A Season To Be Thankful
The Thanksgiving season is a great time to reflect on all that we have to be grateful for. A recent event reminded us just how much. This event was the result of another season that coincides with thanksgiving.
The thanksgiving season is also the transition season for our weather. This is the time between the rains and the hot dry weather to come. The days are often beautiful with bright blue skies, billowy clouds, and a soft breeze that just keeps the humidity bearable. It is also common to have evening thunderstorms that help cool everything down, bringing welcome relief from the heat for a good night’s sleep. Recently we were experiencing one of these lovely days at the end of October. The calm of this idyllic day, however; would soon give way to another characteristic of the season.
The Calm Is Shattered
One of the characteristics of the transition season that is not welcome… is the increase in the activity of snakes. Our compound has lots of snakes. The palms have many species living in the them, such as the Green Mamba and the Black Forest Cobra. There are others as well, but these are two that we kill the most. For the most part, they keep to the trees, the bush that surrounds the compound, or the termite mounds.
But snakes get hungry, and when they do, they search for mice and lizards, of which the latter we have around the house plenty. On this day, the hunt for food would bring one 5′ cobra to our house.
One of Sophia’s daily responsibilities is to feed her dogs after lunch. Sophia had just finished getting water for her dogs when, as she turned around, she spotted a black cobra sunning itself on the bottom of our back porch steps. Sophia ran around to the front of the house breathlessly crying out “Cobra… Cobra… on the back steps!” I quickly grabbed the pestle stick and headed down the back steps. This long, heavy stick is used to beat various food in the mortar for Liberian dishes… it also makes an effective weapon!
The Hunt Begins
No matter how many times you see the cobra, or how many times you kill one, there remains a healthy fear of them. They are intimidating, and to see one rise up and spread it’s hood is… a little disconcerting. They are also fast! As I raised the pestle it slithered over a plant bed and through a small hole between the garage door and its frame… and into our garage… our messy garage… our garage with plenty of hiding places.
Well, at least he’s cornered I thought, although I also found it little disconcerting how quickly he found and entered the small hole into our garage. Did he know about that hole before? Did he go in and out through that hole on a regular basis? There are plenty mice in there after all… and how did such a large snake fit there? Are there any holes or cracks that size around the doors of our house? Such are the thoughts that swirled through my head while hunting the cobra… when I was supposed to be laser focused!
I was not completely scattered brained however, I had Sophia run back to the farm to fetch Lawrence’s son, Prince… this was going to be a two man job. I also posted Michelle with a view of the side door of the garage… in case the snake decided to make a slither for it.
The Calvary Arrives
Prince quickly arrived with his own pestle stick… great choice Prince! I then pushed open the door with my pestle. We peered in, allowing our eyes to become adjusted to the gloomy darkness. We didn’t want to go in to a dark garage hunting a black cobra… half blind after all. Trying to think like a cobra, we began to poke around places that well, if I were a cobra, I’d hide.
Finally, as we poked under some shelves… he dashed out. Did I mention they are fast? But we were able to corner him. Now, I don’t want to give the idea that we were all stealthy and such… no no… we were like “there he is! Where?! There! Get him! Get him!” You get the idea.
A Happy Ending… Thank God!
Despite all the noise we still took time. Carefully, and methodically I began to move things out of our way. A barrel, a box of landcruiser parts, a plank of wood… ahhh what was that! Oh… the broom fell against my leg. I continued to move things… a plate of steel, a bench… finally, there he was! Coiled behind some scrap wood… trying to make himself small… ha! Prince and I converged… but just as the snake was much quicker than me… so is Prince. Whap… bam-smack! And it was over… ding dong the snake was dead!
It is always a relief to get rid of one more of these snakes… it also makes the Liberians very happy… but for an additional reason… Pepper soup! We praise the Lord for how He always watches over us and protects us. We thank God for protecting Sophia, myself and Prince. We also thank God for His provision… in this case… for our Liberian family!
Grateful and Thankful for God’s Care and Your Prayers
For us, your partnership is not only financial, it also includes your encouragement, and your care for our family. There is one other crucial element of our partnership as well… prayer! We thank God for your prayers, so please keep praying for us… without them, we could not remain on the field. Your prayers are necessary, no matter the season! Your prayers do make a difference… as this story shows! Please keep praying!
We also desire to express our gratitude and thanksgiving for all that the Lord is doing in our family’s life, and in the lives of the many Liberians being impacted through this ministry. And we thank the Lord for you! Because of your partnership, God’s Word goes forth… as we proclaim Christ, His gospel, and TRUTH.
Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; (Colossians 4:2)