We are sure you all, who have prayed so faithfully, are wondering what happened on our meeting with the village last Wed. That and more, is what we want to share…
     If we had written an update the next day it would not have been an accurate portrayal of all that the Lord was doing. It was not until yesterday (Feb.3) that we were seeing the beautiful fruit of all this pruning.
      We have a delightful visitor here with us from New Zealand who is training our teachers in how to teach for a Biblical worldview. She arrived a few days before the meeting we had with the village. She was present in this meeting. She sent a newsletter to her people in New Zealand who are supporting and praying for her. I want to include a portion of her letter so that you will be able to get a clear picture of how it all went.
     "O.K. so when I came, it was only about 2 weeks after the incident and more and more things were coming out. The depth of betrayal (Clayton was counted among their closest friends) has been unfolding and it is beyond imagining. I tell you Satan has been in full attack here, on every level at anything and everything. The damage Clayton has done is so bad, it is heartbreaking.
Yesterday there was a meeting in the village, under the big tree, where the local councilors and District leaders (I’ve learned WAAYYYYY too much about politics and local government structure in the past week!) as well as the villagers came to sort out the complaints. The 5 hour meeting was so hard to sit through. Not only because I was sitting on a hard bench with two teachers translating, but because again and again the educated leaders (bar the two that were in Clayton’s camp) kept saying there were no grounds for the complaints. In response, a person such as one of the School Board would stand up and say that what they were saying was the truth and not the findings of the local council!?! They also said that they had a list of complaints from the village. Another man stood up and said that this paper was true, but where was the signatures of the villagers if that was true? No one came forward to sign. Then another man would stand up (also from the School Board) and say for him, the truth was the complaints. That would incite the locals (clapping and ‘trilling’ -“iiyyeeeeyyeeeyyeee” would follow) They accused Lisa of being too strong, of the school being illegal, of photos being taken for financial gain, of the Coggins using the locals for labour and funding, of them changing the name of K1-3, to a strange name of K5???!!!. Some of the village people stood up to raise their complaints: one was about how the land the mission was on belonged to their great grandfather, (he was drunk and had proposed to me earlier saying he was my husband and we could go eat cassava together) to one who ‘fined’ the Speaker 5,000,000 ($3,500) for ‘standing with the whites’ (he was also drunk). One lady in a bright green gomesi stood up and complained about the school, about change, about Lisa (“she is too strong and should go back to America”).
Finally the LC5 (Local Councillor level 5) stood up and started talking in metaphors and proverbs! After 20 minutes of colourful pictures about cows, drums, sheep, gardening etc. he said that he thought there were no basis for the claims but would go and address the claims but if anyone had further complaints they would have to put it in writing.
When we left, the villagers were calm, almost bored, but it was really hard hearing all this stuff, knowing it was not true and that they were hearing the truth but refused to believe it, even from their own leaders. It shows you the depth of the lies these people had been told, but more obviously the stronghold the devil has on these people. Emotionally it was exhausting. Thankfully there were people to stand up and speak the truth. The loyal people here at Sanctuary of Grace, the headmaster, the teachers, the workers were all very supportive, and when we got back to the compound were saying that that was just how the ignorant people were, and that there needed to be change. That was heartening.
Interestingly today, two of the people who were vocal at the meeting last night, complaining about the school and the curriculum, were at the school today to drop their children off for pre-school interviews. Man, I cannot get my head around that?! Even the lady with the green gomesi came. Go figure. Lisa also said that one of the VERY vocal School Board men rang her today to say that he now understood better what was going on and he was wrong!
Anyway, that is the situation here. The villagers are confusing and seem to be swayed in every which way, especially if there is something that they can gain financially from. It is not dangerous, we can move around the village easily, and we have the support of the local and district government (the LC5 can call in the police if needed) ultimately we also have God and the Truth on our side, and there is nothing more powerful than that. But these people need our prayers, the locals and the missionaries. It makes working here more difficult. Keith and Lisa also need prayer as they try to rebuild their ministry, under the watchful eye of the village, but also as they try to come to terms with the betrayal of a close friend and someone they loved and trusted. It makes moving forward more difficult as who to trust and how much to trust as well as the deeper questions of what God is calling them to do."
Lucritia
     Then, yesterday, our gate guards, and teachers reported that the number of students that have come so far on only the third day of school is amazing. (For most schools, you will not see the actual number of students until about the third week, due mainly to not being about to afford the supplies or shoes) But our school had the largest percentage of students in the whole sub-county!!
     The village has drastically changed since the meeting. Although the people spoke out it was more of a release of emotions. The guards are saying that many are very ashamed of their behavior and that they will begin to support us more.
     God is forever the Victor!!! Sanctuary of Grace is God’s work and we are the stewards. If God is for us, who can be against us? Praise His name. Please continue to pray for Clayton and Alex. Pray for What God is doing in this school by way of educating kids to think more Christ-like.
     God has a great plan and we are so privileged to be involved in it and we are so thankful for all of you who have prayed so faithfully as we have been going through this fire.
      Please remember that we will be home on furlough From April 14th through July 12th, 2010. We would love to visit as many people as possible and we ask you all to join us in asking the Lord for an increase in support. As we are growing, more funds are needed to do the work. May God bless you all.