Bible Study Rocks!!!

It is Saturday.  Bible study day.

It doesn’t usually start to rain until about 11 am, but this morning we woke up and found the ground covered with wet “foot fungus” dew and rain clouds looming overhead, threatening to soon pour forth their unwanted blessings. 

Our group decided to share a meal together the forth Saturday of each month, in addition to studying God’s Word.  This was to be our first such meeting.  Each member of the small group volunteered to share in the meal’s responsibilities.  Some would bring firewood for cooking, others greens, beans, salt or cooking oil.  Others brought flour for bread, while still others were in charge of the cooking.  The hope was for everyone to share in not only the meal, but the preparation itself. 

I walked out into the pouring rain a little before 11 this morning.  I was in search of Rivana, one of the day’s designated cooks, but I couldn’t find her. 

I did find Mirium though.  She was alone and quite irritated with the task of cooking without enough firewood or the needed supplies.  Mirium is not a Didinga woman, and as she toiled, she cursed the Didinga under her breath.

Wanting to help, I returned to the compound looking to borrow some firewood from Eunice, feeling irritated and disappointed myself.  Eunice was nice enough to loan us some wood.  Walking back over to the compound where Mirium was cooking, with the heavy load of wood on my head and the rain pouring down, I doubted why we had ever thought that it was a good idea to organize a meal of fellowship. 

Dropping the firewood from my head near Mirium’s cooking fire, I looked up and saw Marafu and Lokulong rounding the corner.  Both were carrying their own heavy loads of firewood.  

 

Here in Didinga men do not carry firewood.  It is beneath them.  Yet, here were two coming of age men not only carrying firewood, but carrying it through the pouring rain.

Seeing poor Mirium cooking alone, and probably realizing that I would not be too much help, these two good guys sat down and for the next three hours cut wild greens, fanned the fire and helped prepare the day’s meal. 

Slowly the whole group started to gather around the cooking fire.  All of the cooking supplies were accounted for, as everyone was faithful to their promises.  

Dowdy

Dowdy, Marafu and Lokulong playing around Mirium's watchful momma eyes.

 

We LOVE this group!

The menu was worked out last week – bread, a very special treat here in Didinga was to be prepared.  Little did we know that it would take eight hours to bake over the open fire.  The group was patient and several of those hours were spent happily singing along with Abbi’s guitar, talking and laughing together.

Around 4pm, three hours later than expected, we finally prayed and ate the long awaited and only meal of the day.  It was fantastic!  We ate until our bellies bulged, until we couldn’t eat anymore.

Open fire bread oven - don't try this at home unless you have about 8 hours to spare.  :)

The yummy bread!

Marafu pretending to be Bob Marley with Abbi's guitar.

And then… the study began.

First of all, we should tell you that this study took us one full day and another full morning to plan.  We are studying Genesis 3, the fall of man.  Of course, we have studied this portion of the Bible in the past, however we continue to be incredibly amazed, challenged and moved by its depth and beauty.  The Word is alive and we have been blessed in this process of sharing it here.  

Even though there were three languages being spoken yesterday at the study, a deep and obvious understanding was present.  We were together.  We were close. 

While reviewing the many ways that Satan masquerades himself we asked the group for examples of Satan’s disguises.  Boy did we get some responses…

In real Didinga fashion, with everyone talking at once, seeming to aggressively yell at one another, stories of witchcraft, drinking and friends encouraging sacrifices to the spirits were shared.

Even though the hour was late, and most of us had been there for more than six hours, no one was rushing or wanting to go.  In fact, others who happened to be passing by, sat down, empathically joined in the conversation or listened from afar.  Babies nursed, toddlers ate and played at our feet.  The bread continued to cook.

The lesson ended with a discussion of God’s great grace and mercy.  We spoke of God’s never ending call to those in hiding, of His clothing Adam and Eve therefore covering their shame, His protection from the Tree of Life and the promise of a Deliverer.  

Once our teaching was finished Marafo instructed us all to stand up, move back our chairs and dance.  And we did!  We sang song after Didinga praise song and danced and laughed together.  It was beautiful. 

We just walked home through the damp, “fungus feet” grass.  The sun set hours and hours ago.  Once we put down our things, Abbi and I turned to each other and immediately started giggling, hopping up and down, dancing, hugging and praising God. 

Living in Didinga is not always so easy.  The romance is long, long, long gone.  It can often be extremely lonely and frustrating.  There are times that we feel as though we are wasting our time, fruit is so rarely seen.  The daily disappointments and the plum monotonous hardwork, are rarely the stuff those enticing missionary novels are made up of.  There are times we even wonder what in the world God has us doing here.

And then, there are days like today.

Give us monotony, loneliness, misunderstandings and frustrations, if God wills it. 

It is worth it! 

Tonight we go to sleep peacefully with a deep joy this world, even with all of its many jewels, could never offer.  We are happy.  We are blessed to serve here in Didinga.

Thank you for praying!

• We praise God for answered Bible study prayers, His encouraging us with His obvious presence and for the amazing work He is doing here in Didinga.
• We leave for our scheduled timeout of Didinga this coming Saturday.  We are thanking God that the group still desires to meet in our absence.  Pray for continued momentum.
• Please, please, please continue to pray as we wholeheartedly believe this Bible study’s life is dependent upon prayer.  Thank you for serving beside us!