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| Setting up the stage outside our house for a rally |
The answer: The vote.
Yes, our island home has been busy with the excitement of democracy in process. Campaigning has been going full tilt. Signs are plastered everywhere, banners hang over the streets, and everyone is talking about their candidate or party of choice.
Now, as outsiders we try to remain out of politics, but unfortunately the politics come to us. This has mainly been in the form of political rallies right outside our home. When we moved into our house we wanted to be in community. We wanted to be amongst lots of people. We wanted to have lots of access to neighbors. And for the most part this has been great. The down side of this is the noise. Living in the heart of the neighborhood means if anything is going to go down, it’s going to happen right outside our house. And I mean, right outside our house.
A few weeks ago they started setting up for a rally right outside our kitchen window. The thought occurred to me--don’t they need to ask our permission? At least out of courtesy? But no. This is the Islands, not America.
It’s amazing how some things seem the same everywhere. Some of it sounds familiar to things we would hear in the States:
“It doesn’t matter who gets elected. Nothing ever changes.”
“All they do is complain about the other candidate.” [i.e. negative campaigning]
“All politicians are liars. They promise everything. You vote for them and then they do nothing.”
“We’ve got to do something about healthcare.”
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| Our kids |
But then some things are different. Most of the candidates are campaigning on a platform of improving electricity and water (our water and power cuts are big chunks of each day.) Another popular platform is that government workers would receive their salary every month. (Workers can go months without being paid.) One candidate’s sign read, “Vote for So-And-So: the tranquil candidate.” (It doesn’t seem like an exciting slogan to me.) But here, corruption and scandal are commonplace.
Today people went to the polls. To cut down on fraud no one is allowed to leave their home village, so no taxis were running and everything was rather quiet. We stayed at home and said some prayers for a peaceful and fair election. The winners will be announced tonight.
PRAYERS ANSWERED
Islanders continue to be excited about the songs they created. We watched as one listened to the three songs non-stop for 2 hours with her daughter carefully listening and singing along. There is a desire to make more songs-- pray for a clear time to present itself so they could continue and grow in this area. The elections have appeared to be peaceful so far! Peter was pretty sick this week but today has made a turn for the better. We are thankful for healing. Tom got to pray with a guy who’s brother was lost at sea for over a week. The next day the boat made land in another country. His brother lived (having been on the boat for 10 days without food or water).
PRAYERS REQUESTED
Pray for the government of the islands, for fair and just leaders. There will be run-off elections next month and subsequent presidential elections next year. There are rumblings of changing the country’s constitution-- pray that any changes would be for the good of the nation and its people. David came down with a fever today, pray that it passes quickly.
