Going deeper with a friend!

Well, I had an exciting visit from a friend yesterday morning but before I tell about the visit, I must give some background.  As of Friday, we have been in our town for 2 months, other than the two trips out of town.  We have had 6 weeks of language class.  Every week it is a struggle to balance study and visiting with neighbors, both of which are crucial to our purpose in being here.  I have been frustrated by trying to find time to meet new homes while still having time to visit the ones we have already gotten to know.  It would be nice if just once someone would come to visit us instead of always saying, "I haven't seen you in a long time.  Where have you been?"  Although, 2 months is not really that long, especially in this culture.

While in Dakar, I had the opportunity to see an old friend of ours with whom a lot of personal time and interest was invested.  When we left, she was a newlywed with a new baby and a good business, and all was well.  Sometime after that her business went by the wayside.  In the last year or so, her husband took another wife and brought her into their same small house.  My friend was 7 months pregnant at the time and the stress of everything caused her to have the baby early, who did not survive.  Things have gone from bad to worse and now it looks like they will be getting a divorce.  But on top of that, without a job, she has no money to provide for her son, so her husband's mother is now caring for the child.  Terribly painful story that absolutely tore me apart!

So this week, I was visiting the house I had written about before in "New friends!"  I am not really sure why I was prompted to tell them about my friend in Dakar but I did.  Maybe it is because I needed a story to tell so I could talk at my own pace, rather than them talking so fast that I can not understand them.  Maybe it was the Father's prompting.  I did not really know at the time, but I got more of an answer yesterday.

My friend (the one who had called everyone together to pray) came by to see me rather early in the morning, at 9:00.  For the most part only people who are working are out that early, or women are on their way to the market, but no one is visiting that early.  I tried to suggest we sit out side because that is what they normally do, but she was not wanting to sit.  So I thought maybe she wanted to visit inside.  I invited her in and we chatted a bit and I gave her some coffee.  She told me how everyone in her household says how good I am and her husband had told her to come see me. 

Then as I sat on the floor, she shared with me about having 5 children but that now she has 4 because one of the oldest had died some time ago.  I was so stunned that she was sharing such personal information with me, because that is not typical.  (She shared more with me that did not register with me at the time but has since, which I will try to make sure I understood later.)  I prayed for her and for the Father to grant her peace in her heart because that can cause fear regarding her other children as well and because the Father knows how a heart hurts for the death of a child.  I told her my mother's story of having a child die and then the peace that only the Father can give when a child dies or a child goes far away.  After I prayed for her, she left thanking me and telling me how happy she was because of me.

She came back a short while later with a bag of grapefruits because she knew I liked them and that Mariama had eaten one the other night at their house.

I have had my first visitor and it was a big time visit!  I have no idea what the Father is doing, but He is definitely doing something.  Keep lifting up my friend and her household, that they may all come to know the Truth very soon.