Finally the day arrived for the 18 Literacy of students of Alana’s village to receive their certificates. They successfully completed the level 1 course!
A car load of people from here left early Wednesday morning, heading out for the 3 hour road trip to Alana’s village. Abar and Liberia have been diligently working in this new church plant consisting mainly of a neighbouring people group, the Marevone, since the end of June (2014). A day after their arrival, they started with the Literacy course! And a more enthusiastic teacher and group of students you will not easily find!
After the ceremony opened, the students, under the direction of Abar, stood up one by one, reading through the book of Jonah. A proud moment for each one of them as they could not read eMwinika before the course started. One of the women in the group has never even been to school! In true Abar-style, he did not miss this opportunity to emphasize the fact that the students can now read the Word of God – that is what the Literacy course is all about: opening the Word so that we can know God and His plan for us. After the first students read their verses, he asked the crowd of family members, local dignities and leaders attending the ceremony:
“Is it just me, or could the rest of you also hear what they just read? Did you understand the Words that God penned down through his prophets for us to read? You did? We are hearing the Word of God! Isn’t that just wonderful!” And the crowd would spontaneously burst out in hand clapping and ululating! “Isn’t this what all this is about? Not only reading but UNDERSTANDING God’s own Words!”
After the reading followed the speeches of which the most noteworthy was that of the county headman. This same man was the political headman in our area when we arrived here in 2004 for the people group assessment. He is the one who introduced the guys to the local chiefs (kings) and took them to the place where the Hendersons built their house in the end. He is very impressed with the students and wanted to thank us for bringing them the ability to read the Word so that they will not be in darkness anymore. It was fitting that he would be the man to hand over the certificates to the students in this new church plant among the Marevone people. A church plant that is the direct outflow of the church plant among the Mwinika where he had a key role as local leader.
The day ended with a huge feast where everyone could gorge themselves in huge plates of rice, fish and even some guinea fowl!
A little more than four months ago, we were there when Abar and Liberia started the Literacy course. We saw the students “fresh and new” when they were still learning how to hold a pen or page through a book… How far they have come! How great is our God!