CHAPTER ONE

Christian Missionaries Arrive in Kema  


In the heart of the small village of Kema, nestled between rolling hills and flowing streams lived a 12 year old girl named Thiafa. She was raised by her parents Ptah and Bastet to cherish the essence of spirituality, love and compassion.

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From birth and all of her short life, Thiafa was taught, understood and had a profound connection to the unseen, a connection that required no structured religion, god or named deities.

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One day, strangers arrived in the Village of Kema, clothed in unfamiliar garments carrying stories of a God they called Jesus Christ. These were missionaries, determined to spread their beliefs to the villagers of Kema. Thiafa, curious yet content in her spiritual upbringing, listened attentively with her parents and the other villagers.
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Ptah, Bastet, and Thiafa knew that their ancient connection to spirituality, kindness and love were intrinsic to their nature. Their respect for humanity required no external coercion or unseen god to fear or guide them.


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The missionaries spoke of a god to be loved and feared at the same time. This same god would punish those who did not believe, once they learned of his existence. They also introduced the concept of sin to the villagers. However, the people of Kema, with such a strong and deep connection to the spiritual realm as their ancestors taught, had no fear or emotional discourse to what the missionaries believed or told them. 



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The missionaries remained in the village for several months attempting to convert the villagers to their beliefs, but the strength of their spirituality could not be broken. 




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CHAPTER TWO: 
Thiafa Rescues A Missionary 

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One sunny afternoon as the villagers gathered by the river to catch fish and get fresh water, a Christian missionary named Matthew fell in the river and was swept away by a swift current. While being swept in the direction of the current, Matthew hit his head on a rock getting knocked out by the blow. 


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Without hesitation little Thiafa dove into the water, her small frame slicing through the current like a guardian spirit. Thiafa, swimming with relentless vigor and unwavering determination finally reached Matthew's lifeless body. 




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Having a strength unknown to her, Thiafa was able to swim with Matthew's lifeless body in tow getting him to the riverbank. Other villagers had gathered around to assist Thiafa, who was exhausted from the swim. Thiafa's father Ptah began to perform CPR, successfully saving Matthew's life. 




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Matthew was very grateful to Thiafa and the villagers for saving his life. Now he was able to see they did not need the god he believed in to live a loving, compassionate and righteous life. He knew that his judgment of them was wrong. During the remainder of his visit, Matthew sought to learn about the history and culture of the villagers and their seemingly innate spiritual nature.



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While walking down a common path known to the villagers, Thiafa noticed a large tree had fallen blocking the pathway. As Thiafa got closer, she heard a woman's voice yelling for help. It was a Christian missionary named Mary trapped by a massive tree that had fallen on her. A branch from the tree had punctured her lung.  





CHAPTER THREE
The Tree of Life is Also the Tree of Lessons 


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