They Just Don't Get It

Tom, Ma Riziki and a few of the kids

We’ve talked a number of times in our blog about our neighbors, the family of Ma Rikizi.  They are a large family and they are poor.  They care little for the “right way of doing things” even by island standards.  The house is full of women who always seem to be having babies.  The fathers are nonexistent or barely in the picture.   The women live on the porch.  They eat, cook and sleep there.  They sit around all day talking, working and yelling at their children.  They stay up late.  They are loud.  They are brash.

That said, we have a good relationship with them.  They are the first people we say hello to every morning.  They are always bringing things over for us to store in our fridge.  Often they give us little gifts of fresh fruit.  About six months ago we paid for one of the daughters to study English.  She has been faithfully coming to our classes and she just passed Level 1.  Since she started studying we have faithfully and daily received fresh made chapatis (a tortilla-like bread.)  Our kids are even growing more comfortable playing with the horde of children connected to that house that seem to run wild on the street.

But for all our good connections, sometimes we just don’t connect.  When we traveled last Ma Riziki asked us for a gift.  She asked us to bring her back an oven.  That’s right.  An oven.  We tried and tried to explain to her that an oven is not a reasonable gift.  Ma Riziki has never left the islands. She has a little patience when we don’t understand something she says and she doesn’t understand cultural differences well. We explained how we travel by plane, our luggage space is quite limited.  We can’t bring you an oven.  We thought she understood.  We even got an island friend of ours to explain it to her again.  It seemed like we had finally gotten through.  Then this week, Megan was speaking with her and telling her of our future plans and that we would be traveling again in a few months.

“Wonderful” she said, “Now you can get me that oven.”  She just doesn’t get it…
But today I was thinking about it.  She probably is saying the same thing about us.  I wonder how she would describe us…

Some of the women, sitting & watching the road

“We have these foreign neighbors,” she might say.  “They are nice but they are very strange.  They are very rich, but they don’t have a television, and they don’t have a car. In fact, they walk most of the time.  When they are home they spend most of their time inside.  Isn’t that strange?  They are very friendly and even helpful, but they just don’t get it.  If you want something, you have to ask them three times and you have to say exactly what you mean because otherwise they don’t understand.  Like when they traveled.  I asked them to bring me back an oven.  I thought I was very clear.  I told them three times and made it very simple, but they still didn’t understand.  They brought me back a couple blouses instead.  I understand they are travelling again, so I will try to be really clear this time.  I’ll even bring my friend who speaks some English to explain it to them.  Maybe this time they will get it.”

PRAYERS ANSWERED
Our teammates made it to Kenya (where they will await the arrival of their little boy in January) and our other teammates made it safely back to the islands with their newborn girl! We have seen some encouraging connections among island brothers and sisters these past couple weeks-- pray that they would be an encouragement and support to one another. We got the new curriculum book/CD done in time. 

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Pray for our teammates with a newborn-- for a good transition back to island life in spite the lack of luggage and the fact that the electric company cut their power while they were gone. Our lives continue to be very busy and it looks to continue right until Christmas day-- pray that we would find rest and renewal in the midst of the busyness.
A sister wants to go for a special swim-- pray for us as we find a wise way to celebrate this event. Pray that we would have many opportunities to share our reason for hope, peace, joy and love this season.