Teacher Training Day 1

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

“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

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

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

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

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

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.