Leaving Nasir

It was Monday afternoon, December 16^th. Laura and I made our way into town to grab a few things from the market before going to the airstrip to meet the plane that was coming to take us back to Kampala for our first Kampala Assignment. The plane carried a man from an organization that builds radio studios. He was coming to survey our current radio building in hopes of expanding it in the future. We had planned for him and the pilot to stay the night before we all flew out early the next day. We made a few purchases and walked the rest of the way through town toward the airstrip. 

After passing the commissioner’s office and the education building, we saw a small crowd of people standing under a tree near the Nasir milk bar and livestock auction pin. We wondered what was going on; as we approached, we realized that one of the street evangelists preaching. He has been known to talk a lot, so Laura and I hoped to sneak by without him noticing us. Unfortunately, walking by unnoticed somewhere in Nasir is just about impossible (as there are probably less than 20 non-African people in the town). He called out to us, beckoning us to come join the crowd listening to him. We kindly informed him that we were on the way to the airstrip to meet a plane. As we walked away, he shouted to us that there was war in Juba. This was the first news of war that we had received. We just wrote it off thinking he was making it up or that it was some small skirmish since we hadn’t heard anything until then.

When we got to the airstrip, we met up with Jared and Blaise and waited for the plane. Immediately after the plane landed and the pilot and passenger disembarked, a few airstrip security guards raced out onto the airstrip. They began to question the men, as to who they were and why they had landed. We soon learned that there really was fighting in Juba, and the airspace over South Sudan had been closed. I began to worry that we wouldn’t be able to fly out the next day.

The rest of the day was a blur as we all hustled to get everything prepared to leave. Early Tuesday morning, we said our see-you-laters to our friends and compound workers and made our way to the airstrip. Soon, our wheels went up; we were on our way. Originally, we had planned to refuel in Juba. Luckily, Bor had fuel, so we went there to refuel instead. As we landed in Bor, a few South Sudanese men along with a UN officer came to meet the plane. They were slightly more cautious than usual as we disembarked the plane, checking all of our paper work and asking questions. As we waited for the plane to get refueled, I realized that there really was no one else flying; the airport was pretty empty. Just as we were getting ready to board the plane, a vehicle drove up and two Americans got out. It was a man and woman, asking if there were any available seats on our plane. They were scheduled to leave a few days later for the holidays, but with the current situation, if they didn’t get out with us, they were uncertain of when the next flight would be. Luckily, we had two extra seats. Soon, we discovered they were from Texas AND they were Aggies!! They both worked for A&M’s Borlaug Institute, stationed in Bor teaching classes at the University. It turns out that they also knew one of my good friends who had spent some time in South Africa. SMALL WORLD! After another stop in Arua, Uganda, we made it to Kampala safely.

A few days later, we learned that the fighting in Juba had spread to other parts of the country. Bor, the same place where we had refueled, had experienced some fighting as well, as the rebel troops had taken the city.

God has been extremely gracious and caring to our team. We were originally scheduled to fly out December 20^th, but for some reason or another the date got moved to December 17^th. If we had stuck to the original plan, we would have been in South Sudan as the fighting escalated. His hand is all over our team in more ways than I can even express.

"For he knows our frame, he remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all." Psalm 103: 14-19

Cowdu?

In Nasir, it is common place for girls to get married in their late teen years and start bearing children soon after (a man wants as many children as he can have). Very rarely will you find an unmarried Nuer female over 20 years old. Accordingly, in Nuer culture, a girl is not considered a woman until she is married. So naturally, some of the first phrases we learned in Nuer had to do with basic introductory conversations—What is your name? Where do you live? Do you have a husband? How many children do you have? (we also learned the answers to all these questions) —

Every afternoon, Laura, Cass and I spend a few hours out in the community practicing our Nuer with neighbors or people in the market. After a few afternoons visiting with people, we realized that everyone was very interested in our marriage situation. In fact, so interested that fairly often people would ask if we had a husband before even asking what our name was. I thought this to be a bit strange at first, but with a culture so centered around childbearing, I just figured it was a practical question. So, Laura and I both got very familiar with the phrase “han ka na kwen” meaning “I am not married”. After giving this answer, it was almost always followed by laughter. At first I felt a little like I was being made fun of, but then reasoned that they were probably just laughing because I was a “nyal midit”, a big/old girl, since I was not married.

 About six weeks went by with this being one of the first questions asked. Sometimes it was presented in strange situations. For instance, one time as I walked back from the market, I began to practice my Nuer with some young boys. Of course while chatting, one of the first things they asked was if I was married. Why did they want to know? I was confused.

Then one day, while in a language session, some light was shed on the situation. We discovered there was another way, besides what we had learned, to say “what is your name?”—ciotdu pronounced chiodu—.It sounds very similar to “do you have a husband?”—cowdu pronounced chooowdu—. With the combination of our limited Nuer and the difficulty we have determining and pronouncing tones, words that seem vastly different to the Nuer are vaguely different to us. (Try saying elbow and eyeball…they sound very similar. English does it too!) So for a good six weeks, when asked, “what is your name?” I simply responded “I am not married”. And this is why I got laughed at…not because I am a 24 year old girl. We all got a good laugh out of this, and I’m sure many more language mishaps will occur in the future. Thankfully, there is grace, and these mess-ups sure make for great learning experiences.

