Called to One Hope

Thank You

2010-11-27T09:39:00.000-08:00

“You are my God, and I will give you thanks; you are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” Psalm 118:28-29

In the last week I have been around a lot of young children including my precious and beautiful niece. I have been reminded that at a young age children are taught to say please and thank you upon receiving anything. Being the week of Thanksgiving I thought more about this idea of being taught to say thank you after being given something more than I might normally. Even now my heart still associates thanksgiving with gifts. When I use these words 'thank you', it is typically after I have received something. This something isn't necessarily a gift but even things like time, help, or other expressions of kindness. This practice also carries over to my relationship with my heavenly Father. When I see my Father blessing me and giving me the desires of my heart, it is easy to say thank you. But when God’s goodness is not evident to my eyes, the thankfulness does not come as naturally. However, I am learning that faith and thanksgiving go hand in hand. I may not see all the wonderful things my Father is doing, but I have faith that He is always at work pouring out is grace, love, and mercy into my life and the lives of others. I have faith that God is faithful all the time and his promises are sure, therefore I can have a heart that remains thankful. And even when my eyes of faith become a bit hazy and I don’t see what the Lord is doing or understand it, I can remember that God is God, my God, and his love does endure forever, that in itself is enough to be thankful.

Hello Snow!

2010-11-23T10:16:00.001-08:00

I knew I was in for a climate change arriving back in the U.S. in November, but I thought I would have a few weeks before the freezing temps would hit. Instead as I got off the plane last week I was welcomed by 37 degree wind. And then just days later a fun blanket of early winter snow. It is hard to imagine that just a couple of weeks ago I was sleeping under just a thin sheet and now at every house I visit I look for the seat that has a near by blanket to wrap in. I am thankful for gloves, sweaters, warm boots, and very thankful that my mom does not mind blasting the heat. Some are saying we are in for a harsh winter, but for Seattle that could mean just a few inches of snow on the ground :o). I don't mind having an excuse to stay in the warm house drinking hot tea and just enjoying its simplicity.

Goodbye Mundri

2010-11-21T14:22:00.001-08:00

Goodbyes are never easy, but I am learning that hard goodbyes are good goodbyes. As I sat with my friends in Mundri not knowing when I may see them again and feeling the sadness weigh in, it was a reminder that God allowed me to invest in this place, to love many, and to be loved by many. The goodbye was hard because Mundri became my home and my teammates and Sudanese friends became my family. The goodbye was hard because the Lord used Mundri to change and transform me, to teach me about dependence and community, to show me that I am not any less needy than my African brothers and sisters. The goodbye was hard because the future is unpredictable both for me and those I love in s. Sudan. And the goodbye was hard because I loved living in a place that was simple yet challenging. I loved riding my bike up and down the dirt road everyday wondering if a big truck was going to pass and leave me coated in dust. I loved greeting everyone as they passed. I loved going to the market a few days a week to by fresh veg. I loved entering a classroom as the students sang their greeting song. I loved sitting with friends as they served a cup of tea. I loved waking up to the sounds of chirping birds and falling asleep to the pitter patter of rain on the tin roof. I loved laughing with teammates and Sudanese friends as we exchanged African English phrases. I loved planning and carrying out teacher trainings with my teammate Bethany. I loved sitting with my small group girls as I read them books and they got new glimpses into the world and saw new pictures of their Creator. I loved cooking for my teammates every Monday night. And I love the many many things I have learned through my time in Mundri. So even though the sadness of the goodbye is still heavy, I am thankful for the hard goodbye because it means that Mundri was not just this place I lived in once upon a time, but was and will always be a home to me.

Me and my small group girls after our last meeting together

I felt very loved by my teammates as they threw me a wedding recpetion themed goodbye party

On my last Sunday at church I introduced my mother and grandmother as well as said my goodbye

This is Pastor Paul and his family which includes my good friend Nagenti and Regina one of the girls in my small group

This is my Moru family the Morris family. I spent my hours at their home playing games, eating good food, having sleep overs, learning language, and having lots of laughs.

Hellos and Goodbyes

2010-11-14T01:09:00.000-08:00

Hellos and goodbyes are a constant in life for all, but I do have to say for a missionary there are many seasons where they seem never ending. Last Friday Nov. 5th I took a road trip with some of my teammates to Juba where we picked up my mother and grandmother. None of us had been to Juba by road and the stories we heard from others of police checks and few helpful people were not encouraging. However, God opened the way and the trip could not have gone better. I was excited to walk into the Juba airport and watch my mom and grandma come through customs with no problems or hassles. It is funny to think that their introduction to Sudan was Juba, a developing city in s. Sudan, full of people, traffic, NGOs, and expensive lodging that is not what you pay for. But although the amount of money that pours into this place is astounding, we were thankful for a great Mexican meal on the Nile, ice cream, a chance to walk into a small supermarket, and wonderfully smooth paved roads.

Once we arrived back in Mundri, it was time for the goodbyes to begin. Hello mom and grandma, goodbye Mundri. As hard as it was to say hello and goodbye in the same week, I am thankful that my mom and grandma were there to move around with me as I sat with friends, shared words of appreciation, prayed with them, and said goodbye. Through that time my mom and grandma were able to see how the Lord has truly blessed me through my relationships in Mundri.

Harvesting

2010-10-27T01:34:00.001-07:00

I think most would agree that Autumn is a beautiful season full of color, change, and smells and tastes to delight in. Even though we live in the blistering hot south Sudan, we too are enjoying our fair share of Autumn beauty and reaping the benefits of the harvest. As most of you head to the pumpkin patch to pick out your bright orange pumpkins, we head to the market where we too find dozens of yellowish/green locally grown pumpkins. However, we have yet to carve jack-o-lanterns, but we have been making delicious goodies such as pumpkin bread, scones, cookies, pumpkin soup, and other pumkin delights. My teammate Scott has been pretty committed to making Sunday dinners all things garden. He and Larissa both have their own gardens on our compound and because of this we have enjoyed fresh salads and other fresh veg for the last few weeks. This last Saturday I went with my friend Mary to her garden and helped harvest sesame seeds. This involved bending over in the blazing sun, and cuting branches of sesame seed until I had a big enough bunch that could be tied together and hung to dry. I would say I successfully cut about 20 bunches. Aside from the heat, it was a great day and I'm thankful for a small taste of harvesting season here in s. Sudan. Here in Sudan the leaves may not change into beautiful Autumn shades, we may not have crisp cool air, or be able to drive to Starbucks to enjoy their pumpkin spice latte, but we are thankful for this harvest season, for the abundance found in the market, for the gardens that have been blessed immensely by this years rains, and for the reminder that we are a part of an even greater harvest.

You Are Special

2010-10-25T06:42:00.000-07:00

“Jesus came to announce to us that an identity based on success, popularity, and power is false identity- an illusion! Loudly and clearly he says: ‘You are not what the world makes you; but you are children of God.’ Henri Nouwen- Here and Now

In the last few weeks I have become very familiar with the book You Are Special by Max Lucado because I have read it both with the teachers at our training and with my small group. For those of you who are not familiar with this book, it is about a village of wooden people who were all made by the same woodcarver, Eli. Everyday these wooden people move about giving each other stars (good) and dots (bad) according to their talents, beauty, and gifts or the lack there of. The main character, Punchinello, was covered in dots because he could not do any of the things that earned stars. Because of the bad marks he had been given he began to believe that he was not a good wooden person. However, one day he met a wooden person who had no marks and she told him to go and see the woodcarver. Punchinello finds out that Eli thinks he is very special and that he should not care what the other wooden people think. The moral of this story is that we too are special and we should always be looking to our heavenly Father to tell us who we are.

No matter what town, village, or country we live in we are all human. Just like the wooden people in this book we move about giving one another stickers with our words and actions. We try to tell others who they are and we also begin to believe ourselves that we are who the world tells us we are. We fall into traps and then stoop to finding our identity in success, popularity, and power. But just as the quote above says, Christ came to announce that we are children of God and that our identity should be found in Him alone. God tells us He loves us no matter what and that we are all very special. It doesn’t matter if we are extremely successful or beautiful by the world’s standards or possess lots of wonderful things. God’s love for us never changes. I enjoyed seeing my friends here relate to this book just as much as I do and now we even go around telling one another that we are special because God made us and we are His.
Here I am reading the book to my small group.

The girls made a mirror decoration that will remind them they are special every time they look in the mirror.

Here is one of the girls telling the story to her siblings using the book to show pictures.

Making Pancakes

2010-10-09T01:28:00.000-07:00

In the last couple of weeks the girls in my small group have been enjoying the book Mama Panya's Pancakes about a Kenyan women who plans on making pancakes for her and her son, but then her son invites all of his friends. Yesterday I brought all the necessary ingredients which can actually be found locally, and together with the girls we made pumpkin pancakes. I introduced them to the flipper and it was pretty hilarious to watch them try to flip the pancakes. They had a great time laughing at each other and themselves during the process. And then of course the great thing about cooking lessons is that you get to eat the final product. Others on the compound also lucked out because they were in the right place at the right time. Maybe now pancakes will begin to show up in Mundri town.

Way To Go Teachers!

2010-10-03T03:34:00.000-07:00

On the last day of training we handed out certificates to all the participants to honor their completion of all 3 phases. Above you see them all standing proudly showing off their certificate. The week was very successful and went better than we ever could have expected. I am so thankful for each individual in the picture above and blown away by all of the growth I have seen since our 1st training in March. Now I look forward to visiting each participant at their school before I leave Mundri in January.

Dancing for Punishment

2010-09-30T07:59:00.000-07:00

During Phase 1 of our training I wrote a blog post about the different jobs that are assigned for the week. For example: the time keeper, the energizer who leads songs when people get tired, the Spiritual minister who prayers or assigns someone to pray throughout the week, and the Lawer who is in charge of disciplining people whose cell phones go off during the training. At the begining of the week our Lawer was not feeling to well and didn't have much energy to do her job. But today she was feeling a lot better and became very serious about punishing those whose cell phones went off during the lessons. For anyone whose cell phone rang more than once during the day, they had to get up in front of the class and dance for punishment. I too got to join in the dancing fun because my phone rang 20 min. before our last lesson finished. I didn't quite have the same moves as my teacher friends, but it was still a funny sight to see.

Being Kids Again

2010-09-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

This week at our teacher training I am reminded of my days in training courses for elementary education. I took a course on each subject area that I would be teaching in the school and for each class I was asked to create lesson after lesson. I learned about the different parts of a lesson and how if we as teachers do not plan well it can really impact how our students learn. This week we are sharing some of these lesson plan ideas with the participants at our training. And just as I had to present my lessons to my peers as if they were my students, this week the teachers in our training are also being given the chance to present their lesson and act as students. I laugh at how quickly we as grown-ups jump at the chance to become kids again. The teachers have had no problem acting as students as they pretend they don’t understand the teacher, point to the wrong pictures, ask silly questions, or blurt out obnoxious responses. I can’t help but smile as I see our participants grasp new ideas and have fun in the process.

