One for the bucket list, and then some

Like my last post, this one comes with a soundtrack, because most things in life are better with music. I gave this one two songs, because you might just need both songs to get through the whole post. That means you'll have to press play two separate times, but I think you'll survive. ;)

As I had mentioned in a previous post, last week Wycliffe Benin welcomed visitors from Wycliffe Netherlands for a visit. They had specifically come to see the Idaasha translation project in Dassa, Benin, which they support financially. The group consisted of 2 Wycliffe Netherlands personnel and 4 guests who have donated towards the project. Through their visit they were able to see firsthand the work they have been supporting, give the translation team their blessing in prayer, and bring back photos and footage to show their churches the work that they are supporting.

Here's what we did while they were here!

If I may draw your attention to a previous post, I had mentioned on my bucket list that I wanted to visit the village of Ganvie. Well on October 8th, that's just what we did. It was the day after our Dutch visitors had arrived, and we all piled into 2 cars to drive northwest to a dock where we climbed into a boat and shoved off into Lac Nokoué (Nokoué Lake).

We were thoroughly enjoying the view in every direction. Meanwhile, the occasional fisherman would drift by... 

And then the village came into view. It got closer...

And closer...

Until there we were, in Ganvie.

And all we could say was, "Wow... is this real life? This place is incredible."

(For those of you that don't know, Ganvie is a village that is a few hundred years old, with about 30,000 inhabitants, built entirely on water. Their houses, stores, churches, mosques, restaurants, and all manner of public gathering places are on the water, supported by stilts. I can't even begin to imagine the creativity involved in constructing a place like this. We saw all ages of citizens poling and paddling boats of all sizes through the "streets". Boats would almost be a more important form of transportation than walking! Well, that and swimming. Can you imagine what it would be like to grow up here? Holy cow!)

 

So yeah, my job can be pretty awesome sometimes. It's almost as if God knows how to give good gifts to his kids. ;)
But seriously, God never stops giving good things to those who are ready to notice and say "thanks".
"You parents--if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him."
Matthew 7:9-11

Sunset back in Cotonou--we returned to the city by boat.

The next day, Carole, our Dutch visitors, our driver Eugene and I set out towards the north and arrived in Adja on a Thursday afternoon.

The view from my hotel room in Adja

Our final destination would be Dassa, the home of the Idaasha translation team, who are supported financially and prayerfully by Wycliffe Netherlands. However, we had the opportunity to visit the Adja team on our way up, so that is what we did. For many of our Dutch visitors and me, this was our first time visiting a translation site. I felt totally humbled to be interviewing with these faithful servants who have been dedicated to translating the Bible for so many years.

The Adja translation team in their office

Wycliffe Netherlands, the Adja team, and Carole

While we were in Adja, we were invited to the home of Nancy and Terry Sullivan, two Wycliffe missionaries who live and work in the area. They were happy to have the company (they said our group set a new record for the number of people to share a meal at their table), and we were all happy to have such welcoming and entertaining hosts! Nancy and Terry are very animated conversationalists, and I think I speak for everyone when I say there was never a dull moment in their presence.

  

The Sullivans' helper Louise had prepared a splendid (and also very American, to my not-so-secret delight) meal: spaghetti with tomato sauce, garlic bread, and salad--salad!--with *ah!* ranch dressing!

I never expected to be so elated at the sight of ranch, but then again not too long ago I never expected to be in Benin, so I decided to have my moment with the ranch dressing.

Scripture review meeting

The next day, we moved on to Dassa, where we met with the Idaasha translators, as well as their entire team of reviewers--those who help to refine the translation and check for theological correctness, cultural relevancy, etc. They involve members of many of the local churches, and of all denominations. Evangelical, Catholic, Assembly of God, and so on, they were all represented, all sitting around the same table, all actively involved in producing a Bible translation that would change the lives of each of their congregations. It was an amazing thing to witness.

The whole Netherlands gang

The Idaasha translation is also what I will be helping to record, with my colleague Paulin, to make a sort of "Bible on tape". Before I arrived, they had already recorded the book of Mark, and we will eventually get to record Hebrews and Acts, which are also finished. The next step for them is to put the Mark recording onto memory cards, which people can then purchase and put into their phones to listen to Mark being read aloud. These memory cards will be sold from the Wycliffe office in Dassa.

The creativity and ingenuity with which this team strives to bring the word of God to the Idaasha people is so encouraging, and it's amazing to think about how lives will be changed because of these simple ideas and simple devices. It was also very cool to see our partners from Wycliffe Netherlands engaging with the Idaasha team, and they left with a much better picture of the important work that they are supporting. The translators, in turn, were so happy and encouraged to meet people from a different part of the world who were so excited about the work that they were doing. It seems apparent that God used this visit to accomplish good things in all directions!