My language notebook

Laura practicing her Nuer with NyaRet, one of our compound workers

A Day in the Life

Life in Nasir is very different from the states, as anyone can imagine. It has been a huge shift as we have been trying to figure out what work looks like here. Everything is very dirty, so no matter how often the floor is swept, it can still use sweeping. Laundry by hand is time consuming, but quite a workout…. So it’s kind of a two in one deal. Cooking takes a lot more time as well because everything must be made from scratch on the kerosene stove; there is no just opening a can of beans. Dishes must be done regularly as well.  Initially, I thought that just staying on top of things and surviving was all I could manage. I didn’t see how there would be any time to do anything else. However, with some practice, we have been able to get a system down and are much more efficient with our time. So here is an outline of a typical work day in Nasir:

8am—team prayer, devotional, and any business discussions

9am-12pm—classroom style language learning (we sit in a circle with our language tutor, asking how to say different words and phrases)

12pm-2pm—lunch/chores/answering emails/reviewing language (sometimes a short nap can be snuck in)

2pm-5pm—language practice in the community (we either visit neighbors, practicing what we have learned or we go to the market)

5pm—dinner preparation (we rotate dinner preparation between houses, so if it is not my night to cook, this is when I catch up on emails, more chores, or practice my ukulele/clarinet)

6pm-bedtime—dinner (sometimes with the whole team), then personal/family time 

On the weekends, Saturday is our rest day/house project day and Sunday is church—4 hour service in the morning and team church in the afternoon. Then comes our favorite tradition on Sunday evenings... taco night and watching a few episodes of the office.

Dominique

Our houses are built awesomely cool…temperature wise. There is about two feet of screen between where the walls stop and the roof begins allowing for air to blow through, giving us natural air conditioning. However, there is a small gap between where the screen stops and the roof begins. It is just enough space for small animals to fit through. 

Periodically during the day, we have birds in our house (many of which are beautiful blue and yellow birds). At night, there are a few bats that make the rounds between our houses. It’s pretty much clockwork. Around 6:45-7pm, right at dusk when you can barely see, two or three bats come soaring into our house. Initially, I was fearful of them. I knew that bats carried rabies, and I was convinced that they were here to attack us.

One night in particular, as Laura and I were sitting on our porch as the sun was setting, we were suddenly dive bombed by three bats. It was seriously like they were fighter jets coming straight at us, as one grazed my back. We quickly moved our chairs outside. (noting that it is bad that we made the conscious decision to be out among the mosquitoes instead of being in a confined space with the bats.

On another night, while Laura and I were still sleeping in the tent, I was rudely awakened by a smack of something against the tent. Whatever it was scurried up the side. After a few minutes of debating what it could be (a mouse, bat, snake, bird, lizard or large insect), we realized that it was a bat that was chasing bugs. This continued throughout the night. Every time we’d hear the smack of the bat landing on the tent, either Laura or I, half asleep, would whack the side of the tent to knock the bat off…thus the invention of the game, whack-a-bat.

Then one day, after moving into my own room, things changed. I realized that the bats were flying through the house just trying to eat bugs. I greatly welcomed this! I noticed that one of the bats had taken up residence on one of the strings that held up my mosquito net.  So naturally, I had to name him. After much deliberation, I decided on the name Dominique. Every Friday night I watch a movie (gotta try to mix things up on the weekends). The light from my laptop draws many bugs, and after a short while, the outside of my mosquito net is covered. Dominique then feasts. It is fascinating to watch him land on the outside of the net and crawl along the side eating all the bugs his heart desires.

However, Dominique has moved out of my house. The short term team that was here was able to finish bat-proofing our house (extending the screen all the way to the roof), which is super awesome. Dominique is missed at times, but I am so thankful that my house is a little more secure against small creatures.

Bat-proofing process

Dominique!

Terror of the Night

I can hear the crunch of the dirt under the feet of someone walking outside my house. The light from a flashlight outside reflects off the ceiling of our tin roof. Laura calls out, “Who’s there?”. “Security guard” answers the heavily Nuer accented voice of our night guard. We had been in Nasir for about a week, and every night looked similar to this. Many strange noises awakened us throughout the night… loud thunks from things dropping on the tin roof, the squeaking of window shutters, the sounds of the wind blowing against the house, and many other unexplained noises. It seemed as though everything sounded like someone was trying to break in.

Laura and I had been sleeping inside the tent in our living room for almost a week. Part of this was due to the fact that our mattresses had some mold on them from the rain leaking into the house over the summer, and partially because when the sun went down we were both terrified to be inside our house. I literally dreaded night time.  Each night, after dinner with the team, we would be in our tent ready to go to bed by 7:30 because we were too scared to stay out of the safety net of our tent.

Despair crept in. I was growing weary with lack of sleep, and the terror of night that gripped me with fear kept me from do anything in my house after dark. There was no way I would be able to do this for two years. Every morning I would wake, happy that it was light, but not wanting to get out of the tent, just longing for something familiar.