In this picture Melissa (who has come for 10 weeks to help teach Michael and Karen's children) is teaching the participants a song before she begins a lesson on leaves and graphing. The participants had a great time learning the new song and participating in the lesson activities. Below you will see some volunteers holding leaves and joining in another song that ends with their leaves dropping to the ground. One of the best types of learning is modeling and then doing :o).

Abiding in Christ

2010-09-27T08:10:00.000-07:00

"Remain in Me and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by iteself without staying on the vine, so you cannot without remaining in Me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who remains in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing."
John 15:4-5

Today was day one of the phase 3 teacher training seminar. This week our focus and theme is on the fruit of the Spirit and how we has teachers are called to live by the Spirit so that we can bear fruit and to encourage our students to live in a way that bears the fruit of the Spirit. Bethany started off our training by reminding the teachers that we cannot bear fruit if we do not first abide in Christ. As everyone stood under a Mango tree we discussed how a branch cannot bear fruit on its own and how it is the roots of the tree and the tree itself that provides life for the branches so that they can produce fruit. As we root ourselves in Christ we too can bear fruit.

This week for a visual aid we are creating pictures of fruit to remind us that we ourselves desire to bear fruit. Today the teachers worked diligently on drawing mangos and writing John 15:12 to remind us to love as Christ loves.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

2010-09-25T02:21:00.000-07:00

"Chicka Chicka Boom Boom! Will there be enough room?" Many of you may be familiar with this popular childrens' book commonly read in Kindergarten. Thanks to one of our summer visitors I was able to share this loved book with the students at Baya Primary. They may not have understood 50% of the words, but they sure did love the rhythm of the book and joining in on the chanting of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. Children here rarely see picture books and so the colored pictures alone captivated their attention. To take the lesson a step further I had the students trace their hands on green construction paper and together we created our own coconut tree with our names in alphabetical order. The children had a great time tracing and cutting out their hands and were very proud of their final product.

Sudan Road Trip

2010-09-18T03:20:00.000-07:00

As most of you may know we finally got our new team car a little over a month ago. It has been a huge blessing as we move around Mundri. But more recently we put it to some good use to go and pick up Bethany from Yei (a town near the Ugandan boarder). It turned out that MAF was not flying on the 16th and so her only option was to fly into Yei and have someone come and pick her up. Who better for the job than James and I. James as the driver of course and me as the VERY helpful and observant passenger :o). The road trip started out like any other...getting up at 4:30am, making sure we had sufficient snacks to get us through the journey, and double checking we had all necessary items for unexected car problems or hassels at police checks. The First couple of hours were pretty peaceful as we drove through the dark deserted town of Mundri only inhabited at that hour by packs of dogs scrounging for food, passing only 1 vehicle on the road, and taking our time driving around potholes. The longest road journey anyone has taken on our team has been a 4ish hour journey in the Bishops car where the biggest obstacle has been bumps and ruts in the road, so we had no idea what to expect. I am very glad that I didn't know what to expect because I may have not had the same amount of enthusiasm about the journey. Here is a snapshot of our journey.

The scetchy bridge. As we pulled up to this bridge I thought to myself, 'do we really have to cross over that?' James got out to check it out. It actually looks worse than it is, but I definitely was not looking forward to crossing it a second time on the way back.

The raging rivers. Michael said we might run into some river crossings, but of course we were hoping that wouldn't be the case. What's a Sudan road trip though without not just one but two river crossings? My appreciation for our car and it's capabilities increased as our journey continued.

A pleasant surprise along the way was this sign for Hot Springs. Who would have known just a few hours a way was a small tourist actraction. The attractive sign alone sparks curiosity. We didn't have time to stop on the way to Yei, but of course we had to check it out on the way home.

The sign is a little more exciting than the hot spring itself, but you will notice that they definitely did not falsely advertise. The hot spring looks exactly like the picture and the size doesn't lie either. Even though it looks like a small puddle it really is a hot spring. We touched the water just to make sure.

We got back in the car hoping that the nice serene picture of the hot spring would be a pleasant end to our journey, but that nice serene picture soon turned into a muddly disaster. Just as we made it back through the second of the two rivers we drove partly through a puddle that one would think would be nothing compared to a river...unfortunetly it was worse. Our right front tire got sucked down into the quicksand mud and the vehicle slowly started tiping on its side. As the shock began to calm a bit I notice water coming in my door. It was time to move out of the vehicle. One thing I love about Africa is that you can be on a road that seems deserted with no houses in site, but yet people still show up out of nowhere. With the help of 8 men, the patience of James, 4 wheel drive, hard pushing, and of course our awesome Father who is the great helper the car was rescued from this mud pit and safely back on the road. After a 13 hour journey with more adventure than we could have ever expected we were happy to pull into our compound and join the birthday festivities for my teammate John. James and I definitely grew a lot closer during this experience and it will be a road trip we will never forget.

Experiencing Bundibugyo with James

2010-09-18T02:54:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful time taking James around Kampala and then going the 7 to 8 hour ride to Bundi. We took public transportation whicho consisted of the Kalita bus, a matatu (15 passenger seat van that turns into at least a 20 passenger vehicle) and then a small car from Bundi town to Nyahuka. I am thankful for the blessing of being able to return to Bundibugyo. This visit was even more special as I showed James around this place that is very dear to my heart and introduced him to friends. People hooped and cheered when we told them we are to be married next year. James fit right in as you will see below.

Enjoying chicken on a stick from Mubende or otherwise known as the "in your face chicken place."

One of our visits in Bundi was to the pottery house. A home many of you may remember me sharing about. I spent many days and even some nights with the women and children who live at this home. James didn't waist anytime and jumped right in to play with the kids. Above you will notice him trying to teach the children how to juggle.

My dear friend Adija. She has such a kind heart. She prepared us a nice meal of rice and eggs. She welcomed James and now even refers to him as her grandson since I am like her granddaughter.

In the pictures below are 3 young teens who befriended me when I first arrived in Bundi. Of course at that time though they were young kids. They have grown so much and I am thankful to still be a part of their lives and now for James to know them as well.

On the way back from Bundi to Kampala we took the luxurious option of hiring our own driver. This allowed us to stop whenever we wanted and take pics of Uganda's beautiful scenery. My friend Amina traveled with us both ways. Here we all are standing in the Fort Portal tea fields. I could not have asked for a better trip to Bundi. It was great to see the team who welcomed us so graciously and to be reminded that God is still moving and working in a place that has seen so much change and transition.

Rebuilding the Walls

2010-08-25T02:00:00.000-07:00

“Then I prayed to the God of heaven, and I answered the king, ‘If it pleases the king and if you servant has found favor in this sight, let him send me to the city of Judah where my fathers are buried so that I can rebuild it.’ Nehemiah 2:5

I am currently reading the book of Nehemiah; a book about the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. Three years ago this month a group of 7 of us set out to explore Mundri, s. Sudan as the starting place for WHM ministry in Sudan. And now we have had a team here for almost 2 years. South Sudan is a land that has faced a lot of destruction, but in the last few years many have been coming together and have begun the rebuilding process. As I have been reading Nehemiah, Sudan has been on my heart especially with the upcoming referendum. Sudan is a nation that has seen years of war, ruin, violence, and devastation. But in our time here we have seen glimpses of hope for a future free of war and destruction. We have seen new buildings go up, plans come together for the renovation of Bishop Ngalamu College, new solar pumps replace hand pumps, the expansion of the market, preparations being made for new roads, and even articles about s. Sudan’s proposal for animal shaped cities, seems laughable, I know, but it still shows the desire for change and transformation. I am thankful that many are moving forward in hopes of a peaceful future for Sudan, but as I read Nehemiah I am also driven to prayer. Please also join me in praying for Sudan and the upcoming Referendum. Just as Nehemiah faced opposition in the rebuilding of Jerusalem’s walls, Sudan too may face opposition as they try and seek a future that is best for the people. Please pray that God would be paving the way for the nation. Pray that He would be the foundation in the rebuilding process.

Fresh Eyes

2010-08-17T02:14:00.000-07:00

Transformation and growth happens slowly and over a long period of time. Here in Mundri it is easy for me to miss the amazing ways God is transforming this place and the lives that dwell here. Even in my own heart I can get side tracked and miss the evidence of God’s love and grace in my life. My eyes so easily focus in on the negative, the hopelessness, and the things that are disheartening. I can miss out on so much. This week a church team from Virginia has been experiencing life with us here. They have come with fresh eyes and have been sharing ways they have seen evidence of God’s kingdom coming here in Mundri. They have expressed ways they have encountered Jesus this week by moving out into the community, praying with people, being a part of our team, being brought into our relationships with our Sudanese friends, listening to stories, and through having fresh eyes that seek out the Spirit’s presence in this place. I have been living and serving in Mundri for 15 months now and sadly my eyes have become a bit rusty. But this week my heart has been encouraged by this visiting team and I feel refreshed by their perspectives and experiences here. I believe that even though I have been here for 15 months I can have fresh eyes renewed only by the Spirit and so I pray for this. I pray for fresh eyes to see how God is at work here in Mundri and in my own heart with each new day.

The House Party

2010-07-26T03:11:00.000-07:00

This house party did not have kegs or include juvenile behavior, but we did have many attenders and lots of dancing. Yesterday many gathered to welcome the Arch Bishop of Sudan and to celebrate the completion of the Bishop's house. Our compound has never been so full of people and energy. Here is an overview of the day

The morning started off with stacks of chairs being brought by a large truck; the chairs then being strategically placed in shady areas. Furniture was moved from place to place for the honored guests and large sufrias (pots) were being filled with water in preparation for lots of cooking. Below is a picture of the bean cleaning process. No one wants to bite down on a hard rock thinking it's a bean :o).

In honor or the Arch Bishop and the importance of the completion of the Bishop's house, a bull was purchased and donated by a retired reverend and his family. This was a very generous act of kindness. Below some of my teammates are checking out the scene of the now slaughtered bull.

The childrens' choir led the procession as the Arch Bishop was welcomed by all the attenders. Below you will see Bishop Bismark (Mundri's Bishop) dressed in purple and the Arch Bishop at the tail end holding his tall wooden staff.

The Arch Bishop was led directly to the Bishop's new house where he performed a ribbon cutting ceremony and entered inside to pray a blessing over the house. He then continued on to our team house where he performed another ribbon cutting and prayed for our home. Below you will see many at our windows peeking in at the Arch Bishop as the prayer was said.

After moving from house to house people sat for the Sunday service and speeches of thanksgiving.

While the service was going on, others were preparing large amounts of food for the afternoon meal . Below is the largest vat of linya I have ever seen.

