weekend getaway
There’s two things Pastor Seth says about the north and its circumstances: “it’s not easy” and “it’s very serious.” That pretty much sums up my experience in Tumu.
Pastor Seth is an intense man. He seems to always be alert and thinking ahead about what’s coming next. He has had fifteen years of experience in Tumu, so he knows his terrain and his people. He rides vigilantly yet aggressively. But he’s also the only man I’ve seen carry babies and kiss them like a dear father. After visiting all the villages, I would say that he is a father to many. We stopped to see daughters in every village, bringing them medicine, school books, or words of encouragement.
Before I arrived in Tumu, he informed me that I would be spending a few nights in the village. I complied, not knowing what that statement entailed. We set off Friday morning for a village called Gbenebisi, sixty three miles away from Tumu, the furthest of four we would visit. The weekend was like island hopping on a motorbike, except there’s no beach with soft white sand; just a long, hard, dirt road and the scorching sun on your shoulders. My clothes were covered with red stains when we arrived to the quiet village. The land is vast and in contrast to the more communal compound houses I’ve seen, the structure of the houses was more nuclear-family based. It looked like suburban life.
They make the homes out of cow manure and mud. The circular shape is supposed to help maintain cool temperatures in the extreme heat.
This is where we slept for one night. The other night we spent in Santijan, where we all got crazy bit by mosquitoes. That was not easy.
This was my shower.
Bathroom? Free Range.
Breakfast was biscuits and tea. The two brothers on the right are Daniel and James. They came with us to survey the village to possibly start a school for the children.
The green pastures are endless and the livestock roam where they please.
Most of the day was too hot to do anything besides lie under a well-shaded tree and wait for the sun to set. In that leisure, I mainly spent it in conversation with Pastor Seth about the villages, his life, and the ministry. It was as if I was at a private retreat, where I was being schooled and discipled; constantly turning to different books of the bible on issues like beauty, wisdom, marriage, missions…
We got to fellowship with two communities both friday and saturday evening. Friday evening was a small service, which usually expects a higher attendance. We found out the next morning that a certain section of the village did not attend because a man had beat his wife to death. So the people were mourning. Saturday night fellowship in Santijan was packed. But there was one particular man that came inebriated, and disturbed our fellowship with his interrupting comments. Their substance abuse is constant and some even allegedly maintain their own marijuana farms. Like Pastor Seth said, ministry is not easy and the addiction to drinking and smoking marijuana is very serious.
I realized even though the environment is seemingly peaceful, the darkness of their sins is deeply rooted. The enemy is very busy keeping the people on his side. Not only do they deal with the physical battles, christians are also persecuted and threatened by other religious groups and some turn away from the faith because of it. The spiritual war is real and the battle doesn’t cease.
When I went to church at Fatchoboi on Sunday, Pastor Seth was encouraged by the people who came because he said some converts fell back into their original faith because their lives were threatened. Despite this, a few remained strong and the church still worships on sunday. We thanked God for who He is and we encouraged them to stand firm in their faith.
I’ve had the luxury of spending a leisure weekend in many places like san francisco, new york, las vegas and such. But none have left me more desperate for God than these villages. My visit was the smallest taste of how they live, but it was a glimpse that begs to remind me that I am blessed and there are people that desperately need Jesus.