As I prayed for the Lord to strengthen and protect me, I became aware of the spiritual attack I was experiencing. During this time, Psalm 91 became very real to me. Together as a team, we began to war in prayer over what Laura and I were experiencing. By God’s grace and the power in Jesus name, He delivered us from the schemes of the enemy. Many blessings were prayed over our house, and the intense fear was gone. The difference was like night and day. Thankfully, after treating our mattresses, Laura and I were able to move out of the tent a few days later and into our own rooms, free of fear and mold.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you make the Most High your dwelling—even the LORD, who is my refuge—then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;” Psalm 91:1-11

Our livingroom/bedroom the first week

Day 1

Somehow, MAF was able to squeeze us into their schedule and got us a flight into Nasir on Friday Oct 4^th, just a few days after our original flight. It was pretty risky as it had recently rained in Nasir so there was a possibility that the mud would be bad. Since July, after a huge fiasco of a plane getting stuck in the mud on the runway for three weeks resulting in a bent propeller, MAF has been very cautious when flying into Nasir, always checking with someone on the ground regarding the airstrip status. I was so thankful for the willingness of the pilots to risk the sticky mud to get us there. We were still on rain watch though, and we wouldn’t know until the morning of the flight if we would be able to go or not.

At 5 am on Friday morning, I heard the honk of the bus that had come to take the team to the airstrip. As we made our way through the weigh station at the airstrip, we were all praying that we wouldn’t get news that it had rained again in Nasir. After a short delay due to a gauge on the plane needing to be replaced, we were finally airborn!! The closer our plane got to Nasir, the more nervous, anxious and excited I got. As I peered out the window I watched as the Nile River snaked along the land as we followed it. The land below looked very different than it had in March. Everything was very green now because of all the rain, where in March there was almost no green at all. After a short stop in Arua to do customs and in Juba to refuel, the Nile turned into the Sobat, which meant that Nasir was close! I began to see mud huts pop up on the ground below and the Nasir market became clear. As we did a fly over the airstrip and turned around to land, I could see the roofs of our houses on our compound. With a jolt, our wheels went down and our plane halted to a stop. Out of the window I could see Kerry (who came on another plane ahead of us) give us the thumbs up. WE MADE IT! The door of the plane opened, and I could hear Kerry’s strong southern accent say “Welcome home yall!” We were greeted by many Nuer men and children as we got off the plane. Kerry had arranged with Gatdet (our Nuer liaison)to get donkey carts to bring our stuff to the compound, and we had a lot of stuff, which made it hard to not make a scene.

We began the trek to our compound. The airstrip was dry, but we had to weave around to avoid big muddy sinkholes of water and hop over green-silted “creeks” of stagnant water. After almost 45 min of walking and greeting women and children along the way, we made it to the fence of our compound. There were a handful of Nuer on our compound that had been guarding it since it since the construction was finished. The compound was overgrown with grass about to my waist and there was a lot of trash. Kerry took us to each of our houses and unlocked the door. The house set aside for Laura and I was the house that the interns and the short term team had stayed in. As the door to my house was opened, we peered in to see it full of stuff. A tent in the living room, a table with graham crackers half eaten, lots of chairs, furniture for all three houses, mosquito nets, clothes, trunks, shows, bags, and many many other items. The team in July had to be evacuated by the UN because the mud was so bad, so they had left in a hurry and much of their belongings were still in the house. It was very overwhelming. We had been told that things were in pretty bad shape, but I wasn’t prepared for this. Kerry had two hours to help but then his plane was leaving, so he went with Blaise and Jared to town to exchange money, get SIM cards and pick up the motorcycle from the airstrip, leaving us to wait for all the donkey carts to come and to begin cleaning the houses out. Where to start?

Laura and I started to clear our house out and move furniture to the other houses. We began to take the tent down, but discovered a small zoo under it. There was a mouse, a nest of baby mice, a huge centipede, a few scorpions, and a lot of beetles. Let’s just say my machete came in handy here. There was so much to do that Laura and I opted to just sleep in the tent for the night instead of messing with mosquito nets. The rest of the day was spent moving stuff, killing bugs, cleaning and watching for donkey carts. As the first donkey cart finally arrived with some of our luggage, we were ecstatic. Whenever we had received over half of our luggage, there was about two hours with no sight of donkey carts. We began to worry that somehow our stuff had “disappeared”. Finally a steady stream of donkey carts showed up. Somehow, after at least ten donkey carts, we ended up receiving all of our luggage, not missing a thing. This was pretty much a miracle.

The sun was beginning to set, but there was still no sign of Blaise and Jared. What had happened to them?? They didn’t know the way around yet, and we had heard that white people being out after dark wasn’t the best idea, so we were beginning to worry. We hadn’t been able to find our water filters yet, so Laura and I pulled our camping stove out in the middle of the compound and attempted to boil water so that we had something to drink. It felt like it took hours for the water to boil as we picked the dive bombing bugs out of it. As we sat there waiting for the water to boil, I looked up and saw the most beautiful night sky I have ever seen. It was nice to just have to look up and be reminded of God’s vastness and goodness despite the craziness of the day.

