This past Saturday evening, before a lesson, one of the men who I have befriended explained that he would need to leave to tend to his neighbor. I nodded. Then I became curious as to what was really happening next door. I left his hut, walked next door, and saw one of the young men who had been attending the classes writhing in pain and agony on his sweat drenched old mat. He had contracted what seemed to be a severe case of malaria and was being tormented by pain and discomfort. As I watched, my Arab friend began feeding and tending to this man. Here was a humble example of a man, who prays day and night to a god who cannot hear, serving and loving one in desperate need as Jesus commanded me. I decided to help. Through the early evening we both took turns feeding and giving water to this young man. As my friend went for evening prayers I stayed with K. and his wife, praying over him and sprinkling his body with water.
These men desire to be purified from their sin but we know that only Christ can offer eternal cleansing. After writing to this point I returned to this man’s household yesterday to discover a mourning service in his memory. K. had passed away the evening after I was with him, leaving a young wife and one year old son. We have NO promise of tomorrow here.
Kampala
orphanage visit
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Jer. 12:5 Feb. 2008
Jeremiah 12:5 “If you have raced with men on foot and grown tired how can you compete with horses?
If you stumble in a safe country how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?”
Scripture doesn’t always encourage me the way my heart believes it must. Jeremiah was disturbed at the injustice he witnessed in the world around him. He brought his concerns before the Lord, and the Lord responded with the above words. Do these comfort a wounded and weary heart? Will they bring strength to me? Or you? Still, they must for God is good, all the time. Every life experience prepares a believer for what the Lord has for him… walking in faith is indeed life’s most challenging work.
Honestly, at times seeing the surrounding misery makes me long for the strength to work harder… and other times to crawl into a hole and watch Super Bowl re-runs and eat frozen yogurt. No frozen yogurt in the Sudan yet. Mmm, what I wouldn’t do for some frozen coffee flavored Yoplait.
Lately, the wind and dust have picked up considerably here in the Torit area. Wind is blowing through the streets like an old western movie, complete with swirling dirt and at times, the banging of a saloon door.
Seriously, my Harley Davidson boots and lengthening hair are adding to my developing cowboy persona with the local people.
Beside the sudden change in the weather, the past two months have seen other changes in my ministry work. I have become more and more ingrained into the social life here in Torit. With these friendships have come new opportunities for witnessing and ministry. Recently, several Arabic men approached me in the market and asked if I would be willing to teach them the English language. As I have been praying for open doors into this unreached and Arabic community I readily accepted. Will you remember this in your prayers: that the Lord would stir in the hearts and dreams of these Arabic men who may have never heard the Good News.
Almost daily I venture into the Arab section of the Torit city, meeting with the tradesmen, speaking Arabic and learning about their life and culture. The North African people are uniquely mystifying to me. Embracing and tender toward me, yet rigid and harsh in their own beliefs. Much of this of course directly ties to their suffocating religious convictions. Slowly, God is bringing in His light.
If you stumble in a safe country how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?”
Scripture doesn’t always encourage me the way my heart believes it must. Jeremiah was disturbed at the injustice he witnessed in the world around him. He brought his concerns before the Lord, and the Lord responded with the above words. Do these comfort a wounded and weary heart? Will they bring strength to me? Or you? Still, they must for God is good, all the time. Every life experience prepares a believer for what the Lord has for him… walking in faith is indeed life’s most challenging work.
Honestly, at times seeing the surrounding misery makes me long for the strength to work harder… and other times to crawl into a hole and watch Super Bowl re-runs and eat frozen yogurt. No frozen yogurt in the Sudan yet. Mmm, what I wouldn’t do for some frozen coffee flavored Yoplait.
Lately, the wind and dust have picked up considerably here in the Torit area. Wind is blowing through the streets like an old western movie, complete with swirling dirt and at times, the banging of a saloon door.
Seriously, my Harley Davidson boots and lengthening hair are adding to my developing cowboy persona with the local people.
