Okay, so the State Fair doesn’t start for another 3 weeks but that doesn’t mean my taste buds aren’t already a-waterin’ with a hankerin’ for some good ol’ down-home Southern-fried treats.  And the best place to enjoy those artery-cloggin’ deep fried goodies is - you guessed it - at the State Fair.

If this transplanted Yankee has learned nothing else in the years I’ve called myself “Texan”, I can claim to fully understand this: Southerners can fry ANYTHING.  And I do mean ANYTHING.  If it grows, sows, or blows, they can fry it.  If it breathes, bleeds, or has teeths, they can fry it.  If it hops, drops, or flops, they can fry it.

Oh, and they can pickle anything, too.  But that’s a different blog post.

See, Northerners don’t FRY stuff.  They BOIL it.  They STEW it.  They ROAST it.  Have you ever heard of New England FRIED dinner?  How about a traditional New England Open-Faced FRIED Beef Sandwich?  Or better yet, how about New England Lobster FRY?  Those sound like someting on the menu at Hardee’s that should come with a large sweet tea and hash browns and pickled fried okra on the side.

But even in the South, we have our own chicken-fried heaven.  A beacon of bacon grease shining forth it’s golden light for all to see: the State Fair of Texas.  THE place to go for anything fried.

Don’t believe me?  Just check out this year’s winner of this year’s Big Tex Choice Awards: for best taste we have FRIED Frito Pie (because Frito’s are apparently not fried enough), and for most creative we have FRIED Beer.  Yes, you heard me right:  fried BEER.

Just in case you still need further proof, you can check out this post from a couple years ago, listing all the fried delicacies that were available in Big Tex’s backyard.

But there are times when the number 13 just shines.  Take a baker’s dozen, for instance.  Getting an extra donut in your box isn’t such a bad thing, is it?

And on this day, the number 13 sparkled for another reason.  Today we celebrated the 13th recipient of the “David L. Edwards Servant-Leader Award for Faculty Excellence in Spirit and Service.”  This year’s honoree was Dr. Kenneth Hanna, president of the Houston Extension campus.

Most of the time, we know the honoree.  But with Dr. Hanna being in Houston, we had never had the opportunity to meet him or his wife, so it was a special privilege to be able to spend time with them after chapel and at the celebratory lunch at Maggiano’s.  Because of Matt’s unemployment he was also able to join us, which made this day extra-special for me.

The chapel speaker was Dr. Don Campbell, former DTS president and professor.  Though he is quite elderly and struggles with the debilitating effects of Parkinson’s disease, his mind and wit are as sharp as ever.  He brought a powerful message from 1 Corinthians about keeping the correct perspective as we endure this challenge called “life.”  It is such an honor to sit in these chapel services, hearing God speak through these faithful men who have devoted their lives to training future pastors, missionaries, and Christian leaders.

Following chapel, we took our requisite pictures with the plaque.

Dr. Hanna with his lovely wife, Mary

Dr. Grassmick, who presents the award each year, tries very hard to keep the recipient a surprise until the moment the name is announced in chapel.  It’s always a challenge to get the recipient’s wife and/or family members into the chapel and keep them somewhat “hidden” until that moment.  We saw Dr. Hanna enter with his wife and proceed to sit onstage.  Come to find out, all it took was Dr. Grassmick saying, “We’d like to have you and your wife at chapel next Wednesday.”  and Dr. Hanna said, “Okay.”  And that was that.

Dr. & Mrs. Hanna in front of the plaque that hangs in the Academic Dean’s office,

just across from where Dad’s office used to be.

Last year, we used the last available space on the plaque.  So this year, we were treated to a surprise ourselves…a new plaque, with 12 new spaces!  We look forward to honoring more good and faithful servants in the years to come.

]]> http://debily.com/?feed=rss2&p=2391 http://debily.com/?p=2259 http://debily.com/?p=2259#comments Tue, 24 Aug 2010 12:52:43 +0000 Debbi http://debily.com/?p=2259 The first day of school is always exciting.

