Complete Immersion

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


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

Cooking over the local 3 stone stove.

The Strike is Over!

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

Back in Mundri

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

The Lord Sustains Relationships

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

Familiar Yet Changed

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

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

Fun Times

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

Pat pretending like we see something in the distance.

Stopping for our picnic breakfast

The Three Rs

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