With all the changes in the last couple months it's been difficult to sit and write an update. Yet there's so much to write about! Our new circumstances after moving to town still make for the daily exercise of being flexible, and figuring out what it's going to take to make things work out here while still serving the church in Mibu effectively.
I've been finding my 'flow' more and more as I continue the fight to maintain priorities of bible translation and lesson development among the many other things that vie for our attention. Currently I'm making progress in Revelation, as well as lessons for elder training. I spent the last year and a half in Mibu putting together weekly lessons based on scripture that would challenge and grow potential elders. After seeing how God has worked through those lessons, I'd like to see them move out of outline form (which was really just meant for me to teach from) to a form that can be printed in a book for the current elders and other leaders to use to both remind themselves, and also continue their training of other leaders. So that project is off the ground now as well.
Beyond juggling the two priorities of translation and lesson writing, there are quite a few other things that have kept us busy. The biggest thing has to do with transitioning the kids from a homeschool setting (which is pretty much all they know) to a more traditional school setting. Longer days, with homework after, keeping track of assignments and other tasks, turning in assignments, and all the rest of it is all new for them… and for us. We've found that most evenings we're needed for helping the kids stay on track and learn how to manage their time, work and play.
We're also being faced with the reality of what it means to have raised our kids in the jungle for so many years with little interaction with other expat kids. There is a big difference between how our kids think, and play, and what they value, and how they process life than many of their western peers. That's not to say it's better or worse. Just saying it's clearly different. Kids pick up on that difference and just don't feel as comfortable around each other. It's a new challenge for us as parents to figure out how to teach and coach them (especially the older two) on how to navigate these waters where they have the ever conflicting sense of being foreigners even in the company of their own. Their ethnicity, language, and their passports give an expectation of belonging. Unfortunately those expectations are dashed on the rocks of daily interaction with those who have been more thoroughly enculturated in their US culture. Our eldest especially is having the hardest time making friends out here. She really wants to make friends, but most are just ignoring her for some reason. Her age-mates exclude her from activities. Some don't even respond when she says a cheerful hi to them. It's hard (depressing actually) to watch her struggle with it and not have answers for her. It seems a crucial time to remind her where her true identity is, and where it is not. We also tell her that hopefully with the passing of time and growth in maturity these difficulties will diminish. Sorry if that's kind of bummer paragraph, but that's been one of our biggest struggles these last couple months. Perhaps if you have the time you could pray for her regarding that, and for wisdom for us, as we struggle to help her be encouraged.
On another note, I'm sure you remember that the Mibu airstrip was finally completed, inspected, and opened! Unfortunately the first plane to land there had an incident resulting in a prop strike. Thankfully nobody was hurt. But the prop and the engine were destroyed. The mechanics went in and removed the damaged parts, and are now awaiting the arrival of their replacements. Meanwhile, the folks in Mibu have been maintaining a 24 hour per day security detail to be sure that the more curious, and especially outsiders whose intentions cannot be known, do not go near it. This long-term security detail has been maintained by 10 men on rotating shifts each day and night. It's turned into a long job and has required quite a bit of communication back and forth with encouragement, solutions, and trying to take care of their needs as they protect the plane. The job is quite out of the ordinary for them, and I can sense they feel it's become a bit of a drag. They keep going though. I'm sure that as the end of this longer-than-expected job nears they're looking forward to being paid for their work. This too is something that, for a few initial weeks, has kept us busy writing emails and other communication. Hopefully the plane can be restored and flown back out sometime soon here.
A late development (as of today, Sunday) is that I'm going to be going into Mibu on Tuesday morning. I'm looking forward to this time when I can work on translation recording with Sesi and have some time to sit with the leaders and see how we can encourage them!
Thank you so very much to all of you who give and pray for us to be here doing this work! We appreciate your monthly generosity! We couldn't do it without you!
