Thursday, January 19, 2006
In the Shadow of a Cow
Over the past month, I have participated with an evangelism team made up of Christians from Kaiteme (ky-uh-tim-ay) and Ainahoue (yee-nah-way). I have joined them on several occasions, but they really kept it up during the holidays when we were out of town. In the village of Missebo (mee-say-bo), I accompanied Mathias (mah-tee-ahs) and several others from the team around the village announcing our plans for the following week. We were greeted warmly, but I could sense a resistance from certain ones. This village is a stronghold of our enemy, a village well-known for its voodoo powers and the powerful god of Jagli (jog-lee). I don’t know much yet about this god, but Jagli is revered among the people of Missebo. As we announced our plans for the next week’s lesson, I was reminded of our battle as we walked pass the large hut in which the idolatrous image of Jagli was housed. The image was large, ominous and secure in imposing its’ obvious influence over the lives of these people. In the minds of the people of Missebo, there is no match for the power of Jagli.
A week passed and I was eager to be a part of this week’s activities, so I arranged my schedule so I could go. As we pulled up to the normal meeting place, I was struck by two things: (1) very few people and (2) a cow.
The first oddity did not surprise me, although I was hoping for an already-assembled group of people. Mathias had been at my house that morning where we spent some time praying about Missebo. He spoke of his personal efforts during the week to remind people of the meeting. He did speak candidly about the conversations he had broadcasting our intentions to proclaim the Word of God. Not everyone was eager and receptive. Mathias told me that on numerous occasions, certain ones would take him into their homes with hushed voices trying to reason with him about the futility of our efforts, touting the unlikelihood of the people of Missebo turning their backs on Jagli. Still others would flaunt their weapons of witchcraft in efforts to intimidate Mathias. I was not stunned to see a vacant seating area, as well, because it is not the custom of the Aja people to arrive in advance of their guests, but rather to begin assembling upon the visitor’s arrival.
The second peculiarity was most certainly that single cow tied to the tree right next to the meeting area. While at first I assumed someone was permitting their one head of cattle to graze on the grassy area next to the carpenter’s shed right off the main road, I became suspicious because I know that most Aja people do not have cattle. And those who do, have more than one. Then I asked one of my colleagues about it.
“It’s the sacrificial cow for the ceremony,” explained Senou (see-new).
“What ceremony?” the missionary asked.
“For Jagli.”
“When?”
“Oh they haven’t announced the exact date, but soon.”
“How many days long is the ceremony?”
“Well it depends, but a minimum of 3 days, possibly 2 weeks.”
“On what does it depend?”
“The power of Jagli is known all over West Africa, and people will be coming from Nigeria, Togo, and Ghana and even as far as Ivory Coast to participate. The fetish priest will decide once all the participants have arrived on how many days it should last. If the people are going to travel that far, they don’t want a short ceremony.”
“You mean people will complain for not having enough money for transportation to take their sick children to a good hospital in the capital city, but they’ll travel in a 3-day expensive taxi ride to come to pay homage to one of their voodoo gods?”
“That’s the power of Jagli. People are scared of Jagli. They know if they don’t venerate this god, bad things will happen to their family. Sickness. Death. All kinds of bad things.”
Of course then it hit me…the two were really one. Fear of Jagli (with its sacrificial cow displayed prominently in the village, right next to our meeting place) made certain that people were not going to gather. We prayed that God’s Word would be proclaimed that night.
We finally were able to begin, having witnessed about a dozen to 20 people in attendance (mainly young people who are often more receptive to hearing God’s Word). As the presence of the beefy beast could be heard chewing its cud just behind my right shoulder, Senou reviewed some previous lessons. In the shadow of the sacrificial animal of Jagli, Mathias then rendered a powerful personal testimony accompanying his lesson on Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. Mathias is a masterful storyteller, and his own well-known personal history of idolatry and witchcraft mesmerized the crowd. Soon more and more showed up. The voodoo practices of Mathias’ family are notoriously celebrated in the Missebo and Ainahoue region. Mathias was bold in his proclamation about Christ’s power to set him free! Praise God for Aja men of this caliber!!!
As I drove home that night, I pondered the importance of what we did…not just for the people of Missebo (after a good reception, they invited the evangelism team to return next week). Having the opportunity to stand alongside these men on more than one occasion, I was reminded that these are more than just training exercises…this is the real thing. Light shining in Darkness. The training they receive is valuable for the longevity of the movement of God among the Aja people. Each time they go out to testify to non-believers, they grow in confidence. They grow in their own faith, realizing that it is God speaking through them as His ambassadors. Most of them are so bold in their witness among their peers. That challenges me.
One day soon, when we return to America, will I be the same? As the years turn literally into months before we leave this area of the world and relocate back to the States, I am faced with that challenge. I wonder how much I have really changed....all the experiences over the past 7 years, as well as a greater understanding of Scripture (and much more experience using it to touch the lives of non-believers)....I wonder how God will use it. I remember one of our dearest elders putting his hand on my shoulder the Sunday night prior to our departure for Benin in 1999 saying, "Randy, I'm praying that you'll have a great blessing of fruitful ministry among the Aja people...but know, too, that I am praying that through this experience, God will make you a more effective witness for Christ when you return." I remember that SO vividly. He wasn't saying that condemning my witness at the time, but he knew these encounters on the fields of Benin would change me and have the potential to make me bolder.
Am I ready to be called upon...for God to call upon the "American Randy" who was always pretty bashful about his faith in public and especially around non-Christians? What's God going to ask of me? Am I ready to respond when God calls the "American me"? The “Aja Randy” is characteristically much bolder in my witness than I remember of the “American Randy”. Perhaps it’s the ability to hide behind the mask of another language where I don’t have the concern of “what my friends might think”. Or perhaps I have even higher expectations of the “missionary”…to be more courageous in my faith than I do of the “American Randy.” When I stand alongside my Aja brothers, they teach me so much more than they can even imagine.
Please pray for the village of Missebo (mee-say-bo) and for the proclamation of Light in this stronghold of Darkness! Pray that those of us who stand up boldly to proclaim our faith here, will be confident and unashamed to do that no matter where we live.
-Randy
A week passed and I was eager to be a part of this week’s activities, so I arranged my schedule so I could go. As we pulled up to the normal meeting place, I was struck by two things: (1) very few people and (2) a cow.
The first oddity did not surprise me, although I was hoping for an already-assembled group of people. Mathias had been at my house that morning where we spent some time praying about Missebo. He spoke of his personal efforts during the week to remind people of the meeting. He did speak candidly about the conversations he had broadcasting our intentions to proclaim the Word of God. Not everyone was eager and receptive. Mathias told me that on numerous occasions, certain ones would take him into their homes with hushed voices trying to reason with him about the futility of our efforts, touting the unlikelihood of the people of Missebo turning their backs on Jagli. Still others would flaunt their weapons of witchcraft in efforts to intimidate Mathias. I was not stunned to see a vacant seating area, as well, because it is not the custom of the Aja people to arrive in advance of their guests, but rather to begin assembling upon the visitor’s arrival.
The second peculiarity was most certainly that single cow tied to the tree right next to the meeting area. While at first I assumed someone was permitting their one head of cattle to graze on the grassy area next to the carpenter’s shed right off the main road, I became suspicious because I know that most Aja people do not have cattle. And those who do, have more than one. Then I asked one of my colleagues about it.
“It’s the sacrificial cow for the ceremony,” explained Senou (see-new).
“What ceremony?” the missionary asked.
“For Jagli.”
“When?”
“Oh they haven’t announced the exact date, but soon.”
“How many days long is the ceremony?”
“Well it depends, but a minimum of 3 days, possibly 2 weeks.”
“On what does it depend?”
“The power of Jagli is known all over West Africa, and people will be coming from Nigeria, Togo, and Ghana and even as far as Ivory Coast to participate. The fetish priest will decide once all the participants have arrived on how many days it should last. If the people are going to travel that far, they don’t want a short ceremony.”
