On Wednesday morning of that same week, the ladies headed over to Katey and Matshingi’s home for the women’s meeting. Alessandra followed Cathy along a narrow dirt pathway that led to their property.
As they passed one yard with a small, mud-brick home on it, the pitiful bleating of a goat being slaughtered caused Alessandra to cringe. When she couldn’t identify the next sound, she asked Cathy to enlighten her.
“Isn’t that awful?” Cathy responded emphatically. “Like something out of a horror film. The first time I heard it I couldn’t identify it either. I imagine only people who work in slaughterhouses could. That haunting sound is the goat continuing to cry through the slit in its throat.”
“That’s disgusting!” Alessandra exclaimed. “What amazes me though, is that the little children are standing around watching with interest. Doesn’t it bother them to see that suffering?”
“You’re thinking like an American. We’ve been raised with stories and movies portraying that animals have personality. Africans have not been programmed like that. The children understand that if the animal dies, they will eat well for several days. It will keep them from becoming malnourished. They are simply glad to know that they will eat meat with their fufu.”
“Do the Congolese not eat meat each evening?” Alessandra asked.
“They can only afford meat about once a week, and that is often dried fish.”
Alessandra was continuing to learn about the culture and ways of the resilient people of the Congo. She was learning to absorb the new information and grow in gratitude for her own upbringing.
James 1:17 reminds us, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with Whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” Although the gifts that the Congolese people have received from God are different than ours, they are still gifts. Like Alessandra, let’s realize Who is the Source of all our bounty and be thankful for His provision.
