A Scary Text

Tom & David waving & reading

It was a quiet evening.  The electricity had come on and I was reading a book to Megan when we were interrupted by the sound of my phone.  I had a text message.  It was from my friend “Azali”. 

Azali is a relatively new friend.  He lives mostly on the smallest island and got to know our colleagues there.  He became a real brother to them, and so when he came to stay on Clove Island for a few months, he wanted to find a brother here who he could study with.  I was honored that he chose me, and for the last few months have been wonderfully blessed to study our Father’s book together. 

Azali doesn’t speak much French so he tends to send me texts in the local language.  Because the local language is not usually written it is always a challenge to read his texts.  At first I thought it was just a text to say hello—something islanders often do.  But then I realized that this was not a normal text.  As I worked harder to understand it, I asked Megan for help, and we slowly pieced it together.  This is a rough translation:

Peace be upon you

Hello to the holy group there.

In a little while I will not be in the world, because the family of my fiancée has called off the wedding.  There is no other good woman like her in the islands. My comfort is resurrection.  Please tell my parents.  Azali”

As we slowly realized what he was saying the gravity of the situation became clear.  This might be a suicide note.  I called him and Megan immediately got on the computer to get people praying.  I could barely hear Azali on the other line.  It was clear that he was deep in depression.  I told him that we were letting people know and that many people were praying for him.  I told him not to do anything bad and asked if I could pray with him.  He accepted and I prayed.  After the phone call we prayed some more.  Later that evening other friends and colleagues got in touch with him and I sent him some encouraging text messages with quotes from my Father’s book.

The next morning we checked email.  What an encouragement to see so many emails from our friends back home.  Most of you wrote quick notes saying the one all important thing, “praying.”  Later that morning I talked to Azali and he seemed to be doing better.  He was still very unhappy about his situation, but not despondent.  We sent the update and continued to hear positive, encouraging responses from so many of you. 

The following day, I called Azali and had a strange conversation.  He seemed a little better but now he was trying to explain the situation to me over the phone and I wasn’t following him very well.  It was a complicated situation and for those of you who know about speaking another language, understanding something on the phone is MUCH harder than understanding something in person. I simply didn’t know what to say or if he wanted me to do anything.  I prayed for him and said goodbye.

The day after that Azali called me and told me he wanted me to go visit his parents.  I agreed and this morning I went to see them.  Though it’s probably more complicated than what I understand, this is the situation as far as I can tell:

Azali’s fiancée is from a poor family.  Azali is from a poor family too.  Recently a rich man came to his fiancée’s family with a proposition of marriage.  He would marry the girl.  He would pay a dowry.  He would buy her the gold jewelry that is required of a husband for a “respectable” marriage.  He would even pay for a large wedding ceremony, which would raise the respectability of this family within the community.  He made this offer and then left on a trip with the intention of taking the girl as his wife when he returns.  The family has accepted, and the girl (I have never met her and do not know if she is accepting willingly or under the pressure of her family) has accepted as well.  But they have given Azali a chance.  If he could match what this rich man has to offer by the time the man returns, then he could take the girl as his bride.  Azali cannot.  His heart is broken.

Peter w/ a neighbor

How do I feel about all this?…My culture tells me if she will choose money over character than she is not worthy of my friend Azali.  But is she choosing money over character?  Maybe she is choosing her family’s desires over her own desires.  In which case she is possibly quite noble.  But even if she is sacrificing for her family, the unjustness of it to her and to Azali is heartbreaking.  On the other hand, I don’t think she walks in the Light, and so is it good to see a brother yoked to someone in darkness?  Could it be that there is someone better for him?  Someone who could be a true partner?  A wife of truly noble character?  I don’t know.  Who am I to say?  What can I do? ...praying…

PRAYERS ANSWERED

We’ve had a lot of cooling rain lately! We’ve been happy to have one of our colleagues visiting us on her way back to the smallest island. It has been encouraging to talk to her and learn about the work and challenges there. Peter turns 4 years old tomorrow (Sunday), we’re very thankful for our little boy.

