Compare and Contrast

I remember being in school and being assigned ‘Compare and Contrast’ papers. This is a nod to those days and the thoughts that are in my mind about the differences between seasons here.

                   Dry Season                                                               Rainy Season

Produce Available: Bananas Onions Tomatoes Greens	Produce Available: Eggplant                 Tomato           Sweet Potatoes Cucumber              Okra                 Irish Potatoes Pineapple               Onion              Passion Fruit Mango                    Bananas          Greens Cabbage                 Papaya
Bug Situation: Eh, they are too miserable to move anywhere.	Bug Situation: They love the rain…. Many, many bugs come out and inside my tukul as well. Bleh! Imagine trying to bathe with jumping crickets around you. No Thank You. God Bless mosquito nets. There are tons of butterflies, snails, termites, centipedes, moths, spiders (I found one with her sack of eggs in a cup in my room! Bah!)
Weather: Over 100 degrees. Miserable, sweaty nights. Dust clouds. I have now invested in a battery operated fan. Too bad I didn’t have one this past season.	Weather: Rainy ;) With amazing thunder storms. Cooler temperatures. HUMID. It sometimes reminds me of Corpus actually.
Environment: Dry, brown grass. Dry leaves. Hazey from the burning of fields and trash. Along with the haze, it snows soot from all of the burning. There are ashes all over everything.	Environment: Snakes make appearances; big and small alike. There are flowers everywhere (which smell so good!),  green trees and vegetation as far as the eye can see! Birds chirping all over the place. In the morning they are your alarm clock along with the toads. It is Springtime in the Tropics J  Oh yeah, and bats. Tons of them. Disgusting.
Travel: This may be the one place where the dry season wins: the main roads are easy (ish) to travel on, and planes and helicopters are always able to fly. The grass is short so it also makes travel safer (people can’t hide in the tall grass)	Travel: The roads are pretty awful and takes much longer to travel anywhere by road. AND traveling by plane and helicopter depends on the rains and how stable the (dirt) landing strips are.
Sleeping: Hot. Still. Sleep with only a sheet beneath you and a bowl of water and towel beside you to cool you down. Often I would sleep with a damp cloth on me and couldn’t sleep through the night.	Sleeping: Often I get to fall asleep to the sound of rain; I use a blanket often. Pleasant nights. However, one had to be careful being outside after sunset because of the mosquitos. Wake up fully rested.

 

Some people say that they have a hard time deciding which they prefer: rainy or dry season. I, on the other hand, don’t have any problems deciding that I infinitely prefer the rainy season, even with all of the critters. Give me an umbrella, some gum boots and I am happy. Oh, and a mosquito net to keep the bugs away please.

Dry Season

Rainy Season

Roller Coaster

Well of course there are no real (or even fake) roller coasters here….. unless you consider the drives on the awful roads here as such ;)  However, I will contend that there are many days when I feel as though that is exactly what I am on. There are times when there is hope: you see progress, you understand things a bit more, and things that you didn’t dare hope for begin to unfold.  

Oh, but then there are the hours when it seems as though there is no way in the world anything can change. The problems are too deep, too numerous, and too painful. God, how does one even begin to tackle this ever illusive concept of “transforming lives?”

These past 4 weeks, for various reasons, have been tough if I am honest. The situation in the country right now is challenging. We can’t keep going down this same road. Things were never brilliant relationally between the North and South, but these past weeks have proved that things are quickly declining. We have refugees coming here in increasing number who are fleeing the various conflict areas.

But it’s different now.

I know their brothers and sisters. They have been to my tukul, I have shared meals on their compound, and I visit their shops. I talk with them often.  I see the hurt in their eyes and the strain that they are experiencing. I hear the questions of “What have we done so that God is punishing us?” My heart breaks with theirs….and truthfully, anger wells up within me as well. One of them commented to me “Thank you for listening to us. So many people just turn away because the situation is too difficult….”

I tell them it’s the strong coffee ;)

In the midst of the twists and turns on this roller coaster ride, I must learn to see as God sees and ask for the grace to move as He moves. I must always run to Him. I must learn that even though it is difficult, it is good to grieve with people.

But we do not grieve as those without hope. We do not grieve as those who do not know their Creator.  

Fear not friends, I am learning :)  God is merciful. I am keenly aware of what a privilege it is to be working here, and with joy I look forward to the ways in which he will move in and through me. In my most recent newsletter, I shared many of the victories that we have seen. Amazing things.This post is just an attempt to share some of the challenges that come along with the victories ;)

Lord, let your justice prevail! Move your mighty hand and protect your children. You are not a God who will be mocked. You are the King of Kings, the Alpha and Omega, the One True God.

Reveal Yourself. 

My love affair with the Capital

It really amazes me how I end up in the Capital just about every month. There must be something about the 115 degree weather (with no a/c), getting harassed by men, the filth, the bug bites, and the expense (a large house here rents for $36,000 USD a month- no joke folks) that I just can’t resist.

Mr. Crocodile

Or there is some sort of force out there that keeps pulling me back. I must admit though: every trip is an adventure. And I always remind myself that is what I love…. right? 

