December 11. It has been a hot, dry day. It was warm all night so Daddy did not start a fire this morning.
There were quite a few people here for lotu this morning. Amos finished Acts chapter 2 (verses 42-47) and did a good job. Afterward Sunny and Bonita washed dishes, folded clothes, and podded a few beans that Taqita had brought. I started practicing keyboard, and then Wiru, Phinehas, and Dallas came to practice the welcome songs. Philemon wasn’t here this morning because he was working at the health center. Everybody else got started on the church work, and the two young ladies and three young men joined them as soon as they were done here. Today the church group split and beat bamboo and made two bamboo walls. Then they put up the two wall frames and the two bamboo walls. There were quite a few other helpers too, including Tuanke’s wife, one of Beni’s sons, and several people from Marivo. They got a lot accomplished today. Praise the Lord for His help and for a beautiful work day! The sky was overcast quite a bit which was a blessing for those working out there in unshaded areas. Otherwise it would have been too hot.
After my workers and singers left, Daddy turned on the generator, and I got the November progress report written. Also went outside now and then to get pictures of the work crew. And worked a bit more on spelling lessons.
Made a chart for Daddy to put the schedule on for the New Year meetings. Worked a little more on spelling lessons and took more pictures. Then I went to the kitchen to make spice cookies - a batch for Daddy and a small batch for myself. After I got those in the oven, I started supper warming. The last of the cookies was just getting done, and I was cleaning up the kitchen when the school students came to practice music. I didn’t realize they were wanting to continue practice so I wasn’t too ready. It was already 6:30 too and would soon be time for Bible school. But we went ahead and practiced until the Bible school students came. They are learning “S-A-L-V-A-T-I-O-N”.
After practicing with the school students, I put away the cookies and finished cleaning up the kitchen. Then David and Sylvia came to get some clothes for Neomi’s mother. We didn’t find out until late this afternoon that she had passed away this morning. My dear, sweet village mama - how I will miss her! She did so love to hear God’s Word, and when she was able she would come and sit and want me to read to her. After I’d read a passage from the gospel of John, she would talk about Jesus and about heaven and rejoice that she would be going there.
She was here Sunday for the meetings, but wasn’t feeling well; but she did not want to miss the Lord’s supper. She told her family not to cry for her and to have only one night of crying and then bury her body because she wouldn’t be needing it anymore. David and Sylvia said that David’s mother and Maro’s mother went to cry for her this morning. They said, “She’s gone to the place of rest today. We will miss our companion. But we’ll be going there tomorrow.” I don’t know how old Neomi’s mother was, but she outlived her husband many years. I don’t remember her husband at all, but Daddy does.
“9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11
December 12. It has been a very warm day, with periods of sunshine and clouds. The Lord is sending a gentle rain this evening. There is no Bible school this evening, as the men did not get any sleep last night or today. They probably won’t get much tonight either. The school choir (or part of it) just finished practicing. Started with five, and then one more came. We practiced “S-A-L-V-A-T-I-O-N” again for a while and then they wanted to start learning “Are You Washed in the Blood of the Lamb?” I went through and explained the meaning of the song first so they would have a better understanding of what they were singing. Then we practiced each of the four parts just once before quitting for tonight.
This morning, we had hot rice cereal for breakfast. After quiet time, I practiced keyboard for a while. Bonita came around 8:30 and started the dishes. Sunny didn’t show up until 9:00. I guess she didn’t get much sleep last night. After doing dishes, they peeled and cut up carrots and potatoes for soup.
When we turned on the generator, I started putting yesterday’s pictures in the Kodak file. Philemon came with his laptop and wanted to see how I edited and saved the pictures. Then he wanted to learn how to do power point so I took some time to teach him a bit on that instead of finishing the editing of the pictures. He left a little after 10:00 to go down and work at the health centre.
After he left, I had a snack. Then Daddy and I started out for a walk. On the way, we started talking about the need to rake the grass that Tony had cut. So Daddy went on with the walk, and I did some raking until he got back. After he got back, he raked for a few minutes, and then we went inside.
Before lunch, I got a ministry update written. This afternoon, I added another paragraph and some prayer requests to the update. Worked for a little bit on the spelling lessons. Then put the carrots and taters on to cook for supper. Added some herbs and bouillion cubes. When the taters and carrots were about done, I added sausages, sautéed onions, and leftover veggies. While we were eating, I realized I hadn’t added any seaweed. After supper, I added seaweed to the leftovers.
“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13
December 13 and 14. Today is Saturday, the 14th - for about three more hours. It didn’t dawn on me until about dawn this morning that I hadn’t written in my journal last night. So I’m not sure if I’ll remember yesterday’s events and activities or not.
I’m pretty sure I practiced keyboard after breakfast and quiet time. Also the men got the coffin made today for Aqmuda’s body, and the boys got the grave dug. They buried the body late in the afternoon.
There weren’t very many dishes to wash so after Sunny and Bonita finished the dishes, I had them clean everything out of the kitchen cupboards, sweep all the bugs out, and wash the shelf and floor inside.
After that, I started getting the ministry update file ready to send to Christy and Connie for mailing. In the afternoon, I translated “Are You Washed in the Blood?” The school choir is learning it in English, but they did not know the meaning of the words; and if they only sing it in English, nobody else will know either.
I also got an e-mail ready to go to Christy and Connie with the update file.
After supper, the school students came for choir practice. Since there was no Bible school again (the men were much too tired out), the school choir practiced until after 7:30. After that, I tried to send the e-mail to Christy and Connie, but we could not get a connection. So I had a bath and did a couple other things on the computer. Then we went to bed.
Today, Saturday, has been rainy, cool, and cloudy almost all day. Before lotu, Daddy tried to send the e-mail to Christy and Connie, but there was too much trying to come in so their e-mail would not go out. Only part of the ones trying to came in were successful, including a couple from Connie. After that, I put C & C’s e-mail back into drafts so I could add a note or two later.
There were quite a few people here for lotu this morning. Tomas finished up his messages on John 16:33. Today he talked about “I have overcome the world.” He made reference to Christ’s temptation in the wilderness and His victory over Satan.
After lotu, I sat and talked and cried with Yanahdo and Enauda a bit. Then Sunny and Bonita came and washed dishes and cleaned the kitchen floor. While they were doing that, the young men’s quartet (which has only been three the past couple times) came and practiced. Dallas is having a hard time by himself so I suggested that he ask Bethuel to come help him. When the girls were done, I let them know how much their pay was for the week and made record of it in my notebook.
In the afternoon, I went out and raked for a while since it wasn’t raining. Got a big pile of grass raked onto the burning spot. Came in and got matches and some trash to burn with it. When I came back in, I got a popo cut up for our snack. Then we got the last e-mail in. So I got busy getting emails ready to send out.
The choir has been practicing all evening. I practiced with them until a little after 8:30. We went over “Salim Lait” again a few times and then started on “God Inap Mekim Ogeta Samting” (“God of the Impossible" – a hard one so it will take lots of practice).
“14Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; 16Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.” Philippians 2:14-16