small world

Sometimes when you watch the news on TV you feel interested or concerned, but can't feel anything very deeply because it all seems quite abstract. Not so for me with the news about Libya. Having travelled back through Tripoli just 10 days ago, I can't help but wonder how the air hostesses and stewards are now. The lovely woman who gave Simon a pillow from Business Class, the man who insisted we swap to better seats, the younger man who didn't mind Simon refusing to talk to him when he'd just woken up... Are they in Libya? How are they and their families? And what about the Libyan woman I chatted to on the plane in June, who is living in Canada but has her 12 year old son at school in Libya?

It makes me care more. And grieve more when I see the bodies on the news. I'm glad I can pray, because otherwise I'd feel totally helpless, whereas at least I know I can put this into bigger hands than mine.

following a trend

I have to admit that I bought my boys brand-name products on the market here last week:

celebrating with the Fulani people

Last Saturday we went to the Dedication of the Fulani New Testament. The people are the Fulani (or Peuhl) and their language is Fulfuldé (or Fulbé). They are a nomadic people, spread out over a large part of Africa, and different dialects of the language can be quite different. The Fulani people of Benin have used a Fulbé Bible from Cameroon until now, but up to 40% of the vocabulary can be different, which as you can imagine makes it very foreign-sounding. This is why they need their own Bible in the language they speak. It has been a very long process with many setbacks, but at last their New Testament is complete! It was a real joy to be present at this ceremony and to see so many people celebrating God's gift of His Word in their own language.

Marc next to our own Pastor Samuel:



Some more of the missionaries and Beninese pastors:



The head of the translation team, Pastor Isaac Matchoudo, and his wife Marie-Claire receiving their copies of the New Testament. Incidentally, they were my hosts when I first visited Benin in 2002!



Just a small part of the crowd present:



People flocking to buy the New Testament – the 500 available sold out immediately!