Maretu

Friday, 3/26 Case and I with a carload full of happy women and children drove to Maretu for the Women’s Revival Meeting. Can you picture this, one man, thirteen women and 6 babies all loaded up in the pickup to drive for 2 1/2 hr over bumpy ,dusty, hot roads to a little village in the middle of no where. We arrived about 3:30 plenty of time for Case to drive back home since no one drives here in the dark. Women came from all the churches  in this classis, and filled the local school of two classrooms with sleeping mats, rice, guinea corn, oil, cooking pots and personal belongings. I had fully expected to sleep with the women on the cement floor and had even bought a sleeping mat, but was brought to the evangelists home to sleep in their guest room, on a water bed mind you that was left by the former missionaries there. (Larry/ Rose Van Zee lived here for 23 years, quite an achievement.) Grace, the evangelists wife mentioned that at night I would see ????? but not to worry, so I didn’t ask what the ???? was since she had said I wouldn’t have to worry about it.  The first meeting was to start at 8 PM but by the time supper was cooked for about 100 women and children, the meeting started at 10PM.  One of the pastors spoke a great message of encouragement for all of us and then drums, dancing and singing.  By midnight I decided to turn in.  Sleep wouldn’t come, the strangeness, the drums, and then I heard some scratching and running across the rafters and tops of the mud block walls and I saw the ?????, with beady little eyes looking back at me, yes rats, not just one or two, but families of them busy scurrying here and there, jumping down onto my bag hanging on a nail on the wall, and scooting out of a large hole in the screen. Since it was about 95 degrees with not a breeze I couldn’t even hide under the blankets, but pray I did! I woke up with the roosters crowing with not a rat in sight, and told everyone I had a great night.

Saturday, first meeting at 9AM, lots of singing and another speaker, food was cooked at 11, and yours truly spoke at 3 PM.  There are 3 local congregations in this regional church area with many preaching centers in each center. There was a singing contest that afternoon of the 3 congregations, and it was great to see the dancing along with the singing.  Another meeting after supper at night starting a 9PM followed with more drumming, dancing and singing.  I joined for about an hour, it was wonderful to see everyone praising God, many of these women being first generation Christians. I slept a little better that night knowing that our friendly rats were really not interested in me.  Sunday morning the church was packed to many standing by the windows, Case had also come to pick us up. It was a great time of worship and fellowship!

Dancers 2 maretu     Drumer at Maretu  Dancers 3 Maratu