Saturday, November 28, 2009

Ok, I just realized that I lost a bunch of pictures.....so, text only.  blogging has become kind of tedious here for me, just being honest.  I find that this has kind of become my life for now, and it's hard to think of it in a sense that needs sharing that much.   I know there are things happening with school and the kids and such, but things here just kind of roll one into another and it all kind of starts to seem natural.   Like Wednesday, one of our workers had her son kidnapped for a few hours.   It happens here, especially around the end of the year and Christmas and the season.  Part of it is a voodoo thing, yes occasionally it happens that especially kids are kidnapped and killed, sacrificed.  No other way to say it.  This appears to be a run of the mill, maybe we'll get some money thing.   Thomas was kidnapped along with 5 other boys and held in a room for several hours before being released.  the other boys were afraid and crying.  Thomas prayed and sang the whole time.  It appears this eventually irritated the kidnappers enough that he let everyone go.  Thomas returned home and Friday we found out about it, had a meeting with the kids and talked to everyone about it and what to do.  I know this sounds crazy, life is boring but, oh, by the way, a boy was kidnapped.   It just becomes part of life and you go from day to day. 

Yesterday, they actually began to work on the road down the hill from us.    Dumped about 3 loads of rock and started grading the road, which is really bad.   Wonderful, but when they do this, the road is completely blocked, so you have to find another way out, which in the other direction can be hard to do, as the road is often blocked by trucks and stuff just parked in the road.  but we got thru, got the kids home....except for one little girl, Nikka.   she was supposed to go with some other kids who lived on the road blocked by us and walk home.  but she was in the back of the truck and no one notices until we were across town. so after I made my last drop, Nikka and I drove back to the school where her Mom was waiting to get here.   She was happy to see her Mom, as she is about 3 and not too sure about the big bald guy driving yet.   :)

Thanksgiving was nice, turkey and everything, believe it or not.   Gary and Caroline got a turkey from Agape ministries and we had a nice meal.   The other part of the day was spent working on the truck, as the wheel bearings were shot on the front driver side.   completely rusted out, so Al came over, he and Gary worked on it, and I went and got stuff and got dirty under the truck when that was needed.   Us gophers know where we belong...in the dirt!

School is evolving, I guess.  We find more ways the kids cheat by sharing books and tests.  It is frustrating, but we can only do so much with the staff and resources we have.  It is impossible to tell kids that cheating does them no good, it sure wouldn't have changed me when I was a kid.  We do what we can and I can tell it is having an effect.  We have made it a lot harder for them to cheat and scores are dropping on tests, so they are having to retake them and grumbling is becoming more evident, but they will get used to it. 

I am coming more to an understanding of the culture here that I will never be a part of.   I have heard others talk of time in other cultures, and no matter how long you spend, especially when it is racially different, you just can't "enter in" to the local culture as an outsider.   I hope that in the school we can impact the kids lives, bring them closer to Jesus or just get them to know Him, and give them some chance with a better education.  This is long term mission work and discipleship, and it is hard.  Whenever you hear of people having crusades and saving thousands at a time every night in a foreign land, doubt it.   Honestly, it really doesnt' work that way.  Everyone around will raise their hands to get saved every night usually, because they want the Bible, or tract or whatever is given out.   Then the next day you see people in the market selling Bibles, tracts, etc., by the box fulls.   Real change is hard, and slow and long term.  A culture that rejects God, or just dances around spirituality to get what they want (and I include most of America in that)  is changed little by little, person by person, unless the Holy Spirit falls over a whole town.  As I have said before, victories here are person by person.   Slow, but well worth it. 

I hope everyone is well, hope you are avoiding snow, (it is 7:30 am and it is 90 here) and Christmas is a blessing for everyone. 


Dieu benis ou,

Dan