Meet Kady!

aka What does Sabbath rest mean?

Two weeks ago, Jennifer had expressed an interest in getting together to study the Word. She wanted to come over on a day she did not have many responsibilities at home so that she would not be rushed. I had agreed and prepared the day before and day of for her arrival. Though it has traditionally been my rest day, I am learning what that means. Unfortunately, she never showed. I found out the following day that she had a funeral near her mother's house.

She and I planned again to meet soon and hopefully to even get others to gather with us. Maybe we would go to the home of a Brother instead of meeting at my house. She also wanted to invite her best friend, Kady, who had been studying with our other teammate and Kady's husband, who also had a copy of the Word. Jennifer and I prayed before going to the market, that the Lord would be with us that day.

At the market, we met up with Kady at the crazy heart of the market. She agreed that she wanted to begin studying again as well. Jennifer invited her to come over on the following rest day. The rest day came and was so rainy. I did not expect anyone to show up, but Kady did. I was not dressed for company, nor was I completely sure what we were going to study. I changed clothes and called to see if Jennifer was on her way. While Kady and I waited on Jennifer, I read a little of the Word with her. Then I asked what she had studied before with our teammate.

In the course of Kady's answer, she called Jesus a prophet. This told me a lot about where she is in her journey. I felt lead to share Creation to Christ with her. After this, Jennifer arrived.

We did the customary greetings and talked about future meetings together and going to the village. Kady's daughter, at two years old, was dressed nicer than the other three of us.  Kady invited us over to her house to know where she lives and to meet her husband, so that he would know that someone is here with whom to study.  Jennifer missed out on the study of the Word. She asked for us to study a bit more before going. I shared a story I had read that morning. We prayed and sang a couple of songs together. Then we left.

I drove us. I had a feeling the walk was going to be long, but my legs had been tired the last couple of days. I was glad I did because it was across town. We parked and went in to greet her husband. We chatted for a bit and then talked about meeting together to study soon. Jennifer needed to get home to cook dinner, so she and I left.

In thinking about when our family would have a rest day, we also needed to consider what days were going to be best for ministry with our local Family members. With no teammates to tag out on rest days, we needed to be available on the best day for ministry. As I have been reading the Gospels lately, I find a constant emphasis on pulling away to pray but also on not being legalistic about the Sabbath. Jesus would teach and do miracles, drawing to the Father, on the Sabbath. What does that mean for us to have rest and yet not be legalistic about it? I am still figuring that out, but I am trying to leave my plans open for the Father to lead.

The day after Kady came to my house, I went to the market for just a few things. As I walked down the road, Kady, dressed lovely and wearing a stud nose ring, saw me and came running over. She asked if we were going to study again the next Sabbath. I told her we would.

Lift up Kady and her husband as they continue seeking. Lift up the local Family members to meet together soon and be impressed to continue. Lift us up as we discover what Sabbath rest means for us.

No Need for Embarassment!

After years of hearing stories, my friend Jennifer was drawn closer to the Truth as she saw love lived out in our marriage. She was seeking but was just not sure, not ready to commit. We returned to the states after being told I might have cancer, and she was left to study with another.  She was still unsure and scared.  Then one day, she had a dream.

She saw a vision of a person in gleaming white clothes. The vision told her that I would be healed and that her sins were forgiven. The vision appeared and spoke the same words three times. After she woke up, she went to the other with whom she was studying. This other lady was able to explain the dream, after which Jennifer was ready to commit.

Jennifer afterwards walked in confidence in my healing and her forgiveness, even to the point of going to share in villages and sharing with her best friend, as well as telling her husband and mother about her choice. Others though doubted. Jennifer's sister-in-law, who has worked for Americans before and seen them leave and never return, told Jennifer that we would not be returning.

So after I had been told that I was cancer free and recovered from my last surgery, I called Jennifer to tell her when we were coming back to our home here. She was so happy. She went to tell her mother. Her sister-in-law nearby heard and was embarrassed. We returned and Jennifer was going to cook for us. As she went to the market, she met up with some of her family. She told them she was going to buy to cook for us. Once again, her sister-in-law, Jamie, was embarrassed.

The day after Jennifer told me about Jamie's embarrassment, I was praying and felt strongly the need to encourage Jennifer. After all, Jamie did not have to feel ashamed because she was wrong. This was an opportunity for Jennifer to share about her dream that I would be healed and would return and the forgiveness of sin she had experienced. It was a door to share that what the Lord promises, He will do. As I shared this encouragement with Jennifer, she shared that she had felt the same impression and was planning to see Jamie that day to tell her she did not need to be embarrassed and invite her to study with her. We rejoiced together that the Lord had spoken to both of us and thanked Him for how He was going to work.

The next day Jennifer shared with me how she had gone to share with Jamie. That weekend was a holiday, but she agreed to begin studying after the holiday was passed. Since that time, Jennifer has been sick or there have been funerals near her family, such that we have been unable to meet to study. Lift up Jennifer's sister-in-law, Jamie, to continue seeking the truth and a time to be found to study together.

He Can't Love Her!

A phrase I have had to remember a lot lately is, "Lost people are going to act lost." It helps to give grace to the unsaved, because you stop expecting them to do right because they do not know what that is and they do not have the Holy Spirit to guide them.

Three days ago, Jennifer, who I have much to update on, and I went to the market. On the way home, we were reviewing the commands to the husband and wife from Ephesians 5.  We discussed the fact that there is no "if he/she, then" do what is commanded.

