Steadfast Joy

be careful what you wish for

2012-01-24T12:37:00.000-08:00

Well, the grid electricity is on...

So is the bar in Nyahuka town with the MEGA LOUDSPEAKER which has played in order the following music at FULL BLAST:

Dolly Parton

Aaron Neville

Congo Dance Music

Baby Laughing Song

Don't Worry Be Happy

Farting Song

Amen Hallelujiah Song

It is almost midnight, the party is just getting started there, Aidan is now awake and crying from the blaring music, Ugandans are known to play music all night (sometimes for fun, sometimes to keep bad spirits away), and there is no such thing as enforced noise ordinances, we are now praying for the electricity TO GO BACK OUT!

visitors, puppies, and plumeria

2012-01-24T11:42:00.000-08:00

Due to "road work" we have been without power for the past 5 days so our internet (run on solar or generator) has been sparse. We are happy to share photos of our current visitors who are considering missionary service here in Bundibugyo, Lauren G with Lauren and Derek W. Ann, the new VIA VIA (Visitor Intern Apprentice Very Important Administrator) has done a remarkable job of organizing their trip, preparing for their arrival, and coordinating the many experiences of their vision visit. The team has graciously hosted them for meals, taken them to market and the health center, and shared about life here in Bundi.

Ann with Lauren, Lauren and Derek

Travis hands over the keys of USS (the mission property management and employer of 20 Ugandans) to the new Captain USS Josh!

Happy Birthday Josh! We had a fun pizza party, chocolate chocolate cake, gifts, and dance party. Aidan decided that it was his party and he could cry if he wanted to! Lilli and Patton had just been stung by wasps and are a bit swollen in this picture.

Travis and Josh prepare the dough for the pizza.

Lesley, Finch, and Michael Stevens arrived on Monday night! We are SOOOO happy that they are here and are settling into their new home. They are pictured here with their many duffle bags.

Lauren and Derek look over the valley and river to the DRC.

Finch and Aidan share a moment of reading books. They are the future of RMS!

We finally screened in our back porch (which allows for bug free eating!) to host our visitors for an evening of Ugandan food.

Our kids already love Finch!

Yes, you are seeing an ultrasound being done on our female dog, Bella. We are happy to announce that we may soon be the parents to seven labrador puppies!

Lilli with her chameleon, KymKym

The kids had fun playing "Guess which trunk" and then jumping out.

Peek A Boo!

It is dry season which means the plumeria are in bloom. Here, Lilli holds a special six petaled flower.

Christmas child

2012-01-15T10:04:00.001-08:00

Three mothers and their children sharing a meal together

at the Health Center over Christmas week

Every year something seems to remind me of the significance of God becoming a helpless baby so that even the least of us can know him.

Last week (the week of Christmas), a 7 week old infant was brought to the hospital with pneumonia and in respiratory distress. This was her second admission in her short little life. She previously was here for two weeks suffering from neonatal sepsis and possible meningitis. She was not much better off this time.

Now that she was a few weeks older, a few more characteristics revealed that she probably also has congenital rubella syndrome caused by a virus her mother contracted while she was pregnant. Her eyes are clouded with cataracts and here heart whooshes instead of thumps because of some significant defect. Seeing her size, her defects, and current condition and knowing the resources available in Uganda for someone like her, I sighed thinking her life will not be long. We gave her some antibiotics, and I moved on to the next patient.

A few minutes later, the mother came to me with a distressed look. The baby was seizing. We gave her a dose of diazepam, which stopped the seizing. The child was breathing rapidly and I knew she needed oxygen. Giving oxygen to a patient is a complex process of identifying a power source (solar, hydro power from grid or gasoline generator) finding the appropriate machine or power converter to match the machine electricity needs with the source and finding a bed close enough to a working outlet. If all those pieces come together in time, there is also the commitment of watching the baby and monitoring the petrol levels in the generator (grid power was out) because the staff is not trained to monitor patients on Oxygen and the fatalism of the society would mean they would not refill the machine if it ran out fuel even if it meant saving the child's life.

We had started rounding on the patients one and half hours late because the staff did not come until then. I looked at my watch and around at the 20 more patients I had yet to examine and treat. I was hungry, hot and had a list of 20 things to do when I got home. I did not want to spend the hour needed to get fuel, generator and oxygenator together and running. I looked at the child, pitiful, struggling for breath and cursed with blindness and a dysfunctional heart. I thought about the other children who died over the past couple weeks despite our best efforts. Was it worth it?

Maybe I should not put such a question in print. Of course it is. But pause and think about it. A child with significant defects, in the middle of Africa, in a place where average income is less than $2 a day. A child who has already struggled for life twice in its short 7 weeks of life. A child who cannot see. A child whose heart can barely circulate her blood. Her 1 year chance of survival is near zero. Do we waste resources on her? Do we spend time even thinking about her?

Yet, she is a real human being, a person with the finger prints of God all over her. She is struggling for her next breath and for life. Should I not deny my pride and push back my seemingly important to do list to enter into her world and struggle with her. Should I love this little child, even if she seems unloveable?

Not every patient throws me into such a tailspin of thoughts. Yet, I confess the short but arduous internal struggle I had. As I wrestled through the value of the life of this little child, I felt as if Jesus put his hand on my shoulder and said, "I too was a helpless child, in a poor place, without a home, and laying in a feeding trough. I became insignificant so that she would have significance."

We did find everything needed for some oxygen. We adjusted her medical regimen. We prayed. She is alive still today. She might not be tomorrow. Still we praise God for each day of life given to her and for the value added for each us because of humility he took on himself.

Merry Christmas. Thanks for praying with us and for us each day so we can love a few of these children that most of the world overlooks.

Location:Nyahuka Health center

sight to the blind...

2012-01-12T12:01:00.000-08:00

...or at least reading glasses to the old

Since there are no LensCrafters or even an opthomologist within 9 hours of here, eye care is not much of an option in Bundibugyo...unless you are friends with Pat Abbott.

For years, Pat has ministered to the elderly by providing reading glasses at a very minimal cost (and then she gives that money to BundiNutrition). As she and her friend Maureen were here for a visit, she announced on the community radio and organized at the community center a Glasses Distribution. Four hundred reading glasses were donated by a dear friend and given out today.

Maureen said it best: "You know when the glasses are the right fit because a huge smile reaches across their face. Wait for the smile. Then you know they can see."

reentry

2012-01-12T11:25:00.000-08:00

After 4 hours of errands in Fort Portal, we finally hit the road to Bundibugyo. We are so very happy to report road progress! Though the road that now bypasses one of the two major mountain "curves" is not officially open, that does not stop us from using it! After all, even in its unfinished shape, it is much better than the old road.

The construction of the road is contracted by a Chinese firm, so the foremen are Chinese, a rare sight in rural mountainous Uganda. As we drive by them, we greet them with the two words we remember from our visit to China, "Nehow" "ShayShay" (however they are spelled). They usually laugh and wave back.

We often wonder how these communities will change once this major road comes through as a thoroughfare through Congo and onwards. More jobs? More opportunities? More exchange of ideas? Even a bit of interchange between cultures?

It may already be happening as on this drive, when one of the Ugandans working on the road saw us, he yelled out to us "ShayShay". I guess it is true that all white people look alike.

It is never easy to re-enter Bundibugyo. When we walked in our house to find no electricity (thus no internet or refrigeration), no water (or toilet flushing), no propane in the tank (or dinner cooking), and a big dead rat decomposing on our one rug, it was almost enough to make me walk right back out and drive that really bad road again!

However, my heroic husband removed the rat, the electricity soon returned, Travis changed the propane tank, and in the middle of the night, God brought a huge rainstorm to fill our water reserve tank.

Today was filled with unpacking, greeting friends, watching the kids play with their new pet chameleons, participating in the reading glasses distribution, putting 14 days of laundry on the line to dry (and bringing them back in), organizing receipts (scraps of paper are my enemy!) and enjoying a peaceful sunset dinner with Pat Abbott, Lydia, and visiting friend Maureen.

Its good to be back.

Happy 2012!

2012-01-01T13:51:00.000-08:00

Thanks for walking through 2011 with us. Celebrate with us now as you watch the video montage. 2011 is a year that we are grateful for and grateful that it has past. So much happened from our children learning to walk, talk, ride a bike, swim, read, etc. to reorganizing leadership at CSB, restarting ministries at the health center and welcoming in 5 new teammates. Through it all God has sustained us in a mighty way and we have great hope for 2012!

In the montage you will see the Aidan’s first steps, the Grace Community Team VBS in the villages, our dear friends Pat and the Clarks who finished their terms in Bundibugyo and moved to new ministries. You will see our interns Alyson, Sarah and Olvie and our apprentice Chrissy.There is our "flight" to Kenya when our visa was not renewed. You will see our time with the Herrons and the Myhres, the Manarins, Scott Will and many others who came to visit and love on us. You will see many faces of our friends in Bundi as we celebrate holidays, show films, visit villages or play in our front yard. You will see Christ School including Isingoma and Christine who we are so thankful for with their new leadership. You will see the first homecoming and the Alumn proudly wearing their University Cap and Gowns. You will see the members of the newly formed and Ugandan ran Community Dairy Goat project. There is also the expansion of CSB Farms as it seeks to provide a sustainable income for the school as well as provide nutritional education for the students and community (webale Alex and John). There is our travel to the US to see family and have surgery (webale JD and Roy and all the staff). You will see our health center (I am so thankful to Jessica and Scott Will for helping re-establish those ministries.)You will see us skyping in Bundi for the first time! You will also meet Jessica, Pamela, Josh and Ann who all joined our team as longterm partners in Bundibugyo and have infused us with great joy for the coming year! Mostly, you will see life here- thank you for being apart of it!

Farewell, DMC

2011-12-31T23:50:00.000-08:00

We welcomed in 2012 in the capital city Kampala. The beauty of Kampala during holiday season is a decrease in traffic. It allows us to restock supplies and eat at real restaurants without spending too many hours sitting behind diesel taxi vans or dodging boda bodes. Being here also allows us to give our kids "eyeball time" in which our focus is them, not the million distractions or demands of life in Bundi. It has been a sweet time of family reconnection.

Though we have great hopes for the year (and a few resolutions too!), we did receive some sad news from our teammates back in Bundibugyo. DMC, our matriarch dairy cow, has died. We are all sad as she not only produced liters and liters of rich milk daily, but she also became a dear part of our life. Lilli learned to milk her. Daily, she and Patton would give her a head scratch on the way to school. DMC has served well, producing many, many offspring, several of which remain on the mission.

We will miss you, DMC.

Christmas Highlights

2011-12-31T13:22:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Love,

The Johnsons

Thanksgiving

2011-12-05T00:04:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving 2011:

So much for which to be thankful!

A real team effort: worship music led by Kevin, teaching by Akindele, sharing by all, planned by Amy, decorations by RMS teachers and students, food by Dutch and Ugandan kitchen crew, cranberries by Shellie, Christine' birthday cake by Pamela, visit from Pat Abbott and Michael Masso, memories by all!

Celebrating visitor 100 and 101!

2011-12-04T23:14:00.000-08:00

I love in the movies when the unsuspecting shopper checks out and is surprised with confetti and a bevy of free gifts as they are the one thousandth shopper!

I wish that we had such amenities for our latest visitors, Shellie and Kevin Rees, for they win the prize for being our visitor 100 and 101!

While that number is dizzying to me as it reminds me of the many, many preparations for housing, meals, schedules, and meetings over the last 20 months, it also makes me smile to know that over 100 people have wanted to be here with us!

We met Shellie and Kevin when Travis did the prenatal care and delivery for their youngest child in North Carolina. A friendship was formed and fostered over the years over many different moves both in America and across the world. We were so grateful when they agreed to come to Bundibugyo and lead a Bible teaching conference for local pastors and a retreat for our team.

As I read their blog post recounting the events, I chuckled at how many "firsts" of their experience now are normal life for me now. I say this as I drink coffee that has sugar ants floating in it and it no longer bothers me. The link to their blog is

http://7pilgrims.blogspot.com/2011/12/uganda-2011.html

So, webele, Shellie and Kevin for being our 100 and 101 visitors. We are grateful for the way you led our community leaders and our team in worship.

Trying to find normal

2011-12-03T10:42:00.000-08:00

While Travis was at a 5 hour Board of Governors meeting for CSB, the kids and I decided to surprise him with one of his favorite parts of the Christmas season: Christmas Cookies!

Now that the kids are all old enough to be actively involved, it was really fun. Of course, there are sprinkles all over the floor, it took four hours to make four plates of cookies, and Aidan ran around in circles on a sugar high. But the measure of success was their huge smiles and their pride in showing their creations to Travis when he returned home.

Baking Christmas Cookies is a normal part of the American Christmas tradition. But here in Bundibugyo where there are no convectional ovens, sugar is a luxury, and icing is unknown, it is not normal. I find myself often straddling these two worlds, two sets of norms, not knowing where or how or what to do. How do I handle the 5 knocks on my door requesting "assistance" in the short time I am baking with my children? How much of my home country's traditions and customs do I hold on to and how much do I embrace my host country's culture and norms. Sometimes I am baffled in my new "normal."

As I reflect upon the year 2011 for many of our friends, I remember that I am not alone in the struggle of new normal:

One family now lives daily with one son instead of two. Another has battled non-hodgkins lymphoma and this week celebrates that last chemo treatment. A doctor who planned for a glorious retirement, lost it all in the stock market crash and now is working at a walk-in urgent care at Wal-mart. A minister who dreamed of missions now wakes up at 4am to operate a fast-food restaurant. In one very traditional American family, the mother is now forced to be the sole bread-winner and the dad stays at home with two boys, with a third on the way. Others are adjusting to a new job, new child, new diagnosis, or simply a new stage in life.

In the middle of these reflections about change, struggle, and new norms in life here and in America, I am reminded to dwell on the character of God:

He is Unchanging in uncertainty. He is Mercy in the hard places. He is a Shepherd who gently leads those with young. He is Big when obstacles seem looming. He is Powerful when the darkness surrounds. He is Protector for the weak. He is my Joy when I am missing the familiar, the comfortable, and my old normal.

When Travis brought down our one box of Christmas decorations from the attic, he reminded me that we used to have eight boxes of Christmas lights, ornaments, wreaths, angels, garland, etc. I laughed in remembrance as this one current box not only held our decorations, but our whole tree too! After we put the lights on it, Patton looked at it glumly and said "I don't like it." We took a moment and all sat on the ground to acknowledged that it did not have many ornaments on it and it was small, but that we get to make new traditions, new ornaments and make it however we want it to be! So, this year's Christmas tree hosts paper snowflakes, an origami duck, and photos of loved ones. And though it will never be on the cover of any magazine, it is okay with me because this is a part of our new normal.

Welcome Ann!!!

2011-12-03T10:29:00.001-08:00

The week before we moved to Africa, we got a call that a fellow Grace Community Church member was interested in serving with us in Uganda. Excited to hear this, we met with Ann Kieser and looked forward to her vision trip visit in June of 2010.

And now SHE IS HERE!

We welcome Ann to service here and pray with her as she begins language and culture learning and working with visitors, interns and apprentices.

Well Done, CSB!