Beside the sudden change in the weather, the past two months have seen other changes in my ministry work. I have become more and more ingrained into the social life here in Torit. With these friendships have come new opportunities for witnessing and ministry. Recently, several Arabic men approached me in the market and asked if I would be willing to teach them the English language. As I have been praying for open doors into this unreached and Arabic community I readily accepted. Will you remember this in your prayers: that the Lord would stir in the hearts and dreams of these Arabic men who may have never heard the Good News.
Almost daily I venture into the Arab section of the Torit city, meeting with the tradesmen, speaking Arabic and learning about their life and culture. The North African people are uniquely mystifying to me. Embracing and tender toward me, yet rigid and harsh in their own beliefs. Much of this of course directly ties to their suffocating religious convictions. Slowly, God is bringing in His light.
KENYAN B. Study 2/08 -- Excerpts from letter to LCS
The Bible study with our Kenyan neighbors meets in our yard every Tuesday and Friday night. Thanks for your concern and questions about the Bible study. We just had another bible study last night under the stars. We have spent many weeks reading through the book of Daniel. Fires, lions, hands writing mysteriously on the wall, miracles, dreams, Angelic deliverance and stories of very dedicated and faithful soldiers for Christ! What incredible reading Daniel is! We have really grown from reading the true tales of men pushed to the limit by their faith and have seen firsthand our Father’s deliverance. Just last night we reviewed the first three chapters of Daniel and had a time of singing (songs in Kiswahili, not English) then concluded with prayer. These men and the Bible study has meant a great deal for my own spiritual growth.
This Bible study is made up of many Kenya (African ) men who have traveled into the Sudan as hired, foreign laborers and construction workers. Kenya is the country I spent two years living in and teaching before the Sudan. Kenya is located just south of the Sudan. Here in Torit there are many Kenyan men and women working or looking for work. These particular men live in an adjacent compound next to our compound. Will you pray for men such as….ready for some more names? Raphael, Julius, Daniel, and Joseph. Many more men attend the Bible study however, these men help guide and lead. Our study would not be possible without their steadfast work and dedication. Their faith is stronger than mine. Very difficult lives these faithful men have. So far from home and family, displaced in a foreign, neighboring country, living in tin shacks and sleeping on old, dirty mattresses but still praying and singing glory to the Lord out of thanksgiving, not obligation!
This Bible study is made up of many Kenya (African ) men who have traveled into the Sudan as hired, foreign laborers and construction workers. Kenya is the country I spent two years living in and teaching before the Sudan. Kenya is located just south of the Sudan. Here in Torit there are many Kenyan men and women working or looking for work. These particular men live in an adjacent compound next to our compound. Will you pray for men such as….ready for some more names? Raphael, Julius, Daniel, and Joseph. Many more men attend the Bible study however, these men help guide and lead. Our study would not be possible without their steadfast work and dedication. Their faith is stronger than mine. Very difficult lives these faithful men have. So far from home and family, displaced in a foreign, neighboring country, living in tin shacks and sleeping on old, dirty mattresses but still praying and singing glory to the Lord out of thanksgiving, not obligation!
TEACHING IN TORIT 2/08 Excerpts from letter to LCS Students
Where can I start? Many of you asked about the weather…it’s hot. The average temperature is between 90 degrees and often even 100. It is not humid here but it’s very dry, almost desert like scorching, windy heat. The past week I have been sleeping outside our compound in a tent as it is far more cool in the open air overnight. Here in the town of Torit, many…if not most, of the Sudanese people live in open air houses made out of mud and bricks so that the air and wind can cool them during the evening hours. This is the dry season so rain has been scarce. That is one of the differences in African climate; Rain is seasonal and of course, no snow. Which I do not miss, sorry guys! I heard how cold it has been in Lincoln. Maybe you can send some ice and snow in the next mail package.
I love teaching. Working within the South Sudan school system so far has been a very hit and miss process. I taught for three weeks, then the students had two weeks for the Sudan examinations. So my job was to proctor, or observe, the students to make sure they were diligently finishing their tests without cheating. The classrooms are dirty as wooden desks litter the rooms, and the windows are old and damaged. In every room are chalkboards; Ancient relics from years ago that create dust storms every time they are used. This Torit high school has yet to be rebuilt after the long civil war that destroyed the region.