The next day on her way to work, Jennifer's husband walked with her most of the way to work. Then in the road, he made a spectacle and told her to get out of the house and go back to her mother. When I saw her, she was terribly upset. We prayed. I shared scripture. She told me she was going to leave work early to go pack her stuff. I tried to encourage her to let the Holy Spirit guide her in speaking or keeping silent and in what to do. I told her to let me know if/when she needed help.  I waited for her to show up but hoped he would have changed his mind.

When he saw her packing, he asked why. She told him she was doing what he told her. He ran to his family member confessing what had happened. They came and pleaded with her to stay. She agreed.

Yesterday as she told me what had transpired, that phrase about lost acting lost came to my mind. Then I was reminded. She has submitted her life to Christ and has the Holy Spirit.  He does not. He cannot love her like Ephesians 5 commands because he is not a believer. That is why a verse precedes the command to husband and wife, that they must be mutually submitted to the Lord first.

I, in my flesh, struggle at times to submit to my husband, not because of my husband, but because of my own human nature. How much more does Jennifer struggle when her husband is not a believer. He cannot love her the way the Lord commands and she longs to be loved.

Feeling like a Cinema

If you don't want them to stare, don't give them anything at which to stare. 

This is a lesson I have had to be reminded of lately.  Mariama has such a natural flair for life.  The whole world is her stage, so as a general rule, being stared at does not bother her. However, personally, though pretty outgoing, I would prefer not to be in the limelight. Living here pushes that preference to the side. 

Here, we stick out. We cannot help it, we just do. We try to dress to blend in.  We speak their language, rather than expecting them to speak ours.  Contrary to those who have called me Senegalese lately, I am not. I am very white. I do not think like they do.  On some things I come to appreciate how they do them (wearing babies on the back rather than the front), but other things will never make sense to me (running after the group of young men and then running away from them when they come at you). 

Mariama and Lydia-Ann go out to play with their friends. The squealing can get loud. I ask my girls to turn down the volume because we do not need to disrupt the whole neighborhood.  The girls though are having great fun together, whether in playing tag or police or just letting their friends braid their hair. 

Sometimes a group of school children on their way home pass the house and stop to watch because they have never seen white children.  

Sometimes the neighborhood boys think it funny to frustrate the girls because they can get a rise out of Mariama.  I try to stay calm to correct the boys, but I find myself impatient after hearing Mariama get frustrated one time too many. Sometimes after hearing me correct them in their language, they stand there staring, as if I had just spoken some foreign language rather than their own. I get more aggravated. I have to remind myself to stop talking and being dramatic.  

If I don't want them to stare like I am a cinema, I have to stop acting like one. 

(I talk the situation out with my house helper the next day. She agrees the situation was out of hand. She tells me I must go see their mother. I tried to go see her but she was asleep.  My guess is the mere fact that I went to their house was enough to make them nervous and to set the boys straight. If there is a next time, I will go straight to their parents rather than wait.)

This story and the other incidences of late where I drew more attention than I desired reminded me of Jesus teaching the people. He asked them why they went out to the wilderness to see John the Baptist. What had drawn the people to John? Was it because he was dressed finely? Certainly not! Was it because he was strange? While this was true, they were accustomed to those possessed by spirits, so certainly John was nothing on the strange chart. So what was it? It was that his words declared the Coming King. 

No matter how much I try to blend in here, I will always stick out. If I am going to be stared at, I want it to be for the right reasons. I don't want it to be because of how I am dressed or my losing my patience, but I want it to be my declaration of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. If I am marked strange, let it be because of a life wholly surrendered and obedient to the Lord. 

If you don't want them to stare, don't give them anything at which to stare....

But if they are going to stare, make sure it is for the right reasons. 

Rules of the Road

I wrote this blog several weeks ago but am just now getting a chance to post.

"He who looks, waits."

"Don't look if you don't want to buy."

Upon our return to our country, I knew I was going to have to practice driving to get used to it again. I had to remember how to drive a standard, diesel machine. I had to get used to the roads, and yes, I had to get used to the traffic. 

One morning I drove downtown to visit my doctor to say thank you for everything he had done. Finding a parking spot was a challenge but in the end not all that difficult. After a long wait and a quick visit, I was back on my way. Getting back out of downtown was just as crazy as getting there. 

A day later, I needed to return some home school resources to a closet we keep. These resources were ones I had ordered last year and then never got to use because we left. On the way across town, I was totally intent on my driving, because it had rained the night before and I needed to remember how to get to my destination. On the way back however, some thoughts came to mind. 

First was the rule I mentioned earlier, "He who looks, waits." With so many people, if you look to see whose turn it is, you are the one who will wait, and wait, and wait. As a result, not a lot of looking happens. While looking to see that you are not going to hit someone or be hit is a good thing, you may never go at all if you wait for a clear opening. Life is like that a lot. We need to be aware of our surroundings, but if we look too long, we may never move forward. Sometimes you just have to start moving. If you overthink the intersection, you may not  move forward at all. 

Second, I was reminded to keep my eyes open, in spite of "don't look if you don't want to buy." I got up to an intersection where various sellers walk up and down offering their wares to those driving by them. If you look at them, it is assumed that you are interested in purchasing said items and the seller will come to your window. In most cases, I am not looking to buy anything they have, so I try not to look at them at all. However, at this same intersection, young boys ranging in age from four to ten can be seen begging for money for their caretaker. (I have written other blogs about these Talibe boys.) If I don't look at the sellers, I also do not see the beggar boys. I miss seeing their lostness. I miss seeing those who are desperate for kindness. Sometimes I have something for them and sometimes I don't, since we try not to give them money. (See other blogs for explanation.)  If I close my eyes to the distractions, I also miss what really matters. 

I am trying to remember to keep my eyes open but not look too long either.