(Pictures: Tom helping the neighborhood work crew pave our road; Grace out to watch the older kids play in the rain- Thank God for rain!)
The islanders have a different take on government then most of us from Western countries. Many in government jobs go with out pay for months—some as long as 11 months. Promises of community development made at election time almost never materialize (except maybe right before the next election).
So it wasn’t a big surprise to hear that the university strikes would be continuing this week. (The government is 7 months behind in paying university professors and staff.) But all the students chose this week to step it up with demonstrations on Monday and all the schools (public and private) were taking the day off in solidarity, from preschools through high school and college. We haven’t heard whether there was any response by the government, but there was a good feeling that the community of students was stepping up together in the name of education.
Our local neighborhood community also stepped up this week. We woke up on Sunday to see a crowd of men on our little road just below our house. When we stepped outside the owner of our house was there to tell us, “The government has forgotten us so we are doing it.” Road improvement is often a platform for election promises and with the downward grade of our street the rains creates huge holes and rifts in the leveled dirt and rocks. Our neighbors want it paved. So with a contribution of cement from our landlord the whole neighborhood was out to pave the road with cement.We were on our way to Sunday service but when we came back in the early afternoon the men were still working, so Tom changed clothes and joined in. (The kids in the neighborhood got a kick out of seeing Papa Grace working with everyone else.) The men rotated between working in the hot sun and resting in the shade. They worked until the sun was starting to go down and the cement was used up. A hundred feet of road was laid down.
Tom was just done washing the cement off his hands, shoes and clothes, when a girl came to our house with a pot of pilau (a rice dish) for Tom. Some women had cooked food for all the workers earlier in the day and they didn’t want to leave Tom out. Sometimes it is hard to show how much we care about our neighbors. That’s why it is so great when an opportunity like this comes around. Every time we help out on the street, help a neighbor move, watch our neighbors’ child, we show our love for them in tangible ways. There is still more road to be built, so maybe we will get a few more opportunities to show them our love through service.
PRAYERS ANSWERED
Thank you for all your prayers for rain—the rains returned a couple of days this week, which has dramatically reduced the temperature of our house and alleviated Grace’s heat rash significantly.
PRAYERS REQUESTED
Keep praying for those occasional cooling downpours, it makes the hot season much more bearable! Both Grace and Megan have been having tummy troubles the past couple days. Pray for healing and a calming of their digestive systems. Our teammates Abby and Amy continue with the hunt for a place to live (a rather discouraging process). Pray that they would quickly find the house and neighborhood God is preparing for them. We will be helping our neighbors move this weekend, pray for their transition and our continued relationship with them.
