In the humorous song “I’m still a guy” by Brad Paisley the country artist sings the following line: “these days there’s dudes getting facials, manicured, waxed and botoxed with deep spray-on tans and creamy lotion-y hands that can’t grip a tackle box…” Well this might be the case with some of my misguided American brethren but there is a little place just down south where they haven’t heard of such beautifying enhancements. Here in busy kinder (bush country) my bar soap was a novelty and the object of wonder…and that was with the Aukaan women! Sand just doesn’t have the same refreshing scent as my verdant bar of Irish Spring. So needless to say people out here are tough…and therefore work is tough.
I consider myself an outdoorsman and a country boy of sorts. It wasn’t incidental that I arrived in this place doing this particular work in this jungle environment. And I have loved every minute of it. Since arriving in Godolphin a month ago, I had become acquainted with the village but hadn’t ventured to do anything too risky or adventurous. With a foreigner, Awakeners exercise an understandable degree of caution. You’re under their care and your well-being is their responsibility. They want to see what you can handle. You quickly learn why because there isn’t room for blunders when you’re deep in the bush and mistakes can very well cost you your life. After three weeks I was anxious to get out and do something outside Godolphin itself. I was chomping-at-the-bit to get after it.
So around the last week of September every family in Godolphin began the annual task of clearing a section of land to plant for next year’s crops. Baa’ Pikin Lodie gave me the go and so two days were spent cutting all the underbrush of a two to three acre plot of virgin jungle. With machete in hand we hacked and hacked…and hacked all day long. The jungle vines and brambles are which make the jungle so dense were the objects of our wrath. All the while carefully looking for hidden wasp nests and deadly snakes. It was work, no doubt and at the end of day 1 our hands were sore and bleeding. But as tough as this sounds, women in the village do it along side the men. Saa’ Olie, Baa’ Pikin Lodie’s wife worked with us the whole day. But this wasn’t the end to clearing the plot. A weekend to rest and then we go back to Faa goon: Fell all the trees on the plot. It’s what Aukaaners call man nengee wooko (“man’s work” or for a better definition and understanding, “manly man’s work”).
So Monday arrives and we load up all our gear and head to the planting ground (goon). There’s a clear and apparent disconnect that comes with two people who speak a different language. I could tell Baa’ Pikin Lodie wasn’t sure if I had worked with an axe before. I know he was going to be cutting with the chain saw and although I knew how to use one too I didn’t ask, besides I love workout you get cutting with an axe. When I told him I’d used an axe plenty of times helping my Grandparents cut firewood and didn’t try to push using the chainsaw there was an immediate relief on and reassurance on his face. Why would there be any apprehensions in the first place? I soon discovered why.
Before we put the axe to the tree, Baa’ Pikin Lodie prayed in earnest to the Lord for safety while we worked. It was really neat that he saw that as being of paramount importance and we wouldn’t dare venture to begin without asking God’s hand to be upon us. So I began to hack away. I love cutting with an axe. And when you fell a big tree after strenuous effort there is a unique sense of satisfaction – a victorious feeling. Well there are also dangers (big surprise) when Faa’ing a goon. The tricky part of the work stems from the vines interwined in as many as a dozen trees. You cut one expecting it to fall and it just hangs or won’t move. You look up and see it being held by a vine connected to another (usually bigger) tree. So you cut every tree in that area and yet none have come down. You carefully observe to spot which one is keeping them all from falling. So you eventually cut the winner and in an instant all the trees come down with a swift and violent crash. Toward the end of day two with a small section of the plot left uncut in which about 10 relatively large trees had all been hacked but were being held up by one. Baa’ Pikin Lodie had a necessary planned route of escape since the tree was situated right smack in the middle of where all the trees were going to fall. He cut until we heard the first (and only) telltale sign: a faint crackling of the trunk. So Lodie began a dash towards safety. The scene was like something from a movie because he barely escaped, the trees were so near to hitting him I couldn’t help but see Indiana Jones and the huge boulder in Raiders of the Lost Ark. And like Indy, he came out unscathed. There were many close calls but that’s what is to be expected when you’re doing man nengee wooko. So after two exhausting long days with sore hands and scraped and scratched legs (I for some unknown reason did not find it necessary to bring pants and I paid for it dearly) we were finished. At prayer time with believers we had plenty of reasons to give God praise. Many Aukaaners had gotten serious injuries and just a month or so previous several men had died from accidents.
