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!

Winter

Today, I tried to describe winter to my co-workers. I think I finally convinced them that falling snow doesn't hurt.

(To be fair, I am pretty sure they were thinking if hail. We then discussed the difference between the two.)

Lomé

At the beginning of last week, I had the opportunity to attend a 3-day conference in Lomé, Togo, with a number of my co-workers. In a matter of about 2 days, they asked me if I'd like to go, a spot opened up, and I had a visa in hand. Funny how fast things can go sometimes! Early on Sunday morning, 9 of us piled into 2 taxis and set out on the 4-hour drive to Lomé. It was good to have my co-worker Blaise with me when I went though customs at the Benin-Togo border--it would have taken me much longer to navigate the different stages on my own!

The focus of the conference was partnership development, specifically how African missionaries can raise support in their local communities rather than relying on external aid (from places like America). There were several main speakers at the conference, including the director of Wycliffe Benin, Daniel. There was also an Irish couple, Myles and Phyllis Wilson, who were there to participate and advise. It sounds like they travel all around the world to give similar training on partnership development and leadership.

With Myles and Phyllis

It was so lovely to get to know them and spend time with them at the conference! They were so kind and willing to share the wisdom they've gained from 40 years on the mission field.

Myles (left) speaks while Lawson (right) translates

There were about 30 people total at the conference, from Wycliffe Benin, Wycliffe Togo, and friends of Wycliffe. It was so interesting to hear everyone discussing the place of missions in African churches and their perspectives on internal support raising. God's people are well-equipped here!

After the conference, we took a walk through one of the main markets in Lomé. It was fun to get out and do a little exploring. I didn't end up getting anything there, because I had already purchased 2 yards of fabric from some women who were selling their crafts at the conference. You can see the pattern in the photo at the top of this post :)

If you're wondering why I don't take more pictures of markets and places outside of my home, it is because some people in this area apparently do not take kindly to having their photo taken. From what I know, it has to do with the Voodoo religion, and they believe that the soul, or part of it, becomes trapped forever in any photo that's taken of them. Among Christians however, people love photos! When I was at a wedding a few weeks ago, the person I was with leaned over during the ceremony and said, "Do you have a camera? Feel free to take photos!" Apparently that's the norm, even though I didn't know the couple at all!

"If God says yes, who can say no?"

Wednesday, en route home from a conference in Lomé