 Suddenly, we heard the honking of a horn coming from a distance. Since there are probably under 20 vehicles in Nasir, most likely that was the guys with the motorcycle! Soon we saw the headlight and in came Jared and Blaise with the bike, completely covered from head to toe in mud. They had attempted to ride the bike from the airstrip to the compound, but they didn’t make it far before they hit mud. They had to push the bike the rest of the way, weaving around the vats of mud slough, which is probably close to a mile. By this time everyone was completely beat, so Laura and I went to our house and climbed into our tent, to try to fall asleep despite the unfamiliar and mysterious noises of a brand new place.

Loading the plane!

Pilot getting ready for takeoff

Nile River

Flying over Nasir

Kerry right as we landed

Some of our belongings

Just Being

It’s raining in Nasir. This unfortunate news came Sunday evening, and we were scheduled to fly into Nasir on Tuesday; things were not looking good. The flight wasn’t for sure cancelled, so we prayed for the rain to stop so that the airstrip wouldn’t be too wet to land. Monday morning we received the call that it had rained in Nasir overnight, so the airstrip was too wet to land on Tuesday.  My spirit sank. We all really wanted to get to Nasir. Our stay in Kampala had been great as we transitioned to living in Africa, but we were ready to move past this middle ground and get to work, not to mention three weeks in a house with nine people was getting a bit trying at times. Okay, I could wait a few days for the airstrip to dry out. But then we got more bad news, the first flight we could schedule with MAF (our charter organization) wasn’t until October 27th. Great. A month just sitting around. These were my initial thoughts. It is what it is, but I wasn’t too happy with it, and I knew I needed to check my attitude. We all began to pray for a miracle to happen and us to get a sooner flight. Emails to prayer warriors in the states were sent. As I prayed and worked through my own discouragement and negative thoughts, I was reminded again that God controls everything and I needed to surrender my attempt at control. I also became aware of some selfishness rooted in myself, as not all of my motivation for getting to Nasir was selfless. I was really looking forward to getting my own space and to start getting the ball rolling. As I prayed through all of this, I received many words of encouragement from people back home. One of my good friends back in Houston reminded me that I’m here following Gods will not my own agenda and that even if I was to never get to Nasir that’s okay because He called me there and I’m giving Him glory by being obedient. He's placed the team everywhere we should be this far, and he's going to continue to do the same. I will always be exactly where I need to be just focus on the reason not the problems. So that’s what I’m trying to do, be where God needs me to be each day and who God needs me to be each day. During the time of waiting here in Kampala, I am trying to focus on just being and not always having to do, spending my time just listening to the Lord’s leading, seeking Him and learning to hear His voice.

Planning for Nasir

With our flight into Nasir being scheduled to leave Tuesday October 1^st, we spent the next few weeks in Kampala buying supplies and trying to pack our trunks according to the limited weight we had. Trying to find everything we needed was an adventure and takes much longer than in the US. A simple trip to the grocery store could easily take up to four hours, add the increased security due to the recent events in Kenya, one store trip could take at least half a day. Learning to drive in Kampala definitely was an experience trying to dodge boda boda drivers (motorcycle taxis) and matatus. Finding my way around the city was an adventure. I literally say a prayer for safety (for me and the pedestrians) every time I get behind the wheel... or when the car starts. Our little Pajero struggles with cold starts. We have determined that sometimes we need to literally shake the car to get the fluid flowing to the starter plugs to get the ignition to fire up. It’s quite a scene.

Planning all of the meals in Nasir and distributing the weight for the flight among all the team was a lengthy process. I never imaged that I would spend days searching for dried soy chunks to make spaghetti and chili… yummy (its way better than eating beans and rice for every meal though!). Packing within the weight allotted was a humbling experience as you really have to weigh what is absolutely necessary and what is a luxury. Not knowing exactly what is readily available in the Nasir market was  Do I choose to use my weight with another bar of soap or some granola bars? Would I rather have bug spray or something that smells nice? All these questions to answer and choices to make! Thankfully, I was able to pack my trunks with both necessary items as well as a few luxury items.

Driving through Kampala

Got my Mexican food fix!!

Crammed car rides with the team 

Laura and I as we prepare our first dinner together in Kampala

Laura the seamstress sewing the curtains for our Nasir home

Believe it or not, our team of 9 plus a driver fit in this small SUV, so Cass & Blaise rode in the boot

Africa By Radio

After being in Africa for a few days, still not really over jet lag, the Ginters, Laura, and I were up at 2:30 am to head to the airport to catch an early flight to Nairobi, Kenya. We were headed to the Africa By Radio Intercontinental Conference in Limuru (a suburb of Nairobi). We were joined by Every Village’s radio voice, Daniel who is a South Sudanese man from the Dinka tribe. After a short flight, we made our way through a big tent housing the Kenyan customs due to the recent fire that destroyed much of the Nairobi airport. Outside the airport, we were greeted by a driver who was holding a sign for us. (I have always wanted to be picked up that way, so I can cross that off the bucket list!) The drive through Nairobi was rather entertaining as well as nerve wracking. Imagine a 6 lane divided highway, with groups of 10+ people randomly rushing across the lanes of traffic.  It was kind of like an arcade game simulator as we weaved through traffic dodging the groups of people. I was very happy that I was not driving. We even witnessed a man on the side of the road get a running start towards a moving matatu (minivan public taxi crammed full of people) with the door open, and he jumped right on the side for the ride.