The new school year began exactly one day after the end of the year! So on the 15th of February all teachers were reporting back to begin duties. Biology and English are now two subjects that I have been able to teach to the high school students here at the Torit Secondary School. The students do not have access to all the reading materials and textbooks that we do in America. No Encyclopedia Britannica’s, dictionaries or almanacs. The Sudanese teachers themselves use very old, and dusty hand-me-down instruction books and small hand size notebooks. Since the Sudan is rebuilding after many years of civil war the new government of the South Sudan is re-writing new curriculum textbooks for science, math, chemistry and history. Unfortunately, at the beginning of a new school year here the new textbooks are not yet even finished and have not been distributed to the Sudanese schools. So, you can see how chaotic and crazy is this school system. It is very unpredictable.
At the Torit Secondary School classes begin at eight in the morning and last until almost three o’ clock in the afternoon. Every day, at ten-thirty in the morning, the teachers eat a large meal together. This meal is called “ Fatur” which is Arabic for breakfast. Every day, twice a day, the cooks serve a very sugary drink called Shay. This is a sweetened tea. Most Sudanese eat only at ten-thirty in the morning and then again at four in the afternoon. These meals are almost always rice, beans, lentils or thick bread. These eating times are so different from our schedule in America!
My co-teachers are also very different! I am the only American on a staff of almost thirty teachers. Every other teacher is from Africa; Uganda, Kenya, South Sudan and North Sudan. Several of the North Sudan Arabic teachers are polite gentlemen who moved from the very large Sudan city called Khartoum. Khartoum is the capital of all of Sudan but is located hundreds of miles north from Torit. So these Arabic, men have traveled far, far from their homes.
I love teaching. Working within the South Sudan school system so far has been a very hit and miss process. I taught for three weeks, then the students had two weeks for the Sudan examinations. So my job was to proctor, or observe, the students to make sure they were diligently finishing their tests without cheating. The classrooms are dirty as wooden desks litter the rooms, and the windows are old and damaged. In every room are chalkboards; Ancient relics from years ago that create dust storms every time they are used. This Torit high school has yet to be rebuilt after the long civil war that destroyed the region.
The new school year began exactly one day after the end of the year! So on the 15th of February all teachers were reporting back to begin duties. Biology and English are now two subjects that I have been able to teach to the high school students here at the Torit Secondary School. The students do not have access to all the reading materials and textbooks that we do in America. No Encyclopedia Britannica’s, dictionaries or almanacs. The Sudanese teachers themselves use very old, and dusty hand-me-down instruction books and small hand size notebooks. Since the Sudan is rebuilding after many years of civil war the new government of the South Sudan is re-writing new curriculum textbooks for science, math, chemistry and history. Unfortunately, at the beginning of a new school year here the new textbooks are not yet even finished and have not been distributed to the Sudanese schools. So, you can see how chaotic and crazy is this school system. It is very unpredictable.
At the Torit Secondary School classes begin at eight in the morning and last until almost three o’ clock in the afternoon. Every day, at ten-thirty in the morning, the teachers eat a large meal together. This meal is called “ Fatur” which is Arabic for breakfast. Every day, twice a day, the cooks serve a very sugary drink called Shay. This is a sweetened tea. Most Sudanese eat only at ten-thirty in the morning and then again at four in the afternoon. These meals are almost always rice, beans, lentils or thick bread. These eating times are so different from our schedule in America!
My co-teachers are also very different! I am the only American on a staff of almost thirty teachers. Every other teacher is from Africa; Uganda, Kenya, South Sudan and North Sudan. Several of the North Sudan Arabic teachers are polite gentlemen who moved from the very large Sudan city called Khartoum. Khartoum is the capital of all of Sudan but is located hundreds of miles north from Torit. So these Arabic, men have traveled far, far from their homes.
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