Day to Day Patience

This past week was filled with random little happenings that I found amusing because to be honest, I passed the time most of the days making clocks(literally) or putting together school supplies.  Now this is important for all the schools to offer a fantastic, hands-on education but I don’t do well with the mundane.   God is helping me be patient as I wait for the day to teach, which should only be a week away!  Praise the Lord!  A week ago Saturday I stopped at the school to drop off supplies when I discovered a lot of people joining together to clear the land where the middle school shelter is located.  You can’t really call it a classroom since it reminds me of the  large shelters you rent at the park for family picnics but it will work.  I wanted to join in the fun so they gave me a hoe and I tilled the earth to get rid of the weeds.  Now I must add that this is the first time I did major gardening work wearing a dress and sandals.  At first the Togolese laughed at my attempt but they quickly accepted me and I enjoyed helping prepare the school for Rentree(first day of school.)  Some of my future students were there working and I loved working alongside of them as it must be a community school. 

Last Sunday after church, I finally made it over to Roger’s house.  Roger is Togolese but he works with Bea as the director of one of the schools and a type of liaison to help the western way of education meet the Togolese way.  Basically, we wouldn’t survive without him!  He and his wife, along with their 7year old daughter, three month old boy, his mother, and two house girls live in a small but sufficient house located past the mango tree.  They have a separate living quarter for his mother and a small room for the outside kitchen.  Between the house and the kitchen is like an outdoor patio so we sat there looking to the rolling mountains behind us, hearing the ever-bleating goats, and smelling the scent of fresh-cooked rice.  We past the time by playing card games and then had a meal of rice and fish stew.  The 7 year old girl has become my best friend and she insisted eating off of my plate which is  typical here and I gladly accepted as I allowed her to eat the fish.  Half-way through the meal, Roger thanked me for eating his food.  I kind of laughed and thanked him for serving me.  He went on to explain that some missionaries won’t try the food they serve because they are afraid of upsetting their stomach.  I assured him, that if I get sick, I get sick so no worries here.  Yes, those words actually rolled off my tongue so easily.  Now the texture and taste is a different story but I never have a fear of getting sick. If they can eat it, so can we.  He also wanted me to know that his house was mine too and I never needed to ask to come over.  He said Americans try to be polite and never want to impose but a Togolese will hardly ask you to come over because they just expect that you will without an invitation.  I loved feeling a part of his family and am so thankful for his insight in the Togolese culture.

As it is a small town and I am the only Yovo living in the town, all the moto drivers know where I go in the morning and where I like to get off at night.  They just stop without me saying anything.  I had a really great conversation one evening with a moto driver who I could actually understand.  I probably have had him before but I have a hard time telling them apart.  He told me he went to the other Baptist church in the town closer to the hospital.  He then asked me why I lived in town instead of on the compound with the other missionaries.  This was a great question but one difficult to explain but I told him I wanted to learn the culture and language by living with the people.  This seemed to suffice but then he asked me if I was going to marry a Togolese and when I said I didn’t think so, he asked me why.   Avoiding the chance to open a can of worms, I just said it wasn’t God’s plan right now.  Let me remind you that all of this was done in French.  I still have a long was to go and it definitely depends on who is speaking but I am starting to pick up some more every day.  I will begin lessons in November and it will be easier once I am surrounded by it at school. 

While in town picking up copies one day, a trotro passed by with a wad of rugs tied up top.  One of the rugs, decided to leave the clan and was hanging off the top but the mate who was inside the trotro, stuck his upper body out of the side window to prevent the rug from escaping.  It was quite a picture and I love the random memories I can capture that depict the typical life here. 

I have been reading Exodus and just finished the part where the Israelites got tired of waiting for Moses and decided to build a golden calf.  Now I am not trying to build another god but it was a reminder that I need to wait upon God’s timing.  I am anticipating the start of school but I know the Lord has this waiting period for a reason and instead of getting anxious about it, I need to enjoy each ray of sunshine, every cloud that passes over the mountain, and every rupture of laughter that occurs when I try to talk to the small children here.  God is here and I must be patient for him to move first.  What a mighty God we serve who can even move the mountains.   

Church never ceases to amaze me as I am reminded of the universal church in which God hears and understands every word from his people.  We sing the favorite hymns in Ewe, French, and someone even prayed in Cabille and then English.  The sermon was given in Ewe but then translated in French.  It makes it quite hard to follow but I try to understand as many French words as possible.  We had communion today with broken up flat biscuits and some kind of punch or maybe just colored water.  No matter where we are or in what language, we all praise the same God and must give Him all the glory.  After church, some of the boys sitting around me, asked if I was indeed the English teacher at La Lumiere.  I said yes and they explained that they went to the local high school but did not speak English very well as the Togolese teachers do not pronounce the words correctly, They want me to start an English class for them.  First of all, I am not a certified English teacher but I am willing to help students especially to do in through presenting the Gospel.  I said that we could start in November at night and this seems to suffice.  Now I need to make sure I have my priorities straight but if I have the time, I might as well help those in need.  For the last two Sundays when I am almost to my house, I hear the shuffling of tiny feet coming from behind me.  It is one of my neighbors who likes to hold my hand as we walk home from church.  I speak to him in French and he answers in Ewe, so we have no idea what we are saying but it works.  I love being able to get to know the small children on the street and hope Davi Christy catches soon instead of Yovo.  Enjoy the Sabbath that the Lord has made and rejoice in every situation!