Life in Transition

Crazy or True

2011-01-06T03:47:00.000-08:00

As Faye & Asher were flying to Portland while I stayed behind a few days, my mind did what it always does when we are apart: it fears. My sense of being in control was lost for they were out of my sight, out of this state, and scenarios of disaster and death race through my brain before I can even stop to realize not only are these thoughts irrational, but also improbable. So I must take concerted efforts to curb such mind-wondering that grips me with fear.

Jump ahead a week: I joined Faye & Asher in Portland and we decided to get out of the house and take a hike in Forest Park. As we were exiting the car, beginning on the trail we pass a seemingly homeless man and exchange pleasantries. Here are pictures of our nice little stroll through the woods:

As we were approaching the end of our hike, that same homeless man was sitting by a tree. I smiled and gestured a head nod as we strolled by, then he spoke after we passed, saying "God is watching over you, nothing can harm you." We continued walking as I yelled back "thanks" without thinking of anything. As we continued to walk I began to wonder: was this simply a seemingly homeless man, who are sometimes crazy, saying something from his mind that meant nothing really, or are these the words of God? Could it be that God's overflowing love for his children left the heavenly realms for an instant and was verbalized through the voice of this man, exactly what my heart needed to hear? I struggle to push aside the rationalizations of this world where we dismiss heavenly interjections and choose the latter.

The best 28th birthday, ever!

2010-12-15T04:53:00.000-08:00

There's a book I read in class whenever someone has a birthday, called The Best Birthday Ever. It's a funny little story about a kid (insert child's name here ______) who goes around all day looking for birthday wishes and surprises and finds nothing, thinking that everyone has forgotten their birthday. In the end, a surprise birthday party unfolds and it turns out to be "the best birthday, EVER!!" not because of any presents or treats, but because the day was spent with family and friends.

It's still the beginning of my special day, and while I definitely don't feel that I've been forgotten, it already is the best 28th birthday ever! As I grow further away from the monumental birthdays, and closer to the next ones, it really has come to be more about who I'm spending the special time with.

Hats off to my husband, who knows and loves me so well. He's done it again folks! After a nice dinner and zoo lights outing yesterday, I woke up to an amazing breakfast (pictures to come). Let me add too that Rick researched probably more than 60 restaurants trying to find the perfect one. Thank you Honey for your wonderful food! How fitting that they were playing one of our favorite bands, Over the Rhine, when we walked in.

Fruit, little pancake balls filled with chocolate and fruit, a German-style egg, flowers from Asher, and a food processor. You may laugh about this last gift, but with the amount of cooking I do, it's going to be a God-send! Imagine how much time I'll save by using a 7-cup processor, compared to the 1-cup that I've been stuffing things into for the past several years. Lastly, Rick made an online birthday card of sorts with pictures and lyrics to the tune of "Twelve Days of Christmas." He's a creative one, that's for sure.

So, thank you to my champion for all that you do to make me feel special. You have truly made this the best birthday ever! And of course, special thank you's to the other loved ones in my life who have already made me feel extra special - my mother and father-in-law taking me out to dinner and gifting our family with a zoo membership, Judi and her amazing cooking and presentation, and my own Mom, Dad and Sister for their thoughtful gifts and well-wishes. I love you all!

Old Man Winter

2010-12-12T17:53:00.000-08:00

It seems that old man winter has awaken from his long warm weather hibernation to bring us a truck-full of snow. It is kind of pleasant, big fluffy flakes collecting lightly on the ground. With Bing reminding us in the background, it is beginning to look alot like Christmas. Asher is enjoying it as well. He tries to eat the snowflakes.

For Faye's birthday, she got a zoo pass from my mom & dad, so we managed to sneak down there for a few hours. It was quite the treat to see all the animals, Asher had a ball.

From spoon fed to spoon feeding...

2010-11-09T05:50:00.000-08:00

What happened to the little baby we brought home 17 months ago? Where did he go? Check out this little video of Asher feeding himself. He's well on his way to toddlerhood!

Fall Fun in Ohio

2010-10-17T18:25:00.000-07:00

In between studying for my 6th ARE test & Faye watching 2 kids during the week, we have managed to find some time to enjoy the beauty of fall around Ohio. Unfortunately that means there hasn't been much time for uploading pictures. Better late than never, here are the highlights from Oxford (day trip to the woods & farmers market), Hocking Hills with my family & Yellow Springs (our overnight B & B in an old barn):

Summer in Ohio

2010-07-26T18:25:00.000-07:00

I'm coming to terms with the fact that while living in Ohio, the entire month of July will likely be spent moving from one air conditioned enclosure to another. We've had several weeks of 90 to upper 90 degree weather, with humidity that makes you feel as if you stepped into a sauna. Sitting in Asher's blow up pool gives some respite, and then its the man-eating mosquitos you have to fend off. Yes, July has been hot, sticky and itchy!

Today things cooled down a bit, and Asher and I took advantage by joining our friends Mary & Elyse for a little down home fun at Parky's farm. Earlier in the morning we were reading books together and I realized just how many books we have that mention sheep, chickens, cows, ducks and various other farm animals. So while Asher may be familiar with them on paper, seeing them in person was a whole new ball game for him.

After several minutes of staring at the horse,
Asher decided it was something he liked.And then he decided the horse was hilarious!

Summer Harvest

2010-07-14T19:21:00.000-07:00

This is the first year Rick and I have participated in a CSA (community support agriculture) co-op. We're about 6 weeks into it, and I am LOVING the variety that comes to us each week from a family farm in Trenton, OH (about 15 minutes from here). This week we got 4 dozen ears of sweet corn, several zucchini, cucumbers, tomatoes, basil, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, okra, onion, Italian green beans, rainbow chard and yellow squash. Thankfully, we're splitting the plethora of produce with our neighbor Amy. I don't know how two people and a baby could manage to eat all of this in one week.

Asher is a fan of the tomato & basil

sauce we made from this week's bounty.

I spent most of my free time (aka Asher's nap time) chopping zucchini for the three loaves of bread, making dill pickles, and pureeing the yellow squash. Rick was a champ and helped me cut almost 2 dozen ears of corn tonight, which are now in our freezer for future use. And tomorrow, Amy and I will try our hands at making dill pickles. I get a big kick out of seeing all the ways we can use everyday vegetables, and set them aside for future use. What's even more fun is looking at your dinner table, naming the various ingredients and the person you got them from.

Amy and I made 18 quarts of dill and bread & butter pickles.

Summer of Roops, and Asher's birthday too!

2010-07-07T18:50:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since we've posted anything here. Okay, it's been a long while! And so much has happened that I admit, its been a little overwhelming trying to think about how to wrap up seven months worth of photos and videos. So enough procrastinating. Here's a quick attempt to bring everyone up to speed on the little Meyer family.

Rick turned 30 in February (that's going way back!), and we finally got to have the open house we'd been planning since moving in. He's also more than halfway through his architecture registration exams (ARE). There are seven in all and he's taken a bit of a break, thankfully, to enjoy the summer and all our wonderful visitors!

We welcomed my mom and sister in Chicago, IL and ran our first half marathon together. Go Team Chop!! They stayed with us for a week, and by the end I was wishing they would move in for good.Asher turned one on June 18th, and yes, the time really did fly by. We understand what every parent under the sun goes through, when they look at their child and are still shocked at how big he or she has become.My dad and Aunt Susan drove in from Prospect, PA for a few days and celebrated Asher's birthday with us again - he didn't mind. We toured Xavier University in hopes of finding my Great Grandfather Russ's old home, and made a quick tour through Cincinnati. Or Cincinnat-a! according to my dad and locals of an older generation.

The month of June was wonderful, and of course, we're left with feelings of loneliness after having a house full of family and love. Good thing Asher has started walking, because he gives us plenty to keep occupied with. Just yesterday, he began walking to get somewhere as opposed to walking because we were eagerly coaxing him. He looks a bit like a Latin dancer, with one hand up in the air and the other held to his stomach. The Cha Cha is next on his list of moves to master.

The best 27th birthday ever!

2009-12-16T03:07:00.000-08:00

My 27th birthday was one of the most fantastic days I've had in a very long time, with great thanks to my husband and family & friends. So fantastic in fact, that I can't help but write it down. Who knows if anyone wants to read it all, but it was special to me and this is our blog...and isn't this where I'm supposed to write about the exciting and not-so exciting details of our life and assume others want to know all about it? So here goes!

The day began unusually with me waking up on my own and not to the sound of Asher's hungry whimpering. It was 6:00 a.m. and the boy was still sleeping, which meant that I'd just had my first solid night of sleep in what feels like a LONG time. All in all, he slept 11 hours that night. Such a nice birthday treat for his mama. I had even told Asher the night before that for my birthday I'd like him to sleep through the night. Let's hope he continues to listen well :).

I was up too early for Rick and instructed to head back to bed until he called for me. A little after 7:00 I was beckoned back downstairs to a beautiful breakfast of goat cheese & artichoke omelets, fruit skewers with yogurt (and sprinkled with cinnamon for presentation), and MIMOSAS!! I have been wanting a mimosa for such a long, long time that it was truly a highlight to the day (is that sad?). The table was complete with flowers and birthday cards from Rick, my mother & father-in-law and Asher. My first note from Asher and it almost brought tears to my eyes.

As the day went on I received text messages from Rick with clues for finding notes he had left me throughout the house -six in all. They were in places that spoke of the things he appreciates and loves about me - my cooking, desire to learn and love for reading, my mothering of Asher, my recycling habit, etc. One of things I love most about Rick is that he truly takes the time to speak in my "love language." Who knows when he found the time to come up with all of these sweet messages, write them out on cute little cards and tie them up with ribbons and hide them around the house...but he did and he knows how important those encouraging words are to me. I could end the whole story here, knowing that I'm deeply loved by this man, but there was still more to come!!

Phone calls from my family and friends came throughout the day - can you picture me speaking in German to my Oma while trying to buy some Christmas items at Michael's? For lunch, I joined my friend Sheri from our birthing class, who made an extra special effort to prepare me my self-declared favorite lunch - turkey sandwiches, complete with vegetable soup and birthday cake too.

Asher and I made it back home just in time to clean up the house a bit and get dinner ready for Miss Judi, our friend and neighbor who volunteered to babysit so Rick and I could have a night out alone. Dinner was a surprise as well, but I had a general idea of where we were headed. Now, when Rick and I head to Cincinnati, we almost always stop at Trader Joe's. It's the closest one to us at a 45 minute drive, and one of my favorite places to shop (I love food and it reminds me of home, so there you go!). So as we're passing through Kenwood and I see Trader Joe's, imagine my surprise Rick makes a quick turn into their parking lot. "Since I know how happy it makes you, we're going to stop and you get to pick out one item you'd like...anything at all." How well my husband knows me :). I kept ranting about how this was such a hard decision, but ended up with a small box of ginger cookies in hand, their multi-grain pancake mix, and a couple bottles of three-buck-chuck. My excitement at this point was overflowing, and I couldn't help but let the man at the counter know it was my birthday and why my husband had brought me here (you probably think I'm crazy at this point). The man says to me,"Is there anything else you'd like for your birthday." "Um, that bag," I said, motioning to the brown paper bag. "And those truffles." "Sure thing, take one and one for the road," he says, without hesitation.

Now with chocolate in the belly, we continued our journey to the mystery dinner spot - Ferrari's, a sweet little Italian place with its own bakery. And this too, was something I was secretly hoping for. We had a delicious dinner, a nice glass of merlot, and good conversation. What more could you ask for? Our waitress came to us as we were finishing and declared, "I'm going to bring the dessert menu because someone called in and decided you each needed dessert." Oh, my wonderful mother and father-in-law. They know me and my sweet tooth all too well.

