Looking For The Greener Grass: A Week in the Life Episode 11

When F, my house helper comes over. She always takes a break halfway through the shift and we sip tea and chat for about an hour. I had read an article called Good Samaritan or Gullible Sucker. I decided to ask her what the cultural perspective was on beggars. When does she give and when does she know that the person is faking. She said she never gives to beggars but will give old clothes to refugees. I then asked her if she gives loans to close friends. Without hesitation, if she has money she always gives to her friends. This was the 3rd local who has given me the same advice. I told her that the Word informs my views on these things and I wrestle with what to do. I don’t want to be a gullible sucker but yet I see in the Word that when we are told to give there are no conditions. It doesn’t say “Give to anyone who is definitely not trying to swindle you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you unless you think you’re not really helping them.” Mt 5:42 (revised) I want my perspectives and my giving to be based not on my American cultural background, nor on what locals would do but on the Word and what the Lord expects of me.

Kadie, her mom, and cousin came over for a visit one last time before she returns to her city. They told me of another city near Kadie’s current one that has the Sacred Fish Lake. According to legend, the king was angry with Abraham and wanted to throw him into a giant fire. When he did this, the flames turned to water and the logs turned to fish. Abraham was saved. Now the fish in the lake are considered sacred and no one is allowed to fish there. You can read more about it here.

I sat with my local grandpa, AB, this week. He spent the first half hour trying to convince me I needed to marry or else I would be missing out on great joys in life. I agreed that marriage did bring blessings but tried to convey that I was happy and had learned to be content with singleness. I wanted to say more but found it hard to do so in my second language.

He went on to tell me that he had once been like me. His dad wanted him to choose a girl from his hometown and settle down. He wasn’t interested. So while he was away, his dad promised him to a girl from another town and told him he would marry her. According to him, you didn’t backtalk your dad so he agreed to go through with the promise even though he had never met the girl. They met and were married 5 months later. They have been married for 40 years.

I read a book once. It asked the question, what is one thing God could give us to show himself to be most loving? As I flipped the page, I guessed that the answer would be a husband. The book said that there is only one answer to the question and God has already given it to us, he has given us himself. I read this week of a woman who had moved overseas and died while serving abroad. She wrote this in a letter before she transitioned overseas, “If you are reading this letter, it means I won’t be coming home, for I am with Jesus! THERE ARE NO REGRETS! My call is to obedience. Suffering is expected; His glory is my reward. His glory is my reward.’” Again this week, I read Ps 63:3. It says, “Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.”

These are the things I wished I had said to AB: JC’s love is BETTER than life and I already have it. I am endowed with a love and a relationship better than a spousal or parental one. His glory is my REWARD. Don’t pity me. Don’t assume I have regrets. I have a love that is better than even my own life.

My new residence permit card came this week. As soon as I got it, J and I went back to the census office to register her address. It was a freezing cold day and we were both surprised to make it to see a line of people standing outside waiting to get in. Everyone was in an uproar about the line which means it’s not normal to wait outside. I had saw the previous week that the place was crowded because everyone in the whole country was required to get new identity cards. We had to close the personal space gap and cram our way into the mass of people so as to not constantly get shoved to the back of the line. After about 20 minutes, we made it inside. They were doing a thorough metal detecting job for everyone. Once we got up to the address floor, I estimate there were about 200 people in the hallway. I shoved my way to the number giving machine. We only had 10 people in front of us. As we waited for our number to be called, folks would come up to me and ask where the line was. I was able to tell them that they had to get a number. It felt great to be more in the know about something than the locals. Eventually our number was called and we marked this task off our to do list.

Here are some other sights from the week: