My Last Full Day in Balaah
After breakfast we head to Sabamba village to preach the gospel. Safo and myself are dropped off while Peter and the others head off to the school for another meeting. Sabamba is Mindaye’s village. We go to the literacy school where a goodly number of people gather for a gospel message. The women sit in the literacy school, which is really only a frame with half a roof, so they can readily see me. The men sit in a semi circle before me. I read the story of the Prodigal Son while Safo translates. Just as I am concluding the reading, a messenger comes from the school saying that I am urgently required to come to the Primary School. We apologize to the villagers and they respond graciously and thank me for what I was able to read to them.
We head over to the school where there is a meeting taking place to elect some people to a committee to help to organize and run the school. I bring them greetings from the Bible Presbyterian Churches in the United States and Canada and encourage them from Psalm 127 in the work of instructing their children to read and write so that they can study and learn the Word of God.
We have another “shower” before we leave. This time I get a deeper pail which comes with a bit more water – all quite unusual, but it does have a very refreshing effect.
We return to Kimogol briefly and then return to Sabamba to finish the preaching there. Peter drops us off at 3:30 and assures us that his meeting at the school will be over by 5:30 when he will return for us. Joseph is my translator. We go into one hut and I sit just inside the door to the right. About 4-5 young mamas enter with their children. One poor young boy enters unwittingly, looks up to see my white face and screams wildly, running to hid in his mother’s arms. At least I hope it was only because it was white. He is brave enough to take an occasional peak at me from his safe refuge. When we leave we meet two young men; the others are away. We talk to them for a while and we decide that the rain will not bother us; we will have another meeting at the literacy school. The women and children gather to hear again the story of the Prodigal Son and the gospel joy of repentance and returning to our heavenly Father after we have squandered all that He has given us. They listen attentively. After closing prayer I am thanked by Bicheya (ch as in church, emphasis on the second last syllable) who gives an extensive response and joy in hearing the gospel. We are invited for tea by her and a friend of hers. There we have good fellowship and they dictate a note to Joseph that I am to take to their dear friend Judith Collins. Judith later tells me that Bicheya has, on her own initiative, taken winders to the other villagers and played gospel tapes for the mamas there. Winders are cassette tape players that do not require batteries; they run on energy produced from turning a winder.
Peter comes for us – he is on time! As the sun sets we return to Kimogol and sit outside talking again. As the sun begins to set, Peter tells me that there are some women who would like to meet with me. He takes me over to another part of the village where a number of women have gathered. He informs me that these are the widows of the village. They keep something of a fund to help one another and others in need as they are able. They present me with a necklace which I put around my neck. I thank them for their kindness and run back to the hut for my camera to take their picture. Peter takes the picture so that I can be in it also. Although there are widows here of every age, there is sadness in my heart as I look at some of the beautiful young girls with small children who have been widowed at a very young age. I am further saddened when I learn later that they are forbidden to ever marry again, even though it is possible for a widower to remarry. I think about how this custom needs to be changed in order for them to understand the truth taught in Romans 7 – that once death severs a marriage the remaining spouse is free to marry another, teaching that we are free from the law of sin and death as we are married to Christ. Isn’t it interesting that the Lord in his infinite wisdom framed this instruction from the point of view of the wife, rather than the husband? I also find out later that the beadwork necklace is that of a Rendille warrior. Now I understand the grins and chuckles from the other men when they see me wearing it.
This is my last night in Baalah. It is warm enough tonight to sleep in our “all-star hotel” again.
We head over to the school where there is a meeting taking place to elect some people to a committee to help to organize and run the school. I bring them greetings from the Bible Presbyterian Churches in the United States and Canada and encourage them from Psalm 127 in the work of instructing their children to read and write so that they can study and learn the Word of God.
We have another “shower” before we leave. This time I get a deeper pail which comes with a bit more water – all quite unusual, but it does have a very refreshing effect.
We return to Kimogol briefly and then return to Sabamba to finish the preaching there. Peter drops us off at 3:30 and assures us that his meeting at the school will be over by 5:30 when he will return for us. Joseph is my translator. We go into one hut and I sit just inside the door to the right. About 4-5 young mamas enter with their children. One poor young boy enters unwittingly, looks up to see my white face and screams wildly, running to hid in his mother’s arms. At least I hope it was only because it was white. He is brave enough to take an occasional peak at me from his safe refuge. When we leave we meet two young men; the others are away. We talk to them for a while and we decide that the rain will not bother us; we will have another meeting at the literacy school. The women and children gather to hear again the story of the Prodigal Son and the gospel joy of repentance and returning to our heavenly Father after we have squandered all that He has given us. They listen attentively. After closing prayer I am thanked by Bicheya (ch as in church, emphasis on the second last syllable) who gives an extensive response and joy in hearing the gospel. We are invited for tea by her and a friend of hers. There we have good fellowship and they dictate a note to Joseph that I am to take to their dear friend Judith Collins. Judith later tells me that Bicheya has, on her own initiative, taken winders to the other villagers and played gospel tapes for the mamas there. Winders are cassette tape players that do not require batteries; they run on energy produced from turning a winder.
Peter comes for us – he is on time! As the sun sets we return to Kimogol and sit outside talking again. As the sun begins to set, Peter tells me that there are some women who would like to meet with me. He takes me over to another part of the village where a number of women have gathered. He informs me that these are the widows of the village. They keep something of a fund to help one another and others in need as they are able. They present me with a necklace which I put around my neck. I thank them for their kindness and run back to the hut for my camera to take their picture. Peter takes the picture so that I can be in it also. Although there are widows here of every age, there is sadness in my heart as I look at some of the beautiful young girls with small children who have been widowed at a very young age. I am further saddened when I learn later that they are forbidden to ever marry again, even though it is possible for a widower to remarry. I think about how this custom needs to be changed in order for them to understand the truth taught in Romans 7 – that once death severs a marriage the remaining spouse is free to marry another, teaching that we are free from the law of sin and death as we are married to Christ. Isn’t it interesting that the Lord in his infinite wisdom framed this instruction from the point of view of the wife, rather than the husband? I also find out later that the beadwork necklace is that of a Rendille warrior. Now I understand the grins and chuckles from the other men when they see me wearing it.
This is my last night in Baalah. It is warm enough tonight to sleep in our “all-star hotel” again.
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