Making Bread

Yesterday I went to the local bakery to help make bread. Well actually when I say bakery I mean a little open shack and a locally made brick oven. A place where a few hundred round pieces of bread are made for the consumption of hungry customers at two local restaurants. The bread making process starts right at sun up and the last piece of bread is pulled out of the oven 5 or so hours later. Acacia, Larissa, and I helped roll the dough into little balls which later got patted down into flat circles. The whole process was pretty fascinating and the bread tastes phenomenal. I may not be able to communicate well with our Arabic speaking friends with my very very limited Arabic, but we can still laugh together and teach one another new things. Below are some pictures of the bread making process.

Observing Lessons

This last week I started sitting in on some lessons at one of the local primary schools. The teachers have been so open to allowing me to sit and watch them teach and interact with their students. They understand that I want to learn more about the schools here and what it is like for them as teachers. I believe just sitting in a class will better show me how to encourage and pray for the students and teachers here in Mundri. I have no idea what it is like to teach more than 30 students at a time, under a tree outside where there are dozens of distractions. Even when I taught in Bundibugyo the classes I taught were smaller than average because they were the older students. There were plenty of times I taught large groups games outside, but there was no pressure to meet the goals on the syllabus or prepare students for exams. On Tuesday I sat in on an English lesson where P6 (6th grade or so) students had to match words like impossible, argument, and agree to their correct definition. It seemed like a difficult lesson with lots of guessing. Then on Friday I sat in on a math lesson for P1 students. The teacher had her students pull out some counting sticks they must have crafted at home. She taught the students how to use their sticks, those who had them anyway, for simple subtraction. Then she listed about 5 subtraction problems on the board for students to work on independently in their exercise books. When they finished they all lined up and waited patiently for their turn to meet with the teacher for correcting. This teacher looked at 60+ exercise books during this time! The Lord continues to place a vision in my heart for how he desires for me to be involved in the schools here. He also continues to challenge me and broaden my views and ideas about education to see that different things work in different places.

Complete Immersion

Last week I had the pleasure of staying with my language helper and her family. In those 5 days my love and respect for the people of Mundri grew immensely. Each morning M. and her family woke around 6:30am where at this time many trips were taken back and forth to the local bore hole for collecting water for that day’s supply. From there tea was brewed and taken with bread for a light breakfast, dishes were washed and then general cleaning done. In the midst of the cycle of washing, cooking, collecting, and cleaning time was spent grieving over a lost loved one with nearby neighbors, celebrating in the birth of a new baby, or just sitting with friends and family. Last week alone I attended two funerals and one traditional newborn revealing. And the evening that I left, M. was on her way to another funeral. During this week I may not have added heavily to my Moru speaking ability, but I was stretched and awe struck over the love that people have for each other here. One day during my visit I got sick and if I wasn’t in the choo (bathroom), I was laying in bed. M. and her sister -in-law took care of me as if I was their daughter checking on me constantly and encouraging me to eat and drink. Even one of the uncles who live with them noticed my constant trips to the bathroom and took one of their plastic chairs and cut a hole in it thinking I would rather have something to sit on vs. squatting (a little embarrassing at first, but something I laugh about now because it was very thoughtful). People here are truly and genuinely concerned for other people. I could go on and on about how I saw and experienced the love of the Lord reflecting through this family, but I will stop here by saying I am thankful for this humbling experience.


While I was there I taught two of the girls how to play some card games.

Cooking over the local 3 stone stove.

The Strike is Over!

“Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep.” Psalm 36:5-6
I again see children moving to and from school each week day. The teacher strike is finally over! God is SO GOOD! As devastating as it was to see children sit at home instead of go to school for two whole months, God’s hand was at work uncovering injustice and paving a way for Mundri to lead as an example through what was uncovered. Because of the boldness of teachers here in Mundri an education committee was formed and forced to move around to survey schools and teachers to figure out the problem. In the end there was indeed dishonesty taking place. As the surveyors moved around to all the schools in Western Equatorial State they found that schools on their list didn’t actually exist, and the same with some teachers, here they term this has ghost schools and teachers. I am not quite sure how one goes about creating a ghost school and teacher raster without notice, but it happens. The money is then pocketed by those involved in the scheme instead of used for the good of education. The teachers who really are legit were promised all of their back pay from months where there was a decrease and told that from now on they would get 100% of their salary. This unveiling has also led to a desire to look into other states and investigate whether or not government money is really being used for education.
This strike has evidently had an impact both positively and negatively on the community. All glory to the Father for his stretching faithfulness and great justice. But please also continue praying for the negative impact of students being out of school for 2 months. They are far behind other children in s. Sudan and getting back in the rhythm of learning and teaching can take some time. Pray that teachers will be ready and excited to help their students catch up and students will be motivated and eager to learn.

Back in Mundri

I am thankful for my time away in Uganda. And as I said in previous blog entries I couldn't have asked for a better time in Bundibugyo. My time ended with 6 days in Kampala where I attended a wedding of an old teammate of mine from Bundibugyo who married a Ugandan that used to teach at Christ School, went to church with some friends to Calvary Chapel Kampala, and spent 3 long days in town most of which were dedicated to getting my work permit. I left Uganda a little more exhausted than I expected to be but I am thankful that I did get my work permit and time with friends I won't see for awhile. I am now very glad to be back in Mundri. I have had some time to rest, visit neighbors, and go to the Parish school. Next Monday I will go and spend a week with my language helper and her family. I told her that I wanted to be treated as a family member and not a visitor during my stay. We'll see what happens. I look forward to being immersed in the culture and language for a longer period, learning how to cook local food, and helping dig in the garden. I know through this week I will gain new perspectives on Moru living.

The Lord Sustains Relationships

I could not have asked for a better time in Bundibugyo. Heading into Bundi last week I thought 3 full days is never going to be long enough to reconnect with friends. But of course God is great and faithful. Even though there are many people who live in the area of Bundi where the mission is based, it is not surprising to meet a familiar face on the road. But then with each new day I ran into more and more people and they became people I never expected to see with my limited time. On Wednesday evening after returning from a bike ride to the pottery house I ran into a girl who used to come and visit me almost every day, but then went off to Secondary school in a town on the other side of the mountains. Right before I saw her I had just passed her house and thought to myself’ ‘I wonder how she is doing?’ And then wham there she was. She now attends a school that is on the Bundibugyo side of the mountains but still a good distance away. Somehow the message got passed to her that I was around and she walked that good distance just to come and greet me. My cheeks hurt from smiling so much because I was so ecstatic over her visit. This is just one example of how the Lord truly blessed my time in Bundi. The Lord also used these reconnections to show me that he can sustain relationships even through distance and different cultures. I am so thankful for each moment spent with the many I love in this place that is still a home to me.