After arriving at the conference and settling into our rooms, we connected with a lady from KSBJ (a radio station in Houston). She was such a blessing as she was able to introduce us to many of the other organizations that were present. This gave us many connections with people who have been doing radio outreach for years, which will be handy in the near future as we try to figure out how to do radio since no one on the team has any background at all in radio or any type of communications.

The conference consisted of a series of main lectures with breakout sessions focused on specifics (technical, reaching kids, writing radio dramas, etc). Every morning we began the day with worship. It was like a small glimpse of heaven being able to corporately worship with so many different races. We were able to meet people from all over the world that use radio to communicate the Gospel. People from over 20 African countries were represented.  It was such a blessing to be around people so passionate about using media to spread the love of Christ. It was a huge encouragement as we sat through different sessions at the conference to continually hear strategies similar to the one of Every Village. Radio and media are great tools to be used and should be taken advantage of, but nothing can take the place of face to face discipleship in the fulfillment of the Great Commission. 

Probably my favorite part of the conference (besides getting to hear the stories of well-seasoned missionaries in dangerous parts of the world), was the last night when they had an awards gala. The attire for this event was traditional African dress. Getting the opportunity to see all the different garb was awesome. There was more worship and even some dancing! I’m pretty sure there are some random pictures out there of the mzungu (white person) trying to dance.

Conference room

Tea time!

Traditional African garb

Worship in dance

Kampala Home

Here is a little tour of our Team House in Kampala. All nine of us our living in this 3 bedroom house until we move into Nasir.

Kitchen

Stairs

Front Entry

Living Room

My Garage/Bedroom

Our little Pajero

View from back patio

Chicken coop in the backyard

Goodbyes are Hard

The day had finally come. In a few short hours I would say goodbye to everything I knew, climb onto the plane and head to Africa for two years. It was so surreal. It began to set in as I lay in bed with my dogs, Cookie and Ellie Mae. Soon my tears soaked their fur as I realized that they really may not be here whenever I get back. As I went through the day, throwing the last few items into my trunks, eating my last American meal, which was of course Whataburger, and hanging with my family, many tears were shed. On our way to the airport, an array of emotions flooded over me. I was sad, nervous, excited, anxious, and full of anticipation. Arriving at the airport, we were greeted with a crowd of people from the Every Village office, Hope Church, the Pierce’s family and some of my close friends. It was a very warm goodbye. Again, many tears were shed. After a wonderful corporate prayer of blessing and protection, the Pierce family and I made our way to security. The final hugs were hard, especially for my family and close friends. The image of my family and friends waving a final goodbye as I stepped past security is embedded in my mind. That was the last that I may see of some of them for the next two years. The multiple flights over the next twenty-four hours were kind of a blur. Somehow, by the grace of God, we arrived at our final destination (for a few weeks) Entebbe, Uganda, without any of us missing a connecting flight and with all twenty-five of our checked bags. It is seriously a miracle that nothing got lost! By the time we made it to our house (which all nine of us are staying in for the next few weeks) it was almost 5am. After getting our things unloaded, we all crashed for a few hours before starting our day to try to get over jet lag ASAP. 

Pictures from the Airport:

Me and Mom

Caleb, me, Mom, and Dad (Will and Adrianna couldnt make it)

Our awesome goodbye crew

Time of prayer

Africa here we come!

Time Well Spent

Preparing to leave the country for two years is a lot more hectic than I ever imagined it to be. My last month in the states was spent traveling saying see-you-laters, shopping for unusual supplies, meeting with donors, and spending time with friends and family. It seemed as though I did not have a moment to spare. During my last two weeks in Houston, I began to become very overwhelmed with all I had to do…cancel gym membership, alert the banks of move, get last immunizations, get international driver’s license, write countless thank you notes… the list went on and on. Also, my social calendar was full to the brim with meals and outings with friends and family as my departure date approached. I began to get stressed about being able to fit everybody and everything into my schedule, but then a good friend reminded me of the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42. Martha was busy scurrying about, trying to complete many tasks, while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus listening to him, strengthening her relationship with Him. My friend reminded me that people are more important than things. It was more important for me to spend time with my friends and family than to make sure I had every last item packed. I asked God to help me to manage my time well, and to love others well in the midst of my preparations for the move. I don’t know how this was physically possible, but somehow I was able to see and spend time with almost everyone I needed to before leaving (also with the help of my friends who threw me an awesome surprise going away party). God is good. Yes, I got to Africa missing a few items. Yes, I left a few tasks behind that my mom so graciously offered to complete for me, but I’d rather have left some things that can be replaced than to have lost time nurturing relationships, which cannot be regained.

