Monday, October 26

“We believe that being happy is the equivalent of being successful, comfortable, and in control of our lives. While there is nothing wrong with these things in themselves, according to Jesus we should take great care not to depend upon them as our reasons for being happy.”
-Scott Sauls, A Gentle Answer

Today has challenged me. The rain tanks in Marulaon and in the surrounding villages are almost all empty. The school, which usually boards the students, has sent the students home and asked them to make the trek to come and go every day because their rain tanks are empty, too. We haven’t had more than a sprinkle in in several weeks. And we’ve had a steady stream of neighbors coming to get rain from our tank on the front of the house. After we wash clothes, we save the rinse water to use for flushing the toilet. And I’m still in awe that we have an indoor toilet thanks to the family that began the translation project before us. As always, we appreciate prayers for a good balance of rain for our water tanks and sunshine for our solar panels.

As people learn that we are planning to leave this coming weekend, the frequency of requests has increased. We’ve had people ask for flour, our dugout canoe, laundry detergent, change for large bills, pain reliever, and a recipe for chocolate cake. We love being generous, and we always plan to bring extra things to the village that you can only find in Honiara, with the intention of sharing. But sometimes, I dread hearing the knock at the door. I need the Lord to keep my heart soft and to give me wisdom to know when it is culturally appropriate to give, as well as how much to give.

Belza showed up this morning with the news that a death in a nearby village was going to delay Aaron’s plan to go the east side of the Russells. And he also told us that he had been asked to go into town by a relative, so he wouldn’t be going with the translation team and he wouldn’t be our driver to take us in the motor boat. So instead of a two night trip, Aaron will only be gone one night, and he will shorten his program.

I’m not successful, comfortable, or in control of my life. But I am happy and thankful for the life God has given me, even with all of the twists and turns that living in a remote village throws at me.