THERE ARE NO FORGOTTEN BIRTHDAYS

The humble one’s stories are too easily forgotten.    This morning as I checked my Facebook I had 37 friends whose birthday is January 1.     On an average day I should have 8 or 9 friends to wish a birthday.   (3,051 Facebook friends divided by 365 days in a year equals 8.35 friend’s birthdays per day.)    Today, there is a 411% increase in birthday averages.   What is up?

A couple of my Bazungu (white, or those who wander in circles) friends truly know that January 1 is their birthday.    A couple of my friends from Africa who were fortunate to have their mother deliver in a hospital during a day of relative peace truly know that January 1 is their birthday.

Yet, for the majority of my 37 Facebook friends today they were born during a season of absolute chaos.    They were born in places like remote villages, refugee camps, and urban slums.   Their mom was one of the world’s poorest of poor.    She was likely on the run.  Their mom was thankful to have lived through delivery, and today is exceptionally thankful the child born on that day is alive.

These friends of mine share a common past with my boss, Jesus of Nazareth.   He too was born in poverty (Luke 2:1-21).     Stables and mangers in church nativity scenes frequently miss this point.    If you can’t smell the manure your church has understated the chaos of Jesus’ birth.    Jesus was born in forced circumstance as his nation, Judah was under Roman occupation.    His parents were forced to travel near the end of his mom, Mary’s pregnancy just to register for a census and pay tax.    Forcing a pregnant woman to travel is the height of oppressive government policy.    

These friends of mine share another common past with my boss, Jesus of Nazareth.   His family too was forced to flee for their safety as refugees (Matthew 2:13-18.)    An evil despot intended to kill all rivals, and that included infant boys in a remote village.     Despots do the same things today.

Where is God in such circumstances?

Paul in describing the riches of knowing Christ tells an unfathomable truth (Ephesians 1.)    Before creation God in His infinite knowledge knew His creation would rebel.     God’s holiness could not dwell with rebellion.    Our rebellion would cause eternal separation from the God of infinite love.     The consequence was as horrific as an infant child abandoned and left to die in a field (Ezekiel 16:4-6.)    God chose to rescue us by sacrificing the life of His own Son.    In the process He took us rebels, and adopted us into His family.    Can you imagine?    He knew every sin we would commit.   He knew the horrific costs.   Yet, He chose to create what He would redeem though sacrifice.    Amazing.  Jesus is Emmanuel, God near and with us.

In the chaos that humanity lives God watches every movement of life.   In God’s eyes there are no forgotten birthdays.  His word states,

“Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you, even at my mother’s breast (Psalm 22:9.)”

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13.)”

“This is what the LORD says— he who made you, who formed you in the womb, and who will help you: Do not be afraid… whom I have chosen (Isaiah 44:2.)”

“This is what the LORD says— your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by myself… (Isaiah 44:24.)”

“Before I was born the LORD called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name. (Isaiah 49:1.)”

“And now the LORD says— he who formed me in the womb to be his servant (Isaiah 49:4.)”

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; (Jeremiah 1:5.)”

In eternity, God will redeem each one of these chaotic births.   In God’s eyes there are no forgotten birthdays.   Yet, we do live in the here and now.   Is there hope in this life for God to bring good out of chaos?

Absolutely.    God is sovereign.   He is good.    He is full of love.  His ways are mysterious.   Yet, His ways are just.    History is full of stories of God bringing good from chaos.

One of the privileges God gave me during my season in Rwanda was to be a facilitator in the Presidential Scholars program.   Facilitator sounds important.   All I did was pragmatically pastor.  I made friends.    I helped friends communicate to one another.    Sometimes it was rather mundane.   One of the mundane moments was filling out visa applications.    The applications required filling out a date of birth.    Many times we wrote in the application January 1, _______.

Most of those bright young Banyarwanda who wrote January 1, ______ were not born on January 1, ______.    Instead they were born during absolute chaos.     All their family can remember is a year filled with turmoil.    In some ways, God has helped them forgive the sources of the chaos, and in the process forget a few details that would even include the month of the birth.   