 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” -Luke 10:41-42

A Long Life of Serving

Recently, I was able to spend a week with my two sweet grandmothers, Momoo and Grandma. For over 40 years, they have both lived in Odessa, about a mile away from each other, and they would get together multiple times a week. But now, Grandma is moving to Colorado to live with family as it is not safe for her to live alone any longer. 

The week spent in Odessa was a busy one, painting and fixing things, as the house was about to go on the market. In the midst of all the work, one morning Momoo hosted a going away party for Grandma. It was such a blessing to see all the people who came to say goodbye. I heard many, many stories of how Grandma has for years faithfully served in the church, participated in prison ministry, volunteered at the crisis center, taught Sunday school (which she has recently stopped doing…she is 84), and the list goes on. What a woman. 

During lunch one day, Momoo (who is almost 88) told me how she and a woman in her 70’s teamed up to teach about 20 second graders in VBS this summer. Whoaaa. Talk about purposeful retirement. I was blown away. I am so extremely blessed to have such amazing women as models of what a servant of Jesus Christ should look like their entire life. I pray that I can be half as selfless and giving that they are. These two really are the epitome of a Proverbs 31 woman.

“She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.” –Proverbs 31:26-31

The Deep End

A few weeks ago, I kept the Pierce’s middle child while they prepared to move. Ben is a well-built 4 year old full of energy, so we spent a lot of time in the pool. His parents told me that he was a good swimmer, and this proved to be true, or at least while we were in the shallow end. After a little coaxing, I eventually convinced him to jump off the diving board into the deep end of the pool. I told him that I would be right there in the water when he jumped in, but that since he was such a good swimmer he would be fine without me. Ben finally mustered up enough courage and plunged into the water. Immediately, he began to panic, arms flailing. It was like he had never known how to swim. As I pulled him toward me to calm him down, his arms wrapped tightly around my neck. He exclaimed that the water was too deep and that he could not swim. His fear of the deep water had made him completely forget everything that he knew.

There have been times in my own life when I have jumped into water that seems to be too deep for me. Like Ben, I panic, trying to keep my head above the water, forgetting God’s promises and forgetting to trust that He is right there to keep me from sinking. It’s like everything I have ever learned from His word has completely left my mind. This reality hits close to home as I prepare to move to South Sudan. The entire task set before me is way over my head. At times, I feel as though I am sinking and may drown. But God is faithful, and I must continually remember that the Lord has called me into this “deep end”. It is His work in Nasir, not mine. It will be His power that keeps me afloat.

I am reminded of the story in Matthew 14:29-31 when Jesus walks on water. “Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”  Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him.” What comfort I find in the fact that “immediately Jesus reached out his hand”. There was no delay. Despite Peter’s fear and lack of faith, Jesus was right there to catch him. My heart is so full of joy knowing that Jesus does the same for us, even in our own fear and doubt. Whenever we feel like we are drowning in deep water and don’t know what to do, Jesus is just an arms’ reach away.

I'm a Slow Blogger....

Apparently I am not very good at updating my blog…. Since it is August and I have yet to finish blogging about the vision trip in March, I am going to give a quick synopsis of the trip in this one blog post. We spent another day and a half in Nasir. During this time we continued to explore the town. We ventured into the market again one morning to get a better look at what all was available. There was some food, mostly beans, rice, pasta, tomato paste, potatoes, and onions (along with some seasonings). There was also a meat market and a mill to grind sorghum. I was happy to see all that was available. We paid a visit to the town pharmacy, noting what medicine is readily available. Malaria pills, pain medication, amoxicillin, and similar drugs lined the shelves. Unfortunately, the MSF clinic had informed us that the pharmacists were not educated on the use of each medication. For instance, many times women would receive malaria pills or horse tranquilizers for dysentery. This did not sit well with me; this is a preventable issue. In fact, I have made educating some of the pharmacy staff part of my community health development strategy. Later that afternoon we had hopes of hopping on a boat and floating up the Sobat River to the neighboring village of Torpuot. As we walked along the river towards the place where the man with the boat was, the river was crowded with people bathing, animals drinking/wading, children fishing, women doing laundry, and one woman and her child came to gather water in their jerrycans. I still cringe when I think about yet another preventable health issue. We soon discovered that the man with the boat key was not in Nasir that day. The rest of the day was spent visiting another organization called ADRA, who provides health services, and we visited local schools. We met with some of the teachers as well. Both of these relationships will prove to be very helpful in our development strategies. The next morning we broke camp and made the mile trek to the airstrip. As we boarded the plane, I had mixed emotions. I wasn’t ready to leave, but at the same time it was so strange to think that in six short months this would be my home. So surreal. We flew to a village called Aweil, where our missionary friends with Cush4Christ are living. We spent the weekend hanging out with them and picking their brains for advice about living in South Sudan (most of the team has lived in South Sudan for at least a few years). It was such a blessing to be able to spend some time learning from them, and it was encouraging to see that living in South Sudan is do-able as a westerner. Many thanks to all of the Cush4Christ team.