You get to use your brand-new backpack and lunch box for the very first time.

You get to wear your brand-new clothes that Mom has said “no” to every day since you bought them.

You get to color with those brand-new crayons that have NEVER BEEN USED.  They’re not broken or dull, and they even have the little paper wrappers still on them.

You get to see your friends again and have a new classroom and a new teacher and a new routine.

And, if you’re lucky, you lose a tooth moments after you arrive home.

Or at least that’s how Crisana rolls.

As she got ready for bed last night, we had to make preparing for the Tooth Fairy part of the routine.  She brought out all the stops: her tooth treasure box, a candle to light the way, and - in case the Tooth Fairy was confused - an explanatory note.

And of course, the Tooth itself, tucked carefully away in the Tooth Treasure Box, awaiting the arrival of the blessed Tooth Fairy.

And in the morning, she discovered a crisp new $1 bill, which she promptly announced she was giving - along with her “2 quarters” (really a dime and a penny) - to church for the children at the Yellow House in Monterrey, Mexico.

Exciting times.  In fact, so exciting, she decided to do it all over again…losing another tooth moments before our neighbor arrived to pick her up for school.

And that’s the tooth, the whole tooth, and nothing but the tooth.

But the calendar begs to differ, so it’s off to school we go.

New outfits, new backpacks, new lunchboxes, new glasses for Trey, new haircuts.  It’s all part of the “new” year routine.  Except Crisana didn’t want to wear her new outfit for the first day.  She wanted to wear a dress.  She’ll wear her new outfit as her “second day of school clothes.”

The difference between boys and girls isn’t so much pink and blue as it is camo and plaid.

School starts earlier this year - 8:00 for elementary rather than 8:45 - so we had to get an earlier start.  The bus shows up at our house at 6:42, so yes, for the first time ever I’m driving the kids to school every day.  Because Trey is in fifth grade, he gets to be part of the morning news team broadcasting live each morning at the start of the day.  He was anxious to get to school so he could rehearse, so the picture at the marquee had to wait.  The picture with Mr. McGowen, greeting the children as they arrived, did not.

Trey rushed off to the library the moment we were through the doors.  No first day picture for him.  *sigh*  But I was able to get a picture of Crisana as she prepared for her very first day of second grade.

And with that “Hurry-up-and-take-the-picture, you’re-embarrassing-me, Mom” look I headed to the library for the Tears and Cheers PTA reception.  No tears for me this time - I’m an old pro - unless you count the few I held back as I proudly watched my boy - no, better make that my young man - give the weather report on the KMES Morning News.  He may be a big fifth grader, but I still get to tuck him in and give him 10 kisses and 10 hugs each night.

With that, I was off…and so were my kids.  Off to another adventure of learning and growth.  Off to another year of building character and developing as future leaders.

Off to continue becoming the people God created them to be.

Tonight was Meet the Teacher Night at McGowen.  This is always a highlight of back to school for our family.  Getting to see those friends we haven’t seen in awhile, catching up on each others’ summers, seeing the new combinations of faces we will become so familiar with over the next 10 months…it’s all very exciting and fun.

This year was no exception.  Since I was in the gym with Trey, doubling as super-duper Cub Scout recruiters, Matt was able to take Crisana to her classroom and do the whole drop-off-supplies, see-where-the-desk-is, check-out-the-class-list, take-pictures-and-sign-all-the-forms thing.

She found her desk with no problem.  She’s surrounded by boys.  I’m sure she will love that.

She was very excited to get Ms. Ellison as her teacher!

Thankfully, my reinforcements showed up in time for me to take Trey to his class and at least say hello to his teacher.  I learned quickly that things are very different in 5th grade.