After many encouraging words of thanks were spoken people flocked together and the dancing began. The people of Mundri sure know how to party!

Teacher Training Wrap Up

2010-07-23T03:34:00.000-07:00

It has been a week now since the last day of our training, but I just wanted to share a few more pictures from our last couple o On Thursday Bethany shared the story of the woman at the well. She shared how Jesus loved this woman even though jews thought samaritans to be unclean and even though this woman had made many unwise choices in her life. She encouraged the teachers to love their students no matter what kind of family or tribe they come from and no matter how many mistakes they may make. On Friday I shared a devotion on humility and how as teachers we are going to face oppostition daily. As these teachers move out into their schools and demonstrate love they may face people that ridicule them and tell them they are weak. This is because they are not using their position of power to demand respect. We talked about how love is costly. To love like Jesus may mean we risk our reputations and even relationships. I encouraged these teachers to demonstrate humility and find strength in Christ.

Throughout the week we had the teachers do a bucket project. Each day they decorated their plastic bucket with a verse from that day's teaching. At the end of the week we filled their bucket with different items for them to take back to their schools such as gluesticks, water colors, pencils, etc. These items were given both as a tool and as a reminder of what they learned during their week of training.

Below is a picture of our happy group. Please continue to pray for these teachers. Pray that they would demonstrate Christ's love in their classrooms. Pray they would be a beacon of light in their schools.

Dependence on God drives us to prayer...Day 3

2010-07-14T09:47:00.000-07:00

Today was day 3 of the teacher training. Our topic was dependence. Bethany shared a devotion from 1 John 4 to start us off that reminded us that we can only love others because God first loved us. Together we also brainstormed a list of ways we have to depend on the Lord. Some of the things shared were: in order to forgive others, to provide for us, to guide us, to change or transform us, ect. We talked about how through our dependence we are drawn in to relationship with our Father and therefore and led to pray. We asked the teachers to get in pairs and take some time to share their hearts and pray for one another.

We also talked about how we can work together and depend on one another. We played a game where people competed to see who could be the fastest to move heavy items from one side of the room to the other. At the end of the game we discussed how working together to move the items would be the fastest method. The knot game was the next introduction. A difficult acdtivity but when we all worked together and took our time we did untangle ourselves. Lots of fun, truth, and laughter today!

Teacher Training Day 1

2010-07-12T10:31:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of our teacher training. Bethany led the teachers in a discussion on the question, how do we know when someone loves us? Some of the common responses were: When someone visits you, by receiving greetings from others, when someone forgives you, and when someone advises you, among many other things.

We also played a game where we had a group of items covered with a cloth and would uncover for a specific amount of time and then the teachers had to remember everything they could. Each round we gave them either more time or let them get closer to the items until finally we allowed them also to have time to touch and use more of their sense to figure out what some of the items were. We used this lesson to demonstrate how when we really want to get to know someone (specifically our students) and see who they are we have to really look, take time, move towards them and connect, and be in community with them.
We hope after this first day these teachers feel encouraged to move towards their students in love and to also allow their students to move towards them in new ways as well. We are excited for day 2!

Love is Risky

2010-07-08T05:24:00.000-07:00

“There is no safe investment. To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to be sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket—safe, dark, motionless, airless—it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable….The only place outside of Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers and perturbations of love is Hell.” C.S. Lewis

Next week Bethany and I will be sharing stories from Jesus’ life with 14 primary school teachers. We will be sharing how Jesus is compassionate, honest, he looks at the heart, he sees us for who we really are, he is humble, and dependent on his Father. We will look at how Christ loved others even when it was difficult, uncomfortable, or caused pain. As I prepare to teach and share next week, my own heart is being challenged. I have run into the above quote from C.S. Lewis in two different books I have been reading. At different times during our training we will be discussing love and how it can be difficult to love or even costly to love. As I examine my own heart I can see areas where I hold back or give up because I am fearful of where love may lead me.

C.S. Lewis says, “To love at all is to be vulnerable.” It is hard to be vulnerable and love family and friends when they are miles and miles away. It is hard to be vulnerable and to love through cultural and language barriers. It is hard to be vulnerable and love knowing that hellos and goodbyes never seem to end. It is hard to be vulnerable knowing it could mean showing all of who I am. And it is hard to love knowing chances are it may not always feel good. When I think about the difficulties and pains of love, I am tempted to just lock my heart up, but then I remember that even though love is not a ‘safe investment,’ Christ has invested in me. He suffered for me and loved me first and now asks me to love others. He knows love is not an easy thing for us and so offers his love and strength to live through us. Therefore, I choose to love.

“We love because he first loved us.” 1 John 4:19

Welcome to our Dukul

2010-07-01T05:24:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the Dukul of Bethany and Kim! We are very exciting to have a small place to call our own and have enjoyed adding personal flare to make it feel even more homey.

Our dukul is divided into 3 sections, two of which you will see below. There are two small bedrooms and a larger front/sitting room.

This is our sitting room with our cozy bowl chairs puchased from Uganda. Bethany and I have already gotten great use out of this room as we sit and plan for our next teacher training or watch an episode of Heros on one of our computers.

Welcome to my bedroom! After a year in Mundri I now have a space that is just for me :o). It is a true gift to have a place to go to when I just want to read quiety, journal or just rest.

I love this unique little home. It provides personal space, yet still offers community with the open ceiling and shared common room. Our whole team compound continues to be an inviting peaceful haven.

Youth Day

2010-07-01T05:01:00.000-07:00

This last Saturday both young and old gathered near the Mundri Cathedral to enjoy the sounds of vibrant voices singing to the Lord. They call this gathering Youth Day because youth choirs come from various churches around Mundri to share a few songs.

It is unheard of to have any kind of gathering without sharing in food or drink. So while songs were being shared, plastics cups were passed, tea was poured, and bread was given. It was one big tea party...

...with lots and lots of dancing!

Astypalea Island

2010-06-14T11:31:00.000-07:00

Some hundreds of years ago my Italian ancestors were given an island that from bird's eye view is in the shape of a butterfly. My ancestors constructed the castle on the top of the hill that you see in the picture below. My feet have now touched ground that my great great great great greats... had once touched. I walked around the castle ruins that still remain and couldn't believe I had been giving such an opportunity. This island is where my last name originates. My ancestors started out as the Querini family, but later after living on this island changed their name to Querini-Stampalia (which is the western version of Astypalea). What an amazing journey!

Beginning of Greece Travels

2010-06-14T11:10:00.001-07:00

Every 3-4 years WHM comes together for a mission wide conference. This year we all met outside of Athens, Greece. It was an amazing week full of prayer, praise and worship, encouragement, inspiration from the Word, fun, Greek food, dancing, workshops such as how to communicate to supporters or how to use Bible storying on the field, and endless stories of how God is living and active all over the world. I continue to stand amazed at the power of my heavenly Father. I am also thankful that through this week the Lord continued to reveal my own personal need for Jesus. As I return to Mundri I know that it is not going to be my own strength or abilities that will open doors or allow me to further the Lord's kingdom, but only through Christ.
Before I met with my fellow WHM missionaries I met up with a family that I used to nanny for in the states. They now currently live in southern Italy and gladly agreed to meet me in Greece. I could have never imagined a few years back that I would one day explore the ruins of Greece with them.

Sorry the picture is small, but this is the WHM crew that gathered for our 2010 conference.

Highlights from my time in Washington

2010-06-14T10:42:00.000-07:00

Getting to see my fiance was definitely a highlight. Because I am in Sudan for 7 more months and he lives in Maryland we do not get to participate in the traditional wedding planning festivities together like wedding expos and endless bakery and florist visits. I am thankful that a local bakery happen to have an open house cake tasting while James was in town. We did not decide on a flavor, but just having the shared experience was enough.

My niece has gotten so big. We are predicting that she is going to be quite the pianist because of her long fingers and the fact that pushing down the keys keeps her interested for over 20min.

The main purpose of my visit back to the Seattle area was to be a part of my friend Michelle's wedding. It was an honor to be a part of the activities leading up to the big day and then of course to witness Michelle and her husband committ their lives and hearts to one another. The picture above shows Michelle in the middle and our friend Rachael on the left. The three of us have known one another since the 3rd grade and have shared in many life experiences. I am so thankful to have friends like these two beautiful women.

On my Way

2010-04-27T03:33:00.000-07:00

I am amazed at how travel can be so tiring when all you do is sit on a plane for hours on end. I headed to the airport yesterday morning at 6:30am thankful that the disruptions from the Iceland volcano are no longer an issue. However, when my taxi pulled up to the airport I noticed an extremely long line overflowing out the doors and onto the sidewalk. I have never seen this and my first thought was that the flight was just extremely full because of people still trying to get home from the ash cloud disruption. It wasn't until I was inside and halfway through the line that we were told computers were down and they were checking everyone in manually. I couldn't help but think...only in Uganda. The flight ended up being delayed 3 hours as they made sure everyone was checked in and had a seat. I was actually pretty surprised that there was only a small handful of people who were given the same seat number. It was an amusing experience, but probably wouldn't have been if I had missed a flight connection because of it. Thankfully I had an overnight in London and got good rest after a long day. I get on my next flight in a few hours and will arrive in Seattle in the early evening. I look forward to seeing many and joining my friend Michelle as she counts down the days until her wedding.

Progress and Preparation

2010-04-23T23:31:00.000-07:00

There are now walls and a roof on the dukul that is soon to shelter Bethany and myself. I have never had a home built specifically for me. Bethany and I have had good times imagining how we want to decorate and place furniture. I look forward to having a space of my own that I can uniquely personalize.

The dry season in Sudan is slowly coming to an end. People are now beginning to prepare for the rain by gathering their seeds and clearing their land. Last Sunday at church everyone brought some of their seeds and placed them near the front. To begin the service we all went outside and began praying around the church, reading scripture and asking God to bless the land. During the service the pastor also held up one of the baskets full of seeds and asked God to bless them and use them to provide food and nurishment for His children in Mundri. At the end of the service Bethany and I were given some seeds to take home. We hope to plant some of them in our team garden and taste a little more of Moru culture and life.

"But God is not defeated"

2010-04-05T07:21:00.000-07:00

This weekend was a reminder that death has been defeated and life is being offered.

On Saturday I attended a memorial service for Canon Ezra a man who could easily be placed amongst the saints listed in Hebrews 11. Canon Ezra got caught in crossfire during Sudan’s civil war. On Good Friday March 29th, 1991 He was hit by an artillery shell and died. He was killed outside of Mundri on his way to Juba and because of the circumstances was buried quickly without a proper traditional burial. Now 19 years later his family and brothers and sisters in Christ retrieved his bones from the neighboring town and brought them back to Mundri, his home place. Canon Ezra walked through many storms and trials, yet he is remembered for His faith and these words which constantly flowed from his mouth, “But God is not defeated.” This man is an example of how death has been defeated by Christ. Even though Canon Ezra’s life was sacrificed many continue to gain life because of his efforts in translating the Bible into Moru. He is a man who is remembered for his relentless hope even though everything around him seemed hopeless.