When people in the village found out that I had Faa’d a goon they were impressed and laughed because this work is about as “Aukaan” as you can get. Doing it helped me understand and discover a newfound respect for the hard life they live to provide food for their families. When telling men here the story of the Fall of Man there is always a clear understanding and acceptance when God tells Adam: “cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life” and “by the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground”.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Once in a lifetime experience
So often you hear the phrase “once-in-a-lifetime experience”. There are countless places and a diverse and extensive list of things people do that fit in the category. But anything, if done only once, is by definition a once is a lifetime experience. I was privileged to experience an event that will probably be a once-in a lifetime experience for myself and one which I doubt few, if any person outside of the interior jungle of Suriname will ever see. I got witness and be a part of what is known as Ponsu. An odd word it is, with no particular resemblance to any commonly used English word. How it is performed and the results are just as unique.
In the jungle there exists a certain plant which Aukaaners call “Neko”. It looks just like any piece of wood or medium-sized vine you see everyday but it possesses a striking potency when it is prepared and used in a particular manner. So the vine is sought and brought to a place upstream from the village, it is mashed and pulverized with hewn-out wooden clubs awaiting its fate: being washed in the Tapanhoni river. And what Neko does is a splendid and puzzling thing: as the Aukaaners say, “a meke den fisi dunguu”. Translation: It makes the fish drunk. Okay, so I’m gonna go out on a limb here and presume that you haven’t been around drunken fish. Well…..I’d take an intoxicated fish over a sober one any day…and not because they’re a lot more fun to be around. I know it sounds like I’m pulling your leg and you’re probably thinking a year in the bush is beginning to have adverse effects on my mind. But believe me, when I heard how this thing works I was just as incredulous. So when I witnessed Ponsu I made sure to take video and photographic evidence.
So what does a drunk fish do and why does every soul in the whole village come to take part in it? If you know the jungle you know every form of protein: fish, meat, fowl is diligently sought for consumption. When you find an effective method to acquire it you ride that wave. Physiologically, a “drunken” fish is simply one deprived of oxygen. And what is causing the water the fish is living in to be deprived of this precious oxygen? You got it: Neko. And so that’s how Ponsu works. The Neko has some chemical property that deprives the river water downstream from where it is washed of Oxygen. As I witnessed, a little Neko was effective for more than 10 kilometers downstream for a river at some spots is over 600 Meters across.
Well the fish behave well…like drunks. They are disoriented and sluggish. They float to the top of the water, flop around, sink back down, languidly swim in circles. And they are easy targets for an entire village (including myself) armed with spears. The village Ponsu’s the river once annually. So with a chance for an abundant catch of fish no one misses out. Even a rookie like myself speared at least four. It was a blast. We’re going into rapids and there are countless boats. It was like a roller coaster ride. I couldn’t believe I was really doing this. The implements were maybe six feet long and most were handmade of wood with a sharp tip. Needless to say, people we’re surprised to see a white guy (one who just arrived two weeks previously) out there.
The whole thing began on a Tuesday afternoon and ended Wednesday around 11 A.M. We camped on the river Tuesday night and got up around 4 A.M. and as the sun began to rise, a few men began to wash the Neko in the river. Behind these men lay a sea of boats and entire families waiting in visible anticipation. It was a race as I came to realize. After the washing was complete, someone shouted “Go!” and everyone began to rush downriver, maneuvering and dodging fellow boats; all while spearing fish they could find. We found one spot in the river and waited as all sorts of fish of every shape and size floated by from the tiniest guppy to six-pound peacock bass. I was in one boat with two seasoned veterans, Baa’ Bodi and Baa’ Yunkuman. When you saw a big one the excitement level jumped. The spotter pointed and if (when) someone missed, we all tried to take our shots as the fish would dip down and we looked intently to predict where it would pop back up. After about four hours it was complete. Everyone went home with a hearty portion of fish, much of which will not be eaten within a day or two. The rest is smoked, salted or dried for preservation. So this fleeting rush of fun has now come to a close but as for the once in a lifetime deal….well I’m here till October 2010 so there’s a high probability there will have to be a word replacement with the insertion twice -in a lifetime experience.