2011-12-02T10:28:00.000-08:00

We are grateful to announce the end of the school year for Christ School Bundibugyo! The students took their last exams today. Travis and Headmaster Edward have had 10 hour budget meetings. Edward met with parents this morning. A board meeting is scheduled for the morning. All students have now gone to their homes. So, to end the year well, we celebrated with the teachers over a homemade pizza dinner!

Scott Will, longtime Bundi friend and WHM Sudan teammate visits us this week.

Travis is sporting his new wood fire oven safety goggles!

Good friends bring good laughter.

The oven was hot tonight...and needed to be to feed 50 people!

Newest teammate Ann Kieser shows Eunice and Peter how to make their first pizzas!

Aidan is a pizza making professional at the age of 2.

Headmaster Edward and wife Christine lead the teachers in prayer.

Eunice is proud of her first pizza!

For most, this was their first time to make or eat pizza.

Ann, Vincent, and Akim

The kids' table.

Edward versus Alex in table tennis.

Justine and Juliet, two wonderful women teachers, beautifully make pizzas.

Travis thanks Kataramu Francis for his hard work this year.

And also appreciates Masereka Godfrey.

We are grateful for the hard work of the teachers and staff of CSB. We are also are humbled by the generous response of donors who support the school as it has struggled to make up the unexpected 28% inflation rate here in Uganda this school year. As we come to a successful close, we are filled with thanks to God. We will rest well tonight!

An update on the local Bible translation project

2011-11-16T00:46:00.000-08:00

This project was started as a joint WHM and Wycliffe venture over 20 years ago. At that time, the local language was not written down. The first 10+ years was filled with combing through the villages asking people to spell words based on the Bugandan language and alphabet. They used their findings to come up with an alphabet that fit the Lubwisi Language. They found that there are no Z's!

They then spent years learning local stories and proverbs to gain a grasp of how words and phrases are used. In the process, they have helped preserve the culture and language from being overran by larger and more economically advanced cultures! They have also made literacy more reachable for the thousands women here who do not speak English, the official language of Uganda. Most importantly, they are now beginning to teach the hope of Love, Grace and Forgiveness of Jesus in their own language!

The project continues under the guidance of SIL and through the hard work of several local pastors and community elders. They are among our closest friends here.

Click here for the latest update from our SIL friends.

The Shirts I Wear

2011-11-12T00:39:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday I wore 4 different shirts. Sometimes I wear three shirts because I have sweated through each of them by the end of the day, but the changing of shirts last Wednesday was for different purposes.

I woke up in the morning and put on a nice golf shirt that would look sharp, but not be too hot, for my meeting with the Christ School Head Master. I am so grateful for the great job and much needed friendship that Edward has provided. We met for 3 hours discussing the past year, the re-hiring of personnel and strateged different plans about how to meet the financial needs of the school based on the amount of support and school fees that we might receive. After praying together, I left very encouraged and hopeful that the school might make it to the end of the year!

When I returned home to have lunch with Amy and the kids, Jessica came by to say that Dr. Sam, our new Ugandan physician at the Nyahuka Health Center needed help to surgically repair an obstetric tear. I am very grateful that Dr. Sam is here and that our health center has a constant presence of an Ugandan physician. He is hard working and eager to do what is best for the patients. He is also incredibly overwhelmed with all the demands, especially since he is just 24 and fresh out of his internship. So, to show some moral support, I pulled out my surgical scrubs from the bottom of my drawer and ran down to the Health Center. I found Dr. Sam and we discussed how we would repair the deep 4^th degree wound. I then followed him to the theatre and was shocked to discover that the “woman” was a 10 year old girl who had been raped. I pulled Sam back out and we talked through the more important issue of caring for her as a person and not just her physical wounds. We then prayed for her and called together the surgical theatre team to set up for surgery.

While they were setting up, I ran home to put on a button down collared shirt with nice trousers to go to the Christ School Chapel. This was the last chapel of the year for many of our graduates who were finishing their national exams. I had the privilege to give them a going away message. I challenged them to take what they had learned here at Christ School and bring it to their family and friends at home. They have seen that God does love them. Because of this love, they have learned to love each other, despite their different backgrounds, families and tribes. When they go back to their villages, they will face many struggles, but they do not need to struggle alone. They need to run to Jesus and run to each other.

After the chapel, I put my surgical scrubs back on and returned to the Health Center. There, Sam and I repaired the wounds of the girl and discussed with the family how to care for the child. The horrible wounds and sparse equipment to fix them led to many nightmares that night. Please pray for complete healing of “Sara’s” heart and body.

Finally, I came back home and put on my favorite Navy Seal t-shirt and jeans with holes to romp around the back yard with my 3 favorite little people. There is nothing better than kid therapy!

We have been studying Colossians as a team this past month. In it, we are challenged to put on the clothes of mercy, tenderness, compassion and love. These are not something we wear naturally. We have to put them on. They are not something we own. They are given to us from Christ. On days like last Wednesday, I feel like I sweat through these shirts just as fast as I do my real ones. I am plum out of mercy by 9 am and I have to ask Jesus for another shirt of his to don before I can meet the next challenge. Thankfully, He is faithful and we toil daily with His strength! (Colossians ch2-3.)

new friends, old friends and mud puddles

2011-11-10T09:53:00.000-08:00

Josh welcomed to dinner new friends Caroline and David, two church leadership teachers who were working in a nearby village.

Aunt Jess is a big hit at the "kids' table" (which you might notice is a travel trunk)

We are thrilled to welcome for the month our old friends from our Harvard School of Public Health days, Akindale and Dorcas with their cute little girl Iye.

Friday night Dinner together with new and old friends

It's rainy season!

Aidan and Iye, only a month apart, are dear little friends.

I think he is smitten!

Welcoming Josh and Pamela!

2011-11-09T09:53:00.000-08:00

Today marks the One-Month-in-Bundibugyo anniversary of two new teammates, Josh Dickenson and Pamela Stephens.

As our flight from Chicago to London was cancelled (after 5, yes, 5 hours of sitting on the hot plane on the runway before a middle of the night cancellation!!!), we missed our connection with Pamela in London. The brave soul who had never been to London or Africa, happily took a tour around London and then trusted the driver whom we sent to pick her up in Uganda. A day later, we met her. Aidan must have imprinted on her as she held him during his jet lagged nap as he LOVES her and goes running to see her! Pamela comes from Virginia and was a dolphin trainer before she became a teacher. Her enthusiasm and love for teaching is evident and the kids adore her. She is diligently learning Lebwisi (not an easy task) and taking all of the nuances of life in Bundibugyo in stride. We are grateful she is here!

Josh joined us in Kampala just a day later. He was a champ as we did a sprint through the grocery store, stocking up on things he would need for his new life here. Having just completed his PhD in water engineering, Josh is the go-to guy for all things technical. After only one day here, there was a water crisis. Bundibugyo does not allow one to have time to acclimate slowly! Each morning, he can be seen working diligently learning Lebwisi and then working on a project in the afternoon. Today, I asked Aidan, "who do you love?" He replied: "Josh!" Though Josh has many skills and talents, our kids think that his best quality is that he can give a great puppet show!

If Pamela and Josh have made it here one month, they will do just fine!

A conversation with a missionary kid

2011-11-09T09:49:00.000-08:00

While in Charleston, Lilli and her cousin spotted a small lizard on the wall.

Cousin: Hey, Look! A Geiko!

Lilli: What's a Geiko? That's a Gecko!

Cousin: Huh? What's a Gecko?

Happy Birthday Little Man!

2011-11-08T10:01:00.000-08:00

Aidan Birch Johnson turned 2 years old!

Named "Aidan" for the Saint Aidan who is credited for sharing Christ in Ireland; meaning "Light"

Named Birch for our friend Dr Birch Rambo, missionary to the DRC for over three decades, a modern-day saint.

Man, we are thankful for this little dude and we sure do love him!

Aidan shows that he is two!

He is quite the artist.

While waiting on me to come outside, Aidan closed the front door and pulled the bolt closed, thus, locking me and friend Gladys inside! When we told him to unbolt the door, he just laughed and laughed. It took a while to find an extra set of keys to let us out of our side gate. This photo is from our front window as I looked out and he looked in! What a trickster!

Aidan appreciates the chocolate pudding mixes that are sent in care packages.

We spend much time doing housework.

He especially likes to help Gladys.

And more cleaning!

The team enjoys the sunset view from atop the community water tanks.

Aidan is ready to roll the dough for pizza.

Pizza making time!

So proud of himself for blowing out the candles!

Aidan opens a special gift from Patton.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Aidan!

The road

2011-11-08T09:42:00.000-08:00

After a few weeks of extreme joys and extreme disappointments, our little family made a spontaneous and very fast trip out of Bundibugyo to Fort Portal. The road (the same one which left me stranded for 5 hours in B town last week...another story) is in the worst condition as it has not been graded for over a year. I can almost hear Pat cry "Corruption is under my tires" as we drove it.

However, there is progress on the part that CICO is constructing. A few shots to show such progress:

This was once a small road that cut around two very steep mountains. The mountains have been cut into and what was once a valley is almost ready to be driven over!

A clear day's view all the way to the mountains of the DRC

Any guess what this is in front of us on our drive? Read the sign attached to it.

It is a barge!

We were behind three HUGE ferries/barges on the very sharp corners of the road to Bundibugyo district. Not sure where they ended their journey..or if they made it off the mountains!

Back in Uganda!

2011-10-18T04:00:00.000-07:00

If there is anything I have learned in the past few years, it is to CELEBRATE when there is a victory!

So, this moment, I celebrate that I can post a blog with our internet!

The internet had been discontinued by the satellite people while we were gone, the lady in charge was away, there were satellite problems in Nairobi (same story, different verse), so upon arrival we had no internet. But, as SuperJosh has now arrived, he patiently worked with the IT people and we are now on the information superhighway. Ok, not super fast, so let's call it the information road.

But we are connected. And it feels good.

As I have taken a two month break from blogging, there will be much to remark on, but for now, please know that we appreciate all of our dear friends and family who hosted us, took time off work to be with us, fed us, clothed us, talked with us, laughed with us, made our children feel special, prayed for us, and gave us courage to come back serve God here in Bundibugyo. We are grateful.

I ask for prayer for several important things:

1. There is a water shortage again for parts of Nyahuka.

2. Travis is sick (probably tonsillitis) and unable to get out of bed.

3. Jessica had a fall and received stitches. Pray for no infection and for quick healing.

4. New teammates Josh (water engineer!) and Pamela (RMS teacher!) to feel at home and trust Jesus as they are in the midst of cultural adaptation.

5. For all you moms who have gone through this, you won't laugh that I put this as a prayer request: Aidan is giving up the pacifier (ok, I am pulling the plug!) which means that he is not sleeping very much. Pray for his adjustment and for patience for me in the middle of the night!

6. Christ School Bundibugyo students are beginning 6 weeks of end of year exams. This is significant for those who desire to score high enough to continue to S5 (equivalent of junior college) and those who want to go to university.

7. Lilli and Patton and Miss Anna as they all begin kindergarten and second grade at RMS.

Thanks, friends!

Much love from Amy

Photos from the past year

2011-09-22T21:59:00.000-07:00

Thanks for praying for us. Thanks for supporting, encouraging and walking with us over the past year. We are recovering well and loving time with our families.

Today I took food away from a starving child…

2011-08-02T04:06:00.001-07:00

View of our Pediatric Ward

One of our Malnutrition Children

Famine has hit East Africa. Food prices across the world are near record highs. Though Bundibugyo is not in famine, the resultant increased food prices combined with the seasonal decrease in harvest has brought over a dozen starving children to our pediatric ward these past 2 weeks.

Today, I took food away from Birra, one of these children. It felt very counterintuitive, mean, rude and even crazy. This 2 year-old child, who weighs 10 pounds, was eating a local banana type fruit called matoke. Her eyelids, hands and feet are swollen from the edema caused by lack of protein and a liver reaction to her slow wasting by starvation. Her mother stared at me in disbelief. Was she not doing the right thing? My friend, the nurse Charles, helped me explain to her that the food the child needed was the formula provided by UNICEF. The formula had all the nutrients she needed. It was also portioned out to help her body adjust to the intake of nutrition and prevent her heart from going into failure. Eating the matoke would fill her body with empty calories and keep her from drinking the not as tasty formula. For her to survive, we had to take the matoke away- until she returned to normal health.

Similarly, last week at our team meeting we discussed the hardship of living here. Sure, it is difficult living here, but what really makes it hard is the inability to sooth the hardship with our normal comforts. If we want to goad each other, we just mention “Breyers Ice Cream,” or “Chic-Fil-A” or “DQ Blizzard” or any other number of unattainable commodities and therefore forbidden words in our house. Beyond delicious foods, we also lack restaurants for dates or time of quietness. People with needs often knock at our door at 7am and we listen, serve, pray with people in desperate situations all day long. Jogs, bike rides and visits to the market are heralded with a cacophony of children’s voices yelling Majungu (white person.) It is hard to get away. Hot showers, let alone baths are not always available. Electricity providing light and internet is not consistent and are reliant on forces outside our control such as sunlight or the government. Yesterday, two phones ran out of charge during an interrupted monthly conversation with my brother. This makes it difficult to escape the troubles and needs that are constantly pressing on us.

Interestingly, David, in Psalms 73 speaks about such a thing. He compares himself to those around him. He sees them as without troubles, swollen fat with indulgences and doing only what they care to do. He, however, feels stuck, probably longing to be a simple shepherd again on the hillside instead of being in charge of a kingdom. He indicates all the normal comforts of his had been stripped away. Nevertheless, God is still with him. He concludes that God is his desire and there is nothing in heaven or earth that he desires more.

I long for Breyers Chocolate Chip Mint Ice Cream, or a Wendy’s Frosty and large fry. However, not being able to seek solace with these precious commodities is forcing me to learn how to seek comfort from Jesus. He has taken away my matoke that I may feast from the table he has prepared for me.

A bit of an update...

2011-08-02T02:13:00.001-07:00

In the one year and four months that WHM houses have had grid electricity, we have been without it for at least half of that time. A month ago, our transformer blew out again (maybe the 5th time?). The electricity man no longer answers my frequent phone calls. When Travis called him, he promised that the transformer was sent to Kampala (3 weeks after it went out!) and that we would have electricity soon. Practically speaking, that means that we light our fridges (propane or kerosene), transfer all our cold or frozen goods, try to remember to charge electronics in the day when the sun is abundantly charging the solar powered batteries, use the generator for an hour for internet on cloudy days, and are very careful with the amount of lights we use in the evening. This also means that any blogging to be done when the kids are asleep does not happen. So, in this somewhat quiet and sunny moment, I will attempt to display through photos the activities of the past weeks. What a few weeks it has been!

RMS celebrated "Teacher Appreciation Week" and it is obvious

that RMS students love their teacher, Miss Anna!

Aidan is now old enough to be interested in playing with cars

so it is a joy to see my two boys play together.

Aidan loves to play "hide and seek" and making his mom laugh!

After CSB Sunday Fellowship, Lilli, Aidan, Olvie and the

Minister of Spiritual Development played drums together.

Farewell, "Grandfather" Kevin Party in our backyard

The OGs (Female Alumni) do a dance presentation for the Homecoming

The OB/OG (old boys/old girls...alumni) Homecoming Celebration Evening Gathering included speeches, dances, more speeches, and more speeches.

Kevin and the Board of Governors for CSB watch the OB v CSB student football match.