“That which doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.”

In theory at least. This week I am sick – there is mucus all over the place, I am sweating 24/7, I am not able to sleep because of the heat, I hear mechanical beeping noises outside my window at 4 am, and I had a severe allergic reaction to a mango. Hmmmm.

I am waiting for the stronger part of the equation to pull through right about now ;)

I digress….. back to my love for the capitol. I feel compelled to share a few positive things *gasp* about this city. I have some pretty great friends here now. One of which offers up her large house for me to stay in, her drivers to take me all over the city, and her expertize of the administrative maze that exists in this new country. She is a fabulous. She showed me the good places to eat (something other than tomatoes and onions??!!), stopped me from throwing things out the window in frustration, and took me to the Nile.

My stare off with the crocodile

Yes, that’s right folks. I think my love affair may be with the Nile actually. I told her at the beginning of the week that I wanted to swim in the Nile.

Her: “Leah, that’s disgusting. There are parasites, crocodiles, and who knows what else in there”

           Me: “Yes, yes I know. But it’s The Nile.....”

         But first there was work to do:

 *I applied for a new passport (long story): just FYI the US Embassy here is an embarrassment. Not because of the building, but because of how it treats its’ citizens. It gets 0 stars from Leah.

*I got an official driver’s license here: woohoo, watch out NA! It’s a good thing the roads are so bad I probably won’t go above 10 mph. *Note* the steering wheel is on the opposite side of the car…. well, not car-  it is a huge Land Cruiser actually… eeks!

*I also applied for a work permit (boy was that a wild goose chase!), did a ton of administrative research, got an internet modem to work, and signed up for an NGO forum.

And then I swam in the Nile ;) Yes, we saw a crocodile. It was a baby one. But we all know that where there is a baby, there is the momma hiding near….

Yes, yes. The Capital is disgusting and frustrating. But, thankfully this trip I discovered some fun things! 

I couldn't resist...
*Disclaimer- no I did not jump in right where the crocodile was!*

"Asiiaka"

So the MK people have a language conference every year where they gather together from all over the country. They celebrate new accomplishments, discuss current projects,  challenges, and plan for the future. There is an executive committee, commissioners, archdeacons, and villagers alike. Oh…. and one kawaijaa (white person). It is quite the event....This is where my supervisors have previously spoken, encouraged, and presented new projects.

And this year I was to be the lone representative: the childless young woman replacing the old, respected leader (good sentence, aye? ;) The chairman of the executive committee commented “Ah, we are used to your colleagues.  You are young.”

Yes, thank you kind sir for your observation. 

At some point, I know there were people thinking “Eh! We have been waiting 6 years for someone to come and help us, and this is who we get??”

Taking away the books on boda boda!!

But I am grateful for a God who moves in unexpected people. I learned the Africa style of question and answer sessions. The floor is opened with a topic and everyone is invited to comment or ask questions. Then, after about 10 people speak, you must answer all of their questions at once. It's a good thing I had a notebook and pen with me! So I played the role to the best of my ability: I gave several speeches, answered numerous questions, encouraged the people, troubleshot problems, planed for new projects, and reported on the status of current projects. After being here for only 4 months, this is my role? 

The only word that can describe this conference is surreal. Amazing, yes. Exhausting (from 9am till 7pm), most definitely. But surreal fits best.

The whole time I kept thinking, “How is it possible that I am here representing everyone, speaking in front of government officials, presenting 3 freshly translated books of the Bible, and encouraging this group of people whom everyone has labeled as ‘behind.’ How is it that I have the privilege to facilitate and bring things together and actually see progress?”

It speaks to me of how great our God is if he chooses to use me. It is one of those ‘out of body’ experiences if you will. I come to realize even more how little I have to do with anything, and how Mighty He is. I see how much he wants for his people to know him. His desire is great.

Everything went well; I was given the seal of approval from the man who told me I was ‘very young.’ I was also given a new name “Asiiaka” which means one who works in the garden. People now call me this in the market ;) I have more women coming up to me and talking to me than ever before. It’s lovely.

Oh, and it was at the end of this conference when a search party was sent out for me. We were supposed to end at 4, and it was 830 and I wasn't home yet. The phones weren’t working and it was dark and people at my compound were worried about me. So 4 people arrived to ‘rescue’ me ;) At least I know that people are concerned about me (Are you comforted Mom?) 

Some of the things we, as a team, have accomplished these past 4 months with the MK people are: translating, printing and distributing 3 new books of the bible and a song book; we sent 2 youth to a vocational school to gain life skills; we are training another youth to work with the translation project; and we have made some structural changes in the project so that we can move forward at an even quicker pace.

Once my colleague returns literacy efforts will be back in full swing.   

God is on the move.

My Life is a Circus!

I would like to share a few things that happened to me this past week:

* A little girl was named after me

* I had a search party sent out for me

* I was asked to represent a white person who came here 50 years ago. The people wanted to repent and ask for forgiveness for what they did to him. In a remote village. Can you imagine it? A huge group of Africans wailing in repentance before me. Uhhhhh…..The jury is still out on this one folks….

