Travel to Kampala/Kenya

We had an early start to Kampala.

That night, we got to eat dinner with Mercy and her mother, Melissa.

They are still in Uganda, so keep praying!

We also met another family who was adopting. My kids aren't the only kids Jan and Lynn (the friends we stay with in Kampala) like to love on. This is them with TWO Mercy's.

After a day in Kampala, loading up the roof with all of our luggage, combined with Jan and Lynn's, the seven of us headed to Nairobi, Kenya, for a meeting.

The border crossing was pretty uneventful, but it still took over an hour to fill out all the paper work and stand in all the lines.

We spent the night in Nakuru, Kenya. I had a good laugh that the hotel we stayed in had wireless internet in the lobby, but still had rotary phones in the rooms.

Karis didn't remember ever seeing one, and she thought it was a fun toy. I showed her how to dial, and she got a kick out of that.

The next day, we stopped at a gas station, and saw something that looked like a chip, so we decided to buy it. We are always on the look-out for a good chip.

This one was made from a plant called Arrow Root, apparently, but it was actually pretty tasty.

Doug had seen the flamingos on Lake Nakuru when he came to Kenya in 2003, so we knew we wanted to see them if we could.

We went to a lesser lake near Lake Nakuru, and there were some there, but they were scared off before I got any good pictures.

We followed a family to Kenya because they knew the ends and outs of the border and all the roads. And in that family, Caleb found a new buddy.

We need to be more pro-active in taking family pictures (like trying to look nice), but this one, after two days of travel will have to do.

We drove on to the edge of Nairobi where our meeting was going to be held, and the tea fields there are so beautiful.

Look at all the people out there with baskets on their backs picking individual leaves, so we can enjoy a nice cup of tea. (By the way, all you sweet tea drinkers in Mississippi and Louisiana probably benefit from these guys, too). Oh, how I miss all that sweet tea!

Cooking in the village

This sweet lady was grinding peanuts to make g-nut paste.

Yes, that is a huge rock she is sitting and grinding on.

I was then taken to a hut where this other lady was grinding. It was a great chance to practice some language.

She was sweet to give me a chance to grind - although I think the laughing I provided for her and the other ladies was proper payment for her kindness.

All in all, there had been three ladies grinding g-nuts, so when they all finished, we brought them together to a community fire, and put them in a pot to cook.

This is g-nut paste. It never goes bad (sort of like peanut butter) because of all the oil.

She scraped off the oil at one point, and we were so excited, thinking it would be a healthier meal.

With the oil set aside, she added some cooked beans to the g-nut sauce, to make something they call ococa (pronounced "oh-cho-cha").

The smoke really burns the eyes - you can see Kylie for proof.

Then, she added the oil BACK to the beans and g-nut paste. Oh, yummy!

She let all the kids take turns stirring.

You can see what a kick they get out of a "man" doing housework.

They thought it was hilarious that Caleb stirred the pot.

Ococa.

They gave us seats of honor in the community building, and fed us enya and ococa.

After a good Bible story time, a filling meal and amazing company, we had to leave.

Hope to see you again soon, Etori!

Village Life

My kids were only bothered for a little while by the language barrier. I came out and talked in the little Lugbara I know, and soon, everyone was playing "Mbata, mbata, au" (Duck, duck, chicken).

New games in the shade.

Caleb decided to come in for story time. I have NO idea why he didn't use the door, except that he's a boy.

See! There was a door.

The momma of this little boy told me her son was NINE! Caleb just turned five, for those of you who don't know.

What a difference proper food and nutrition makes!

Karis found "boy," and they were happy most of the day. (When I asked his name, he told me his name was "boy," but I'm not sure either of us understood properly).

Caleb got more than a little dirty.

Caleb also took my camera and took these pictures.

Karis and "boy" got some company.

Caleb has a stick, pretending it's a sword, but apparently, it doesn't hinder him from drawing a crowd.

This was a great day for me and the kids. We hope to have many more like these in the months to come.

A village named Etori

Part of my team has been doing some agriculture ministry/Bible stories in a village near Arua.

I was blessed to be invited a couple of weeks ago, and the kids and I had a wonderful time.

