May we have the road?

When leaving a friend's home, and you know most likely you wont see them again for a long time, it is not culturally appropriate to just get up and say you're leaving. There is a pattern for saying goodbye here. First you ask your friend for the road. They let others know you're asking for the road, and decide with each other if they want to give it to you. Sometimes if they think you're leaving too soon, they may say no to giving you the road, or give you a different road - not the one you need. But when the time is right then they will say you can have the road, which means you're free to go. If you don't know when or if you'll see each other again, so as not to leave things unsettled the next step is to ask for forgiveness for any wrongs or offense done in the past, and they do the same, and you say all is forgiven. After that is to say a list of blessings. To the one leaving they say things like 'May God give you a good road', 'May you reach your destination in peace' and 'May God let us see each other again.' The one leaving can also give blessings like 'May God watch over you', 'May God provide for you', 'May God give you peace'...etc. When that is done they send you on your way with greetings to your family and people you'll see where you will be going.

In the last four days we've been following this pattern letting our friends know that our time in Mali is complete, and we ask for the road. The goodbyes have been bittersweet, and some were harder than others. One of the harder ones was saying goodbye to Andrew. The last time we saw him was Sunday for our Easter celebration. Later that afternoon after we've all eaten and hung out he headed back home, up the mountain. We could hardly say anything to each other, in order to keep from crying, but as I watched him drive off in his bike I couldn't keep the tears from falling as I thanked God for the gift of that friendship.

Monday morning was our last day in Archenland for a long time. Before we even asked for the road we had one last prayer time with the family, as Pastor encouraged us with words from Acts 20:18-38. He could barely make it to the end of the reading as tears began to fall. We all were aware of how much we meant to each other and how hard it would be to say goodbye, there was no stopping the tears from coming.

It was hard to leave Andrew and Pastor and his family and others from the church, but it's not exactly a sad goodbye. Whether or not I make it back to Mali again to see them, because we all walk the Jesus road we know we will be united again one day.

What is sad is saying goodbye to other friends who don't walk the same road we walk on. Our neighbors and friends we've shared plenty of stories from God's word with, developed a good relationship with, and will surely miss; there is no guarantee that we'll see each other again. It breaks my heart that they go through so much to make sure they leave things right with their earthly relationships, but are lost when it comes to the most important relationship. My heart cries that they would realized the truth. I pray they will see that the One they need to get right with more than anything in this world is God. He's not asking for the road, He is offering it to them, and with it comes forgiveness and many many blessings. To those friends I say "May God give you peace' (not like the world gives, but peace only God can give). "May God show you the good road" (The Jesus road) "May God allow us to see each other again" (Here on earth, but most especially in heaven for eternity).

One other thing that's part of the goodbye pattern, whether they are believers or not, they all ask us "Don't forget us." And I can honestly say with the impact they made on my heart I can never forget them.