THIS IS A WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!
Here we are in February. Potentially, we have come through the worst part of winter. But it is also a time of the year where the weather can be unpredictable. We thank God for remaining our God and keeping us as his people and caring for us in all weather.
We are also thankful for our relatives, friends, and our brothers and sisters in Christ who have traveled with us along life’s journey. We American Christians often forget to thank the people who have remained our brothers and sisters through good and difficult times. And so it is with God: We often forget to thank God and often treat God as a stranger, rather than as the one who definitely has been with us every step of the way. Our God who never neglects nor forsakes us. The one who always is there to help and befriend us. The one who always loves us.
All Christians are witnesses; some Christians are not only witnesses in normal life but in their calling as missionaries. Part of our witness as missionaries is to show respect for different cultures and traditions. A Christian who is called to become a missionary must learn that every culture is different and different cultures have different ways of greeting people. Those greetings are often more formal than our American greetings; and they might differ between the first and subsequent meetings.
In the Kuwaa culture, there is a formal way of greeting that is typical whenever you meet someone, known or unknown. When two people meet, they must greet each other and then inquire as to one another’s health or situation. The person first addressed answers to the positive or the negative followed by their own inquiry. The first party responds in kind. Somewhere along the line of exchanges, they thank God for the other person and God’s help for that person. This formal greeting is repeated regardless of how often or how familiar two people are.
Sometimes we Americans get tired of such rigid formality. We sometimes forget that it is important to the people we are living or interacting with. Through your greeting, regardless of how many times you do it, you are signaling whether you are their friend, and when they reciprocate you know if they are your friend. As a Kuwaa missionary, learning the proper greeting exchange is one of the first and most important things we had to do.
There are at least two other things a person must do to show a stranger that they accept them as a friend. When a traveler comes to a town, whether or not they are known to that town, they must inform the villagers if they wish to stay the night, why they are visiting and if they come with a white (friendly) heart. The traveler then presents himself by offering the town people a gift, usually a small amount of money or something else and says, “This is my white heart gift to show you that I come as a friend.” The town’s people will then welcome the traveler with their own white heart gift, usually rice, meat, palm oil and some spices so they won’t go hungry during their stay. They also show him/her to a room where they may stay for as long as needed. The visitor may then share their reason for visiting, or they might wait until the following morning. The town will then break word (give their answer) regarding the visitors stay. This process is called the exchanging of white hearts. White heart exchanging shows their happiness and thankfulness for their encounter with each other. If the town’s people feel any deception or unfriendliness, they will not exchange their white heart and they won’t accept the visitor. 
If they accept each other’s white heart gifts, a deeper relationship (a deeper friendship) can then be formed. As a relationship grows, someone might offer a red chicken to their special friend. This gesture shows everyone that they share a special bond and deep friendship. Here in America we might call them blood brothers or sisters.
Jesus has given a red chicken to each of us, and we have given our white heart and red chicken to him. We have given our white heart gift to the Kuwaa people through the things we do for them through this mission. We give thanks for them (our white heart), and we give to and live for them (our red hearts).
Your red chicken partner in Christ,
Dick Thompson
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A blessed Thanksgiving to you all! This has been a rough year for all of us. It has also been a rough year on foreign missions.Missionaries could not be sent overseas because of the Coronavirus. However, this year has been a blessing to the church and its organizations also. Out of necessity the church had to develop new strategies to carry on its ministry and mission. The same is true of the Kuwaa Mission. The Mission had to develop new strategies to keep the Mission going forward. The Mission was blessed because the goal, as reported by Stan Olsen, of at least one well in each town was completed. Thanks be to God for the dedication of Stan. While the wells and hospital were being built, a few Kuwaa men were trained. Two months ago, at a Board of Directors meeting, it was discovered that the work to help the Kuwaa people rebuild their infrastructures could still go forward. Bishop Jensen, Pastor Paye, and Mr. Sami Zinna joined the Zoom Board meeting. The Board learned that there were other projects that could be done under the supervision of one of their own people. The first thing they requested was that the Mission provide the funds to finish putting up an internet tower. That was easily accomplished. Now Pastor Paye can keep in contact with the Evangelists in each town. The next thing that they requested was a Solar Energy System so that they could conduct adult education classes. Funds are available to accomplish this project. Again we thank God for providing the funds. The third project they suggested was the remodeling and rebuilding of the churches and schools destroyed by the Civil War. The Board said that they could do this project also if the funds come in to buy the materials needed to rebuild the buildings. The Board is confident that the funds will become available. The beauty of this project is that we don’t need to send someone over to supervise the work program. They can do that themselves. All they need is the building materials. We rejoice and thank God because we know that God’s people will provide. This program is an answer to prayer because we don’t have to send anyone to Liberia with the Coronavirus raging. This is another reason to thank the Lord. Another reason the Kuwaa Mission asks you to celebrate Thanksgiving is for all the brothers and sisters who have helped and/or supported the Mission’s work, and for those who are or will be helping and/or supporting the work program. You have and/ or will make it possible to help the Kuwaa people to have better physical and spiritual lives.