So with a very happy belly and an even happier heart, we returned home to a sleeping baby and Judi's smiling face. Thank you all for making this such a special and love-filled day!

(I realize now that this is the longest post I've ever written, and its all about my birthday. But when you wake up at 5:00 a.m. and everyone else is asleep and you've just had a day where you feel loved inside and out, how can you not want to relive every moment. And if you have made it this far in the blog and are wishing I had spared you some details for sake of brevity, all I can say is that the editor in me doesn't wake up until at least 6:30 a.m. :)

Asher's a big boy!

2009-12-05T11:47:00.000-08:00

Today marked a milestone for Asher - first taste of solid food. It was fun and exciting setting up his highchair, mixing up his rice cereal and offering the spoon. Felt a bit like Christmas morning for us, with all the days of anticipation leading up to it. For a while now he's been VERY interested in what we're doing at mealtime, and all that observation seemed to have paid off. From what we can tell as first-timers, he did very well, even opening up his mouth several times to receive little bites.

So here are some pictures and a short video of this momentous occasion. We hope Asher continues to be a good eater and adventurous too in what he's willing to try.

Adorable!! Does it get any cuter than this?

Growing, growing, growing!!!

2009-11-19T18:21:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that five months ago Asher came into this world. At times, it still feels like summer to me and that he's a newborn. Maybe that's why time seems to go even more quickly when you have a child - your whole world stops and then begins to turn around this little one, and nothing else.

This past weekend we visited some friends in Kentucky with a one-month old. So wonderful to see them in their joy and to be reminded of where we were not too long ago. Asher has indeed grown into quite the little man since June. He's cooing and squealing (especially at night when he's on his changing table), reaching out for things (like our cups and dinner plates), and turning over from back to stomach and stomach to back again. Soon enough he'll be sitting up and taking small bites from a spoon. The best sound in the whole entire world, by far, is his laughter. His cheeks grow a little larger as his mouth opens wide in smile, and that belly laugh comes from within and fills our hearts. Asher thinks his Dad is the most hilarious person on earth. Just one look and he's all giggles and smiles. Yes, I believe I could live off of those moments.

Here's a few videos for you to see how big he's become and the joy that he brings.

11 Weeks and Laughing

2009-09-03T17:17:00.000-07:00

Asher has given us yet another reason to adore him. This laughing is the first we have seen him do. Needlesss to say, we too were busting a gut. I have a feeling this is just the beginning of his personality shining through.

Aside from enjoying Asher's daily smiles and interactions, we're both doing well and looking forward to a Labor Day weekend spent in Berlin, Ohio, the heart of Amish country. It'll be our first local adventure with our son. Made our first batch of homemade salsa today with tomatoes from our garden too...just another beautiful day in this family life.

Asher discovers his legs...

2009-08-14T04:38:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've been in the blogging world. Rick does such a great job keeping up with the pictures and stories that I've allowed myself to take the backseat and focus on keeping Asher fed, clean and well slept. Those are the most important things after all in this stage of the game :). But since my body (or my brain) doesn't allow me to return to sleep after our middle of the night feedings occasionally, here is the latest development in our little man's life.

Not only is he smiling more and communicating with coos and squawks, Asher is discovering his legs are great for standing on -- with the assistance of mom and dad of course to keep him upright. He'll get a very determined look in his face, purse his lips and excitedly begin pumping his legs up and down, up and down. Until he gets tired and sinks back into our hands. It's the little things these days that make you smile inside and out, and while it may not seem like much to the world around us, these little developments are the very best part of my day.

Portland - July 09

2009-08-02T13:29:00.001-07:00

We had a great trip back to Portland. A good friend of Faye's got married, had a Roop family gathering, attending our church we dearly miss and tried to show off Asher to all we could. We even made it to the coast and mountain for a day (Rick's personal request). Here are a few of the many pictures we took.

Our growing family

2009-07-04T13:27:00.000-07:00

Our birth story...

2009-06-21T15:41:00.000-07:00

I'll start with the point I want to get across: may all credit be to God for our beautiful son, from his miraculous conception to his perfect birth. The name Asher means “blessed” or “joy” and he has been all that his first 3 days of life.

On Monday the fifteenth, 4 days after his 'due date,' Faye had an ultrasound and it was discovered that his amniotic fluid level was a 3, where it should be between 5-8. This gave the doctors some worry and starting throwing around the 'I' word: induction. If you didn't know, we have planned to have a natural childbirth, hoping to honor the natural process of birth without human intervention. But with low amniotic fluids his risk of dying was 1 in 100. We didn't like this statistic, so we fervently prayed for wisdom in decision making. We decided to take things one day at a time, since Faye's body was already showing progressive signs of early labor and we were confident of his health. We tried every natural induction technique we have read about (less the castor oil), all the while praying for him to come.

Because of the doctors concern, each day we went in to get his vitals checked, and thankfully he looked “gorgeous,” as Dr. Cole put it. His heart rate was just fine. On Thursday, however, we had another ultrasound bearing more grim news: his fluid level was now a 2. We discussed options with Dr. Cole and she recommended induction but left the decision up to us. While we did want a natural birth, our utmost desire was an end result of healthy mother and baby. We did not want to be ignorant, risk our child's life for the sake of an ideal. So we took the first, what we thought was very minor, step to induction: strip the membrane. As we left the office, I told the ever friendly staff at 7 Hills that we would not be seeing them tomorrow. They smiled in agreement and we went home.

A couple hours later we were laying in bed after a short walk, with hands on Faye's belly begging God to bring him. We prayed for wisdom and guidance and for Him to intervene on our behalf, recognizing the situation we were in was completely out of our control. Mid-sentance, before our Amen's announced our desire to “let it be,” Faye moaned with the onset of the first contraction, 10:18 am. She described it as a distinct drop in her uterus, like slipping off the rung of a ladder. After it subsided, she said “you are not going to work, this is it.” 10:27, the next 60 second contraction. This pattern continued until 11:00 am, then it shifted to every 2 minutes, lasting 45 seconds each, like clockwork. The last recorded one at home was at 11:26, then off to the hospital we went.

After a short drive across the street, Faye stepped outside the car and had a contraction on the sidewalk. Valet man took the car and up to 3rd floor of Fort Hamilton Hospital we went: maternity ward. Between contractions the nurse, Charlene, inputed information in the computer. Contractions were on top of one another at this point, and before we knew it she dilated from 5 cm to 9 ½ and her body began to push. After 2 hours of pushing, Asher Nelson was born at 4:15pm, a beautiful, healthy baby boy.

A story began on that day, a story I believe God is writing for us and our son Asher. I recognize things in this world go wrong, more often then we would like, but every now and again I think God can't hold back anymore, that He allows Himself to intervene for His children. So may this story bring joy to you as Asher has brought to us. (more pictures)

Introducing Asher Nelson Meyer...

2009-01-12T16:37:00.001-08:00

So he still may not be visible to the rest of the world, but today Rick and I got a sneak preview into our son's life. It's a huge relief to finally know for certain that it's a boy (as I had thought all along, based on nothing else but a "feeling") and everything is in its place. Amazingly enough, we were able to see his beating heart with all four chambers and the slight movements caused by his hiccuping. Pretty incredible.

We also found out that Asher's not as far along as we had thought, so our due date is postponed by 8 days to June 11th. I told Rick that it feels like I just got bumped down a grade, but I should also remind myself that one extra week of waiting is worth it.

Unfortunately there's no more pictures or exciting updates until we actually get to meet him face to face, with the exception of a growing belly of course. Much love to all - Rick, Faye and Asher.

A very merry Christmas to all!

2008-12-24T14:02:00.000-08:00

Rick and I are here in Portland for one more day, enjoying the beautiful winter wonderland outside and especially our time with family and friends. We've had so much joy seeing familiar faces and sharing our exciting news - we're expecting a little one, due early next summer. Lots of anticipation for us all this coming year!

So from our small growing family to yours, we wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. May your days be filled with love, laughter and many blessings.

Reconciling two worlds...

2008-12-02T08:13:00.000-08:00

In a two month period of time, we went from living in rural Uganda in Christian community in a world so unlike we've ever known, to owning a home in a somewhat familiar place in the middle of America. We went from having basically no electricity, few ingredients to cook with, and very simple living to Christmas lights, unlimited ingredients and ways to combine them into yummy dishes, and a job, home, and life that is worlds different then where we were.

I have never quite been able to put to words the things I have been feeling since being home. “How's the culture shock:”, “have you had the grocery store aisle moment yet?”, “what was your most meaningful experience in the past year?” These questions, which are good mind you, have been put before us with little or no emotional response on my end. It seemed like a dream, that where we were and what we experienced occurred in a different reality, and now we woke up and were moving on with life. I have not been content with that thought, but felt like I could respond no other way.

Now that we have been in our house for a month and settled a bit, I feel we are slowly allowing that dream to puncture our reality. We were talking to our friends still in Uganda on Thanksgiving and how to describe our scenario finally hit me. I rarely have 'revelations' of any kind, but this seemed to be one. It was like when we moved into our house, we had boxes everywhere. Slowly Faye (I've been working thank you) has unpacked each of them and put the stuff in appropriate places. But it seems we still have one box in the corner of the room, unopened, for there is no appropriate place to put it. That box is the people and experience of northern Uganda. As we talked to our friends in Uganda on Thanksgiving, heard the beautiful voices of our Ugandan friends there, somethings crept out of that box and brought tears to our eyes.

It may take months, even years to unpack that box. Some things will be able to be unpacked and applied, or at least recognized here. Like Christmas decorations that spend most of their time in the attic, some memories and lessons will only come out every once and awhile. As for the rest, they may be in there forever, with no appropriate time or place here to be unpacked, but will be carried with us to eternity.

America the Beautiful!!

2008-10-27T17:33:00.000-07:00

After ten days on the wide, open road and countless hours behind the wheel, we made it to Hamilton, OH!! Along the way we had some surprises (all good) and got to see some of North America's most beautiful landscapes. Just in time for the changing colors of fall, we enjoyed aspen groves in Idaho, Wyoming and Utah. The hills were in flames! We also got to spend some time with Brian & Emily Meyer (Rick's brother and our sister-in-law) and our two adorable and spunky nephews. They are true outdoorsman already.

Driving on from Alpine, Wyoming, we stopped in Heber City, UT for a few days with my close highschool girlfriend Lindsey Nelson and her family of now five (including Lindsey). Then from Heber City, we drove south to Zion National Park and Escalante Grand Staircase National Monument - both parks we would HIGHLY recommend if you're planning a trip to the area. The days were beautiful, the nights were freezing (literally), and the rockscape was breathtaking.

After three days in southern Utah it was time to start heading east. We made one last stop in Denver, Colorado visiting with my cousin Sunny, her husband Matt and their son Atticus, who is by far the most favored family member on the Roop side. You can't compete with a curly-headed blond who loves rock & roll and plays the drums by age two. The final home stretch lasted 18 hours from Denver to Hamilton, OH - 18 hours through the flatlands of Kansas, the slightly less flatlands of Missouri, then on into Illinois & Indiana before hitting Ohio. The most exciting part of that last leg was listening to the final presidential debate, and being shocked again and again by some of McCain's answers (or not answers).

So if you want to see more pictures of the roadtrip, click here. And if you just want to know we made it safely, we did indeed! We didn't even have to pull out the toolbox my dad put together for us just before we left.

Goodbye Portland, Hello Ohio!

