Coffee Candy at Sunset

The sun is down now, and I am in an internet cafe off a small courtyard where we will shortly show the Jesus film to a crowd of Songhai. The film is in Zarmama, their native language, and I know they will be intrigued.

Today we have distributed dozens of CDs and DVDs among the Songhai. We have seen a good-sized lot full of thousands of bottles and Songhai boys washing them in a large concrete trough. They sort the used glass bottles and recycle them as a business. Everyone at the lot wanted CDs.

A drum is sounding in the courtyard. It stands more than three feet tall and is 18 inches wide. It is part of the presentation, but I don't know how. Another drum has been added, higher pitched.

I looked for small, individually wrapped coffee candies up and down the main street here in Nima but without success. I found them yesterday from a young man with a trey of candies balanced on his head. They were inexpensive and delicious. A lady with a small stand promised me she would have them for me tomorrow when I come by.

We are situated across from the Nima market, a maze of hundreds of shops varying in size from the tiniest stands to the large timber market. Along the street are many women plying their wares, especially great sacks of corn and beans and peppers. They are eager for visitors to see and buy.

The people here seem to have marriage continually on their minds. All of the women have been propositioned multiple times, and even Sim became the object of a young woman's admiration. Denise still doesn't believe this, but I was there and I know it is true. I just witnessed a man and woman in a tugging contest at the front gate of the courtyard. He told me that she was pursuing him, but that she was too short for his tastes. I told him that I thought she was fine-looking and a woman of good character. At that point, she released him and ran away. I have never been a great match-maker.

The coffee candy will wait until tomorrow. The Songhai are gathering, and I am eager to see what happens with this public viewing of the Jesus film. We are learning their ways, and they are learning some of ours. So far the friendships have been rewarding, and all of our contacts with the Songhai have been pleasant.

Our youngest team member, Kristen, has been propositioned the most. I finally contacted her father and asked he would me to broker a deal and at what price. Kristen insisted she was worth a billion, but her father set her price at four cows.

Listen to the drumbeats!