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Ben's Market Cat

I have really been enjoying my special market ladies.  They are such a joy to teach and I keep hoping for the day when A takes the plunge!  They have really become good friends that I miss anytime I have to miss a Tuesday or Thursday afternoon. 

Ben caught me sneaking out of the house on Tuesday and so he joined me for the afternoon.  It was quite a risk since he would miss his afternoon nap.  He's been fascinated with riding on my back again and so I thought maybe he'd get in a nap on my back.  HA!  Vridi is filled with all kinds of interesting things for a little boy to look at: sheep, chickens, lizards, flies, and cats.  Everyone of those was good for hours of fun.  He was good while I visited my friends because he was collecting flies on his banana to watch.  Another friend had sheep and chickens, a double treat.  As we were walking down the road, somebody's cat was out sunning and Ben broke down laughing because it blinked its eyes at him in that really slow cat way.  "Mama, dat cat cyosed his eyes. hee hee hee" He covered his mouth with one hand and slapped at his knee with the other for good measure!  He had the whole street out laughing at him.  Unfortunately school was out and so we had a parade of kiddos following us most of the day.  I say unfortunately because that means they get yelled at and shooed off every two minutes and Ben's hair gets pretty ruffled.

I was a little worried about my main group because it is not unusual to spend a couple of hours sitting there on a wooden bench with them.  After we'd been there a few minutes, I mentioned that Ben liked cats.  Someone came dragging out the market kitten for Ben in just a couple of minutes.  It was love at first sight, for Ben anyway!  He carried that cat here and there, picked it up, put it down, named it three times, kissed it, hugged it until I thought he'd hug the fur right off of it and sang to it.  Finally he let the thing go, but it wasn't smart enough to run away.  It hid right there under the bench, so it was easy prey in another few minutes.  I thought I'd get through the story fairly easily with the kitten there, but sure enough, Ben had to potty about halfway through.  He was taken to the little patch of dirt all the kids use, but he didn't quite finish up his business and was hopping around again in just a few more minutes into the story.  I asked if he could wait and he said yes.  I suppose by kid number three I should have known not to ask or accept that answer.  At least I did finish the story, but Ben needed a bath by the time I got finished.  So he got stripped down right there in the market and got his bucket bath. 

It was quite a day.  Ben was so tired that he fell asleep on the way home.  His suppertime nap meant it was nearly 11 by the time he stopped hopping out of his bed last night and went to sleep.  He sure did bring a lot of joy to the Vridi gang, though, so I guess it was worth it.  I've told you before that I am known by nearly everyone there as BenjaminMa or MamaBenjamin.  By the time he came home, he'd accumulated 5 mangos, a banana, and a handful of a local fruit as gifts.  They wanted him to take home that poor market cat, but I told them Daisy would eat it for sure!  She's always itching to take on the full grown cats of our neighbors, so I figure she would eat that kitten for dessert!

Come see us some time.  Ben and I will take you to Vridi and show you a good time!
With love,
Heather

Spring Break

Ben and Karis going to the beach

Ben throwing Caleb in the pool

Ben crashed out during lunch and so he took a little nap when everyone else got back in the pool.  He woke up and stumbled directly to the pool before he could even see straight.

Picnic in the yard

We took the week before Easter as spring break this year.  We mostly just played games at home, but one day we headed out to the beach.  Ever since the trip to Ghana a couple of months ago, Ben has been pretty serious about getting back to the beach.  The big kids have always enjoyed the beach/pool too, so I'm sure they've been encouraging him.

We don't really have parks or anything, but they are always wanting to have a picnic in the yard.  With school this year, there really isn't time in a school day to do that and still get done by 3 or so, so I always say no.  Spring break seemed like a good day to say yes.  Some how or another, the sandwich and chips we could have eaten at the table gained flavor on the way out the door.  I think it was probably the mosquitos we munched down with them, but at least we had fun.

