The Best Laid Plans

If there’s one thing I’ve learned on mission trips through the years, it’s the necessity of flexibility. Oftentimes things turn out very differently than you’ve planned. What did Burns say—“The best laid schemes o' mice an' men”? Well, today was one of those days.

We arrived in the Gowout (pr. ga-WOOT) village at about 10:00 this morning, food in hand to share lunch with the village. But as soon as we got out of the vehicle, we got word that the chief’s nephew’s 10-year old daughter had just died of malaria. Her name was Aïda Diouf (pr. Ida Joof). Our plans were changed immediately. The food we had brought to prepare for lunch became our gift to the grieving family.

The Gowout village is impoverished, partly because of their Islamic beliefs…everything that happens in life—“It is the will of Allah.” Someone is sick with a curable disease? “It is the will of Allah.” Children are malnourished with stomachs protruding? “It is the will of Allah.” Someone has no education, thus stuck in poverty? “It is the will of Allah.” A 10-year old little girl dies of malaria? “It is the will of Allah.”

THEN to hear the women from neighboring villages wailing as they came to grieve with the family…wow! When I say “wailing,” I mean a distinctively African, high-pitched moan…and to hear women from every direction crying out like that…it was deeply emotional. I know that is their tradition, but I wept as I heard the cries.

The chief (whose name is Malick Fay, by the way) welcomed us into his village and urged us to stay. As I’ve said several times thus far, hospitality is huge here. But I told him we knew he was a man of many responsibilities and that if it would please him, we’d like to return Thursday (our last day in-country) and share a meal with his village. He once again urged us to stay, but I said that we wanted to respect him and the personal nature of what had happened. He graciously bid us peace until we return Thursday.

Malick Fay (pr. Fye) is not only the village chief; he’s also the local Imam (Muslim teacher). My heart is so burdened to speak with him about Jesus. I’m going to have to be patient, I know…but I trust that God will open the doors necessary to make Christ known here. We’re going to seek once again to have an audience with Chief Fay and other leaders on Thursday in which we can discuss faith matters.

Please join us in praying toward that end. It’s hard to believe that we only have tomorrow and Thursday, and then we head to the airport! The other members of the team catch a 2:00 a.m. flight to Atlanta on Friday, while Becca and I catch a 2:30 a.m. flight to JFK in New York. In some ways it feels like I’ve been here an eternity, but in other ways it’s like we’ve only just begun.

Thanks again for reading my blog and praying for us! Becca is a natural, and I’m so proud of the job she’s doing.

We miss Beth and Morgan! I can’t wait to see them both Friday night…