While our kids are troopers, they are not always smiles when the day has been long, their tummies are hungry, it is hot out, and they are ready to go home!

The OB v CSB match ended (thankfully!) in a last minute tie.

The OBs and OGs cheered on their fellow OBs on the field.

The line up for the game.

Bwampu Steven, the "son" of Tata Kevin joins hands with Kevin

for a walk to the middle of the filed for kick-off.

Walking around campus

Tim and Trisha Manarin and their 3 kids, friends from Kampala, visited us for the weekend and were good sports about joining in all of the festivities. This included tubing down the river, meeting people at CSB, watching the match, shopping at the market, and eating pork muchomo. We are so grateful that they braved the road here and joined us for some friendship.

When they arrived, Patton pulled me aside and whispered, "Mom, while they are here, I am going to pretend they are my brothers." He loved time with the boys!

As sickness floated around our house for a week, my friend Sharifa called to see if she could come over. When I told her of the sickness, she immediately said she was going to her garden to bring me bananas. And she did! Beautiful bananas from a beautiful friend.

Kevin shares and challenges us all at the CSB Staff Fellowship on Tuesday nights.

I was grateful to see my dear friend Christine as she came to visit her husband Edward. She brought beautiful crafts made by the ladies of her church's "Self-Help" group that meets weekly for friendship, Bible Study, and craft together. If anyone needs some paper bead necklaces, I have a few (hundred)...

Every week, we try to spend a little bit of time in the back yard, creating a playspace. So far, we have a sandless sandbox and the beginnings of a pirate ship. Pictured here are the kids decorating the inside of what one day will be their own playground!

A Consuming Fire

2011-07-18T06:21:00.001-07:00

Our day began early at 3am when Pastor Sam called from Fort Portal to tell us that the WHM home built and lived in for 15 years by the Chedesters, soon to be home to 17 year WHM missionary Pat Abbott, was in flames.

After we both woke up a bit and realized that we were not having a bad dream, but that the FP house really was on fire, we called Jeff and Cheryl, dear friends to both the Chedesters and Pat. For years, Jeff has petitioned his Member of Parliament for a fire truck for the town of Fort Portal. Only a few months ago, did the first-ever fire truck appear on the streets. Gathering up volunteer firemen and the new truck, they tried to salvage what they could. Unfortunately, the fire was fast and consumed everything. It was only 5 nights ago that we were sleeping there.

It appears to be an electrical fire as similar ones have occurred in the last year due to power surges.

Pat had moved all of her belongings into the house and they were waiting for her mid-August arrival back to Africa. She is currently in America fund-raising for the "Women of the Proverbs" project. When I asked her what she thought about losing all of her possessions, she said, "Amy it is just stuff. It will all burn up someday anyway. I am just glad that no one was hurt."

But a house is always more than a just a house; it is a home. The Cash family tearfully remembered the 15 Thanksgivings spent with the Chedesters there. The Chedesters raised their children there. Pat had carefully selected paint colors for the walls in order to give her new home her own touch. For the past six months, our own little family found refuge there in the midst of malaria, team transition, and the many demands of life in Bundibugyo. We called it the Peace House.

In the midst of such tragedy, God left his fingerprints to remind us that He is here and does have a plan for the future of WHM in FP and specifically for Pat. Besides a few clay pots, only two items were not burnt, the journal writings of pioneer missionary Jim Elliot and the book "He Has Made Me Glad." In the middle of the latter book, unsinged was a photo postcard of the Road to Bundibugyo. Not sure what that means, but it does remind me that Pat always has a home here, where the road ends.

MediQuest

2011-07-18T05:06:00.000-07:00

On Saturday afternoon, a white land rover with Kenya tags made its way on to the WHM property, with five young women in the back wide-eyed from their harrowing drive over the Bundibugyo Road. Bruce and Kate Dahlman, with AIM, have been leading this medically-oriented group throughout Kenya and Uganda, visiting various models of public health, medicine, and agricultural projects.

Interns Sarah and Olvie did an excellent job hosting the women, leading a community tour, and even explaining the proper use of the outdoor cho. On Saturday night, we enjoyed pizza together and getting to know each other. Sunday included a lengthy church service, lunch, community walk, drive to see the Congo border, Ugandan food dinner, and an attempt to watch "War Dance" (cut short by no electricity and bad dvd). This morning, the group toured the Nyahuka Health Center and prayed together over the patients there. After a quick lunch, they hit the road in effort to hit the construction zones at lunch time (ie no workers to slow them down!) and for a swim at Kluges Guest Farm. We pray that God used their experience here in some way to open their hearts towards working among the poor with the gifts that God has given each of them.

A significant moment in CSB history

2011-07-14T05:50:00.000-07:00

Via a MAF flight in which the alternator went out ("But I realized that the plane does not run on electricity" says Kevin...kinda like our lives in Bundi), Kevin Bartkovich, founder of Christ School Bundibugyo arrived to his home of over 10 years.

Pictured here is Edward Isingoma, Headmaster of CSB, Kevin, Founder of CSB, and Travis, Chairman of the Board of Governors for CSB.

The next eleven days with Kevin will include the first ever "homecoming" dinner of OB/OGs (old boys and old girls...alums), chapel service, teacher fellowship, student fellowship, meeting with Edward, Travis, and teachers, seeing the lives of CSB grads, eating Ugandan food and catching up with old friends.

We are grateful he is here safely. We are thankful for his heart and years of service in effort to see godly leadership emerge among the Babwisi people.

We are also grateful for his wife, JD, and his family that is stateside, who sent us yummy goodies and entertaining movies! Webele!

And we're off...

2011-07-11T23:08:00.000-07:00

Almost packed, with errands in town such as getting cell phone airtime, finding one of our sponsored students to give univ fees, paying for wedding photos for a friend, getting diesel, picking up dairy meal for the cows, one more stop to the bank, and then attempting to make it over the mountains...

On the drive in, we had an "Indiana Jones" moment when we looked across at where the road on the next mountain should be...and like Indiana, we had to have faith that the road had not disappeared! One never knows what they will find on the road to Bundibugyo, or if the road will even be there...

Travis is feeling better enough to get in the car and go, but still is weak, so thanks for your prayers for his improving health and for a sense of humor for us all.

The Chip Update

2011-07-09T11:56:00.001-07:00

For those of you who have been praying for our Stateside teammate, Chrissy Chipriano, thank you. After her second surgery, the pathology report showed that the cancer had spread to one of the three lymph nodes. So, she is now in three weeks of intense preparation for radioactive iodine treatment. The reality of the word "cancer" has been very difficult for our spunky, cheerful, energetic, 22 year old to absorb. Please pray for grace and courage for both Chrissy and her family in the challenging weeks ahead of them. She recently reminded me of the words in Romans 8 that says that "all of creation groans" in desire for redemption of brokenness. Yes, even our broken bodies long for a day when all will be made whole and perfect.

On Safari

2011-07-09T11:09:00.000-07:00

As a special part of hosting summer interns from America, we take them on "safari" to the Queen Elizabeth National Park. Sarah and Olvie smiled ear to ear the entire time they were looking for animals and enjoying the Kingfisher Lodge.

Posing with the elephant statue at Mweya Safari Lodge in Queen Elizabeth National Park

Lilli was the best at spying tracks in the mud, such as this lion paw.

We were truly humbled by the magnificence of the five lions that we saw!

Aidan was only mildly impressed by the animals from his carseat vantage point.

Our early morning drive

Our family's favorite African wildlife, the Crested Crane, national bird of Uganda

Amazing end to a great day.

Fourth of July Festivities

2011-07-07T08:18:00.000-07:00

This year's celebration of America's Independence and Foundation was celebrated without sparklers, but with much tradition in American food, much patriotism in song and parade, and much joy in friendship! We traveled to Fort Portal, 3 hours by dirt road, to celebrate with other Americans. And what a great day it was!

Early Morning Johnson Family Parade to WeeSing America Songs

Patton draws "fire that comes from a canon" for the parade.

Lilli's creativity by using what we have amazes me. She secretly worked on this flag in order to create the parade.

Aidan has been sick, refusing all foods except bananas. Thankfully, there is an abundance of bananas here!

Quite a parade!

Lilli and best buddy Kinley, two girls growing up in Africa who are oldest in a family of boys

Olvie and Bren share music with everyone.

Aidan and Patton play with the Cash's toys

On a team of all women, Travis is grateful for some "guy talk."

Karen from California

Hostess Cheryl provided a beautiful spread of food and a home of warm hospitality.

The patriotic Johnsons

The fun group of Americans in western Uganda

Aidan adores Lilli

Two kids that make the best of every situation!

Happy 4th of July!

Good thing a picture is worth a thousand words..

2011-07-07T07:37:00.000-07:00

Because there have been thousands of words to describe the many varied and unusual and mundane and tragic and exhilarating and exhausting and life-giving events that have created the span of these last few weeks. And as internet has been sparse, I am going to post them as fast as possible before losing connection...

In reverse order, a few of the happy highlights:

July 1st, we celebrated 10 years of marriage! Grateful to interns for doing a fabulous job caring for our children and for parents that believe in anniversary get-aways who footed the bill, we retreated to one of the most beautiful places on earth, Kyaninga Lodge.

Celebration Dinner for God's work through BundiNutrition!

Prayer for Pauline as she works in Mbararra and for Baguma Charles as he prepares to begin a degree in public health.

In our hilarious game of "pop the balloon that is tied onto your friend's ankle" this 8.5 month pregnant woman won! We were afraid she was going to pop!

The fun party group! (Notice Aidan is not so sure how fun this is!)

Faithful BundiNutrition worker Pauline

Ugandan Feast which was prepared by Asita and assisted by interns Olvie and Sarah

Sarah and Olvie are now close friends with Asita and son Alex who showed them how to prepare Uganda foods.

Patton is so proud that he made this race car from a kit sent by his buddy Chrissy

Sarah and Olvie did a great job in their "Amazing Race:Bundibugyo" tasks which included a scavenger hunt in which they had to navigate the market and language barriers to find the items in this photo.

"Amazing Race:Bundibugyo" task to make a Babwisi garden with Gladys

The kids are all smiles from the goodies sent by grandparents and friend that were in the luggage of the interns!

On Friday afternoons, the kids spend time with Vincent while we have team meeting. They decided to invite other children to have a musical parade so they sang church songs and played their instruments in hopes that kids would arrive. It was so sweet to see their ideas for reaching out to friends and to hear their precious voices sing praise songs!

Thank you, ECBC DI Community Group for sending us packages in the mail. It took about 3 months, but we were delighted to receive them!

a prayer for our chrissy

2011-06-22T12:00:00.001-07:00

Chrissy Chipriano (who gave me permission to share this) joined our team the end of last September. In her 6 months here, she developed some symptoms that were not completely diagnosable. Following her gut (ok, the prompting of God!) that something was not right, she had every possible test done both in Kampala and then in America. Two weeks ago, surgery showed cancer on her thyroid. Tomorrow, Chrissy will have the remainder of her thyroid removed. Please join us in praying for a successful surgery and a speedy recovery. We love her and miss her here!

Water Water everywhere and not a drop to drink....

2011-06-22T10:36:00.000-07:00

Tembo pulling out the root ball!

This is what it felt like living in the rain forest, during rainy season for the past week with a water system that was broken. PRAISE GOD, we now have water flowing and the water tanks are half full (or half empty if you will).

Last week the water stopped flowing. People were forced to carry water from the streams to their houses to drink, wash etc.

We had to send the students at Christ School home for a few days because the water shortage meant we could not cook the normal staples of porridge, and beans and rice. We paid someone to bring a truck load of jerrycans full of water, but we still had several students develop a gastroenteritis.

I consulted Dr. Scott about the urgency and he warned that in the past Bundibugyo had two rainy seasons that coincided with two significant outbreaks of cholera, which took the lives of many people. He said we could not afford to sit and hope the government would take care of the job. So, with two of the technicians trained by Michael Masso we began walking the 6km area of pipe where we suspected the problem. We patched several major leaks hoping this would provide enough pressure to push the water over the hills and into the Nyahuka water tanks. This failed. So I consulted Michael Masso and Josh Dickenson and the internet (looking for "Water Engineering for Dummies" and searching "causes of water stoppages in rural Africa"-google had some interesting tidbits). We also prayed, a lot.

After 4 days of digging and patching, we finally came across the problem. There was a large root ball stuck in a section crushed by a cacoa truck. We patched this area and water began to flow. You would have thought I was Jed Clampett finding oil!

The pipe is still in bad need of repair. There is a 70 meter section with 8 major leaks and a dozen or so more leaks up stream from this area. We hope to do a little more work to make the system a more stable. For now, we have a small tight bandaid on the problem and praying that it will hold.

Father's Day Thanks

2011-06-19T03:10:00.000-07:00

Not wanting the celebration of Father's Day to be lost in the excitement and busyness of welcoming visitors and our interns, we celebrated Father's Day last Sunday with gifts, cards, prayer, time for a bike ride, grilling "in" and even ice cream. Together with Lilli, Patton, and Aidan, I am grateful for our "SuperDad" more now than ever. WE LOVE YOU, TRAVIS!

We are also blessed by the life of Travis's father, "Poppy" Terry. He is a man of strong conviction, unshakable character, great hugs, funny jokes, a great golf swing, tenderness for his wife, a healthy lifestyle, a patient doctor, and has a deep love for those that are his legacy.

Today, we also give thanks for my dad, "Papa" Gary. He is a man after God's own heart, one who can fix/build anything, has a special connection with animals, a prayer warrior, a sailor at heart (though always living land-locked), cherishes his wife, and considers no greater priviledge than to know "his children are walking in the truth."

Three cheers to these three dads!

Interns, eye exams, flat tires and pizzas!

2011-06-19T02:40:00.000-07:00

JD and Loyd arrived to visit their friend Basime Godfrey and to bless us with friendship.

Summer Interns Sarah and Olvie arrived giggling and with big grins!

JD examines Lilli's eyes as she has been having eye pain lately. He also examined Travis's eye and made recommendations for correction. He also examined Aidan and affirmed us in the upcoming surgery for Aidan's eyelid. We are so grateful for his expertise!

Sarah and Olvie getting a taste of life here by washing dishes...with very little water as the water line to Nyahuka is still broken.

As always, a bit of our heart ached as we said goodbye to our visitors as they flew out on MAF. We are grateful for their kindness and encouragement towards us.

On the drive back, we met up with the Nyahuka water technicians who had been working to repair the leaks. Unfortunately, the line has been cut in so many places that it may be quite a while before the local government will secure the funding and repair the line.

As we continued on our drive, we passed a man who was dragging a woman by her shirt down the road. A crowd of children were following. Knowing something was not right, but not knowing what to do, we turned around and pulled over to inquire what was happening. At that point, attention had been drawn and the "mothers" of the community surrounded him and took action. However, that turn popped our front tire. No good deed goes unpunished. In the last week, the road has claimed both of our spare tires. Oh, well.

As we pulled back into our drive, we heard the cheers of the conclusion of the match of the CSB boys playing the CSB OBs (old boys...alums). We were bummed to have missed it. It seems that the students won the game, so I am sure there will be a rematch! The game was sponsored by the newly formed "Bundibugyo Hand of Hope" as a fundraiser for their charity work in the community. We welcomed the interns to their new home by hosting "pizza night" and enjoyed a yummy jackfruit brought by Anna. Even little Aidan made a pizza!