Rwanda Presidential Scholars at Hendrix College

Yet, something wonderful happened in the years following the traumatic birth.    Enough peace came that a family could survive.    They could put down a root somewhere.    The kids could go to school.    Many times the schools were barely functioning.    Yet, somehow learning happened.    The brightest students found a place of marginal stability and success.    They kept at it for years.    Then they sat their final secondary exam.   They scored near the top of all the students in the nation.     Then they received an opportunity to interview with the different universities offering scholarships.    For some of these bright Banyarwanda, this was the first time they had even been in the capital of Kigali.   If there was no God they would have had no chance.    Yet, there is a God.  He is good.   He enjoys showing His grace upon the most humble.   These kids whose families don’t remember their birthday were offered scholarships to attend prestigious universities in the United States.   God is good.

So today I ask that if you definitely know the day of your birth thank God.    Much of the world does not have that luxury.   If you’re one of those who wrote January 1, _____, but really don’t know; also thank God.   If you meet someone with a January 1, ____ birthday, listen to their story.   Thank God.   He is good.  There are no forgotten birthdays.

KONY 2012 JUJU, PUBLICITY ADDICTION, AND LOVING JASON RUSSELL

Last week I wrote a column on Talking to our neighbors about Kony2012. In it I asked for young Rwandans and friends in the USA to stop posting Invisible Children’s Kony2012 video and to start loving Uganda as we love ourselves. Shyaka and I had a disagreement. However, there seems to be consensus among most of my Ugandan and Rwandan friends that Kony2012 misrepresents reality, hinders healing from trauma, and stifles investment. Among my American friends the opinions are much more polarized. Since I noticed so much Facebook and Twitter discussion I decided to post my column to my blog on Thursday, 15 March.

On Friday, 16 March the Uganda media was active on Twitter with the news that Jason Russell, the Director of Kony2012, was detained by police after naked irrational behavior and taken to a local hospital.
My pastoral intuition makes me think two matters are being whispered. One is that deep in the jungles of Central Africa Republic Joseph Kony was afraid of Jason Russell and the effects of the Kony2012 video. Therefore Kony turned to his most potent trick, juju. His band of abductees turned soldiers sacrificed an animal (or human), danced, and recited magic incantations. Then boom – Jason Russell went mad. Kony Juju defeated Kony2012.

The other whisper may be calling me a “Great Man of God,” or “America’s Leading Evangelist in Rwanda.” After all a few weeks earlier I compared Westerners who use Africa for self-grandeur with Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar who went mad. I also wrote about a time one of my Uganda neighborhood mzee walked home a naked mad young man. Did I prophesy that Jason Russell would go mad?
I think neither whisper is accurate.

My guess is that Jason Russell is suffering from publicity addiction, had an overdose on 15 March, and now it is Africa’s turn to love Jason Russell the way we love ourselves.

Jason led over 80 million people to some conclusions about northern Uganda that are not accurate. My boss one time said, “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, and criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment.” That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor. (Matthew 7:1-5, The Message.)” Now for a season Jason Russell will be judged by the world by the standards he judged others. Many will come to conclusions based not upon the facts of Jason Russell’s life, but upon their wounds.
Jason’s wife quickly responded that he was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Some will think that because we’ve seen drug addicts behave like Jason Russell.

Some have guessed he suffers from manic episodes, schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder. Again, probably because we’ve seen people with these types of mental illnesses act as Jason Russell.
Some will assume his mind just snapped. We’ll do this because we know that stress and lack of sleep will eventually drive us all to a psychotic episode.

Angelo Izama and I compared Kony2012 to pornography. When I first saw Kony2012, I thought this was produced by a sex addict. I did this because in pastoring I have several times seen families destroyed when the early signs were communication styles similar to Kony2012. The director of Kony2012 was a master at the internet hype, could not separate fantasy from reality, and had no conception how much relationship damage he would do in Uganda, plus he ran through the streets naked. These are all classic marks of a sex addict.

