NTM - New Tribes Mission | Planting Tribal Churches

He's got some amazing moves

I have a strict rule about dancing in public…I don’t do it.  No, it’s not because I’m against dancing.  I’m just against people watching me.  I was quite pleased that I’d managed to avoid being the center of attention at the various weddings and ceremonies that I’ve gone to over here.  Steve just gives in to the requests and does a little dance to satisfy the crowd.  Well, my luck had to run out sometime, right?

Steve’s very good friend, Mohammed, who works with him every day on every project just got “married”.  Little background here…he came to us months ago to let us know that his girlfriend was expecting a baby and he needed to begin the marriage process.  He gave kola nut to her family as an offering and to let them know that he was serious about marrying her.  Since then, we have been following this marriage journey with him as he seeks to fulfill his obligations to her family.

This is no one step process.  It means talking to a lot of people who each have to give their blessing, giving gifts to all those people and several ceremonies to actually be considered married.  We are learning a lot of culture through this process!  Since Mohammed’s family lives in another village about 10 hours away and Steve is his boss – we are seen as his parents and are responsible for him.  While we are thankful that we can be a part of his life this way – it also means that we get to pay for a lot of things!

Mohammed came to us and told us that Mawa’s family had given him 10 days to put together the wedding ceremony.  He also needed Steve to come and speak as his representative.  Yeah, that’s a new one for us.  Steve sat with Mohammed, the religious leaders of the village, the men of Mawa’s family and the leaders of the neighborhood as they discussed the price that Mohammed would need to pay to marry Mawa.  There’s a crazy amount of things that he needed to buy for the family – rice, bowls, fabric, soap, a suitcase…the list went on and on.  But, he agreed to it (and looked to us with hopeful eyes!).

Which brings us to the ceremony…after days of getting things together (speakers, sound system, gifts, food, fish, chairs…you get the idea) we were ready.  We knew it was going to be a long day and we also knew that there is only so much that Ephraim can handle.  You can be given a time when things will start, but it could be hours after that time that things actually begin.  We had Mohammed call us when it looked close to starting.  We arrived to a yard full of people and were given our usual seats right in the middle of everything (this way everyone can watch us at all times!)

Steve was taken to the “big man” meeting where they finished discussing the bride price.  He said he really didn’t know what was going on since they were speaking in a language other than French.  After a while, they all came back and the head religious leader sat in the center of the circle to begin prayers.  They said prayers, gave out the gifts – all the while Mawa is sitting there waiting to find out if the men in her family will give the final okay for her to be married.

…SO, all this leads us back to the dancing!  Then they start the party…Steve had brought along a dance mix CD that he’d compiled himself for the occasion  They start playing the American music and calling out our names.  Normally this is where I just smile politely and stay in my seat, but they weren’t having it at this party.  The next thing I know I find myself in the middle of a huge circle trying not to completely humiliate myself.  What a huge relief it was when my sons decided to steal the show and dance like they were in some kind of competition!  Ephraim went all out with it.  He was HILARIOUS.  He had the entire group laughing their heads off.  I don’t even know where he got all those moves – I just know I was glad that everyone had their eyes on him and not me!

Everyone sitting around as prayers are said

Mawa sitting with her mother waiting to her if the bride price has been accepted

Ephraim and Mohammed

That's my boy

All dressed up Guinean style

Here he is one day old

Everybody loves new babies.  I’m one of those people who just can’t wait to get my hands on a new little bundle!  So, when we found out that my friend, Fatou, was expecting a baby I was beyond excited.  I have heard many stories that being at a Guinean birth is an experience one can never forget.  So, with a little nervousness I asked Fatou if I could be there when her baby was born – that’s taking your friendship to a whole new level!

A couple of weeks ago, they came for me to tell me that Fatou was at the clinic with a “stomachache”.  No talk of a baby.  They made it sound like she just wasn’t feeling well.  They said I should go check on her.  So, I walked out to the clinic and they ushered me right into the room.  I was completely shocked at the scene before me.

I’ll try not to go into graphic details, but oh my word!  I was a little terrified.  There was nothing in this room that gave you any idea that this was a good place to have a baby.  There is no water, no electricity, no medical instruments – nothing!  Poor Fatou is just lying on the floor and several women are just standing around waiting for something to happen.  Then they started all pressing and pushing on her stomach to make something happen!

I was just standing there in shock as everything happened so quickly.  The next thing I knew there was a little baby boy on the floor.  They were trying to get him to cry and he wasn’t making any noise and I started to feel panic.

Steve says that what I’m about to say is extremely disgusting, but it shows how easy it is for a baby to not survive here – the nurse running the clinic had to try and clear the airway with her own mouth.  I honestly couldn’t believe what I seeing – to think that it’s the year 2011 and women here still have to give birth this way.  It’s really just mind boggling to me.

I was praying over and over that God would save this little baby.  I don’t know how long it was before he was crying, but it seemed way, way too long.  Then when he finally started crying, they just set him aside and started to take care of Fatou.  Other women came in with buckets of cold water and she had to get up and be washed.  Then she went next door to lie down for a while.

Then they took the baby and washed him and weighed him.  I was just standing there holding onto his little fingers – completely overwhelmed by his birth

I sat with Fatou for a while and watched as many, many women from the village came into the room to offer their congratulations and joke about the birth.  It was a special thing to see.

I went the next day to visit and see the little cutie.  Women are very scared to have small babies and thankfully he seems to be healthy and a great eater so far.  I can’t stay away and could go and cuddle him everyday.

His baptism will have to wait until the next post…

So tiny wrapped up in a shirt for a toddler

The day after and she was already up and around taking care of the family