October 19. Almost .2” rain last night. No rain today. A very lovely day. Enjoyed getting out for a little walk this afternoon. Sat out in the sunshine for about 15 minutes too.
LOTS of Owenians carried coffee to Aivonti today, on beyond Irakia. There is a man there who buys it. Hardly any men left around the village.
"God, my Maker, who giveth songs in the night." Job 35:10 Any man can sing in the day. When the cup is full, man draws inspiration from it. When wealth rolls in abundance around him, any man can praise the God who gives a plenteous harvest or sends home a loaded argosy. It is easy enough for an Aeolian harp to whisper music when the winds blow—the difficulty is for music to swell forth when no wind is stirring. It is easy to sing when we can read the notes by daylight; but he is skilful who sings when there is not a ray of light to read by—who sings from his heart. No man can make a song in the night of himself; he may attempt it, but he will find that a song in the night must be divinely inspired. Let all things go well, I can weave songs, fashioning them wherever I go out of the flowers that grow upon my path; but put me in a desert, where no green thing grows, and wherewith shall I frame a hymn of praise to God? How shall a mortal man make a crown for the Lord where no jewels are? Let but this voice be clear, and this body full of health, and I can sing God's praise: silence my tongue, lay me upon the bed of languishing, and how shall I then chant God's high praises, unless He Himself give me the song? No, it is not in man's power to sing when all is adverse, unless an altar-coal shall touch his lip. It was a divine song, which Habakkuk sang, when in the night he said, "Although the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation." Then, since our Maker gives songs in the night, let us wait upon Him for the music. O Thou chief musician, let us not remain songless because affliction is upon us, but tune Thou our lips to the melody of thanksgiving. —Morning and Evening
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“6They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; 7None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: 8(For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:) 9That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.” Psalm 49:6-9
October 20. Less than .1” rain last night. Praise the Lord for a beautiful morning! We were up early. Prepared rice for dinner and set it on the wood stove to cook. Cut up a pumpkin for dinner too, and set it on the gas stove to cook later. Started the laundry at 6:30. Had everything hung out before 8:00. Managed to have breakfast in between loads of washing and also quiet time. More quiet time afterward and finished sewing up a dress I had to take in. Now I need to lengthen it a bit. Then went walking around the schoolroom and had more time to pray there. Then I glued paste-overs in Manila’s math book.
A little before 9:00, we went up for lotu. Opo and Luke were sitting outside talking. Jevin came along in a bit so we started with five. Luke led the singing. Then Daddy continued teaching from Genesis 24, showing how Abraham sought God’s will in finding a wife for Isaac. After a while, there were a few more men and some women who came — about 19 all together. Daddy said that George was there and paid very close attention to what was being preached. That was a surprise and a big blessing. Oh, that he might be saved!
After a short break, it was time for school. After finishing John chapter 3 in Owena, going over the Bible verse for the week, and talking about what was preached in church, we had math and English classes today.
After nap, I cut up a popo. Fixed a bowl of fruit for snack. Then went and sat out in the sun to eat it. After that, Daddy and I started out for a little walk, with a stop at the church house to put away a couple things that belonged there. It was too hot to keep walking so I chalked in the notes Daddy had on the chalkboard so they are darker and easier to read from the back of the room.
Then we came back to the house, and I put material on the chalkboard for school tomorrow and worked on a Bible test for Friday, until time to get supper.
After supper, I did dishes and played the keyboard before making sure all the lesson material is ready for tomorrow.
“1A Psalm of Asaph. The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. 2Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined…. 14Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: 15And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me…. 23Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God.” Psalm 50:1,2, 14,15, 23
October 21. No rain last night, but very cool, cloudy and rainy this morning. It was quite chilly in the schoolroom. Daddy kept the fire going in the house all morning. It was nice to come home to a warm house. He also put the dinner on the wood stove to warm up. That was a blessing too, as we could eat as soon as I came back from school.
All the people came back from Aivonti this morning with money from their coffee sales and goods they had bought at the market over there.
I was thankful that the sun came out this afternoon. Went out and trimmed more of the flower bushes. Brought in some pink flowers and some purple flowers to put on the table. It is refreshing to see the flowers blooming again now that the rains have come.
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” Psalm 51:17
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