A few extra thoughts on the village

So, I know Zach Aleady covered the village, but I wish I could convey the impact of the questions we received. I fielded questions that were heart-wrenching. A woman asks, "what if a woman marries a man thinking she is his only wife, only to find he secretly has another?" And on they went. Pastors looked pleadingly to me for training, advice, and counsel. On Thursday, as I taught thought the circles and theology, when I made key points, the "eh's," "amens!" and applause were even raucous. It was an amazing day. When the time came for us to answer questions, they were almost all in regards to family and the brokenness of the relationships. In some ways, the problems here and the questions I get are very similar, but there are huge differences as well. The embarrassment of riches for us extends to our heritage. One person told us that evangelical Christianity did not make it to the village until the 1980's. oh, that we would apply the abundance of our knowledge. As Pastor Sylvester looked at Zach and I, making a plea for us to return, he said, "you have spoken boldly about many things that others fear to tell us." one of the coolest moments ever. So, I had promised the pastors in the village I would make sure they received copies of the matials I have written, since we had none left after the week in Nairobi. Friday was the H2O kickoff, which I will let Angie share abut, but it was cool to see Pastor Sylvester there. He had been one of the keenest listeners and questioners the previous two days. Well, as we went to empty our duffel bag of the gifts for the children and all, Zach exclaims, "Dave is going to love this!" I look over and he is holding a good sized stack of the Pastors' books I wrote. No big deal? We just thought we had given tham all out? Draw your conclusion, but I am giving God full credit, however He did it. It was perfect. Sylvester was there and I was able to walk through some things with him, and became completely immersed in it. There are some good people with hearts to serve God in the utterly remote corner of the world. I pray to be able to help them...and be reminded again of the eager desire to learn the truths of God. May we never grow tired or too familiar in our spiritual pursuits.