“You mean people will complain for not having enough money for transportation to take their sick children to a good hospital in the capital city, but they’ll travel in a 3-day expensive taxi ride to come to pay homage to one of their voodoo gods?”
“That’s the power of Jagli. People are scared of Jagli. They know if they don’t venerate this god, bad things will happen to their family. Sickness. Death. All kinds of bad things.”
Of course then it hit me…the two were really one. Fear of Jagli (with its sacrificial cow displayed prominently in the village, right next to our meeting place) made certain that people were not going to gather. We prayed that God’s Word would be proclaimed that night.
We finally were able to begin, having witnessed about a dozen to 20 people in attendance (mainly young people who are often more receptive to hearing God’s Word). As the presence of the beefy beast could be heard chewing its cud just behind my right shoulder, Senou reviewed some previous lessons. In the shadow of the sacrificial animal of Jagli, Mathias then rendered a powerful personal testimony accompanying his lesson on Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. Mathias is a masterful storyteller, and his own well-known personal history of idolatry and witchcraft mesmerized the crowd. Soon more and more showed up. The voodoo practices of Mathias’ family are notoriously celebrated in the Missebo and Ainahoue region. Mathias was bold in his proclamation about Christ’s power to set him free! Praise God for Aja men of this caliber!!!
As I drove home that night, I pondered the importance of what we did…not just for the people of Missebo (after a good reception, they invited the evangelism team to return next week). Having the opportunity to stand alongside these men on more than one occasion, I was reminded that these are more than just training exercises…this is the real thing. Light shining in Darkness. The training they receive is valuable for the longevity of the movement of God among the Aja people. Each time they go out to testify to non-believers, they grow in confidence. They grow in their own faith, realizing that it is God speaking through them as His ambassadors. Most of them are so bold in their witness among their peers. That challenges me.
One day soon, when we return to America, will I be the same? As the years turn literally into months before we leave this area of the world and relocate back to the States, I am faced with that challenge. I wonder how much I have really changed....all the experiences over the past 7 years, as well as a greater understanding of Scripture (and much more experience using it to touch the lives of non-believers)....I wonder how God will use it. I remember one of our dearest elders putting his hand on my shoulder the Sunday night prior to our departure for Benin in 1999 saying, "Randy, I'm praying that you'll have a great blessing of fruitful ministry among the Aja people...but know, too, that I am praying that through this experience, God will make you a more effective witness for Christ when you return." I remember that SO vividly. He wasn't saying that condemning my witness at the time, but he knew these encounters on the fields of Benin would change me and have the potential to make me bolder.
Am I ready to be called upon...for God to call upon the "American Randy" who was always pretty bashful about his faith in public and especially around non-Christians? What's God going to ask of me? Am I ready to respond when God calls the "American me"? The “Aja Randy” is characteristically much bolder in my witness than I remember of the “American Randy”. Perhaps it’s the ability to hide behind the mask of another language where I don’t have the concern of “what my friends might think”. Or perhaps I have even higher expectations of the “missionary”…to be more courageous in my faith than I do of the “American Randy.” When I stand alongside my Aja brothers, they teach me so much more than they can even imagine.
Please pray for the village of Missebo (mee-say-bo) and for the proclamation of Light in this stronghold of Darkness! Pray that those of us who stand up boldly to proclaim our faith here, will be confident and unashamed to do that no matter where we live.
-Randy
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Tori and I went back to school after our holiday break. It was a very long day but we are glad to be getting back into the groove of school. She worked very hard. Today she did very well in Math, especially her addition facts. She and I both were excited about this. Her penmanship is always improving, as well as her spelling and ability to read. I am so proud of her. I am presently looking into curriculum for second grade. We will have to purchase it in the near future so that it can be brought to us with visitors coming in the spring. I am using the Alpha Omega Curriculum at the moment. Is anyone out there using something that is really great and we should check out? I am very interested in ideas!