Small Miracles

2011-06-17T06:00:00.001-07:00

Rose came into the health center Tuesday struggling to breath, blue lips, unconscious and intermittently convulsing. Her weeping father placed her onto the hospital bed and collapsed on the floor crying. Behind him was Rose’s mother and several women whooping and wailing the cry of death.

We had just lost Jason, the son of my friend and I did not think I could stand to watch another pass away in front of me. I had been struggling with Jesus all week trying to understand why He did not spare Jason’s life.

We diagnosed her with cerebral malaria and subsequent lab showed to many parasites in her blood to count. The nurse Amos was able to put in an IV line. We found the needed medicines but still watched helplessly as the child’s breathing patterns changed and we seemed to be nearing the end. I asked the father if I could pray for the Rose. He blanched and then slowly nodded. I did not understand. The nurse then told me the father presumed I was going to give the last rights to the child. Why else would you pray? Uncharacteristically, I looked the father straight in the eye and said I do not serve a God who only rules over death, but one that gives life. (Inside I was begging Jesus to show us his power.)

After I prayed, I remembered the oxygen concentrator that the Grace team brought last January. After dusting it off, I ran around the health center looking for a power supply. None with 110V power could be found. So I biked as hard as I could to our home and brought back a small generator. When I arrived, the women were wailing and all the mothers in the ward seemed to have gathered around the little bed where Rose was lying. Jessica and Amos had started the IV Quinine. Amy found some artemether at our house and sent it down to the health center for us to inject. We started the machine and oxygen began to stream out. We connected the tubing to Rose and began to pray. Slowly, she regained color. Her body seemed to relax. Feeling a little better, we left the bed to see the other patients.

When I returned that evening with my KaDoctor (ka means little in Lubwisi) to check on Rose, Lilli and I found her already sitting up and smiling with her mother. Praise God for small miracles!

Living at the end of the waterline

2011-06-17T05:05:00.000-07:00

Bombo and friends working on the waterline

Over the past 13 years, Michael Masso and many helpers (both Ugandan and missionaries) built a water line from Ngite Falls to Nyahuka where we live. On the way the line branches to many communities and brings clean water to nearly 70,000 people. Before the line was in place, cholera epidemics were regular and annually many people died of this terrible disease. Since the completion of the waterline, there have not been any recorded deaths due to cholera in our area.

Three days ago, the water stopped flowing to Nyahuka. I checked the source at the waterfall and found it to be flowing well. Baffled, I followed the line of taps (many broken) from the waterfall to our town. With each tap the flow was smaller until at the hill just above our house, it stops.

Between the taps there are about a dozen of line breaks where water is spilling onto the land making large mud pits. You would think people would not want these mosquito-carrying, land destroying swamps in front of their house. Surprisingly, it is probably those land owners that cut the line.

It is currently not cocoa season. So, there is no income in our district. However, one can make bricks out of the mud on their land and sell it to make ends meet. There are some houses that are 2 feet above their surrounding yard. Why? Because they have cut away the dirt to make bricks and, over the years, the house has become elevated. Today, I passed one yard and saw mud seemingly flying out of the ground. As I got closer I saw a man digging a hole in his front yard about 5 feet deep and 10 feet long. Behind it was a large stack of bricks he was making.

So, with every mud pit and broken tap I passed, I became more and more angry. Why are people so careless about our waterline? Do they not realize that their selfishness of not replacing leaking taps or cutting lines is leaving thousands of people without water and possibly causing an epidemic that could take the lives of dozens of children?

Then I sat convicted. Why am I only worried about this on day 3 of the crisis? Because it is only now threatening the water supply that fills up the cistern that gives water to my kids; in a few days, we will also be carrying jerry cans of water from the river for our family’s use. I have been thinking “Sure, people can walk to the river with jerry cans and lug them back to their house to boil. If they don’t boil, it’s their fault. This is how it has been for centuries. I have other good work to do at the clinic.” But now it is threatening us. Before this, I was happy to take two showers a day in the stifling heat just to cool off, even if others were struggling. After all, there is plenty of water around. They can figure it out.

Then I became even more angry. The people upstream did not worry about using the water because there seemed to be so much of it. The source, Ngite Falls, is a power full 300ft waterfall that is always flowing. If they took a little just for them, it shouldn’t matter. This is the mentality of our public officials have regarding their “cuts” of money they take for each good will project that comes along. Because of this, we have no blood or medicine at our government health center. None. The money has been sent to local officials for that medicine and blood and it has even been signed for, but still we wait to see any of it reach Nyahuka Health Center.

Then I became convicted. When I reached the people at the source, they seemed completely oblivious that there was any problem 12 km away in Nyahuka Town. If there was, it definitely was not their problem. Water abounded here. This is definitely how I viewed and still view much of life. There are so many resources that surround us in the West. What I use is like dipping three buckets of water out of the Mississippi River. What I did not realize is that with all of us taking out three buckets, there is nothing left at the end of the line. And, here at the end of the line, children are dying, one to two out of every five children born die before they reach the age of five. Most children do not attend secondary school. Most women and their daughters do not know how to read. Almost half of the children are malnourished which causes physical and mental growth stunting.

Frustrating days like these make me want to pack up and move back to the US. But now I am realizing, that even if we did, my heart would still ache for my friends suffering at the end of the waterline.

Post script: (Amy writes) Travis has located a man with water experience and is meeting with him right now to examine the leaks and try to bring some repairs. At CSB, students have been going to the river with jerry cans for water and some have now complained of stomach issues. Lorry trucks have now brought clean water for the kitchen to use for their meals which have been delayed due to lack of water.

birth announcement

2011-06-11T03:03:00.000-07:00

We are happy to announce the birth of a baby girl to our neighbors, Majerie and Salo! She is a healthy, pinkish, much loved, little bundle with a head full of hair!

I am also grateful for the ongoing health of Baby Jotham, son of my dear friend Loy, bursur at CSB. Last December, Loy had an emergency C section in Kampala and we are grateful for the saved lives of both mother and baby. She is doing a good job feeding him as this chunk is less than 6 months old!

Praise God for healthy babies in Bundibugyo!

The Burial

2011-06-08T01:34:00.000-07:00

Leaving the kids sleeping for naptime, with Gladys to watch over them, Jess, Anna, Pastor K, neighbor B, Travis and I made our way to the home of Francis and Sarah. Every covered and shaded area was filled with family and friends. Singing had already begun. Travis sat in the elder katubi with Kisembo and other muzeis. Jess, Anna and I sat on my kitangi on the outskirts of the women. As the family is Catholic, the lay priests shared in Lebwisi. Later, B explained that they spoke both of Jesus Christ and that the death of the child was rumored to be a result of a curse that was place on the child by someone or some action. As we continued to both listen to the liturgy and sing responsive songs, students from Nyahuka Parental Care Primary School, Alpha Primary School, and Christ School Bundibugyo made the number of mourners swell from 200 to 400. Speeches were made by the local councilman and a clan leader. One man rose to speak, but the director of the burial quickly asked him to remain quiet and others escorted him away and sat with him. As Chairman of the Board of Governors for CSB, Travis was asked to give a speech. He shared of our appreciation for the families of Francis and Sarah and gratefulness for our friendship with the couple. He continued that we do not understand why some children are chosen to leave earth at a young age, but we do know that Jason is now in the arms of Jesus. It was the only part of the burial where the group said “amen”.

Following that were more speeches, a reading of the amounts of money that various people and groups contributed to the burial costs and more singing. It was then that one of the brothers on Sarah’s side accused the family of Francis for not doing enough to care for Jason and blamed them for his death. The family leader of Francis countered with yelling until there were 3 or 4 people for each family yelling at each other. The end result was that the wife’s family demanded a payment of several goats. Teacher Desmond came and said candidly to us “Here, there always has to be some confusion.” I could say that about most of my days in Bundibugyo! Apparently, the goat deal was made as the burial of the casket then proceeded.

As a mass group we all followed Francis and Sarah, holding them up as they were weeping and wailing, to the grave down behind the houses. The small casket that was draped in deep purple fabric was laid down and both metal rebarb and then cement was placed over it. Amidst singing was wailing and crying, the most vocal was the mother Sarah, until she passed out and was carried by her sisters. When Travis checked on Sarah, he found that the sisters had placed a plastic bag tightly over her mouth to help her breathe. He showed them how to make it looser and then found himself explaining why she needed more space in the bag for carbon dioxide and oxygen interchange before he remembered that they did not understand English and he did not know the Lebwisi word for carbon dioxide!

Last night when Travis met with the CSB teachers, he asked what ways they could support Francis and Sarah. The immediate need was to help provide for the burial. They also said that they needed to be patient friends as a person is not the same after losing a child. They explained that sometimes the person is angry, or quiet, or loses interest. Their marriage would also need to be supported as clans blaming each other can create a wedge between a husband and a wife. Additionally, they probably owe people a great deal of money for all the medicines and hospital trips they did in search of help for Jason, so financial sharing with them would be a support.

I have been reading “Bwamba: the Functional and Structural Analysis of the Patrilineal Society” and finding it totally interesting and it allows me to have a framework from which to understand this culture in which we live. Among the Bwamba people (which includes the Babwisi), there is a serious belief that there are spirits out who will try to grab your ankle as you are walking alone in places. Those spirits will intend to do you harm and are often sent by local witchdoctors or by angry ancestors who demand a blood sacrifice. So, if sickness, or worse, death occurs and there is no evident explanation, then there needs to be a place to put the blame. If someone dies from being hit by a motorcycle (a common occurrence), then the blame is placed on the driver and a serious penalty is paid. We once witnessed a gasoline tanker hit a boda boda (motorcycle taxi) at an intersection in Kampala. When the tanker driver had seen what he had done, he jumped out of his truck and quickly ran away, leaving his truck abandoned as he knew a mob mentality of justification for the accident he had just caused was imminent. However, if there is no visible reason for the death, such as in the case of a child’s death, then blame must rest somewhere. Thus, families blame each other for lack of care, for bringing a curse, for not appeasing the angry ancestoral spirits. And a blood sacrifice has to be paid. Yesterday, that was one of the reasons why the mother’s family was demanding a payment of goats.

For months now, I have been carrying around an article that appeared in the February 16^th Daily Monitor entitled “Only 25% of children with cancer complete treatment.” At that time, I could barely read it as we were mourning the death of Baraba Paul, the boy whom we had tried and tried to provide medical care for by arranging free cancer treatment, through visits to the hospital, by following up in the village, by sending people with him to Kampala so they would not have to be alone, and through the efforts of the kind staff at the Hope Ward at International Hospital Kampala to keep him there, even without parental support. He was given the treatment. He was offered a free and safe place to stay. But it was still too much for his family to leave their village and stay in Kampala. And when they missed their treatments, was it fair to give the very, very limited chemotherapy resources to one in whom the disease had already progressed too far while others are desperate for medicines? The article states that “as many as 1,200 children are admitted to the Uganda Cancer Institute but less than 300 complete medication largely because of the high cost of drugs and other remedies.” And that statistic is just for those who are diagnosed and are able to be admitted to the UCI.

Sometimes, I am overwhelmed by the needs here. By the statistics I read. By the number of requests for food, pens, school fees, and medical help. By the lack of resources in developing places like Uganda. By the hopelessness of those who blame each other for the unexplained death of a child. By the pressure on a young couple who has believed in the Amazing Love of God to renounce their faith and turn towards ancestral curses.

And then I am reminded by the most common phrase here, “buke buke” meaning slowly, slowly. For the power of the gospel to make an impact here, a place that is as hard as the sun-baked clay, it takes prayer, sacrifice, patience, love, perseverance, and a faith that God IS working. He promises He is.

Please continue to pray for the faith of Francis and Sarah to be strenghened and for the CSB teachers who surround them. Please pray for their families to understand the love of God through Jesus. Please pray for the students of CSB to have open and receptive hearts today as Master Peter and Travis speak at chapel about God’s power and love. And pray for faith for all of us to continue to bless the name of God even when it doesn’t make sense.

Asking for another miracle

2011-06-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, Travis received a sms from Kataramu Francis to please come as his son is dying. As Travis and other CSB teachers reached the home in the village, Jason had already passed on. A boy the same age as my own. A father with dreams much like those of Travis. A mother who will cry herself to sleep tonight.

The words of a colleague now ring true: the greater miracle may be that the family will still have faith if he does die.

The teachers (and Travis) have gathered for a fellowship night, one in which they can pray, sing, share in suffering together, and meet the practical ways of caring for their fellow teacher by preparing for Jason's burial.

Please pray for that greater miracle; that in the midst of deep sadness we can all have faith in a Sovereign and Loving Father that now holds a young Babwisi boy in His arms.

Asking for a miracle

2011-06-06T03:10:00.001-07:00

As you read this, please pray for Jason, the son of CSB teacher Kataramu Francis and his wife Sarah.

Travis has already written about his situation and, since then, it has only worsened.

Please pray for a way to get blood here as the closest blood bank is 3 hours away.

At our visit this morning, he was listless with labored breathing.

Pray for a miracle.

Just another Saturday in Bundi

2011-06-06T01:52:00.000-07:00

Saturday:

Banana waffles

Met with two different fathers to provide transport money for them to receive services for their children at OURS (Organized and Useful Rehabilitation Services)

Approved and paid for shutter for mission house made by local woodworker (15 year old shutters have rotted)

Pasteurized milk

Gave tour and history of WHM to interested RMS teacher Molly; sent Molly with Anna for market in Nyahuka

Greeted along the way

Gathered ironing for Alikonjera, muzei who uses a charcoal iron for community ironing

Searched for a musei to translate to our neighbor of the urgency for her to get to the health center to have her baby as her water had broken 4 days earlier and the ultrasound Travis did on her the night before showed no amniotic fluid left

God brought Gideon to translate and we went to neighbor's house for meeting

Travis and Jess found necessary equipment and did surgery in katubi on very infected finger of Gideon, with Lilli observing until it got "too bloody" for her

Had quesadilla lunch with Molly

Tried to gather things for drive to hike Nyahuka Falls, realized kids were too tired for 3 hour hike, day getting too late, etc, so rethought plan and opted for drive to see area with Molly

Anna and Jess stayed with sleeping kids and did internet

Had great conversation with Molly about her interests and service here in the future

Saw a small truck slowing in front of us, asking for directions

Realized it was the Civil Aviation Authority, looking for us!

Travis stayed with the CAA on the airstrip while I drove back home

Served warm chocolate chip cookies and talked with CAA about airstrip issues in katubi

Served same to 6 men who are relocating goat pens from our backyard to the CSB Farm

Greeted and sat with Asita and Beligi

Travis finally took long-promised trip to the river with all 3 kids and Bhootu

Barking Bhootu sent group of very naked and very scared young bathers up trees until Travis called him

Upon return, Travis received urgent call from CSB teacher whose son is very sick, so he rushed there, returning late in the night.

I managed baths, PBJ, and bed for kids

At 11pm, fell into bed exhausted, looking forward to a Sabbath.

Awoke at 3:30 am to non-stop honking of super-bus Kalita which was waking up riders to get on for trip to Kampala

Realizing that our guest Molly was one of those early morning riders, ran to get her and take her to Nyahuka for Kalita for her journey back.

