November News

Thank you so much for your continued prayers during the past months. God has heard and has been so faithful. Here's what's been going on since my last update!

I spent a lot of time in October working with a colleague to plan literacy videos which we will hopefully be shooting over the course of the next few months. These videos will be used in areas of Benin where it pertains to the language group in question: Saxwe (SAH-hweh) in the southwest, Idaasha (ee-DAH-tcha) in central Benin, and Fon in much of southern Benin (Cotonou is in this region). The Idaasha and Saxwe videos are geared towards people who already know how to read and write in French, but who have never learned to read and write in their native/regional language. The Fon video is for those who have never learned to read or write in any language. Shooting these videos will involve traveling to the region where each language is spoken to record a native speaker teaching the lessons. We would definitely appreciate prayers for a smooth production process, safe travels, and that God would use the finished products to empower his people and that he would touch their hearts in new ways as they learn to read the scripture for themselves. I will update when we know our specific travel dates.

In addition, we are also preparing to shoot interviews with a number of Wycliffe Benin personnel and partners about the work and impact of Wycliffe. This video will go on the Wycliffe Benin website, which recently underwent an update. We plan to begin shooting the interviews this week. Again, we would appreciate prayers for a smooth production process, and for God to use these videos to raise positive awareness for the work and impact of Wycliffe Benin.

Finally, we made an advertisement for renting out our multimedia services (e.g., filming weddings, recording radio ads, editing footage, etc.) We've already heard back from several people who would like us to film their weddings this year! In Benin, they have the equivalent of the bridal shower about a week before the wedding (that's also when the bride's father gets to decide whether he's going to let the man marry his daughter--no pressure or anything!), then most couples have both a civil marriage (at town hall) and a religious marriage (in their church). This past week, we got to film the bridal shower, the civil marriage, and the religious marriage for a couple. Congratulations Brice and Dorcas! Here are a few of the photos we took (all from the religious marriage):

The traditional choir

The "westernized" choir

The receiving line after the wedding (stretching all the way around the sanctuary!)

You don't know them, but why not send up a prayer for God to bless their marriage and bear fruit through their union?

And I almost forgot! *drum roll* Wycliffe Benin Multimedia services now has its own logo. It will go at the beginning of Wycliffe Benin's videos. We animated it so it goes *swoosh!*

What do you think? Pretty nifty, huh? Before you know it we'll be making cool jackets. B)

Wycliffe Benin is currently constructing a new headquarters, one that will have more space and be better suited for the work that the staff does to oversee the translation teams around Benin. The money that we make from filming events goes towards funding the construction of the headquarters. We can always use prayers for God to continue to oversee and provide for the material needs of that project!

Don't be deceived, dear readers, into thinking that every passing day I spend here is action-packed and productive. I'm not saying this to disappoint, I'm just saying that we also spend a fair amount of time in the media studio between projects, waiting for videos to finish and export, or waiting for interviewees to respond to our emails. There are days when I come home feeling like I've accomplished nothing important the entire day. Coming off of 4 years of college where I filled my schedule to the brim, and a few summers working as a camp counselor, spending so much time doing so little can be hard for me to stomach with a smile. (It's especially great when I choose to relax by reading rather than sleeping during the siesta, and my co-workers tell me I didn't relax. I love receiving feedback on my relaxation habits, as you can imagine.) Long story short, I can get seriously antsy when there is nothing to do.

But then I'm reminded that sometimes, just maybe, God has bigger things on his mind than video production, and I need to acknowledge that in the moments when I have "nothing to do", God still wants to use me. Instead of thinking of things I wish I could accomplish, what if I focused instead on the person before me, and how I can inject God's love into my interactions? For example, with the co-worker who pops into the studio to say hi, with the woman who stops by on her moto every day to sell lunch, with the woman who sweeps the floors in the office, with my host sisters at home.

"And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him through God the father."
Colossians 3:17

I invite you, my readers, to keep me accountable about this. Ask me about the recent opportunities I've had to live out Colossians 3:17 in my life. Or if this verse strikes a chord for your in your life right now, tell me about your experience! I always enjoy your comments and feedback. It's not often that I see any other non-Africans (let alone Americans) around in the office, and even then it's for relatively short periods. My co-workers are amazingly supportive, and I love spending time with them, but they are not always aware of my need to process things and "talk it out", which is something I need more often than not (and ideally in English, plz and thanks). If you ever doubted that your words make a difference, I can honestly say that they do. :) So thank you!

Not related, but I took this on a walk in my neighborhood :)

I hope to put up at least one more post before the end of November. In the meantime, if you have any question, prayer requests, or fun Thanksgiving recipe ideas (that don't involve ovens or microwaves) please feel free to leave them in the comments, or you can send me an email (kapitchford@gmail.com) or a FB message!