For one thing, there are no desks…just tables.  And for another,

Trey actually enjoyed organizing his supplies into the binder.  I wonder if it’s too much to hope that that excitement will actually spill over into organizing his desk at home…

This is also his first year to have a male teacher.  He is very excited about being in Mr. Nash’s homeroom!  I’m still adjusting to the fact that he’s nearly as tall as his teacher…such a far cry from Kindergarten when his head barely reached his teacher’s waist.

The meet and greet is over…now it’s time to get this school year started!

I’M IN DE-NILE!

This morning our team had a wonderful and unique opportunity.  Because Cindy leaves tomorrow, she needed some time alone with the children to explain to them about what is happening over the next few weeks.  Mike suggested that this might be a great time for us to go exploring on the Nile…and who were we to argue with that logic?!?

So off we went…in the tipper once again.

Unlike last November, there was no sitting on the floorboards in the back for me.  No, my friends, this time I rode like the wind, standing tall behind the cab…and holding on for dear life.

Perhaps I should back up and explain a bit here.  Last night was a rough night for those of us in the “Experiencing Africa” hut.  First of all we discovered upon arrival that we had a nest in our hut near the doorway, filled with about 3 eggs.  All day yesterday there was a chicken that was desperate to get into our hut.  She kept pacing around the doorway, attempting to sneak past us whenever we opened the door.  Finally she gave up and flew through the window.  Sure enough, next time we went in our hut, there were 6 little eggs in that nest.  Last night, it rained on and off all throughout the night.  I was enjoying the sound of the rain on our little grass roof, and especially pleased at how dry and cozy we were…until I felt a “THUD” on my mosquito netting…followed by scritching and scratching noises underneath my cot and the feel of something crawling below me.  That scritching and scratching continued for quite awhile around the hut, interspersed with the sound of gnawing and chewing.  Finally, I heard the scratching proceed up the wall near my bed and - presumably - out of our hut in the small space where the wall meets the roof.  Though unconfirmed - I truly believe in this case ignorance is bliss - I’m pretty positive we had a rat exploring our hut.  It took me awhile to wrap my mind around that one and calm down enough to get to sleep, so morning came awfully early.  And when it did, the floorboards of that old tipper were awfully puddly and muddy.

We still had a blast bumping down the road, shouting “Bump!”  or “Branch!” as we rumbled along.

The locals all waved at us as we passed by.  I was able to once again pretend to be the queen of the parade as we waved at anyone who could see us.

We bounced our way to the mouth of the Nile.  It’s really not that far from the village, surprisingly.

As we were milling about, waiting for directions, one of the dugout “drivers” came up to our group and barked, “One!  Two!  Three!  Four!  You!   With me!!   Come!!”  and the four people he pointed to dutifully boarded his dugout.  Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi has got *nothing* on this guy.  I ended up in a dugout with Rob, Charles, Mike, and Jon…all good strong men.  Handy to have on board in case of an emergency.  Once again, I was queen of the canoe.

Some of the canoes had more interesting passengers than others.

Click here to view the embedded video.

And in case you weren’t bored out of your mind from that first video, here’s another.

Click here to view the embedded video.

You can see it was really exciting stuff.

We crossed over to the other side and explored a bit.

It was amazing to see how swiftly the current moved while were on the other side!  You don’t realize it when you’re on the river but that thing is MOVING.  And of course, we had to document our survival in making it to the other side.

As we explored, we saw some very interesting things.  First of all, this fishing net:

And some old, broken dugouts:

And these plants, which looked like something straight out of Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who or The Lorax.  I half-expected them to be called “foozaloop trees” or something like that.  But instead, they’re called “papyrus.”

We also saw a stone chair…under a tree…in the middle of nowhere.

And sheep with REALLY long tails.

But I think the most interesting thing we saw - at least from my perspective - was this piece of driftwood lying on the ground:

Look carefully, folks.  That’s MAHOGANY there.  Just lying on the ground.  Probably $1,000 or more worth of beautiful hard wood.  I found out several days later from Rose that what we call “Mahogany” and “beautiful, expensive wood” in America is also known as “firewood” in Africa.  But I guess that’s okay, because in Africa, an “exotic” rabbit is also known as a “cottontail” or “jackrabbit” or “nuisance” in America.  Oy.

