Bush Training at Lotem Comes to an End

Written March 24, 2013

Lotem, Uganda

Bush Training

This time next week we will be celebrating our bush training graduation in Kaabong!  Wow!  

Yesterday when Abby woke up from her nap she had one of her uncontrollable fits.  And then last night she woke up twice-once at 11:30 pm and then at 3:30 am with two more of the same.  She has not had these in weeks-but it happened the same day after we went to the village.  It’s so frustrating because Selvin and I don’t know what to do.  Most of the time she’s having it she doesn’t want to be held and is kicking and sometimes gasping for breath because she’s crying so hard.  After these most recent episodes, we prayed over her and it finally stopped.  But only after the first one lasted about 45 minutes and the last one about 30 minutes.  Lord, give us wisdom for what we need to do.  After the last one I put her in the bed with me.  It took a while for her to fall back asleep she was so wide awake.  We sang songs- “Jesus Loves Me”, “10,000 Reasons”, “Always”, “He’s Still Working on Me” and it really helped soothe her.

Lord, I praise You that by the last one Selvin and I were working together and not arguing about what to do or being rude to each other.  I pray we would be unified in our parenting of Abigail so we can honor You in the way we raise her.  Only You can help us triumph over this struggle Abby is facing currently-please show us the best way to help her during these ties and calm her-pointing her to You as her refuge and strength.  We’ve been trying to tell her during these times to call on You to help her.  I pray You would give us age appropriate words for us to teach her concerning You!

I pray Psalm 91:1-2 over her right now:  as she dwells in the shelter of You the Most High, she will abide in the shadow of You the Almighty.  Let her say to You oh Lord, You are my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.

I pray Isaiah 54:17 over Abby and us right now:  I thank You for Your amazing promise that no weapon fashioned against us will prosper and You will refute every tongue that rises against us in judgment.  I praise You my God that You have promised this as our heritage as servants of You oh Lord and You will vindicate us!  

I pray Psalm 4:8 over Abby: “In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”  I thank You that You just gave me a song to teach Abby before she goes to bed each night and even before her nap times as needed based on this verse!  Only You Jesus could give me the wisdom and idea for this.  I pray it makes Your Word come alive for her as she begins to hide Your Word in her heart so she can bring it to mind when she needs it.

I pray Psalm 91:9-13 over Abby: “Because You have made the Lord your dwelling place-the Most High, who is my refuge-no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.  For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.  On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.  You will tread on the lion and the adder; the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.”

How appropriate for us while we’re out here at bush training!  Especially considering there are puff adder snakes-1 of which was killed less than a kilometer away just the other day.

I continue to pray Psalm 91:14-16 over us and Abby (that she might come to know You as her personal Savior):  “Because he holds fast to Me in love, I will deliver him, I will protect him, because he knows My name.  When he calls to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him.  With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” 

I praise You for our special time tonight as a family before bed, with the light of our lantern, we read Psalm 91 together and we taught Abby the new song God gave me-”Jesus, Keep Me Safe in You”.  

“Jesus, Keep Me Safe In You” (To the tune to twinkle, twinkle, little star)

In peace I will lie down and sleep

Jesus help me rest in You

On Your throne in heaven so high 

But by my side as nights go by

In peace I will lie down and sleep 

Jesus keep me safe in You

Abby loved it and kept wanting us to sing it over and over again so she could “learn my song”.  Thank You Jesus!

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The people from our village who came to graduation!

We finished our bush training about a week later on March 30th.  We had a big graduation feast and celebration where our team invited the Karamajong people of peace that God had given us in the surrounding villages over the past couple of months.  We were able to share a meal with everyone- we roasted 2 goats and had sides of greens, posho and sweet potatoes.  Our man of peace, Labacoy, came along with a few others from his village and we were able to present the gift of a goat head and skin to him.  This is a huge honor in Karamajong culture here.  All of us were so excited to be able to return the hospitality the people had shown us as we’ve gotten to know them!  It is with bittersweet feelings that we ended this training.  Yes, it had been HARD.  The most difficult, most challenging thing Selvin and I had ever faced in our lives.  But the lessons  God taught us were definitely worth it.  All of the sacrifices made were nothing in comparison to the abundant life we have found on a daily basis up here.  We look ahead with excitement at what God will constantly teach us as He continues to develop a love for His lost people in Africa.