In the jungle there exists a certain plant which Aukaaners call “Neko”. It looks just like any piece of wood or medium-sized vine you see everyday but it possesses a striking potency when it is prepared and used in a particular manner. So the vine is sought and brought to a place upstream from the village, it is mashed and pulverized with hewn-out wooden clubs awaiting its fate: being washed in the Tapanhoni river. And what Neko does is a splendid and puzzling thing: as the Aukaaners say, “a meke den fisi dunguu”. Translation: It makes the fish drunk. Okay, so I’m gonna go out on a limb here and presume that you haven’t been around drunken fish. Well…..I’d take an intoxicated fish over a sober one any day…and not because they’re a lot more fun to be around. I know it sounds like I’m pulling your leg and you’re probably thinking a year in the bush is beginning to have adverse effects on my mind. But believe me, when I heard how this thing works I was just as incredulous. So when I witnessed Ponsu I made sure to take video and photographic evidence.
So what does a drunk fish do and why does every soul in the whole village come to take part in it? If you know the jungle you know every form of protein: fish, meat, fowl is diligently sought for consumption. When you find an effective method to acquire it you ride that wave. Physiologically, a “drunken” fish is simply one deprived of oxygen. And what is causing the water the fish is living in to be deprived of this precious oxygen? You got it: Neko. And so that’s how Ponsu works. The Neko has some chemical property that deprives the river water downstream from where it is washed of Oxygen. As I witnessed, a little Neko was effective for more than 10 kilometers downstream for a river at some spots is over 600 Meters across.
Well the fish behave well…like drunks. They are disoriented and sluggish. They float to the top of the water, flop around, sink back down, languidly swim in circles. And they are easy targets for an entire village (including myself) armed with spears. The village Ponsu’s the river once annually. So with a chance for an abundant catch of fish no one misses out. Even a rookie like myself speared at least four. It was a blast. We’re going into rapids and there are countless boats. It was like a roller coaster ride. I couldn’t believe I was really doing this. The implements were maybe six feet long and most were handmade of wood with a sharp tip. Needless to say, people we’re surprised to see a white guy (one who just arrived two weeks previously) out there.
The whole thing began on a Tuesday afternoon and ended Wednesday around 11 A.M. We camped on the river Tuesday night and got up around 4 A.M. and as the sun began to rise, a few men began to wash the Neko in the river. Behind these men lay a sea of boats and entire families waiting in visible anticipation. It was a race as I came to realize. After the washing was complete, someone shouted “Go!” and everyone began to rush downriver, maneuvering and dodging fellow boats; all while spearing fish they could find. We found one spot in the river and waited as all sorts of fish of every shape and size floated by from the tiniest guppy to six-pound peacock bass. I was in one boat with two seasoned veterans, Baa’ Bodi and Baa’ Yunkuman. When you saw a big one the excitement level jumped. The spotter pointed and if (when) someone missed, we all tried to take our shots as the fish would dip down and we looked intently to predict where it would pop back up. After about four hours it was complete. Everyone went home with a hearty portion of fish, much of which will not be eaten within a day or two. The rest is smoked, salted or dried for preservation. So this fleeting rush of fun has now come to a close but as for the once in a lifetime deal….well I’m here till October 2010 so there’s a high probability there will have to be a word replacement with the insertion twice -in a lifetime experience.
Fear
With more than likely little knowledge of the interior of Suriname, what do you the reader imagine as being the two most commonly asked questions of me by Aukaaners? Think hard. There are no shortage of questions in the world. Before living here I would have never even known where to start so don’t beat yourself up for not knowing. Well, the two most common questions asked are these: You’re how old?...24! Why aren’t you married? and the second, “You aren’t afraid of (fill in the blank)? The former of these two…well, I’ll save that for another time…as in personal conversation, you probably don’t want to read a blog that long. Lol.
In our missionary training we learned of how sin manifests itself in (loosely) three different distinctive categories: guilt, shame and fear. Western cultures such as our own are guilt-based because we judge by law to determine right or wrong. In Aukaan culture fear pervades the lives of this people group and satan uses it to hold them in bondage to sin. Any time Aukaaners see me swimming in the river they are quick to warn me and admonish me to not go there. I have an answer ready but first ask them why I should be afraid. There is no good physical reason to fear swimming in the Tapanahoni, especially in the dry season with a languid current and an abundance of shallow places to take refuge if you become tired. None of the fish will attack humans so the only thing I am careful to take heed is sting-rays in the sand and the diabolical Makaa palms covered in thorns that occasionally lie just below the surface of the water. As of today, (October 17) I have yet to be stung by a sting ray nor have I gotten any sort of serious injury by a Makaa. All the praise to God for this.