I always find it so peaceful to be out in the village, with no cars or town noise.

The people of the village gathered in a building to learn the story of the woman at the well.

They really worked through the scriptures as they tried to tell it and re-tell it.

They decided they could learn it better if they acted it out. Immediately, a gentleman stood up, picked up Kylie's and Karis' shoes (who were outside barefoot - as usual), and he stacked them like you see below and put a ring of dried grass twined together over the top of them.

This represented the town. The bowl was the well, which we later moved farther away.

While Jesus waited at the well, the disciples went to town to buy food.

Here comes the woman to the well to meet Jesus.

This little one kept crawling to the well, so we passed him around so the "actors" could focus.

Touching prayer

There are many people that pray for us back in the States.

There are even a few churches which make it a point to lift us up regularly.

I get an email from the Becoming Godly Women Bible study class in Yoakum every week that has signatures of all the women who prayed for my family that week.

I get the newsletter from First Baptist Yoakum emailed to me, and without fail, our names are always listed on there for the church to pray for.

Every time I send out a newsletter, I am amazed to hear from so many of you who tell me how you are lifting up our family and our requests.

There is also a small group of people who have asked to receive special prayer requests from us, and every time I send one, they are so faithful to pray and email me and let me know they are.

A guy in Victoria, Texas, has his Bible study pray for us.

People post on my facebook that they have been praying for us.

First Woodway in Waco has a couple of Bible study classes that remember us regularly.

I have some wonderful girl friends in Brandon, Baton Rouge, Yoakum, and College Station, that are so faithful to remember me.

The WMU at Istrouma Baptist Church in Baton Rouge is led by a sweet lady who remembers us in prayer, without fail.

There is a sweet lady in Jacksonville, Florida who remembers us often and then writes to tell me she has prayed.

There is a faithful church in Washington state, where one of our Trustees attends and her husband is the pastor. They have a bulletin board dedicated to my family, and they pray for us regularly on Sundays and Wednesdays.

There is also a church in Winterset, Iowa, who not only prays for us, but they also send a team out every year to assist in the ministry here.

We are on a mission’s prayer calendar put out by Pinelake Church in Mississippi.

Pinelake and First Baptist Church Yoakum are both faithful to send boxes of goodies for the family. And Winterset Baptist Church remembers everyone's birthdays, without fail.

I say all of this to let you know how thankful we are!!!

I don’t want to know how difficult our lives COULD be without being covered by so many prayers.

This last week, the whole staff at Pinelake in Mississippi gathered on a Monday morning, and they prayed for us. What made it so special to me is that I got to SEE this faith-covering.

A dear friend and encourager stepped back and took this picture. You can see my family’s prayer card’s picture on the screen.

When I saw this, it brought tears to my eyes.

So many of you pray for us, but when I SAW the people praying, it was overwhelming!

Pinelake friends, many of you don’t know this, but someone sends us the Sunday and Wednesday sermons to watch and listen to. They are a joy for us. We love praying with YOU and worshiping with you as Tim leads, and we are always scanning the screen to see if there is someone we know and love. And many of you have been encouraging to us as you've told us how you are going to "Outlive Your Life" in the upcoming year.

Caleb met Chip this past December in Kenya, and now, every time Chip comes on the screen, Caleb yells, “CHIP!”

Caleb got pretty intimate with Chip’s iphone, playing hunting games, and so now he thinks he and Chip are good friends.

I really just wanted to say thanks to all of you, everywhere!

God is so pleased by your faithfulness. And you are doing your part to bring the Gospel to the Lugbara. By praying for my family, you are, in effect, reaching out to an unreached people group.

A few things I saw

The other day, my friend, Joanna, and I were in town, and I saw this:

I see some pretty crazy things on the backs of motorcycles and bicycles, but I’m always excited when I have my camera to catch it for you.

Alice brought us a chicken last week. She had tied its feet together, and she left it in a bucket in the kitchen until Patrick could kill it for us.

While Alice was sweeping and we were doing school, the chicken jumped out of the bucket.

The bucket fell over, and all the kids ran to the kitchen to see the chicken on the floor.

