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.