“We Died Before We Came Here”

Written March 7, 2013 at Lotem, Uganda during Bush Training

Selvin shared the story of Moses and the burning bush during our storying class today.  What a powerful story-it’s amazing how You always teach me new things about You even through Old Testament stories I’ve heard numerous times.  How easy it is to look at Moses and judge his lack of faith.  When I am so often in his same position.  And what’s ironic is that when I look back over my life, I find it’s often easier to take the big steps of faith-going on a mission trip, taking a new position in ministry, organizing a church event...but what’s really hard is to be obedient to God on an every day basis.  I can get puffed up with pride that I’ve obediently taken the big steps, I’m good.  I’ve arrived.  

But it’s not enough to just do big things for God.  Everything on heaven and earth belongs to Him-He is the keeper of cattle of a thousand hills.  My true worship=dying to myself daily.  I mean, we’ve moved to Africa-that’s a huge step and quite a gigantic life change.  But some days I find myself getting comfortable (or dreaming of the luxuries we’ll have once we leave the bush) and I realize it wouldn’t be that difficult to establish our own little America here in Africa.  Yet I look back over my life and the years leading up to this one and I realize I was only ever able to shift entire continents because of the seemingly small insignificant, ways on our journey to get here where I obeyed the Lord.  

J, our supervisor, shared a story about some Fiji Island missionaries who set out to share God’s Word many years ago.  As they approached land, the captain and crew begged the men not to get off the ship and be dropped off among the barbaric, carniverous warriors who lived there.  But in response to these warnings, the missionaries replied “we died before we came here”.  

It is definitely true that I died to myself before coming to Africa yet it doesn’t stop there.  As I grow in my faith, the Lord continues to stretch me and whisper “do you trust me?”  Hebrews 5:8 talks about Jesus learning obedience through suffering.  If Jesus had to face it, of course as his followers we shouldn’t be surprised that we must.  It is a continual, daily journey to take up our cross, deny ourselves, and follow our Savior.  It is with much trepidation at times that I look ahead at the future and the possibilities of what God will ask of me.  I wonder, will my faith be enough?  But as I remember all the countless times He has proven Himself overly and abundantly faithful, I take courage.  I will seek to rely on Him each day, even moment by moment to give me the grace and strength I need.  He is enough.

The Adventures of Africa

The Adventures of Africa

Written March 5, 2013 at Lotem, Uganda Bush Training

Rat hunts in the middle of the night.  Hearing foxes howling at night.  Fighting bush fires.    Teaching Karamajong and Dinka nationals how to play Candy Land.  Killing a rat with a big kitchen spoon.  Bringing a hawk down with a sling shot and enjoying fried hawk wings.  Cooking cake over a fire.  Enjoying a goat roast with all the Karamajong workers.  Africans stopping by to try and sell us a monkey to be our pet.  Fresh Cape Buffalo meat from a local friend.  Enjoying roasted peanuts and playing Skip Bo by lantern light with Africans.  Going antelope hunting down the mountain and into the valley.  And as of just a few minutes ago, Simon had to go kill a snake in the schoolhouse!  Who needs fire drills when you can have a snake drill?!  WHEW!!!

Oh the adventures we’ve had out here!  Our team at bush training has experienced so many exciting times.  They far outweigh our day-to-day struggles of just learning how to live in the bush-starting charcoal fires, the unevenness and unpredictability of cooking over an open fire, no electricity, or modern day western conveniences, washing laundry or taking bucket baths (where we never get completely clean).  

