“How come we sing, “Blanc, plus blanc que neige, lavé dans le sang de l’angeau je serai plus blanc que la neige?” (“White, whiter than snow, washed in the blood of the lamb, I will be whiter than snow?”) Nothing can be whiter than this!” Toussaint was looking at the ball of brilliant white snow he was holding in his hand. After more than 24 hours of snowfall, we had gone out for a walk in the little village where we’ve been spending winter vacation with my parents during our home leave.

“That’s exactly the point!” I replied. “The way God wants to cleanse us from our sins, the pureness He wants to give us is beyond anything we can imagine!”

Our brothers and sisters in Natitingou like to sing this song, but there isn’t really anything this white in nature in Benin. I’ve heard people attempt to contextualize by singing, “Whiter than cotton,” but it is only a poor comparison. They have seen snow on TV, but they know that not everything on TV is real, so they’re not sure about this fluffy white stuff. We will make sure to bring back pictures with Toussaint in the snow as proof. Maybe it will help our friends in Benin to get a better idea of the meaning of this song and the greatness of Jesus’ sacrifice and forgiveness.

We praise God for the beauty of nature we are able to experience during these days, and we thank Him for the chance to get some rest.

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