Interesting enough, all the villagers who warned me about the river didn’t mention thorn palms or fresh water sting rays. They didn’t tell me I might drown because perhaps I’m not a good swimmer but they began to talk about spirits that pull you down under the water and drown you and all kinds of supernatural creatures and demons that seek out humans in the river. This might sound like myth and folklore that most in America would disregard as superstition. I’ve been here long enough to know the spiritual world and demonic oppression are so prevalent that I could never, as a believer deny that. So from there I begin from where I should’ve started anyway: The Lord. So I’ve told everyone who asks the question that I don’t know what’s under the water. I believe in evil spirits and perhaps there is something that can kill a person in the water but I believe in Jesus and I pray for God’s protection and the Holy Spirit that resides in all Christians keeps me safe not only in the river but everywhere I go. I put my trust in him to protect me and therefore I’m not afraid. This simple act of swimming in the river has had a great impact on villagers in Godoloho.
Taylor and I paddled in our canoe one night when I was down in Ditabikii for two weeks in October to another island in the dark and during a rainstorm. People were shocked and said, “They’re not afraid of anything”. We’ve taken every opportunity to give our Savior all the credit for this. That same week we spoke for an hour on the radio. Taylor interviewed me and I talked about swimming without fear and used the opportunity to share the Biblical account of Jesus and the demon- possessed man in Mark 5. Thousands heard this and I pray the Lord was and continues to be glorified in how we live our lives and that the manner in which we live them will be the biggest testimony of all.
In our missionary training we learned of how sin manifests itself in (loosely) three different distinctive categories: guilt, shame and fear. Western cultures such as our own are guilt-based because we judge by law to determine right or wrong. In Aukaan culture fear pervades the lives of this people group and satan uses it to hold them in bondage to sin. Any time Aukaaners see me swimming in the river they are quick to warn me and admonish me to not go there. I have an answer ready but first ask them why I should be afraid. There is no good physical reason to fear swimming in the Tapanahoni, especially in the dry season with a languid current and an abundance of shallow places to take refuge if you become tired. None of the fish will attack humans so the only thing I am careful to take heed is sting-rays in the sand and the diabolical Makaa palms covered in thorns that occasionally lie just below the surface of the water. As of today, (October 17) I have yet to be stung by a sting ray nor have I gotten any sort of serious injury by a Makaa. All the praise to God for this.
Interesting enough, all the villagers who warned me about the river didn’t mention thorn palms or fresh water sting rays. They didn’t tell me I might drown because perhaps I’m not a good swimmer but they began to talk about spirits that pull you down under the water and drown you and all kinds of supernatural creatures and demons that seek out humans in the river. This might sound like myth and folklore that most in America would disregard as superstition. I’ve been here long enough to know the spiritual world and demonic oppression are so prevalent that I could never, as a believer deny that. So from there I begin from where I should’ve started anyway: The Lord. So I’ve told everyone who asks the question that I don’t know what’s under the water. I believe in evil spirits and perhaps there is something that can kill a person in the water but I believe in Jesus and I pray for God’s protection and the Holy Spirit that resides in all Christians keeps me safe not only in the river but everywhere I go. I put my trust in him to protect me and therefore I’m not afraid. This simple act of swimming in the river has had a great impact on villagers in Godoloho.
Taylor and I paddled in our canoe one night when I was down in Ditabikii for two weeks in October to another island in the dark and during a rainstorm. People were shocked and said, “They’re not afraid of anything”. We’ve taken every opportunity to give our Savior all the credit for this. That same week we spoke for an hour on the radio. Taylor interviewed me and I talked about swimming without fear and used the opportunity to share the Biblical account of Jesus and the demon- possessed man in Mark 5. Thousands heard this and I pray the Lord was and continues to be glorified in how we live our lives and that the manner in which we live them will be the biggest testimony of all.
Saa' Bea's testimony
A true joy since arriving and doing ministry in Godoloho has been hearing the testimonies from believers in the village. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I got here concerning how these folks came to know Jesus as Lord and Savior. I had no preconceived notions because I knew how different life was here and people’s proximity with the spiritual world was so acute. I was sure that the story of how they came to faith would not be a typical answer you here back home. But what I heard and continue to hear had me listening in awe, wonder and amazement and praising God.
Nearly every testimony was a prolific story that invariably involved the supernatural. There were miraculous healings, visions and dreams. As time passed by I realized this to be the norm. I couldn’t wait to hear another story. I’m going to tell the story of one woman in Godoloho named Saa’ Bea whose testimony involved a miraculous healing, a dream and a steadfast faith of Job-like proportions.
