merely an interruption.

Last week two of our storying groups were interrupted by drunk/demon possessed men.

No, not a joke.

Both men came during storying time.
Both wanted us to leave.
Both did not want us to share God's Word.
Both mocked our words.
Both waved around their sticks.
Both talked very loudly.
Both were distracting those listening.
Both were told to leave by those who were listening.

Eventually, we had to leave both places.  No one was able to listen to what we were saying with these distractions, and we did not want to endanger the people who came to listen to God's Word in any way.

But our leaving was in NO way a sign of defeat.
These men were merely interruptions.

Like when you are reading a book and a child asks for a glass of water.
Like when you are writing notes about a Persian king on the chalkboard and a student asks to share about his dream.
Like when you are talking over dinner and a child calls from the fence wanting salt.

Whatever you are doing is put on halt for a little while.  Then, it goes on.

But not like the above instances, because the teaching of God's Word is dealing with something much more powerful than a book, facts, or conversation.  The teaching of God's Word is speaking The Truth to people who have not heard it yet.  It is letting God's Story be known.  Yes, it is found in a book.  Yes, it is full of fact.  Yes, it is a conversation between God and His people.

But it is more.  The Word of God is sharper than a double-edged sword.  The Word of God stands firm forever.  The Word of God is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training.  The Word of God is that.

The. Word. Of. God.

And nothing, NOTHING, can stop that from being taught and heard.

Today in one of those areas, Najie, three drunk and singing men approached the group while I telling the story of the Israelites coming into the land that God promised them.  I shot a glance at Carrie and Mindy as we all had the same thought:  "Not again."  Our visitors from Texas, as well as each of us, prayed.  These men got quiet when they approached the group.  The ladies and men who were listening were ready to send those men away; they did not want another disturbance.  Then, the men sat down and listened.  They got up a few times yet seemed to return minutes later.

They were merely an interruption today.

And speaking of interruptions, my time-to-eat-popsicle-and-rehydrate-time, after returning from Najie, was interrupted by two little friends at the fence.  I decided to let them in.  We sat down and served them water and popcorn and peanuts.  And then, the Spirit prompted my heart...get out the Story Cloth again. I did!  And by the grace of God, who spoke His Word in the first place and created every language, enabled me to share 21 stories with them in Toposa!!!  (Well, there was also a lot of drama involved!)  My Toposa was horrible, and I cannot believe they sat through 21 of my weakly put together stories in Toposa.  But they did!

Another reminder that interruptions are part of God's plan, whether I understand them or not.

There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan 

   that can succeed against the LORD.

The horse is made ready for the day of battle, 

   but victory rests with the LORD.

Proverbs 21:30-31

pieces.

Pieces from my week...

A nyakimat ("old lady") from Cumakori

All the kids shaking my hand at once!  Mata daan! 

 Me with kids during an attempt at learning all of their names!  Ha!  

Mostly so I could get some more Toposa vocab since their names are of things/places/conditions/people that describe where/what/how/when/why they were born.

Mindy with another Natabo

 Me with Lokuru, Nakai, and Lotiang from a nearby village.  

They brought me this giant pumpkin to Lo Compound for me to buy.

And then they made me kuwok it!  (Carry it on my head!)

i had a cow.

Today, it was my turn to tell the story of when the Israelites turned from God and created a golden calf to be their god.  We gathered around the tree where we usually gather.  And there, in the middle of the circle of people, resting up against the tree, was a cow.

That's right!  I had a cow in the middle of the group, all ready to be used as a visual for the story from God's Word!

I had to laugh at God's provision, even in that.

Not the cow from today, but some little ones for your viewing pleasure...

some sort of record.

Yesterday, during our women's gathering on the compound, to which many women and young girls came and listened amidst distractions, we had the following on our porch:

--vomit
--spit
--poop
--mucus
--blood
--urine

That has to be some sort of record.
And the really weird thing was...it was pretty much...normal.
{No, it was not all from one person.  And yes, everyone who came is feeling perfectly fine!}

one more.

And like how a group of women out in Lomeyin stayed behind, instead of going to cattle camp, so they could hear the next stories from God's Word.

Praise The Lord.

small things that are so BIG.

Like how Shannon went on Christmas Day to pray for a sick boy in a nearby village.  And how his mother found Shannon in an area very far away just the other day and shared with him that the boy got better the next day.  And how ever since then she has believed what Shannon says and now she comes to hear him share God's Word in this far away area.

Like how one of the four leaders named Joseph (that Shannon is discipling) had 300 cattle stolen from him and his family the other night by men from the Boya tribe.  And how one of his friends was killed and the other was stabbed and sent to the hospital in Kapoeta.  Like how cattle are the very most important things to a Toposa man, and yet Joseph decided that that problem, and even visiting his hurt friend, could wait.  Like how Joseph made the choice to put sharing God's Word to a new area God has put on his heart before cattle.

Like how the women from a village in Cumakori heard the second story about HIV/AIDS today and understood it.  And how they made the connections between cattle camps and our bodies, the men watching the cattle and our immune system, the man-eating lion and HIV, and the other wild animals and other diseases.  And how then they remembered all the details of the first HIV/AIDS story we told last week and pieced together the two stories all on their own.

It's the things that seem so small to us that are in actuality, so BIG.

And that's because God is behind each one.

but she can see.

There is this woman from a nearby village whose name is Lomuria.

She has bad cataracts on both of her eyes and has a hard time seeing.  I think she only sees light through her peripheral vision.  She usually needs someone to lead her around.

So really she can't see.

Today, our women's gathering on the compound was amazing!  We had more people come than ever before, all seats filled, plus young girls sitting on the ground and some women standing.  Even though there were more ladies (and we gave some to the girls), we had EXACTLY enough chai to go around!  The Toposa don't drink anything but water (and alcohol), so having chai at this gathering is something special we do for them sometimes.  It was cool to see how we could still bless them with chai, every single woman.

The women sang loudly, leading the songs themselves, and then they learned one from Paul and Charles (our team's translators) quickly.

When Carrie reviewed the stories, Lomuria spoke up, remembering details of each story.

When I told the story of the evil king who made the people of Israel work (i.e. Pharoah and his enslaving of the Israelites) and how one mother hid her baby that was later named Moses, they listened.  All of them listened!  There was maybe one baby that cried the whole time.  And when I reviewed this story, Lomuria answered all the questions, and others did too!

Then, when Mindy told the story of the bush that did not burn and of how God called Moses, who could not remember stories well, because in reality God was going to do the saving...Lomuria again was right on target with her answers.  And many others were quick to respond to the things that God told Moses He would do with his stick (make it a snake and change it back), his hand (make it leprous and heal it), and water (turn it to blood when poured out).

I cheered after the time today.  Lomuria stood to pray at the end, asking for God's help and provision, claiming Him as Lord and God over and over.  It was beautiful.

But what really hit me today was Lomuria, who outshined the others who answered questions.  Because she is the one who is like Moses, maybe not our first choice for a person to do a big task like tell the story of Jesus from village to village to village.

But then, maybe she is different than most of the other women.  I think God is steadily drawing her heart to His, and I pray that she seeks after Him.  I pray that God changes my heart toward putting restrictions on people who can be God's messengers.  I pray that she will someday be a powerful force for His glory, just like Moses.

Because of all of these women, at least at this time,
she is only one who CAN SEE.