As the elections approach and tension and confussion continues because of disagreement between different political parties, it is easy to lose hope and to believe the lies of Satan that God can be defeated. But Canon Ezra is right NOTHING can defeat our Savior.
Corruption cannot defeat God
Opposition cannot defeat God
Greed cannot defeat God
Human power cannot defeat God
Deceit cannot defeat God
He is the RULER of ALL Nations!

I praise God for the faith of Canon Ezra. A faith that continues to encourage the hearts of many here in Mundri. I continue to ask for eyes of faith to see the power of the cross and to believe that life is possible through Christ even when darkness seems to be prevailing. Please pray with us for the elections that are scheduled to take place April 11-13. Pray for justice, honesty, and that we would have hope for the future of Sudan.

The Move

2010-03-23T08:11:00.002-07:00

Last Saturday our team moved from our temporary rental housing to our permanent housing. The move was successful and went smoother and faster than we could have imagined. As we begin to live and enjoy this new space we continue to marvel at the beautiful haven the Lord has blessed us with.

This is the Masso house. I did not include any pictures of the inside, but if you were to enter you would fine four small bedrooms and a center room for sitting and family gatherings.

This is Bethany and my temporary bedroom until our dukul is finished. Then this space will become the sitting room for Christine and Larissa's dukul. It is quite cozy and I am thankful for the transition from a dirt floor to a cement floor.

This is Larissa's peaceful personal haven.

This is our shared bathroom space. To the left behind the purple towel one would find our choo (or hole in the ground). To the right is our bathing room.

This is our lovely kitchen. For the last year and a half the team has been cooking in tight quarters. We constantly played bumper cars walking in and out as the doorway only fit one person at a time. Now we can move freely around the beautiful island you see and mulitple people can be cooking or washing without being in eachothers way.

This is our dinning area. We will continue to eat all together like one big happy family.

This is our chill/hangout area. And again we can all fit comfortably.

Our new housing reminds me of summer camp. We are surrounded by trees and our sleeping quarters are separate from our bathing and eating quarters. Fun times!

Just the Beginning

2010-03-13T04:21:00.000-08:00

Our first teacher training seminar was a success. We had 3 packed days full of lessons, discussions, questions, laughter, singing, creative application, and much more. Going into this training I had no idea what to expect, I was just hoping people would show up. Out of the 20 teachers that were invited we had a turnout of 14, which was a great number. This training was unique in that Bethany and I didn’t just offer practical advice on teaching methods or try to come up with solutions for challenges that teachers face here. We believe that change is only possible through Christ and therefore we shared the hope of the Gospel and how it is through the Gospel that we can overcome obstacles, see ourselves and our students through new eyes, and live out the truth of Jesus believing that change and transformation are possible through Him. The teacher’s responses were incredible. We had great discussions about how we are created in God’s image, how we can show love to our students, how to discipline students in a way that shows love and grace, and how to have hope in Jesus no matter what lays before us. At the end of the 3 days we had a closing ceremony where a few people shared comments to wrap things up. One of the students spoke as a representative for all the participants and gave many words of appreciation ending on the note that they are thirsty for more. I am also thirsty for more because I too learned so much from these amazing teachers about what it is like to be an educator in Mundri. I look forward to seeing what other opportunities the Lord places before us in this area of teacher training. I believe this was just the beginning!

Bethany and I took turns teaching and leading discussions. Above I am drawing an illustration to help teachers understand what discipline entails.

We had the teachers go through a small obstacle course before we began discussing what obstacles we face as teachers.

At the end of the 3rd day we had all the participants create a visual aid to bring back to their schools and use to share what they learned at the training.

Protocols

2010-03-09T07:34:00.000-08:00

This week in partnership with the Episcopal Church of Sudan, Bethany and I are holding a 3 day Teacher Training Seminar. Because Bethany and I are new to the seminar scene here in Mundri we were very careful to talk with the necessary people about opening day protocols. For example, it is proper protocol to have the Bishop or his representative open the seminar with a short message and prayer. Our start today ended up being a bit delayed because the representative we thought was coming, forgot. But luckily people here always seem capable of preparing on the spot when asked, so a new representative was appointed. So by 10:45am we were all aplauding after the official announcement was made that the seminar is now open. Once it was official we moved on to job assignments. Bethany and I joked that these assignments reminded us of job titles in small groups, i.e. the timer, recorder, presenter, etc. However, the jobs assigned for our seminar were very new to me. I will list some below because they make me smile:
The time keeper- When it is time for break he/she rings the bell even if someone is in the middle of talking.
The organizer- is in charge of making sure the classroom is swept.
The Spiritual Leader- Either prays himself for meal time or appoints someone else
The Energizer- If this person notices people knodding off he/she should lead the group in a song
The Lawyer- If someone is not doing their job well the lawyer will have a talking to with them about thier work.
I think it is great that so many are keeping one another accountable and working together. Bethany suggested we incorporate these jobs into our team meetings.

From Humid to Dry

2010-02-13T02:11:00.000-08:00

above: May 2009
Below: Feb. 2010

When I left Mundri in December the land was still lush and green. Tall grasses and corn stalks surrounded compounds and homes. This is not the Mundri I returned to. From the air flying in I noticed black patches where people had burned away the tall grasses in preparation for the dry/hot climate and the next planting season. When I walk on the road my view is no longer blocked by green bush, instead there is sparse growth and sight for some distance. The rain has been replaced by a strong wind that blows around the dust and warm air rather than provide a refreshing breeze. I am learning that each season has its pros and cons. With the rain comes humidity and mud, but also green and vegetation. With dry heat comes dust and dullness, but also lighter air and time to rest in the shade before planting season starts again.
Seasons really amaze me and remind me that the Lord created them for a reason. He knows exactly what the land needs and when to provide it. He shows us how to learn the lay of the land, when to plant, when to water, when to harvest, and when to rest.

Vision Retreat

2010-02-08T03:34:00.000-08:00

Last week our team spent a week together in Jinja, Uganda. Our purpose was to come together to share ideas and goals for 2010. I think for all of us the week exceeded our expectations. Through the power and presence of the Spirit we shared the desires the Lord has placed on our hearts for 2010. With each new day and each new idea shared you could feel our energy just get more and more enthusiastic for ministry in Mundri. We are also so thankful for the last year of life in Mundri and the freedom we were blessed with to just settle, adjust, learn, listen, observe, and prepare for the ministry ahead. The Lord has now used this time to give us confidence for all that may lie ahead. I will return to Mundri tomorrow (Tuesday) and I am very excited to begin living out the goals I shared and ready to be aware of what the Lord may unexpectedly place before me.

Stateside Highlights

2010-01-28T10:08:00.000-08:00

Lots of time with my precious niece who is now 2 months.

Bringing in the New Year with my family with fun and games

Spending time with close friends. These are my Guatemala girls. During the summer of 04 we took an outreach trip through our university down to Guatemala. The Lord continues to provide opportunities for us to get together at least once a year.

Normally I am not a big fan of cheese steaks, but there is just something about the added cheeze whiz here at Geno's that make them amazing.

The BIGGEST and MOST exciting highlight is that I AM ENGAGED as of Jan. 13th. You will notice I am wearing the ring on my pinky and it's not the real deal. My engagement ring wasn't quite ready so James proposed with a plastic heart ring and it ended up being too small for my ring finger. All the same it still makes me smile and I love how this ring brings humor to our story.

Auntie Kim

2009-12-14T09:43:00.000-08:00

I arrived in Seattle around 4pm Saturday evening and about an hour later I had my precious niece in my arms. Reality really set in that I am an aunt and it brings me more joy than I could have imagined. Later this same evening I watched my little niece play baby Jesus in my home churches Living Nativity.

To Seattle for the Holidays

2009-12-12T01:32:00.000-08:00

My journey back to Seattle is halfway over. I arrived at the London Heathrow airport a couple of hours ago ready to get a taste of the cold weather. I actually forgot that I would have to exit the plane into the open air to get on a shuttle to terminal 5. I am thankful I have a zipup sweatshirt and a light jacket. My mom has already been informed to bring my winter coat, a scarf, and mittens to the airport. Thank you all for your prayers for a safe journey. I will see some of you soon! Seattle and cold weather here I come!

Christmas Fun

2009-12-08T03:36:00.000-08:00

The last couple of meetings with my small group we have done some Christmas activities along with reading the Christmas story. Below are some pictures of our fun together.

Cookie Decorating

At first the girls were surprised we could eat the colored frosting, but then they enjoyed licking their fingers.

Fabric Angels

Using some local fabric we cut out circles and created angels for the girls to bring home as a decoration.

It is hard to see the angels in the picture, but they turned out GREAT!

Exam Week

2009-12-04T11:17:00.000-08:00

This last week exams have been taking place at the primary schools. While the math teacher for the P4 class has been away I have filled in as his substitute. I didn’t realize that he wouldn’t be back in time to give the end of the year exam, so last Wednesday I gave my first official exam here in s. Sudan. Here in Mundri there are no copy machines and for most people, limited access to computers. This means that all tests are hand written by both teachers and students. Teachers prepare their exams in advance and then copy them by hand onto a chalkboard. Then time is included during testing for students to copy all the questions onto their own paper and then respond. What could be an hour exam turns into 3 hours. I hand wrote my exam on big chart paper because the P4 black board is significantly smaller than some of the others. During the exam 88 P4 students crowded to the front of the room so they could see the problems. At different times students would call out and say they don’t understand a question and sometimes just a minute or so later the same question would be asked again. The most challenging part of giving this exam was testing these students on material I hadn’t actually taught them. It was hard not to just want to give them the answers.I continue to be thankful for these opportunities to teach in new and different environments. The Lord is using these experiences to show me how I can best encourage the staff and students her in Mundri.

Giving an exam to 88 students means correcting 88 papers. Took awhile and I was happy today to hand it off to another staff member to hand back next week.

As students handed me their completed exams I noticed that students who had more than one paper found some sort of plant stem or some other creative something to tie their papers together. No staplers here.

World AIDS Day

2009-12-02T02:36:00.001-08:00

Yesterday Dec. 1st was World AIDS Day. People from all over Mundri district gathered together to take part in this day of awareness. Because of Sudan's history of war it has only been in the last couple of years that AIDS education has been targeted. People are aware of this virus, but many may not understand its danger or the importance of being tested. The theme this year was Universal Access and Human Rights.

The day started off with everyone marching together down the road; singing as they moved.

Many primary schools from all over Mundri sent students to share songs and dramas stating the danger of HIV/AIDS

When student groups started dancing others from the audience soon joined in.

