Redefining a "Succesful" Meeting

Today we loaded up the truck and took the whole family out to the village of N'Djei for a morning meeting. Being able to spend time in the villages as a complete family is just one of the many blessings that comes with having children who are not yet school aged :) The people love to see our children, and we love to share our whole life with our brothers and sisters, which includes our rambunctious little boys.

We rolled up at 9:30 or so, and there was only one man sitting near the meeting place, reading his Bible. Over the next hour or so, the boys chased chickens and goats while April and I talked with the people that slowly trickled in. Only 5 more people came, and one of them left when he saw his friend on a motorcycle and asked him for a ride into town. Priorities, people.

We decided to go ahead and teach at the urging of the 5 people who showed up, and we had a really good meeting. Thought provoking questions were asked and responded to, laughter filled the meeting place several times, and everyone left having learned something (us included) and having been encouraged. This meeting had only 5 people attend it (these meetings usually have 20 or more), but it was a successful meeting.

Last week I went to another village, Lassa Tchou, to teach. The Christians did not show up for the meeting at all, and I was very disappointed at first. Then a young man who is a faithful church member showed up and told me that all of the Christians were at the home of a young boy who had died that morning, comforting the family and praying with them. Needless to say, my heart was full of pride, and even though the meeting didn't even happen, it was a successful meeting.

Our lives here in Togo have led us to redefine many things in our lives, and success is one of them. In a country where things often don't go the way they should, I believe that we can find success in things that an outsider might consider a failure. May God be glorified through all of our successes, through all of our failings, and through everything we put our hands to.