, her son Nevin, and Val

 Abdul (not the Pastor... a different one) starting the well in Kontah

For dinner we were served more crain-crain over rice and the meet was a local bush animal that they call freetombo.  It looks like a deer the size of a small dog.  The proper name is Duiker and I think they kind they have here is Maxwell's Duiker but I can't be sure.

At around 5:30 we left for Makelben to have the program.  We stayed in the village of Konta (it is smaller only about 100 villagers while Makelben has around 500) We chose to have the program in Makelben because it is larger and so less people would have to walk the 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile to get there.

Here is our well drilling crew before our evening teaching.  Apparently we found these shirts on the container.  They were all XXL... I was swimming in mine.  One of the guys Usman had gotten his early and had taken it in to get tailored! John ended up asking Usman if he could wear his normal sized one since he was speaking that night.

The guys setting up a tarp where we played the Jesus film

The people that first gathered at the teaching

John in his tailored shirt that he stole from Usman (haha)

At the program John shared his testimony with the people.  Afterwards we planned to show the Jesus film in Krio (we couldn't find the film in the people's heart language which is Themne).  After John shared his testimony, he invited questions before the movie began because we had some time to kill before it got dark.  Here were some of the questions that were asked and then how John answered them:

John speaking and sharing his testimony of why he is here in Africa besides well drilling.  Pastor Abdul is standing next to him translating to Themne

 

Question: I am *uslim and why don't Christians take off their shoes at church and why do they sing and dance instead of come before God reverent?
 Answer: John explained that there are different subsections of Christianity (like Catholics, Baptists, Pentecostals).  He told them that not all Christians worship in the same way.  For example, Catholics tend to be more pious at church while Pentecostals are more charismatic and like to sing and dance.  But as far as taking off one's shoes, Jesus points out that its not whats on the outside of the cup that matters... it is the cleanliness on the inside that counts.  It is the people's hearts that God is concerned with, not their outward appearance.


Question: Why don't Christians wash their hands after they use the bathroom?
Answer: John reiterated the point that it is not the rituals or the outside of a person that God is concerned with but what is going on on the inside and how people treat their fellow man that matter.  He also pointed out that he does wash his hands after using the bathroom :)


Question: Christian's say Jesus is the Son of God and also IS God. Can you explain this?
Answer:  After they asked John this question he laughed and said it was a hard question.  Pastor Abdul (who was translating) offered to answer for him.  Pastor Abdul was a *uslim at one point in his life and so had some insight into what the Qu'ran says about this.  Apparently the Qu'ran points to Jesus as both being God and being the Son of God.  He explained to us later what he said but I must admit I did not take good notes and it was pretty indepth.  Anyways the people seemed happy with the answer.


After the questions, we started the movie.  Unfortunately our sound wasn't working too well. Half way through the movie everything just turned off.  I found out later that a sheep had tripped over the generator knocking it over.  After a few minutes we got it back up and running.  Only in Africa would you have this kind of problem ;) People seemed to be really into the movie although most of the kids don't speak Krio so I know that there was a definite language barrier there :(


I really enjoyed my first full day.  I was glad that the well drilling men seemed thankful and easygoing/helpful about breakfast and around camp.  I think I had been a little worried about the simplicity of what we were doing for meals (2 eggs and bread for breakfast, African lunch, and then luncheon meat/mayo sandwiches for dinner) I was pleased that they seemed so happy with everything and had generally good attitudes about everything.