Our family tries to be as involved in the community as we can, in an effort to get to know the locals and initiate relationships that might turn into opportunities for spiritual conversations. Of course, being in the village has also reminded us of the importance and necessity of helping people when you can.
One of the ways I have been able to help out in the community is with the installation of solar-powered electrical systems. With cash crops like copra and cacao being prevalent in our region, many people are able to save up enough money to buy a system that allows them to power lights, DVD players, and recharge cell phones (the average cost is between $800-$1000, so it is a MAJOR investment for them). A few weeks ago I helped a family by installing their “solar system”, which included a 12v deep-freezer. For the first time ever, you now buy ice cream in the village - $1 a scoop.
As you can tell from the pictures below (and you may recall from my previous discussions), people really enjoy watching other people do something they haven’t experienced before (and the interest seems to be multiplied if the worker has white skin?). We have actually sort of gotten used to it, as it at least provides more opportunity for interaction.
Best of all, we’ve established a good relationship with Betwel and his family as a result of this particular effort. Customarily, when you work with/for someone, they provide you with lunch and dinner that day to say thank you (we did the same thing when we were building our house here in the village). While they are “religious/believing” folks, they are not active with any church. We are tentatively scheduled to study with them during our next trip to the village, and pray that this opportunity will prove fruitful.
In the meantime, all the kids in the village will be enjoying ice cream and popsicles!
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