We have picked up our language sessions with Pastor Samuel with enthusiasm. We've had lots of news to share on both sides, after five months apart, and we showed him photos of our family and the churches we visited in France and England.
We have also done some revision of vocabulary and money (not simple!). I have also been looking out for discussion topics. One day last week I used a question from my Bible study notes, which was, “How has your Christian faith made your life more difficult? How do you feel about that?” which kept us talking for nearly an hour.
Another day I used a proverb I'd read during my daily reading, as I was sure it would be something foreign to the culture here.
“Seldom set foot in your neighbour's house – too much of you, and he will hate you.” Proverbs 25:17
I found it in the rough draft Monkolé translation of Proverbs, and gave it to the pastor to read. Then I said that a lot of people in the West would tend to follow the gist of this proverb – better to have your neighbour wish he could see more of you than have him hide when he sees you come up the garden path!
The pastor laughed and said that among the Monkolé people this proverb doesn't apply. He said, “We are so close to each other that we are always together.” He gave the example of one of the elders of the church, and said that if he didn't call in on him for a week or two, this man would come to him and say, “What's wrong? Are you ill, or are you angry with me?”
He then confirmed what I'd suspected and said that they only feel like this about other Monkolés. He said that although people from the village would like to come and visit us, they don't want to bother us, and they think we don't understand the language well enough yet. They are afraid we won't understand them and vice versa. He said that was good since he thinks we'd be worn out if we had constant visits! I did point out that unless we have opportunities to practise the language we are never going to understand very well! But I had already got the impression that some people don't speak to us other than to greet us because of fear of our incomprehension. I am grateful for those who do make the effort!
But it isn't as if we don't have any visitors at all, even now in rainy season when most of our friends from the village are in the fields working. Last Saturday we had about 28 people for lunch – not only did a short-term French team visit us, but Beninese friends who were driving past stopped and joined us to eat! It was great fun!
Part of the team as they left – and Benjy getting the gate for them!
We have also done some revision of vocabulary and money (not simple!). I have also been looking out for discussion topics. One day last week I used a question from my Bible study notes, which was, “How has your Christian faith made your life more difficult? How do you feel about that?” which kept us talking for nearly an hour.
Another day I used a proverb I'd read during my daily reading, as I was sure it would be something foreign to the culture here.
“Seldom set foot in your neighbour's house – too much of you, and he will hate you.” Proverbs 25:17
I found it in the rough draft Monkolé translation of Proverbs, and gave it to the pastor to read. Then I said that a lot of people in the West would tend to follow the gist of this proverb – better to have your neighbour wish he could see more of you than have him hide when he sees you come up the garden path!
The pastor laughed and said that among the Monkolé people this proverb doesn't apply. He said, “We are so close to each other that we are always together.” He gave the example of one of the elders of the church, and said that if he didn't call in on him for a week or two, this man would come to him and say, “What's wrong? Are you ill, or are you angry with me?”
He then confirmed what I'd suspected and said that they only feel like this about other Monkolés. He said that although people from the village would like to come and visit us, they don't want to bother us, and they think we don't understand the language well enough yet. They are afraid we won't understand them and vice versa. He said that was good since he thinks we'd be worn out if we had constant visits! I did point out that unless we have opportunities to practise the language we are never going to understand very well! But I had already got the impression that some people don't speak to us other than to greet us because of fear of our incomprehension. I am grateful for those who do make the effort!
But it isn't as if we don't have any visitors at all, even now in rainy season when most of our friends from the village are in the fields working. Last Saturday we had about 28 people for lunch – not only did a short-term French team visit us, but Beninese friends who were driving past stopped and joined us to eat! It was great fun!
Part of the team as they left – and Benjy getting the gate for them!
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