Many people were sporting t-shirts with bold statements written on them driving the point of AIDS awareness a little deeper. Some tshirts said 'Avoid risky behavior' or 'Nyebe nga londre wayi ro' which means You leave behind looking anyhow or 'Sibu takum Dowuria Sambala' which means You leave your messy walking.

Pies, Pies, and more Pies!

2009-11-27T02:58:00.000-08:00

Yes, even pecan, apple, and pumpkin pies can be made and enjoyed here in Mundri, s. Sudan. We spent two days as a team preparing delicious delicacies (thanks to the Massos who brought lots of wonderful things from Uganda). This year we also had the pleasure of offering a little taste of home to 13 American visitors who chose this year to sacrifice time away from jobs, family, and friends during Thanksgiving week to come and love on the people of Mundri. It was a joy to share in this day together and to take time to reflect on the many ways our Father continues to pour his love and blessing into our lives.

Creative Strokes

2009-11-20T04:00:00.000-08:00

Twice a week 4-5 of my P4 girls come to my home to engage in a short English lesson or some other fun activity. We have been reading through some stories together and most recently I read the book Hot Hippo. Not only does this book have a storyline that is easily relatable to children here because it’s written about an animal common to e. Africa, but the pictures are also full of vibrancy and color. We have enjoyed together the humor of this fable and this author’s creative take on why the hippo lives both on land and in water. Once the girls became familiar enough with the story I had them use water colors to create their own picture choosing whatever part of the story they wanted. In just the matter of an hour I watched these girls transform a blank white piece of paper with the stroke of a brush and use of creative minds into a beautiful work of art. I don’t think I could ever get tired of watching children create.

Chai- It's a Love/Hate Relationship

2009-11-18T02:54:00.000-08:00

Now when I say Chai, I am not talking about a cup of tea. I am referring to the dog of Acacia Masso. As the Masso family is in Uganda the four of us remaining have been given the responsibility of taking care of this pestering/playful dog. Each night when I lay my head down on my pillow I wonder if I am going to get a full night’s sleep without Chai’s random barking. This being a dog who barks even when small centipedes cross her path. But then there are nights, like last week, when I am thankful to have this watch dog in our midst. We were awoken by Chai’s barking and as I was about to leave my Tukul to go check things out I heard some other strange animal noises. At that point I decided Chai could handle herself and her barking actually had a purpose. When the barking keeps out intruders of a larger size I am thankful to have her around as our protector. Chai, like other dogs also loves digging holes. She usually digs one hole and then moves onto another so that multiple holes are scattered around. This makes walking from my Tukul to the latrine a little complicated, especially in the dark with the obstacle of dodging the holes and fearing a twisted ankle. However, these days Chai seems to be focused on a single hole. Maybe she thinks she can dig herself to Acacia somehow. The hole is definitely turning into a cave she can actually burrow herself into. All in all Chai is a fun dog to have around and really is a part of our team.

She is pretty cute sometimes.

Discipline

2009-11-11T05:02:00.001-08:00

Discipline is always a tricky subject to talk about let alone write about. Everyone has their own view and opinion. But I think we can all agree that discipline is a part of life, it can help a parent rear their child to become a mature, responsible adult, and even though we don’t like it, it also helps us in our walk as we try to make decisions that will bring glory to our heavenly Father.

In the U.S. if a student is tardy to school without a note they may have to owe a recess, sit in detention, or make up the time in some other form. Over the past two days I watched around 500 students get punished for being late to school. My heart strings get pulled when I watch discipline take place here in Mundri. I struggle with whether this is because there must be other methods or because my western mind quickly goes in the direction of judgment since discipline methods here are far different from what I am used to. But is what I am used to better? I guess the most important question is: Is the discipline being done out of love? A question that I would love to discuss more with teachers and other educators. I also just continue to pray for my heavenly Father to change my heart in places that need changing and to place opportunities before me to love and encourage the students and staff as best I can.

Welcome Roomie!

2009-11-07T05:32:00.001-08:00

Welcome Bethany! Bethany was one of the friendly faces who welcomed me to Uganda in Aug. 05. We overlapped for two weeks as she handed off RMS (Rwenzori Mission School)responsibilites to Amy and me. Then she returned the next two summers to lead our summer internship program. During this time we developed a great friendship that continues to grow. And now we get to continue sharing in life together here in Mundri, s. Sudan. It will be nice to share the tukul; to have someone to grumble with when Chai (the Masso dog) barks randomly in the middle of the night, to laugh with when random critters crawl into shoes or other things, and to talk the night away together.

Big Week at School

2009-11-07T05:09:00.000-08:00

This was a big week at the Parish Primary School. All week long a film crew was around taking pictures and film of the students and their soon to be finished school building. The crew was hired by OXFAM, an organization who dontated money to finance the construction of the new school. As you can imagine it was one distracting week as students were more facinated by the 'Obonje' moving around with high tech equiptment rather than a lesson from their teacher. And then to add to the mix, on Tuesday the commissioner and some of his sidekicks stopped by as part of their official tour of all the Mundri district primary schools. And of course the commissioner can not just stop by without a welcome banner, welcoming songs, and a few speeches. Even though not a lot of teaching was taking place during the week, it was fun to observe the students get excited over all the new things happening around them.

This is the current school building. There are only enough rooms for P4-P7 (4 grades), the rest of the students meet outside under trees.

The new spiffy school buildings. They are just weeks away from being finished, but the school year ends at the begining of Dec. so they probably won't shift till next year.

Desks! Currently the students sit either on chairs they bring from home or stones/bricks they find laying around the school grounds. They write in their school excersize books using their laps as a hard surface. These students are very excited about their new school furniture!

Sisters Reunited

2009-11-01T04:17:00.000-08:00

It is common in the course of a conversation to find that a person has not seen siblings, parents, or other relatives for years. This due to multiple variables such as work or school, but the greatest one being war. During the war here in Sudan many families were forced to separate as they ran to the bush or sought refuge in nearby countries. Yesterday I got to witness sisters who have spent many years apart reunite. It was amazing to watch my friend and her sisters pick up from where they left off. One sister she hadn’t seen in over 22 years! The reason for the reunion was to celebrate the giving of the dowry for one of the sisters even though she has now been married for over 25 years. I guess now is better than never. Most of these sisters live within Sudan but even traveling within Sudan is difficult and expensive. I feel very honored to have been a part of the reunion and have the opportunity to meet the family of my dear friend.

Coloring

2009-10-26T06:39:00.000-07:00

Last week I took some coloring books and crayons with me on one of my visits to see friends. I thought the children on the compound would enjoy the pictures and colors. As I opened the coloring book I tried to find pages that didn’t look too complicated and then I demonstrated how to put crayon to paper. It was fascinating to watch the children try to stay in the lines and advice one another on different techniques. For many it was obvious that they had never even used crayons before. At this point I only know how to say the primary colors in Moru, but I am not even sure if other words exist outside of the basic colors. As I held up pink and asked the children what color, they responded with “oka” which means red. When I held up purple, they responed with “Läbuli” which means blue. The children were very proud of their pictures when they finished and made a point to show me their masterpiece. This of course brought a huge smile to my face.

Work Day

2009-10-13T10:34:00.001-07:00

The land that was given to us here in Mundri has quickly transformed from a field full of long grass and bush to a lovely haven, or almost anyways. On Monday we all took part in a work day out at the land along with our two visitors from Bundi Ashley and Sarah. Most of us worked on one of the Dukuls, creating wire walls and the wire frames for the windows. I was looking forward to working with the cement, but we didn’t get that far. I guess I will have to go out there again in the coming week. It was great to have the opportunity to literally pore sweat into our future housing. We are all excited to see the finished product!

Liana and her level head was a huge help :o)

Just imagine that will be a nice screen window someday soon.

Friendly Faces

2009-10-13T10:28:00.000-07:00

As I try to learn the Moru language I move around from home to home and sit with neighbors. There is one home in particular that I make sure to stop by almost every time I move around. The women of this home have become good friends and I look forward to seeing their friendly faces each time I go. Neither of these women speak even a small bit of English, which forces me to communicate solely in Moru, and maybe a few hand motions. Through these relationships that Lord continues to show me that it is possible to build friendships even with the language and culture barrier.

Few Words, Multiple Meanings

2009-10-07T04:38:00.000-07:00

In the small book shop here in Mundri town you can find a Moru to English dictionary. This dictionary has become very handy for my teammates and I when needing to look up words we hear or read that are unfamiliar. Compared to our massive English dictionary this dictionary seems small with its 146 pages. I find myself thinking 'Moru can't be too difficult to learn if their dictionary only has 146 pages.' Although, I am sure not every single Moru word is listed and the dictionary was written some years back. I have also come to realize as I look up different words that many Moru words have multiple meanings. And when I say multiple meanings I mean drastically different meanings. Take the word dri for example, depending on how it is pronounced, used within a sentence, or what sound or letter is stressed it can mean: head, hand, on, through, bundle, or used to silence someone when they are talking. I confess that using words like this make me a little nervous because I fear I may say "Did you hand your firewood today?" instead of bundle firewood or "Put your book through the chair" instead of on the chair. But of course with learning a new language comes many many mistakes and lots of laughter.

Housing Progress

2009-10-03T05:16:00.000-07:00

Our future and permanent housing is quickly going up. We are currently renting space, which is quickly becoming too tight as our team enlarges. Below are some pictures of what has been constructed to date.

Above is a picture of what we are calling the communial house. This house includes a shared kitchen, dinning, and sitting area. Along with a store room and library.

It is hard to picture just looking at this open space, but this will some day be our common kitchen where many tasty meals will be prepared.

You may think this looks like a cage at the moment, which is does, but soon it will be transformed into what we are calling a 'dukul.' This will be the sleeping quarters for two of the single women on our team.

Running for Shelter

2009-10-01T22:52:00.000-07:00

The drops are starting to fall and the children who sit under trees for their lessons run for shelter at the nearby unfinished school building. Below, students are standing next to the current school building waiting out the rain.

Last Tuesday the temperature got to a cool 72 degrees. For us this means longs sleeves, jackets, and for some like Gaby Masso wrapping up in a snuggly blanket. With this cooler weather we have also had an increase in light rain showers. As I walked to school on Tuesday the sky above me was threatening rain. An hour or so after I arrived the showers came and the children scattered. Some probably ran home, while others just ran for shelter in the nearby unfinished school building. We are definitely thankful for every bit of rain we get, but I will also be glad when the new school is finished so that school lessons are not disrupted by weather changes. I'm sure some of the students didn't mind though, they seemed to enjoy checking out the new classrooms.

