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.
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.
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