Cauliflower

We just enjoyed a taste of cauliflower for the first time in over two
years. I didn't know Africa made cauliflower. What a yummy treat!

Seedpods

Bang!

I awoke with a start. Was that a gunshot? In this country it would
certainly not be unlikely to hear a gunshot. But why at this time of
night? It's only a little before midnight. The light of the guard sweeps
across campus. I'm a bit nervous.

As I drift off, I hear the noise again. Bang! And I hear what sounds
like an echoing.

I'm half asleep and I cannot make sense of what I hear. I reassure
myself that it is fairly distant still and go back to sleep.

The next night I hear the same sound. And I hear it again. This time I
am more awake and analyze the sound better. Maybe the bang is a seed pod
exploding in the treetops and maybe the echoing sound is the seeds being
dispersed like raindrops onto the thick jungle bushes below.

Just yesterday I found a tree that had a pod close enough to pick. The
pod is about eight inches long and three inches wide. It is super stiff
and under tension. I pick it, then throw it on the ground on its tip.

The pod pops open and disperses some seeds.

Mystery solved.

Lots of Questions

Yesterday, after driving for about 1 hour and 40 minutes Jonathan and I
arrived at church. The rest of our group was going on 10 more kilometers
to the next church. When we arrived at our location we found out that
the elder had just finished doing church with everyone but as soon as he
heard that Jonathan had a sermon for them he eagerly called the people
back to church. After Jonathan finished his sermon on Jesus' soon return
the people had lots of questions. Since we had plenty of time because we
were waiting for Tammy and Keith, Luke and Chantee, to come back
Jonathan started answering their questions. For the next probably 1 1/2
hours he answered questions about salvation, baptism, and lastly the
state of the dead. It was a blessing to be there. I felt like God was
blessing this church service with sincere people who wanted to know the
truth. It was a couple non-adventist visitor who happen to stop by that
asked most of the questions. At the end of the service I told the story
of Jesus' birth to the eager kids. Jonathan and I were blessed in doing
the Lord's work.

Our Prayer for Chad

Will you join us in praying that God's work in Chad will prosper and
that His way will be known in all the earth?

"God be merciful to us and bless us, And cause His face to shine upon
us. Selah That Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation among all
nations." Psalm 67:1-2

Evangelism

I've been reading through the book Evangelism and I highly recommend it.
This time I'm reading it cover-to-cover and am greatly blessed and
motivated to work more enthusiastically and with more focus than before.
You should read this great book, too! I'm around page 300 and hope to
finish the 700+ pages before the end of the year.

Green Papaya

I've discovered the wonderful yumminess of green papaya. Papayas are
plentiful here in DRC. A papaya tree recently blew over in a storm and I
got a bright idea. I've had green papaya before, but have never prepared
it. Nobody here knew what to do. But I chanced on a pretty good recipe:

grate one green papaya (peeled and seeds removed)
grate one onion
mince some fresh garlic
blend one coconut with some extra water

Put all of that into a fry pan. The natural oil in the coconut helps it
fry up into a very yummy dish. Good on rice.

Grated green papaya tastes similar to grated zucchini.

Koumra Adventure August 31

We awake early yet again, load the vehicle, get fuel, and head slowly
down the road. Our research tells us several things. There is a good
mechanic in Doba who can probably fix our brake issues. Also, there are
reports that another road previously closed by flooding is now open and
that it might be better than the road between Lai and Doba. We ask God's
direction and continue down the road.

The paved road is as good as some I have seen in the States. It is
amazing. I'm not sure who funded it, but I think European Union and
maybe the Chinese oil drillers.

At Doba the brake problem is fixed. We fill up on fuel and continue.

After Mondou, we leave the paved road and begin the last leg of our
adventure. The road slowly gets worse and worse. At one large mud pit,
the locals had cut branches and logs and demanded a fee before allowing
us through. I gave them 100cfa, or about 20 cents.

When we were just about 20km away from home, the road widened into a
massive spread of black slop. I chose what looked like the best route,
but got stuck in the mud. We had made it through so many obstacles and
so much deep mud, and now we are stuck in a shallow slop? I am not
feeling well. Melody takes my temperature and I am 100.7 degrees. I just
want to get home at this point.

We pray earnestly to God to help us and for the angels to push and lift
us. We dug ramps and put a board under one of the tires. Spinning and
slinging mud, I barely pulled out and got the vehicle back onto some
more solid ground. Thank you, Lord!

We arrived home, tired and exhausted, but awed by God's protection and
help on our long journey. We had passed over 500 kilometers on African
roads, about a third of that over mud and sand, and we are safe. The
vehicles arrived safely. And we left behind a happy congregation who I
ma sure worshiped joyfully last Sabbath for the first time in their new
church building.

P.S. My fever was caused by malaria. I am currently on treatment.