* I was given a new MK name: Asiiaka. It means one who works in the garden.

                       

* A friend thought it was appropriate to text me at 5:30 in the morning and tell me I looked wonderful the night before. 530 in the morning. Are you serious?

* I picked up 500 new MK books at the airstrip!! Woohoo!

* There is a brick making factory in my front yard

* I gave speeches in front of the commissioners of several cities

*  I met a girl named "Mosquito" wearing a Spiderman shirt ;)

* I got to eat green slime about 4 times

The invitation is out for anyone who wants to join the circus ;)

Part 2: It's like he's in the Mafia

And then at sundown a man shows up at my house. It was Donde!! It was him, one of my mystery people! And he is amazing. And helpful. And already has a heart for this ministry. So I met with him and his boss the next morning, which put me in contact with another group that I didn’t know about. I then solicited his boss to help me find a woman candidate, which I knew was a stretch. But I really, really wanted a woman to go and be trained. I kept praying. In the mean time I was also trying to get everything organized to send 2 people to a vocational school nearby. Visiting the school, looking at applications, making lists, getting in communication with the youth, getting information, etc etc.

And, just so you know, this whole time the cell networks are awful. The electricity and internet are off for the majority of the day because of lack of fuel for the generators because the North and South are in their perpetual dispute over oil. And it was as hot as Hades outside and there were constant dust clouds everywhere. Cheers!  J

The next day was very encouraged because I had 2 good candidates. And I was praying for a lady to appear. I texted my new favorite man Donde, to see if he had any updates on the 3^rd person. Well, he informed me that he and the lady were actually on their way to my house!!! Praise the Lord! Miraculous. You may not think that this is that big of a deal. But you would be wrong J Finding a woman who can speak good English, who is willing to commit to this without pay is like finding a needle in a haystack. Men are normally sent to trainings, even on behalf of women’s groups, because none of the women can understand the training.

I spoke with them and explained everything. I asked for their input and then left them with instructions to travel on a matatu on Sunday to go the capitol to get the ever illusive passport. But if they had any problems with our contact in the capitol they would not be able to get a hold of me because I was traveling to the bush where no communication was possible. It was all in the Lord’s hands at this point.

The same was true for my 2 youth I was sending to the vocational school. They had to leave on that same Sunday with everything they would need for the semester away from home. I put some of the MK people in charge of making sure the students had everything they needed and actually traveled to the school on Sunday because no late arrivals would be accepted. Once again, I would be in the bush when all of this was supposed to happen.

When I came back from the bush on Monday, I called to make sure all my people got where they needed to be. And, miracle of all miracles: both of my students were at the vocational school! The MK people had prayed for them, gave them advice, and sent them out as we discussed. AND both of my other people were in the capitol safe and met up with our contact no problem. Whew!! I tell you what…. He is mighty.

Amazing.

God knew what he was doing when he took me out to the bush while I thought I needed to be there to make sure everything happened.

He is the one who makes things happen. He is the mover. I am just the messenger.

Of course, this is only the beginning of these 2 projects ;)

“It’s like he’s in the Mafia”

One of the main reasons I was drawn to North Africa was because of their huge need for healing and restoration. It was not in my goals this month to begin facilitating work in this direction of counseling, being as I have only been here for 4 months. However, it appears as though God would have it otherwise. I was informed that there was a “Trauma Healing” focus group of people gathering from all over the southern part of the country in the capitol and I was invited to attend.

I was very happy to attend, thinking that I would just be making contacts for future work and learning what was currently going on in this area. Not accurate my friends J

Apparently there is some funding available to train and counsel people who have been affected by the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army. There is a movie that came out about it: Machine Gun Preacher, you should watch it). My town is one of the areas that has been affected heavily by this group, so we have the opportunity to send 3 people for 'trauma healing’ training in Rwanda. I was informed before the meeting began that I should be the facilitator for my town, if I was willing. This project would entail myself and the trainees meeting together on a regular basis to discuss and to implement the truths learned in the training over the course of the next year.

Then the 3 facilitators divided up and met with people attending this meeting who were working in their specific town. Guess how many people, out of the 25 attendees, were working in my area?

None. Nobody. A big fat zero. Eh! How does this always happen?? Sometimes I think “There is nobody in my town!!” Zol tani mafii. And the training began in a month. So I had a month to find 3 good, responsible, representatives in my area. And get them a passport, which apparently is next to impossible to get. Bah, good luck Leah! Well, actually I had 2 weeks, because I would be out of the country for the first 2 weeks….

So when I got back to my town, one door was already shut. I had a lead on a few people; and by that I mean I had their names but no way of contacting them. I literally went around just asking people if they recognized either of the names I had written down…. No shame, no shame here folks!

After searching for a bit, I finally found someone who knew one of the people. “My daughter knows him, I will get his number, call him and then send him to your house today. Is this good??” Well, of course in theory it sounded perfect. But I was skeptical…. I just kept praying that God would send the right people. Soon, 6pm came around and I had heard nothing from 3 friends who said they would help find my mystery people. So much for my mafia man....

The next blog will tell the conclusion of my search party ;)