Do It Again

as a kid, i remember my dad tickling me until i couldn’t breath. i would laugh and laugh uncontrollably, and with my last gasp of air beg him to stop...all the while wanting him to do it again.

(foto, pictured above, can’t get enough of heidi’s tickles :)

heidi recently lead our team in a night of worship and prayer. she encouraged us to share our “do it again” moments, those which we want to live over and over again. we all had different things to share... wonders in God’s creation, the familiar and predictable routine of family, or things that simply reminded us of loved ones. 

what one person would consider mundane, everyday rhythms are sometimes extraordinary treasures to another.

(though he can’t quite reach the seat, martin pedals like a pro, riding a bike for the first time.)   

one reason i loved working with preschoolers was their ability to see the world through fresh eyes. they would point out the tiniest insect or an intricate spider web that i would have normally overlooked or even found bothersome.

what God reveals to one may not be obvious to his neighbor. sometimes we need a little help (from a child or from a friend) to see the blessings around us.

(bethany and i model the ever-fashionable paper disguises.)

i’m thankful for my day with foto and martin, who remind me to be childlike. and i’m thankful for the gift of teammates, sharing in our differences, bringing attention to our daily joys, and together giving thanks for God’s goodness.

Kotobi

this was my second week teaching at kotobi teacher college. since english is now the official language of the new south sudan, teachers are required to take courses as part of their training. and i get to help! 

they are such a fun group, eager to learn and ready to participate in my activities. pray for my relationships with these teachers, that they would be encouraged in their studies, and that God would be growing them as leaders to impact their community.

Time of the Season

as rainy days are more frequent and the heat of the dry season is behind us, it’s planting time here in mundri. everyone is busy in their gardens, tilling the soil and planting seeds.

mary shows off her newly sprouted garden.

children head to school, hoe in hand, ready to dig in their school garden.

even liana and i have embraced our inner farmer, sowing flower seeds behind the new school house.

i love this season. the long rains. the cool mornings. all things new and hopeful. it’s refreshing to see beautiful mundri, covered in green again. 

Run It

juba was hosting their first-ever race last weekend, so our team took the opportunity to participate in such an event. the 5 hour drive to the big city was not exactly pleasant. forging along the never-ending dirt road through miles of bush and nothingness, crossing rivers, weaving around potholes. we keep our spirits up singing flashbacks of the 80’s and 90’s, until finally... a smooth, paved road is ready to greet us in juba.  

the morning of the race, we arrive at the stadium and take a moment to survey the small crowd. an almost equal representation of nationals and ex-pats, some dressed in serious runner attire, stretching and jogging in preparation. and here we are, the hillbillies from mundri... a force to be reckoned with.

heidi and i were the designated cheer squad, supporting our fearless teammates and documenting the event. it was a hard job, but we did it.

and off our runners went, dodging traffic through the streets of juba, pressing on through the merciless heat. and championing over the finish line. so proud.

a trip to juba wouldn’t be complete without some food indulgences. i can't explain our zeal to see oranges and apples on the side of the road. and of course, a must when visiting juba...ice cream!

sunday morning bethany and i boarded the mundri “express” for what proved to be...let's say...entertaining. 

we arrived at the bus park sunday morning only to find our bus was, in fact, missing some tires. slightly concerning, but still, we are optimistic and manage to depart only an hour late. 

only a few minutes down the road, we are certain this will be an interesting journey back to mundri. 

to say we were jostled about would be an understatement. our bodies were in constant bouncing motion, and we became airborne more times than i could count....seriously, i mean, bottom out of the seat, almost hitting our head on the luggage rail above. good thing we brought a good sense of humor with us. 

a few hours later, our engine began to overheat, so we stopped at every borehole to pour water on the engine, or whatever they did. sometimes this was every 5 minutes. at this point, we were hoping to just make it home before dark.

needless to say, we formed a bond with our fellow moru passengers. bethany sat next to a woman who was rather persistent in hopes of arranging a marriage between her and her brother.

8 hours later, we arrive in mundri...with laughs and fond memories of mundri "express."

My Boys

what a blessing to be home for a month! 
this is camden, my newest nephew. 

born april 10th, weighing 6 lbs. 9 oz.

i spent my days cuddling and rocking him, kissing feet, squeezing cheeks, giving baths, taking an obsessive amount of pictures, and doing all the things an auntie is supposed to do.

a few days later was dominick's first birthday. man, has he grown!

walking everywhere, into everything, and needing help from no one, he is all boy. he prefers to be outdoors, is fascinated by squirrels, and can play with a pool noodle for hours.

such a sweet time with both of my boys.

although my weeks at home seemed to fly by, it was time well spent with family. grateful to see everyone and play auntie for a while. 

