Guinea Week 3

this is Willie my hero

UPDATE:
This week a team from Ohio filled with high schoolers came and stayed with us. Most of the staff here was still getting over illness but the Lord gave us strength to host an outgoing team. The team was very entertaining with varying personalities that brought much more conversation and laughter. Our English class started this week. I have seen how the Lord used my second trip to Nicaragua where were teaching English for this trip. I have been able to use the activities and games and implement them into our classes. So far we have 4 students who love to learn and think we are awesome teachers when in fact we make up our lesson on the spot.
I have started French lessons from a student at La Zone. It’s more of me sitting on a couch asking what everything in sight is in French. Let me just tell you, French is soooooo hard.
We went to the orphanage twice this week. We got to finally experience a meal at the orphanage. They served us a leaf sauce over rice for lunch. The sauce is made of sweet potato leaves and had fish in it. The children seemed to enjoy it…

CULTURE:
We had a seminar on Islam and the differences and similarities to Christianity. I learned so much from their pilgrimage to Mecca to their view that woman don't go to heaven.  In Guinea, Islam is highly influenced by devil worship. Many people buy fetishes to gain higher jobs at the cost, typically, of sacrificing a child. Spiritual warfare is very real and seen here. We were told stories about a pastor who someone tried to kill. The man went to a witch doctor who multiple times tried to take the pastors life but could not because of the crowd of angels around the pastor.
At La Zone, the youth center where we are teaching English, there is a class called "conversation class". This Friday the topic was "what was your family like growing up in Guinea". Most of the Guineans from different ethnic groups, religions and backgrounds pipped up about the dynamic of their family. We learned polygamy is common as is marrying your first cousin. Family unity is huge and the oldest son has tons of responsibility in the family to take care of the kids and his mother.

WHAT THE LORD IS TEACHING ME:
Wow, my American mentality of only having purpose when doing is really being shattered. Our schedule has been very spars and I have had to choose to be joyful in times of boredom. This trip has not been what I expected but the Lord is asking me to lean into his will and his plan. I have felt myself doing that more and more this week and the longing to be anywhere but here has quickly diminished.

I've realized while being here I really rely on people to inspire me and push me to Jesus, instead of relying on Jesus. This trip has forced me to just talk to Jesus because I don't have my "people" here.
I've loved seeing how my mom and friends and family have been praying for me back home. It has so been felt and I can tell has strengthened faiths back home. It's cool to see how the Lord has used the fear of me traveling so far and making those back home trust me in His hands. God is so cool like that!!
On Friday we watched the movie "The Shack". This was one of the best religious movies I have ever seen. I had been really resentful of the Lord because I was so disappointed with the trip. I filled my time with reading tons of books which were all amazing books but I started to focus on religion and less on Jesus. This movie showed the immense love Jesus has for us and reminded me I am in a relationship with God not religion. God so badly wants to know us, wants to hear are ups and downs.  I highly recommend this movie!

PRAYER:
Praises that everyone is healed from our sickness!
Prayer for the staff at La Zone to be guided by the Holy Spirit to grow in their relationship with Jesus.
Prayer for the team from Ohio that this trip would spark something in their hearts to follow the Lord on a deeper more sacrificial level.
Prayer for spiritual warfare, that we would be warriors here with the word and not let the devil have a gold of our hearts.
Prayer for these precious children to find the Lord and be healed from AIDS
Prayer for energy and intentionality for every missionary here.

SIDE NOTE:
I've realized something about photos. Yes our culture is obsessed with photos and creating memories for our image. But photos connect others to your world. They help remember faces of friends and memories. I've realized taking photos especially of children like they are a museum is not ok, but if you have a relationship and want to remember your friend that’s a better reason for a photo. As you can see, I’m still processing through this. I tend to challenge everything that our culture says is the norm.

think about potty training this many kids!

Heather, me, Maclae

Esther