Monday, June 11, 2012

Don't worry, be happy

The primary purpose of this blog is to keep a record of the work in Malekula, but as we visit other parts of Vanuatu we will take the opportunity to make updates regarding the work in those areas. 

Our family enjoyed the opportunity to be a part of the worship assembly at Etas Village yesterday morning.  That congregation was established back in 2006, following a series of studies the Bakers conducted in the village.  It was such a pleasure to be back with these brethren after several months away.

I usually try not to dwell on the relative poverty of the local people, but the fact struck me so strongly yesterday that I can’t keep from sharing my thoughts.  The church has been meeting in a temporary shelter made of local materials for several years, and had been in the process of constructing a more permanent meeting place until a major storm hit the area and blew it over.  Their temporary meeting place has subsequently fallen apart, and they are now meeting in Sam’s home until something else can be arranged.  Sam and Leimawa were two of the first Christians in Etas. 

We rented a car this week so that we could get all of our shopping and errands done, and timed it so that we had the car for two Sundays - thus allowing us to worship with two village congregations.  We drove our little car as far as we dared on the pot hole-ridden dirt road, parked at a house that agreed to host it, and then walked 10 minutes the rest of the way to their house.  I have seen every type of living condition in Vanuatu over the past 7+ years, but having been away for some months I was reminded of just how little the locals have.  These dirt-floor “shacks” are made of every material imaginable - rusted out corrugated iron, old shutters, cardboard, fence planks, wire mesh, black plastic, etc.  Basically, it’s anything they can find at the nearby dump.

Speaking of the dump, every time we see Leimawa, she excitedly shares with us about her most recent find.  She once found golf-club covers that she turned into puppets for the Children’s Bible Club.  She found a calendar which she turned into a flip chart for Bible class.  On Sunday she showed her most recent treasure - a package of post-it notes (still in the cellophane wrapping!), which she is saving to use as name tags for the next Children’s Bible Club meeting.  Along with them she found some metal clips and cardboard folders which she is planning to use similarly.  It would seem that she is the very definition of resourcefulness.

Martino and Meriam, Sam and Leimawa’s teenage children, give up their one-room house every Sunday morning (shoving all their worldly possessions over the side) so that the church has a place to meet out of the elements.  And rather than complain about it, it would seem they are proud to have something to share with the church.  I would guess that, by “common standards” the house would seat (on the floor) 6-8 adults comfortably.  Sunday morning saw 14 adults, 5 teenagers and 18 children cram into the small space.  Just passing the bread and cup around the room was a logistical problem.  But the singing was amazing, and the sense of spiritual closeness was unavoidable.

The Etas congregation shares a meal together following their worship every Sunday.  Everyone brought their dish(es) and placed them in the kitchen - an open-air space filled with firewood and stones (used for cooking laplap).  The thatch roof is charred from the constant smoke it receives (all cooking is done over an open fire).  There is no running water in Etas, and thus it must be fetched by hand on a daily basis.  In fact, I overheard one of the moms teaching Bible class use “go fetch the water” as an example of a command that the kids should consider as an application to Ephesians 6:1.  They carry all of their dirty clothes to the river to wash, and are very conservative with the water they use at the house to wash dishes and to drink or cook with.  Several of the children were late coming to their Bible class because they lingered at the river that morning for some extra splashing, having been sent there for their regular Sunday morning bath.

As I sat there before our time of worship started, thoughts flooded my mind... “I want to build these people a proper house, get them a huge water tank to collect rain water, buy them a gas stove to cook on, give them some extra spending money, etc., etc.”  But then in dawned on me that these are the happiest people I know, and to change their life in such a way would, in all likelihood, change their happiness as well.  Isn’t it weird how that logic somehow makes sense?

I mentioned earlier that I don’t usually write or talk about these types of things, because it is not my intention to make (us) Americans feel guilty about what we have, or to entice you to want to make a difference in the locals’ material lives.  Rather, I just want to encourage us all to take a look around and thank God for our blessings - be happy and content.  Then, consider how we can best use them to God’s glory.  Seek out opportunities in our everyday life to help someone along in their journey.  We’ve certainly been well equipped to do so.  More than anything, this entry is for myself - but if you can benefit from it as well, to God be the glory.  Thanks for reading!

From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more (Luke 12:48)

Sam, Leimawa, Meriam, Martino and Barbara back in 2006

1 comment:

  1. Wow! The thing that struck me most here was using "Go fetch the water" as an example with Eph 6:1. The one I think I hear most often here is "Take out the trash." One is about retrieving necessities, the other about shedding the excess.. some of the very things that Leimawa would treasure. Very thought provoking. Thanks for sharing!

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