Entry #8

What concepts in the Sawi culture intrigued / reviled / saddened / angered / surprised you?

The Sawi culture amazed me. Being exposed to a culture I had never heard of or even thought existed. I knew of other places in the world that were in utter turmoil, but for some reason the Sawi just captured my attention. I was intrigured to as why the Sawi lived and behaved like they did. I guess I wanted to know what caused them to act like that and live their lives headhunting and being cannabolistic. Obviously their culture took some major turn around. While watching them take those steps to understand and learn what God really meant was quite uplifting. To be able to read about them understanding the messagef to the point of breaking down is pretty significant in their transformation. When the fighting was so brutal, young children traded, dead bodies not taken care of properly, and brokeness obvious throughout many, made me ache to help them, try to make them understand. At the end, after a great portion of the Sawi people have decided to embark on a jouney with the "ulitimate peace child", Jesus, it is clear that walls have been broken down, joy has become part of the daily routine, and steps to spread the news are being taken. People learn to preach and soon there are more Sawi attending the sessions than fit in the location of their teachings. The Sawidome is created by their own choice and will. They are choosing to continue learning and living for their "ultimate peace child". This whole section encourages me to continue living out my faith and not letting little ideas stop short because of supplies, numbers, or place. The Sawi culture accomplished a lot without really knowing how important their tranformation would be to others. The Sawi have caused people to realize and question their own lives and the worlds in which they live. That alone is amazing.