Fishers of fish

I finally got Colton to go running with me, I had to coerce him, I told him if he didn't it might reflect in his next Christmas present. He said "what about my birthday, it comes first". I said "it couldn't hurt" so he went, the bad thing is I had a hard time keeping up with him. We ran south along the beach to were some men were putting their boats in the water. There were about 10 of them lined up getting ready to push of into the surf. Their boats were all hollowed out canoes, approximately 18' long and about 2' wide. Some had sails rolled up in them and once they cleared the surf they would put them up. Where they were launching was a sandy point with a reef about 100 yds off shore, waves in the 6'-8' range were breaking on the reef, then there was an area of relative calm water then the waves would reform into 3'-4' waves and break on the beach. As we watched they would try one at a time to get launched. They would wait till it looked like it would be calm then they would push off, run hard and jump in the boat and paddle hard to clear the waves. Only about 30% made it the first time. Usually a wave would build quickly and swamp the boat, or they would get sideways and take on water. Then all their gear in the boat would be floating in the surf, they would pull the boat up on the beach and then gather up their stuff. Most of the time no one would help. After getting the water out and re stowing all their gear they would try again. Once they made it past the first waves into the calm area they would have to bail out their boats because even when they made it they would take in water. Then they would paddle parallel to the beach until they got to a break in the reef and paddle out into the ocean, or put up their sail. They would go out a long way, some out of sight. They didn't have nets, they all had 2 gal buckets and I assumed they must have had some gear and bait in the buckets, most had some rope with a rock tied on one end for an anchor. There were a couple longer boat with two men, they didn't seem to have any better success rate. I never saw a life jacket or any kind of floatation. I didn't see anyone give up, but Colton wanted to head back, so we didn't see if they all got launched. As we left one of the two man boats offered to take me out. I assumed he was joking with me, but I might have done it if I had some water along.

When we got back Edwin was there delivering some fresh lettuce. Edwin comes by once or twice a week with produce and Jamie buys from him. He had come just the day before and Jamie had bought some lettuce, after he had left she remembered that Rusty had us bring out some seeds for him. Rusty came by just after that to pick up me and Christopher and Jamie told him about forgetting to give him the seeds. As we were leaving Rusty saw Edwin and told him to go back by the house and get the seeds. I wasn't there, but D'Linda told me what happened. When Jamie gave him the seeds he was so excited he started dancing around in the front yard. He kept thanking Jamie and jumping up and down. D'Linda said she watched as he ran down the road jumping and shouting whoopee every few yards. Who'd have thought?

In the afternoon Rusty and Jamie had a meeting at the US Embassy to make sure that there would be no problems from there end if they get the approval from the Liberians to adopt Blessing. Please keep this in your prayers there is so much that can go wrong yet. They were assured that if Liberia okays it they won't have any other problems. Rusty lucked out, they had a fuel delivery while he was gone, so Mel agreed to do the arguing.

While they were at the Embassy Christopher went with me to see if the fishermen were back yet. We timed it pretty good, we saw 4 of them come back in. They had a much easier time getting back in, the waves weren't as high and the tide was lower. They all had fish, maybe about 10 to 20 lbs of fish each, most of the fish in the 2 lb range, with one that might have been 15 lbs. They offered to sell them, but I didn't have any money and Christopher didn't want to carry fish down the beach. While there I got another offer to go out with them, I just have to be back in the morning. I told D'Linda when we got back, but she didn't like the idea, especially with no life jackets. She said if I did she would worry and have a migraine before I got back.

Christopher and I shared a grapefruit when we got back. While I was eating my half a small worm jumped out. It was about 3/8" long, Christopher thought it was a maggot, but as we watched it would scrunch up and spring about 6" at a time. D'Linda was screaming, "gross" and "kill it", so we did, then we finished the grapefruit.

When Rusty got back he was able to get power to the whole campus, with more fuel and the new pump working we made it through the night with electricity, the first time in days.

I have been thinking about the fishermen, I didn't ask, I probably wouldn't have understood anyway, but I wondered how many were lost. If a storm came up or they ran into some kind of trouble, I don't see how they could possibly make it back. They didn't have radios, or life vests and there is no Liberian Coast Guard. I thought about better boats, I ruled out motors because of the cost, but a double ended surf boat with a small keel so it could be rowed or sailed, I think would be great. If it was made out of fiberglass it could be larger, more sea worthy and lighter than their dugout canoes. If you could set up a small factory here making them you could employee some people, and make fishing safer. But I can't do that in my last week here, I will pass the idea along and maybe some organization might think it better than just handing out rice. I thought about their existing canoes, If they just put some kind of air bladder in the bow and or stern. All they would need is an inner tube, that would give them more floatation when they were swamped, and it would make it easier to get them bailed out. Also if they had a tarp or even heavy plastic sheet to cover part of the canoe when they launched they would take on less water. They could rig it so they could take it off when they were fishing and replace it if it got stormy or when they came in. I don't know if I can communicate my ideas to them, I suspect I would have to show them. I'm not sure if they would care, I'm sure that they have been fishing this way for years, if not centuries. They are probably doing it like their fathers taught them. As I thought about them I thought, what if a stranger came to me and told me I was doing something wrong, or that there was a better way, would I listen to him? I began thinking in spiritual terms. Am I, are you, living our lives as our parents or culture handed it down to us? If God through his Spirit, or a friend, or a stranger tried to tell me something would I listen? I thought of how many times in the Old Testament the people of God were lead astray by the surrounding cultures, not listening to the messengers He sent. I know not all messages are right or good, but do I ignore them just because they aren't the way I've always done it? Has God been trying to tell you something, through a friend or a stranger, something that could save your life?