A gift worth refusing…

Just one of the flowers that we see often along the trails here in the bush.

“I’m going to bring it fresh.” – Pal friend

“I’d rather you didn’t. In fact, you can just keep it.” – Nate

Maybe we should just expect this kind of thing as an occupational occurrence but I’ll have to admit I wasn’t ever expecting to have to refuse the byproducts of a human birth.  It would probably help to understand that the Pal people believe that at birth, three beings are produced. A spirit baby, a regular baby, and the placenta baby. It is believed that by certain rites and rituals performed for the placenta baby that a Pal child will grow up to be a great gardener or a great hunter.

It is also believed that we white-skins have secret rituals that are performed on the placenta baby that will help our regular babies to be fabulous business-people.

Without going into too much gory detail here, in the Pal mind, your placenta needs to be carried with you throughout life in order for you to come to full strength manhood/womanhood.

We just read in our family Bible time this morning –

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
(2Pe 1:3-4 ESV)

I was thinking about how glad I am to trust in a great and mighty God for everything for life rather than a dried up old placenta stored away in a section of bamboo. Will you pray with us that our friends are ready to transfer their trust as well – that they would be ready and thirsty for the truth.

Two of our Pal literacy teachers in training learning how to correct papers of the new students.

Lessons

Our partners and ourselves are taking shares in all aspects of the Pal work these days. We are all working on translation, lesson development, and literacy projects. I have been hard at work on some lessons for our friends that will bring them through the creation story.  One of the main points that we repeat is that God’s power and knowledge are not like anything they have ever witnessed.

We say – “When God made light, He didn’t have to go over and ask a friend for help. He didn’t have to read a book. He didn’t check in with the angel engineering team to see if they had any ideas. He knew what he was doing, expressed what His desire was, and then it became like that.”

I don’t know about you, but I am constantly learning life lessons. I so often find myself refining my understanding, adjusting my plans, and being humbled again as He graciously teaches me. Will you pray with us that the Pal work will progress with the strength of God and His perfect planning? We’d really appreciate it.

Nate for the Claasens