A Parable

Our island's pretty side

There once was a woman who lived in a far away place.  In this place where she lived everyone ate the same thing: mush.  There were fruits and vegetables, animals and fish, but the people did not eat them.  The people ate mush.  Mush is what the people ate and so the woman ate this mush as well, but even from the time she was a little girl she longed for something more.  The mush did not satisfy.  It kept people alive, but it seemed to the woman like everyone was always hungry, longing for more, but no one would admit it.  Some would claim the mush was the greatest food one could eat and they would spend hours, years, a lifetime learning how to prepare the most perfect mush.  Others did not relish the mush so much, but if you asked them they would say, “We are mush eaters.  We have always been mush-eaters.  Our ancestors were mush-eaters and so are we.”

But like most places in the world, their isolation was not complete and so they often met other peoples—people who ate strange foods like vegetables, fruit, meat and fish.  These people were generally accepted even if their eating habits were seen as strange.

Now it came to pass that the woman traveled to a distant land where she experienced some different foods.  She did not know what to make of them.  They were strange.  Sometimes delicious and sometimes revolting.  When she returned home she went back to eating mush.  Then one day she met a traveler who told her about something called “health”.  The traveler explained that the woman could have complete health, in body and spirit if she would only change her diet.  The woman thought a long time about it.  Finally she began to pursue this new diet.  Soon she found herself full of life and energy.  She felt full and nourished.  She felt like a new person.  It was so exhilarating!  She had to tell everyone about it.  She had found a new diet and a new life!  She began with her family.

Some were excited.  Many noticed the difference in her life—the new energy, the new strength, the new vitality.  But others were suspicious.  One especially, in her family, an aunt had devoted her life to mush making.  She took it very seriously and she was appalled at the woman’s new diet.  She called the family together and as a group they confronted her.  The woman’s mother spoke to her, “My daughter, why have you changed your diet?  We are mush eaters.  We have always been mush eaters.  Our ancestors were mush-eaters and so are we.  If you had married a meat-eater, or a vegetarian, then maybe we could understand.  It is only natural that you would learn to eat as your husband eats, but you are not.  Your husband is a mush eater like all of us.  This cannot go on.  You are bringing shame to the family.  Now we command you to tell us plainly.  Are you a vegetarian?”  They demanded in order to trap her.  To admit to being a vegetarian would be anathema.  It would mean swift and immediate condemnation.

The woman answered them truthfully.  “I am not a vegetarian,” she said. “I have learned about good health and a complete diet.  Don’t you remember how I used to be?  Don’t you remember how tired I was, how I lacked strength and energy.”  And she went on to remind them of the change that had taken place in her life.  The family was confused.  She sounded like a vegetarian, and yet not.  She was clearly different, and most of the differences were very good.  But what about the mush?  The family began to debate what to do, but they could come to no conclusion, and so they gave up and dispersed.

The tomato plant is starting to fruit!

The following weeks were not easy for the woman.  Many of her family members stopped visiting her.  They were distancing themselves from her and the shunning was quite painful.  Her husband came to her and said, “My darling, you know I love you and I love how you have changed because of the new diet.  I believe that people should be allowed to eat whatever they want, but for the sake of your family, go and tell your mother that you’re a mush-eater.  Then everyone will leave you alone.”  But the woman refused.  “I am not a vegetarian, but I am no longer a mush-eater,” she told him.  “I will never go back to mush eating.  In fact, I wish that my whole family, including you, my husband, would eat a complete diet like me.”  The husband went away confused.

The woman went to see her mother and explained to her about the complete diet.  The mother seemed to understand.  She even apologized for the way the family had treated her on that fateful day when they tried to trap her.  But still the mother would not come to her house.  She was ashamed of her daughter and ashamed of her own actions, for she was not brave enough to stand up to the family or give up mush-eating herself.

PRAYERS ANSWERED
The islands finally have a president and our island finally has a governor— the election process was long and drawn out but now it is finally settled and the official results were generally celebrated by the population. From what we have heard, it has been peaceful.
We’ve been able to secure plane tickets and accommodations for Megan and our youngest for his surgery, only a few more logistics to figure out.

PRAYERS REQUESTED
We’ve heard that the worker that had to suddenly leave the island has cancer— last we heard they were still trying to determine where it originated from in her body. Continue to hold them in your prayers. Continue to pray for our island friends as they stand for the things that they believe in. Our youngest is scheduled to have surgery on June 1st, pray that he stays healthy in the meantime (there have been different bugs going around). We’re looking around for another house (for when we return to the islands next year)— pray that we could be led to just the right house, neighbors, landlord. Megan and Tom have both had new opportunities to start studying with islanders regularly— pray for our final weeks before traveling, that we would use our time well.