By Saturday, it was time for me to get back to work and the kids started back on Monday.  Ssshhh!  Don't tell them that was a holiday, that just makes me look bad.  Caleb always thinks we should get all American holidays and Ivorian holidays off as well as a fall, Christmas and spring break like his cousins, and a ski break like the kids here.  He figures we should start school in October like his Ivorian friends and finish school in May when he hears the first of his American friends are out.  Needless to say, he is quite often disappointed and I'm usually the bad guy.

I hope you all had great Easter and hopefully got some rest with the long weekend.
With Love,
Heather

BONNE FETE DE LA PAQUES 2012!!! or Happy Resurrection Sunday 2012!!!!

Well, I can finally say I have proclaimed the Word of God in French.  I have taught the Word of God to small groups, but this was the first time I actually preached in French at a Church here in Abidjan.  I definitely had butterflies before the service started, but once I got started I really felt the peace of God and I relaxed and just let it flow.  God is great and He was definitely helping me through this.  When the service was over someone actually came up to me and said that I speak well in French.  So God must have done something!!! I praise Him that He was able to use me in this way.  All the glory goes to God!!! Happt Resurrection Sunday!!!!!

Friends

Being a friend here, means not only getting to know each other, sharing good and hard times, sharing common interests, but also hosting and being hosted in each other's homes.  That can present quite a difficulty at times for us as some of our friends are a good 30 minutes car ride away and very few of them own a car.

We managed to tackle a few of those hurdles last week and got to have two meals with friends here at our house.  It was fun to share food and conversation.

I was also struck by the fun difference in our neighborhood acquaintances here.  I have to struggle sometimes with my frustration level at needing to stop and talk to everyone even when I'm in a hurry.  In my western world, often the task takes first priority and people around me know and understand that, at least I like to think they do.  Here, people are always first.  As I was hurrying through the streets to find a lost friend trying to get to my house, I had to stop to talk to no less than 6 different groups of people.  It became obvious really quickly that one of them wanted to rattle on for a while.  I quickly said that I'd love to talk to him later, but I was late.  He totally ignored me and continued to rattle on for 5 minutes.  To him, that meant nothing.  An appointment was not important but the person in front of him was. 

I was also laughing at my different life as I walked home from the grocery store loaded down with groceries the other day.  I only had 2 bags but when I added up the weight, it was around 20 lbs.  I'd been out walking all afternoon and was already tired when I went to the store and the day was hot and sticky.  I was late again, imagine that, and I just needed to get home with my goods.  The first offer to walk me home was when I was less than a third of a mile from the house.  I laughed to start with and then realized he really meant to leave the task he was doing and carry my groceries home for me.  "No, no.  Just getting some exercise," I laughed.  After the next offer several houses down, I began to take stock of why everyone figured I needed help.  I looked down and realized that the two plastic bags containing all of my goods was cutting off the circulation and all of my fingers were actually blue by now.  Second, I realized that all sorts of short hairs had escaped my raggedy pony tail and they were sticking out in every direction because of the humidity.  Third, I realized that the heat and sun was probably putting a serious flush on my no makeup face.  All told, 4 people offered to carry home my goods in that last third of the mile and one of them was a sweet old man with no teeth out trimming his boss' hedges.  Note to self, next time, take a taxi! ;)

With love,
Heather

Special Update

I wanted to give a special update on a few of our projects.  Some of you have joined us in prayers for this and we see God's hand at work.

