Familiar Yet Changed

It has been a year since I have walked the dirt road of Bundibugyo. There are so many things here that are still so familiar and feel so natural. It took me a couple of minutes to remember the Lubwisi greetings because I have Moru in my head these days, but after greeting a couple of people it all came back to me. It has been great to sit on the front porch of the house where I used to stay catching up with neighborhood kids. Some of them have grown and matured so much in just a year. On Wednesday I went to visit St. Padre Pio where I taught a bit two years ago. The school has changed a lot. They have added new buildings which have beautiful educational pictures painted on the walls and the teachers have done a great job cover the inside walls with charts and posters. Two more classes were added so P5 is now their top class. I moved around to each of the classes to greet the students and was happy to see some familiar faces. When I taught I worked mainly with the older children in P2 and P3 and as I entered their classroom it warmed my heart to see their excited faces in response to my return. The most common phrase spoken to me in the last 48 hours as been ‘thank you for not forgetting us.’ It means a lot to the people of Bundibugyo to see us return. I am also thankful for the impact this place has had on my life and how the Lord continues to bring me back.

It was so great being greeted by familiar faces at the school. This is the class I most often taught almost two years back.

Fun Times

Last weekend I met up with the Bundibugyo team in Fort Portal and then we all headed to Queen Elizabeth National Park where we spent 2 days. The weather was not the greatest, although for me the cool weather was a nice break from the heat. Even though at times it was too cold to dip in the pool, we still had a good time relaxing in the lounge chairs, playing games, staying up late, and drinking hot coco. On Saturday morning we got up before the sun, packed up a picnic breakfast, and headed out on a game drive. Our first goal was to find the lions, but after over an hour of driving we decided we were hungry, so we stopped on the side of the road and pulled out the food. We did not end up seeing any lions, but we did see other amazing creatures like elephants, buffalo, and wart hogs.

Pat pretending like we see something in the distance.

Stopping for our picnic breakfast

The Three Rs

Rest, Recreation, and Reunions. I am now in Uganda looking forward to reconnecting with friends here, spending some time relaxing, visiting Bundibugyo, and playing around in the pool. I will be in Uganda for two weeks starting off with a weekend away at Queen Elizabeth National Park where I will be meeting up with most of the Bundibugyo team. I hope to find some rest in the midst of movement from one place to the next. Please pray for safe travels and a rejuvenating trip.

Link Tag

With the schools still closed children spend long days at home either helping with daily tasks or sitting around trying to find ways to entertain themselves. A week or so ago I decided to start learning how to teach different games in Moru so that I can go around the neighborhood and interact with the local kids. Last week I taught different groups of kids how to play Simon Says. Yesterday, along with Acacia Masso, and Libby (one of our visitors), I taught our neighborhood children how to play link tag. After repeating myself a few times and using Acacia to demonstrate, the children seemed to get the hang of it. If children got confused we would just yell mimu (you run) or minjo ndana (you chase him/her. There was lots of sliding and gasping, and loads of laughter as children raced around.

Ice Cream You Scream We all Scream for Ice Cream!

Last Thursday we celebrated Liana's 10th birthday. Thanks to the West End team, who brought us an ice cream maker, we got to enjoy our first batch of homemade ice cream. Ice cream is a huge treat here because we can't just walk down to the nearest convenient store to buy some Ben and Jerry's Mud Pie delight. Instead we have to remember a couple of days in advance to stick tons of water in the freezer and make sure we have plenty of salt. Then on the day of the churning we smash the ice into pieces and take our turn with the cranking. After about 45-60 min. of churning we have cold creamy deliciousness. During my time in Bundibugyo I got to enjoy some homemade ice cream made with milk straight from the cow, so tasty! Here in Mundri we have the luxury of powdered milk :o), something I have gotten used to over time. But the other day was my first time eating powdered milk ice cream. To be honest I think i was so excited about eating ice cream that I couldn't really taste a difference. I am surprised we didn't have any spoon fights as we went back for seconds :o).

Feel Free

Feel free, be free, you’re free, feel at home; these are common words one will hear during their visit or stay in Mundri. Last Monday night the church hosted a goodbye/thank you dinner for the team of 8 that spent the last week here. Many words of thanks and appreciation were shared and glory given to God for the ways that he connects us all. One of the men from the team made a comment about the phrases above and how warmly received they had been as a team and how they truly felt right at home. I too am always touched by the ways I am always lovingly received when visiting homes, churches, schools, etc. Every time I go for my language lesson I feel right at home when sitting with Mary at her place. This last Sunday Larissa and I went with two of the visitors to a church on the other side of the river. One of our visitors was asked to be the guest preacher. When we arrived we were surrounded by smiles and welcoming greetings. When it was time for the service to begin we were ushered to the front to sit in plastic chairs that looked out into the bright faces of the congregation. Not surprising seats for guests. Throughout the service the church was filled with dancing, ululating, drumming, and voices praising the Father. Towards the end of the service they had arranged for the women’s and children’s choirs to share a few songs in honor of the guests. Each group also offered gifts of locally made baskets and stools. This is just another example of how people here truly make you feel at home and free to be with them.

Speaking Through Fun and Laughter

About two weeks ago my teammate Kyle, along with the interns, started playing volleyball with some of the local young men. Last Friday I was also asked to participate in the fun. We thought it would be a good idea for girls to be encouraged to play and may feel more encouraged if seeing me play. I felt very welcome by all those who played and there was even one other gal who played along with us.
I think it would be hard to find a culture that didn’t allow some time for a little fun and games, or didn’t enjoy a little friendly competition. Some people just have to be a little more creative than others. Just yesterday when I was out on a language walk I passed a group of neighbor kids playing a local game in the dirt. If you are familiar with the game Monkala(sp?), it is very similar. These kids dug cups in the ground and then used rocks as the pieces. I walked over to those playing and asked if they would teach me, taking this opportunity to spend time with children, and learn something new maybe along with some language practice. People here are always surprised when we are willing to sit in the dirt and get a little grimy. I would take dirty clothes and grungy fingernails anyday if it meant having these kinds of opportunities and experiences. After a couple of rounds of their stone game, I also taught some how to play Uno, which I happened to have with me. It was fun to have this exchange of games and communicate through fun and laughs. There are so many games that really don’t need a lot of verbal communication, and praise God that enjoyment can be expressed in so many ways.

Prayer Walk

On Tuesday we had a team of 8 arrive from a church in Virginia that supports both Christine and the Masso family. They will be with us for a week, helping with small projects, leading a two day workshop, preaching in a couple of local churches, and praying for Mundri and the continued advancement of the Lord’s kingdom here. Yesterday we took this team around Mundri for a prayer walk. We stopped at MRDA (Mundri Relief and Development Association), the secondary school, the local primary school where I have been getting to know the staff, the health center, and the market. At each place questions were asked, challenges were shared, and prayers were lifted up. Many Sudanese were encouraged that this group came all the way from the states to be with them and pray with them knowing that the prayers would continue even across the ocean.
When we were at both schools the biggest challenge shared was this recent strike. I am sad to report that the strike is now continuing on its 6th week. And there doesn’t seem to be any news that the salaries are coming any time soon. Please continue to pray boldly for an end to the strike and for a fruitfull time for this short term team.