We have abandoned....

This is the follow up to "This is why we are here" and "Some who have never heard have now heard."

I had gone with a local sister on a Thursday in May and answered a lot of questions for a gentleman. Then we went back as a family to share with the entire village the following Tuesday in June.  The response had been, "Thanks but no thanks.  Don't call us; we'll call you."  So we waited.  We waited for four weeks.  Then out of a need to just check on them, we called on a Tuesday. 

The response was "I am so glad you called.  I wanted to call but had no phone credit.  Please come back and share more."

So we went back on  the first Saturday in July.  We were running a little later than we had planned and saw storm clouds as we approached the village.  We were afraid we would have to excuse ourselves after just arriving if the rain actually began to fall.  Before we could say anything, the people gathered were quick to tell us we would have to leave if the rain came.  The only good road to get there would be covered over if too much rain came.  They asked us to please get started quickly before the rains did.  We got through the story and covered a comprehension question or two.  The rain began.  They thanked us and told us we needed to leave.  As we left a little boy "greeted" our truck by running into it while running.  Thankfully God kept the little boy from getting seriously injured.

We returned the next week.  We planned to review the story from the previous week and were ready with a new one as well.  Those gathered listened politely enough but still seemed distracted.  They asked if we had any tapes or books in their language.  We had a few.  We gave them what we had.  Then they asked about us having people from other villages come to meet with them, but it would mean changing the time we were going out there normally.  That was no problem for us.  However there was a problem.  They were wanting to invite the people to come mid-morning.  But then the group that was meeting would be expected to provide lunch for the guests.  The house we have been meeting at though is headed by a widow and her son who is a youth.  The men most faithful to meeting do not have the means to provide food for so many people, especially at this time of the year. (Last year's crops have run out and this year's have not yet come.)  They were asking for us to provide the food.  It would take too much space in this already long blog to explain, but the short version is that we were uncomfortable providing for everyone.  We would provide for ourselves and a little more.  We suggested that maybe everyone that came could bring a little to be cooked together there.  We promised to pray about it and get back with them later in the week.

We called them to say that we could not help at this point but that we would be there on Saturday to talk with them. Once again we went prepared to review the stories of the previous weeks.  Before we could even begin, the men that gathered obviously had something on their minds. 

They asked us the same question they had asked us every other time.  We thought we had answered the question but obviously not if they were asking it again.  "How do we enter The Road?"  We talked about believing and praying and having faith.  We thought they were asking for the 5 things they had to do, as they were used to doing.  We said they had to choose to follow just one way because you have two feet but can only be on one road.  They agreed.  We told them there was not a quick list to check off.  Rich drew two parallel lines in the sand to show the idea of them not being the same and choosing.  One of the men, politely, changed Rich's picture to perpendicular lines.  He then wiped away the other one saying, "We have abandoned the other way.  We are on this road."

So the question actually was not about entering but rather how or what it means to be on it.  We answered a lot of questions and read a lot from The Book about what it means to be Family.  They have already been out sharing but were having problems with taking care of their fields as well.  We explained that they could share the load of sharing at other villages.  If each agreed to go to a different village, none would have to leave their fields for more than an afternoon or so.  They agreed that this was doable. 

The rains have now come and the road to get to this village is barely above water, at our last visit.  In addition, when it isn't raining they are needing to be at their field.  Please lift up these men to be bold in the time until we can get out to them again.  Lift up the literal and spiritual fields to be abundant in harvest.  Also lift these men up that they may not be swayed nor distracted from the Truth.