2008-10-02T15:11:00.000-07:00

In just a few days, Rick and I and our trusty Volvo stationwagon will begin our trek out east. We're excited about our little road trip, visiting family and a few friends along the way and revisiting the Grand Canyon. Not exactly on the way, I know, but with family in Wyoming, a close girlfriend in Utah and another friend in Sante Fe, NM, how could we not? We've got our guide books (thanks Kurto!), a toolbox (thanks Dad!), and some good snacks (thanks Trader Joe's!) to get us there. It's good to take advantage of transitional times in life - to rest, be with loved ones, and have a little aventure too.

It's bittersweet leaving Portland and I've discovered a deep well of emotion within me. I find myself crying a lot - over sweet commericials, young lovers in a movie who swear they'll die without each other, seeing friend's pregnant bellies, and of course, the thought of saying goodbyes again. "It's no fun," I keep telling myself, but I have to remind myself too of the good that's in store: getting to know my in-laws and extended family; a home of our own where we can dream, play, garden and hopefully begin a family of our own; new job opportunities; new places to explore...

To everyone who made this past month and a half a special time for us, thank you, thank you, thank you. We are truly blessed.

Dick, Mom, David & Trish

(above) Papa, Mary Lou & Jim

(below) The Newlyweds - Dan & Laura

Ravid = Rick & David, Faye & Cindy Happy 2nd Birthday Atticus!!! Adjumani Community reunion - Esther Miller
The Tramel Fam - Katie, Ivy & Dustin

Welcome Home!!

2008-08-28T11:20:00.000-07:00

Our arrival in Portland came in stages: a few weeks with our family in Germany, a night spent with our good friends Jeremy, Carlie and little Hazel Culver in Seattle, and then a final descent into the city of roses via the train. The three hour train ride turned into five, which seemed fitting for our slow entry back into "normal" life. At first sight of the cityscape my heart filled with joy and the excitement just continued to build as we stepped off, saw my dad with roses and champagne, and headed into southeast Portland for burritos at Dingo's (yes, I knew exactly what I wanted for my first meal in town - a sashimi tuna burrito with Dingo's special slaw).

Our transition back thus far has been great. We've been welcomed by our family and friends with loving arms and already taken in the refreshing beauty of Oregon's backcountry and running trails. I'm thankful for the time in Germany with my Oma, aunts, uncles and cousins, a place to rest, eat good food, hike around Westerwald, and even a quick jaunt to the Austrian Alps to visit Joe & Jenn Nydahl, good friends from our home church. With all this, our culture shock has been minimal and we're especially thankful to finally unpack our bags and settle...just for a bit. A big thanks to Brad & Kindra Hakala for letting us stay in their condo while its on the market. It's the first time Rick and I have been alone for almost a year!

For the next five weeks, Rick and I will be spending time with family (his parents are flying in today for a quick visit!) and friends, celebrating the marriage of my longtime friend Laura and her fiance Dan, visiting with all the people who helped make our year in Adjumani a reality, and catching up on life in general. After that we pack our bags once more, and hopefully for the last time in a while, and begin our trek to Ohio. True to the name of our blog "Life in Transition," we continue to find ourselves in that place, and we hold onto the truth that our heart's home is in Jesus and He goes wherever we go. Our move to Ohio brings us closer to Rick's family, to a job with the family business, and hopefully to a family of our own. At this point we're looking at 3-5 years there and hope to return to Portland in the future.

Our hearts are with the people we've left behind and also those we're with today. The question now is how do we take what we've learned and experienced and realistically apply it to the way we live. We wrestle with ideas of wanting to live simply, in such a way that we can more freely give to those in need, be it our next door neighbors or across the world neighbors, and also that we would be willing and able to go again wherever and whenever God calls us. So for now, we wait for the dust to settle and continue seeking after God in where He has us for each day. This blog will continue to be a place where we share ideas and stories, they just won't be as exotic as they were before. Rick and I thank all of you for journeying along with us this past year, for your prayers, encouragement and love. We hope to do the same for all of you!

P.S. The work of loving and supporting the people in Adjumani still continues. Check out Jeff & Michelle's, Jaclyn's, and Erin's blogs. The links are on the right hand column

Goodbye Adjumani...

2008-08-04T03:00:00.000-07:00

Unusual morning, the 29th of July, the first like it since we’ve been here, wearing clothes we haven’t worn before: sitting here, legs crossed, tea in hand, mesmerized by the rippled Nile moving in waves, the foggy mountains of Moyo seen in the distance through a screen of falling water off the thick layer of thatch (God’s own roofing) creating a million ripples on the puddled rocks. As the birds begin the melody, I ponder the song that has been written during our time here. I pray it is a song that is deep but lovely, short but meaningful; with crescendos & baritones & even some monotones. A song that continues to be hummed in the minds & hearts of those we spent the last 10 months living with. But most importantly I pray it is a sweet song to you, Jesus; our time in Africa

We had a wonderful last week in Adjumani, saying goodbye to the people and places that we've grown to love over the past ten months. On Wednesday, we leave for Frankfurt to spend a few weeks with Faye's family there, and make our final leg of the journey to the states August 19th. Looking forward to seeing the familiar faces of family and friends when we return!

Picture of Grace

2008-07-11T11:21:00.000-07:00

These past few weeks I’ve felt like a toddler learning to walk yet again, excited by the rediscovery of stepping out and accepting God’s grace. It’s really all around me - even in the midst of hospital visits and sick children, broken relationships and deceit – I just wasn’t looking. Grace defined simply – an undeserved gift. Grace experienced though is something of an epiphany. As John Newton wrote in the famous hymn, “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.” His life was a bit of a tragic story, and one that I can identify with.

On Saturday I shared his story with the children of Amazing Grace Orphanage. Newton, like these children, was orphaned at a young age. For a while he lived with relatives who ridiculed his faith in God, and by age 11 he left both them and his God behind, in hopes of adventure and acceptance on the open sea. He worked many years on many different ships, fired from job after job for insubordination and his heavy drinking. On a journey from Africa to England by sea, John was wounded terribly from having fallen overboard and harpooned back to safety, and sent below deck to keep out of trouble. He had nothing but time on his hands to contemplate the mistakes and emptiness that now defined his life. A tremendous storm came, threatening the lives of everyone on board. Everyman, able bodied, freed man or slave, came to the deck to bail water and fight to keep the ship afloat. It was in this very moment as John faced the end of his life, that the powerful love of God flooded through him as a reassurance of His presence and love. That moment so impacted John that his life was forever changed, and he went on to become a loving husband and the minister of a church. In those years he wrote 280 hymns, the most well-known being the one that retold the story of God reaching out to him in his darkest hour.

It is true for each of us that God loves without ceasing, even when we have turned away and done things that we know are wrong. I watched the children’s faces remain attentive through the story, and even saw eyes of recognition. “I once was lost, but now am found.” Their understanding was translated onto paper as we drew pictures together of things we found amazing and things that showed us God’s grace. Taban Morris drew a fierce lion, awesome in its power. Lillian and Rose drew pictures of Jesus praying over someone kneeling before him, “forgiving and healing” they explained. This coming Saturday Rick’s going to share the story of the prodigal son found in Luke 15. It’s the story of a son who took his inheritance, squandered it away, and returned home to his father in shambles and disgrace. Expecting ridicule, scorn, rejection, anything but the sight of his father running toward him, arms open wide to receive the son that was lost and now found. My prayer is that the children of Amazing Grace will have that picture in their hearts - of God the Father running toward them, with arms open wide to receive them, always loving, always waiting for them to come home and be with Him.

An Ordinary Day

2008-06-22T11:25:00.000-07:00

People often ask what an average day looks like for us. The problem is, everyday looks different, even when you think you know what it will look like. Friday was just the same as every other day, unordinary.

Following our morning prayer I received a call from a village pastor, Constance, who had a woman in his congregation that was very sick. I tried to ask him over the phone what was wrong, but only received perplexing answers. What I did understand was that he needed us to come immediately. After an abrupt breakfast of groundnut paste on bread, Faye & I set out. We drove off of the main road, with the Nile river valley to our right, rock outcroppings in the foreground & hazy mountains in the distance, down a decrepit dirt road to the village of Ajujo, a piece of serenity amidst an urgent situation.

We finally reached the sick woman’s tukal, where we were ushered inside only to see a semi-conscious woman half dressed lying on a mat. While a friend dressed her, another gathered belongings. Then they struggled to lift her to her feet, and she precariously stood cross-legged, head limp to the side. They were able to drag her toward the back seat of the truck, where Faye received her, nestled her in and cradled her lifeless head on her shoulder.

The commotion was halted momentarily as Faye prayed for this woman, Jane, who had lost her 1 ½ year old firstborn girl about 3 weeks ago, and has been unable to bear the grief. Her pain was so deep, it caused her what the doctors later diagnosed as nuerogenic shock. After prayer, the rescue mission again commenced. I tried to drive steadily, for as I looked in the rearview mirror, I could see Faye carefully struggling to steady her listless head.

After successfully admitting Jane to the hospital, we returned to our compound for some momentary rest & food before embarking on the second mission of the day. Sunday, our beloved friend & gate keeper, heard that his niece had fallen deathly ill and was not being properly cared for. He asked our assistance to go and fetch this young girl, and we happily obliged.

Again we headed out, veering off the main road and deep into the bush. The scenery was serenely similar, and oddly so was our mood. The day was not going as “planned,” but maybe we were accepting our lot, being the hands & feet of Jesus, caring for the sick. Or maybe it was Sunday’s kind, yet concerned demeanor, his resolve to not let a relative fall sick. He wasn’t anxious or scared, he was simply doing what he knew was right, and we agreed.

The girl was staying on the outskirts of Ribidere, an abandoned refugee settlement. All of its previous inhabitants were repatriated back to Sudan, leaving an entire village behind. The road worsened, so we parked the car and footed a short distance to where Florence was living. We cordially greeted the family and children, all of whom looked emaciated and tattered. The isolation of the place seems to take a toll on these people. Sunday briefly explained the situation to the parents, they consented, and off we went. Fortunately, Florence had improved over the last couple of days, so she was able to walk back to the car, saving us from what would have been a surprisingly light load for a girl her age.

As we drove back through the somewhat haunting abandoned village, with our Florence, emotionless due to her grim illness, and Sunday, the relieved parent, I reflected back on what had been a day full of transporting the unwell. I realized how privileged we are to be living in this place. I felt very close to the heart of Jesus, like I was doing what he desired most, to alleviate the pain of his own.

Children & Youth Leader Training Day

2008-06-04T04:08:00.000-07:00

“What is Jesus’ heart toward children? What role do children play in the church? Whose responsibility is it to teach children about God?” These are just a few of the questions we discussed with pastors and church leaders this past Saturday at the Children & Youth Leader Training Day (pictures). The day itself was in the works for the past month and came about rather quickly, and the heart behind it has been developing since we first arrived in Adjumani. Children are everywhere. You can’t help but notice them, especially as they run to you with arms stretched forward, where simple greetings become acts of extreme joy. As we foot past schools we hear them diligently repeating their teachers’ lessons in one voice. They are in the fields playing soccer with balls made of bound-up plastic bags. They are in the gardens digging alongside their parents with hoes of the same size. They are in the churches sitting quietly or sleeping on the floors during the Sunday service.

There is so much we learn from children’s example, and their role within the church is often overlooked. Thankfully, Jesus gives us a clear picture of his heart toward children when he tells the disciples in Mark 10:14, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” So on Saturday, pastors, women’s leaders, youth leaders, and Sunday school teachers from 12 MBA churches joined together to learn more about serving their little ones and the important role they play within our families, churches and communities. Pastors Mark Vuconi & Henry Vuyaya, myself, and Nankya Miriam, a dynamic Ugandan woman from Kampala with a God-given gift for teaching children, spoke throughout the day.

