Spreekt u Nederlands?

And the answer to that is no, I don’t speak Dutch. However, this past Sunday I rode into Monrovia with 8 Dutchies (as they call themselves) to meet up with another Hollander and her Liberian husband at their home. My friend Daniel said I was about to get a crash course in Dutch. I spent most of the ride over hearing Dutch in the background as I talked with Machiel—learning a bit more about him (like how to say his name properly) and Holland. While we were at Mabbu and Anneke’s home (Daniel’s friends) everyone mostly spoke English. When they did lapse into Dutch, Daniel was good to translate for me. Mabbu works with water sanitization and digging wells. Together they work with some of the poorest kids in the area to help them get into schools or at least keep up with learning and doing holiday celebrations for them. When we got to their home there was a roomful of children playing games, coloring and reading books. (of course this was my favorite part getting to hang out with the kids). Mabbu cooked some seriously yummy rice and stew for us. The last few minutes of our visit, we walked down to the beach and got our feet wet as we watched the sunset. (well, I got a little more than my feet wet, eh?)

To top of the trip, I was bitten by something just as we were leaving. Similar to a fire ant bite at home so guessing a cousin or such. Except that I have 9 bites on one toe, 2 on another, 1 on my instep and 3 on the outer side of my other foot. My one toe was quite red and swollen but that is subsiding as the blisters go down.

My friend Ben gave me a bit of a treat before he left to go home a few weeks ago. They needed to switch out the rescue boats to check the work he had been doing. So I got to ride in 2 of the rescue boats. The boats are on deck 7 and let down into the water by a crane. We were on the boat as it was let down and had to use the oars to make sure we didn’t hit anything as we went down. Then it was off for what was supposed to be a short trip. Two hours later, (because of some crane work on deck 8) we switched to the other boat and ran it a few minutes and then rode the boat as the crane pulled it up. It was nice to get out on the water and to go out to the landbreak . Below are a few pics from the trip…Ben steering, me steering and Trevor holding up something we found in the water…you find the strangest things in the water here!

sorrowful or singing single?

In church on Sunday, the text was from the book of Ruth. The pastor’s focus was surprisingly not on Ruth but instead on Naomi. We all like to read the “happily-ever-after” story of Ruth but often skip over Naomi.

Quick synopsis: Naomi left for Moab as part of a “we” and returned home single and childless. She called herself bitter and afflicted by the LORD. Two things I saw, the second a bit touched on by the pastor.

First is the problem of pain (as C.S. Lewis calls it). She calls herself afflicted by God. How hard it is to believe, to trust in God when presented with pain. “How can a just, merciful, loving God allow…?” Whatever the pain is…how can He allow it and still be a good God? (I have faced this question countless times in my career sometimes spoken but more often said with the eyes and the heart.) And there isn’t an easy answer—and certainly not one that someone hurting wants to hear. But often, we try to help, well-meaning, by throwing the Word of God at the one hurting and inflict more pain. How often do we hear quoted or say ourselves that even though there is pain now, “everything works for the good of those who love him” (Rom 8:28) or that “joy comes in the morning.” (Ps 30:5) There is nothing wrong with either of these verses (well the Word of God as a whole). They are both true but we must look at His Word in truth and not just what we want it to say. And sometimes, the joy takes a long time to come and sometimes our good is not an earthly good but an eternal good and we cannot see it this side of Heaven. His definition of good and ours are different most of the time. Then there is the other verse that well-meaning people often say that ends up hurting the one already hurting, “the pain must be sin related and if you will just repent, he will heal.” (II Chron 7:14) Of course this can be true. But we live in a broken and dying world and the prince of darkness currently has rule of this world and sometimes the pain is just from that, not sin. But who wants to hear any of this when we are hurting? And so we are left with the question “how can a good God allow…?”

The second thing I see is that Naomi couldn’t be satisfied in her singleness. She saw her married life and motherhood as being filled and her single life as being empty. But we aren’t supposed to find our fulfillment or satisfaction in other people or things of this world—only in God. It is easy (for me) to slip into trying to be fulfilled in others and not seek the Father. But it isn’t a true fulfillment. It is a precarious filling—a disagreement or someone not paying attention to you when you think they should or the drifting that can occur in relationships or even overwhelming the other with your “need” for them. It can all lead to dissatisfaction (as it should) because we are to be filled by Him alone. I often vascillate between being sorrowful and singing. Somedays I am content and singing in my singleness. Sometimes, I am a bit more on the sorrowful side.

church in africa

i have been to church in africa three times so far (well, if you don't include ward church services).

the first church i attended was a small church and very african. acapella music with dancing and lots of clapping. the building was just bare walls and a precariously done tin roof, wooden benches, some not looking sturdy enough to hold anyone much less the 10 people crammed onto it. we mercy shippers were given special treatment and seated up in the front next to the pastors and only 2 to a bench. the service was a couple of hours long and had several different messages as well as 4 different offering times. a couple that i went with were honored by the church since they had been recently married. i was asked to pray for the country of liberia during the prayer time. and afterwards, we were invited to eat with the church. while we had one bowl of rice and green leaf soup between 5 of us, they shared the same amount of food between quite a lot more people.

the second church i attended was probably close to 300 or 400 people and held in a "compound" and was very much like attending church at home. the building itself was very westernized, the benches were solid with backs, there was a worship band that sang praise choruses and the pastor's teaching time was limited to 30-40 minutes. there was also a slide show of announcements showing in the background. no calling on of visitors to teach or pray. no after church meal.

the third church i attended today was still very westernized but not like a church i've attended in a while. it was a baptist church and much like attending my grandfather's church. more traditionalistic. hymns only and the music as the hymns were written and not the new more praise chorus like way of singing them. very correct order of service. my friend eric would have appreciated the welcome time...i think i shook hands with almost everyone there (close to 100-150). and everyone kept singing until everyone had done their welcoming. the teaching time here as well was limited. the building was also very westernized, stained glass windows, solid benches with backs, oscillating fans for comfort. (those were standard desk units 16in across and mounted to the walls at regular intervals!)

i do appreciate the familiarity of the second two church services. but i also enjoyed experiencing african church the first time. hopefully i'll make it back before we leave liberia.