(Oh, and I got my very first official Wycliffe t-shirt! It says "Wycliffe Netherlands", but I went to Hope College, so that's still mostly accurate... Go Dutch!)

The following day, Saturday, we spent exploring more of Dassa, with the expert help of Prosper, another Wycliffe missionary who is from the area. Unlike southern Benin, where the terrain is more flat, Dassa is surrounded by many hills. We got to do some climbing, and were rewarded with more than one amazing bird's eye view of the city.

The view from our hotel wasn't half bad either :)

Dassa sunset of the hills (which preceded an incredible lightning storm)

The following day, Sunday, we visited a church where Idaasha is spoken. The whole group sat in on a Sunday school class where teachers use a comic book called "Jesus the Messiah". It's a book the originated in the Netherlands, and has how been reproduced in many of Benin's indigenous languages. While they are still waiting for the finished New Testament, the comic book allows Christians to learn about the life of Jesus. Here's a photo from the classroom.

Visit to Ouidah

There are some photos that I've been meaning to post on my blog for a little while, and it just so happens that the internet connection in the office is FANTASTIC today, so I was finally able to upload them! Wohoo! 

And just for fun, I'm giving this post a soundtrack. If you want, press play on the video below before continuing to read. (But if your internet is as limited as mine usually is, don't feel obligated!)

My host father Nestor is from a village to the west of Cotonou called Ouidah. I didn't know much about it other than the fact that it is the birthplace of the Voodoo religion and that it was home to a very active port during the days of the African slave trade. We had passed through on the way to the conference in Lome, but I hadn't actually visited it.

The view from the roof in Ouidah

Well a few weeks ago on a Friday afternoon, Nestor called me at work to ask if I would be interested in joining the family on a trip to Ouidah that weekend. I said that sounded really nice! It wasn't until I arrived home that night that I learned that they intended to leave that night. So I quickly packed a bag, and a few hours later, we had arrived at a country home owned by the family in Ouidah.

We spent most of Saturday relaxing at the house, and that evening, we took a stroll around the surrounding neighborhood. On Sunday, however, we made an excursion over to the neighboring village, Possotomè. It must have been a business-related trip for Nestor, because we visited two hotels where he wanted to ask about lodging and conference room reservations. But with the family along (Justine, Sejes, Lowi, and I had accompanied him on this outing), it was also an opportunity to see some beautiful sites together!

The first hotel we visited was on stilts. I could hardly believe my eyes when we walked off of the beach and down the thatched-roof hallway, with the warm sunlight coming through. It was very cool. See for yourself!

Nestor, Sejes, Justine, and Lowi

Justine, me, Sejes, and Lowi

Possotomè is also home to a thermal spring, from which they produce bottled water that is sold all over Benin.  I often drink Possotomè water at home. What I didn't know was that in Benin, there is a pipeline running straight from the spring to a public fountain. Nestor told me that water flows from this fountain 24/7, and anyone can come to collect water for drinking and cooking, to wash their clothing, and even to shower! Not only is the water from a clean source, but it is naturally warm and is believed to have healing properties for people that wash under it. How cool!

The second hotel that we visited was as amazing as the first, although in a different way. They had invested in a beautifully kept beachfront and attractive landscaping throughout the whole property. It felt like walking into paradise.

Here are a few of the rooms, in case you should ever want to visit me in Benin... ;)

Justine and Lowi

On the waterfront

It was a thoroughly lovely weekend, and I loved exploring more of God's diverse creation. Seek his good gifts, and you will find.

On the drive home :)

Readiness

Ephesians 6:15
"...and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace."

This verse. Too often I read it without thinking about its implications, but the implications can be so liberating. I'll begin by saying that I think this verse finally clicked for me when I realized what it doesn't say.

This verse does not say "...and with your feet fitted with the readiness of having the most expensive and top-rated adventure sandals, complete with toe protector!" It also doesn't say "the readiness of memorizing the lonely-planet guide backwards and forwards, of foreseeing every situation and knowing how to respond." It also doesn't say "the readiness of taking all the pertinent self-defense classes." And finally, it doesn't say "the readiness of having it all together and being practically perfect in every way."

On that last one, I think it's good and healthy to remember that no human is perfect. I love the words of C. S. Lewis. In his book Mere Christianity, he writes that "we make ourselves enemies to [God] every day, and are not in the least likely to do any better tomorrow...." He's not talking about non-believers. He's talking, in his wonderful matter-of-fact tone, about all of humanity. Falling short of who we were created to be is part of being human. But he also writes that "the only fatal thing is to sit down content with anything less than perfection." The other option is not to strive for perfection at all. It is to ask God to make us perfect. And then Lewis imagines God's response: "If you let me, I will make you perfect. The moment you put yourself in My hands, that is what you are in for.... But I will not do anything less."