Watching Miriam interact with the pastors and church leaders was incredible. She spoke about the importance of preparation, being an example, and teaching God’s Word through story, drama, song, verse memorization and games…and after teaching she modeled it. Soon enough, we had a roomful of adults playing games and singing songs like they were children, all the while learning about the cost of following Jesus.

The day ended with people gathering in small groups to pray for the children and youth in their churches…something I imagine doesn’t happen very often. Our prayer is that the excitement to see children as Jesus does and the lessons learned that day will be put into action. We’re asking ourselves the questions now, of how we can continue encouraging church leaders in this area and how to help them come to a place where they are the ones teaching and strengthening the church by their own initiative. There’s no easy answer, but Pastor Mark’s words of gratitude and joy to me that day give me hope, “When we join hands together, we can continue to help the church see the areas that it has been missing. This was very wonderful.”

Perspective...

2008-05-12T11:58:00.001-07:00

It’s been a while since we’ve written, and with all the recent changes it’s been hard to formulate thoughts. Transition is tough. Saying goodbye is tough, even after just a month of being together with Derin & Andra. They brought a great amount of joy to us and the rest of our Adjumani community, and I know we were all grieved to see them as well as Esther Miller go. It’s given Rick and I an interesting perspective of what it must be like for the long-term missionaries, those who have given their lives to living abroad and serving God’s people there. These people are constantly saying goodbye, either to their family and friends in the states, to short-term visitors, or to their national friends/partners. Our respect and understanding for Jeff & Michelle and the other World Venture missionaries has definitely grown over the past few months as we’ve experienced a bit more of their world.

We did not send Derin, Andra and Esther home without a bang. Together, along with Jaclyn, the six of us traveled to Murchison Falls National Park and saw a plethora of animals and birds. If you could have been in the car with us when we saw our first giraffe…we were jumping, squealing and getting as close to the windows as we could without falling out. They are amazing creatures. When they gallop it looks like they’re moving in slow motion because it takes so long for their legs to come up and down again. Click here for pics of our safari adventures, including meeting a pride of lions just finishing off their breakfast of water buffalo.

So with less than three months until our own departure, Rick and I are approaching our time here with renewed vision and hope for all that God will continue to do in and through us. We continue to strive to be completely here in the emotional sense, and to keep giving ourselves to relationships even though we know how much more it will hurt to say goodbye. In the next few months we’ll be hosting two short-term teams, welcoming another member to the community (Erin Carkner from Imago Dei Community), raising our cute little chicks, building more coops, and hopefully producing some vegetables in our garden. The time will go quickly I know, but we’re savoring all that we can from the vast African skies to the constant sound of children outside our windows…and everything in between.

Beauty of Africa

2008-04-24T09:44:00.000-07:00

Before coming to Uganda the stories I knew of Africa were mostly of tragedies, pictures of war, AIDS, starving children, corrupt politics & so on. Now I know a different place. Even though tragedies exist just as they do in other parts of the world, I’ve found Uganda is a place of incredible beauty. For the past two months we’ve been spending time with the youth at Amazing Grace Orphanage. Each time we come, their faces light up in recognition. On Saturday, Derin, Andra, Rick, Jaclyn & I drove to the orphanage with a car full of balloons and a bucket of mangoes. We gathered the children together on the papyrus mats under the big tree, greeted everyone, and explained the program for the day: singing, Bible study, and a “field day.” We made sure to explain that a field day meant games & fun, not returning to the fields for digging as they had already done for two hours before our arrival. (pics)

After teaching the children on John 3:16 and explaining a little more in detail the love of God in Christ, we brought everyone together for the games. We had a ‘mango on a spoon’ relay, a ‘balloon between the knees’ relay, water balloon toss, and the always popular sack race. It was wonderful seeing all the kids, including the big ones, come to life & enjoy themselves. To end it all, we gathered once more under the big tree, this time hand in hand for the song, “For God so Loved the World…”

The following day we got a text message from Benaya, the man in charge of the orphanage. It sums up why we go to the neighboring village each Saturday: “I’m busy with agric[culture] work sorry that I ve missed U. Thank U for your LOVE on us. Benaya.” I hope the kids also know, in some way, how much we love being with them.

Monday was also filled with beauty, but this time a different kind. For Esther’s 72nd birthday, we headed to Arra Fishing Lodge, located next to a lagoon on the Nile River, for a bird watching boat tour. The lodge owner, an Austrian man named Horst, greeted us when we arrived and directed us to the water’s edge where our boat was waiting. We carefully stepped inside the long, green wooden boat that had only been a good picture before and rain bucket as far as we could tell. Luke, our assistant ‘captain,’ bailed water out of the bottom with a small bucket, placed towels on our seats and pushed us into the lagoon with a long bamboo pole.

Thankfully the sky was overcast and we began our delightful tour of the place we’d only experienced by land before. The boat nudged its way trough the moving land masses of green, out into the open Nile. John, our ‘captain,’ guided us skillfully over fishing nets held in place and marked by more bamboo poles, and slowed down at certain points so we could oooh & ahhh over all the amazing bird species. We saw storks, king fishers, cormorants, a type of hummingbird, several fish eagles, and to top it all off the infamous Shoebill Stork. It is a majestic bird standing about 5’ tall, looking like something out of the prehistoric era.

The sun was hot by the time we entered the second lagoon and made our way toward its island. We pulled alongside two dugout canoes belonging to some fishermen who were smoking their catch, a three-day process! We then climbed & climbed for about 25 minutes before we reached the top, and were blessed with a 360 degree view of the Nile & surrounding mountains. It felt like an undiscovered place, beautiful, vast, untouched…God’s raw creation at its best. I can’t remember the last time I’ve felt that way – in complete & utter awe.

We made our way down, back to the boat & on to the fishing lodge to meet up with Jeff & Michelle for lunch. The sound of thunder greeted our ears and the sight of dark rain clouds in the distance. Rain clouds move quickly here, and the rain came pelting down before we could reach the lagoon entrance. Pelting turned into an extreme, torrential downpour with wind and our attempt to enter the lagoon was met with a mass of water logged plants that continued to move & shift around us. With no way of breaking through the floating greenery and massive headwind, we backed up and headed for the ferry landing station just nearby. We took refuge in a fish market shack, surrounded by wide-eyed Africans and dry, smelly fish. Rick was our hero for the day and took off running for the lodge, about two miles away. He came back with Jeff & the truck to rescue us. After we dried off, changed clothes and sat down for lunch, Esther officially declared this birthday, of all 71 prior to this one, as the most memorable.

God’s Providence

2008-04-15T05:15:00.000-07:00

Do you ever experience those moments when you realize that things happen outside of your control or understanding? Like there is some benevolent force beyond our reason that joyfully cares for us and creates certain experiences just for a single person? Or even more mysterious, how lives can intertwine to bring about multiple single moments of providence? To me that is God. Not just any god, but my God, and this weekend was filled with such moments.

As you may have read previously, the women here are going to a different church each week throughout Adjumani district conducting a day of encouragement, fellowship, and teaching for the women. Each Monday afternoon, sometimes even evening, the women roll back to our place tired but joyful in each new story and face met. This past week they went to Uderu Baptist Church, which is about an hour drive into a rural village area. While there, Pastor Tonni Issac invited us back for Sunday worship and to give a message on baby dedication. Since Jeff and the rest of the crew are in Sudan, I was asked to give the message.

Jackie, our dear friend who cooks for us, asked if she could come along. So Derin, Andra, Jackie, Faye & I headed out on Sunday to the middle of nowhere. It was beautiful to call the women with their babies to the front of the church, a place of honor where women never sit, and share with them about the importance of children and dedicating them to God, especially in the presence of church. After I finished, in typical African fashion, Tonni asked for another testimony from us, their invited guests. So Derin, Faye, Andra & Jackie got to share as well. And it was in front of that church on that day that God’s providence was undeniable.

Andra shared how her diet of gluten free foods, which has caused her much physical & emotional pain over the years, has turned out to be a blessing here in Africa because many of the foods she can eat are the most common ones available here. She has therefore been able to encourage Michael & ATRUD, as well as the people of Uderu, how to think more creatively in using the foods they eat everyday. She shared that she can now see how God has brought goodness & inspiration out of something that has caused her pain & distress.

Jackie also got up to share. She started by looking at us and apologizing, saying she would speak in Ma’di and without a translator for our English ears. She then turned to the church and spoke passionately to a wide-eyed crowd of about 60 church members. As we saw tears well up in her eyes, we knew something was up. Then, as the she finished and the church erupted in praise, she turned to let us know that she felt God had brought her to that church that day because He is calling her to Himself. It was there, in a verbal language we didn’t understand but in a physical language we did, that Jackie committed her life to Christ. Needless to say we were overjoyed. It was a powerful scene as the drums started, the church sang, and people came to Jackie, placed hands on her head and prayed for her in loud, powerful words over the singing church.

This morning, Michael brought muffins made from cassava flour, something no one has done here in Adjumani – a recipe that Andra had created with him just a few days before. A little later, Jackie & I we were working together in the kitchen, (I was slicing mangoes to be dried as she was preparing our beans & rice for lunch,) & I asked her if she felt different today. She said “yes…my heart is now holy.” She also mentioned how the many problems & issues she has are now in the hands of God, giving her sweet relief & peace. It was then that my constant questioning of God’s direct guidance in our lives was silenced by these things I cannot otherwise explain.

Happy Homecoming

2008-04-06T07:22:00.000-07:00

After two weeks of being away, we’re happy and excited to be back in Adjumani! The grass has returned, giving the place a wonderful, refreshing feel, and the seven chicks are cuter than we imagined. We had a wonderful time in on the coast of Kenya, enjoying the World Venture renewal conference and what felt like our second honeymoon. Rick and I relaxed, snorkeled with tropical fish, drank coconut milk out of the coconut, and buried our toes in the fine white sand off the Indian Ocean. I was reminded too of what an amazing and talented husband I have in Rick when he joined the Masai warriors in a traditional dance they performed for us poolside (click here for pictures).

After Kenya we headed to the airport once more for the arrival of our friends Derin & Andra. They arrived safe and sound with many goodies and much love from home, even an ice cream maker! They are transitioning very well into Adjumani life: Derin washed everyone’s clothes yesterday by hand and Andra is fighting off cockroaches and preparing passion fruit juice (not at the same time of course). Michael Idha sat with them last night, and excitedly talked with Andra about utilizing local ingredients and creating new recipes for the ATRUD bakery. Both Derin & Andra’s skills and interests seem like a perfect match for Michael’s development work.

We all had the privilege of meeting the newest member of the Vuyaya family – Anzo Godwill. He’s beautiful, healthy baby with a head covered in soft black curls. Regina is doing well also physically, but having a hard time filling the 16 jerry cans of water she’s needing each day now. It just so happens that the national youth track meet is taking place next to the bore hole Regina also uses. Imagine the line up with 10,000 additional people in the area. So we are happy to be able to help supply her with water.

On a national level, our attention has been turned once more to the ongoing peace talks with the LRA. Our friend Rev. Solomon is participating in these peace talks in Juba, Sudan and has met Joseph Kony face to face. It seems Kony keeps thinking of excuses of why he is delaying the final signing, but we heard from Solomon today it is supposed to happen on the 10th of April. We are praying this long war will come to a peaceful end. Even today, we heard stories from Pastor Mark how the LRA marched through the area in 2002 and they had to flee to the bush. We also met with the children of Amazing Grace, many orphaned due to this very same war. Needless to say, we are clinging to the hope of long term peace.

