Stacey and I (Dave) have continued the three-week cycle in and out of the village. While the translation project remains our primary focus, whenever we are in the village we continue in evangelism, discipleship, and literacy. One world view issue that keeps coming up regards how we treat the weak and the poor. Here is Stacey’s account of an experience that she recently had in the village:
”It breaks my heart to say that those who are unable to have children, or the handicapped, or the unmarried are often called witches, their possessions are stolen, and they are treated as subhuman in every way. And as many people know, the Lord has saved a handicapped young woman named Maggie who can barely walk. She is now a Bible translator on my team, which is somewhat scandalous. She has never been to school and has been the object of abuse her whole life.
Now, it also breaks my heart to say that when there is food served in large gatherings, the biggest and strongest race for the food first and take unbelievably large quantities leaving behind hardly any for the blind, young, and lame (we are doing lots of teaching on this…)
Anyway, today the director of our literacy program, an older man, came and served Maggie food before himself. He then went so far as to essentially cut her food for her while she sat there watching, completely silent. This was the cultural equivalent of him getting out a basin of water and washing her feet in front of everyone. An older, educated, respected male washed the feet of a young, unmarried, uneducated, handicapped girl.
This is Jesus and this is what the gospel does.”
It is a blessing to see how the Word of God changes people’s lives. God is making the Kwakum into new creatures that love what he loves and hate what he hates. Praise the Lord!…[more]