As I sat down under the refreshing shade of a mango tree during a typical mid-morning Godoloho day eating watermelon and enjoying a cool breeze that would soon be forgotten as the hot mid-day afternoon hours arrived Saa Bea told me the following story:
She had been a believer for a while but her husband not (very typical scenario here). She had contracted some type of debilitating illness that essentially left her paralyzed below the neck. She told she couldn’t even lift a spoon to feed herself at more severe stages of this illness. She was a complete invalid and was at the mercy of her family to take care of her. She prayed fervently everyday for healing from God. She put her trust in Christ and said never doubted he would heal her. The unbelievers in her family and fellow villagers saw her feeble condition and urged her to seek healing from a Bonuman who would use magic, oracles, and other various forms witchcraft to attempt to make her well. She rejected all offers and held fast to her faith as sole healer. As time passed and her condition failed to improve, she was persecuted with increasing intensity as she would not even give the traditional medicinal treatment of the Aukaan people. Her neighbors derided, ridiculed and continued heaped abuse on her. They even made threats on her life and tried to convince her husband to divorce her and thereby remove his financial provision and care. One of her daughters, Esma (a Christian) stuck with her through this great time of trial and suffering. She tended to her needs during these years.
Then one day she had a dream. In the dream she saw Jesus. She said his face was as bright as the sun and his clothes a brilliant white. He told her in this vision to take a particular plant and make a certain wash with water and bathe in it. As she could not raise herself to retrieve the plant needed to make what the Lord had asked her to make, she begged her husband to do it. He did as she asked and she washed in it for three days. On the third day, she rose up and walked. An absolute miracle! All people in the village were in awe and acknowledged God’s power and his mercy towards Bea. A story of this magnitude was too wonderful to not ask others in Godoloho and surrounding villages. I asked two men who are non-believers about her and they both corroborated the story: She was paralyzed and became well miraculously.
As I sat in awe-struck wonder I posed the question as to what was the response to all those who witnessed the power of your God and your steadfast faith in the face of unrelenting opposition. She calmly answered that they did not deny the Lord’s power but did not come to repent or accept the God who did what no one else did or could. My eyes began to well up with tears as I saw the awesome power of Jesus and at the same moment the hardened, stubborn, rebellious and unbelieving human heart. I was quickly brought back to the Gospels in which Jesus did miraculous signs and wonders demonstrating his divinity and power over and above the entire world and everything which plagues and hinders humanity: even death itself. Pray for the Holy Spirit to soften hearts in Godoloho and the interior or Suriname. He’s revealing himself to many and bringing to himself those whom he is pleased to bring.
I couldn’t help but see in Saa Bea’s story Jesus words in the Parable of the Rich man and Lazarus:
“No father Abraham,’ he said, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
He said to him, ‘if they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” -Luke 15:30-31
Nearly every testimony was a prolific story that invariably involved the supernatural. There were miraculous healings, visions and dreams. As time passed by I realized this to be the norm. I couldn’t wait to hear another story. I’m going to tell the story of one woman in Godoloho named Saa’ Bea whose testimony involved a miraculous healing, a dream and a steadfast faith of Job-like proportions.
As I sat down under the refreshing shade of a mango tree during a typical mid-morning Godoloho day eating watermelon and enjoying a cool breeze that would soon be forgotten as the hot mid-day afternoon hours arrived Saa Bea told me the following story:
She had been a believer for a while but her husband not (very typical scenario here). She had contracted some type of debilitating illness that essentially left her paralyzed below the neck. She told she couldn’t even lift a spoon to feed herself at more severe stages of this illness. She was a complete invalid and was at the mercy of her family to take care of her. She prayed fervently everyday for healing from God. She put her trust in Christ and said never doubted he would heal her. The unbelievers in her family and fellow villagers saw her feeble condition and urged her to seek healing from a Bonuman who would use magic, oracles, and other various forms witchcraft to attempt to make her well. She rejected all offers and held fast to her faith as sole healer. As time passed and her condition failed to improve, she was persecuted with increasing intensity as she would not even give the traditional medicinal treatment of the Aukaan people. Her neighbors derided, ridiculed and continued heaped abuse on her. They even made threats on her life and tried to convince her husband to divorce her and thereby remove his financial provision and care. One of her daughters, Esma (a Christian) stuck with her through this great time of trial and suffering. She tended to her needs during these years.