Another theory could be that Jason Russell is another flamboyant American entrepreneurial personality that thrives in extreme adversity, but simply snaps when life becomes ordinary (Such as Meriwether Lewis.) Again, we come to these conclusions because we have seen these types of events happen before.
All this gossip is just human nature. My boss was convinced it was the consequence of publicly embarrassing others.

When my Uganda neighborhood mzee walked his naked neighbor’s son home the village gossiped. Some of the theories had elements of truth. There was some neighborhood jealousy. Someone may have cursed the boy. The young man had experimented with alcohol and drugs. The young man had traveled abroad and had a difficult cultural adjustment both abroad and home. Witchcraft, drugs, and stress may have all contributed to the boy’s “madness.”

Yet, the mzee chose to love his neighbor’s son as he would have wanted his own son loved. He chose to deflect the gossip. It seems our Ugandan neighbors are treating Jason Russell with the same grace. While the Kony2012 video is still up on YouTube, not even The Red Pepper has posted photos of Jason Russell on San Diego’s streets. In Africa when our neighbor is in an embarrassing situation, we respect their dignity. After all we may too find ourselves in such a situation.

Last week as I discussed African neighbor’s love besides respecting dignity I wrote of two other matters. First, we help our neighbors in crisis. Second, we help our neighbors in opportunity.

I once watched my neighborhood mzee at a kwanjula where the bride was obviously pregnant. He gently insisted on a goat for a fine. Family honor had been offended. Good African neighborliness will insist in Jason Russell’s crisis that we keep the focus on northern Uganda. Jason’s feelings are irrelevant for both his and northern Uganda’s healing. In order to heal Jason will have to face reality. As he does this, the Kony2012 video should be removed from YouTube. Also, Jason should find a Ugandan mzee to hold his hand as he returns to Uganda and apologizes. This is how good African neighbors help someone in a self-imposed crisis. They respect dignity, speak gently, forgive magnanimously, and still insist on accountability.

After the goat was paid both a Catholic priest and Balokole pastor saw an opportunity to preach. My mzee took the microphone away and made a joke. The fine had been paid. Honor was restored. The bride only would have a kwanjula once. She deserved it to be the best possible. In a few months we would have a child. The child deserved to be desired, loved, and nurtured without carrying a community’s offense. The crisis was past. Now we needed to put our energy into the opportunity.

All Africans I know conclude justice should be pursued in Congo and Central African Republic. They also conclude northern Uganda needs better schools and businesses. If we love Jason as we love ourselves, after he apologizes and we publicly forgive him, we should invite him to bless northern Uganda with better schools and businesses. When Jason heals from publicity addiction he will be part of our community again. I long for that day because my boss told me to love my neighbors as I love myself.

OUR FAMILY DIGNITY MATTERS

HONORABLE MINISTER, ALOYSIA INYUMBA

Over the last weekend I’ve been reminded of three truths of infinite importance. One, all humanity is by nature full of dignity. Two, our human dig­nity is displayed through the beauty of marriage. Three, children flourish into their full measure of dignity in a family’s love.

I’ve twice had the privilege to meet President Kagame. The second time was during the early days of Christ’s Church in Rwanda (CCR). I asked him what role he foresaw our church could play in Rwanda’s development. He responded to promote human dignity. His suggestion is one of the oldest and most enduring of all time. Our community may have many different interpretations of the Bible. Yet all honest minds must conclude it is a very old document that reflects humanity’s deepest longings. The first description of humanity declared, “So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27, New Living Translation.)” Promoting human dignity is one of our oldest tasks.

At this past Saturday’s Umuganda we finished the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion’s (MI­GEPROF) Month of the Family. Our Imidugudu is a delightful community. Umuganda is one of my monthly highlights. I will miss friends who enjoy a morning of shared labor and refining discussion.
MIGEPROF’s theme for the month was “Building a family with dignity for sustainable development.” Campaigns have a tendency to speak about an idea and gather enthusiasm. Then when the campaign is over we move on with life. We look for the newest competing campaign to occupy our minds. Only the great ideas endure. This campaign is destined to be one of great­ness. It may only be a whisper in volume, but the substance is transformational.

