also fills our large water container on our front porch so that we have
water with which to cook, bathe, and flush. Her reliability and good
work ethic have encouraged us to keep her as our regular helper. Her
kids have visited many times since I arrived in 2009.
As usual for a woman in this culture, she is illiterate. She
communicates freely in Nangjere, her native language, but knows very
little French. She couldn't read a Bible in either language, even if she
owned one. But since she cannot read, she owns no books. What little she
knows about the Bible comes from what her friends have shared with her
or what she has heard in church.
One morning while Martha was busily sweeping our yard, I came out the
door and greeted her. I presented to her one of our solar mp3 players,
explaining that it contained the New Testament in Nangjere, her very own
language. She was thrilled, delighted, amazed. She could hardly believe
it! Her grin stretched from ear to ear as she held out both of her hands
to receive the New Testament. It was as if she had just been given $1000.
Sweeping stopped immediately. Broom aside, she intently listened to the
Word of God as she sat statue-like on the small chair. It was near noon
before she finally got up to finish her work. Now she was hauling water
in the noon sun.
Over and over again she told me, "Thank you. Thank you."
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