Then one day she had a dream. In the dream she saw Jesus. She said his face was as bright as the sun and his clothes a brilliant white. He told her in this vision to take a particular plant and make a certain wash with water and bathe in it. As she could not raise herself to retrieve the plant needed to make what the Lord had asked her to make, she begged her husband to do it. He did as she asked and she washed in it for three days. On the third day, she rose up and walked. An absolute miracle! All people in the village were in awe and acknowledged God’s power and his mercy towards Bea. A story of this magnitude was too wonderful to not ask others in Godoloho and surrounding villages. I asked two men who are non-believers about her and they both corroborated the story: She was paralyzed and became well miraculously.
As I sat in awe-struck wonder I posed the question as to what was the response to all those who witnessed the power of your God and your steadfast faith in the face of unrelenting opposition. She calmly answered that they did not deny the Lord’s power but did not come to repent or accept the God who did what no one else did or could. My eyes began to well up with tears as I saw the awesome power of Jesus and at the same moment the hardened, stubborn, rebellious and unbelieving human heart. I was quickly brought back to the Gospels in which Jesus did miraculous signs and wonders demonstrating his divinity and power over and above the entire world and everything which plagues and hinders humanity: even death itself. Pray for the Holy Spirit to soften hearts in Godoloho and the interior or Suriname. He’s revealing himself to many and bringing to himself those whom he is pleased to bring.
I couldn’t help but see in Saa Bea’s story Jesus words in the Parable of the Rich man and Lazarus:
“No father Abraham,’ he said, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
He said to him, ‘if they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” -Luke 15:30-31
Sunday, August 2, 2009
A divine revelation
If you grew up as I did in Church every Sunday and Wednesday you heard sermon after sermon and Bible lesson after Bible lesson beginning in the nursery and continuing into adulthood emphasis was frequently made on faith and truly trusting God for guidance in life and divine revelation. The heroes of the faith were lauded for giving up everything this world had to offer trusting that what God promised them was infinitely better. It never ceases to amaze me how the Andrew and Peter dropped their nets one day, left their father, and followed Jesus. They had plenty of good, ostensible reasons for keeping their career and family. But now we read their story for no other reason than that they did leave those nets and followed Jesus.
Jesus told us to ask, seek and knock in Matthew but I’ve begin to see how seldom actually do it. Oh we ask, but when do we ask with no back-up plan, no alternative, no contingency? When do we ask Jesus, trusting that either we get an answer from him or don’t get one at all. When do truly walk by faith?
Since Charles, Brittany and his family have returned to Suriname our “orientation” period has been over. We just finished wrapping-up after a volunteer group came from Tennessee. (If any of you guys are reading this, just want to express how much I enjoyed you’re coming to Suriname and miss you) Now, with less than fifteen months left on my term it was time to decide where Taylor and I would be. We knew what we’d be doing: chronological Bible storying and discipleship, but weren’t sure exactly where we would be located. Realistically, most villages would be glad to have us and therefore we critically needed discernment of which one to stay. Prior to last week Charles had one place in mind for us to visit but none of us felt any particular place was where we should be. So last Sunday we’re sitting around the table with no clue of where we should be with every option on the table. Charles told us he wants us to be in the interior by Wednesday. Him and Brittany asked Taylor and I to entertain the thought of going to different villages and doing work separately. We got down on our knees and earnestly prayed that night for guidance. We asked for revelation through any and all means: dreams, a voice, a person, the Word etc.
Monday night came. We prayed together and went home and slept. In the morning I did my devotional and at one point I felt the Holy Spirit telling me of a certain village called Godoholo. Taylor had a dream that night of a certain man from a village right across from Ditabikii. Charles called and asked us if the Lord had given us an answer. He had given him and Brittany one. This was uncharted ground for me. Charles joked with me when we went to his house for lunch that if are answers didn’t coincide, someone got a word from God and someone got it from somewhere else. I was a little apprehensive to say the least about the revelation. So we sat around the table and told them what was revealed to me. When I said Godoholo they both looked at each other and smiled. Taylor then told us about his dream. Charles and Brittany prayed that night and told them that the Lord showed them that I should be in Godoholo and Taylor should stay in Ditabikii. We were in absolute amazement. God showed all four of us separately the same word. Incredible!