Both dogs were pushing at the screen door (you can see Matata still there by the door) to get in, and the chicken relieved herself all over the floor. The kids wanted me to take a picture of the poop on the floor, but I retrained myself (you’re surprised, right?) Ahhh…these are the joys of home schooling in Africa.

I’m sure you were all curious as to what “dance class” looks like here.

Meg is doing a great job with Karis, Kylie, and Joanna. You can see how excited Caleb is about dance class (look on the couch below).

Meg takes his playmates away for one hour, and it’s not too fun for him, but he manages to bug them just enough to get plenty of attention.

Do you like ironing?

You wouldn’t like it here. Trust me.

Yes, those are irons with coals in them. No plugs.

As I was studying, I looked back at the irons, and this lady came and was fixing the HOT coals with her FINGERS.

Another impressive thing to me is that this is how I see all women bending over – straight legged. Ouch! My mother-in-law can do this, but I do NOT have that kind of stretching ability.

Humbled by Language

I had my first language evaluation on Friday. I’ve never heard details on one of these or been to one, but I’m sure this one in Arua was pretty unique.

I was the last to go of four people. My team leader, Stan, and his wife went the week before me, and Doug went two days before me, but somehow, I think we all had similar experiences.

I arrived and sat at a table under a tree, by myself, and waited while two of the three examiners talked under another tree with Stan and his language teacher and Doug’s language teacher. (My teacher, Florence, had to be in the village, and she couldn’t make it).

Stan came to tell me that the third examiner had called and wanted to postpone because he had a meeting at work. The other two evaluators gave me the option to use my Stan’s teacher or Doug’s teacher as the third judge to fill in until the third one got there, if I didn’t mind.

I didn’t mind at all. I didn’t want to postpone this day any longer. I chose Stan’s teacher because I had only met him once before, and I thought there might be less partiality than choosing someone who had sat at my table and had pancakes and ketchup.

We have lift off…

I will call the examiners “BabyMomma,” “ SoftTalker,” and “NiceMan” (Stan’s teacher).

BabyMomma started the exam. She was supposed to start off with simple things like “Introduce yourself,” “Introduce your friend,” “Are you married?” “Do you have children?” “How many? Are they boys or girls?” Etc. You get the idea.

Now, I know these things. I have been having this type of conversation with people for a year! But somehow, she made it difficult.

When I meet people on the street, they consider I’m a foreigner just learning their language, and they ask me, “Are you married?” Now, I have no idea all the words she used, but it was probably something like, “Today, as you sit here, is there a husband that you belong to?”

The reason I say that is because the question should be, “Agupi ci? But I heard, “Blah, blah blah blah blah blah blah blah agupi?” You get the idea. No one in my entire year here, has asked like this lady did.

Well, the whole test was basically like that. If they wanted to ask me something, they thought of the most difficult way possible.

Let me also say that BabyMomma was nursing her son quite openly at this point. Doug tells me she did the same to him.

The men in this culture are turned on by knees and not a woman’s upper-body (if you lived here, you could fill in a LOT of stories here), so I know the other national men at the table thought nothing of it.

When I told them I didn’t understand something. They laughed, because I’m sure it was a simple question. I then explained (in Lugbara) that I had only been studying a few months. If you add my two hours here and two hours there, subtract all my travel, harvest time, time when language teachers were busy, unpacking crate and moving temporary house out and permanent house in, etc., it really only adds up to a few months total.

I expected them to talk to me like a child, not like a college professor. Oh well…expectation number 42 down the drain.

When SoftTalker (he could also be called SpeedyGonzalesTalker) asked me to get a piki piki from one section of town to another, he gave a cell phone to Doug’s language teacher, and asked me to pick up my phone. We had a pretend phone conversation as I negotiated for a price. They all just laughed.

Now, I know I must sound funny about a lot of things, and most of the time the people here just laugh because they are excited I’m speaking their language, but this was NOT a good way to encourage me. It was, however, a good way to humble me.

SoftTalker also asked me about prices of pots and plates, etc in the market. I’ve never bought those things in the market, so when I made a guess about the price of plates, he showed me with his hands (laughing at the same time) that the plate I wanted would be about 5 inches in diameter. Humbled.