Fell back to sleep, realizing that "Sabbath" had already begun.

Picking other people's fruit

2011-06-06T01:16:00.001-07:00

One of the joys of being the third wave of missionaries here is that we get to see the fruit of the labor of years of work here. One such "good fruit" came to our door the first months we were here and over the year and a half, we have built a relationship with John.

John's father died when John was just a few years old. His mother remarried and was relocated to the DRC. During his primary years, he was back and forth between Bundibugyo and the DRC, staying with different families. He had all but given up on pursuing secondary education as he had no means of paying school fees or family to support him. However, met with the local pastor Kisembo Akleo who directed him to sit for the CSB entrance exam. He scored in the top tier and as an orphan, he qualified for an "Orphan/Vulnerable Child Scholarship". These scholarships still continue today as 10 sponsors are matched with new OVC candidates each year. He continued to do well throughout CSB under the care of Kevin and JD Bartkovich and continued support of the Pierces. He and several fellow CSB graduates finished their primary school teaching degrees and have returned to Bundibugyo to impact their home community through education.

John is now the Headmaster of the two year old PicFare Primary School. Currently, they have 197 students in preschool-grade 4. Their stick and iron sheets structure occupies the entire plot they pooled money to purchase. Recently, the owner of the adjacent plot offered to sell it to the school. So, on a Sunday afternoon while Aunt Jess watched the kids (thanks, Jess!), Travis and I walked for three hours with John to PicFare to talk with him, see the PicFare community, visit the school, and pray about "giving a hand" towards the purchase of this adjacent land.

It was a blessing to us to walk with John and to see the fruit of years of love, labor, sacrifice, and prayer by those who have come before us. The investment made into the education of many, many youths is now paying dividends. And those dividends are now making an investment into the youth of today.

R and R in FP

2011-06-06T00:47:00.001-07:00

As we currently are running five budgets (and happy to hand some of those over to incoming teammates!), during the RMS break, we headed to peaceful Fort Portal for some R and R. No, not rest and relaxation, but RECEIPTS and RESTAURANTS!

The kids were entertained by the wonderful gifts send from the community group of the Sun Family and from our dear cousins, the Caldwells. We also enjoyed dinner with FP long time missionary family, the Cashes, who have four wonderful and creative children. They graciously added us to the dinner table alongside their interns and kiddos. We laughed as we tried to have conversation amidst no electricity (corruption by local electric company there), an incoming propane freezer, and other guests popping in and out.

I especially enjoyed eating at the three local restaurants who serve western food as it gave me a break from cooking. What a joy to find a new friend who makes cheese and can order mozzarella cheese for us to bring back to Bundi! My exuberance in regards to cheese may have been a bit much as I purchased 10 kilos (22 pounds!) for pizza and dinners here, especially as we came back to Bundi which had no electricity.

The time in FP also allowed me to write over 100 postcards and mail them from Uganda. We shall see if any make it to America...

As we prepared to leave our "working holiday", Lilli cried "This was NOT what FP is supposed to be like. You worked the whole time! We need a family day!" So, heeding the well-spoken and wise words of our eldest, we postponed our trip by one day and had some fun swimming and being together as a family. And we needed just that, a family day, without the interruptions of demands at the door or receipts being calculated!

"Now, which budget does this receipt go to?"

The tea fields of Fort Portal

Captain Awesome Aidan

Patton loves Bella

Lilli blows colored bubbles to Bella

The kiddos loved their Fort Portal Clubhouse

Feeling at home

2011-06-02T06:40:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks, with Amy's help with admin at home and loving the children, and Jessica coming to partner with the medical work, I have been able to consistently be in the health center. Its amazing how this change has made me feel a bit more at home. I have made a few new friends that are daily struggling to treat patients at the local health center despite the chronic lack of resources. I have had fun, the kind of fun that comes when you feel you are doing what you are suppose to be doing.

Here are a few children we saw this week.

Please pray for Jason who has Tropical Splenomegaly Syndrome. Jason is a child of a Christ School teacher who has developed a complicated array of symptoms. Miraculously he is still alive today. He is still not walking, his spleen still fills his abdominal cavity and his blood count remains bafflingly low.

Pray for Rose, who weighs less than 65% of the normal weight for her height. She is one and only weighs 11 pounds. Her mother is from a village near the Congo border and was just recently diagnosed with HIV. She has been faithfully breastfeeding her child, yet the child is failing to thrive. The child probably has HIV as well.

Pray for the three 2 year olds that we admitted this week who all weighed around 14lbs.

Pray for Charles, Betty and the many other nurses struggling to provide good care.

Pray for medicines. This week the health center ran out of malaria medicines and several antibiotics while we are struggling to treat over a dozen kids with severe malaria and severe pneumonia.

Pray for wisdom as we try to treat each of these children and determine a workable plan to support the medical and lab supplies of the health center without replacing the current system.

Thanks for helping us be here in so many different ways. It is hard to be here, but it is good to be here too.

Youth Sunday

2011-05-26T07:51:00.001-07:00

Sunday was Youth Sunday at Bundimalinga New Life Presbyterian Church. Led by the son of our teaching elder, it was a joyful time of worship led by youth, young men and women that are in their 20s. Vincent Byamuntura preached the sermon in which he challenged us all that we are Jesus’ agent for change. We are encouraged by the hearts of these youth as they teach “children’s church” to about 60-75 kids each week, lead passionate songs and raps, and periodically, serve the community by slashing the health center compound.

This is the first generation to have been raised under the teaching that God’s love through Jesus is more powerful than the witchcraft that is practiced by their clans, to see that monogamous marriage is the best way, and to be able to complete a high school education. There is a need for discipleship of these youth, primarily the young men, that they can be grounded in the gospel, as they are reaching out to those even younger than themselves.

So, if you know of such disciplers who have a passion for investing in such men, send them our way! With a team of almost all women, we are ready for a “few good men!”

Weekend Surprises

2011-05-26T07:38:00.001-07:00

Lilli has proved to be an excellent Dog-Trainer
A wife of a MAF pilot sent me two dozen yellow roses as a belated “Happy Mother’s Day” from one missionary mother to another.

After a solid rain, the water tank in front of the old Leary-Nathan-Scott house, now called “Plumeria House” cracked and fell apart.

Despite the soggy airstrip, the SeeJesus Team was able to fly out after a day of great teaching at CSB.

Who knew that I could make funnel cakes in Bundibugyo?
Lilli and Patton had their first Sleep-Over as Kym and Lydia were stuck at our house due to a heavy-downpour of rain all afternoon and night!

Jessica surprised us with her enthusiasm for joining the kids in a good rain dance!

We are always surprised by the amazing sunsets over the Rwenzori Mountains.

Praying to SeeJesus at CSB

2011-05-19T07:10:00.000-07:00

This morning, a MAF caravan plane brought four visitors to join us for the next 2 days as they meet with CSB teachers and present a training called “SeeJesus”. It is an inductive way to look at the person of Christ as he walked, talked, and interacted with people while he was on earth.

They are Robbie (Brit working in east Uganda), Steven (intern), Jonathan (pastor and trainer), and Wade (intern).

Please join us in praying for great conversations, teaching, and friendship as we all go through this training to impact CSB students in this second term.

For more information about the training, you can check out: Seejesus.net

When your husband is your doctor

2011-05-19T07:07:00.000-07:00

When we were support raising, someone asked us, “Aren’t you worried about taking your family to a place that does not have much good medical care?” Travis looked at them with a bit of a puzzled and even injured look as he had just completed 22 years of schooling/training to be a doctor.

In a place like Bundibugyo, I am glad that he is a doctor. Mostly, because our little family have been his primary patients. This week, we finished a bottle of Nu-Skin Skin Glue as Travis glued a deep gash in Patton’s chin closed (learning to ride without training wheels is hard in a rocky terrain!). And last week, the day after Travis had recovered from malaria, I came down with it (we do take malarial prophylaxis!). It was a really hard week, both from the sickness and from the side effects from the medicine. On Friday, I was feeling somewhat better as I had finished the malarial meds, so I was holding Aidan while I looked for his clothes in the wardrobe. When I closed the door, it hit my big toe and immediately I felt pain sear through my leg. The door had pulled up my toenail.

This is now the second time that Travis has saved the day as my doctor. The first was when he delivered Patton because he was born so fast that the midwife did not have time to arrive. The second was yesterday: the day he did a surgical procedure to remove my big toenail.

Which leaves me with two questions:

1. Do I get a discount if I get a pedicure?

2. Can I file an insurance claim and have Cigna pay my doctor? (That would help our support account!)

Meanwhile, I will be waiting 3-12 months to have a fully grown, hopefully not funky looking, big toenail. What a great way to keep me humble and my vanity in check as this is a sandals/flip flop only culture!

Suffering and Joy

2011-05-17T07:07:00.000-07:00

One of the many motherless day-old infants that come to our home.

Joy personified in a run to find Easter eggs in our front yard.

Thanks everyone for your concern, prayers and calls. We miss you and are so thankful that you partner with us in so many ways.

Last Wednesday a little 3 day old girl was brought to my ultrasound clinic. Her father died a month ago and her mother died in child birth. Her aunt who brought her in and is the only known maternal relative, has HIV. We asked if there is anyone else who could breastfeed the child. She said no. This little girl has 5 older orphaned siblings. This child probably will not see her first birthday.

During our prayer meeting, Jessica shared in tears how hard it was to see this girl in this situation and feel helpless. Can we adopt this one? How about the other 5-10 motherless newborns who come to our motherless clinic? Yet, as we examine our resources, we are not sure we can even continue the motherless clinic. We want to help the many but we also want to love each individual child. What about this one? What about all of these “one”s? God loves each of them as much as you and I. He asks us to love them.

Having malaria, having to watch programs end that are so helpful because there are too few teammates here, struggling through cross-cultural relationships, struggling with communication via internet, struggling with car issues, struggling with electric power and even water, desiring friendships and missing much of our life in the US has a purpose. We do need your support and encouragement. We do need your prayers and emails. We do not need pity (though we often want it!)

We may be suffering a bit more here than we would in the US. It would be hard to catch Malaria in the US. Still, we are not suffering the same as those around us. We have mosquito nets. We take malaria prophylaxis. Our children are not malnourished. We have parents, siblings and friends that cherish us. We can catch an airplane to the States or even drive to Fort Portal if we need a break. Our children do read and have a great teacher teaching and mentoring them. We take for granted that they will go to university- let alone not worrying about school fees for primary school. Lilli plans to be a teacher/astronaut/archeologist/African Priest and does not expect to be a carrier of the water bucket/firewood and married by 15. We know that God is love and cares for us. He is our Father and we are not forgotten.

The scriptures never say that we are not suppose to suffer. It does not even say we should flee from it. We are to enter into suffering with the joy of knowing that we share in the sufferings of Christ. He suffered so we may know He loves us. He suffered that we may know joy. Our little suffering here drives us to love those around us whose suffering is so much more profound. We pray that in their suffering, their joy may be just as profound.

New Teammates

2011-05-12T06:15:00.000-07:00

We have been saying good-bye to dear friends now for a year. We are now excited to say hello!!!

This past month we have celebrated two wonderful events...

On April 15^th Jessica Ankney arrived in Kampala- almost exactly a year after visiting Bundibugyo to see if it was a place she would want to work. We are so glad she decided that she did and are now so grateful to have our long-time friend with us on the field! Pray for her as she begins to learn the language and the medicine. She is a welcome addition to our Bundi family and will give much needed love and care to the children here!

Secondly, Robb, Sheila, Avery, Avelyn and Hayden Warfield have been approved as missionaries by WHM and have decided to join us here in Bundibugyo. They served previously in west Africa and through God’s shepherding they have become the personification of many answered prayers for us. Sheila is a mom who can love her children and the community along side Amy. Their children are similar in ages to ours and will be great friends- loads of adventure, fun and laughter- with ours. Robb brings with him the expertise in teacher development and administration skills that will help support and develop Christ School. I also look forward to swinging on more vines with him! Pray for them as they begin the journey of support raising and getting physically, emotionally and spiritually ready for the long adventure waiting them here in Bundi!

Back home

2011-05-12T04:56:00.000-07:00

It is good to be back home, though often when Amy and I lay down our heads we are not sure where that is. Lilli reminds us that home is where we are all together.

There are many blogs that are missing from the last month. In general the last month has been one of hosting, recouping, re-focusing and re-planning. After a year of juggling several good but time consuming projects and ministries, we were want to pare down so we could go deeper with relationships and in specific areas we felt led to minister. We met with the Myhres and Herrons (our bosses and mentors), prayed, journaled, thought and sought for a more focused life here. During the time we laughed, cried, got sick, played, lived without-with-without electricity and worked- the usual! Here are some photos to catch you up.

Check out our gallery for more:

We miss you,

Travis and Amy

Home at last! After slogging through 13 kilometers of mud and water, we made it!

Answered prayer? After canceling our subscription to satellite internet, maybe a new alternative was built near our backyard overnight! Thanks for the prayers and for the support. (It will still be months before this tower might bring internet capabilities to us.)

Life on the highway! Our kids have learned to go with the flow and make the best of every situation. Truly, home is where we are all together.

Our neighbor kids getting ready for our Easter celebration

Easter song, Lilli making her debut at our church service.

click here for more

Am I dreaming?

2011-04-02T13:26:00.000-07:00

“Life here is crazier than a dream” said Anna as she left our house tonight.

Well, to recap the last week, here are some bits that might make you agree:

Travis had a stomach bug that left him throwing up for 8 hours.

Anna had the same bug, only 6 hours later.

Amy had the same bug, minus the throwing up.

Scott Will has opened a café in his house with freshbaked goods and iced teas and music provided by local teacher Agaba.

A child’s cry of pain comes from our neighbor’s house and upon nighttime questioning, I am told to go away.

A threatening letter comes from a disgruntled former employee who says he will sue Travis personally.

Muslim evangelists build scaffolds in the downtown trade center and with a loudspeaker, yell from 3pm to 6pm all week, only stopped by the call to prayer.

We visit a new local restaurant and are surprised by the good food and a dvd playing music videos of Shakira, Don Williams, old-school Madonna, Westlife, and Bryan Adams. More surprising was that a large Ugandan man in the corner was singing along passionately to “Lady in Red.”

A neighbor’s goat has been tied up in our front yard to eat grass. He likes to stand on a tall tree stump. This is humorous as he looks like a goat statue in front of our house.

Our house is like Fort Knox now that we have omitted all ways for Bhootu to escape our yard. However, he likes to stand on a table and look in our bedroom window.

Using a locally bought qtip (essentially a stick with a poof of cotton), I poked a hole in my earwall, creating a sore which makes it feel like I have swimmer’s ear.

I learned that all eggs sold in the market are shipped here from Kampala, 9 hours away on bumpy, bumpy roads. Meanwhile, chickens run everywhere. I mean everywhere.

To take our medical intern Alyson out to see villages, we all went for a hike to Nyahuka Falls. We met the kindest local guy who patiently guided us to the top. On our way home, we stopped at the family of our sponsored medical student. The father of the student reached in the car and GAVE Lilli and Patton money to buy sweeties!

Travis has malaria.

We housed a young Ugandan man from Kampala who is interested in supporting the locally-sponsored NGO called Hands of Hope. HofH recently put the word out that they are collecting clothes for the needy and were encouraged that people brought clothes to share. They now need boxes to house all the contributions!

