Today, I spent the day helping to build a Sunday school room at the only Pular speaking church in Conakry. The walls in the picture are as high as they will go. There will be no windows installed. A metal roof will be installed over the room, and it will be ready for use open to the hot, humid Conakry air. Pray that God’s Word will be taught faithfully in this room, and that God will be glorified.
Djenabou and I went to the market this morning. A very spirited fish seller made me grin. She stood dancing and singing a song. Djenabou asked me if I knew what she sang. Of course not; her song was in Pular: “White lady come buy fish. No chicken, no beef. Buy my fish, fish for the white man!” While I did not buy her fish, my presence gave her a song to sing and everyone else something to smile about.
Well, perhaps you can guess from the title that Billie and I are beginning our African language studies. The language is called Pular. It is a difficult language spoken in various dialects by over 20 million people throughout West Africa. For example, it has 24 definite articles, whereas English has one – the. It has sounds that do not occur in the English language such as implosive d and b. That is a sound like d or b but you suck the air in when you say it instead of blowing the air out like in English. It also begins words with consonant combinations that do not occur at the beginning of words in English such as gb, nd, and mb. For these reasons, it seems that it will be a bit more difficult to learn Pular than French. That is yet another reason to keep us in your prayers, because if we can’t learn the language, we will have a difficult time communicating the Gospel to people who need to hear it.
We are learning to be thankful each day for the little things. For example, this past week, our power came back on. And this past weekend, the power was even on for several hours during the daytime and not just at night like usual. On top of that, we have actually had enough water lately to drink, cook, bathe, and clean. Thanks to all those who prayed for those requests. We better be careful or we will get spoiled. Actually, it’s not as bad as it sounds. Life is interesting and we have to deal with inconveniences, but we also get to have so many unique experiences here. There is the sweet taste of freshly picked mangoes; the cool after a rain storm; times of fellowship shared with other missionaries. This past week, we were even able to begin a Bible study with our security guard and his wife. It is amazing how a simple life can really make a person more thankful for the little things.
Do you ever feel your life is like our fridge? Upside down!
We bought a fridge this week that runs on electricity and gas. It had to sit upside down for 24 hours, then right side up for 24 hours before we could plug it in and use it. Well, when we tried to light it, it wouldn’t start.
I laughed and thought, “That about sums up my life sometimes~ upside down, right side up, slow at the start!”
This week will be busy for us as we begin team meetings, start planning for ministry and getting ready to move again. Pray with us for a good start.
Well, we are once again back in the heat and humidity of Guinea. It has been an interesting time even though we have only been here a few days. Since Friday, there has been no electricity at all while the government has been repairing and upgrading the electrical grid. There has also been no city water coming to our house for reasons unknown. We have had to get water delivered in jugs. Needless to say, this makes bathing regularly a luxury we can’t afford. On a positive note, our teammates were able to make it back to Guinea while we were in the States. Now we will be praying and strategizing together as we plan the coming years of ministry. Thank you for praying for us throughout our unexpected trip home to the U.S. and our return to Guinea. We now feel refreshed and encouraged, ready to face whatever lies ahead. Please keep praying.