When I commented on a scripture passage and talked about what it meant, they asked me (at least I think this is what they said) to turn to Stan and Doug’s language helper and say it all again as if I were preaching in church. Yikes!

When I found a song number in the prayer book, they asked me to sing it. I had NO idea what tune it was, and after just sitting trying to decide what I was going to do, SoftTalker starts singing, so I join in. It was a hymn I knew the tune of from the States. After the chorus, I stop, but they all insist I sing verse two and the chorus again, and this time I was solo. Humbled.

Let me stop here and say that the reason I gave NiceMan his name is because he is a teacher of beginners. He understands where we are in the process. He spoke slowly, clearly, and used simple words. Thank you NiceMan.

Also, I must say that after singing, it started to rain, and BabyMomma asked me what I was going to do for her baby when the rain came. I told her we had a tree to sit under. She didn’t like that. So we all got up and went inside the hotel to the small dining room that seats 8 people.

The acoustics were terrible! Every time the baby cried or whimpered or a chair scooted across the floor, I missed key words in the sentences the evaluators were saying. Doug’s language teacher was holding the fussy baby right behind me, and whenever he couldn’t calm it enough, he would take it around the table in front of me so BabyMomma could nurse it AGAIN. After two times, the men realized BabyMomma needed to sit on the end, so everyone played musical chairs and tried to get situated again.

These kinds of distractions went on the whole time. I’m curious to ask my friends in Europe, India, and Nepal if their examinations are like this…

I guess it prepares us for real life…right?

This is long, so I’ll just tell you one more thing, because a lot happened in two hours that I could tell you about. In fact, I was writing posts in my head during the times of the evaluation when musical chairs was being played or we were listening to radio static. (I didn’t tell you about that one. At one point, I’m supposed to tell them what is being said on a news program on the radio, but NiceMan went from one end of the dial to the other on the radio, and in the hotel, he couldn’t pick up any signal.)

When they asked me about the geography of Texas they were using the word “oni.” I didn’t KNOW they were asking me about the geography of Texas until after the exam, because I know “oni” to mean “practice or learn.” So I kept telling them, “Yes, I learned in Texas. I went to school in Texas.”

Apparently “oni” is one of those words that has multiple meanings. In this instance, it meant “hills or mountains.” Humbled (Of course, I didn’t know at the time how stupid I sounded).

This is where I should tell you about my friend, “SI.” “Si” is such a small, cute, little word, but in this tonal language it is an ugly, slimy thing. So far, after a few months of language, I have learned that “si” can mean (and I’m sure there are more):

Knocked

Build

Get off

Write

With

Teeth

Branch

Grounding (peanuts)

It all depends on the tone and HOW you say it.

Now, I ask you…how many ways CAN a person say, “Si?”

Another cute, little word “a’i” means: receive, believe, respond, ask, borrow, salt, and co (as in co-wives).

So you see, they could have asked to borrow my Bible, and I could have thought they were wanting me to respond to the Gospel.

Stan recorded my session, so I will probably be able to write a much funnier post after I get Florence to help me transcribe what actually went on in that room.

I’m just hoping that the next time, the examiners and I will both be better prepared, and maybe Baby will be weaned from BabyMomma.

The Arua Librarian

Well, not really. That title was for my friend Stefanie, but I do love to read!

During elections, I sent Patrick to town each day to buy a newspaper, so I would know what was going on. Since I was teaching school in the morning, I always told him he could read it first.

One morning, I looked out the back door, and saw him reading the newspaper to a group of people on the other side of the fence.

It really stirred my heart. So many people here can’t read, and they just rely on radio or friends. And if it’s on the radio or your friend tells you, they believe it as truth (thank goodness Charles Stanley and Family Life are both on the radio).

Here is an example of someone saying something and another taking it as truth: weather

“It can’t rain if it’s windy, because the wind will chase the rain away.”

Someone sometime said it, and they ALL believe it.

Anyway...I went to the bookshelf and got an array of books.

I wasn’t sure if he would like these,

But they were easy readers, and I thought I would try.

I also gave him two old Reader’s Digests from 2008 that someone gave me, an Encyclopedia Brown, a Choose your Own Adventure, and a book about the geography of the world.