PRAYERS REQUESTED

Continue to pray for Azali and for his walk. We got the results from Megan’s MRI. She has a large herniated disk that is exerting considerable pressure on the nerve. The opinions we have heard so far recommend surgery. Pray for us as we continue to research and look into our options and decide how to proceed.

Greener Grass

Grace on the barge to the main part of  French Island

For many islanders the old adage is true that the grass always seems greener somewhere else. Throughout our time on the islands we’ve seen islanders put all their hope in getting off the islands. From Volcano Island, everyone we knew seemed to hold the dream of getting to Europe or even mainland Africa. Since we’ve been on Clove Island, all we hear about is “French island”.

French Island is only the next island over and the native people there are culturally and historically interconnected with Clove Islanders. All of our neighbors seem to have at least one relative on French Island. French Island is the greener grass. It is the place where you can get good medical care, where you can find a good paying job, where you can get a good education and countless other good things….or so they say.

“My friend Sonia is going to French Island,” our good friend tells us, “She’s in Old Town right now.” “Old Town” is where the little boats leave in the middle of the night to try to reach French Island’s shores illegally. Unfortunately every year many people drown on this dangerous journey. “She’ll have to stay crouched down for hours and hours so no other boats can see that the boat is full of people.” She had to pay 8 month’s wages for a spot on the boat.

The following week we ask about Sonia. “She is back on Clove Island. The boat was stopped by police as soon as they arrived and everyone was sent back. She’s trying again. She has to pay again.”

The few weeks later, we ask again. “She’s back again. She was on French Island for a week but then she was caught by immigration police and sent back. This time she’s going the ‘guaranteed’ way.” We soon learn that the guaranteed way costs a full-year of wages and consists of her dressing like a man and joining a boat of French Island fisherman.

Grace having fun on French Island

A few more weeks pass. “Sonia is back again. She was caught and sent back again. She’s got a job here now so she can save up to try again.”

All that wasted money and energy to escape to the greener grass. This past week I went over to French Island for the first time. And in many ways it was very nice-- constant electricity, better roads, better hospitals (I got the MRI I needed), REAL supermarkets! But then there was the other side, people are afraid to go out at night because of crime and theft (not usually problems on Clove Island). Clove Islanders are treated like second class citizens and looked down upon. The ones there illegally live in constant fear of being found out and deported, and usually can’t find work. Those there legally are often hassled by police. Schools are overcrowded by immigrants and much of the island is segregated.

In their hopelessness and poverty, many Clove Islanders look to the “greener grass” of someplace else to be their hope and salvation. We earnestly pray that they would look to the true source of hope and salvation, who is already right here among them.

PRAYERS ANSWERED
Megan got her MRI without too much trouble! Her and Grace had a great time with our friends on French Island. All our teammates had good breaks.

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Pray for our friends working on French Island and the unique challenges they face-- especially as they make decisions about what to do in the coming year. Pray for Megan’s back- we’re still waiting to hear what the MRI revealed and what she should do next. Continue to pray for the brothers that are working toward reconciliation and greater trust. Pray that the electricity situation would be resolved-- all the local shops have stopped selling meat because it was all going bad in their freezers. We’ve heard rumors that a solution is in the works for this coming week! Pray for our teammates jumping back into language learning-- pray for good motivation for all!

The 5 Aspects of a Real Break

Tom & Megan with graduating students

What makes something a real break?

Our team is taking a week of vacation right now- we’ve opted to not go far (just across the way to Volcano Island, our old home). The immediate question from friends has been-- is that going to be enough of a break?  The answer has been yes, thanks to these five things...

1. Electricity- We went from horrible electricity (three hours per day and usually when we were asleep) to a place with a generator-- 24 hours of electricity per day! We feel spoiled.

2. Air Conditioning- Okay, now we really feel spoiled. No electricity on Clove Island has meant no fans. But fans can’t really compete with air-conditioning on a hot and humid day.

Megan giving out certificates

3. Hot Water- The trifecta of comfort is complete. We’ve gotten used to cold showers on the islands, but we have to admit that there is something so nice about being able to just turn a handle and feel warm water pouring out.

4. Swimming- Yes we live on a tropical island, just a couple minutes walk from the ocean- but we really don’t get to go swimming very much. Most of the time we’re just too busy. Sometimes it seems like the ocean is just sitting there teasing us, because we don’t have the chance to enjoy it. On break, we have swum everyday!