Water from above...

2008-03-21T06:03:00.000-07:00

The Ma'di word for rain is simply water. I suppose one knows when you are specifically referring to the type of water that falls from the sky! Regardless, the rainy season has officially arrived. Predictions varied as to when it would actually begin, and our friend Mark Vuconi was right on the dot with March 15th. He said he could feel it in his skin, that he didn’t need any fancy technology or tools. A torrential downpour came this past weekend and blasted through every window in the house. Rick ran quickly outside, shutting the windows to our rooms. Within seconds, he and everything within two feet of the windows was soaked. I laughed to watch him stand under the rain, shirt off, scrubbing his armpits. True to his word, Rick declared he would shower in the first good rain (pictures to go along). The following day Jaclyn and I went for a long bike ride, exploring the more rural areas of Adjumani. We came to a dead end and found three children already preparing their land for planting; they were probably between the ages of 6 and 12 and each used a hoe that matched their size. Apparently we’re not the only ones excited to see the rain!

The signs of new life are all around and we’re seeing more and more fields being cultivated. The mangoes on our eight trees are beginning to ripen and Rick has almost completed a solar food dryer that Michael and the members of ATRUD hope to make use of. Even the grass is coming up green for the first time in three months. Our fearless chickens have all settled in, and Gloria, our gift chicken from a nearby church, has been sitting on eight eggs that are due to hatch at the end of the month. Rick just informed me that the speckled chicken, Gretchen, has just laid her first egg. We’ve all been watching their nesting activities with great anticipation. Baby chicks are due at the end of the month!!

Today as the town of Adjumani celebrates Good Friday, we’re preparing for our journey to Kampala tomorrow. It’s been three months since Rick and I have made the long trek and we’re really looking forward to a bowl of ice cream. I won’t lie, I’ve even dreamed about eating a hamburger. On Tuesday we’re flying to Mombasa, Kenya where we’ll be joined by other World Venture missionaries from Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya for a five-day renewal conference. It’ll be a great time to reconnect with friends, hear some encouraging speakers, and relax. It’s also just in time for our third anniversary. Who would have thought we’d be spending it next to the Indian Ocean.

The next time you hear from us, it will be with the happy news that our good friends Derin & Andra Williams from our home church in Portland have arrived safely in country. They’ll be with us for the month of April and are excited to see, learn, and participate in Adjumani life. Please pray for a safe journey for us all!

Encouraging Women in Adjumani

2008-03-12T04:26:00.000-07:00

This week, Michelle, Esther, Jaclyn, Margaret Lumai, the Madi Baptist Association (MBA) Women’s Leader, and I visited the second church in our women’s workshop tour, which will continue until we reach all 20 churches in the MBA. Both at Openzinzi Church (last week) and Unna Baptist Church, we were joined by more than 20 women, at least 10 children, and at Unna even a small handful of men. Everyone had a role to play, whether it was translating, facilitating discussion, or teaching from the Bible, and it was the kind of day, that even though tired at the end of it all, I felt as if my soul had been fed. (Click here for pictures)

To begin, we put the question before the women, “What roles do you play?” The flip chart paper was easily filled with the various areas these women give their time, energy and love – caring for their children & husbands, welcoming visitors, working in the fields, preparing food, fetching water, etc. My respect and love grows for these women each time we sit and hear from them, and I found myself full of emotion as we went back through the list, calling out the many ways they reflect God’s character and the incredible value they bring to their families. One of the women, at the end of the day, shared that the women of the church hadn’t come together and talked like this for a very long time. It was evident in their singing, dancing, laughing and questions that they were engaged and loving it. After sharing a meal together, we continued talking together about God’s plan for the church, how it is very similar to a human body, with the various parts and their importance to the health of the whole being. “What would you do if you were nothing but an eye? How would you hear? And how can the hand say to the foot, ‘I don’t need you, you don’t belong because you’re not a hand.” A simple illustration to remind us that each person is valuable and needed, and that together these women are stronger than they are apart.

We were encouraged by the stories of faith shared those two days: an alcoholic father who came to know God and left his abusive ways; he, his two wives, and their children all came to the workshop at Unna Baptist Church and you could see the love and peace among them all – a real testimony to the work God had done within the family as well. We also heard from several women who openly shared they had fallen away from the church, who sensed that this was a day when God was calling them back to their community of faith. There were stories too of support women had received from the church during hard times, to turn to God instead of witch doctors during times of physical suffering, and to love their neighbors when wrongfully accused, instead of retaliating against them.

Even after just a day of sitting with these women, I was sad to say goodbye. There’s something about sharing stories, singing & praying, and sharing a meal together that quickly bonds you to someone. I’m already looking forward to next week when we’ll go to another church and hear from the women there.

Henry weds Regina…

2008-02-27T09:11:00.000-08:00

Four days after the wedding and Rick and I are still recovering. It was by far the biggest and most intense wedding celebration we’ve been honored to be a part of. The planning began many months in advance and the actual preparation weeks before. Rick made countless trips with the truck collecting firewood, poles, grasses, tables, chairs, plates, pots and various other items that would be needed for the day of. It was a true community effort to get the event off the ground – the local town council, Adjumani hospital, several NGO’s, schools, neighboring churches, church members, family – everyone had a role to play. Here at Embassy North we had the honor of hosting the eight flower girls, matron of honor and bride the night before the wedding. Rick and I had the special privilege of having all eight girls sleep in the room next to us and share our bathroom. It was a combination of their excitement and small bladders that woke us up on the wedding day, very early at 5:00 a.m. and the excitement didn’t stop until we returned home late that evening. (see pics of wedding)

The day reminded me a bit of the county fair, with special areas designated for cooking, a courtyard for speeches, traditional dances, gift presentations, tents for providing shade for the band and invited guests, and to complete it all goats and sheep tied out in the back. Jaclyn and I helped some of the women prepare onions while Rick was in town collecting the bride and bridal party from the salon. The wedding procession could be heard and seen from far away, and we dropped everything and ran to the road to join in the excitement. Women were singing, dancing, waving flags, and sending out shrill cries “ayaaayaaayaaa” into the air. The closer the vehicles came to the church the more the crowd grew; it was like a crazy mob of fans awaiting their favorite celebrity.

Regina was a beautiful bride and Henry a handsome groom. It was interesting to see the way they interacted with one another during the day and with their guests. We’re learning that with such special occasions, there is a tone of seriousness that doesn’t take away from the joy, but emphasizes the importance of the event. After the ceremony, which lasted more than two hours, we were ushered out into the courtyard for the remaining festivities. Three cakes were brought out before the bride and groom, each beautifully decorated by our very own Michael Idha. In thick frosting, the words “Henry weds Regina” sat atop one of cakes that would be cut into bite size pieces in attempts to feed the 500 guests, a fourth of which were children. Cake was followed by food, then singing, dancing, speeches, gift presentations, and more singing and dancing that lasted well through the night. One of the most exciting events was the traditional Ma’di dancing, performed by members of Henry’s family. With bells on their ankles and horse-tailed sticks in their hands they performed a stomping rhythm that changed with each blow of the leader’s whistle. The air was thick with dust when they were finished, and I kept hoping for more.

We left for home as the sun headed toward the horizon, thankful for the beautiful day and slightly relieved that it had come to an end. The following day, Rick and I spent most of the day running here and there and everywhere returning the borrowed wedding items. It just so happens that the two days were two of the hottest we’ve had so far in Adjumani, so Rick and I have spent the last three laying low and recovering from all the excitement and heat. Wet washcloths, feet soaks in the wash basin and sleeping on the floor all seem to be helping. Once again, we’re thankful for some downtime this week and are looking forward to mid-March when promises of rain to come will be fulfilled.

Reasons to Celebrate

2008-02-20T05:02:00.000-08:00

The past two weeks have been filled with new ministry opportunities, the arrival of the sixth member of our community, Jaclyn Konczal, the completion of our first chicken coop, and today we are celebrating Rick’s 28th birthday. (click for pics) It’s a lot to be thankful for and we’re definitely feeling the excitement in the house. Today there was much singing, dancing, and eating of good food thanks to our excellent pizza makers, Michelle, Jaclyn and Jackie. Rick got some early morning surprises too with balloons infiltrating our mosquito netted bed at 7:00 a.m., followed by gifts of Pringles, chocolate and a trip into town for selecting fabric and having measurements taken for a shirt that Rick will wear at the wedding of our friends Henry and Regina this Saturday. Today also marks the completion of Rick’s weeklong project – our chicken coop prototype that will hopefully be replicated at several nearby churches as an income generation project. We’re all very proud of his handiwork and thankful that our hen Gloria (a gift given by Ciforo Baptist Church this past Saturday) will have a proper coop to roost in and lay her eggs. We’re praying that she’s a good layer and are encouraging her production with all our food scraps. Rick says rice, cheese rinds and guacamole are her favorite.

Last Saturday Rick, Esther and I were invited to the Amazing Grace Orphanage where 30 Sudanese children are living together. Together with a retired nurse from Oregon named Lyla Peterson, we spoke with the children about health, their changing bodies, and how God wants to protect them from disease and a broken heart. It was a real joy to stand before these young women (Rick spoke with just the boys) and share about God’s guidance and healing in my own relational journey and also His desire to protect both our bodies and hearts from the wounds of the world. Rick and I were invited by the orphanage director and “mommy” to lead a weekly Bible study for the youth (12 girls, 16 boys between the ages of 8 and 18 that represent 5 different tribes). We’re both excited to get to know these kids better and be a loving and consistent presence in their lives.

Michelle, Esther, Jaclyn and I are also planning with Margaret Lumai, the Madi Baptist Women’s Leader, to facilitate women’s meetings within each of the 20 MBA churches. Our first visit will take place March 3rd at Openzinzi Church, followed by a workshop at another nearby rural church a week later. Our hope is to encourage women in the various roles they play as wives, mothers, sisters and friends and guide them through an interactive discussion about how they can be agents of change in their own community. So often we find that the people here feel incapable of making change on their own and that they must have the assistance of outsiders to make a difference. We want to help them recognize the strength they have in their unity and ability to utilize available resources.

Next week Jeff, Michelle, Esther and Jaclyn will return to Sudan to continue work on the Resource Center. Rick and I get to stay behind since our passports are in Kampala for processing our Ugandan work permit. It’ll be a good chance for us to have some alone time and rest a bit. The heat seems to be sapping a lot of energy these days, but promise of the rainy season is holding us over.

Much love to you all!!

A return to Sudan…

2008-02-05T03:31:00.000-08:00

When the lands of southern Sudan are burned, one of the first things to return is flowers. As we drove along the bumpy roads, I was captured by the sight of small purple morning glories sprouting out of a blackened ground. To me, it was a reminder of God’s promise to bring new life and that He values beauty, even in the bush lands of Sudan where the random traveler is passing by.

The promise of new life and beginnings continued on during our week in Magwi. In the month since our first visit, hundreds, if not thousands of Sudanese were repatriated. All along the road from the small rural village of Panykwara into Magwi there were piles of building materials for new tukals – bundles of long grasses for roofing, mud bricks laid out in the sun, and timbers for framing. The people are working very hard to begin their new lives! (click for pics)

We attended the local church that first Sunday and sang worship songs in Acholi, Juba Arabic and English. It’s a young church that reminds me a lot of our own home community group, everyone below the age of thirty and all new families. Throughout the rest of the week we sat with these people, listening to their stories of what life was like there in Magwi and also their hopes for the future. It struck me, that while they honestly admit that life in Magwi is difficult with little community infrastructures like adequate healthcare or proper housing, that they are still drawn back to the place because it is home. One day while transporting bundles of grasses for the Sudanese men’s families that we’re working with, we were greeted by a man whose eyes were clouded over with age and who walked with the support of cane. At age 85, this man was thankful to finally have returned to Sudan so that he may die in his homeland.