Mike had what he considered a frustrating day this last week in one of his groups, but I think was more of a success story.  He stories with a family that you've been praying for and storying with a family is one of the best ways to see Muslims come to faith, so we hear.  If a family comes to saving faith together, they are bringing their own community and support and it removes the excuse of "I'd like to follow Jesus, but my family will reject me."  A guest dropped in this last week and the question was raised about why bad things happen.  Mike took the opportunity to go back and retell the story of creation and how man choose to reject God's plan and follow his own that brought suffering and sin to our world.  He went on to tell of God's plan to redeem mankind and bring them back into right relationship.  As he got through the story of Jesus and moved on to the crucifixion, the guest quickly asked to be excused.  One of the family members walked him out and when he returned he said the guest said that they weren't to listen to stuff like that.  Mike was discouraged and asked if they wished for him to continue.  The family gave a whole hearted go ahead and so he finished the story.  The family has heard that story on a number of occasions, but around here, a good story is worth retelling!  Mike was frustrated because the guy walked out, but I was encouraged because in face of opposition, the family asked Mike to continue.  This is one of the families that feel we all worship the same God and we each just have our own way of praying.  To me, this man walking out may help open their eyes to the difference and only when they clearly see a difference can they choose truth.

I also have a friend toying with truth.  Our conversations have been nearly comical because of my thinking I know what she's going to say.  I've told you about Adiara that lives here.  She's been listening to the stories for a few months.  Her family is Muslim and she is to some extent.  She is in an interesting storying group that keeps me on my toes.  They always have some tough questions and I have to go prepared not only to hear and answer what is asked of me, but to really work to understand why they asked and where they are coming from culturally to have asked that question.  Maybe that is why I was reading so much into her comments that led me down the wrong paths in our recent conversations, I don't know.  Although I enjoy this group, I was feeling that I really needed to go ahead and draw our stories to a decision point.  I didn't want us to get in a rut of just hearing a story and there never really be a time to say, OK, put up or shut up.  I find that a lot of women I've worked with in the past just want to say, "little by little, I'll understand."  That is true, but if someone's never really going to change, there's no point in continuing.  I think for me to spend my time on someone, they need to hear the truth and show that they are going to do something about it.  Even though they will really only understand little by little, I don't want to help them put off their choice without end.  It seems to me that is what Jesus did as well.

Anyway, after telling the crucifixion and resurrection story, a commotion arose that distracted her, imagine that!  I left frustrated that day and came the next week with a story about the kingdom of God and how we must be clothed in the righteousness of Jesus to enter.  She got the story first time, it was great.  Then she looked off and said, "I'd really like to do that, but my whole family is Muslim and ..."  I'm running ahead at this point and filled in for her in my head that she was saying she couldn't because her family would reject her.  That is true and we hear it, especially from women and mothers.  They can be thrown out of their house with their kids and no means of support or without their kids to never see them again.  So I started covering for her as I didn't want her to outright reject the truth that seemed to be glimmering for her.  "I know it's hard for you and costly, but you know you can accept Jesus in your own heart and we'll figure out the rest later.  You can pray yourself..."  As I trail off into details, she says, "Yeah it is hard for me because my whole family is Muslim and I have no idea how to pray like you.  Do you have a book about that or something I could read?"  I laughed out loud to realize she'd not meant at all what I thought.  I quickly arranged to come back with a story about prayer and that "book" that we have that teaches us how to pray.  ;)  She then yells down the street to a mutual friend of ours and says, "Hey did you hear that, I'm gonna learn how to pray."  Crack me up.  So much for being worried about what her friends and family will think!  Then as I was about to leave she looks at me and says, "Don't you people sing songs or something?"  My dumbfoundedness went to a new level at that point and I could only think of one song that was really simple that we sing.  Now when you learn a new language, songs can help, but they can also be really hard.  We use language in songs we don't use elsewhere and the rhythm can really mess with the sound of a word.  So, I know some songs, but not a lot and mostly those that are uncomplicated and I've heard a LOT!  The song basically says, Take my hand and lead me (although the word me more like, direct me, steer me, guide me), I don't know how to walk.  When I got through singing she said, "You know that's exactly right.  I need God to show me because I don't even know how to walk."  As I left that day, I could hear her singing the simple song.