Neighbor kid Vincent climbed 40 feet in to the top of a tree to knock down a ripe JackFruit.

The lawnmower for the airstrip still does not work, even many hours have been put into it. The grass is now as tall as me.

A 4 year old boy of a local teacher was diagnosed with Polycycstic Kidney Disease.

BundiNutrition hosted HarvestPlus Vitamin A Sweet Potato Training on Thursday. This included harvesting orange sweet potatoes, teaching about the importance of iron and vitamins in diet, and a lunch which included vitamin A sweet potatoes. The participants were local producers of BundiNutrition’s gnut/soy flour, agriculture teachers from local schools, and area farmers. They all agreed to plant these sweet potatoes but said they still prefer their white (non-vitamin) sweet potatoes as they are firmer. However, for children, they agreed to promote them.

A testimony was given at church on Sunday by one of our friends who had cerebral malaria and had tried medicines, local remedies, witchcraft, and finally decided that none of it worked. She went to her local church and stayed there a week. As she was prayed for by the pastor and a friend, her fears left, she was able to finally sleep, and she received new life in Christ! Now that she has returned to Bundi, she is a new person. Praise God!

The Semiliki Presbytery has submitted forms to create a new radio station called Redeemer FM to broadcast the gospel in Lebwisi and other local languages all through the Rwenzori Mountains.

The two pregnant cows are just getting bigger…and feistier. Calves expected in April with milk to follow. We will be glad to be done with the powder milk and boxed milk that we use now.

The CSB boys football team won both of their games on Monday. They then won a game on Wednesday. And today, they won the first of the district championships which means that they will play next Wednesday. We are all happy that their biggest fans, the Myhres, will soon be here to cheer them on!

And lastly, this evening, a lorry was bringing back 120 of our students from the football game in Bundibugyo Town. As the driver swerved to not hit a small “taxi” car, his left wheels went off the poorly graded road. As he tried to swerve back, the truck went on its side. We are grateful that God spared the lives of the students who were standing in the back of the truck. Travis and Scott Will went to the Nyahuka Health Center with lanterns (no electricity working there), a thermos of warm water for the casting, and surgical materials. As it was big news on a Saturday night and most everybody here is related, there were more than 50 people crammed around each injured person. They splinted several arms and casted another and are awaiting the daylight to possibly transport a female student who is complaining of leg pain. Chapel was held to pray in thanksgiving for miraculous well being and for those who have injuries.

So, now I go to bed, in hopes of a peaceful sleep. Even my craziest night dreams cannot compete with the activity of the days here in Bundibugyo! As Pat always says, "Never a dull moment."

2011-04-02T10:42:00.000-07:00

Update via text:

Three with broken limbs.

There are no xray machines in this district, so I guess Travis will set them as best he can.

Keep praying.

Please pray right now

2011-04-02T10:21:00.001-07:00

A quick SOS to all who pray:

Travis tested positive for malaria today.

Right now, he and Scott Will are at the health center caring for CSB students who were hurt when the lorry (big truck with open back) that was carrying them from today's football match in Bundibugyo Town rolled over on its side. Seeing the truck, I agree with the local comment that it is a miracle that all the students are alive.

I don't have any updates as to the conditions of those that were injured.

But please pray for them and for Travis (his health) and Scott.

What a day…and it is only noon.

2011-03-23T06:03:00.001-07:00

CSB boys’ football team plays 2 matches against local schools, but not at CSB due to local politics…so students miss a few classes and are escorted by teachers to a football pitch on the other side of the river. We pray for safety of the students and for a fairly refereed game so that the sidelines will be peaceful.

A memorial service for Chris Kanoble’s boy who died last week of sickle cell anemia was held this morning. Scott Will shared that this little guy was brought back from the brink of death numerous times by Jennifer, Heidi, and himself over the years. At church on Sunday, prayer for the family was asked as “this boy who sang in the front of the church was to be a future leader of this community has died too young.”

After arranging for the cow fence to be fixed again, Travis set out on his bicycle for a day of doing ultrasounds at the health center. As he went by the police station, a motorcycle passed him from behind. However, there was a motorcycle also coming towards him. As there was no room to swerve, the motorcycle hit him head-on. The next thing he remembers it that he was standing on the side of the road with his bicycle completely intact in his hands and the motorcycle was smashed up with both of the passengers injured. How did Travis and his bicycle fare better than a motorcycle and its passengers? Not sure, but we are thankful.

Then he continued to the health center to do ultrasounds on 25 pregnant women. Last night, after CSB teacher Bible study, we spent time with the wife of a CSB teacher who was in great pain. It was confirmed today that she miscarried shortly after we left. Medical intern Alyson was able to learn obstetrics-African style today as she partnered with Travis in doing “scans.”

I heard some screams and yells from the katubi and looked out to see three of our neighbors making quite a commotion. What unfolded was that the eldest of the three little girls playing there had seen a snake, grabbed the baby and yelled for her parents. When the parents heard “njuka” they came running as the possibility of being bitten by a snake here is not small thing. No snake has since appeared and it seems that we have less visitors to the katubi. Maybe the word is out…

And tonight, we will have late night conversations with folks in America who are interested in joining us here in Bundibugyo. Maybe I should not post this until after we talk. They may reconsider such a lifestyle…one that by noon one has had enough adventures to last a week.

Load Work

2011-03-21T12:36:00.000-07:00

Once I called the electricity people to ask why our electricity was out. I heard them reply, "The Load Work." Assuming that we were now a part of electricity load sharing, I told the team that was the reason. Later it hit me that the R sound and the L sound are interchangeable here, so it was not "Load Work" rather "Road Work."

The load, I mean, road is coming to Bundi. "When?" we ask. 6-9 months. 69 months?

Here are some pics of the most recent "Road Work."

Bundibugyo Gazette Headlines

2011-03-21T12:08:00.000-07:00

Rainy season has begun: Clothes hung on line to dry will take days to dry now

Physician Assistant Alyson begins her internship at Nyahuka Health Center, cares for 12 very sick children on pediatric ward

Lack of medicines continue at Nyahuka Health Center

Lilli looses bottom tooth during parent-teacher conference

All night music blared through local loudspeakers try to keep spirits away after numerous deaths

CSB Parent Day held on Sunday was a success

Cows Truffle and Oreo bust through newly erected barbed wire fence in pursuit of corn planted by Miss Anna and her students in the new RMS garden

Largest package ever from incoming teacher Miss Pamela arrives

Cocoa investor reports desire to invest in CSB farm, student vocational classes, and cocoa farmers in Nyahuka and Bundibugyo

Obituaries:

Wife of local councilman and CSB Board of Governors dies from hemorrhaging while she waits 12 hours for surgery to have baby. Baby also dies.

Elder Brother of Neighbor Salo dies.

Young Son of local councilman dies of Sickle Cell.

Love Column:

Night Guard gives advice to missionary wife for her busy husband: "You go comfort that one."

Sports Column:

BundiDoc leads ESPN March Madness Bracket Poll though he has not seen a single game this entire year

Next Issue: Restaurant Critique

Chef Scott Will opens local restaurant featuring afternoon smoothies, coffee and cookies for all in Bundimalinga village area. Will they be a success in an area that only will eat matoke and drink tea?

Kids...and I don't mean my own.

2011-03-20T07:08:00.001-07:00

Our house often smells stinky...

Our house is noisy with the bleatings of kids...

My flowers are eaten on a constant basis...

Our side yard is overgrown with fodder food...

...because the goats for the Matiti Give-A-Goat are housed in our yard.

But when I think of all the motherless infants who will benefit from the milk produced by these goats, I don't mind so much. And when I get to hold a baby goat who is one day old, I am glad for those stinky, noisy, munching...and cute goats.

Friendship

2011-03-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him,

and he makes known to them his covenant. Ps 25.14

Kindness is a fruit of the spirit. Yet according to Tim Keller, this word is so much more. It could be translated as compassion, honesty, vulnerability or trustworthiness. In fact, the word is so deep, it really cannot be defined by a word at all. It can only be defined as a relationship- friendship. The sermon was very powerful for me and really caught me by surprise today in two ways.

First, it exposed in my heart a huge area of rawness. I miss my friends, I long for friends and I am thankful for friends. I miss all of the friends we left behind and feel so removed from life, conversation, and being travel partners together in life. I miss the dreams we had with a few close friends to be overseas together, sharing about the hope of Christ and bringing transformational development. I often sit around and think- if only so and so were here- he would love this person or be great at engaging the community in this way. I know it, I love that part of him. I know that the Great Shepherd leads us on different paths, but it does not make my longing for their daily companionship any less. I truly miss you guys and am thankful for you and how God has used you give me hope, encouragement and laughter. I also am so thankful for those of you who constantly pursue our friendship even with my poor communication back by email or phone calls. Your emails reminds me that we can walk together even if we are not in the same place.

Secondly, it gave me a new definition of friendship, and a new hope. Friendship is something that is discovered and not made. Friendship is something that has to be worked on. Friendship is something worthy of pursuing. Friendship is not about having a friend but pursuing a common love and objective together in a way that brings joy to each other. Though the world would say it has to be with people of the same education, same social class, same race, etc, it does not. In the Gospel give a driving passion that can and should unite people across any barrier (Ephesians 2:14). Most importantly, the vulnerability, self-sacrificing, compassion and loyalty of friendship were most demonstrated by Jesus for me. He is not only God, but He is a God that is a friend. The scriptures are filled with verses on friends with God, from Genesis to Revelations! My favorite is in John 17 where Jesus tells the Father that He wants me to be where He is! In my loneliness here, I can and should enjoy this great hope in the Gospel. In doing so, it also frees my heart to seek friendship and risk vulnerability to new friends.

This sermon hit me where I think most of us struggle. We long for life-long friends with whom we laugh, work, pray, cry and enjoy life. Our team has now dwindled down to our family and Anna. Saying all these good byes does make us feel abandoned- even if it is not true. So we must hope that God does have plans to meet our needs and desires. The Gospel says he does. Pray that we can trust this hope. Pray that we will open our hearts to new friendships here. Pray also that God would send friends to with whom to partner. Pray that He would send some that will be new friends and pray that He would send some that are old friends.

"The lions are not at home...they are at a conference"

2011-03-20T05:53:00.000-07:00

Ready to see Tree-Climbing Lions!

We saw topi.

We saw kob.

We saw hippo.

But after 8 hours of looking, this is the only lion that we saw!

Queen Elizabeth Kingfisher

2011-03-20T05:39:00.000-07:00

In great anticipation of seeing the tree-climbing lions, we all crammed into our vehicle to trek to Ishasha at Queen Elizabeth National Park. On the way, we stayed at the Kingfisher, enjoying peaceful meals, amazing panoramic views, and even school for the kids!

Fort Photos

2011-03-20T05:23:00.000-07:00

Monday morning, we prayed for Pat and Chrissy and then they headed down the road to Kampala. Chrissy will be in America for a short time for some medical evaluations. While we miss her, we are glad for the ability to fly to America for such needs. I once read that early missionaries would pack their belongings in a coffin to be shipped overseas as that was their expectation in which they would return to their home country. My, how things change!

Fort Portal is the home of the Toro people, a fertile land at an altitude of about 5,000 ft above sea level. It has about 3 western-style places to eat and a few stores in which to buy items like cheese, yogurt, brown sugar, ketchup and even a few frozen meats. To me, Fort is a place of peace. Not many bugs. Cool enough for long sleeves. Tea fields in which to run. While our car was in the shop, we anchored ourselves there for two days, welcoming our new medical intern Alyson, having RMS, and resting our hearts after the last goodbyes of a long year.

A tea break in the tea fields with Miss Anna

Planting a bottlebrush tree at Pat's new house

The Little Captain

David, our favorite driver and good friend, joins us for lunch.

Anna and Patton with a chameleon at Gardens Restaurant.

Kyaninga Lodge

2011-03-20T05:05:00.000-07:00

Our first view of Kyaninga Lodge took our breaths away!

The food was delicious, the view spectacular, and the company was first rate!

After 6 years of hard work, Steven and Asha have created a gorgeous lodge that looks over a crater lake. This same lake is the fabled lake that Michael Masso searched for, found, and then built a boat upon which to sail.

We had a Girls-Only Hike with newcomer medical intern Alyson.

Anna and I found Michael's boat, "Milembe" and give it thumbs-up. The staff of Kyaninga say that it is still seaworthy, but as it was locked up, we just took their word for it.

A last farewell

2011-03-20T04:38:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Pat packed up the last of her trunks and loaded Chrissy and Anna into the front of her vehicle. Dear friends came to give one last hug and bid Pat farewell from Bundibugyo. Pat will be in America for the next 5-6 months and then return to her new home in Fort Portal, Uganda. She will be working with local women in discipleship and teaching textile art through "Women of the Proverbs Project." We look forward to seeing God work in and through Pat in Fort just as He has here in Bundbugyo.

Aidan says, "Aunt Pat, what will I do without you?"

Ugandan confetti popper to celebrate Pat!

Amy receives Pat's keys, Ugandan style. We now have 28 key rings, each holding about 5 keys. And one big key ring with over one hundred keys that no one knows what they go to...

Pat leaves in disguise...

The Dance for Pat

2011-03-11T07:58:00.000-08:00

Today, Pat Abbott, missionary for 17 years in Bundibugyo danced.

Western time and African time collided when our friend Tume said that the celebration would be at 4 o'clock. So, all of our team made plans to be there at 4 pm in the afternoon. However, Ugandans start the day at 6am, so 4 o'clock is four hours from 6 am. It is 10 am. So, the Ugandans showed up at 10 am and the Mzungu showed up at 4pm. Nonetheless, we all had a special time together, eating rice and sauce and sipping sodas in the grass outside the Bubandi Church. The fact that Ugandans gathered in celebration for 6 hours waiting on Pat shows that she is, indeed, loved dearly.

The ever-entertaining Mugisa Musa was the emcee for the event which consisted of 10 agenda items that included greetings from local leaders, a choir, words from Pat's best friend Joyce, a dance, sharing of scripture from Pastor Tume, words of encouragement from Travis, and Pat's thoughts on her life here, friendships, and how she desires all to glorify God.

While we all gathered to celebrate Pat's life in Uganda, I am sure that Lord was certainly smiling...and probably dancing too!

Nuts

2011-03-10T11:49:00.000-08:00

“People are not palm nuts, self-contained.” Ugandan Proverb

“People are nuts.” Johnson Proverb

In addition to being doctor, CSB chairman, teamleader, dad, and husband, Travis has been spending hours upon hours doing paperwork to allow for WHM to remain a non-governmental organization in Uganda. Today, Travis had to find 4 different local leaders to get their signatures on various papers promising that we really are WHM and we really are in the community doing good. Finding these men was not much different than if Don Quixote chased windmills in Uganda.

These are some of the comments from our friend who helped Travis search for these various leaders in the community:

“Part of the problem is that we are starting at 9am. People are not working at 9am, they are already done for the day.”

Trek through gardens and creeks, they found the Local Leader A (LLA). Check!

In pursuit of Local Leader B (LLB), they went on a newly carved dirt road.

“THIS is development, doctor.”

After he was not at his house, our friend suggested going to the LLB’s other house. When Travis asked how many houses the LLB has, our friend replied “I think he has three as he has three wives. We should check all of them.” Upon not finding him at any, we wonder if there is a wife #4. LLB? No check.