Moses brings a new revelation of human dignity

Thousands of years ago as nomadic Hebrews wrote their first descriptions of man they chose to argue with the powerful king­doms of the day. Those kingdoms saw humanity as a resource to be exploited. Slavery abounded. Power was what mattered. Through the faith of nomads trapped in slavery a new vision of humanity stirred. Man would never be God, but man’s dignity reflected the nature of God. No one dare exploit a fellow man. As the powerful looked at the beauty of a woman or the strength of a man as another means of economic exploitation or selfish pleasure, the nomads stated this God given dignity and beauty could never be possessed by a fellow man. Freedom is the ex­pression of the belief in human dignity.

It is the reason those of us with gray hair find ourselves smil­ing as we notice the wonder of a young man infatuated by the beauty of a young woman. It is the reason we sacrifice for wed­dings and keep telling the young to wait to open their treasures when our community can give them our full blessing. We know the dignity and beauty of love is best expressed through life long covenants. The old Hebrew nomads would today not un­derstand our culture of our contemporary weddings. Cultures change. Yet, they would instinctively know the dignity of cov­enants.

There were several expected results from MIGEPROF’s such as good inter-household relationships, time for dialogue among family members, good relationships with neighbors, and de­nouncing gender-based violence.

JESUS LOVED WEDDINGS SO MUCH HE CREATED WINE

Religion and philosophy have sought these results for all time. MIGEPROF made it a policy goal. Today’s best research concludes the same. Our community is stronger when couples are married. In the dignity of these covenants gentleness and forgiveness overcome violence. Communication is best when we decide we will be together for life. Children are healthiest when they are raised in a family. (For more reading check out http://www.lovesciencemedia.com/love-science-media/com­mitment-or-lack-thereof-the-trouble-with-shacking-up.html, or http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/september/sci­ence-of-cohabitating.html.)

Some of us think this pursuit of dignity in the institution of a marriage is outdated. Surely, we can discover our soul mate through contempo­rary techniques without the trappings of faith, tradition, and culture. Stanley Hauerwas, an eth­icist at Duke, says, “We always marry the wrong person. The sooner young couples can under­stand that, the better off they’ll be. I hear young couples say, “You mean you don’t want us to be soul mates?” But nobody marries his or her soul mate. You become soul mates by living life together through those years. So often co-habiters are looking, in the first year, for what comes only after years—decades!—of life togeth­er. You are setting yourself up for dramatic disappointment if you think life works that way.”

Minister Inyumba in press conferences stated that building the family is the foundation of the nation. She saw failing fami­lies as the reasons children are on the street or in orphanages. She has taken unfair criticism for a decision to find ways to place children in institutions back to in the foundational institution of humanity – the family. MIGEPROF has pursued the path of dig­nity. Children do not thrive in the care of any institution other than a family. In a family we come back to the oldest truths of humanity. Love is our expression of dignity.

A pastor thousands of years ago wrote about the beauty of this love. “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, New Living Translation).”

There are three truths of infinite importance. One, all human­ity is by nature full of dignity. Two, our human dignity is dis­played through the beauty of marriage. Three, children flourish into their full measure of dignity in a family’s love. Thank you many in our Rwandan community who spent a month remind­ing us of these old truths.

PASTORAL REFLECTIONS ON PROSTITUTES AND RELIGIOUS CONMEN

Prostitutes and religious conmen hear me well. I am not a loaf of bread. I am husband. I am a father. I am a pastor. I am a runner. I notice that some choose to follow me. Some are seekers. Some are children. Some are prostitutes. Some are religious conmen. I am amazed at the similarities between prostitutes and religious conmen. I see they suffer from the same root causes. For the seekers and children, I know where you can find life giving bread. I hope we can find a shared answer.

