The Water In The Jar
Today was another day filled with conversations about the culture and missions, language learning, and a visit to the international school in Arusha. The missionaries’ older son’s class had their big exhibition today that they’ve been working on all year. It was very cool to see all these kids present all the moving parts of their research, poems, artwork, games, songs, etc. I watched a play in French and a play in Swahili that I did not understand. They sang songs and performed so well. It was very cool to see, especially all the diversity at the international school! So many accents and languages, and everyone is so accepting of each other. These kids are more knowledgeable than I was at their age (10-12). Cultural recipes, conservation, war, elements of music and drama, etc. Plus, they are all bi- or tri-lingual!
There are so many other things that I am processing all at once about the tribes, the culture, the witchcraft, and the language. Scott also has me reading and watching information about the mission field in general. One thing that stuck out to me today was this idea that previously, missionaries would come over with their container of water to offer to the people. The container represents the missionaries’ culture while the water represents the actual gospel. Rather than pouring the water into the natives’ container (their culture), they would try to give them the whole container. They filtered Christianity through Western culture. Natives felt that they had to accept a whole new way of life to accept Jesus. And it just doesn’t work that way. It’s about the water in the container. God loves diversity! He created it! And He can relate to His people through any culture.
In the village where Scott and Cassie started in Tanzania, the people spoke a tribal language and Swahili. They would speak to each other in their first language but would use Swahili with others or whenever they were praying. They never prayed in their heart language. It took a long time for Scott and Cassie to help people break down this wall between them and God and get them to realize that God wants to relate to them in a more personal way.
Tomorrow Scott, Emmanuel, and I will head out, and you probably won’t see a blog from me for a week. We are driving ten hours tomorrow, staying in a town, and then traveling to the village where Scott and Cassie planted a church. I will get to see a new part of Tanzania and meet new people! There is no English in the village and no power, so this will be a new adventure for me! Please be praying for our safety while traveling. Pray that the Lord comforts me from any isolation and pray against spiritual attacks. Thank Him for this amazing opportunity!
I’m not Paul, but I want to leave you his greetings for the Philippians: “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” (Phil 1:4-6, 27). God bless!