God intends to take us on a journey that will do nothing less than make us perfect like his own son, and he will not protect us from anything that will ultimately bring us closer to that goal. And yet humans mistakenly believe they can ever in their lives be ready for such a journey, all by themselves and by their own doing.

But somewhere between the insects in my bed, wringing the last of my laundry between aching fingers, and passing through muddy lakes where the streets used to be, I came to rest at the conclusion that there is no way I could possibly be totally ready for this.

There are parts of moving to this new place that have been unexpectedly easy, and others that have been surprisingly hard. But even if going to live in Africa for 10 months sometimes makes me think that I've probably lost my mind, I have peace knowing that God's promises are true, and he intends to accomplish something good in me through my time here.

There are a lot of things I could say about God working in my life in the past two years alone. Two years ago, I would not have seen myself being called to international missions. Not that I was opposed to it, I just didn’t see myself doing it personally! So just thinking how he changed all that and led me to where I am now is incredible to think about.

This whole journey up until now has taught me about recognizing and being obedient to God’s call. In fact, the more I do here, the more I realize it’s totally not about my abilities, talents, or what I think I might be good at. It’s just about God using me as his instrument, and he has given me a certain set of experiences and gifts to make me fit for the job. There are plenty of moments when I think to myself, “I have no idea what I’m doing, I am going to fail!” Those blessed moments of discouragement only renew my confidence in the knowledge that God is strong when I am weak. This assurance encourages me, and instances become fewer and fewer when I'm tempted to flee from a challenge.

Our readiness has nothing to do with being prepared, and everything to do with God's power, which makes it possible to be at peace in any situation. It's also interesting that this readiness of the gospel of peace covers the feet. If my feet are ready, it means it's time to move. No more being content with my old mediocre and temporary existence. God says, "No time to sit around, I have some refining to do in you!" But while the journey isn't always restful, we always have access to peace.

"...people quite often do what seemed impossible before they did it. It is wonderful what you can do when you have to." --C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Trend-setting

One of my other co-workers, Igor (the fundraising manager for Wycliffe Benin), saw me writing my post about Yvon, and read it over my shoulder. That's how the following conversation started:

Igor: But I'm your friend, too!

Kate: Yes, but since Yvon is going to Ghana today, I'm writing a post to ask for prayers for him!

Ah OK, OK. So when will you write a post about me?

Well, I can write one for you next if you want. Do you have any prayer requests you want me to post with it?

Hmmm... well, I'm getting married next month!

Wow, really?!

Yeah!

That's so cool! What's her name??

I'll tell you if you put me in a blog post.

So here it is! I got Igor's photo later that day. I took the one on the right first, but he said he didn't like the way his head was tilted, so I took the one on the left, which he liked better. I asked him if I could still post the first picture here, because I liked his smile in that one. He said that was okay. :)

Then Mathieu, the secretary, saw us through the window, and wanted to join in, so he came out to get a picture with Igor. It made us both laugh!

But it wasn't over! Igor's office-mate Gérard walked by just then, and they pulled him in too! So these are a few more of the characters I get to see every day.

Mathieu, Gérard, and Igor

Since they would be on my blog, I asked each of them if they had any prayer requests to share.

• Igor would appreciate your prayers for his future marriage (Her name is Diane!)
• Mathieu asked for prayers for God to open up opportunities for him to receive training in human resource management, and also for his younger brother who suffers from migraines.
• Gérard asked for prayers for his wife, who is suffering from a mental illness, that her health would be totally restored, and also that God would continue to provide for Wycliffe Benin's financial needs.
• And finally, we welcomed visitors from Wycliffe Netherlands yesterday, and they will be staying in Benin for about a week. Pray for a safe and enjoyable stay for them, and for safe travels around Benin, as they will be visiting several different locations. (And I get to join them!)

Meet Yvon

This is my friend Yvon. He works in Human Resources at Wycliffe Benin. He also speaks really good  English! The ability to speak English allows him to communicate with Wycliffe Benin's anglophone partners, to whom he regularly sends out reports of Wycliffe Benin's ministry and financial activities. It also allows him to better understand and welcome anglophone visitors who come to the office (like me!). He never misses an opportunity to practice speaking English. I have been blessed by his friendship during my time here.

Today, Yvon is traveling to Accra, Ghana, where he will stay for the month of October to complete a third session of English courses. He would greatly appreciate your prayers for safe travels, for a safe stay in Accra, and for a good continuation of his language studies!