We have been in Guinea for a year now and as a family are settled to a certain degree. The work here has taken a good rhythm and the schooling for the children is going well.
However national elections are scheduled to take place in a couple of months and fears have been expressed from some quarters that this may not go as smoothly as many would like.
Not long ago a large number of attendants to an opposition rally in the capital were shot by soldiers and we have heard reports of groups of soldiers fighting each other in the capital.
Given these events, and the possibility that they could escalate more widely, it seems that the possibility of evacuation is becoming more real and that we need to make preparations.
Practically speaking, as a family we have made a list of things to take if necessary and have packed the things we don’t use on a daily basis. We have increased our stock of food for emergency use (pasta, tinned food), while starting to deplete our stocks for everyday use (chocolate, crisps etc!). Yes there are some benefits: we’ve found ourselves eating the treats and opening the nicer toiletries in our storage that were being kept to use over the next year. Efficiency is no longer a priority – it all needs using up!
Those things about the house that need doing – that light that doesn’t work, the cushion that needs a new zip – won’t get repaired until we know where our future lies. We keep the vehicle fuel tanks full and remain within access of a vehicle at all times. I was recently due to be at a missionary conference in the capital, but stayed in Kissidougou with the family as most Western missionaries in the capital are staying at home. We consult e-mail and the internet much more regularly and we telephoned the BMS office with the team satellite phone to check it is working… and afterwards worried that we hadn’t been clear enough in our explanation and that the entire BMS office was in a panic frantically trying to locate us!
Work-wise my diary has become fuller, with two or three work plans on the go at any one time to take into account the forthcoming possibilities. In addition, the British ambassador has increased his interest in our whereabouts and activities! Across Guinea ex-pats normally talk easily to each other; however tourists tend to be much more stand-offish (and who can blame them, they didn’t come all this way to meet Brits). However, this has changed with the instability and suddenly even the rare tourist to Kissidougou is anxious to talk, to share their experiences and find out your local knowledge.
During idle moments I have found myself wandering around the house unconsciously identifying the things that I want to take with me and the things I am prepared to abandon, possibly for good. And emotionally, we are in a conflict regarding our local colleagues. On the one hand we want to double our efforts in investing in them; we want to give them all the resources we possibly can to prepare them for whatever might to come. And we want them to understand how much we appreciate their work and their witness in the country.
However, on the other hand, separation is now an imminent reality and that part of our psyche that helps us protect ourselves emotionally is questioning whether there is any more point in investing personally in people you are about to lose.
And during our times of reflection with God, we are humbly reminded of two things.
Firstly, God is sovereign, and the work we do is done to God’s strategies and purposes rather than our own. Maybe we will have to come to terms with the fact that he might not want foreign missionaries to be among the Guinean Church over a forthcoming period. The New Testament has many references to the refining results of times of testing and isolation and maybe this is what God has for his people in this country.
Secondly, we are reminded that the material things in our lives are ultimately temporary, and can become a distraction, and even an obstacle, in our walk with God. If we leave permanently, we will leave lots of items that we had grown attached to in some way. The possibility of evacuation reminds us of our priorities in life.
And talking of distractions, I’ve just remembered that I’ve got some doubts about the back tyre on the car. I’m just going to check it to make sure it will survive a long journey. Then I might just check the news on the internet again …