My First Staff Meeting

2009-09-27T03:31:00.000-07:00

A little over a week ago I attended my first staff meeting at the Parish Primary School. Most of the meeting was in Arabic, but thankfully one of the teachers sitting beside me quietly translated what was being said. The meeting started off with a reminder from the head teacher about time management. She has not been happy that many of the teachers show up late and stressed that they should be arriving 30 min. before school begins. Next, an hour or so was taken to go over the class schedule to make sure all subjects were being taught and to clarify who was teaching what. I did not get all of what was being discussed here because too many people were talking back and forth, but I did here many teachers say they were unable to teach certain subjects because of the lack of text books. Other topics brought up were discipline issues with specific students and end of the term exam preparation. During the meeting I was just a spectator watching how the teachers interacted and listening to whatever the neighboring teacher was willing to translate. I was encouraged because it seemed all the teachers wanted to be there and as they discussed these various topics I observed genuine concern to make decisions that would be best for the students and school.

No Substitutes

2009-09-06T04:50:00.000-07:00

In the U.S. school system when a teacher is for some reason unable to come into school he or she can arrange for a substitute to come and teach their class. Here in Mundri there is no such option. When I went to one of the local primary schools on Thursday I noticed a few classes without a teacher. I asked the head teacher why this was and she began to state that one teacher was sick, another was at a funeral for a neighbor, and other teachers were just running late. Here when a teacher is absent the students have a free period where they just sit and try to entertain themselves for an hour or so until a teacher is available to come and teach a subject. This is a situation where my heart stings are definitely pulled. Part of me wants to jump up and say I’ll do it! I’ll be the substitute! But the reality of that task is overwhelming. My mind races thinking about how this problem can be solved, but of course no feasible solution comes. As I continue to see how limited resources are here I continue to trust the Lord who is not limited by this lack of resources.

Making Bread

2009-08-26T02:14:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-26T02:06:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-15T04:51:00.001-07:00

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!

2009-08-15T04:11:00.000-07:00

“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

2009-08-08T01:10:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-03T07:24:00.000-07:00

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.

Familiar Yet Changed

2009-07-29T21:43:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-29T21:39:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-23T14:06:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-22T02:24:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-07-18T03:22:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-16T01:52:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-09T02:40:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-09T02:28:00.000-07:00

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.

A Day to Celebrate the Youth

2009-06-30T07:27:00.000-07:00

Last Friday June 26th many gathered together to celebrate the youth. Speeches were shared to congratulate those youth who have finished their S3 level of education, which is the last year of secondary here in s. Sudan. Other speeches were given to encourage the youth and to increase their hunger to live to their full potential. Children/youth choirs from around the Mundri area took their turn sharing song and dance. The singing and dancing was for me, the most enjoyable part of the celebration.
As words of praise and approval were being given, and hearts and minds being encouraged, I couldn’t keep the thought of school doors still being closed from entering my mind. The school strike has now entered its fourth week. Children and youth may have left the celebration on Friday feeling motivated and excited to succeed in their academics, but these hearts and minds will have to continue waiting. But with all events here in Mundri praise and thanksgiving are always given to God and we will keep praising Him for the doors that do open and trusting Him to guide the discussions going on, and to reveal a helpful solution. Please continue to keep this school strike in prayer.

Simple yet Complicated

2009-06-26T03:00:00.000-07:00

One could say that here in Mundri we live the “simple life.” We move around by foot or bike. We have limited electricity and access to modern technology. Clothes are washed by hand and dried in the sun. We wake and sleep with the rising and setting of the sun. Each week we also have cooking assignments. We know that when it is our turn to cook dinner we should be prepared to set half the day aside for the task. To prepare a meal we have 3 cooking options: charcoal oven, propane stove top, or a sun oven. However recently our stove burners ran out of propane and it is going to take us a few days to get some more. This means that our 3rd cooking option has now become a local charcoal stove. We have now successfully cooked rice and beans for dinner last night and pancakes for breakfast this morning over this charcoal stove. So as you can see our life is simple in the sense of basic living, but it is also far from simple. Because everything takes so much time life also feels complicated. But even with this complication of time I really enjoy creating nutritious and delicious food from scratch and closing the cultural gap as much as we can by the way we live. Just as families here share responsibilities of cooking, collecting water, washing, etc. we as a team also function as a family which lightens the load and creates unity.

Ngwa Lofo

2009-06-19T02:16:00.000-07:00

Ngwa Lofo is the name of a local tradition where on the 3rd day after a baby is born he or she is brought out of the house and is presented to family and friends for the first time. The newborn is brought out just long enough to give thanks to God and pray over him/her and then taken back inside where he or she will stay until the umbilical cord falls off. I got to experience this local tradition on Wednesday. My language helper Mary was asked to be a part of the small service before the presenting of the baby. She asked if I would like to come along and participate. Before we saw the baby there was a time of singing, prayer, and even a short message was given. Many thanks were given to God for the life of this baby and for all blessings the family has recieved.

Cultural Experiences

2009-06-09T03:47:00.000-07:00

These are the local brooms. The one that looks like a bunch of sticks is used to sweep outside. Just like we in the states liked groomed lawns, people here like leaf and weed free compounds. The more bushy looking broom is used inside. I used this broom at least once a week to sweep out the loose dirt from inside from tukul.

For those of you who know me well, you know that I am a coffee drinker. I decided not to bring any coffee into Mundri with me and to drink tea if I really felt the need for caffeine. However, you can find local coffee here and I thought it would be fun to try some out. The only problem is that you can only find the raw dry coffee bean in the market. I decided it would still be worth trying and so I bought some, roasted it myself, and even pounded it using the motar and pestle. I had my first cup the other morning and it actually tasted pretty good.

With each rain also comes these pesty flying insects. We had a heavy rain yesterday and so this morning when I was walking to the school I noticed all of the wings from these insects covering the ground. For some reason they fall off and the insects become walking insects. I also noticed all of my neighbors collecting these insects or cleaning the wings out so that they could prepare them for eating. Not only does the rain provide water for the seeds, but also some extra protein for the next day’s meal :o).

Praise God For Rain!!!

2009-06-04T04:15:00.000-07:00

I have now been in Mundri for 5 weeks. I arrived at the beginning of what should have been the rainy season, however in the last 5 weeks we have had only 5 good rains. Today marks the 5th and let me tell you it is some SERIOUS rain. This is the kind of rain that keeps you from moving. People run into their houses and find cover until the rain stops. We just spent the last 30 min. running around putting everything undercover. Running from house to tukul to make sure water wasn’t getting inside. Christine and Larissa have been frantically trying to keep their tent from blowing away. They may be flooring it in the Masso house tonight :o(. I have a lovely stream of water flowing under the door of my tukul and forming a puddle in the middle of the floor. This is when I am thankful I have a dirt floor because then the water just soaks in. Even though we are sopping wet, our feet our covered in mud, and sleeping areas are becoming boggy we are praising God for this much needed rain and laughing at the sight of ourselves. Even as I type this I laugh as I watch Larissa standing in her yellow poncho making a cup of hot cocoa. That’s right it actually feels cold enough to drink hot coco and tea!

Sitting Strike

2009-06-04T04:13:00.000-07:00

This week the teachers in Mundri state have gone on a sitting strike. For the last few months the government continues to decrease their salary and has refused to make changes. Today I went to one of the primary schools and saw many of the teachers sitting outside under a tree. I am encouraged by their dedicated hearts to show that they are serious. They truly want to teach and be at school, but they also believe that the government is not being fair. They are not using this time to just sit at home and relax, but instead are taking action and coming together to seek justice. As I was sitting with the teachers, the head teacher received a note informing her that an “extraordinary emergency meeting” would be held at the commissioner’s office today to discuss the problem of the strike. The commissioner is the head honcho of Mundri and I am sure many people have been coming to him, complaining about their kids not being in school. Please pray for this sitting strike. Please pray that the government would be fair to those teachers who are truly dedicated. Pray for like mindedness for all those involved in educational decisions for Mundri state and that they would think about the needs of the children.

Weevil City

2009-05-20T05:12:00.000-07:00

One of my tasks for the team is to make granola a few times a week. One of the key ingredients in granola is oats. I grabbed a brand new box of oats from one of our trunks and when I opened it I got the nice surprise of weevil city. Weevils are these tiny black insects that can somehow get through cardboard and plastic and really like to infest our flour, oats, rice, etc. It would have been really sad to throw a whole box of oatmeal away and so I decided to try and deweevil the oats by spreading it out on cookie sheets and placing it in the sun. For some reason this causes the weevils to surface and then leave. After letting the oatmeal sit in the sun for a few hours I examined it and noticed only a small amount of weevils still present. I decided the oats were now good enough to use for granola, a little extra protein never hurts. I think I am going to become very familiar with the deweeviling process.

Walking in the Light

2009-05-20T05:11:00.000-07:00

“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” 1 John 5-7
In Mundri there is no electricity. If people have power they get it either from solar panels or generators. The house on our temporary compound does have solar power, but my tukul does not. There are some nights when I forget to take a flashlight with me over to the house and so when I go to bed I literally have to walk with my hands out in front of me and very slowly so I do not run into anything or step in a rut. In Mundri once the time has reached 7:30 or 8pm people are no longer moving as much. Because there are no street lights taking a walk at night is not a good idea because you can’t really see where you are going. This week I was reflecting on these verses from 1 john and thinking about what it is like to walk in complete darkness from the Masso house to my tukul. I flinch if I see the shadow of something, I have hit my head many times on the thatch of my roof, even when I walk slow I still trip over things. We are not meant to walk in the dark. God is light. If we are walking with Him we will always be in the light. I was also thinking about these verses in terms of guidance. I tend to look ahead and then feel like I am in the dark because I do not know what will happen tomorrow or next week. But when I feel this way it is just a reminder that I should be walking in the present and everything right before me is in the light. In the light I can walk to people’s homes, sit with them, and build relationships. Let us all continue to walk with Him who is light.

SPLM Day

2009-05-20T05:04:00.000-07:00

May 16th is SPLM Day here in s. Sudan. It is a day where they now celebrate that 26 years ago the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement was formed. This year the people did not celebrate on the 16th because of a burial service happening for someone very important and instead celebrated on Monday the 18th. The even started around 10am and went up to 4pm. Many people from different groups representing women, youth, the church, the government, etc. spoke. Each primary school also had students present to share songs in between the speakers. I did not attend the whole event, but I did go for about an hour to sit an experience a public gathering. Many speakers also used this time as an opportunity to encourage the people to vote. This year there were supposed to be elections for a new president, but it got postponed and will now be held early 2010. The people of Mundri are very thankful for peace and desire to remain unified to keep the peace. Please continue to pray boldly for peace in Sudan.