Friday, January 06, 2006
We have assembled all the necessary documents and are waiting on Lael's birth certificate....once everything is done, we'll get a hearing before the judge who will review our case for adopting Lael. Please pray with us that very early on in 2006, she will officially be Kadi Lael Vaughn! She will be 6 months old on January 18th. She is a continual source of joy and delight for our whole family!
We rang in the new year a few hundred feet from the ocean along with a hotel full of
guests (mainly French and Lebanese expatriates). The kids were all nestled in their beds back in the room while Kelly and I partied into the wee hours of the night (you
can imagine how that looked). Alot of the families there had their kids up with
them and although our little ones were zonked by 9pm, we were wishing so
bad Tori especially could see the fun everyone was having...alot the kids
were having a blast on the dance floor. Then right at 11:55 or after, we get a
call from Tori back in the hotel room indicating Timothy had woke up
crying (the glory of 2 cell phones and a 7-year old smart enough to use one in
the middle of deep sleep)...we both jumped up and rushed back to the room!
But to their surprise (rather than the typical Dad line..."get back in that bed!"), they hear, "get your shoes on, let's get back to the party!" We literally ran back with Tori in Mommy's arms and Daddy holding Timo. We sat back down at our table, and just got our party hats on when we rang in the
new year! Tori especially had a blast for another HOUR (Timo kept saying,
"I wanna go back to nap")! Finally we got both the kids back to their beds
a little after 1am and then we rejoined the party, only to find ourselves
wishing for our beds within the first few minutes of sitting down. It was a
lot of fun to bring in the new year with 2 of the 4 kids.
guests (mainly French and Lebanese expatriates). The kids were all nestled in their beds back in the room while Kelly and I partied into the wee hours of the night (you
can imagine how that looked). Alot of the families there had their kids up with
them and although our little ones were zonked by 9pm, we were wishing so
bad Tori especially could see the fun everyone was having...alot the kids
were having a blast on the dance floor. Then right at 11:55 or after, we get a
call from Tori back in the hotel room indicating Timothy had woke up
crying (the glory of 2 cell phones and a 7-year old smart enough to use one in
the middle of deep sleep)...we both jumped up and rushed back to the room!
But to their surprise (rather than the typical Dad line..."get back in that bed!"), they hear, "get your shoes on, let's get back to the party!" We literally ran back with Tori in Mommy's arms and Daddy holding Timo. We sat back down at our table, and just got our party hats on when we rang in the
new year! Tori especially had a blast for another HOUR (Timo kept saying,
"I wanna go back to nap")! Finally we got both the kids back to their beds
a little after 1am and then we rejoined the party, only to find ourselves
wishing for our beds within the first few minutes of sitting down. It was a
lot of fun to bring in the new year with 2 of the 4 kids.
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
This is a closeup of the "snowman" below...decided we'd have a little fun and (borrowing from an idea in a magazine) we made a "sandman" (although can't stand that Mr. Sandman song). The bottom is a clay pot and the top is a basketball, both wrapped well in plastic wrap, then covered in a watered-down glue, then covered with sand! Voila!! Timothy and I picked out the shells and accessories for his eyes, nose, buttons, and arms. We got alot of great compliments from other guests at the beach hotel where we spent a few days last week.
We are back!
We have been out of commission with computer problems since Monday. We are now back in business! However, in the midst of our computer crash we lost all of our email addresses and blog addresses. Please make a comment so that we can find your blog or you can email us at
rkvaughn@harvestfields.net with your email address. As well, if any of you have recently sent us an email and are waiting for a response, please resend your email.
We had a wonderful time at the beach, a blast on New Year's Eve, and yesterday we celebrated Jonathan's first birthday! With the exception of the computer crash, 2006 is off to a great start!We will be posting details and fun pictures soon!
Computer Problems
This is Becky (Kelly's sister) posting on behalf of the Vaughns whose computer has just died again...we are hoping that "The Computer guy" in Cotonou has the ability to bring it back to life. They will post again as soon as possible.
blessings -- becky
blessings -- becky
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