I really wasn’t sure where his reading level was, so I tried a bunch of different levels.

He first picked up the geography book. He and the family next door enjoyed looking at the maps and pictures of different places around the globe.

Then he started “The Count of Monte Cristo.” He read the rest of the day. He came back two days later, and he read again. He was almost finished, and asked if he could take it home to finish.

When he returned, he had finished, and we talked about the amazing twist in the story.

He then read “Treasure Island,” and later finished “Heidi.” He really liked “Heidi.”

He must still be working on “Oliver Twist,” because he hasn’t given that one back yet..

By the way, I know you are thinking it's weird that I'm "tracking" him, but he reads under a tree outside my kitchen window (I promise), so while I cook, I can see him.

It's not like I've got some binoculars out and I'm perched in a tree taking notes all day like Marty McFly in "Back to the Future." (but I did take a picture through the screen)

He had already read the Reader’s Digests, and he wasn’t starting anything, so I gave him “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” I saw him reading it.

He soon put it down and started “Encyclopedia Brown.” He would glance off from his book sometimes, and I could tell that neither of these books were good for him.

I quickly went to Kylie’s second grade readers from last year and pulled out 6 books that were short chapter books plus a book of facts about the Bible and a book called "Dinosaurs and the Bible" that gives a very clear picture of the Gospel message.

He picked up the dinosaur book first, and he went through it quickly. I think the reading level was above him. Next he went to the “Big Book of Facts.” He left at the end of the day, so I don’t know what he will read when he comes next time.

This is fun for me, and I enjoy talking about the books with him. I’m guessing he’s like on a second or third grade level, but I’m out of those classics, so I’m going to keep looking for things. Maybe I can find an easier version of the Bible to give him to read.

Talk about some good stories and exciting adventures!

It’s the story of the Great Rescue - the greatest of all time!

Maama Kits

I had a very humbling experience today. Thank you, Jesus.

My friend Melissa (Mercy’s mother) who has been staying in Kampala waiting to take her adopted daughter home, began a project last fall that I am fortunate to take advantage of.

She has been buying Maama Kits and giving them away. She does this with the help of people donating with pay pal on her blog. You can do that HERE, if you are interested.

Anyway, I took 10 Maama Kits from Melissa last fall, and after giving them out and being blessed by hearing these lady’s stories, I decided to get some more this last time I went to Kampala.

Each one only costs $5 (right now they are $6.25 because the price of cotton went up, but we're hoping they go back down), but they provide a MUCH needed service for the women here.

Each kit contains a plastic sheet, a bar of soap, a pair of gloves, a roll of cotton, a rope to tie off the umbilical cord, a clean razor blade to cut the umbilical cord, and some other simple things needed for the birth of a baby. If they go to the hospital, they are charged more, and if they deliver at home, they just make do with dirty things and sometimes rusty razor blades, etc.

Alice has been telling people about the Kits since she saw me handing them out to her friends last month.

I gave one to Janie, and she had tears in her eyes as she thanked me.

I gave one to Lillian, and she told me the that just the day before, she had gone to the clinic to get checked, and they had suggested she buy her things to prepare, but she didn’t have the 10,000 shillings, and didn’t know how she would get it. She was so blessed by this Maama Kit arriving perfectly in God’s timing.

I also gave one to Alice's sister, Christine (and finally had my camera). Alice is on the left, and Christine is on the right.

This week, I met Helen.

She is a sweet, kind lady who lives near Alice.

She was so gracious, and we chatted “little, little” in Lugbara.

I also met Annette.

She is married to Alice’s husband’s brother.

She arrived with Alice at my house at 8:45 in the morning.

She had left her home in the village at 6am, walking to meet me.

She reached Alice’s, they "took tea," and then came to my house. I’m guessing she got to Alice’s around 8am.

That means that this pregnant woman walked 2 HOURS to get this kit that costs $5!!

She sat, I gave her some water and a snack, and I said as many things as I could to her in Lugbara (which wasn’t much).

I couldn’t get over the journey she had made that morning!

How blessed are we!

This was life-changing for her.

But how much better is the life-changing gift of Jesus Christ!

Would she have walked two hours for that?

