Being Kids Again

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

"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

"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

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

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

“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

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.