Brain Freeze

2009-05-18T00:45:00.000-07:00

You know how when you drink a slurpee or milk shake too fast you get a brain freeze? Well I feel like I have a brain freeze from an abundant intake of foreign words. Each day after my 2 hour language lesson I feel like my mind needs a time of nothingness. I have developed a good routine of taking a break after lessons, studying a bit, and then going out in the community to practice what I learned earlier in the day. It is amazing how learning a language can be so mentally exhausting and I feel like I need this whole weekend to recuperate and prepare my mind for next week. But the exhaustion is well worth it. Even though I have only had five days of lessons I feel like a lot of what I am learning is really sticking and I have many willing and helpful neighbors to practice with. The Moru language is difficult to learn in the sense of new sounds that I am unfamiliar with, but at the same time the sentence structures are pretty easy. For example to say I go, I went, I’m going, etc. the same word is used. You can tell what a person means by the context in which they are saying it. I am so thankful for this time that I have to slowly adjust and really dedicate my time to learning the Moru language and as much about the culture and daily living as I can.

The Sudan Team

2009-05-14T05:14:00.000-07:00

Here is the Sudan team. The adults left to right: Larissa, Michael, Karen, Kyle, Ian, Christine, and me. Then the three children Gaby, Acacia, and Liana. We make up the current Sudan team minus Ian who left Mundri today to head back to the states. We are a team interested in various ministries such as counseling, water, education, pastor training, etc. Please pray for us as we continue to seek out ways to best serve and live among the community in Mundri.

Soaking it In

2009-05-09T04:01:00.000-07:00

When people visualize what Africa must look like, they picture flat, barren, dry, and dusty land. Mundri fits this idea in its flatness but it is far from barren. There are many local trees that have wonderful uses besides a sanctuary of shade and rest. There is the Lulu tree, which if you take the nuts of the tree, dry them and press them, they can be turned into Lulu butter or soap which hydrates and beautifies the skin. There is the Maringa tree that bares beautiful white blossoms and tiny leaves. These small leaves can be dried and pounded into a powder that if added to food provides extra nutrition. And then there is the Mango tree which is in plenty here in Mundri. During Mango season people know they can always rely on the succulent Mango to satisfy.
As I begin to plant my own roots here in Mundri I have been thinking a lot about trees and plants and how they start out as a seed and over time with the right care and nourishment turn into a useful blessing for the community that provides for years and years. The Lord has been reminding me that acclimation and relationships take time. In these next few months I want to be that seed planted in the ground. It can’t really do much, but it sits there waiting to receive the necessary elements that will help it grow. Each morning I have the opportunity to wake up and receive the nourishment of truth from God’s word, from the power of His Spirit, and the strength of Christ. It is through this nourishment that I will be able to just BE and soak in all that is around me believing that through this time of soaking and receiving I will be more useful in the future.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth; It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of a thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be the Lord’s renown, for and everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed.” Isaiah 55:9-13
I will go out in joy and be led forth in peace as I continue to just BE here in Mundri.

Magili Muna Ferre Ferre Moru Unine

2009-05-06T05:38:00.000-07:00

Magili muna ferre ferre Moru unine (I am try little by little to learn Moru). Today I went on my first language route with my teammate Larissa. Each day she prepares a script or pictures to practice with people in the community, so as we sat it was a lot of pointing and repeating, meàma, youàmi. During today’s walk I was encouraged more and more at how important it is to learn the local language. As Larissa spoke to various people in the market and was able to use Moru their faces just lit up. People were so happy to be able to speak to her in their own language and it really shows that she cares for them. Today I was also given a Moru name Kitu wa, which means like the sun. I think I was given this name because my hair is lighter and is like the color of the sun. Being given a Moru name is also a very important step to bonding with the local people and I am excited to begin sharing this name when people ask because although Kim is a very easy name in the U.S. people are not familiar with it here. Please pray for my language learning and for the Lord to provide a language helper for both Larissa and myself.

Tour of Our Compound

2009-05-04T05:42:00.000-07:00

This is my lovely Tukul. You can not see it in this picture, but it as a purple door to make it a little more personal. It has felt very comfy and I am beginning to make it my own.

This is the Massos house and if you look to the left you will see a tent where Christine and Larissa live.

Here is our bathroom(s) and bathing room

Another Tukul that is not livable but is currently used for storage.

More to come later

Off to Sudan I Go

2009-04-29T20:07:00.000-07:00

My Time in Kampala has been good. I feel like a lot has been accomplished. I had some good time with old friends and new teammates. But now I am VERY ready to get on a plane and head to Mundri, s. Sudan. It is about 6am in the morning as I write this. I am sitting in the common room at the guest house looking at piles of our stuff sorted by what is going today and what will have to wait until next week. Today we are only allowed about 30lbs of luggage apiece. My luggage is more than 6 times the weight allowance. But for now I have the bare necessities just to get me by until the rest arrives. The flight is about 3 hours, so sometime while you are sleeping I will be landing on the Mundri airstrip. I look forward to sharing my adjustment stories with you soon.

Happy Reunions

2009-04-28T07:02:00.000-07:00

What a treat it was to see familiar faces from Bundibugyo. Before returning back to e. Africa I was a little sad thinking about how I was going to be so close to Bundibugyo, but not be able to travel there to visit. So of course I was extatic when I found out my friend Amina was traveling to Kampala to come and see me and meet up with one of my Bundibugyo teammates. And then today the two of us went to go and see our friend Harriet who attends University here in Kampala. It was a blast to be in a roomfull of Ugandans, share a meal together, laugh, take pictures, and experience a little of university culture here. So even though I didn't get to travel to Bundibugyo, I am so thankful to have been blessed by reuniting with two good friends. God is GREAT!

Do the Dew in Uganda

2009-04-25T00:31:00.001-07:00

For those of you who know me well, you know that I love Mt. Dew. Before I left I was drinking all I could because Mt. Dew has not been a beverage option in e. Africa. Well...to my surprise on the drive from the airport to our guest house I saw a billboard advertisement for Mt. Dew. I looked over at the taxi driver in shock and said, "You have Mt. Dew in Uganda now?" He said that it came in Dec. Part of me was excited, but then I was also like, I guess I didn't need to drink so much of it before I left. So last night when I went out to dinner with my teammates I had my first glass bottle Mt. Dew experience. And...I was a little disappointed. It tastes nothing like our Mt. Dew. It kind of tastes like a mix of Sprite and Squirt. Definitely not as sweet. So I guess it was good I drank a lot before leaving the states after all. It's funny though to think of the things that you begin to find over here.

I Have Arrived!!!

2009-04-24T02:03:00.000-07:00

Time is an interesting thing because although it has been almost 9 months since I have ridden on the road from Entebbe to Kampala, it feels just like yesterday. The familiar sights, sounds, and smells brought joy to my heart as the taxi driver took me to the guest house. I am thankful for a safe flight. I did not sleep very well and I am beginning to feel it now as I sit here and type this blog entry, but the safe arrival and good company is what really counts. Only 3 out of 4 of my luggage pieces arrived. The 4th one is supposed to come on Monday. Please pray with me that it does. Christine and I are now sitting at the MAF guest house relaxing, trying to stay awake as we wait for three more of our teammates to arrive. Thank you all for praying for my safe travels.

Safely in London

2009-04-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

I am now in London enjoying some time with my teammate Christine and trying to keep ourselves entertained before we board our flight to Uganda. Still got 3 more hours to kill. My flight from Seattle to London was great. I even had a whole row to myself and was able to lay across the seats. The best sleep I have ever had on a plane. I would like to ask though that you pray for my luggage. Two of my trunks did not have a good place for the tracking tag and so the person who checked me in had to create a loop with zip ties and so I am a little nervous about the tags falling off and my luggage getting lost. So please pray that they arrive. Thank you for your continued prayers for my travels. I am happy to report that I am half way there! It has now really set in that I will be back in Uganda tomorrow.

Leavin on a Jet Plane

2009-04-22T15:08:00.000-07:00

The time has finally come for me to head back to e. Africa and start a new season of life in Mundri, s. Sudan. The last four weeks have flown by and even though I am getting on a plane tonight, it still hasn't quite set in that I am leaving. I am so thankful for God's perfect timing and how He has brought all the details together. I am feeling mixed emotions as I think about leaving. I am of course sad to leave the Seattle area and all my friends and family here, but I am also very excited about what lies ahead for me in Mundri. Thank you all for your prayers, especially in the last year as I raised support and waited for it all the come in. God is GOOD!
I will try my best to keep my blog update.

The Rescue

2009-04-09T14:04:00.000-07:00

This last Tuesday I saw a showing of the most recent documentary put out by Invisible Children. Invisible Children is an organization that was developed by 3 young guys who came across the "night comuters" (Children who leave their home each day and walk to the nearest town to sleep because of fear of being abducted by rebels) in northern Uganda. They put together a very impactful documentary title Invisible Children following the lives of some of the night commuters. Through this documentary they are trying to make the world aware of how this one rebel group, the Lord's Resistance Army is affecting the lives of so many. The most recent documentary The Rescue is about the peace talks that the governments of Uganda, Congo, and s. Sudan are trying to have with LRA leader Joseph Kony and how at this point they are failing. I wanted to make you all aware of an event coming up Saturday April 25th. Many will be gathering in 100 different cities around the world. Invisible Children is asking all to abduct themselves and meet at designated "abducted sites", then you will march to the "LRA camp", and once arriving at the camp you will stay until rescued. This sounds like an amazing event that will allow many to unite and fight together for the many innocent lives that have been affected by the LRA. No longer is the rebel group abducting and killing in northern Uganda, but have now moved onto both Congo and s. Sudan. If you would like to know more please visit www.invisiblechildren.com You can watch their most recent documentary on their website. Please also pass this along to your friends and family and let's keep praying that Joseph Kony is brought to justice and those that have been abducted are set free.

Hopeful Anticipation

2009-03-27T12:05:00.000-07:00

I apologize for my silence in the last month. I feel like part of it was because I was really at a loss for what to share as I continue to take one day at a time focusing what is right at hand, trusting in the Lord, and waiting on Him. As various things continue to unfold I can’t help but be in awe of the ways that my heavenly Father surprises me and assures me that He is faithful and true and that His timing is perfect. On Thursday morning I opened my devotional book and broke down because it was exactly what my heart needed to hear and so I would like to share it with you now:

“Waiting on Me means directing your attention to Me in hopeful anticipation of what I will do. It entails trusting me with every fiber of your being, instead of trying to figure things out for yourself. Waiting on Me is the way I designed you to live, all day, every day. I created you to stay conscious of Me as you go about your daily duties.
I have promised many blessings to those who wait on Me; renewed strength, living above one’s circumstances, resurgence of hope, awareness of My continual presence. Waiting on Me enables you to glorify Me by living in deep dependence on Me, ready to do My will. It also helps you to enjoy Me; in My Presence is fullness of Joy.” (Jesus Calling by Sarah Young)

I have been in a clear season of waiting and of course the waiting is not over. But as far as waiting for my Sudan departure, the Lord is faithful and is revealing to me that my waiting period is soon to be over. I am at 97% monthly support and already have been blown away at how the Lord as provided so quickly in the last couple of days. I can only be thankful for this waiting season, although difficult; it has caused me to truly live in deep dependence on the Lord and step forward solely on faith. I now continue to move forward with hopeful anticipation of what the Lord will continue to do.

