Building together despite opposition
Hawa, a Landuma woman in Guinea, needs a new house built but no one will volunteer their help.
"You're a Christian," fellow Landumas said. "You will have to pay us to help you."
The Landumas build their homes out of sundried mud blocks, which over the years, wear out due to weather conditions and termites. After ten or twenty years, the walls crack and crumble, making it necessary for a new house to be built.
The Landumas live in an interdependent society and depend on their community to help meet their needs.
Landuma villagers do not have a lot of money. The wealth of the community is distributed among its members, but each individual has very little.
"When someone has a large need, [they] must depend on others for help," missionary Kirk Rogers wrote. "Those who can help, and who wish to help or are obligated to do so due to family ties or friendship or religious duty, will chip in and give of their time, effort, or money."
When a house needs to be rebuilt, Landumas depend on volunteers because there is not enough money to pay people for the amount of work that goes into the construction of a new home.
"Their only pay [would be] a filling lunch and a hearty 'thank you' … and the expectation that the owner of the new house will reciprocate when asked," Kirk wrote.
The pressures of living in an interdependent society are high. Landumas who have heard God's Word acknowledge the truth of needing a Savior and of believing in Jesus in order to go to Heaven.
But that's where they stop.
"They won't take that step of exercising personal faith," Kirk wrote. "They know … [if] … they make that decision and join the followers of Jesus, their families and neighbors would reject them," Kirk wrote. "They fear they would be without help in time of need."
But those that have risked their community to follow Christ have banded together to help Hawa build her home.
"Since the unbelievers around them reject them, and withhold help in an attempt to pressure them to return to [the dominant area religion], the church must be especially careful to make up for this lack," Kirk wrote.
The missionaries and believing Landumas have been hard at work in getting the walls up and in making bricks for Hawa's home.
"Taking advantage of opportunities like these is an important part of discipling the Landuma church," Kirk wrote. "When combined with sound Bible teaching, the result will be a mature body of believers who love and care for each other not only in words, but in deeds."
Please pray that these Landuma believers will be an example of God's love to unbelievers who are watching them come together in service to those in need.
"You're a Christian," fellow Landumas said. "You will have to pay us to help you."
The Landumas build their homes out of sundried mud blocks, which over the years, wear out due to weather conditions and termites. After ten or twenty years, the walls crack and crumble, making it necessary for a new house to be built.
The Landumas live in an interdependent society and depend on their community to help meet their needs.
Landuma villagers do not have a lot of money. The wealth of the community is distributed among its members, but each individual has very little.
"When someone has a large need, [they] must depend on others for help," missionary Kirk Rogers wrote. "Those who can help, and who wish to help or are obligated to do so due to family ties or friendship or religious duty, will chip in and give of their time, effort, or money."
When a house needs to be rebuilt, Landumas depend on volunteers because there is not enough money to pay people for the amount of work that goes into the construction of a new home.
"Their only pay [would be] a filling lunch and a hearty 'thank you' … and the expectation that the owner of the new house will reciprocate when asked," Kirk wrote.
The pressures of living in an interdependent society are high. Landumas who have heard God's Word acknowledge the truth of needing a Savior and of believing in Jesus in order to go to Heaven.
But that's where they stop.
"They won't take that step of exercising personal faith," Kirk wrote. "They know … [if] … they make that decision and join the followers of Jesus, their families and neighbors would reject them," Kirk wrote. "They fear they would be without help in time of need."
But those that have risked their community to follow Christ have banded together to help Hawa build her home.
"Since the unbelievers around them reject them, and withhold help in an attempt to pressure them to return to [the dominant area religion], the church must be especially careful to make up for this lack," Kirk wrote.
The missionaries and believing Landumas have been hard at work in getting the walls up and in making bricks for Hawa's home.
"Taking advantage of opportunities like these is an important part of discipling the Landuma church," Kirk wrote. "When combined with sound Bible teaching, the result will be a mature body of believers who love and care for each other not only in words, but in deeds."
Please pray that these Landuma believers will be an example of God's love to unbelievers who are watching them come together in service to those in need.