There are days here that I miss teaching.  There are even more days out here when my heart longs to return to youth and college ministry back in America.  How I miss that!  I truly do struggle these days.  I have doubts.  I knew my role there-it was very comfortable and I absolutely loved it.  Yet God has called me here and I am learning to be content.  I am learning what my new role to fulfill is here-although very slowly and stubbornly at times.  But I will trust in my God-that He who has called me here will be faithful to equip me.

God is at work in Labacoy!

Getting ready to set out for our trek to the village

Separating seeds from the watermelon

Cooking sorghum porridge

Labacoy's family

The shelter where we spent many hours sitting and visiting with the people

Children of the village

God is at work in Labacoy!

Written March 1, 2013 at Lotem, Uganda Bush Training

Today we were able to bring Simon Teko, one of our Karamajong nationals going through training with us and our main translator, with us to the village.  Selvin has had bad back pain but is not letting that hold him back from going!  It was so cool to be able to understand more of what was happening around us with a translator.  Very quickly after we arrived the women wanted me to go back to one of their kitchens (outdoor charcoal fire) to cook.  We made delicious Pumpkin Greens and boiled sorghum porridge.  These greens are my favorite!  As we were still eating this they brought out a gourd of boiled maize.  Abby had been enjoying the other food (complete with metal spoons which we don’t even have back at camp-amazing) but as soon as she saw the corn she exclaimed “Oh!” with a big smile on her face, dropped everything and got a big handful of the maize.  As she munched on it happily, the villagers were rolling in amusement.  

Labacoy’s brother Isaiah came back again today.  SImon translated that all the children, women, and men Labacoy had gathered under the shelter wanted to learn the Christian Karamajong songs and they wanted to pray.  He said that any time we came to his village, all of these people (20+ and mainly his family members) were “our people” and would listen and learn from us.  Labacoy is so good at gathering everyone together for “classes” as he called them today.  We learned through Simon that Labacoy is not a Christian.  But from everything we’ve seen so far he is hungry and wanting to learn!  Thank You Jesus!  Please continue to grant us favor and wisdom on our future visits.  May we always remember the importance of us relying on prayer and Your Spirit.  

Later during our visit, the women wanted me to go with them to get the porridge.  It was already made but I got to sit with some of the women inside their manyata and help sort spinach.  As we brought out the porridge, we were able to have Simon translate our thankfulness for Labacoy’s hospitality.  Simon shared the story of Joseph being thrown into the pit.  Most of the people seemed really interested.  We are praying the story was received well!  

When we left the women and a couple of men wanted to walk us back.  They were all eager to know when we would come back next.  We told them as soon as possible at the end of this week or next.  Thank You Jesus!

Spiritual Warfare Involves Everyone-Even Children

Spiritual Warfare Involves Everyone-Even Children

Written February 18, 2013 during our Lotem, Uganda Bush Training

Today before class, Selvin and I shared with our team a prayer request about Abigail’s behavior.  She has been having temper tantrums and fits once or twice a day-sometimes age appropriate ones and other times waking her up from her naps or in the middle of the night.  We all prayed and I felt very encouraged.  My friend brought up the possibility of it being a spiritual warfare thing.  This got me thinking.  Later during a break between classes, another team member asked me the same thing-especially since it started happening since we began visiting the village of Labacoy.  She said she had read about missionary kids going through similar things.  

Could this be the reason Lord?  It totally makes sense.  Some of the fits started after we began going to Labacoy-Day 2 itself as we were there.  With all of the favor You have shown us in the village with our man of peace and all the hospitality, there has to be opposition from Satan.  We are smack dab in the thick of the war-for the souls of the lost.  I know there has to be opposition and what better way than for Satan to target where Selvin and I are most vulnerable-with our precious Abigail.  He knows this is also our biggest struggle as of late-Selvin and I being on the same page about Abby and discipline during this huge time of transition and struggling to deal with new behaviors we’ve seen in her.  I think back to how I almost had a huge fight with Selvin at the village after Abby’s 2nd episode and remember how I could feel the battle raging inside of me because I just knew that I couldn’t or our testimony would be lost.  I think back to how joyful I felt and encouraged after yesterday’s visit to the market to get supplies for the team, only to be met with Abby’s 2nd day of a violent fit that came as she awoke from her nap.  She woke up in a rage, throwing herself on the cot, and scratching her legs.  It took almost an hour for Selvin to calm her down.  