I live in Kimihurura between the Papyrus Restaurant and Cadillac Night Club. Between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights I see women who appear to be prostitutes outside my home. They are scantily dressed. My Saturday morning usually starts with a run. My Sunday morning usually starts with leaving home early to prepare for worship at CCR. Many times, I have short conversation with the women who appear to be prostitutes. They call me sweet names, try to initiate conversations, and some even try to touch me. I am 44 years old. I have never been described as handsome. I have a bad back, five kids, and a missionary salary. A young scantily dressed attractive woman who has a romantic interest in me is either mentally deranged or a prostitute. I am a husband. I am a father. I am a pastor. I am a runner. I am not a loaf of bread. When a prostitute calls me, I keep running. They leave me after less than 100 meters.

I am a Muzungu. I at times appear to have money. I sometimes attract religious conmen. They find me at all hours of the day and a multiple of times per week. Their dress is either immaculate or shabby. They try to make me either feel sorry for them, or be amazed by their spiritual power. I have learned not to trust them. However, some of my Bazungu friends will listen to their stories. They speak sweet Kilokole. However, like the prostitute they only see me as a loaf of bread. When the religious conman calls me I keep running. I am not a loaf of bread. They leave me after a few pastoral running strides.

On my morning runs sometimes the children of Kigali choose to join me. We run together. They make me laugh. They seem to know who I am. Sometimes, they chant, “Jesus,” or, “Imana ishimwe.” They follow me kilometer after kilometer. They make me a better runner. They enjoy my friendship and seem to know I seek the bread of life.

At Sunday mornings at CCR and throughout the week, seekers choose to join me. We pray together. We share. We laugh. We cry. Sometimes, we dance. They find my failings and still follow me kilometer after kilometer. They make me a better pastor. They enjoy my friendship and seem to know I seek the bread of life.

As the children join me on a run I notice some are girls. I wonder if the prostitutes who follow me for a few meters once were little girls who shared a run with me for kilometers. Something went terribly wrong.

As the seekers join me for prayer I notice some are hurting. I wonder if the religious conmen who follow me for a few meters were once honest seekers who shared life with me. Something went terribly wrong.

I don’t like prostitutes or religious conmen. I don’t like being treated like a loaf of bread. However, I find that both suffer from the same disease. Prostitutes and religious conmen thrive in a world of non-literacy and poverty. In a way they are victims.

I do enjoy children and seekers. I think they follow me for the much the same reasons. We both seek friendship and the bread of life. Life may have struggle, but we refuse to be victims. We thrive in a world full of love, hope, and joy.

Prostitutes economically thrive by finding those who are sexually unfulfilled. Religious conmen economically thrive by finding those who are emotionally unfilled. I find the prostitute’s and religious conmen’s clients to be more repulsive than the prostitutes or religious conmen. Some like to rant at prostitutes and religious conmen. Some intend to police them out of existence. However, let me propose a few solutions to make Kigali a more pleasant city. Let us build schools and businesses. Let us build a literate and wealthy population. There will always be a portion of our city that is poor. However, let us make the options of prostitution and religious conmen much less financially advantageous.

Next, let us find a way to police the financiers of prostitutes and religious conmen. If we dry up the money the prostitutes and religious conmen will go somewhere else. Maybe, we would be well served to run internet photos of both prostitute’s clients and religious conmen’s financier with a short story?

Prostitutes and religious conmen, I feel mercy for your situation. However, I am not a loaf of bread.

Children and seekers; let us continue to run. Together we can find the bread of life.

WHERE IS HER TOOTH?

If you have functional eyes in Kigali you have seen the latest condom advert. A beautiful young couple gazes at you. She holds a condom in her hand. The message states clearly, “PROTECT YOUR LIFE WITH A CONDOM. PROTECTING ONESELF AND OTHERS AGAINST HIV/AIDS IS EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY. I CHOOSE TO USE CONDOMS; WHAT ABOUT YOU?”

Ministry of Health, The Global Fund, and the Rwanda Health Communication Center; thank you for your message. Besides protecting life you gave me hours worth of delightful discussions on university campuses. We conclude that of all that exists on this earth the supreme value is life. Therefore, our taxes are well served by messages that save life.

However, there are other lesser values. Three quickly come to mind – beauty, dignity, and love. These are the substance that our grandparents hungered for when they counseled us to save our sexuality for marriage. The bzee really were wise. You see in the condom advert reality is shown. The young woman is missing a tooth. Something happened. Let me share my best pastoral guess. The following story is no specific individual’s, but the collection of 26 years of pastorally listening to young couples.

