Sometimes I wonder if this is one of the last places in the world where shell money is still used. It has always been
interesting to us to watch the men when a debt needs to be paid. We often will see a group of them sitting in a circle, in
their thatched roof huts or somewhere else in the village, all hunched over and ooing and awing over the shell money that
has been carefully laid out in the middle of them. They will literally spend hours inspecting every little feature of each
individual shell, and testing the quality of an individual piece by holding it up to the sky in the palm of their hand and
watching the way the sun reflects off of its well polished surface. They take turns talking about how beautiful each
individual piece of shell money is, each owner trying to talk up his piece so that it is also treasured by the others in the
circle. They keep taking turns of making an elaborate show of their little pieces of shell money, carefully laying them out
in a row ever so gently as if the shell could disinigrate into dust if it were jostled even a little too much. They go on ooing
and awing and talking and trading until the debt has been settled and everyone in the circle has been satisfied with the
trades and transactions that have taken place. Then when the money talk is finally over and no one has any more shells to
show they trade tobacco and smoke together as a symbol that all parties present have been satisfied with the payments
made. (Top center picture – Dao shell money)

Slowly, but surely the practice of using shell money is dissapearing in these mountain tribes as the national paper currency
and coins are carried up their rivers by traders and other outsiders and it seems as if won’t be long before shell money
dissapears all together from the Dao culture. There is also another type of currency that has been introduced to the Dao
people in recent years however. A type of currency that can make a purchase which no other money, whether shell money
of paper money, could ever make.

"What can any of us purchase with our shell money that is as great as what God has purchased for us? Who here has
the type of money that has to be given in order that we can become part of God’s family? Is there even one of us that
could pay the price that has to be paid? Is there even a single one that is able to cover this debt?” Daapoi asked the
listeners as he finished reading the last part of 1 Corinthians 1 in this last Sunday’s believers gathering. He again repeated
some of the words of verse 30: “God alone made it possible for you to be in Christ Jesus… He is the one who made us acceptable to
God…He gave Himself to purchase our freedom.”

 

There was silence for a brief moment and then Debatomaa spoke out saying “Our shell money would never be enough!
This is something that cannot be paid with the type of money that we have. Only Jesus could give what is needed! His
blood is the only thing that could be used to pay this debt, isn’t it?!” Wusimpaa added in from across the room; “Look
at my hand! Do you see the bandage? I acidentally cut it with my machete yesterday. The blood trickled to the ground
but it accomplished nothing! My blood could never pay that debt!” Kogipiyaa (top left picture) chimed in; “If the blood
of our domesticated pigs were sufficient we could pay with that but it’s not enough. It also could never pay that debt
could it?” Onepedeo (top right picture), the wife of Kogipiyaa also shared; “Traditionally, when our people have sickness
we cut ourselves with bamboo knives in order to try to drain some of the blood of the infected area. Often times a lot
of blood is lost but still, this blood would never suffice for the payment that had to be made because it is not the blood
of God’s only Son Jesus!”

 

Then the conversation came back around the room to Daapoi again; “It is a true talk that each of you say today, because
if the blood of one of us or any of these other things could suffice, we would have what we needed to pay this debt. But
we don’t have the type of currency needed for this debt do we? Not without Jesus. He is the only One that has the type
of currency needed. Only He could purchase our freedom and pay this debt. Without Him we would be hopeless at
best. Thank you Jesus!” he said to the others as he concluded the message for the day. To which all of us others in the
room replied “Yes, thank you Jesus!”. As the Dao people have been learning from 1 Corinthians, He surely has provided
the currency needed to pay a debt that none of us would ever on our own be able to pay. His blood is the greatest currency
of all!

Please continue to pray for the individual church leaders, teacher trainees and various believers here in Dao as we
study this amazing book together. Pray for specifically Daapoi, Kogipiyaa, Debatoma, & Paatoma as they seek to lead
and shepherd the local church as we in turn seek to shepherd and guide them. Pray that we will all continue to grow in
our faith and be encouraged by these awesome truths as we study them together. Pray also for the different outreaches
going on and those leading them in the villages of Paimokau, Taomi & Kupekuye. Thank you also for your prayers
concerning the health of our family. The rib that the doctors told us Jennie had cracked during the whooping cough
episode seems to be healing and she is feeling a lot better this week as she continues on translating. Our son Moses also
seems more energetic and healthy than ever and #2 as well seems to be doing constant summersalts within the womb
according to Jennie, which is a good sign that that little one is devoloping well also J