Lord, I know nothing happens by accident.  Please show me and Selvin Your plan in this and how to best combat it in a way that honors You.  Help us to continually pray Your Word over Abigail-keep us ever on our guard.  I never really took into account how spiritual warfare on the mission field could affect children-especially one as young as Abigail.  I know we can only battle this with Your help.  I thank You for giving me Ephesians 1:20 today:

“...that He worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.  And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”

Lord, help us to rely on Your strength with all of our might and seek Your wisdom about this!  We know we cannot handle this on our own.

Bush Training Continued: Our 1st Village Visit in Lotem, Uganda

I will be posting a few more blogs from our first bush training in Uganda.  The dates they happened will be at the top of each post.  I have tons of stuff I still want to share but for the sake of time I will pull out the most major highlights.  Then I will post some blogs from our recent training we just finished in Zambia.

Abby with some of the village kids

Our First Village VIsit in Lotem, Uganda

Day 1

Written Saturday, February 16, 2013

Today was Day 2 of our trip to the Karamajong village of Labacoy.  Our team was me, Selvin, Abigail and Nalabae (one of our Karamajong nationals going through training with us).  We had a great time!  It’s so neat to come back and hear everyone’s stories as we all spread out yesterday morning from base camp and left to find a village.  Our class yesterday was about Luke 10:1-12 that our supervisor taught as our model to go out to the villages.  We did some practice sessions earlier this week to help us learn more about Karamajong culture-especially practicing our response if we were offered snuff or quetay (a local alcohol).  It was quite a class!

We were all nervous about going out because only 3 of our 17 member team can speak Karamajong fluently.  Our assignment was to follow the Luke 10 model and follow the Holy Spirit’s leading above all.  If we found a person of peace we were to stay, if not we were to go on to the next village. We all prayed very hard as a team that God would keep us sensitive to His Spirit as we went out.  Lord, how big and incredible You are and even when our faith is not big You always prove Yourself faithful!  

Labacoy:  Our Man of Peace

Selvin and I wanted to visit a village near where we had walked a couple of days back.  So we set out Day 1 on our way!  We arrived at the village of Labacoy and immediately were met by 2 elders-one of which was the village’s name Labacoy.  He was very excited to see us and invited us to sit under a shelter made of a straw roof and supported by sticks.  We had been there probably about 45 minutes when they brought out bull rush porridge for us.  (Beforehand I had thought that it probably wouldn’t be a good idea for me to eat food offered to me, being pregnant, but the Holy Spirit totally convicted me when the women brought out the food.  I didn’t want to be disobedient to the Spirit and risk ruining a possible relationship before it could even begin.  Besides, as in the words of my supervisor, what’s the worse thing that could happen?  I could get sick.  But the eternal rewards would be far more lasting and outweigh any temporary discomfort.)  I prayed inwardly for God’s protection over the food and against sickness and disease as our team passed it back and forth and took sips with the other villagers.   Abby loved it-even more so than Selvin and me-eating it up with a huge grin and loud sips.  (Thank You Lord!)  They later brought out boiled maize and sunflower seeds for us to share.

Our first meal at the village:  Bull Rush Porridge

Selvin and Nalabae building a roof

A couple of kids and a few elder women visited us for a little while-inquiring of Nalabae why we were here.  We felt a peace about staying there although it was a bit awkward with the silence many times throughout the day.  After a while women began returning from their work in the fields.  They all greeted us and more children joined us under the little shelter.  We later helped build a sorghum storage hut.  We sang many Karamajong Christian songs with the children to which they smiled and clapped. The women invited me to go to the bore hole with them to get water and so off we went!   After we returned we visited a little while longer and then departed for home, telling the people of Labacoy we would return tomorrow.  

