Joey Update Vol. 5

Sesigeh lunjemge!

This last month has been passing more than pleasantly for the most part. There have been many changes with people coming and going, and yet other things, like language learning, have been chugging steadily along.

There are certain costly lessons that will come from living here. These for the most part are rather harmless but still they are things that would not be wise to repeat. One such instance here is the costly lesson of clothing. Clothes make the man here. It is a lesson I for one have particular struggles with. One day I decided to wear my kaptani and kadamul, the normal clothes of those living here. The kadamul is a long strip of cloth to be used to wrap into a turban. I’ve been experimenting with various styles and one day I wrapped the whole thing up on my head close to the Indian style, I’d guess. However, here it is how people in the Sud. wear their turbans and our house guard called me the president of the Sud.! He has continued to call me this jokingly even though it happened only once and that weeks ago.

The main lesson this taught me is that the impression I make on people will last far beyond when I have long forgotten it. When I walk down the street, what do people think? What do they see in me? It serves to remind me of why I am here and helps broaden my scope of the work I am doing here. It would be a good thing, after two years or so, to have a finished product that is getting used widely, but perhaps this will not be my main impact here. It might be that my friends and neighbors will remember, “that time we sat under the ligdabi and drank tea together” and this might have more far reaching implications than even the finished product.

Now the news, an Am. team came into town to work in the clinic and some were dentists. All the time the were here, word had spread around the town here that there was a “tooth doctor” in town and people flocked to the clinic. The lines were so long that the doctors often worked into the night after the clinic had officially closed. They are still the talk of the town even though they have since returned home.

More on our side of things, we had a visitor stay with us who has studied our language for years. It was a good time spent with him and we both got to meet lots of people in our neighborhood and create a stir in the market. After all it is not everyday that three white guys show up who can speak a language that not even everyone in our village speaks! It was a fun time had by all and very enriching too.

The Hamdu’s:

-We have steady power! It was just installed yesterday in fact and all is well. This means I’ll be able to check and send emails and updates more frequently.

-My camera arrived safe and sound. Thanks John for getting that for me.

-That many more relationships seem to be opening before us after this week. Relationships are key here.

The Dua’s:

-We will be traveling to the capital at the end of next week so please Ask for good travel

-Harley, has almost finished paying back the money that he took, but Ask for repentance and restoration for him.

-*Please lift this up and keep it in continual practice: Please consider giving an extra gift of support this month because in the village I have to take all the money I’ll need for the next couple months from the capital at once and in cash. Specifically, I need to buy a ticket to AMS for Feb, while I am in the capital next week. This might be around $2000. Then I will need to withdraw about that much again to stay in the village until then. I will only be in NDJ for a week, so I’ll be spending Christmas in the village too. Also, on this request, please also ask for my good stewardship of this large amount of cash (curtailing theft by friends, etc.).

In looking over my last update, I find, as I have found in times past, that all the Dua’s of last month have turned into the Hamdu’s of this month and more! Our Father is being wonderful to me and is enriching our time here and pouring out the blessings as fast as we can receive them. Thank you all for joining me in this excellent work of transforming the Requests into the Praises! I hope to hear back from each of you to touch base after what seems a long absence. I long to hear how our Father has been with you all and what big things He’s gotten you into.

Shekarisigeh! Kanisage salaamkisigeh!

(Thank you all! The chur(hes greet you!)

-Youssef