My hair feels heavy, the crickets (I think they’re crickets…I hope they’re crickets…) are chirping, and I am slowly getting used to brushing my teeth with bottled water. Nights free from portables and outside communication have been wholesome to my spirit here. Journaling and reading the Word put me to bed every night with a peace in my heart. God tucks me in here. :]
After cleaning up the kitchen with Lizzie after breakfast today, we waited for the girls to get their hair done. It was finally our turn to sit in the chairs for four hours! I was so blown away by their nimble fingers—they move so quickly you can’t see them. They mean serious business here. The lady who did my hair was sweet and very forgiving of my mediocre French when we conversed. They’re such hard workers here. Several hours of tugging and pulling later, I was donning these “Rasta braids” that left me looking like a samurai warrior with a heavy head. Oy, so this is what it feels like…I miss my West Philly students. Though it’s going to take time getting used to, we all felt that this was the way to go. Not knowing what the shower situation’s going to look like in the village, we knew we’ll be safe with braids that aren’t supposed to be washed for 2 weeks anyways and besides, when else can we do something crazy like this? Heh.
Ginny, a Bible translator who helped with projects in Nigeria and Cameroon for some time, joined us for dinner and shared how God has been moving in some of these areas. She knew a lot about Limbim, so that was extremely helpful. Though the Limbum New Testament was dedicated in 2008, it’s sad that the new translation is unavailable for those in our villages. There’s just so much to this work—Bible translation, literacy, Scripture use, etc. It doesn’t just end with the completion of a translation; there needs to be literacy classes and people finding ways to connect the Word to their culture, showing the people that the Gospel applies to them.
We leave tomorrow morning for Bamenda, then Ndu, then Taku, our village. I’m going to miss this place, the people, and the yummiest pineapples I’ve ever tasted, but we were meant to go. I look forward to the next step God has prepared for us.
"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." -Deuteronomy 31:8
