Rainy Days

"How have you seen Jesus today?" 

This has been our question of the day with our group of interns that have been with us the past six weeks. It makes for good conversation, but more importantly, it opens up our eyes to look for the presence of Jesus in the activities of every day. 

When I woke up Tuesday morning, it was a dreary rainy day. Welcome to the rainy season, where water falls from the sky slowly and continuously all day long. Monday had been the same exact way, except just worse enough that we had to postpone our weekly village trip to Bisserke. Getting out to the village on muddy roads on a rainy day can not only be treacherous but also dangerous. 

So here we were on Tuesday morning, trying again to make it out to the village a day late. Everything at the medical clinic in Bisserke happens in the morning, so I desperately tried to get us out of the house and on the road in time. But it was a rainy morning, and we kept running into problems, and we kept getting more and more delayed until I was certain that we had missed every single medical case of the morning. 

To make matters worse, on the way out of town, I stopped to load some mangoes in the back of my car. Being too heavy for the sack, the fresh, bleach-washed mangoes spilled onto the ground and rolled every direction through the mud. 

I collected my muddy mangoes as the men on the side of the road laughed at me, and I muttered and complained to myself (half-jokingly with a hint of sincerity), "What is wrong with my life?" 

On the way out to the village, only one kilometer away from our destination, we of course slid into the mud and proceeded to get stuck. It was just one of those days. 

Everybody got out to push and I put it four wheel drive, and we managed to get our clothes all dirty and the car unstuck. 

We made it to Bisserke, one day late and several hours after all the medical cases had been seen. It was still raining. 

Just when I thought this unlucky pattern was just going to continue for the rest of the day, that's when the children arrived. 

They were standing under a nearby tree, just looking at us and begging us with their eyes to come and play. I grabbed our kids' club sack out of the back of our car and started pulling things out. Zach found a pink rubber ball and started kicking it around with some boys. Chancey got out her camera and started taking pictures and showing them to the kids, which is always sure to bring a smile to their faces. Victoria and I blew up a big beach ball and started a rough form of volleyball that ended up being me and her versus a crowd of thirty laughing children. 

After we played for a while, we gathered everyone in a circle to sing a few songs in French and English, which naturally included the hokey pokey.

Next, they all sat down as I got out the Bible story to share with them: the story of the prodigal son. They huddled in so close and listened so intently as I told the story and explained that God is our father who loves us and welcomes us into his arms.

After our mini kids club, we planned to show the Jesus film to the people of the village. With our portable equipment, it would be impossible to show the film in the rain. I couldn't help but notice that the rain stopped and the sky cleared up for the first time right when it was time for us to show the film. 

We played the Jesus film for children first, and then pressed play to show the regular Jesus film for adults after that. A crowd of at least 100 had gathered until there was standing room only, and they watched intently for over three hours as the story of Jesus played from beginning to end on their language. 

Chantal, the midwife who works at the medical clinic in Bisserke, said to me, "This film is wonderful, and the people love it. Today, you have planted seeds, and the Holy Spirit will make them grow." 

As we got in out hammocks that night to go to sleep, I knew the question was coming. 

"How did you see Jesus today?" 

One intern saw Jesus in a simple conversation she had with a man named Dieudonne. They were talking about the differences between the United States and Burkina. In the U.S., young people have many opportunities to study and then find places to work and play. In Burkina, even after overcoming amazing odds to make it through university studies and obtain a diploma, they have very little opportunities to actually find a job and make a life for themselves. "We have big dreams," he said, "but they never become a reality." What he said is the sad truth, but that he said next was the incredible part. Instead of being bitter, he was faithful. "But I'm here. God's here. You're here. So it's all gonna be good." 

Another intern saw Jesus in the Jesus film. As he heard the story in dagara, he was amazed at the God who speaks every language, whose story is relevant in every cultural context. 

Another intern saw Jesus in the hospitality of Daniel and Valerie, who cared for us and cooked our meals. 

I thought about the terrible start to my day. The rain and the delays and the muddy mangoes spilled all over the ground. But then I thought about all the children playing. All the children huddled around me to hear the story. I thought about God holding off the rain so we could show the Jesus film. I thought about Chantal recognizing that seeds had been planted. And I realized how selfish I am to let muddy mangoes ruin my day. Jesus is present in our stormy days, and I saw him clearly through the rain. I fell asleep with a full heart and a smile on my face.

The next morning, we spent all morning seeing medical case after medical case. We treated cases of malaria, did three wound care dressing changes, and even delivered a baby in the middle of it all. We named her Esther after the courageous, faithful queen in the Bible. It was as though the Lord was making up for the late start we had the day before. 

Before leaving the village that day, Daniel and Valerie and Chantal took the time to bless us with words of encouragement since this was our last visit before the interns leave to return to the United States. "The village of Bisserke is changing, and you have been a part of that change." Daniel said. "Maybe one day," Chantal added, "someone will tell their testimony, and it will begin with the white people who came to play with the children, work in the clinic, and show the Jesus film." 

Thank you, Jesus, for being a visible God, one who we can see and hear and feel and touch in this world. Even on rainy days. 

Keep our eyes open, not on the seemingly dreary circumstances around us, but on your faithful presence and the purpose we have in living for you. 

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen but what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Corinthians 4) 

"We walk by faith, not by sight." (2 Corinthians 5)