Ant Invasion

i feel i need to tell you about our eventful night. last night, ants invaded our compound. bethany and kim first noticed them in their tukul. they came out in a panic, screaming and hopping around, trying to avoid stepping on them. we quickly came over to investigate. with our flashlights in hand, we followed their river-like paths through the dirt, being cautious not to step too close. then we see a swarm of them. they blanketed the ground, covering every inch of it. i can honestly say i have never seen anything like it. we decided it was necessary to pour kerosene around the edge of our tukuls in order to avoid an ant infestation in the night. the thought of ants coming near my bed gives me the creeps. i imagine something like out of a sci-fi or horror film. we return to the team house to find the ants have already made their way inside, seeping under the door and through small openings in the windows. we each grab a can of "doom," our handy insect killer, and pay our revenge. we hope it is enough to keep them away for good. we retreated to our tukuls in disbelief at what we had just seen. needless to say, i slept with a can of doom beside my bed, just in case.

Bible Storying

what a great saturday! i was able to go with christine to "girls club" today. we rode our bikes for what seemed like forever. ok it wasn't that long. i am just out of shape. they have not had girls club for a few weeks now because of school holidays or rain. people don't get out in the rain, especially when most of them walk a long distance to be there. so, we were not sure of the turnout.
when we arrived, there was just one girl and two boys waiting under the trees. the boys did not get the message that it was exclusive to girls. we invited them in anyhow. girls club meets in a classroom at the secondary school. the school is a rectangular cement building containing three classrooms. each classroom has several rows of wooden desks and benches. it is empty. besides the chalkboard in the front of the classroom, the walls are bare. at this time a few more girls join us. everyone finds a seat as christine gathers her materials. she begins by having everyone say their name. then we play a fun math game that teaches them how to use calculators. most of them have not used a calculator before. christine then prays and begins the "bible storying".
bible storying was created as a way to share the gospel in story form, specifically in the context of foreign missions. it has proven difficult for people to understand westernized sermons that use bullet points and jump around in scripture. bible storying allows for everyone, even those who cannot read, to hear the message of the bible and hopefully be able to share that same story with a friend. most of the students are learning english, and it is a good way for them to practice as they listen and answer questions.
christine begins by telling the story of jesus calming the storm. she repeated the story twice, being sure to speak slowly and clearly for them to best understand. she began the story again, this time pausing for the students to fill in the rest of the sentence. i was amazed at how well they picked it up. she then talked them through the outline of the story, making sure they got the key events in the story. the tricky part came when she asked them application questions. what does this tell us about who jesus is? this was more difficult for them. they knew exactly what happened and what jesus did in the story, but struggled to apply it. christine did a great job of walking them through this process, and by the end, they seemed to be getting it.
i really enjoyed being able to watch christine today and experience a different part of their ministry here. at one point during the lesson, i was hit with an overwhelming feeling of God's presence. here i was. in sudan. halfway across the world. watching students learn about jesus. it was just another way for God to show me all that He is doing in sudan. i am blessed to even be a witness.

Prayer

hello my wonderful friends and supporters! thank you all for the continued interest in my time here in sudan. i thought i would update you all with some specific things you can be praying for me. first of all, thank you so much for your prayers regarding my stomach issues, as i am feeling much better now. please pray that i continue to make time with the Lord a priority, that i would be disciplined to pull myself out of bed in the mornings, and that i would have rich time in the word and in prayer. also pray that i would be open to all that God wants me to learn. pray that i will learn more about His character and that i would be obedient to His desires for my life. i know that God has big plans for me and has a purpose for bringing me to sudan. i praise God for the time He has given me thus far. it has truly been a blessing. the team has been so welcoming and it has been somewhat easy to slip into life here in mundri. i am excited to share with you all about the remainder of my time here. again, i am humbled and beyond grateful to have such a strong support system back home. i love you all!

Kayaking

yesterday, we went for a kayaking/ picnic day at the yei river. acacia and michael started off by the compound and we drove down to meet them. john and phil (the interns), gaby, liana, and i parked at the bridge and proceeded down a trail to meet acacia and michael under the mango tree. we laid out our blanket and enjoyed sandwiches and pringles. i was wishing it was mango season, but unfortunately i just missed it. after we ate, it was time to kayak. liana and i were up first. we pushed off at the hidden embankment and paddled our way through a row of tall grass to get to the open water. we paddled upstream for a short while and then back again, staying in the calm parts and avoiding the rapids. it was so peaceful. the only sounds were our paddles pushing back water and a few birds in the distance. i felt as though we were the only souls for miles. i managed to get my skirt soaked in the process. each time i switched sides to row, my ore would drip water in my lap. i didn't realize how wet i actually was until i got out of the kayak. it was as if i had submerged half of my body in the river. i found it quite funny as i sloshed back down the trail.
p.s. sorry the pictures aren't too clear.

Tukul

the arabic word for house is "tukul." our compound is made up of a cluster of tukuls. most tukuls around mundri are made of mud walls and thatch roof. these, however, are made of concrete with a tin roof for durability. they even have built in concrete shelving. the screen windows circle around the tukul allowing a nice breeze to come through. i am staying in larissa and christine's tukul, which they loving named "the shire" as it looks like it belongs to hobbits. i sleep in their living area, tucked away underneath a mosquito net.


this is the team house and the kitchen, where we meet, have worship, and prepare fabulous meals.

