Vridi Stories

My friends new 2 day old baby.  He'll get his name on Tuesday.

Hey!  Remember me?  Sorry for the extended absence.  Life has been a bit hectic.  I am going to do something Mom doesn't like today and do several posts at once.  Sorry Mom!  I just have a lot I'd like to tell/show you and I know I won't get back to it in a couple of days, so here goes. 

I think I'm going to start with the presence and move backwards.  As you know, we've been traveling some and that creates make up work upon return.  My Vridi friends have been going through a lot lately and that also makes for a lot more work.  Everyone wants to tell me their stories, which I love.  It means they trust me to some extent.  I know for some it also means they want something, but I can deal with that.

Christine is still hanging in there.  I visit her every couple of weeks now since I am not storying with her.  She enjoys visits and especially enjoys hearing that people all over the world are praying for her.  She is regaining her strength, but is still painfully thin.

Marie is having more trouble with the family of her deceased husband.  I'm not sure how the law works around here, but culture says that all belongings, money, settlements, women and children of a deceased man belong to his family.  They are to disperse of these things as they see fit.  Often they would propose another family member to marry her.  Things are progressing a bit now and she is usually able to refuse if she wishes.  However, her children are very much her husbands property.  They can take them and raise them as they wish or leave them with the mother.  Everything in the house belongs to the husband and therefore the family all the way down to the bed.  The wife would be allowed to keep things she came into the marriage with like her clothes and her dishes.  Marie had been doing OK with the husband's family.  So far they have let her keep the kids, but could take them any time they wish.  They had also agreed that since she is Catholic and they are Muslim, they'll not propose a husband.  They'd given just a few dollars here or there to help with food, medicine or school.  She's mostly living on what she can make in the market and what little bit kind friends have passed her way.  A few weeks ago, there was a dispute with her husband's family.  They felt as if she was trying to get the money owed to her husband from his employer simply because she had turned in the documentation to get it.  In reality, she turned in the documents because they were in her possession.  To solve the fight, she gave them everything she has, ensuring that she won't ever see a dime of her husband's money from his job or from the accident settlement.  Through it all she's still listening to the stories and trusting God. 

Another woman that listens at that same group just lost her young nephew.  He was 1 1/2 but his mother was not married with the dad.  She allowed him to suffer from an illness for a week before seeking help for him when he went into a coma.  Here, where malaria can kill in days, we always have to be vigilant about seeking help.  Unfortunately she didn't.  My friend is struggling with losing the nephew, but also that it could have been prevented and feelings of anger towards the mom.

Another friend in another group has fallen ill along with her infant.  I honestly fear that she is HIV+ and don't know how long she has.  For now, she is being treated in the village.

Alima's attitude has cooled toward the gospel.  Part of that is due to the language problems we've always had, but another part must be her rejected what she is hearing.  I've got a new tape in her language that she's the basic gospel message.  I hope to share that with her soon and then let her make her choice.

A million other things seem to be happening, but those are the highlights.  Stay tuned for more adventures! ;)

Heather