The young woman grew up in a home without a father, uncle, or older brother. Her mom and sisters were good people. However, they were vulnerable. As a little girl she watched her friends with fathers, and she hungered for a man to provide, protect, and nurture her. When she was in secondary school she discovered her beauty. She found that by offering her body to a young man she could have intimacy. She had several boyfriends. However, the sexuality was always clumsy, awkward, and a bit shameful. The relationships all ended with bitterness. When she visited with her girlfriends about her old boyfriends, she used the word, “a#+*>@^!!” to describe them.

The young man grew up the first born son of a polygamous father. Initially, he carried all the family hopes. However, his dad found other women besides his mother. In the end he became the forgotten son. Before his dad left he watched his parents argue. The argument ended when his dad slapped his mom and walked out of the home for the last time. He told himself he would never do that to a woman. He wrestled inside with seeking a complete family. In secondary school he thrived as he was clever, handsome, athletic, and sociable. He had several girlfriends. Like the young woman the sexuality was clumsy, awkward, and a bit shameful. Also, like her the relationships all ended with bitterness. When he visited with his boyfriends about his old girlfriends, he used the word, “b#+*>@^!!” to describe them.

Our young couple met at university. They both did well at university. Her beauty made every young man notice her when she entered a room. His athleticism and charisma had the same effect on young women. They spent 3 years exploring relationships, having fun, growing their minds; but still having sexual relationships that ended in bitterness. Then they started dating and found new hope.

Jesus meeting a woman in Samaria who lived with 6 different men (John 4)

Last year, Minister Murigande gave them an unintended and regrettable gift. The living bursary was removed. With their dysfunctional family backgrounds they had no extended family to help. Both found casual jobs, but could not quite make enough to live. Then they had the idea of their life. If they lived in the same room they could save money and be almost like the family for which they hungered. Their families were too removed to care. They had not been in church for years. Their friends cheered for them. With free condoms on campus she could avoid pregnancy, and both of them would have no risk of a sexually transmitted disease.

For one month, they had the time of their lives. By living together their shame and sexual secrets disappeared. They slept, bathed, and ate together. They had the best sex of their lives frequently. They lived simple, but they were not hungry. Their friends noticed how often they were gathering the condoms at the distributors, and were exceedingly jealous. She was not pregnant. Neither of them had a sexually transmitted disease. Graduation was coming shortly and their lives were full of hope.

Then all changed. One day she did poorly on an exam while he lost his casual job. When they came home their attempts to console one another had just the opposite effects. Their relationship was full of youthful passion. Now the passion stirred the opposite way. They argued. They blamed one another. They called one another names. Finally, he had his limit. No woman would speak to him with that level of disrespect. He slapped her in the mouth. As soon as his hand hit her mouth out flew a tooth and blood. He had never seen the effect of his strength used in violence. All stopped. She cried. He felt guilt beyond measure. He had just done what he had promised his mother never to do. In the quiet moment, they gathered their remaining francs. They went to a clinic on the other side of town hoping no one they knew would see them. Their shame remained. She was not pregnant. Neither of them had a sexually transmitted disease. She no longer had a tooth.

What were they to do? A thin piece of plastic protects one from unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. It protects life. However, it offers no protection for beauty, dignity, and love. Those values were now fleeting. Beauty, dignity, and love were what they hungered for.

Kigali’s most recent condom ad got it right. A sexual relationship without a covenant made in community frequently  leads to violence. This is what our grandparents knew and why they counseled us in ages past to wait.

However, Rwanda has another story. Though she is a young nation she has bzee. There are those who have wisdom to balance forgiveness with accountability. This young couple needs to do what they have not done in years. Their life still can have hope. It is time for them to visit the gray haired unorthodox professor who calls his past student’s friends. It is time to go to church and be the last to leave as they seek a pastor’s counsel. The bzee are here. Though her tooth is gone, hope is not lost.