Jeff spent most of the week meeting with local officials to secure land and staff from other non-government organizations (NGOs) to continue developing relationships in the community. SudanVenture also hired on five young Sudanese men (those pictured in our previous blog) who will help us greatly in the development of the NGO. We’ll be sharing more about their stories in future blog postings. It is a joy for me to get to know the wives of these men, women my own age who are either expecting or have one or two small children. Over tea and chapatti they’ve shared a bit of their stories and I feel have welcomed me in as a fellow sister. My favorite memory from this trip was carrying Irene’s baby on my back while chopping firewood for their cooking, and carrying atop my head down the hill, across the river, and back up the hill to their homes. Rick declares that I’m really African now.

Water…Refugees…Resource Center

2008-01-22T04:17:00.000-08:00

We left Kampala just over a week ago, knowing that our water tank in Adjumani was empty, but that we had some water in our rain-water catchment cistern. We thought if the people there can survive, so can we! After a typical, long, bumpy, hot journey, we arrived to a warm welcome from our friends and the news that water had come that day and our tank was nearly full! We were overjoyed and felt God had really provided. So we have lived the highlife this past week and then yesterday the water stopped again. As I write this, I just finished fetching water out of our cistern with a bucket on a string and filled 6 jerry cans (20L) for the next couple of days. We are praying that whatever the issue, that it get fixed and our water will come back. Fortunately, we came prepared for the worst from Kampala bearing 100 extra liters of diesel and bottled water.

This past week our friend Franko, a Sudanese refugee that had been living in Adjumani for the past 15 years, came to us requesting help for him, his 4 friends (pictured above) and their families to be repatriated back to their home village, Panykwara. These men grew up and attended school together in Adjumani and have recently helped plant a church near their home village in Magwe, Sudan. The UNHCR is repatriating people, but our friends feared they wouldn’t be repatriated for a couple of months, missing the opportunity to collect grass for their huts and also to prepare the ground for their garden. Our community decided to help the group and send Franco on his way, overjoyed to be moving home for the first time in 15 years. A couple days later, we got word that the 5 young men had gathered their families and were heading up north. To what? Nothing really. Since the war, most of Southern Sudan has been deserted, and the land has returned back into bush. I was imagining them sleeping outside, on the ground for a couple nights until they were able to build a temporary structure, but exhilarated to be home, finally, starting a new life in their unfamiliar homeland.

This week we are preparing for another journey up to Sudan. We depart Saturday with hopes of helping Franko and the group continue settling in and to meet with and encourage church members in the area. We are also hoping to begin some community workshops and meet again with the local officials to see what kind of land is available for the resource center. We prepared a preliminary plot plan to help give them an idea of what the resource center will look like and about how much land it will require.
On a personal note, we’re excited and thankful for the arrival of the newest member of our community – Esther Miller from Albany, Oregon. She brings years of experience in the African culture, having served as a missionary in Malawi for 13 years. Already, she’s brought a lot of laughter, joy and insight to our group.

We’ve also received a lot of joy from the Christmas cards and pictures that have just now arrived at our post office. We send our wishes for a happy new year too, in Africa time of course.

"When Kenya sneezes...

2008-01-05T04:33:00.000-08:00

Uganda catches a cold." This quote was from an article in the New Vision, one of Uganda's newspapers. As many of you know, I am assuming, around 300 people have been brutally killed in and around Kenya's capital city of Nairobi as presidential election results were called into question. Who really won is a mystery, and we may never know, but we are praying those who are causing senseless violence will stop.

What does this "cold" look like for Uganda? It looks like a shortage of many goods, especially fuel, that are imported through the Kenyan border that has been closed due to the violence. We left Adjumani on the morning of December 30th to come to Jinja (1 hr east of Kampala) for World Venture meetings. Just before walking out the door, we realized we were totally out of water. Our water tank was bone dry, meaning the city water had not come for days prior. Needless to say, it was a good time to leave.

Now we are faced with the issue of finding diesel for our truck to return home to Adjumani. Where diesel can be found, it has doubled, tripled & even quadrupled in price. The bigger problem, perhaps, is that if Adjumani cannot get fuel, we will continue to be without water there; for our water comes from the city which pumps it out of a well powered by a generator which uses fuel.

All of this to say, the situation is yet another brutal reminder of the fragility of life here. It is eye-opening to be living in a place where things like this can happen in a blink of an eye. Violence in Kenya erupted overnight and everyday we read about how many more people were killed. Fortunately, the only impact we have here in Uganda is our shortage of fuel and not of violence spreading across the border.

We are planning to return back to Adjumani (with a guest for 4 months, Esther Miller) on the 10th or 11th. Things have improved a bit, so we are hoping by then we should be set to return to our home up north.

Thank you all for your continued prayers & encouragement. We will keep you posted on things here. We hope and pray your new year is off to a blessed start!

God enters in…

2007-12-25T07:23:00.000-08:00

One of the great gifts we receive living here is the exposure to a different way of life that challenges our own thinking and actions. Without all the holiday functions and gatherings with family and friends, we’re left with the question of “what does Christmas really mean to us.”

During these times of anticipated joy and celebration, death is not a topic I typically want to bring up, but it has touched our lives several times just in the past week. Sunday, our daytime guard, lost his mother Saturday evening. We dropped all we were doing and quickly found ourselves involved in the burial preparations. Rick spent most of the following day helping transport things needed for the burial - members of the family, water and cooking pots, food, wood for burning, and the coffin. Funerals are largely attended, often lasting many days and requiring a lot of resources, both monetary and physical, making it even harder on the grieving family. It was a blessing to be able to support Sunday and his family during such a difficult time, and even more so, to see the community coming together around him and his family. The role of solidarity in the African community is a strong one. They willingly choose interdependence over independence, and in such occasions like funerals and weddings, everyone has a role to play.

As I sit and think, I’m reminded of the way Christ entered into our world, leaving heaven and participating fully in the sufferings of humanity -- just as our African friends join with one another during times of trouble and times of celebration. Their gift is one of friendship, of understanding, and even when understanding does not come, of simple presence. God does the same thing for me, and the question of Christmas’ meaning is answered a little more simply this year: Christ really did come and His presence is here with us today.

Wishing you all a blessed holiday season,

Faye & Rick

Our Sudan Adventure

2007-12-12T21:52:00.000-08:00

We have returned from our first trip to Sudan safe and sound, and sooner than expected. It is hard to know where to begin with so many first impressions of a country recovering from 38 years of civil war since gaining independence in 1956. We arrived in Nimule, the first town past the Uganda border and were joined by five young Sudanese men that have worked with Jeff & Michelle in their past ventures into the country. With five in the truck cab and four packed in the back with our gear, we journeyed on to Magwe and then on to Torit the following day where we successfully received a certificate of NGO status for the SudanVenture Resource Center!! What we thought would take several days to secure, took only an hour (most of that time being for the printing of the document). It was a huge answer to prayer and a testimony to Jeff & Michelle’s prior efforts to establish themselves within the community and among local government officials.

It was exciting to witness the rebuilding of the communities we passed in our journey. At this time, thousands of Sudanese are being repatriated with the help of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). We passed a convoy of about 18 trucks loaded with refugees and their possessions. It was quite a sight! In addition to transport, these refugees receive a UNHCR tarp, some jerry cans for water, enough food for three months, and some cooking pots. The difficulty for those repatriating in the coming months is that the 3-month food supply won’t last them until the growing season. It's another challenge that requires these people to work together and reminds us of the great opportunity to assist them as individuals and a community.

We’re looking forward to returning in late January to select a plot of land in Magwe to locate the Resource Center and to sit with the church members to learn more about them and their needs. During this trip though, it became very apparent that the truck, as faithful as it's been in the past, will not survive many more Sudan “roads” (we’re not sure if you can call them roads, as most of the time they looked more like dried out river beds). On day three of our journey, halfway back from Torit, the brakes went out completely. Jeff & Rick made some adjustments and we decided it would be best to head home early, slowly. Our biggest worry was Gordan Hill, a five-mile downhill stretch into Nimule. It was a glorious moment when we reached the bottom and pulled into our guest house parking lot (click here to see pics).

The last day of our journey was the most eventful. About 30 miles from Adjumani I heard a strange new noise, and a few moments later there was a loud clunk and the truck came to a complete halt. We watched as the back tire rolled past. It’s moments like those that you just have to laugh and be thankful that you broke down on a flat spot near some shade. Michelle and I sat with some women and their children while Jeff & Rick once again did some handy-work with many onlookers.

For now, we’re having to make the truck work but we know it won’t sufficiently meet our traveling needs in Sudan, especially as more people begin coming to the community. Jeff has researched a utility vehicle that will carry 12 passengers (safely with seatbelts) and is used by many NGO’s present in Sudan. At this time, we’re about $10,000 short of what’s needed and are praying the funds will come within the next few months.

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. God's faithfully seen us through another adventure!

"Give a man a fish...

2007-12-07T02:50:00.001-08:00

And feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and feed him for a lifetime." This age-old adage has proved very applicable in our approach to development here. In the two months we've been here, we have sat with and listened to many people, learned from Jeff & Michelle's past experiences and researched different project ideas. Now we are just beginning to see how we may combine our foreign knowledge with the local knowledge and design creative solutions for real needs, for "people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."

When we talk about development, we here think of human development: physical, emotional & spiritual. We want to help meet people's basic physical needs, connect emotionally with them as fellow human beings and grow together in the knowledge & wisdom of Christ. We have several different ideas on how some of these nice thoughts might actually come to fruition. For the sake of keeping things short, I just wanted to let you know about some of the income generation ideas that are developing as we speak, and a special thanks to Meyer Bros. in Hamilton for helping purchase some tools we needed for these projects!:

Oil press: to help local farmers increase their crop diversity by extracting oil from seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, etc.) for cooking oil, lotions & soaps, & possibly bio-diesel
Fuel bricks: using by-products of seed cake, saw dust, biomass, etc. to help reduce deforestation and provide an alternative fuel source
Chicken coop, goat rearing, & bee keeping: designing & building housing for these local animals to increase their number and food availability
Ox plow: to help improve farming techniques and allow for more land to be cultivated
Church construction: we have designed a plan for a longer lasting, stronger, and more quickly erectable church for new churches in the area

The idea with all of these project is that we would partner with the people in each situation, not just give them a "fish." We desire for people to have dignity & ownership over the work they do. By combining knowledge & resources, we can create sustainable & effective solutions to those needs.

PS We are leaving tomorrow for 10 days in Sudan, where we will be meeting with local government officials to begin the process of establishing NGO status for the SudanVenture Resource Center. Read more at Jeff & Michelle's weblog. Please pray that we would be connected with the right people and for our conversations with them. We'll send an update upon our return!

A house of friends...

2007-11-28T03:04:00.000-08:00

Monday through Saturday, our home is full of people. Some are guests and some are our hired help – Jacqueline, Esther, Sunday and Pale (pronounced Pah-ley). At first it seemed odd to Rick and me that we would have people here to cook food, clean the house, care for the grounds, and guard the gate – things that we could do for ourselves or do without. We’ve quickly learned that having these wonderful people here not only provides a steady income for their families, but also gives us an opportunity to grow in relationship. The majority of the Ma’di language and culture we’ve learned thus far is thanks to afternoons under the tree with Sunday, cooking in the kitchen with Jacqueline, and washing clothes alongside Esther. We see less of Pale and hear more of him, as he’s our night guard who also begins cleaning the grounds around 6:00 am while it's still dark, and most importantly, cool outside. His favorite radio placement seems to be under our window.