The next time I saw her, I brought her Bible to her.  She was so thrilled to have this "precious treasure".  I could have given her one a while back, but I didn't think she'd have cared about it.  I showed her where she could start to read.  The next time I saw her, I asked about her new Bible and if she'd started to read it.  She looked sheepish and said, "I wanted to, but my husband took it and ..."  Now my mind started running and I'm worried again about her family and how are we going to protect her now that the word is already out and what we are going to do.  I asked her if he was really mad, as I wanted to hear the rest of the story.  She said, "Oh no, he just wants to read it all the time and I hardly get to look at it!"  I slowly recover from my near loss of consciousness and say, "Well, let me get you another one."  "Oh no, I could never take another one from you, you need to keep those for other people."  Eventually I convince her to at least let me give her a new testament and she happily carries off her new treasure.

I'm still not sure where she stands.  I find that people here make decisions a little differently than we do, but I'm encouraged by what I see from her.  We now start our storying groups with songs and we are having a good time.  This last lesson we talked a lot about assurance of salvation and prayer and Bible study.  We bounced about because of comments, but a friend urged her to "count the cost"  as she makes her decision about Christ.  That will leave a good open door for me to ask her next time if she has counted the cost and what does she think.  She shared with us a couple of dreams she had a long time ago about end times.  It was odd to me that someone who has never been exposed to the Bible would have a dream that could have come from scripture.  She saw everyone bowing in reverence to Jesus.  She saw people grouped into 2 groups and being held accountable for their actions on earth.  She had found herself in the group bound for torment, but someone told her to go to the other side.  It was neat to see how God has been pursuing her for some time.  She cracked me up again as we were leaving by making a summary comment for the day.  "OK, I've got it," she says.  "I'm going to pray and put God's word into practice, not just read it."  I loved it.  May God bring to completion what He has started in her.

Thanks to all of you who pray for these dear ones. 
Heather

New Toys

Before we left the states, we got to pack a few things in a crate that would be delivered to Abidjan by boat.  In it was a bike for each of the big kids and a tricycle for Ben.  Everyone was glad to get their new wheels a few weeks ago.  Ben quickly figured out how to pedal his tricycle, but steering was a little iffy for a while.  He's finally figured it all out and zips around the house and up and down the side walk on his three wheeled cruiser!

Ghana Trip

Tired after a long day in the waves

When we first got to the beach, Ben just wanted to stand there and let the water bury his feet in sand.

Karis and the elephant at the Accra mall

Ben thought the elephant was really great as it was just his size, but he was afraid to touch it.  This from a boy that will walk up to a barking, snarling dog and try to kiss it on the nose!

After a while Ben stepped further in the water and he kept Mike worn out trying to keep him afloat!

Because we hadn't intended to stop on the way home,  no one but Caleb had a swimsuit.

There were pineapples here and there all through the property.

Ben wanted to play, play, play until his body turned blue and he could barely stand.  Caleb and Karis love the beach nearly as much as Ben.

We had a good trip to Ghana the last day or two of January and the first part of February.  Those of you that get our prayer updates know that the trip there took nearly 14 hours which we made all in one day.  The kids were great, but we decided to break up the trip on the way back home.  We stopped at a place for the night and although we were without swimsuits or really even clean clothes, everybody wanted to stay an extra night.  It was nice to spend a day away.

We have been back on field assignment now for about 11 months.  Those of you that know us well, know that this has been a difficult time.  We've moved a lot, due to the Vancouver training.  We've had so many struggles with our rental properties that we can't seem to sell causing us to pour so much money down that bottomless pit.  Without our families involvements there, we would have been in serious trouble by now.  Mike has struggled more with his stomach problems than ever before.  Ben has had malaria twice.  Caleb has been fairly seriously sick with that respiratory illness a couple of months ago.  We lost our teammates due to a job change.  All other company personnel that were serving in our city are in the states for at least a year.  In addition to that are other hard things that I won't go into right now.  Our country is suffering the after effects of the crisis meaning that our people are going through hard times right now too.  All in all, we've also seen so many answers to prayers.  There was a miraculous change in Ben's behavior toward staying in a nursery in answer to prayers of the ULI gang.  All of the kids have weathered their illnesses this year with no ill effects.  I've had women just asking for me to tell them the stories.  I've seen God work in the lives of women this year.  I've had so many answered prayers of those in my groups.  Christine came back from what I had assumed was certain death.  I couldn't believe how changed the kids attitudes were in the car as so many of our friends lifted us up for that difficult journey to Accra.  I remember thinking even as I asked friends to pray, "they can pray all they want, but kids are going to be kids".  Wrongo!  I know there are more, but I can't think of them all right now. 

