GOSHEN, Ind. (Mennonite Mission Network) – When Théophane Boko told members of Waterford Mennonite Church that the teeth and the tongue live in the same palace, some people burst into laughter. Others scratched their heads in puzzlement.
“Sometimes the teeth will injure the tongue and make it bleed, but the tongue doesn’t run away from the mouth. The teeth and tongue continue to work together to nourish the body,” said Boko, who is fluent in 10 languages and serves as translator and manager at Benin Bible Institute.
He went on to explain the significance of this West African proverb from a Christian perspective. “In a congregation, people may hurt each other, but that doesn’t mean that the injured party should leave the church. Often the teeth don’t intend to bite the tongue. It is important that we learn to forgive each other,” Boko said.
During the Sept. 13 evening meeting near the mid-point of the three-week intercultural exchange, two members of the Waterford congregation presented North and South American proverbs. Then, Bruno Orobiyi Gansa, a retired public school inspector and vice president of Benin Bible Institute’s board of directors, joined Boko in sharing the wisdom of their ancestors.
Following this exchange, the Beninese church leaders observed that many of the proverbs from the United States dealt with work and time. Waterford members said they noticed the African proverbs taught about the importance of integrity of character and contributing to the well-being of the whole community.
The evening ended with one of Waterford’s pastors, Neil Amstutz, suggesting prayer requests for the maturation of the church in both countries. In response, everyone prayed out loud simultaneously, a spiritual discipline learned from 10 years of partnership with personnel from Benin Bible Institute.
Benin Bible Institute is a fruit of 30 years of ministry in which Mennonite Mission Network has responded to invitations from Beninese churches to help organize biblical training, affordable healthcare, and agricultural sustainability.
The Benin-Waterford exchange visits began in 2003 when Waterford sent two members to sign a partnership agreement with Benin Bible Institute. The following year, the Bible Institute sent a representative to North America. Since then, visits have continued with Beninese traveling west one year, and Waterford members going east the following year. Last year, Waterford sent two agricultural engineers to work with the institute’s new agricultural initiative.
St. Jacobs (Ont.) Mennonite Church has a similar partnership with Benin Bible Institute. Originally, Boko and Gansa planned to travel to St. Jacobs after their visit to Indiana. However, when the Canadian embassy serving West Africa refused to issue visas, a delegation from St. Jacobs joined the Waterford congregation for a weekend of cross-cultural worship and learning.
"Since we first came into contact with Benin Bible Institute 19 years ago, our congregation’s understanding of the worldwide church has been enriched,” said Beth Metzger, one of the members of the St. Jacobs’ delegation. “As an additional bonus, we have connected with other southern Ontario churches, increasing the fellowship among local churches.”
Community helps heal
During the farewell service, Waterford member, Kay Miller, told about how Boko and Gansa blessed her when they visited her first-grade class in a public school during reading instruction when the children were gathered on a rug. As Gansa was leaving the classroom, he quietly asked Miller why one little boy was sitting at his desk away from the group. Miller said that when Gansa noticed the isolated child, it touched her deeply and reminded her of her mission for this child. The boy had experienced a lot of trauma in his life, and Miller wanted to help him become part of the classroom community. “I was reminded of a lesson I learned during the time I lived in Botswana,” Miller said. “I remembered the community helps to heal.” As Miller approached the boy seated at his desk, he turned his back to her and a curtain came down over his eyes. She described a small human fortress whose muscles became as tense as steel in protection against the pain that comes with human interaction. “It was frightening, like he was inwardly retreating from reality,” Miller said. “I laid my hand gently on his shoulder and said, ‘Tommy (a pseudonym), I’m calling to the love that is in you.’ I felt him relax.” Miller said that she has seen Tommy take many small steps toward integrating into the classroom community since Gansa’s visit. “It’s a reminder of the miracle of God’s love touching marginalized people. Bruno’s question was a blessing to me reminding me of my calling and why I am in the classroom,” Miller said.
During their stay, Boko and Gansa were welcomed in many of the Waterford members’ homes and visited their work places.
Before returning to Benin, they reflected on what they had learned in North America and wanted to take back to their churches. They also had some advice for their hosts.
Boko and Gansa were impressed with the Mennonite-affiliated institutions they visited – Bethany Christian Schools, Goshen College, and Greencroft, among others. In these establishments, they saw the potential to meet the needs of both the young and older members of the church community. They were also enthusiastic about non-Christians being drawn toward God by the excellent services provided, and hearing about the love and freedom in Jesus as they live and study among Christians.
“You show that God’s love is not directed to Christians alone, but toward everyone,” Gansa said. “We see a practical love that is lived out every day. Your institutions attract people to God’s word in the way our large evangelistic meetings do.”
The two guests from Benin remarked about the way North Americans valorize the gifts of both the young and the old.
“You listen attentively to your children, and the health of your older people still allows them to make important contributions to society. Eighty-year-old people spent all day driving us to different places!” Gansa said.
Both Boko and Gansa were amazed at the emphasis placed on time management. They agreed this was an efficient way to conduct business and run institutions. However, they took issue with time preoccupation in worship.
“You make time your idol,” Boko said. “You only give the preacher 20 minutes to preach. What if it takes God 25 minutes to get the point across?”
Boko went on to observe that the same people who insist on worship ending at the prescribed hour, then linger in the halls for a half hour conversing with each other.
“You do have the time,” Boko said. “But you prefer to listen to each other, rather than listening and talking to God. Time belongs to God and it is necessary to allow time for the Holy Spirit to act.”
At a farewell service for their Beninese friends, there was an exchange of blessings – stories of how people had been blessed by the visit and blessings for the future. Steve Wiebe-Johnson, Mennonite Mission Network’s director for Africa, said that the partnership has also been a blessing for Mission Network.
“There are massive differences in the African and North American contexts we live in, but the place where our lives meet is at the cross of Christ,” Wiebe-Johnson said. “There we see past the fluff of our differences and find that we gain new perspectives as we enter each other’s lives and become more whole.”
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Mennonite Mission Network, the mission agency of Mennonite Church USA, leads, mobilizes and equips the church to participate in holistic witness to Jesus Christ in a broken world. Media may contact news@mennonitemission.net.