Upon reaching LLC’s house, the deputy and four council members were there waiting on the absent LLC. The deputy cheerfully said “I would love to sign it for you, but I have lost my key to the office.” LLC? No check.

After giving up on the signature of the LLC for the time, a 45 minute drive to Bundibugyo Town took them to the office of the Head Security Leader (HSL). Travis and friend sat for two hours on the wooden bench greeting people who came in and then asking them for the number of the HSL. One of those people was the Chief of Police. Surely, the chief of police would have the phone number of the head security leader right?

“No, that one does not give out his number to us. Otherwise, we would call him.”

Walking around, Travis and friend found the LLC. Joy! Travis presented him with the papers for his signature. Upon seeing that the LLB had not yet signed the paper, he said that he would not sign it as “You see, doctor, in Uganda, there is protocol.”

Well, can you help me find the HSL? “No, I have to sign it first” But of course wouldn’t due to lack of LLB’s signature.

Determined to not to leave town until they had a signature, Travis and friend walked to do an errand, to buy motor oil. Not at the gas station. Not at the second gas station. Not at the hardware store.

“Doctor, why is it that everywhere we go, we are bouncing?”

After praying for something to work out, they found motor oil at the little shop that sold paint, stationary, and oil.

Then more sitting at the office of the HSL. Finally, they located someone who had his number. When they called him, he was cheerful and polite, but not around. He said that he could come next week. When Travis told him of the urgency, he said that he could have someone sign it on his behalf.

Travis: “Like your deputy?”

DSO: “No, but he is a good friend.”

The friend came. Signature! Celebration Sodas at the Hotel Vanilla.

“This is an executive place!”

“And you are my executive officer.”

“In that case, doctor, I will have a Fanta Orange.”

And then they came home…to find those other signatures tomorrow.

Faces of this Week

2011-03-09T04:21:00.000-08:00

Walk to Market

2011-03-09T04:17:00.001-08:00

Sights: uneven road forcing walkers to choose muddy gutter or risk of being hit by zooming motorcycles; schoolchildren with blue, maroon, or yellow walking shorts returning from their lunch break to classes; 2 year old child walking behind mother and carrying blade of mpanga (knife); stares at my legs reminding me that even shin-length skirts are not long enough; BundiNutrition demonstration garden fruitful with papaya, moringa, bagonja, cassava; men sitting in shade; women with bundles on their heads; a car with backseat full of bakery bread selling it to whomever walks by; man making chapatti; children outside the gate and men gathered within gate of Nyahuka Town Council around something; blood spilling out on the road as the “something” was a goat being slaughtered; a father swoop up his naked little son who is walking in the nearby garden

Smells: pungent sour smell of fermenting cocoa beans spread out on tarps to dry in the sun; stench of mud and litter muddled together in the entrance to the market; overwhelming smell of dried or blackened fish heaped on tables waiting to be bought; smell of burned petrol from the boda bodas that drive off with paying passengers; fragrant gardenia outside my kitchen window

Sounds: shrill giggle of neighbor girl in my katubi; bleat of neighbor’s baby goat that is close by her mother tied up to Pat’s fence; chorus of “mzungu” as pass by; counting in Lebwisi as I communicate mostly through charades that I want 4 heaps of tomatoes; loud African techno that comes from a group of market-dwellers’ battery operated radio; Aidan’s cries as I come home; consistent sound of a small fan in the office that tells me we have electricity

Almost American Saturday

2011-03-05T10:26:00.000-08:00

At our recent Rwenzori Mission School PTA meeting, as the head RMS Room Mother (ok, I am the only RMS mother), I decided that we needed a RMS Work Day. The Head Teacher (ok, the only teacher) agreed.

So, the WHM team gathered together with some neighbor boys to paint the gate, hoe the gardens, fix the screens, reinstall the slide (the cows had sat upon it), organized the "craft room" (room where we store old anythings, like tp rolls, that can be used for craft projects), and clean out a storage closet.

To celebrate a job well done, we treated the team along with Christine and Edward Isingoma with son Timothy and friend, to pork muchomo at Wilson's Restaurant in Nyahuka. It was fun to hear stories of the "old days in Bundi" such as when they delivered one of their children at the house that is now where Anna and Chrissy live. Lilli and I then braved the sweltering heat of the equatorial dry season sun to do some market shopping. I was delighted to find small bread loafs that looked like hot dog buns! With our peppers and gnuts in hand, we headed home to find that a crew of kids was hanging out at our katubi. So, I grabbed a baseball and a stick and taught our neighborhood kids to play baseball. While the rules were a bit muddled, we all had a good time!

A work day at our local elementary school, lunch out with friends, a pick up game of baseball, and then a dinner of hot dogs on real buns and homemade french fries...quite an All-American Saturday in the mountain jungle of Africa!

Just going home...

2011-03-03T12:45:00.000-08:00

After a fun “outing on the town” to celebrate Chrissy’s birthday, we left the Hotel Vanilla. Scott Will and I were going to drive the Zoolander home. (The Zoolander is a Isuzu Paharo that was so named by the team because at one time it could only turn left. To go anywhere one would have to carefully plan the circular route. I took it out to town today to keep the battery fresh and see how it was running.) Lilli, who does not like our family being spilt up, asked where I was going. I told her I was just going home…

Unfortunately, we found the beloved Zoolander leaning to the left with a flat front tire. After piecing together a jack, Scott Will and I replaced the tire in record time (webele Heidi for keeping the car together while you were here).
Scott and I ordered some cold bottles of water and the waitress was baffled to find that Amy drove away in the other LandCruiser. She exclaimed, “ehh, she is like Patrica Abbott. She knows how to drive!”

Scott and I then got on the road and Amy called us. She alerted us that there was a man in the middle of the road. Since it was dark, she thought it wise for her car loaded with 3 children and 3 women to go on. Lillian scolded Amy for not stopping like the good Samaritan, but she assured Lilli that I would stop and help when I came by.

Sure enough, we rounded a blind curve and saw a pair of legs sticking out of the reeds into the side of the road. Scott and I pulled over and checked the man. He was not moving but was breathing and had a good pulse. He did not seem to be hurt, and he did seem to be rather intoxicated. A friend from the health center happened to be coming by on his boda (motorcycle). He stopped and we discussed what we could do. It was not long before two other bodas and a truck filled with cocoa and 20 men stopped to see what was going on. The general consensus was to move the man to the side of the road and leave him. The side of the road dropped rather steeply down 40ft into a swamp and Scott did not think this was safe. I also knew I could not go home and face my tender hearted wife and 6 year old daughter having just left him. So, despite wanting to move on, we loaded him into the back of the Zoolander and went to the Nyahuka Police Dept. We were surprised to find them both present and helpful. The officer on duty was named Johnson- I smiled and greeted him as “brother.” It actually felt as much like Mayberry as I think Bundibugyo can.

We then made it back to the mission and parked the Zoolander in the Bamboo thatch. We locked up and laughed about what a night it had been. It was not quite over…

The night watchmen stopped us and said that water was gushing from the Myhre’s house. So we diverted. At the Myhre’s we found a small geyser pouring out water in the back of their house. After wandering in and out of the house looking for the source, I finally resorted to calling Scott Myhre in Kenya. We came up with an adequate theory that an old water tank was mistakenly filled and now a cut off pipe at the house was pouring water. I found and turned off a valve to the unused water tank. I then dug through some weeds to find a cork that was used to plug up where a tap used to be. I pulled out the cork to let water gush out. We then found a fallen Egyptian palm branch and made a make shift spout to divert the water. We were feeling pretty proud of our work when something bit me in the bum…

I looked down to see my feet being swarmed by mpali or safari ants. I tried to brush them off to no avail. I had ants in my pants. It was dark and we were all men. So I got down to my boxers slapping myself like Chris Farley running from bees. After a few minutes of chaos I looked up to see the nightguards staring at me. They cocked their heads and then said, “Ehh, Doctor, can we go?” Sure, have a good night.

I am thankful for stories to laugh at and Scott Will to be here to laugh with.

Happy Birthday Chrissy!

2011-03-03T12:39:00.000-08:00

Today we celebrate the 22 years of Chrissy Chipriano! Adventurous. Sensitive. Short. Spunky. Receives many Babwisi marriage proposals. Heart for prayer. Hard working. Accountant. Great Roommate. Music Mix Queen. Christmas Cookie Baker. Aidan’s Favorite. Steady. Cheerful. Compassionate.

We are grateful for her life, for her six months here, for her friendship.

Tonight, we all went out on the town…to Bundibugyo Town’s Hotel Vanilla to feast on plates and plates of rice, mashed Irish potatoes, vegetable palau, chicken in sauce, gnut sauce, fried potatoes, sodas, and birthday cupcakes and cheesecake. We were joined by a new friend Melissa, an epidemiologist who is investigating the nearby cholera outbreak. Chrissy was surprised to see that we even kept her childhood family tradition of using small plastic animals, specifically camels, to decorate her birthday cake!

Happy Birthday Chrissy!

Passing sister and jumping dog!

2011-03-03T11:45:00.000-08:00

This afternoon, Bhootu jumped the fence! Not with the usual gusto that characterizes him, but nonetheless, he did it! Today, has been slowly walking around after higher dosages of medicine and an iv fluid treatment by Travis and Scott Will. He is still thin and just sits at our feet. But he was motivated enough to see his best dog friend Star, that he jumped the 7 foot fence to go to her house. We are grateful!

And I have just received word that my sister passed her oral defense of her dissertation. She now Doctor Anna Lang Cass, specialist in the field of epidemiology and biostatistics! We are proud!

Bhootu Max and Anna Beth

2011-03-01T10:18:00.001-08:00

Today, I ask for prayer for two special members of my family. One has two legs and two kids. One has four legs and we are looking for a wife for him.

Our one year old black lab, Bhootu Max, is really sick.

Our dog who is usually FULL of life cannot get up to walk and only raises his head to see us. We have tried to keep him in our yard by improving our fence three separate times. However, he can jump from standing position over 7 feet of fencing that has sharp spikes on the top. He has a circuit to run and greet his friends. He lives up to his name, Bhootu, which means "friend" in Lebwisi. His second name is Max. We had been in Uganda 3 days which included shopping for groceries for the next 6 weeks, driving a large car in unfamiliar African insane traffic, trying to buy meat to deep freeze, taking paperwork places, and picking up household things to take to our new life in Bundibugyo. As Travis was out with Scott doing such errands, I had the guesthouse call a taxi for me. What showed up was an old pick up truck that had a back cab with no seatbelts. So, I had my 3 month old in the BabyBjorn on my front, Lilli on one side, and Patton on the other side and I held onto them for dear life as we went to meet an aunt of a friend for the first time. Here I was in Kampala with three children under the age of 5 in a klunker of a pick up truck with an address to a woman whom I did not know. Eventually, after many wrong turns we made it there. So, while I am managing three restless kids, Travis calls and says in one breath "I saw a flyer for a lab puppy and Scott says that it is very rare to find such a breed in Uganda and there is only one left and I think we should get it...for the kids" When I asked if he had prayed about it, he said yes and then I asked if that was before or after he saw the puppy. So, that night, he showed up 2 hours late for dinner with our new friends and he had a puppy in tow. I named him Max, because if I was not at my max before I was totally at my max now!

When you ask Lilli and Patton what their favorite part of Africa is, they both reply "Bhootu!" After a year in which we have said goodbye family and friends in America and then to 12 teammates in Bundibugyo, it has been wonderful to have a puppy, to see new life grow. I can't imagine what we will do if he does not make it. Please pray for him to get better.

Anna Elisabeth: One of the hardest parts about being on the other side of the world from family is missing noteworthy occasions: birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, weddings, and soon a graduation. Anna is two years younger than me and my best friend. She is one of those individuals who shines. She is super smart, athletic, friendly, and hilarious. She throws great parties and is a tender and thoughtful mother. She is supportive of her husband and a go-getter in her own right. She has a passion for learning, an analytical mind, and a great fashion sense.

For the past 6 years she has balanced motherhood of two, a job at a hospital and working on her doctorate in epidemiology and biostatistics. For the past 3 weeks, she has done all this while her husband is in South America leading a foreign study program. This Thursday, she defends her dissertation. So, I ask for prayers for her too. For stamina, courage, bright thinking, and clear speech.

Thanks for reading. Thanks for caring. And thanks for praying.

Mean Girls

2011-02-28T11:10:00.000-08:00

Being from Nashville, country music makes me happy. When you live in the Capital of Country Music, you either come to like the music or, well, leave. I have done both.

So, yesterday, as I was washing dishes, I sang along to Sugarland’s “Mean Girls” song.

From being a teenager to teacher to youth group leader to mom, I have known my share of what the song talks about: “ Mean girls: It starts on the playground pulling your hair, Then in high school it gets worse from there.”

And in Uganda, there is no exception to the concept of mean girls.

At 12:45am, we awoke to a phone call from CSB asking us to pray as there were “riots” from the girls’ dorms. Basically, a few older girls decided to welcome the new female students by dousing their 27 mattresses with water. Of course, this did not go well with the new girls who complained to the teachers. Between the teachers in charge and members of student council, it was decided that the older girls should give the new girls their mattresses for the night. Well, at 12:45 am, the older girls were raising a ruckus. Fortunately, God has provided new leadership that is both strong and wise. The situation was handled well, though the details of who, why, etc are still being worked out.

So, what to do?

Please join us in praying for wisdom, for the head teacher, for the teachers, for the girls whose mattresses were wet, for the girls who were mean, for the girls who were not mean but are in that class, for this to be an opportunity for repentance-confession-forgiveness-reconciliation, for students to know it is not ok to bully, for the community to know that girls are valued, for CSB to fulfill its vision of “an academically excellent senior secondary boarding school producing servant leaders for the good of Bundibugyo and God’s glory.”

While it takes great tenacity to be a girl who makes it through school here, pray that we can teach them that they do not have to be mean to be successful.

And while you are praying, remember our one year old lab named “Bhootu” who went from a dog who could jump over our 7 foot tall fence to one who cannot walk. Travis is treating him for “tick bite fever” and he is getting lots of love from all of us.

Cold Eggs Again

2011-02-26T01:12:00.000-08:00

This morning, we both were glad to see the sunrise and to know that we had not been awakened in the night by the ascari (nightguards) who had slept in the katubi at the Clark’s house. In our one year here, after each departure of missionaries, houses have been broken into and items such as sheets, our only guitar or other items have been stolen.

After a very tiring week physically and emotionally, I was hoping for a relaxing Saturday morning with the family, one that would consist of a leisurely breakfast and cartoons (on dvd, of course). I was determined to stay in my pajamas to remind me that this is a day to just be. Travis made scrambled eggs.

And then there was a knock.

Gladys came with a question about money she thought the Clarks left for her.

Asita came for a key to clean the Myhre house.

Bhiwa came with a small boy with a health ailment.

Baluka John came to ask for money for his secondary school exams.

A Christian Couple came fearful that someone had done withcraft on them.

The eggs are cold.

We ate them anyway and he made some more eggs, in hopes to eat warm scrambled eggs.

And then there was a knock.

Robert came to talk about his school fee problems.

Kisembo came to ask for a contribution to Redeemer FM, the new radio station that the Semiliki Presbytery wants to create, and to ask about an advance for an ascari.