One of our most recent answered prayers involves Ben, of course!  We'd had a tough week.  They were rewiring our house, which in Africa means busting all of the concrete walls out, running the wires, falling through the ceiling and then trying to build the house back up!  We were all tired of living out of a suitcase and doing without our stuff.  We had to buy a washer, which is expensive, because ours kicked the bucket.  The refrigerator stopped working only to miraculously start working again after being off for what must have been a whole day!  We'd had to piece our house back together and clean all of the concrete off and out of all of our stuff.  We finally made it to Sunday.  We'd decided to go to a church that was hosting the Baptist Women's President, Vice President and Secretary for the day.  Ben was having a tough morning, as he often does.  I didn't really think he could get much terribler, but the terrible twos are here!  I'd taken him out of services to run around in the courtyard.  He'd done OK for the first hour of church, but the next two hours usually get him.  I plopped down on the concrete while Ben played.  There was a car parked in the courtyard which is unusual.  The kids usually get out of Sunday School before the adults and play there in the yard for an hour or so while the adults finish.  Anyway, I was watching Ben, but I wasn't holding his hand or anything.  He picked up a small rock, about the diameter of a dime, out of the sand and had been tapping it on a wooden pole.  Next thing I know, I see him pick up his foot and throw the rock through the rear passenger window of the car.  I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING!  I signal the usher and ask whose car it is and tell him what happened.  Then I sit there thinking about how in the world we are going to get enough money out of an ATM to pay for this.  As I wait, I decided to go get Mike.  I figured we'd better both be figuring out what we are going to do short of illegal activity to drum up whatever sum this is going to be.  Much to my horror, in a few moments out walks the President, Vice President and Secretary of the Baptist Women in Cote d'Ivoire.  I had barely met two of them, but am in a pastors' wives group with one of them, so that made me feel slightly better.  We clean up all the glass and clean out the car and decide to go back in and handle this after services.  Finally they all come out again and the owner apologizes, but says she doesn't want her company to know of the damages, so we can fix it at her place or ours.  Long story short, our office guy gets involved the next day and helps us work out with her insurance to cover the damage.  It turned out that she had glass breakage coverage!  I didn't really sleep or eat for the 24 hours in between, but we were so thankful for God's provision on this problem.  On the bright side, I don't think any of the Women's Council will ever forget me or BEN!  The lady I was friends with just kept saying, Benjamin must be really strong, the whole time we picked up shards of glass out of the car.  What do you say to that?  Gee thanks, would you like to borrow him for a while and you cover the damages for his strength? ;)

We have also been blessed this month by the arrival of our crate.  Our company allows us to pack a crate to be sent by ship each time we come out.  It was so much fun to replace our ratty sheets, towels and kitchenwares, plus get some extras we'd packed like a couple of comfortable chairs for the living room and bikes for the kids.  Everyone is beginning to try their hand at the guitar we put in too.  It's time for the McAfees to get some culture!  If we can just keep Ben from breaking it before he gets old enough to play it.  Everyone is having such a good time with it, that we may need to consider saving for another one next time we are in the states.

Well, I've surely rattled your ear off by now.  You are fully caught up on the McAfees lives!  Can't wait to see you again.  Make it this side of the ocean and we'll let you see firsthand how things go around here!

Love you all,
Heather