A Few Reflections

We’ve now safely arrived back “home” in Vila after our first (almost) two-month stint in Malekula.  Surprisingly, we were all a bit reluctant about returning to the relative hustle and bustle of “the big city,” as we had really become attached to our new life in the village.  But, after a couple of days with modern conveniences such as running water, refrigeration, washing machine, and a wide selection of goods at the store, we’ve decided that it is indeed nice to be back in Vila for awhile. 

Of course, the highlight so far was getting to worship with our brethren on Sunday after not seeing them for so long.  It is comforting to see how well the church is Vila is getting along without us.  It’s hard to put into words, but we can just sense that they’ve really begun to take ownership of their congregation.  They are cutting the grass and cleaning the building, they are locking and unlocking the doors on Sunday morning, they are calling for meetings, they are planning for Pikinini Baebol Klab, they are making the announcements, they are handling challenges as they arise.  It’s great that we are still here to assist, but not being relied on much at all.

As I look back at our time in Malekula, I am almost in awe of the relationships we’ve established - with both Christians and non-Christians.  It’s amazing how fast you can get to know someone in such a short time because of the close-knit community atmosphere.  We have purposely paced ourselves in this new work, trying our best to let the locals know how much we care before expecting them to care how much we know.  The village life fits our family surprisingly well, and we hope that God will be able to use us mightily there over the next few years. 

We will be heading back to Malekula in May, and will be starting several new works then.  We will let you know more about those plans in the coming weeks.  Please continue to pray for our family, our team, and our work!