I’m really enjoying our new friends and laughing alongside them, when in reality I think they’re mostly laughing because of how funny we sound when speaking Ma'di. Earlier this week, Rick and I walked Jacqueline home and were served coca-cola in her tukal – a real treat! Hospitality is very important in the African culture and I’m continuously humbled by people’s generosity toward us. Yesterday Esther, Jacqueline, Rick and myself went to Esther’s garden to gather sweet potatoes and greens for our meal today. We took a dirt path that quickly dissolved as we cut across several fields of groundnuts (peanuts), sorghum, maize, and other crops before reaching her plot. For an outsider, it's difficult to see where one garden begins and the other ends. We learned to dig where the cracks in the dirt are largest, using sticks and our hands to carve out the potatoes. Rick was successful in finding one, and the ladies helped fill the rest of the bag. I’m sure we’ll continue to share stories about these people, as they make a huge difference in our daily lives. They bring us much joy and laughter and are one of the best things about living in Adjumani.

Click here for pictures of our Thanksgiving celebration and our digging adventures in Esther's field.

Our Environment

2007-11-20T09:08:00.000-08:00

The best way I can think to describe where we live is like having a fenced in house in the middle of a campground surrounded by an animal farm. Our house is very nice & Western (less the A/C) so it is fairly comfortable, yet we live very close to nature here. Cockroaches, small rodents, bees, spiders, flies, mosquitoes, lizards and the like are frequently visiting us. We’re surrounded by many small huts, “tukals,” with many people inhabiting them, including their crying babies and radios that loudly broadcast the BBC. Chickens, goats, sheep, ducks & cows wonder freely and aimlessly. Before the sun is up we are serenaded by a symphony of roosters crowing as far as the ear can hear. It is hot & humid and will continue to be so until March. (See all pics)

A team of five (Pastor Jared, Alyssa, Brandi, Adam & Sarah) from The Next Level church in Denver, Colorado spent the last week with us and left yesterday. They were a great addition to our community environment and brought great encouragement & joy. Together we visited many churches and sat with many locals, even here in our home. Lunch time made for a crowded house, with the Theisens, the TNL team and our house help, creating a great space for cross cultural exchange. We were also able to process through many ideas with the team: what can a missional community look like, the value & challenges of short-term teams, how to deal with contrasting cultural differences, how to appropriately partner with local entrepreneurs in community development, and things like this. Perhaps the most profound experience with the team was sharing in communion together on Sunday evening. Gathered around candlelight in the warm evening hours, we participated with the global church in celebrating the body and blood of Christ. For our symbolic elements we had a left over pancake & coca cola, which some might consider sacrilegious, but it was a powerful reminder of our common bond in Christ in our daily lives and making use of what we have been given -- especially meaningful in a place lacking so many things.

Faye and I have also been developing more & deeper relationships with the people here. Even this morning Jeff and I sat with Michael Idha, brainstorming together how to appropriately grow his pumpkin muffin business and how developing an oil press can create income generation for many people, benefiting the local economy. Faye has been working hard in the kitchen with Jaclyn, our house cook, creating wonderful meals from the local goods, sharing in the joy & pain of cooking. We have also been learning the Ma’di language from Sunday, our gentle & kind gatekeeper and grounds man. And we have sat with Mark, the young pastor & head of the Ma’di Baptist Assocation, and his extended family under their mango tree surrounded by tukals, simply being together.

In the midst of all of this, we are greatly missing all of you and the little things of home, yet are comforted and warmly welcomed by the kind hearts we are surrounded by. We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday as well!

Adjumani Arrival

2007-11-11T22:30:00.000-08:00

We have officially arrived at the Theisen's home in Adjumani after 2 days of intense travel. After a season of unusually heavy rains, the roads are impassible for most vehicles except for small 4-wheel drive trucks. This has caused many problems for the import of goods from Kampala to Adjumani, nearly doubling prices for basic items in the market.

Within a few miles of arriving, we encountered the worst mud pit of them all. It seemed that no matter which direction we entered, we were bound to get stuck. Jeff did his best to maneuver the truck, but the deep, dark mud pulled it in. Miraculously there were plenty of people around (the road for the most part was barren) and within minutes two young men carrying hoes came in our direction. It was quite the African experience! More than 20 children helped us push the truck back and forth and cheered as it finally pulled out – about 45 minutes later. (click for pics)

After recovering from the arduous journey, Faye & I took a stroll around our neighborhood. It is comprised of many small huts, called tukals, where tribal families live. Without a doubt, we are the talk of the town, having tripled the white population upon our arrival. People stop in their tracts and intently stare our direction; I now know what it is like to be on parade. Because the children have fewer inhibitions, they literally come running and shout, “how are you?” Our arms our tired from constantly waving, but it is fun to see so many smiling faces and the joy we bring by simply being here.

In the days since, we've been meeting several people within the community whose lives have crossed paths with Jeff & Michelle's over the years. We're encouraged to hear stories from Michael Ida, a local who began producing muffins for profit after seeing Michelle make them in her own kitchen. We also met five young men who are beginning a church in southern Sudan; they came to Adjumani as soon as they heard we had arrived. We're saddened to hear about the number of loved ones who have passed away in the last year. Death and hardship is not a stranger in Adjumani. We hope to share these stories and others with you in more detail.

Thanks to everyone for your emails, blog comments and prayers as we continue on this adventure. Unfortunately our Internet and cell phone connectivity is VERY limited, hence this update coming one week after our arrival. Plus our computer died; looks like it didn't appreciate the bumpy ride here. We'll keep you posted as connection allows. We love you all...

Kabale to Kigali...

2007-10-30T03:15:00.000-07:00

This past week, we had the privilege of joining with the WorldVenture Uganda Field Staff for an annual three day conference in Kabale. It was a great time to see more of

Uganda

’s beautiful countryside, meet our new colleagues, and hear stories of God’s work in prisons, primary and university schools, child sponsorship programs, developing churches and communities, and our own lives. In the book of Isaiah, it’s said that the whole earth is filled with God’s glory. How very true! Kabale, a city near the Rwandan border, is a place with beautiful green hillsides that look like an ongoing patchwork quilt. Squares of cultivated land (all by hand) produce metoke (a banana variety that’s staple to the Ugandan diet) and other food crops like sweet potatoes, squash and groundnuts. Small dwellings are scattered about offering shelter to the workers, often women with small children strapped to their backs.

The first day of the conference was spent in prayer, with time for each unit (individuals and couples) to share about life in the past six months and what they hope to see God do in the coming three. It was a great opportunity for us to serve the group by facilitating with the Theisens, and to learn more about each individual. The following days were focused on business items, one of which was the guest house for World Venture in Kampala. I (Rick) was able to help facilitate discussion and walk people through the options EMI (Engineering Ministries International) put together. It was a real privilege to be able to help out in that way and dust off the 'ole drawing board (i.e. CAD on the computer).

We left the conference a day early to travel into Rwanda for a long-awaited chance to meet Deborah, a young girl whose education we’ve been sponsoring for the past year and a half through African New Life Ministries (based in Kigali, the capital city - click for map). Meeting Deborah and her family in her home town of Kayonza is a memory we will hold closely to our hearts for the rest of our lives. At the age of six she is the sister to four brothers (with one more baby on the way) and lives with both parents. She is the top of her class, loves math and dancing, and told us that she wants to be a pastor when she grows up. I asked her what she would say to us as a pastor, and the words of the Psalm 23..."the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want"...came back to us in Kinurwanda, Deborah's local language. Meeting her father Joseph was also a great joy. He expressed his gratitude for us and let us know that the family would "pray for us always." These are the moments, though brief in time, that have lasting value and meaning for us. We are reminded that love for a child is a powerful thing, and we are privileged to help Deborah receive her education and live out her dreams.

Click here for pictures of our visit with Deborah and her family, and above for a video of her teaching Faye a traditional Rwandese dance. Thanks for checking in.

The people we meet...

2007-10-21T08:33:00.000-07:00

Two women walking along the street, stopping to point the baby’s attention in our direction – “mizungus,” a common term for white people, have a way of drawing attention. We’ve been taking short walks around the neighborhood, mostly in the early morning and late evening to avoid the intense sun, and pass several people along the way. A somber looking face will easily turn to a bright smile with the words, “Good morning, how are you?” and the question will also be politely asked in return.

It’s been great staying here in Kampala (more pics). The people are wonderful, the weather is cooler (only in comparison to Adjumani), and we’ve had a good amount of time to recoup from jet lag and spend time with people. I (Rick) was fortunate to meet with 2 women from EMI (Engineering Ministries International). World Venture is reconfiguring their existing guest house compound and I was able to meet with them and hear their ideas for the site. It was good to talk “shop” again with some people in the architecture industry. I have also been doing a lot of research regarding sustainable development practices, (composting toilets, water harvesting, brick making, indigenous construction methods, etc.), as we continue to dream up the resource center in Southern Sudan. Also, this Sunday was our second visit to Logogo Baptist Church, just down the road from where we are staying. The people are happy and joyful as they worship together. I (Rick) have never sweated so much since we arrived (from the dancing!)

We eagerly anticipate the last leg of our journey and arrival in Adjumani, our home for the next ten months. Yesterday we met a pastor from the region, Mark Buconi, who brought news and warm greetings from the people there, as he was passing through the area. It was a happy reunion between him and the Theisens as well, and I know it’s just the beginning of meeting people who love and are joyous for the Theisens return.

We've Arrived!

2007-10-13T08:53:00.000-07:00

This is our first “hello” from Uganda. We’re both excited and relieved to have finally made it and see the Ugandan soil and people. It’s been three days now, and we’re already learning a lot about the culture and challenges we’ll have once we arrive at our home base in northern Uganda. Rick’s first journal entry captured some of our initial impressions:

8am, Friday morning, up since around 3am. Before the sun were roosters, along with dogs barking and the call to prayer heard in the distance from the Islamic mosque. Then the orchestra of birds begins, also before the sun, and slowly reach full harmony as the light breaks through the darkness. Views filtered through circular screens of lush greenery and color highlighted by the fresh morning sun. Indoors embraces outdoors by large windows and glassless clerestory with screens. Temperature good, beginning to warm, coffee in hand, thoughts on the tip of my tongue, our first morning in Africa…

Even our drive in from the airport was an experience (keep in mind that Ugandans drive on the left hand side of the road). There are taxis & people everywhere, narrowly missing each other. It seems chaotic, but surprisingly works. For the next few weeks we’re staying in the capital city of Kampala, planning out what kinds of supplies we need to stock up on as well as casting vision with Jeff & Michelle as to what our community will look like.

We are blessed!

2007-10-09T15:10:00.000-07:00

“Blessed To Be A Witness,” Ben Harper

Corcovado parted the sky
And through the darkness
On us he shined
Crucified in stone
Still his blood is my own
Glory behold all my eyes have seen
Have seen

I am blessed...
I am blessed to be a witness

So much sorrow and pain
Still I will not live in vain
Like good questions never asked
Is wisdom wasted on the past
Only by the grace of God go I
Go I

I am blessed...
I am blessed to be a witness

Faye & I have been truly blessed by God through all of our close family & friends over the past couple of months. We feel humbled, cherished and deeply prayed for as we depart for Africa. So many of you have supported us financially, have cooked us wonderful meals and given us sweet, genuine cards, showering your words of encouragement and love upon us. Your questions & genuine interest in what God is doing in our lives has been truly amazing. From the beginning, it was a desire of my heart that people would respond to what we are doing, not because of the astonishing statistics we spout out or the wise and persuasive words we use, but because something moved in them. That they would be truly interested in the people of Africa and us as individuals: that desire has been fulfilled, and we are truly blessed by you.