Sleepover

when i asked mary if i could stay with her for a few days, i felt like a kid again. i was a little nervous, but mostly excited about the possibility of a sleepover. i didn’t know what she would think. would she want me to come? would it be an inconvenience? 

after an awkward pause, her smile puts me at ease, and she finally says, “it’s good!” (sigh of relief) 

so i spent 4 nights with mary, practicing language, learning moru culture, and spending time with a friend. 

i learned (ok, mostly watched) how to cook traditional food. 

i brushed my teeth with a stick. swept the compound with a bundle of sticks. chased chickens. carried water on my head (i've seen children carry bigger containers on their head, but i've got to start somewhere, right?)

i learned some home remedies, like curing a nose bleed by wetting your head. rubbing mud on my bee sting. 


i ate mangoes in between every meal. passed the time lounging in the shade on a straw mat. had my hair braided.

had my hair braided again.

mary lives next to the borehole, which means everyone passes through her compound to get water at some point. there was plenty of time for visiting.

a few days, we gathered with other church members to help in making bricks for the pastor’s house. while everyone had different duties, like shoveling dirt, mixing mud, forming the blocks, my job was to turn the dried bricks and stack the finished ones. everyone cheered as though i had single-handedly constructed the house, though i’m aware it was a ‘special’ job to match my skill level. my dad would be proud.

after a few hours of labor, the women gathered at the church kitchen, talking, laughing, and practicing their english phrases. it was a rich time to live, work, eat, and pray among the women God has put in my life. 

after english class on friday, mary and i walked to ‘prayers’ at our friend, vida’s, house. they were celebrating the birthdays of all of the children on her compound. there was a short sermon, prayers over the children, and of course, eating. just as we were leaving, the children began to play some drums, and i watched the two oldest grandmother and grandfather dancing to the beat. precious. i hope i still have some moves at that age :)

as you may imagine, the language barriers were numerous and often comical. one morning, i walked out of the bathing area and mary asked in english ‘were there many beans in the bath?’ ‘beans???’ i asked. ‘yes, beans.’ still confused, i asked ‘you want to cook beans?’ ‘no, honey beans. kumuepe (she finally says in moru)’ ‘oh BEES!!!!’ hahahaha! 

each night, mary and i walked to the neighbors to sleep (because she lives too close to the road and doesn’t like to sleep alone). we laid on a mat outside, watching the stars, fighting sleep, and talking late into the evening. we ended each night with prayers and singing :)

at the end of my stay, mary called me into her house. she gathered some mangoes, a bowl of honey, and some ground nuts for me to take. i sat on her bed, trying to wrap up our time in words and sincere thanks. she finally settled next to me, listening, and then she began to cry. as i put my arm around her, a whirlwind of emotions took over. i asked her why she was crying. through her tears, she said, ‘i am alone. i have no family here. you stay with me as my sister. you cook with me and talk to me, and i am not alone. i want you to stay for a long time.’ 

she opened her heart to me in that moment, and i let the feeling of it settle deep into my bones. ‘me too’ was all i could manage to say. i thought back to a conversation i had with larissa just the previous week. i was telling her i wasn’t sure i’d ever have a truly deep connection with anyone in the community. i was sure of friendships, but with the language barrier and so many cultural differences, was it possible to understand one another in that way?

but there i was. sitting with mary. and i suddenly realized i felt a genuine heart-to-heart connection with her. she was speaking of things i too struggled with, being away from family, feeling alone. i prayed with her, thanking God for our friendship, asking that we would both feel his love and comfort in the midst our loneliness.

there were many times we were not able to understand each other. her daily routines and life experiences are very different than what i know. i seem to be at a constant state of mistakes, confusion, and learning. and though i can’t make sense of it all, God has given me a treasure in a friend. he continues to surprise me.

Little by Little

“fere fere,” or little by little, is a phrase often used to describe my language learning. much like building relationships. it’s small, but it’s there and takes time. in fact, they go hand in hand. any opportunity to visit with a friend is an opportunity for language, and in the process of learning language, i’m gaining a friend. 

just this week, i was visiting ava, a young lady that attends our english class. as i walked my bike past the borehole pump and to her house, her children started screaming in moru, "ndi nwa (that's me) is here. ndi nwa is here!" they were jumping all around and chanting with excitement. i felt like a mistaken celebrity.

ava, busying herself with sweeping and making a fire for tea, urged me to sit down under the mango tree. her three children quickly gathered around me. unis, the oldest, sat on the mat below me, contented to play with the small beads at the bottom of my skirt. martin, the only boy, ran around us steering the metal rim of a wheel with a stick. and the ever vivacious, foto, sat in my lap and simply giggled.  

since ava’s english is limited and my moru is still in the beginners phase, our conversation wasn’t exactly easy flowing. we both seemed to know that speaking slowly, repeating, and gesturing were the keys to our communication. we would often come to a point where we would not understand the other, and resolve to laughing. after a while, my language skills tend to run dry, and i begin to dig deep for phrases or vocabulary to try out... i ask her when the mangos would be ready to eat and comment on the hot sun. i ask the children what they are doing, they laugh. and when all else fails, i begin pointing and practicing my favorite moru phrase, “what is this?”

my sentences often come out as a muddled up mess of nouns, verbs and pronouns, incorrectly ordered and omitting words i don’t know. one of three responses usually follow. a blank stare, a laugh followed by an encouraging lie “good moru!”, or a rephrasing of what i meant to say in the right order. 

it’s days like this that i look forward to. laughing and learning together. everyone is genuinely encouraging and excited for the small moru i am learning. just as much as i am reaching out for friendship here, i feel it reciprocated. and that’s enough to give me patience in the process and hope for what God is doing through me here, little by little.