Cracked Nasir Soil in Dry Season

Early Monday morning we hopped on the little Cessna plane one last time as we headed back to Uganda. On the way, we had to make a fuel stop in a town called Rumbek. While in this village, the pilot suggested that we get stamped out of South Sudan. After making our way to the small structure that was the airport for this town, we were told that the man with the stamp was on his way. We waited, and waited, and waited. Finally, someone ushered us into a SUV and drove us into town. We ended up at a government officials’ office, which was decorated nicely with tinsel. After he flipped through our passports and searched for a stamp, we continued to wait. A good deal of time went by as nothing happened. Finally, someone spoke up asking if we were good to go. He told us that he did not have the stamp; it was back at the airport. So he offered to escort us to the airstrip. When we got back to the small airport structure, we were told that the man with the stamp was still on his way. But wait! Suddenly someone realized that the stamp was inside a cabinet, but the cabinet was locked. Of course, the man with the key to the cabinet was on his way. We decided that we had waited long enough, so we told them that we would just fly to Juba, the capital city, to get stamped out. A few hours later we made it back to Kampala, Uganda. After eating just rice and beans for days, we were greeted by Neltia with the best cinnamon rolls I have ever tasted. However, I learned that eating these delicious balls of sugar and butter so soon after coming out of South Sudan comes with a price. In the future when I come out of South Sudan for my R& R, I will have to make the decision if being sick for a few days is worth the deliciousness or if it is better to let my stomach slowly adjust to normal food.

Cattle Horn!

As we boarded the plane the following day to leave Africa, it was bittersweet. I was sad to leave, but filled with excitement as I would be returning soon. I already can’t believe that I am less than month away from my departure date. Time has flown by so fast, but I cannot wait to get back!

Exploring Nasir

Day 5:
About 4 in the morning I was woken up by the beating of tribal drums (I'm not exactly sure why the drums were being played this early). I realized that I was actually kind of cold too. What a nice surprise! After the 110 degree weather the day before I never imagined that I would get cold, but it was very encouraging to know that it cools down at night. Luckily I was able to drift back to sleep until the roosters began to crow about an hour later. By 7 everyone was up and ready to start the day. As we ate instant oatmeal and granola bars for breakfast, Blake (EV intern who had been in Nasir for a few weeks already) laid out the agenda for the day. We began the morning by prayer walking around our compound. This was such a rich and beautiful time of praying blessings and protection over the ground, the buildings that would be built, the fence, and the soil for our future garden. We also prayed that God would make our compound a place that radiates His glory, love and peace to everyone who steps foot onto it. We continue to pray Psalm 127:1 "Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain, unless the LORD watches over a city, the guards stand watch in vain" as the compound is now being constructed.

Compound Gate

We then ventured just outside our fence to the water well where many women were gathered collecting their water. For the first time we were able to interact with these women, some of whom we will hopefully later be able to form lasting relationships. This was a joyous time as we took turns pumping water for the Nuer women. As we did this, they began to give us a language lesson, pointing to different objects, telling us the corresponding word in Nuer. Of course our accents and the way we formed our words were off, so it gave everybody at the well a good laugh. It's hard to put into words how joyous of a time it was, the laughter may have been the cultural bridge, but I do believe that God's hand was in this. I definitely felt some sort of bond with these women, but again this is hard to explain. Before leaving the water well, we were able to pray with some of the women. The presence of Holy Spirit was super thick in that place. Way awesome and so powerful.

Water well outside compound fence

After lunch of rice and beans, we set off to visit Nasir FM, a radio station run by the locals. We had to walk a little over a mile, and during the hottest part of the day (between 1-4) this is rather difficult. It is so hot and dry that staying hydrated is quite a challenge. At the radio station we were able to talk with some of the reporters and djs, all of whom spoke pretty good English. It was really cool to see their sound proof recording studio and how they improvise to accomplish their goal. Our next stop was the MSF clinic (staffed mostly by British and French). Due to my health background, I was very excited for this visit. Here we were introduced to a British nurse whose blog we had been following for a few weeks, so it was great being able to meet her. She gave us a tour of the clinic, telling different stories and explaining how the difference in culture sometimes makes it more difficult to provide optimal care. Most of the clinics beds were full, so there were many mothers with their children just laying out on the porches of the buildings. She was also able to speak into what life in Nasir is like for a westerner. Everything she had to say was very very helpful. After explaining to her what we would be doing in Nasir, it came out that she was a Christian as well. What a nice surprise! I loved hearing this as we were able to pray with her to bless her as she had just blessed us.
For dinner that evening, we ventured into the market place, to eat at an Ethiopian restaurant, which in fact happened to be the only restaurant in Nasir. The market was live, people selling and bargaining all around, as well as goats and chickens running around aimlessly. Teenagers lined the roads, sitting at tables trying to sell cell phone calling cards along with various items (to my surprise, almost everyone in Nasir has a cell phone). There were people selling hut-making supplies along the road and small shack-like shops full of clothing. There were vendors set up selling canned goods and a small amount of produce (mainly potatoes and onions). Most of the merchants in the market are Ethiopian, and most of the things sold in the market come up the Sobat River (runs through Nasir) from Ethiopia. Small kiosk-like buildings blared rap music, we heard a lot of 50-cent (we're hoping to introduce Lacrae to the youth, to eventually replace the not so whole-some lyrics). Finally making it to the Ethiopian restaurant, we were thrilled to just sit, as the intense heat had taken a toll on all of us. We were seated in a room that had chairs lining the walls. I had thought we were sitting in a waiting room until they brought out trays of food and set them on small tables. Silly westerner, ha. The food was different, but rather delicious, and they even had cold Fanta to drink! Woooo!    

