On my Way

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

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"

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

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

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

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

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.