We're back from a PIZZA dinner!!! Gabonese pizza was totally what we all needed after our week of interesting African food! Everyone else is blowing up air mattresses for one more night (And, will be putting their DIRTY sheets back on them!)....and I'm wondering where on earth to begin to explain what we've been through the last 5 days. It would take way too long to download the amount of pictures I'd want to show you...and I'm in desperate need of sleep...inside...in a quiet room! So, I'll download a few and let your students show you theirs when they return home.
The drive to Ebel-abunga was one of the highlights of my week...it provided a good picture of the people and villages we were about to fall in love with. Admittedly, there were some nervous kids and leaders, just wondering what kinds of conditions lay ahead of us. I, personally, had a picture in my head of what the jungle village would look like....and it was really primitive, and a bit intimidating! Surprisingly, we found there were houses around us....most w/electricity, but none w/running water. The place we set up camp was overwhelming when we first arrived. The bathroom was a VERY primitive outhouse that has probably NEVER seen a cleaning product. EVER. We were provided a room to keep our bags and food, but everything else was outside.
(a neighboring house...the outhouse is the building immediately to the left of the house)
Our first sight of some of the kids who would hang out with us for days....they were so curious about us, but quickly received the students love and spent every possible minute with us.
(The house beside our camp that held an ALL NIGHT party...complete with African tribal music that started at midnight, and went on til 6am! It was a really surreal event to wake up to in the middle of the night! )
(unpacking and blowing up the mattresses again!)
(setting up our mosquito net village)
(After setting up camp we took a walk into the jungle to visit our bathing site. This woman was working on her laundry right where we bathed each day. The picture in our mind was a little more of a babbling brook...but at the end of a hot, sweaty day, this felt like nothing you can put in words!)
Every SINGLE night and morning we were tormented by the roosters that roamed around the village. They worked in cahoots, simaltaneously crowing all across the village! One was the "caller" and the rest of them...seriously, THE REST OF THEM IN THE VILLAGE would proceed to answer him...continuously. Last night one decided to roost on the roof next to us and crowed on and off all night! Needless to say, we have not had a good night sleep in days and days.
We spent two days clearing land and digging the foundation for a new Alliance church plant. Pastor Moses has left his life in Libreville and set out on his own, with the help of some of his church members, and will live in Ebel-abunga by himself as he reaches the people of the village. Some of the youth group from the Alliance church in Libreville came to help us work, as did many of the local people. They are extremely hard workers, and while we each stopped many times for water breaks,they just worked continually, barely resting at all. Men, women, and children worked alongside us...very few speaking the same language, but all of us working towards the same goal. The people were SO receptive of us. They are the kindest, most generous people. After setting up camp on the first night we set out to walk door to door and hand out tracts in the village.
The young men from the youth group who joined us were so impressive to me...the joy of the Lord exuded from them. They spent hours talking to the students in broken English and finding out what worship songs we all know. We taught each other songs, worked together, ate together, and sat around the campfire each evening. Our circle grew every day as more and more locals joined us. Watching our students bond with the teens and the young children was one of the highlights of my week. There is something we all have in common that does not require speaking the same language.
By far, though, the best part of my week was seeing how much the Christians in this village love the Lord. They pray over EVERY thing they do...and when they pray, they pray simultaneously. The first time I heard them pray like this it caught me off guard and I was surprised by the tears that came to my eyes. When we were invited to join them in praying aloud together it struck me how awesome it is that God hears each one of us, each time we pray, and in our own languages. He plays no favorites, but favors us all.
We spent some time around the fire one night doing a Q and A time with some of the Christians from the village. It was so interesting to me. Though we are worlds apart in many ways, we also struggle with some of the very same things. I think it cleared up some misconceptions on both ends. The pastor has so much to hurdle in order to reach this village, but as was proved on Sunday at the morning worship service, these people are looking for a Savior. After MUCH singing and dancing, Randy gave the message...spoke about the foundation of the building we are building, and worked it into how we need Christ to be the foundation of our lives. The message was interpreted into several languages and after an invitation 17 people came forward to receive Christ! It was an exciting morning! Afterwards we walked down to the church site where we were able to be a part of putting in the first bricks, the cornerstone of the foundation of the church. There is such ritual and tradition in these people. They explained the history of how the church came to this village and honored the people who played a part in each step. But, most importantly they gave the Lord glory for enabling them to serve Him and share His love to these people. Seeing this made every bit of the difficult days we spent in the village worthwhile.
The details of what we've been through this week will continue to pour out of each of us for days and weeks ahead. We've spent alot of time talking through our experiences and trying to prepare the students for the emotions they will be feeling in the coming days. It is SO hard to put words to the things God is doing in our individual hearts. But, He is working, and He is speaking a message into each one of us. He continues to show me, personally, that He wants me to love people more. He wants me to see people...all people, the way He does. And He is using this trip, as He's used other ones, to refine me....to refine each of us into vessels He can use at home. The process is not over...we've much to work through and understand.
Tomorrow morning we head to the local market, and to the beach...and then head to the airport to begin our journey home. Pray for us as we say goodbye to the interns we've come to love and to Tim and Meredith who have blessed us so much this week.
