Spinning Your Wheels

Yesterday, I went to do some followup in a couple of villages on the literacy training.

Right now the literacy program is at a point where we have trained a number of individuals but we're just waiting on the harvest time to start winding down so that they and their students will have enough time to devote to getting these literacy centers started in their churches.

So I'm going to visit those whom I've trained to see if they and their congregations have set any goals, etc.

Well yesterday I was headed to Bavule and Wajele both of whom are on the other side of a river.  I knew it was impassable at this time of year.  But I thought I could just park on one side of the river, ford across and hike out the rest of the way to the villages.

I tried that.  I parked the car on the east side of the river.  I walked across on the rocks.  There was actually a surprisingly beautiful little waterfall.  I found a lady washing her clothes in the river and found that Zibar was gone to a funeral and that they hadn't yet talked about when to start the literacy center in their church.

So I tried to pull out and head on over to Wajele.  I backed out to turn around and slipped into a slick black muddy pit.  There was no one there, except that lady and three kids.  I tried going back and forth and the lady and her kids tried to push the truck, but all of that and the 4-wheel drive did nothing but get me deeper stuck.

To get going again, we ended up calling in a lot more help. I ended up slipping and falling in the mud too, and we attempted several adaptations to the situation using sticks and rocks, etc. and eventually through everyone working together we got the truck out.

This made me think about the literacy program and missions in general.  You always think you're going along at a great clip until you back into a slick black muddy pit.  And just like I had to with these guys, you need help from unexpected sources and you need to listen to local people about what kind of adaptations you need to make to your situation, or you'll still just sit there spinning your wheels.

Have you ever found yourself spinning your wheels?  How did you get unstuck?

It's Been Two Days

That's the phrase people use around here when you've been too busy or too sick to go around greeting everybody.  It's like, "Wow, it's good to see you, it's been two days" even if in actuality it's been months.  Usually the next phrase is, "Why have you let me fall by the wayside?"  It's usually said with a giggle and a wink, but I always wonder how much people really feel like I've neglected the relationship.  It's really something to think about - that if you go two days without seeing somebody, then that's just too long, and perhaps it means that you're really neglecting the relationship.

Well, here's where you look at the date of my last blog post and say to me, "Wow, it's been two days, why have you let me fall by the wayside."  I laugh nervously and say, "well, I've been sick a little lately" (which is true), and I say, "I've been doing a lot of traveling" (which is also true - a trip to Bobo, Sindou, and Kangore to see the members of the Jula team plus a trip to Ouaga for Daniel to get to do some youthgroup activities with the expat community there - fun, fun, fun).

I also might tell you the exciting things I've been doing.  We had a literacy conference where we taught 24 prospective literacy teachers representing a possible 500 students from 22 villages that might soon be able to read passages of scripture in their own language for the first time ever.

I could also tell you about the recent grand opening of the literacy center in the Nabie church.  It's a unique church because it's on the border of Dagara land and a bunch of other peoples (Mossi, Puguli, Fulani, etc.)  There were a couple of Mossi guys in the class that want to learn how to read Dagara even though it's a second language for them, because most of the people going to church there are Dagara.  Interesting.  There are a total of 30 possible new readers in this literacy center. The other 21 literacy centers are still slated to start some time before the end of the year.

Anyway, when I'm in these awkward conversations about how it has been two days, I always have this internal urge to turn it into a battle of blame.  It's like I want to say, "Oh yeah? Well, why haven't you been knocking down my door the last couple of days. It's not like you've been trying to call me or anything.  You don't bring me flowers anymore . . . "  Then I remember it's just a verbal game we play.

So, what have you been up to?  It's been two days, and you've really let me fall by the wayside. ;)  Seriously, what's going on in your life.  I'll pray for you if you'll pray for me.