It was so exciting to hear everyone’s stories that first night-almost everyone had been extended hospitality in one way or another.  And in fact most of the Karamajong villagers wanted us to stay the night but they said there was no room (or they were afraid of possible raiders coming in because it’s a big problem with the neighboring district and they didn’t want to be held responsible if white people got hurt).  But I am truly amazed again at the hospitality of Africans.

Day 2

We left for Labacoy in high spirits-praying for direction from the Lord as we set out.  It was much hotter today so we walked a little slower.  There weren’t many people out when we arrived (I was kind of disappointed and unsure of whether this meant we should go or stay but Selvin and I felt peace about waiting and seeing as we prayed.)  After a few minutes some children we recognized from yesterday joined us and sat under the shelter with us (I had seen some of them at the top of the mountain as lookouts who shouted about our arrival when we were still on the way).  A few elder women trickled in and greeted us.  

Pumpkin Greens and Sorghum Porridge

After what seemed like just a few minutes they brought out a plate of food for us to share-pumpkin greens and boiled sorghum, complete with a spoon!  What?!  In the bush of Africa?  So funny! I was so humbled once again by their generosity.  I prayed for God’s protection (how could I refuse?) and we ate.  Abby was elated because she had been asking for greens since breakfast (veggies have been quite scarce for us out here but once again the Lord is so gracious in how He provides over and above our needs!)  I felt pretty comfortable eating until I fished out a half alive fly in the greens (but I prayed even harder and just took smaller bites.)  Strengthen my faith to be huge through this Lord!  Again, we were so humbled by the hospitality of a people so generous with so little-what a beautiful example of sacrificial giving.  I almost wonder if it was a harder thing for us to accept their gifts of food when my pride was telling me they needed it more than I, but to refuse their gift would have been extremely rude.  (This is a concept I would like to look into further and seek God’s guidance.)

Laurel getting her hair braided by the Karamajong women

I asked the ladies to braid my hair like their’s and it was a great bonding experience.  I think once they were able to touch my hair I was more real to them (this was the first time many of them had ever seen a white woman.) and a lot of the fear of me was dispelled.  Although I couldn’t speak their language very well and didn’t know what was going on most of the time, smiles and laughter are universal.  I praise God that He is teaching me through this experience of not knowing the language, creative ways to build relationships any way.  Later on that day the women invited us inside the manyata to show me how to crush sorghum.  Everyone was laughing at me but it was so much fun-I tried my best to complete the tasks they made look so effortless and just laughed along with them. Then we went on top of a huge rock and the ladies showed me how to bust open little watermelons and separate the seeds (all with a rock). The first one I tried to smash burst all over all of us-causing an outburst of laughter.  It was great!  African women here are so strong! One of the most common sights you will see is a woman walking down the road, a baby tied on her back, water jug on her head and a sack of grain in her arms.

Abby having a great time!

We sat under the thatched shelter off and on between our work and sang songs with the Karamajong.  Abby took a nap lying on us.  About an hour into her nap she woke up out of nowhere screaming and crying-I was baffled.  She was thrashing around and nothing I could do would soothe her.  The best way I can describe it was that her behavior was kinda like a fit but started during her sleep.  It really upset me!  I didn’t want to be a bad example for the villagers (one of the worst things you can do to ruin your witness in Africa is to lose your temper) so I picked her up as best as a I could as she flailed around and gave her to Selvin.  I almost lost my composure and started crying in front of everyone.  I could really feel the spiritual warfare-thank You Jesus for Your grace alone that enabled me to keep it together.  After a few minutes she finally calmed down and snapped out of it.

We continued to sit under the shelter and visit with the people of Labacoy.  They then brought us hot sorghum porridge and boiled maize (Abby’s favorite).  And then before we left they gave us a bag of more boiled maize for the road-so sweet!  Lord, I praise You so much for our past 2 days in the village.  To You alone be all the glory and praise!  Use us Lord!