Holy Stone!

Soima and Eileen

Sunday, August 2

We have become good friends with the family who lives just down the hill from us. David and Eileen have four children, and their daughter Naris, son-in-law David (Aaron calls him David, Jr.) and two granddaughters Bernadine and Soima live with them. Naris has helped us with the house some, and Eileen has been a source of joy and friendship for me as she helps me learn language and culture. Every Sunday, she is sure to bring some lelenga and the most delicious, moist fish you have ever tasted. The small girls are a delight and will sit in my lap, and Katherine frequently asks to toddle down the hill to spend some time with this family.

This afternoon, Naris and her husband came up on the porch looking uncomfortable and asked to talk with us. My heart sped up not knowing what to expect. After some small talk, they explained that they were concerned that we didn't know about the custom medicine being practiced in the village. They just wanted us to be aware that a man in the village was known to still practice custom medicine. This medicine could be used to make a person well or sick. David was very careful to explain that he didn't think we were in any danger, but that we just needed to know that custom medicine was alive and well. After they left, Aaron looked at me and said, "Now, we can be REAL missionaries!"

This is one of five stones in our village. This stone sits between our house and the church, and four other stones like it sit in each corner of the village. The stones have been blessed by the priest to protect the village. Notice the yellow bushes around the stone, they traditionally have been used to protect people and places from evil spirits. These bushes are planted all around the church yard and our house.