This faith step has really strengthened my walk with the Lord. Charles was not a bit surprised but told us that the Lord would not give us a contradictory answer. He tells us that those who seek will find, those who ask will receive and to him who knocks the door will be opened. And so Wednesday, we headed back interior and stayed for four days. We met with Captains from Ditabikii and Godohlo to ask permission to stay and tell Bible stories. It went really well. Although everything is yet to be finalized, God has shown us where he wants Taylor and I to be. God showed us how walking by faith pleases the Lord and he does not neglect us when we ask in his name.
Stating the obvious
On a sultry, star-filled night in the interior Charles, Taylor and I along with 5 volunteers from Tennesse who had come for the week to do ministry in the interior sat in semi-circle just outside Ba’Jepin’s house waiting for “church” to start on a Wednesday night. We arrived around sunset and waited close to an hour before two other believers from the island arrived. They had been busy finishing up some last minute (or hour) work. As you can expect, this was anything but your conventional 11 A.M Sunday worship service. Charles initiated the time by asking Taylor and I to share a story from the Bible God had led us to share. Taylor told the parable of the net in Aukaan with Charles and I translating for the volunteers. He made an analogy pertinent to the jungle referring to fish we had caught setting hooks one day, some of which had been eaten by an alligator and we’re therefore analogous to “bad” fish in the parable and others which we’re the uneaten “good fish”. The Aukaaners understood well and repeated back the story and what the significance was in regard to God’s final righteous judgment.
I then told from memory the story of Jesus calming the storm in Mark 4 and made some practical application emphasizing how the disciples had seen Jesus’ authority, might and unprecedented miraculous power and yet when a storm threatened their ship (with Jesus himself on board!) they cried out: “master don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”. In the same way, we see Jesus’ work in our lives and yet when “storms” come and the wind howls and the waves crash all around we are too often like the disciples because of our lack of faith. After telling this story with a voice which was quickly waning as I was coming down with a cold, a brother, Ba’Maliki repeated the story back to me from memory with striking accuracy. It is Aukaan custom to repeat a story back to the story-teller to demonstrate their understanding of it. I was impressed and blessed to witness this. Charles concluded by asking three of the Aukaan brothers one example of which they have seen God’s work in their life. They all described how the Lord has shown himself faithful and Charles himself also gave one in which he prayed to God for rain to put out a big fire. Taylor and I witnessed this and it seeing it strengthened our faith.
As it was getting late, we prepared to leave but Charles could discern that rain was coming despite previously clear skies. Sure enough as we began walk out it began to pour. We went back to take cover at the house and wait out the deluge. Just then another believer Um Langa, showed up just as we were concluding the meeting clearly sad that he had missed the meeting. The rain delay gave us opportunity to share the stories with him. Taylor and Charles told their to Um Langa. He was joyful afterwards and grateful the Lord had sent the rain in order that we could not leave and as a consequence, he did not miss a word from the Lord. As Charles drove us back in treacherous darkness on the perilous river where only a spotlight and prior knowledge of the location of rocks prevented a disaster those in the group reflected back on what Um Langa had said. He never once veered from the reality that God sent the rain that night, at that particular time for the sole purpose of him getting a chance to hear those stories. I quickly realized how quickly I glossed over what was simply the obvious: God working through (in this case) nature to allow Um Langa to hear the word of the Lord. There’s a lesson to be learned from our Aukaan brother. If we only looked more intently we’d see God’s work in our lives in the simple and ordinary just as much as the profound and miraculous. We’ll see it as Um Langa did.
I then told from memory the story of Jesus calming the storm in Mark 4 and made some practical application emphasizing how the disciples had seen Jesus’ authority, might and unprecedented miraculous power and yet when a storm threatened their ship (with Jesus himself on board!) they cried out: “master don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”. In the same way, we see Jesus’ work in our lives and yet when “storms” come and the wind howls and the waves crash all around we are too often like the disciples because of our lack of faith. After telling this story with a voice which was quickly waning as I was coming down with a cold, a brother, Ba’Maliki repeated the story back to me from memory with striking accuracy. It is Aukaan custom to repeat a story back to the story-teller to demonstrate their understanding of it. I was impressed and blessed to witness this. Charles concluded by asking three of the Aukaan brothers one example of which they have seen God’s work in their life. They all described how the Lord has shown himself faithful and Charles himself also gave one in which he prayed to God for rain to put out a big fire. Taylor and I witnessed this and it seeing it strengthened our faith.