She would have had she known that I had Living Water from a well that never runs dry, and it is FREE.

Deceiving the Lugbara

I wouldn’t have thought that April Fool’s Day was such a big thing here.

I was wrong.

I wasn’t even sure what to write for the title of this post.

It was going to be “I never would have imagined…” but then Alice used the word “deceiving," and I knew that would be it.

I came into the kitchen this morning, and Alice was laughing to herself.

She told me she had just told Patrick (our day guard) that Doug wanted to have a meeting with him at the front, and he had just gone around to the front and Doug was not there. She was giggling because Patrick was confused and she didn’t tell him it was “Fool’s Day.”

I later hear more giggling.

I went to ask her what was going on. She said she had just called Jeremiah (he had left an hour earlier after being on watch duty all night), and she had told him that Doug wanted to have a meeting with him and Patrick.

I was dumb-founded. This man rides a bike to work, and even though he doesn’t ride as far as Patrick, it is a pretty good distance. For someone who doesn’t like to exercise, this was serious business for me.

First of all, I don’t like to play tricks on people because I don’t like them played on me, but we had to figure out what to do with Jeremiah.

When he arrived, Doug was sent out to tell him that Alice was fooling him. Thankfully, he had been in town buying meat for a church meeting that was going to be held that day, and he hadn’t traveled all the way home.

He looked sort of confused when Doug told him, and then he pointed a finger at the house, where he had been told Alice was watching in the window, and he said, “Just wait until next year.”

Thankfully, he left in a good mood.

Alice then told me she had “deceived” her husband (I'll call him "O") that morning as well. She had called and told "O" his dad wanted to see him. "O" called his dad and then called Alice to say that he couldn’t get his dad to answer because his phone was off. "O" wanted to know how Alice had heard from him. She said he had contacted her somehow, so "O" ASKED OFF FROM WORK (he’s a security guard at a bank), and he went to check on his dad, who obviously didn’t need him.

I said, “Are you going to deceive people all day?” She said, “No. By noon, it will all be finished. They will all know.”

She went to town around eleven, and she talked to people who said the POLICE were harassing some newspaper sellers for selling in the wrong place, and pretending to arrest them. Civil servants can do this? Really?

I heard of other stories here and there when I went to town after lunch, but the word "deceiving" just stuck in my head.

The reason we are here is because these people are truly deceived.

The great Deceiver is seeking to devour them and ruin their lives.

Pray for the Lugbara today.

Tomato Sauce

Doug's language teacher, James, has been coming by occasionally the last couple of weeks around dinner time. I fed him every time he showed up, and unfortunately for him, a lot of times it was leftovers.

One day I saw him on the road and he said, "You want me to come for dinner again, don't you?"

So, apparently, he didn't think it was all that bad.

On Tuesday of this week, he was helping Doug get ready for his language evaluation, and he happened to stay until dinner time.

It was Kylie's night to cook, and she had chosen to make pancakes.

I felt kind of bad inviting him, knowing what was on the table, but I did. There were no side dishes, no vegetables, nothing. Just pancakes.

And, I might add, that there were only a few plain pancakes for adults because Kylie had put either M&Ms or chocolate chips in most of them for the kids.

James told us he knew what pancakes were, and we asked whether he would like one with or without chocolate.

He chose the chocolate.

Then we asked if he would like syrup. He tried it, and decided that the chocolate would be sweet enough. He didn't need any syrup.

He ate one without saying much.

Then on his second one, he says, "Do you have any tomato sauce?"

We all started looking at each other.

"We have Top Up and Ketchup?"

He said, "No, real tomato sauce."

I got up and got a bottle of Heinz Ketchup out of the fridge and held it up, and he said, "Yes. That is real tomato sauce."

Kylie and I are making faces at each other across the table at this point, wondering what he is going to do.

He says, "Wow. This is cold."

He put a napkin around it to hold it, and yes, poured it onto his chocolate pancake.

You should have seen the eyes at that table as we darted around looking at each other's reactions, and I'm praising Jesus that Caleb didn't blurt anything out.

My stomach, however, could not take it.

So, if you are someone who puts cold ketchup on your pancakes, just keep it to yourself, and please don't share with me.