Trust and Thankfulness

2009-02-23T16:08:00.000-08:00

“Trust and thankfulness will get you safely through this day. Trust protects you from worrying and obsessing. Thankfulness keeps you from criticizing and complaining, those sister sins that so easily entangle you. Keeping your eyes on Me is the same thing as trusting Me. It is a free choice that you must make thousands of times daily. The more you choose to trust Me, the easier it becomes. Thought patterns of trust become etched into your brain. Relegate troubles to the periphery of your mind, so that I can be central in your thoughts. Thus you focus on Me, entrusting your concerns into My care.”
(Jesus Calling by Sarah Young)

What does it mean to truly trust and be thankful? It is easy to trust when things are falling into place exactly how I imagined it would. It is easy to be thankful for the things that bring bliss and freedom. But when there is pain and uncertainty the ease shifts to fear and worry. In the last week or so the Lord has been showing me that trust is a choice and not just a onetime occurrence. Trust is a constant surrendering of the circumstances both good and bad. The Lord has also been challenging me in the area of thankfulness, asking me, “Why Kim do you only thank me when things are turning out how you want them to? When your support comes in? When things go smoothly?” Ouch. He has opened my eyes and heart to allow me to see that really I need to be more thankful for the hard times than the smooth times. Because it is through the difficult times that there is no possible way I can rely on my own strength. It is through the uncertainty that I am drawn closer to my maker the author and perfector of all things, who knows all things, and uses all things for my good and His glory. So I write this blog entry today with a trusting and thankful heart, full of faith, believing that my heavenly Father is going to draw me closer to Himself through each moment of each day no matter what it holds. I write this blog entry with a greater hunger and desire to walk in the light of HIS presence and rejoice in HIS name all day long.

“Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord. They rejoice in your name all day long; they exult in your righteousness. For you are their glory and strength, and by your favor you exalt our horn.” Psalm 89:15-17

Heat and Hunger Bring Strength and Satisfaction

2009-02-10T13:11:00.000-08:00

A couple of months ago I bought a new bike to take with me to southern Sudan. Up until today the tags were still on, the seat was still in the lowest position, and the tires did not have one speck of dirt on them. But now I live really close to the Green River Trial and have no more excuses. I also felt the Lord urging me to come and take a ride with Him, to the peaceful waters, quiet my mind and listen to Him. So with that I put on my warm clothes, my helmet of course, and was off.
The Lord never ceases to surprise me. He always knows exactly what I need to hear and leads my heart in the direction it needs to go. While I was riding two passages came to mind:

“The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” Isaiah 58:11

“But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:7-8

Here I am about to leave the land of plenty and head to a sun scorched land. The Lord challenged me today to think and pray about what is and will keep me from being like a tree planted by the water? As I think about leaving the life I have grown used to in Seattle, it does not scare me to leave the luxuries of this place such as plumbing, 24 hour everything, comfortable homes, technology galore, etc. these things I am very willing to sacrifice. It is the relationships that I leave behind that are not as easy to hand over and trust the Lord to sustain. But through these verses the Lord continues to remind me that I need to have confidence in Him and even though at times I will feel the burns of the sun scorched land or the hunger pains in the seasons of drought, I do not need to worry as long as my roots are firmly planted in Jesus Christ, the stream that never runs dry, and who enables me to be a well watered garden.

Pleasantly Surprised

2009-02-07T11:28:00.001-08:00

One of the many unexptected blessings

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

The Lord continues to show me how true this is. That if I am truly being obedient and loving Him with all my heart all things are worked out for my good and His glory. The other surprising thing, which really should not be surprising but is, is that everything worked out for my good continues to exceed my expectations. Even though I expected to be back in east Africa at this time, the Lord continues to show me that He has better things planned for me than I have planned for myself. He continues to pour one blessing after another into my life to show me that it is not either or, but that He delights in giving me all the desires of my heart. He continues to increase my greatest desire which is drawing me closer to Himself as I continue to step out and trust in Him and where He is leading.

A Transforming New Year!

2009-01-01T17:42:00.000-08:00

“Shout with joy to God, all the earth!
Sing the glory of his name; make his praise glorious!
Say to God, 'How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.
All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you,
they sing praise to your name.'
Come and see what God has done,
how awesome his works in man’s behalf! He turned the sea into dry land,
they passed through the waters on foot- come,
let us rejoice in him. He rules forever by his power,
his eyes watch the nations- let not the rebellious rise up against him.
Praise our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard;
he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping.
For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver.
You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.
You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water,
but you brought us to a place of abundance.”
Psalm 66:1-12

As we reflect back on the last year I am sure there is a feeling of mixed emotions. My year was full of laughter, tears, brokenness, joy, sadness, longing...all leading to further transformation. It seems each year always holds a mixture of moments. Those where we feel the Lord has turned the roaring sea into dry land for us to walk carelessly through the obstacles of life and those moments where we feel like we are drowning or trapped behind steel bars struggling to get free. But one thing I continually learn over and over and over again is that each moment is a refining moment. Through the crashing waves and the easy strut we are being refined like silver and led to a place of abundance. So this year I am not going to hope for less brokenness and more happiness, but instead have faith that joy comes in all things through Christ. In 2009 I long for continued change and transformation that will come with a new year both through the difficulties and delights of life that come along. I long to see the Lord's kingdom coming in my own life and in the places and people I am surrounded by.
Praise God for His awesome deeds! Praise Him for His power over all enemies! Praise Him for miracles seen and unseen! Praise God that He has preserved our lives! And praise Him who invites us to walk (sometimes stumbling or gasping) through the fire and water that refines.

I wish you all a Transforming New Year!!

Reunions

2008-12-26T10:57:00.001-08:00

Last week I took a trip to Philadelphia and from there I went to North Carolina to attend the wedding of a friend who I know from my time in Uganda. Below are some pictures of many joyous reunions.

Three future Sudan teammates bundled for the cold Philly weather laughing because soon we will forget what it is like to wear scarfs, heavy coats, and gloves.

It is always strange to see Uganda teammates stateside, with our spiffed up clothes and new hair styles.

Remembering those fun Bundibugyo dance parties as we boogie down on the dance floor at the reception.

A teacher and student reunited.

I am so thankful that the Lord continues to bring us together and reminds us we are connected no matter what.

2008-11-25T17:23:00.000-08:00

“This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:

“In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. You said, ‘No, we will flee on horses.’ Therefore you will flee! You said, ‘We will ride off on swift horses.’ Therefore your pursuers will be swift. A thousand will flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you will all flee away, till you are left like a flagstaff on a mountaintop, like a banner on a hill.”
Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” Isaiah 30:15-18

Life can be hard. Every day we face dozens of choices, pressures of work undone, the voice in our head that says, ‘don’t stop, go, go, go.’ When I feel the weight of the tasks before me I tend to push harder, run faster, and stretch myself further. When the weight becomes unbearable, I then become ready to mount my horse and flee as far as I can. But however fast we run whether to catch up or get ahead we will just end up feeling defeated when we try and do the impossible on our own. This last weekend I was blessed with a restful getaway with some close friends. For 2 whole days we left the distractions of our daily lives and filled our days instead with good conversation, games, food, sleep, movies, more food, and reflections on how the Lord’s hand has been at work in each of our lives. We left on Sunday feeling rested, refreshed, and stuffed to the limit. And although, yes, we did travel to a place that was free from our daily tasks to have a restful weekend… the beauty of rest is that we do not always have to getaway and escape. The Lord offers rest even in the hustle and bustle of daily living through offering Himself and His promises. The Lord does not promise that life will be easy or fair. Praise God that it is not, because it is through obstacles that we are broken and reminded of our great need for Jesus. And although the Lord does not promise a life of ease, He does promise grace, love, mercy and a deeper relationship with Him.

Delight

2008-11-17T15:48:00.000-08:00

According to Webster delight is the following:
“a high degree of gratification; Joy ; also: extreme satisfaction”

While I was in college I was a nanny for about 3 years. This last weekend I spent the day with the two children that I help care for during those years. Through my time with them I was reminded that extreme satisfaction does not come from possessions, circumstances, or accomplishments. We find true delight through relationship. Delight is found in the precious moments when we are completely present with whatever person we are with and thankful for what is right before us. On Saturday I found myself laughing, smiling, and being filled with joy because the two kids I was with were so delighted just spending time with me. I found delight in their delight. I am sure parents you experience this time and again with your children. The Lord used this weekend to remind me of how much He, as my Father, delights in me. I remember this last summer when I was in Ireland, I was at this gorgeous lush park standing at one of the higher peaks looking down on this breathtaking view, and at that moment I felt overwhelmed by the amount of joy and delight that filled my heart and soul. This was not because of the beauty that I was surrounded by but because I was standing there in the presence of my heavenly Father enjoying this precious moment with Him alone.
The Lord’s word tells us that He delights in giving us our deepest desires. However, our deepest desire should be a deeper relationship with Him. In Him we find our greatest delight.

“The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

This week let’s listen for the Lord’s song, allow Him to quiet us with His love, and let’s find delight in the precious moments the Lord gives us when it is just us and Him enjoying one another’s presence.

An Anchor for the Soul

2008-11-01T12:48:00.000-07:00

My mind has been in a million places in the last week. I go from thinking about Andy to thinking about eternity and about life and what it is we are living for. I live for Jesus and am filled with a thankful heart for His love, grace, and strength. My heart breaks for those who experience tragedy or suffering and can’t see past the pain and the brokenness. I am thankful to love and live for a God who gives me hope and fills my heart with comfort, peace, and joy and increases my intimacy with Him through pain and suffering. Each day is a gift. I desire to live each day to the fullest. To wake up each morning and breath in a new day. To offer myself again to the Lord to reflect His love, His grace, His hope, and His glory. Through the brokenness my desire only increases for those who are overcome by this brokenness and do not have the hope of Jesus to hold onto, to have faith that one day the heaviness will be no more.

“Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 6:17-20

There Will Be A Day

2008-10-26T16:24:00.000-07:00

Andrew Joseph Chappon
March 21, 1980- October 23, 2008

I feel like I am drowning in the brokenness of this world. All that I have to hold onto is Jesus and the hope of eternity with Him. I found out on Friday that a good friend of mine passed away on Thursday Oct. 23. Even as I write this blog entry I am still in complete shock. I wish someone could just pinch me really hard and I could wake up from this horrible dream. Praise God that we can have hope that one day there will be no more brokenness.

“There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, no more fears.
There will be a day when the burdens of this place will be no more; we’ll see Jesus face to face.
But until that day we will hold on to you always.” Jeremy Camp

I look forward to the day when I will stand before Jesus with my friend Andy and we will bow down before our Savior together. Until then my dear friend you will be missed greatly.