Young boys selling phone cards

Building supplies

Shops along the market road

As the sun was setting, we made our way back towards the compound. Along the way, we made friends with a large group of kids playing together, and they began to walk with us. Many of them could speak some English, so this was a joy to be able to communicate a little with them as we tried to learn other words in Nuer. After devotions and taking a nice and refreshing "shower" (jerrycan of water, bucket, and a cup), I was more than ready for bed. My head hit the pillow and I was out.

Makeshift Shower

Touchdown Nasir!

Day 4: It was the day I had been looking forward to. I was finally going to set foot on the soil of Nasir, the village I will be living in for the next two years. We anxiously boarded the small cessna airplane and prepared for takeoff. One of the "airport employees" walked onto the dirt air strip holding what looked like to be ping pong paddles in order to direct us in the right direction, so that our plane would not hit any of the other non-existent planes. Whatever looks official I guess? The anticipation during the flight was intense. I was so nervous/excited/anxious. What if I didn't feel anything for the people? What if the heat was too much? What if I was about to find out I wasn't cut out for this work? Soon, the pilot informed us that we would be landing shortly. From high in the air, I began to see mud huts dispersed on the earth below. As the plane began its descent my heart raced. With a jolt, our wheels met the dry soil of Nasir. I gazed out the window watching the desolate land pass by. As we came to a stop, I realized that our plane was surrounded by a crowd of South Sudanese children. The door was opened and the intense heat quickly filled the cab. Standing outside the plane was Peter (my pastor and the executive director of EV) who was leading a group of men on a trip that was a day ahead of us. As we disembarked the plane, we were greeted by a flood of smiling children with outstretched hands to shake and a chorus of the Nuer greeting "Mah-ley". My heart began to melt. Tears began to well up as I tried my hardest to hold them back. It was very strange to me to have to fight off tears in a setting like this, as I am not usually emotional in that way, the only time I really cry is if I am super upset. I believe that this was an answer to my prayers as I began to feel love for these people. The icing on the cake was that there was a boy who was wearing an Aggie tshirt! WHOOP! This was probably the best greeting anyone in Nasir has ever received.

 

Team before takeoff in Aura

Mah-ley! Whoop!!

One of the most profound moments that day was the prayer time we were able to have with the team of men (many were part of the EV board) before they took off to the next village. We gathered under the small wing of the plane to escape the unrelenting sun. It was such a beautiful and refreshing time. After seeing the men off, we began our mile trek through the maze of mudhuts to the compound. The people of Nasir were so friendly, many of them coming up to shake our hands and give us a proper greeting. Very hot and sweaty, we finally made it to the 100m x 100m compound that would be our future home! Upon our arrival we had been warned that there had been a sighting of a snake in the latrine hut a few days earlier. Of course, within 30 min of arriving, we heard a cry out from Cass, who was in the latrine, that there was a snake. She was trapped as the snake was between her and the door. We quickly called a Nuer man over and he fearlessly whacked the snake on the head with a stick (not much bigger than a pencil) until it was dead. When asked if it was poisonous, he responded “snake dangerous for cow, not for man”…. We were all sort of confused because a cow is a lot bigger than a human… but okay I guess??

 

Latrine Hut/Snake hideout

After our snake adventure, our attention was averted to a tree a few yards away that had a goat tied to it. Apparently the goat had been given as a gift to the team ahead of us, and they so kindly left it for us to enjoy for dinner that night. This was my first experience of watching an animal slaughtered right in front of me. Two of the Nuer men brought over a tin mat and began to sharpen the knife. They pulled the goat towards them, and in one swift move, flipped it on its side while holding the legs together.  As I saw the goats’ body become limp and blood begin to gush out of the neck, the reality of what a blood sacrifice really is began to weigh heavily upon me. I just had to pause for a minute to reflect on the significance of the situation. It reminded me how Jesus was the ultimate blood sacrifice for our sins, and how without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (Heb 9:22). Very powerful. The two men skinned the goat and butchered it, chopping up just about every part of the animal to be cooked. It was later served to us in a stew-like manner with rice. However, it was rather difficult for me to eat. There were multiple questionable textures, I still had the image of the goat being slaughtered in my mind, and there were many goats bleating in the distance. But I am sure I will get over all of that pretty quickly. After a very eventful day, I was more than ready for bed. I crawled into my tent and drifted off to sleep listening to the sounds of drums in the distance and the harmonious voices of children singing.

Preparing for the slaughter

"In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." Hebrews 9:22

What I learned today about Africa/African culture:

-Some official looking procedures may just be for show

-Take Dramamine on every charter plane ride as well as on long bus rides

-Do not name goats, they may become supper

-Always scope out the bathroom for snakes before entering

To be continued...