The best life ever

Faces seem to float, barely visible, in the dim pools of light being feebly cast by flashlights squeezing the last bit of current out of their batteries.  Through the open window, we catch the brief flash of far off lightning, and fervently wish it would bring with it some kind of breeze.  Every forehead drips with sweat, as we slowly swelter in the stagnant oven air, superheated all day under a hot tin roof, left with nowhere to go as night falls, locked in a thermal prison.

Still, comments ring out, as the speaker searches the audience with his flashlight, looking for hands raised.  When the time arrives to sing, one brave voice takes the lead, as the rest of us follow.  Small groups huddle around single lights, straining to make out the words in the dimly lit books.  As the last word is sung, all lights are extinguished, allowing us to concentrate on the prayer with complete lack of visual stimulus.  Immediately upon "amen", the work of cleaning begins, done in teams: one with a light, 2 with brooms.  All who aren't involved with cleaning escape to the relative chill outside, not allowing the darkness to inhibit an interchange of encouragement in any way.

This wasn't quite what we expected as the meeting began.  However, when the entire neighborhood suddenly plunged into darkness about 15 minutes in, we knew we were in for a new experience!  No, this wasn't the first time that the power has gone out during a meeting.  However, our first Hall here had a small generator, enough to power the sound system and half the interior lights.  Periods of darkness rarely lasted more than a few minutes, although the generator would occasionally be rather temperamental.  This invariably led to a short flashlight session inside the Hall, and an impromptu elder meeting outside, with brothers circled around the generator coaxing it back to life.

In fact, this isn't even the first time we have had an entire meeting without electricity.  Just a few weeks ago, our 2nd meeting back in Burkina, a large swath of Bobo was privileged to go without electricity for the whole weekend.  Fortunately, the sun was still up during that meeting.  The largest inconvenience fell upon the CO who didn't have the benefit of technology to make himself heard by all.  Still, that wasn't as much of a hardship as he faced on his previous visit, when an inopportune downpour pounding on the roof made it virtually impossible to hear anything he said, even with the aid of microphones and amplifiers.  Earlier in the same visit, the CO had contended with a wedding party literally right outside of the Kingdom Hall during the meeting.  As is the case in pretty much the entire world, wedding parties here involve music.  Loud music.  Lots of music.  Lots and lots of loud music.  Traveling overseers here face unique challenges!

But not all mention of technology here in Africa comes with tales of woe.  Rolling back time again, to our first meeting back here, we were very privileged to enjoy something completely new for our congregation, a new tool which brought us up to date with most congregations in the US.  Imagine how much the congregation enjoyed watching the JW.org video, easily seen by all, thanks to a new video projector!  You might be asking yourself "what were they using before?"  After all, the videos have been featured in service meeting parts for several months now.  They didn't entirely miss out, in September and October the videos were displayed as per the KM.  Those in the first 2 rows fully enjoyed them, those further back might have strained to see the 11" tablet....  Obviously big screen projection is a treat!  Sadly, in December no one had any way to show the videos, as the missionaries with the tablet were out of the country.  We hope they won't have to miss out on any more!

The projector is quickly becoming an indispensable member of the congregation, having also been able to show some of the newly released videos after a recent meeting, being scheduled for the public talk this Saturday, as well as enjoying fine association with ones from all over Bobo.  Ok, you caught me.  The projector isn't actually "giving" the public talk.... But it will be displaying the video that is taking the place of the talk!  And, no, the projector didn't really "associate" with us the other night.... It just sat there very passively and showed us the February JW broadcast.  Nearly all the English speakers in Bobo were gathered for the event, even a few who don't speak English.  A fine spiritual time was had by all (including our new friend, the projector... as far as we can tell)!

As you read this, it's possible that the same thought entered your mind as has entered ours... "What if the power goes out in the middle of the video????"  Well, we are actually a little concerned about that, but, since we have no control over it we are choosing to ignore it!  No doubt, in that event, one of the elders will be stepping in with a very last minute impromptu talk.... with no microphones, and lit by flashlight!

Whenever we start to miss the days of unlimited high speed wifi, power that never went out, water we could drink straight from the tap, etc etc etc, we stop and remind ourselves that, yes, we did in fact choose to come here.  All these small inconveniences, we can get used to them.  It is an adjustment going from one of the richest countries in the world to one of the poorest.... But the ministry is enough reason to make the change!  Plus, we really feel privileged to help share all of the faithful slave's provisions, whether on the big screen at the Hall, or on our cell phones in the territory.  Whenever we look at the whole equation, there really isn't anywhere we would rather be.  Just like they say in the movie, this really is the best life ever!!