Alikanjero came to ask for clothes for ironing.

Sharifa came with her developmentally-delayed child who has a cough.

Joycie’s nephew came for a second opinion as he is recovering from cerebral malaria.

Eating cold eggs again.

But I am still in my pajamas! Hope springs eternal.

THE CLARKS

2011-02-24T11:41:00.000-08:00

We are going to miss John, Loren, Bryan and David terribly. They have been dear friends that have loved us well and taught us how to love the Babwisi community. They are passionate, steadfast, tender-hearted and fun. We thank God for this season He has given us with them.

Malaria

2011-02-20T22:45:00.000-08:00

Patton is better. He had malaria and was very ill for 3 days; not eating, not keeping anything down, high fever and sleeping all the time. I am thankful for good medicine that is available and your prayers. He never developed cerebral malaria, which is the life threatening stage. He is now laughing, playful and catching up with his eating. Yesterday he told me he was dreaming of steak.

As a physician, knowing what malaria can do, his illness scared me. It also underscored for me one of the key reasons we are here. Malaria takes the lives of nearly 1 million children a year. Most of these children live in Africa. Most of these children would not die if they were given the correct medicine in time. Each and everyone of these children are dear to God.

Thanks for praying for Patton. Please pray for the children who live in Africa and do not have a daddy who is a doctor, or any access to good medical care for that matter. Pray for improvement in the healthcare system here to serve them better. Pray for people from countries overloaded with medicines and medical care to come and serve here.

Thank you for supporting us to be here so that we can fight for these little ones. Thank you to Saint James United Methodist Church who sent money to by medicines and nets to protect the little ones. Thank you for praying!

Blessings

2011-02-19T11:10:00.000-08:00

Playing hide and seek in the tea fields and having picnics on overturned plastic basins have been unexpected joys of our marooning in Fort Portal.

Tonight, we count three blessings:

1. Yesterday, as we drove to town, we observed many of the voting stations alongside the road. There were men and women of different ages all waiting in a line that wrapped around white tape that marked off the grassy spot which held the white plastic box in which they placed their ballots. Presently, all is quiet.

2. Patton’s health is improving. Yesterday was the last day of his malarial medicines. Today we see an improvement as he smiled when he had chocolate cake at dinner. Though he is moving slowly and a little emotionally fragile, his color is improving and he is playing more. We are grateful.

3. We are also thankful for wise words from seasoned missionaries in Fort Portal. Over a delicious dinner of the comfort food of chicken spaghetti, they regaled us with funny and jaw-dropping stories of their lives here over the years. To see their four children and our three play together, laughing, and hiding was sweet. Their love for their community is evident. Their honesty about the struggles of missional life is refreshing. Their challenge to us to ask ourselves the difference between the needs before us and the calling God has given us is good. And the reminder they give us that this is God’s best for us is encouraging.

The moon out tonight is bright orange, hanging low in the sky. A beautiful sight over the even and still tea fields. A nice way to end the day.

Now What?

2011-02-17T12:37:00.000-08:00

This was no time for play.

This was no time for fun.

This was no time for games.

There was work to be done.

So says “The Cat in the Hat Comes Back” that Lilli read to me yesterday. I relate to the main character who is overwhelmed by all that that naughty cat seems to be throwing his way. And like the main character, I have said, “Now what, Cat? Now what?”

Right now, it seems that we are to hold lightly all the calibrated and organized plans that we made to perfectly time our arrival to Bundibugyo before the presidential elections tomorrow. Because here we sit in Fort Portal, with four frozen whole chickens in the freezer for a party that we are not going to attend, a car that is not moving, and a child that just threw up again.

Maybe it all started when we decided to meet up in Nairobi with our friends and future teammates Michael and Lesley and their oh-so-adorable baby Finch. As we were leaving the airport for our 3 hour layover, we noted that the traffic going the opposite direction was quite heavier than the traffic in our outbound lanes. No problem, our drive was only 15 minutes and we could plan accordingly. With that in mind, we ate quickly and dreamed about our shared futures and joined in their celebration of Auburn’s great victory this year. As we 8 packed into their small four door car with an hour until check in, we remembered something…we were in Nairobi traffic. I am not sure there is worse traffic anywhere in the world. In fact, cars started commandeering the other side of the median’s lanes and turned those 4 lanes (which Kenyans use as 6 lanes as lanes are really merely suggestions in Africa) into two lanes of traffic each way. It reminded me of what US governments do during hurricane evacuations to quickly move fleeing people. So now, there were 7 or 8 lanes going inbound and 2ish going outbound from the airport. And then we sat. And then we crawled. And then we sucked diesel exhaust from the monstrous trucks in front, beside, and behind us. Travis, who was taking his turn to suffer from the stomach bug that we brought with us from our vacation, started sighing loudly and I knew he was wondering just what we would do if we missed our flight from Nairobi to Entebbe, Uganda. Lesley’s voice of hope pipes up “I just feel that we will make it” though she called a friend to look up online the small airline we would be flying with. This small airline reminded me of Southwest airlines but with even more of an African attitude of Hakuna Matata. On our past 3 flights with them, the pilot was going down the runway before the fasten-seatbelt light was even on, much less seat belts on! The average lapsed time between the door closing and air under the tires was about 4 minutes, so I knew that this airline was not messing around with delays. Michael’s expert nascar-ish driving pulled us into the airport at 7:17pm and we gathered kids and bags and pushed our way through security as we saw that the “final call” light was next to our flight number on the screen. Since it was an international flight, Travis checked through customs with his passport and ticket and ran to hold our flight while I waited at customs to clear the kids and myself. And then we RAN. Up stairs, through the hall, around the corner, and down a hall, all the way to, of course, the last gate. I looked at the clock on the wall and thought, “does that really say 7:27 and I am still trying to get to my 7:30 flight, running with 3 kids, bags, and in flip flops?”

But we made it. And true to kind African nature, the attendants helped me through a second and then third security and onto the plane. When they asked the other passenger why he was also arriving so late, he shrugged his shoulders and simply said, “Nairobi traffic.”

Arriving into Entebbe, we were greeted by a taxi driver friend who took us to a mission guesthouse, but we had to go to a previous guesthouse to collect our pack-n-play for Aidan’s bed because it had not been transported as we had asked. And then the foods that we had bought and put in a cooler to be put in the fridge at this guesthouse had not been collected and sat out for several days until a worker smelled something stinky and then threw all of our precious cheeses (cherished and expensive) in the trash. About midnight, I was ready to crash, but Patton started throwing up and going to the bathroom often. His body was so hot to the touch. I wondered if it was the same stomach bug that we had, but by 5am, we decided to do a malaria test on him.

And it was positive. Ironically, right where we put down the test kit, a dead mosquito lay. Our best guess is that he has grown faster than we realized and we should have increased his dosage of malarial prophylaxis.

So, by 7 am we pack up all our trunks full of supplies for the next months, bags of dirty laundry, and various bits and pieces, and head out. But first, to buy more cold refrigerated items and then to drop off our passports to continue to pursue a work visa, and then the drive to Fort Portal to have car repairs done.

After lunch, we settled into Pat’s house while the car’s broken mirror was repaired, electrical system serviced, brakes examined, and air compressor fixed. Four hours later, Travis returned to tell me that the air compressor did not arrive and that the last mechanic named Edward in Kampala put dummy brakes on the back brake pads and asbestos brakes on the front. They would have to be replaced again.

Meanwhile, Patton cannot keep any malarial meds or food down for 36 hours now so we have to give him a shot of malarial meds and make the call that he is too sick to drive back to Bundi.

So, we take care of him here today and slowly, he has eaten small amounts and has kept some of it down along with some of the medicine. We sms to the team that we will not be there to lead the weekly team meeting or pizza meal together or school for Lilli, but will leave at sunrise to arrive to Bundi for the Clark’s special day gatherings.

So, when Travis called to say that, upon examination while the brakes were being replaced, it became apparent that the shock absorbers had absorbed all they could handle and would not make it over the mountains even one last time, I just laughed. “Now what, Cat? Now what?”

And the presidential elections start tomorrow. That means that all businesses (including car parts dealers) are closed, petrol is not going to be shipped out here, and public transportation is halted. And while the outcome can probably be predicted pretty accurately, the newspaper is reporting that there could be unrest if people do not feel that elections are handled fairly.

So, we sit here in beautiful Fort Portal because we can do not much else that we planned. The chickens that were to be the main food for the Clark’s Farewell Party tomorrow night are in the freezer here. Our gifts and poems will be given and read at a later date. Patton is sleeping after throwing up again.

If these past two days weren’t all so over the top, I wouldn’t be able to laugh and say once again “Now what?”

Off The Grid

2011-02-17T12:34:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Anna Linhart, our newest favorite show is “Chuck.” This hour long scifi meets romance meets popculture has brought us lots of laughs and has even invaded our language. When character Chuck (who holds NSA and CIA secrets in his head) can no longer be tracked for his useful skills, he is considered “off the grid.”

To celebrate our First Anniversary of life in Africa and our two birthdays, to meet the required exit of Uganda due to work visa issues and to save our sanity after an insanely busy few months, we went “off the grid” to the Kenyan coast for a week of rest and relaxation. Our Field Director fielded most calls and concerns for the week (thanks, Myhres!) so our little family could reconnect and enjoy time together.

A few highlights of the week:
Lilli can now swim across a pool.
Aidan went to the beach for the first time in his life.
Patton loves to be underwater.
Travis windsurfed.
Amy read a few chapters of a book uninterrupted.
Birthday meals that concluded with restaurant staff singing an African Bday song.
Being together.

Getting away can make coming back so much sweeter.

Answered Prayers- It so happens

2011-02-03T11:54:00.001-08:00

Christ School Bundibugyo

Edward giving his vision for CSB at the BOG meeting

The Board of Governors for Christ School

When January 1st 2011 came, Amy and I felt that something new had to happen. Chiefly, we were spending a lot of time running Christ School Bundibugyo, a place that we love, but doing a job I did not feel qualified for or called to do for the long term. We have put out many requests both in prayer and in letters for people to come and help. However, for various reasons, no one has come.

Additionally, we found ourselves struggling with the school leadership to provide needed support for the teachers and even to uphold the Mission and Vision of the school. Two teachers who were pillars of the school left with warnings that the school was no longer headed in the direction it was founded upon.

So, we found ourselves living in the middle of Africa, watching our school that was created to declare God’s glory settle into an academic institution with eroding staff and student discipline. Each day we learned of another staff member who was leaving until nearly half of the staff left. All of this while the leadership of the school failed to show up to prepare for the new school year.

Something had to happen. My best efforts had produced failure and I sat overwhelmed and helpless. So we prayed- no, we yelled, cried, begged and…

Something wonderful has happened.

It so happened that a year ago our home church planned to send a team to love on us here in Bundibugyo. It so happened that the pastor of our church, since making this plan, took on a new position of leadership in World Harvest Mission. It so happens that our church has been supporting Edward and Christine Isingoma for several years. It also so happens that Edward is one of the first friends of the WHM, welcoming the missionaries into Bundibugyo 25 year ago and letting them stay on the health center property where he was the In Charge. It also so happened that Isingoma and his family had already planned on visiting us here in Bundibugyo (he now lives in Hoima, about 8 hours away) to see the Grace members and meet us.

It so happened that Scott Myhre had just suggested to me that we should consider having Isingoma come to help us with Christ School. He is a man that knows Jesus, knows World Harvest Mission and is a strong leader that can help develop strong leadership at Christ School.

So, this past January, it so happened that Josiah, Isingoma and I all met in our sitting area here in Bundibugyo to discuss the needs and future of Christ School Bundibugyo.

It also so happens that today, February 3rd, 2011, Isingoma has moved to Bundibugyo and has officially taken the job of headmaster for Christ School Bundibugyo.

We now “so happen” to have a God fearing Ugandan man who is a strong leader that is committed to making Christ School an Academically Excellent Senior Secondary Boarding School producing Servant Leaders for the good of Bundibugyo and God’s Glory (our vision statement.) The Board of Governors meeting today held to introduce him was filled with laughter, joy and tender sharing by the board members of how they see CSB as God’s treasure and not just another academic institution.

And it so happens that in the past two weeks, all of the vacant teaching positions have been filled. Last week's teacher orientation became a time of great worship for Amy and I as we realized what “so happened.” God showed up and made new again a treasure that he holds dearly in the heart of the Rwenzori Mountains- Christ School Bundibugyo.

Tonight, I sit and listen to the muslim call of prayer from the mosque and the sounds of Kung Fu movies blaring from a bar in the Nyahuka village. Christ School is nestled right between these two forces, offering a haven of peace for young men and women to become servant leaders for God's glory. It so happens that people have been praying for such things for years.

It takes a village...

2011-01-25T11:09:00.001-08:00

This morning's 7:30am text from Loren notified us that sweet Bryan Clark had a fever all night so Patton could not come over to play. However, another quick sms said that Patton could crash 1st grade at RMS with Lilli and Miss Anna. And then Chrissy came over to watch Aidan. And then Asita came to pick up the menu and budget for tonight's Ugandan dinner. And then Joas came to make bread for our guest, Edward Isingoma. All of this before 9am, just to get Travis and I out the door to interview teachers for the last 3 opened positions and help lead the teacher orientation for Christ School Bundibugyo!

If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes many villages to raise a school of children!

We are exceedingly happy to report that of the 9 vacant teaching positions, all have been filled! What joy to know this as school starts on Monday!

As these last weeks have been crushingly difficult, it was a great relief to see the library filled with smartly-dressed, smiling teachers, optimistic for the new school year. As I was negotiating with a small crew of men to clean up the school grounds and with a wonderful powerhouse of a woman to clean the head teacher's house, I could hear through the screen windows beautiful voices singing praise songs accompanied by drums and Boniface's guitar.

Travis led a devotional time as we read through 1 Samuel 16 and 17, reflecting on the characteristics of David as a servant leader. The teachers commented that David was courageous in the face of adversity. His fear of God was more than his fear of man, even if that man was a 9 foot hulking giant. He was willing to risk his life in pursuit of God's glory. Travis made the distinction that it is easier to be the kind of leader that Saul was, the big man who stayed in his tent, sending his armor out for someone else to fight. The kind of leader that expects to be served. But as a servant-leader, David put the needs of his people and the name of his God before his personal desires. The servant leader versus the cultural leader. The path of being a servant leader is much less glorious than being a cultural leader, and definitely riskier. Travis challenged the teachers that like David, one's own brothers and sisters may even "burn with anger" or challenge the teachers to leave such servant-leadership and go home. But to enter into the battle for the glory of God is worth it as that is when we truly see the Father at work, fighting for us.

And those words mean a lot to us too, as we are learning huge lessons fast about leadership. As Dr. Dan Allender in "Leading with a Limp" says, " Leadership is far from a walk in the park; it is a long march through a dark valley. In fact, leadership has been described as wearing a bull's-eye on your chest during hunting season."

Though we would love for hunting season to be over, we are encouraged by the prayers of many, the strong words of our neighbors in this very subtle community, the cheerful faces of teachers today, and the grace-filled conversation with Edward Isingoma and Pat at our dinner table tonight.

And we are grateful for the village that we have here. That Loren, Anna, and Chrissy are all super willing to be with our kids while we facilitate the teacher orientation this week. That is true servant-leadership.