And here we go! We are departing Seattle in about 4 hours, then spending about 9 hours in London for our layover, then off to Entebbe where we are supposed to land Thursday morning. We look forward to giving you our next update from the other side of the globe. We love you all!!!

Startling New From Uganda

2007-09-28T14:58:00.000-07:00

I set up RSS feeds on the right side of our blog for news from East Africa (All Africa) and this one came up. The first thing I thought of when I read this was, "Wow, what is more horrendous than this?" And, "This is exactly the situation we want to help!" And then I starting thinking about how the resource center in Southern Sudan that we want to build will aid in getting people out of the IDP camps and back to their homes, where they belong and can start putting their lives back together. That thought gives great encouragement and validity to what we will be doing there, and I hope it does for you as well...

Uganda: Expedite Return of IDPs to Their Homes

The Monitor (Kampala) 29 September 2007

A new report has unveiled the shocking findings that girls living in camps for the internally displaced are offering themselves for casual sex so they can survive. Even more disheartening is the report's revelation that some sexual encounters are in exchange for a price as low as Shs200. The August 2007 report, unveiled this week by the Ministry of Health, attempts to provide evidence for claims that children living in IDP camps give in to unprotected sex in the name of survival.

They risk their lives just so they can have today's food and soap, the report said, sensationally quoting some of the children. "The situation is terrible in these areas.

Children as young as 11 offer sex for a coin of Shs200," said Mr Ronald Kalyango, the lead researcher who presented the report before MPs. The survey covered over 10 IDP camps in the districts of Lira, Gulu, Kitgum, Apac and Pader-areas that have been hit hardest by years of insurgency and the attendant poverty.

Those findings, as sad as they are, reflect what has been suspected to happen in IDP camps and what numerous other reports have long suggested. But it is the intensity of the new findings that should worry the government and its partners in the non-governmental world.

Clearly, even though the government has in recent times made a good but rickety campaign to help IDPs return to their original homes, these revelations add a little urgency to the whole exercise.

Now it is really about the children-boys and girls who suffer violence and who realize, even if dangerously, that they can no longer have to depend on their parents and guardians to live another day. It is the kind of tale for which authorities in the disaster preparedness ministry should come out to state if nothing can be done to reverse that culture.

Considering that the report says the sexual acts involving children are deeply entrenched in camps for IDPs, the best possible solution is to provide real incentives for the children to want to go to school or return--along with their parents--to some sort of profitable activity, say farming, in their original homes.

What the government has so far done, specifically the handing out of seeds and farm implements-is commendable enough. Yet, in light of what we now know, what is needed is a solution that is specific to the personal needs of children living in the IDP camps.

Anti-BoBo

2007-09-20T09:56:00.000-07:00

"Bobos in Paradise," a book by David Brooks talks about a new upper class, the Bourgeois Bohemian, or BoBo. Last night we discussed this book at home community and how as well-to-do Americans we use our travel experiences to set us apart from others. And not just traveling, but the specific things we consider exotic, off the beaten path and undiscovered. This in and of itself is not the issue, but how we use it to bolster our own self-worth and marketability, which in essence is pride. Our friend Jess shared stories from her recent journey to Malawi - a country known as the "heart of Africa" for the peoples' warmth, and interestingly, the poorest economically as well. While visiting a local market, Jess did what many of us would do, and brought her camera to capture images of the people there. A woman balancing a large basket on her head caught Jess' attention, but before she could take a picture her own conscience stopped her. She felt as if she was exploiting them for her own benefit, operating out of a self-centered place and viewing the world as "what can it offer me," as opposed to "what can I offer it."

This whole discussion was personally convicting to me, for I guess I am a bit of a BoBo. Sharing about my travels around the world and our upcoming move to Africa makes me feel good. So I was thankful to have this discussion last night, before we leave, to remind me to be sensitive to the people and places we will be visiting.

My hope is that through this journey abroad and time spent in the exotic, "off the beaten path" places, that it would be less about me and my experience, but more about the actual people & places themselves. That we wouldn't forget why we are traveling to Africa: responding to God's call to serve & love Him and His people and to partner with Jesus in His mission to "...bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for captives and release from darkness for the prisoners...to comfort those who mourn and provide for those who grieve."

It's Official!

2007-09-11T14:34:00.000-07:00

We purchased our tickets and are officially leaving October 9th! Several emails, phone calls and 7 travel agents later, we feel good we got the best flight & price around. It's not easy getting airline tickets to Uganda! We have 2 overnight legs in our journey - the first from Seattle to London (8.5 hrs); the next from London to Entebbe (8 hrs). We should be ready not to fly again until we come home. Fortunately, we are flying out the same time as the Theisen's and will meet them in Entebbe when we arrive.

One of our non-logistical goals during this time prior to departure is to spend quality time with family & friends. So far it has been terrific. In early August we spent a week in beautiful Lake Tahoe (home of Rick & Faye's initial meeting in 2002) with the Meyer family: Dick, Trish, Krista & Jenny. It was a fabulous time and they spoiled us well and good.
Shortly after returning from Tahoe, we took a little trip to the San Juan Islands (NW of Seattle off the coast). It's been a long time dream of Faye's and it was well worth the journey! We camped, hiked and relaxed in hopes of discovering what "island time" is all about. (more pictures)The day after returning from San Juan's, we spent a wonderful weekend at the Oregon coast with Faye's family: Annette, David, Tanya, Mike & the dogs. It was a good to enjoy really good cooking & even better company.This past week we returned from our final trip before the packing begins. We had ten days in Ohio and Indiana, which were spent visiting as much family as possible and a few old friends. Thanks again to everyone who helped make this time so special.

Africa Update

2007-08-24T12:35:00.000-07:00

Below is an excerpt from Jeff & Michelle Theisens blog (the couple we are going to Africa with). It is encouraging news, regarding both Jeff's health and the stability of the situation in Uganda/Sudan, as well as outside interest in our missional community.

"Six weeks after heart surgery Jeff is walking 1-2 miles a day. I am stoked that I have a walking partner once again. Both the hip surgeon and the heart surgeon have finished their agenda with Jeff. Now it just remains to continue the walking rehab of both the hip and the heart. Our planned October return to Uganda looks very promising.

There is good news from Uganda and Sudan which gives great hope for our move there in the coming months. The Uganda newspaper and Relief Web report today that:

The former Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) operation zones in South Sudan and northern Uganda are secure. “Since March, no incident by the LRA or other armed groups have been reported in Nimule or Magwi. Displaced persons are returning to their villages,” said Chris Hamm, the head of the United Nations team in Nimule, in a statement.

“We feel that the situation is gradually conducive for repatriation,” he added.

UNHCR opened a new corridor for refugees returning from Uganda to Eastern Equatoria state. The first convoy carrying 133 Sudanese refugees from Kyangwali and Kyriandongo camps in Uganda’s Hoima district has arrived in Nimule, a border town with Uganda.

We’ve also been dialoguing with Jared Mackey from The Next Level Church in Denver, Colorado. He and a team are planning to come up to Adjumani in November with the intent of developing a long-term relationship with a us– living and working with us in a missional community with hopes to serve both Ugandan and Sudanese in the area. We are definitely encouraged as we see God developing our dream of seeing others join with us and the national believers to live in kingdom community bridging the gap of land, oceans and cultures."

Thanks for checking in!

Balancing Act

2007-08-18T14:23:00.000-07:00

So ends the first week of our new life as "jobless" people. To clarify, Faye had her official last day of work with Stand for Children two weeks ago. I have slowed considerably in my professional commitments this last week as well, however there are still a few jobs that need minor attention. This past week we concentrated on our goals for this time in our lives: connect with family & friends, logistically get our lives in order and finish our time well before departure. And let me tell you, it is not easy!

Between figuring out why our car doesn't exist with the DMV in our name, in conjunction with trying to sell the car, to starting to pack up all of our stuff, to connecting with family & friends, to raising support...the list goes on. I have found that when we had a consistent schedule it actually freed us up to ensure important things happen on a daily basis, like setting aside time for ourselves to pray, reflect and connect with one another. With so much to do and no real schedule for it all, we're reminded of the need to be intentional about those things.

We feel like this is good preparation for our lives to come. While in Africa, we will have plenty of 'stuff' to keep us busy, but it won't be like the 9-5 we are so used to. It really comes down to balancing the important things in life with things that we do and need to get done. So while we have had a challenging week, we feel it has been chalked full of opportunities to grow and prepare for out time abroad.

Thanks for reading, much love.

"Who can take away suffering without entering it?"

2007-08-05T12:50:00.000-07:00

As we continue to share with others & process in our hearts what we will be doing in Africa and why, I sometimes wonder how we can make a difference. We can't solve their issues of suffering and poverty, we can't take away their painful past, we can't give them all the resourcs they need to be educated, heathly contributors to their community. So in a sense, I've been asking myself what can we do?

Some encouraging answers have come by reading the The Wounded Healer by Henry Nouwen:
"The emptiness of the past and the future can never be filled with words but only by the presence of man." I think about some of our skills we have to offer, some finances we have that can help in some small way, our willing heart to help with service projects. But I think the most profound thing we have to offer is simply our presence. The heart and mind to be in community with those people, "...because all men are one at the wellspring of pain and joy."

Enjoying where we are...

2007-08-02T10:30:00.000-07:00

Each summer our church has a BBQ/Baptism out at Rooster Rock State Park, where Christ followers are baptized in the river, similar to how I envision John the Baptist baptizing Jesus himself. This year we met a good friend's sister who just returned from Tanzania, Africa. It was good to talk with her and hear 'words of wisdom' from someone who just came from a similar spot where we are heading. She offered two pieces of valuable advice: bring a headlamp, and enjoy where you are now, for when you are in Africa, you will be missing home, and when you come back home, you will be missing Africa.

In lue of that wisdom, we have and will continue to enjoy the place where we are now. We finish up work in two days and will begin the next two months of traveling around visiting family & friends, enjoying the great northwest, and packing up our belongings. We're excited about this transition time and know it will help prepare us emotionally and physically.Our latest hike was awe-inspiring. We have never been so close to Mt Hood (video). It is weird when you get that high, wind whipping so fast it causes you to lose your balance - it does something to your soul. It makes your realize and appreciate the vastness of creation and puts one in a place of humility when you stand that close to something that big. Helps me to personalize God and my position before him, a position of respect.

Backpacking in the Gorge

2007-07-18T15:17:00.000-07:00

Alright, here we go! I almost feel like this is to big of a deal to just jump in and start typing...you know, the start of a blog, that's a big deal! We really hope to use this as tool to communicate w/ family & friends both now and when we will be in Africa. My hope is that people will be interested and leave comments and stuff...we'll see how it goes!

So over July 4th Faye & I took a little 2 night, 3 day backpacking to Nick Eaton Ridge via Herman Creek Campground near Cascade Locks, Columbia River Gorge (Oregon is a beautiful place to be :) Check out our sweet pics by clicking the picture. Also, click HERE for a video!

And then on our way home, we stopped by this po-dunk ice cream shop w/ a giant penquin & ice cream cone sign and got the biggest, best soft serve ever! Then we finished the evening listening to the sweet melody of Alison Krauss at Edgefield.