A Week In Review

so, it's been a little over a week since i arrived in sudan. and what a great week it's been. i will try to catch you up to speed.
this past friday, we ate at an arabic restaurant in town. it happens to be a favorite of the team. as we arrived they quickly set up tables and chairs for us to sit down in front of the restaurant. it was beautiful weather for eating outside. the sky was blue and there was just enough of a breeze to feel comfortable. the air smelled of sweet pipe smoke, and the dirt road was busy with pedestrians. women passed by carrying baskets on their heads, and children rode their bicycles, sometimes pausing to get a second look at the white people. our food was brought out on 2 big trays, served family style. each included pita bread, mashed beans,lentil soup, and fried egg. it was delicious, and i thoroughly enjoyed my first taste of arabic food.
the next morning, however, the entire team was sick. i woke up wondering why it was so quiet. i seemed to be the only one up. i remembered it was saturday and assumed that everyone was sleeping in. turns out, i was the only adult not sick. how that makes sense is beyond my understanding. i'm supposed to be the new girl with the weak stomach. maybe it was all your prayers.
despite bypassing the team sickness then, i have managed to have some stomach problems the past couple of days. i'm sure my body is beginning to adjust to all the newness. i would still appreciate your prayers about this.
i had my first week of school! i have enjoyed teaching the kids and getting to know each of their personalities. gaby is your typical 8 year old boy, full of energy. he has a mischievous dimpled smile that makes me laugh. liana is 11 and keeps gaby in line. she loves to play games and has already taught me a card trick. acacia will be 13 next month. she tends to be quieter than her siblings, but has a secretly wonderful sense of humor. she is always laughing and i have really enjoyed hanging out with her.
teaching older children has not been scary after all. they are good students so it makes it easy. each day this week, i added on an extra-curricular activity after classes. monday we had recess. their choice. of course they picked capture the flag. they put me to shame. while i struggled to run in my flip-flops, they whizzed by me in their bare feet. i think they realized ms. melissa was not the best partner to have in that game. we had a blast though. needless to say i enjoyed my cold shower that night. tuesday we had art. we collected trash from the recycle bin and work area to make our own trash art. it was great. they spent over an hour making robots, collages, and such. wednesday was baking day! we opted to use some canned peaches and make what we called "peach surprise," which was like a peach cobbler. delicious! thursday, we went to the airstrip to pick up larissa, kim, and her fiancee. we called that field trip day.
my time here has already proved to be such a blessing. it is neat to see God's faithfulness in action. i am reminded of the many prayers he has answered and how he provided the funds to get me here. it was neat for me to catch a glimpse of God's plan as i talked with karen the other day. she shared her story of how God brought her and her family to sudan and of how God has answered her prayers in needing someone to teach the kids. i am so blessed to be a part of their ministry.
again, i'm reminded that God's got this thing rigged. i'm just along for the ride.

First Meal

shortly after we landed, michael and the rest of the team arrived. i quickly introduced myself to them all then said goodbye as half of them boarded the same plane. some were headed to uganda and others back to the states.
now for the 3 hour drive back to mundri...not before stopping for some african cuisine on the side of the road. they had planned lunch at home, but had to make a quick change in plans. we pulled over to eat at what appeared to be a small concrete hut, just big enough to fit one table and 6 chairs. there was one thing on the menu. first, a generous serving of kodra, a white type of maize that had a sticky, almost doughy consistency. this was paired with a bowl of lina, a soupy and slimy green substance, which actually tasted like collard greens. oh and placed in the middle of the lina was a chunk of goat meat, which was quite tough. the idea was to pinch off the doughy stuff and dip it into the green soup. no utensils needed. and so i did. the taste was not bad at all. i did have to get past the textures and consistency of the food, but over all i gave myself points for being adventurous.
after our bellies were full, we headed for a 3 hour drive home, mostly spent weaving around pot holes in the dirt rode.
i instantly felt welcomed by the team. they are so warm and friendly and all have a great sense of humor. most the of ride back i found myself laughing at all the stories they told. dinner that night was spaghetti! definitely one of my favorites. i was surprised to see their fully stocked kitchen and pantry. everyone rotates a turn to cook for the team. i'm assigned to dinner this saturday and will give you a full report of the outcome.
so far the adjustment period has gone well. i am looking forward to getting to know the team better and learning more about sudanese culture.

Welcome to Sudan!

i finally reached sudan! after days of flying in airplanes, i have reached my destination. i arrived at MAF and went through "security," which is a small room with one man going through our luggage. i was the only female there and felt a little intimidated at first. but i soon realized they are all in the ministry, being that we are flying with a mission organization. one man was a bishop and one a bible study translator. only 5 of us fit in the aircraft. we eventually take off and i brace myself for the worst. i had built up such anxiety about it that all i could do was pray. i prayed we would be safe, i prayed for good weather, i prayed for wisdom for our pilot, and i prayed i wouldn't throw up. that would just be embarrassing. but turns out, i LOVED it! it was the most amazing experience! africa was so beautiful from way up there. we flew over mountains and valleys and the nile river! we stopped in a small town in southern sudan to drop off medicine. this is when our pilot receives word of potentially bad weather in mundri. so he decides to land in the next town over, which happens to be a 3 hour drive from mundri. our plan is to land there and wait for the team to pick me up and drop off some of their team members who were boarding the plane from there. so we landed, and the next thing i know 5 armed men dressed in camo approach our plane. i was a little intimidated to say the least. i felt safer with all the men and followed their lead down the steps of the plane. however, the armed men were somewhat friendly and welcoming. one of the men i sat next to on the plane leaned over and whispered "welcome to sudan" with a smurk on his face. to be continued...