Yes, Summer, you must do what we do, you have to kill a chicken. And in my head I think, “No I don’t.” (Read with the attitude and entitlement of a 4-year-old talking back to a parent).
I wrestled with this for the 24 hours before I was meant to kill the chicken. Why am I so adamant that I shouldn’t have to? I will never need this skill, since I won’t be living in the bush, but yet it seems so entitled to think- it’s okay that “they” have to, but I am privileged enough to buy my chicken, dead, cleaned and packaged in plastic. Why is it that I get to use a hot shower in a private place when “they” have to bathe in a cold river pretty exposed to anyone who happens by? They wash their clothes there too. While today I’ll do 3 loads in a machine with clean water and soap.
There is no reason why I have, while they don’t. They work a lot harder than I do, to be quite honest. They’re just as smart, but had less access to an education. They often know several languages–their original tribal language, their husband’s tribal language, the trade language, English and sometimes their parents’ tribal languages too.
There is no reason why I have the privileges I have except for where God enabled me to be born. I certainly did nothing to earn living there or the ease of life that that brings.
It’s kind of like the grace we receive in Christ, I did nothing to earn it, but I am so glad to be living in it.
While they’ll probably never have hot showers, washing machines or refrigerated packaged chicken, I hope and pray they will have the freedom and grace that faith in Jesus will bring them. That’s why we are here. (Watch the video below to learn more).
In the end, I didn’t have to kill the chicken, there were 6 adults and 5 chickens. I lucked out, or really just held back until they were all gone. We cooked the chickens in what is called a mumu as we celebrated the end of our culture and language orientation. (see photos at the link below).
This past week I started in the communications role that I came here for. I am praying that I can be effective in blessing the missionaries here with support and encouragement so that they can stay strong in the work they’ve come here to do- making sure all have heard of the saving grace of Jesus Christ in a way that enables them to also be “built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ”. Ephesians 4:12-13
Click here to see photos and hear more of the story from my language and culture class in February: Photo Slide Show