5. Family Time- We knew that being team leaders would keep us busy, but I don’t know if we expected how it would impact our time as a family. It has been nice to have hours each day to play, read and spend together.

It’s been a good break. We’ve needed it.

David enjoying the break

PRAYERS ANSWERED
It is has been a hard few weeks for the team--this break is coming at a good time. We got our family’s visa renewals the day before leaving for break! We had the certificate ceremonies for our English classes- they went well.

PRAYERS REQUESTED
Pray that this break would be restful and rejuvenating for our team. We are praying that Clove Island’s electricity will resolve while we’re gone. Clove Island had an earthquake (just strong enough to scare people)! These aren’t normal for the island but it is scary-- homes on the island are poorly constructed and often several stories. A serious earthquake could mean serious damage. Pray that there wouldn’t be anymore earthquakes! Megan goes this coming week to get an MRI on a neighboring island- pray that the logistics of traveling and getting the MRI go quickly so she can rejoin Tom and kids. There has been a breakdown of trust among some of the Clove island brothers- pray for true repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation.

Kasina

Megan at English class

This last English class was different. This time a full third of my class consisted of people in their 40’s and 50’s (usually I am older than most of my students). One of these was a well-dressed woman I’ll call “Kasina”. She is the cousin of one of the prominent shopkeepers in our neighborhood. She’s in her mid-forties (though later in the class she started saying she was 30-something). I assumed she was probably a businesswoman like her cousin though I never had that confirmed.

It is harder to learn a language when you are older but she was working hard to keep up with the class. I could tell that she was studying, practicing her phrases at home. It looked like her hard work was going to pay off- I expected her to pass.

A couple weeks ago she came to class and looked sick and tired. Not long into the class she put her head down and fell asleep. She slept through the whole class. The next class she was absent. “She must still be sick,” I thought to myself.

Before the following class, her cousin called me over. “Don’t be scared if Kasina comes to class. She won’t hurt you.” I was confused by this comment, but she continued to explain that Kasina was having “an episode.”

Kasina suffers from mental illness…. I had no idea.

The next class Kasina came. She was a different person from the Kasina I knew before. She was slightly disheveled and missing a front tooth. She didn’t follow cultural norms. She couldn’t stay in her seat; getting up every few minutes and walking outside or to the front of the classroom. She left several times and came back eating food. For two classes she did this. Sometimes she would shout out in the local language things I couldn’t understand. She brought the class a bejeweled clock and presented it to me in the middle of the lesson. But worst of all, she couldn’t speak English. When she was sitting in her seat I tried to include her but the most she could get out was a few words before going into the local language or French.

The third class was the final review session before the exam. She was calmer but still the English wasn’t there. Her cousin thought she was coming back into her right mind. But would she be able to take the exam?! The day of the exam came and there was Kasina amongst the other students. I wasn’t sure what to do-- we do one-on-one oral exams. Would she get upset and agitated if I tried to examine her? Would she disrupt the other students? I asked an islander and they suggested I do her first and then tell her to go home.

David (18 mo) with heat rash

So I called her name. “KASINA!” She looked excited and nervous and started mumbling fast in a mixture of languages. She was doing better. She sat for the whole exam. I moved quickly through the questions that flustered her, but I was surprised how many she came up with answers for. But there was still no way that she could pass. She was remembering her English but every sentence was still muddled with French and local words. I was sad. She had been working so hard.  I realize now that to her family, Kasina’s studying English was a bit of a joke. Now I see her walking around the neighborhood and calling out inappropriately to people. I see people’s reactions to her. She’s just another “crazy” person to them (there are many on the island).

Kasina came to our house yesterday. She was inviting me to a prayer gathering at her house. I explained that I don’t pray the way they do, but I do pray. A neighbor followed Kasina onto our porch, no doubt to help me “get rid of her.” They made hand gestures to  show me that Kasina wasn’t in her right mind. I thanked them but told them I knew already. Kasina left telling me she would see me another day.

I’m going to pray for her. I hope you will too.