As it was getting late, we prepared to leave but Charles could discern that rain was coming despite previously clear skies. Sure enough as we began walk out it began to pour. We went back to take cover at the house and wait out the deluge. Just then another believer Um Langa, showed up just as we were concluding the meeting clearly sad that he had missed the meeting. The rain delay gave us opportunity to share the stories with him. Taylor and Charles told their to Um Langa. He was joyful afterwards and grateful the Lord had sent the rain in order that we could not leave and as a consequence, he did not miss a word from the Lord. As Charles drove us back in treacherous darkness on the perilous river where only a spotlight and prior knowledge of the location of rocks prevented a disaster those in the group reflected back on what Um Langa had said. He never once veered from the reality that God sent the rain that night, at that particular time for the sole purpose of him getting a chance to hear those stories. I quickly realized how quickly I glossed over what was simply the obvious: God working through (in this case) nature to allow Um Langa to hear the word of the Lord. There’s a lesson to be learned from our Aukaan brother. If we only looked more intently we’d see God’s work in our lives in the simple and ordinary just as much as the profound and miraculous. We’ll see it as Um Langa did.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Time on the Air
Since arriving in Suriname nearly six months ago, Taylor and I have prayed, strived, and persisted in learning the Aukaan language (and culture) with the intention of sharing the gospel. Considering we are here as missionaries, any striving less than this ultimate goal would make us two deceitful religious rogues. Lol. I reassure you, this is not the case. We have shared Bible stories and engaged in spiritual conversations as fast our language ability has allowed. Each successive trip saw more opportunities and almost daily discussions that one way or another involved the Lord. Our most recent trip to the interior (which was unfortunately cut short due to the pressing need to rectify our stay papers) saw the culmination of five months’ worth of language of learning. We got to share our testimonies through a surprising form of communication relatively recent to the jungle: the radio.
Ditabikii possesses the sole radio station for the entire interior. For Aukaaners and some of the other ethnic groups living within a 100 mile radius, the station, known as pakati was built by previous missionaries some of which include our supervisor Charles Shirey. The construction and broadcast of this radio station was one of the primary ways Southern Baptist missionaries served and invested in the Aukaan people. The radio broadcasts news, music (Christian and secular) and has a “Christian” hour where Bible stories are played every night at 8 p.m. ironically; we didn’t have a radio ourselves and so only heard what was faintly audible from the station located in our backyard. We first shared a short message in Aukaan introducing ourselves and briefly describing our purpose here while ending with a Bible verse.
We didn’t have a full understanding of how popular and widely-listened to the radio was until the subsequent days when just about everyone we talked to mentioned hearing us that Saturday night. We had rehearsed what we were going to say and carefully wrote the words and constantly practiced but the Lord really anointed it. Our language teacher Ba’Joti who gave a formal introduction later told us: “a be go gaata” (It went smooth)
With a limited amount of time in the Jungle, a newfound confidence in speaking Aukaan and a well-received response from villagers we made it a goal to get on the air again. After a week or so of writing, rewriting, reciting and proofreading we had our testimonies written and ready to present. And so on a Thursday night @ 8 we first prayed for the Lord to bless what would be said and for the Holy Spirit to move in the hearts of hearers. I went first, gave a brief story of my childhood, how became a Christian, how God called me to be a missionary here and the reason we have come all the way from America to Suriname. This being that Christ loves compels us, he desires a personal relationship with every person and he’s the only way to eternal life. Taylor followed with a similarly ordered testimony. The total time amounted to less than ten minutes.
Just as with the first time, many Aukaaners in the villagers heard us that night and told us so. We were delighted, not because we spoke the language intelligibly or local notoriety resulting from two white guys speaking Aukaan but because what was said was the gospel message. We were privileged to share our testimony to a greater number of individuals than what could’ve been during the whole five months. We pray that people residing in villages where we’ll be spending the next 15 months heard of our impending arrival and most importantly, the Holy Spirit planted a seed in some of their hearts.
The Bible says in Proverbs 16 that the Lord works out everything for his own ends. Reflecting back on our short broadcast, it made me realize how something as simple as a radio can be used by God to spread his message of Love, redemption and salvation. It’s of no consequence which medium is used to propagate the gospel. What matters is that the message is preached. Jesus told us that before he returns the gospel will be proclaimed to all nations. We further realized as missionaries how our purpose is to be obedient to Jesus’ call and simply share the good news. The transformation of individual lives is the Holy Spirit’s role. That’s a huge relief and takes a lot of pressure off us as Christians. It’s exciting to think through what means and circumstances God will use to save souls in Suriname.
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