PRAYERS ANSWERED
Kasina didn’t disturb the other exams. The exams went well. We were very thankful that many of our teammates helped give the exams. Nathan is feeling better and no one else has gotten sick! We have been living on “Clove Island” for a full year!

PRAYERS REQUESTED
 Electricity continues to be a big problem-- no one on the island is happy about it. A group of islanders tried to ransack the electricity company’s offices. Other villages have threatened to attack electricity company vehicles and/or employees if they enter the village. Many shops have stopped selling frozen/refrigerated products (making it hard to find meat) as food continues to go back in the fridge.  The electricity company just got a new director, pray that he can sort through this mess.  All the kids have bad heat rash- pray for some relief from the heat and/or electricity at night so they can sleep with fans. Because of this, sickness, and other things, It has been a hard couple weeks for our team- lots of us have been feeling down. Pray for encouragement and revitalization.  On Monday and Tuesday we have the certificate ceremonies for our English classes- pray that we would give good speeches and that it wouldn’t be too stressful. Our team is taking a week of vacation starting midweek- pray that it would be restful (most of us are staying local). We are applying to renew our family’s service visas on the islands- pray this goes smoothly.

A Nose, A Bead and No Power

Tom, Peter & David in traditional hats

Not all kid cries are the same, at least to the parent. There are the whining cries, the tantrum cries, the “I’m in pain” cries, the “I’m scared” cries. They sound different. So when I heard Peter cry, I knew something was wrong. His cry told me that he was scared and hurting. As I ran I expected to have his fingers stuck in a door or something. But he met me in the hallway, still crying with no noticeable injury.

In between cries I heard the words, “my nose”.
“Peter, did you put something up your nose?”

Quickly the facts came out. He had stuck a bead up his nose. He apparently had tried to get it out, only to lodge it further up. The power was out (like it has been for 12+ hours every day!!) and the sun was going down. So I got my headlamp, but Peter jerked his head whenever I tried to touch his nose. It hurt. We said a prayer.

I spent a few minutes trying to get him to blow the bead out, but not being very skilled at blowing his nose, Peter started sniffing in rather than blowing out. I told him to stop. He was probably just sniffing the bead further up.

Tom teaching

He cried for Daddy. He cried for Ben (the doctor on our team, who is off the islands at the moment). That’s when Tom arrived home from class. By this time the house was pitch dark except for my headlamp. I handed Tom the headlamp and lit a few candles.

New plan, maybe I can suction it out. We have the infant devices for alleviating stuffed-up noses. But Peter didn’t like it and wouldn’t hold still. We tried to explain that it would be nicer for him if we didn’t have to go to the hospital, but he was still worked up.

I decided to start heating up dinner while Peter sat on Tom’s lap and calmed down. While Tom looked at the candles flickering in the dark, he had an idea . “Who can blow out a candle with their nose?”  (Our kids love blowing out candles.) Thankfully Grace was able to show her prowess as an example for Peter. “How about blowing with just one nostril?” Again Grace provided the example.

Now it was Peter’s turn. Tom held him over the candle. Peter gave one big blow and in the darkness we heard the sound of, “tick, tick, tic, tic, tic….” a plastic bead hitting the floor and rolling away. “YEAH!!!”, we all shouted. The bead was out!! We said a prayer of thanks.

And for the first time, we were thankful that we didn’t have power. If we’d had power, we wouldn’t have had those idea-inspiring candles.

Grace & Peter with Peter's creation

PRAYERS ANSWERED
We are very thankful that the bead came out of Peter’s nose!  Our new South African friend had a good visit, although we were very busy dealing with sick teammates.  We hope that he will have an enjoyable and informative visit as he continues onto the other islands. 

PRAYERS REQUESTED
We’ve been dealing with a lot of sickness this past two weeks, specifically, Dengue Fever.  It is a nasty virus that lasts about a week.  Half the team has been hit with it.  Some more severely than others. Pray especially for Nathan- the latest to get sick.   Pray for quick recoveries and that no one else would get it.  Electricity has been just awful lately.  Pray that the government might find some sort of solution.  Megan and Tom are finishing up another round of classes this week.  Pray that the exams go smoothly.