Once I recovered from that discovery, it was time to head back.   We dutifully loaded up in our proper dugouts, and Jeff actually took the helm in his.

Robert will tell the tale of how he - singlehandedly - saved our entire dugout from great peril, at tremendous risk to his own life, while paddling from one side only and taking pictures at the same time.  Here’s proof of this amazing, heroic man at work:

For my part, I was responsible for keeping the balance in the boat, apparently.  Since I was the only passenger sharing a seat, I had to sit closer and closer to Charles to keep the boat leaning to one side so Mike could bail and the driver could battle the current.  As he kept telling me “move closer!  move closer!”  I figured at some point I would end up on Charles’ lap.  His response, “It’s okay.”  I’m sure it was, Charles.  Just see how happy he looks?

We did make it safely to the other side and rode the tipper back to the village.  Even in Africa, you still gotta deal with traffic jams:

On the way, we picked up two villagers and dropped them off at the village center near VoH.  Of course, all the children came out to wave at the mzunga’s.

When we returned, Cindy was done with her meeting and shared with us how it went.  God really granted her strength to be able to explain the situation with clarity and level-headedness, and also to deal with the emotional reactions of the children.  I know it’s hard for her to leave with so much uncertainty but we have assurance that our big, loving God is in charge.

We prepared for our afternoon session of English, crafts, Bible story, and singing.  It went much more smoothly than yesterday.  We kept the kids in one large group rather than dividing them up and that helped.  We were able to do much more in a shorter amount of time.  We taught them “The B-I-B-L-E” and “Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah!”  They especially loved the second one.  Because teaching comes so naturally to me, and because I love to sing and interact with the kids, I felt like maybe I overstepped my bounds today and did more than I should have.  Mindee seemed okay with it - I was constantly asking her - but I’ll need to make a conscious decision to take a step back tomorrow.  But honestly, it is just too much fun!!  After our lessons we had some time to just hang out with the children.  Geoffrey came up to me and started to fill in my Acholi book with singular and plural phrases.  It’s so cute the ways they think of to teach the teacher!

The afternoon “free time” session was spent with some celebratory dancing in honor of Cindy’s last night here.  For a couple hours, the children danced and sang for us.

This dance is a girls’ dance…designed for girls to just have fun dancing after a long day.

There is even line dancing in Africa!!

The boys make up the “drumline”…and it is LOUD.  Even outside.

As we watched the children dance, teacher Denis came up to me and asked to spend some time with me tomorrow as he had some questions regarding the music curriculum.  Are you kidding me?!?  I get to spend time with the teachers going over CURRICULUM?!?  I had to pinch myself…that this was actually happening!!  I have no idea if I will be able to answer his questions - particularly regarding solfege - but I am so honored and excited for the opportunity to even be asked.  Since we will have large blocks of time with the children tomorrow I think it will be easy for me to step away for part of the sessions.

Denis continued to visit with me - asking lots of questions about life in America.  His questions were very pointed and we spent a great deal of time discussing the different traditions particularly regarding marriage.  We both came to the conclusion that neither the Ugandan way of arranged marriages nor the American way of choosing your own spouse is a perfect system.  There are definite abuses of the way God intended for men and women to come together in marriage in both cultures.  But when it works, in either country, the result can still be honoring to God and a beautiful reflection of His love for us.

After the dancing, we enjoyed another delicious dinner under the big African sky and twinkling stars.  This was our last dinner with Chris and Maddie and Cindy, and we commemorated it with a game of “Two Truths and  Lie.”  We began it with just the mzunga’s playing , but pretty soon we had the staff and teachers joining in!  Richard had - by far - the most creative one!  It was so much fun to learn about them.

After another awesome evening worship with the children - with the rain pouring down hard outside - we bid the children good-night.  They tried to teach me how to say, “I love you all” and “I have you in my heart” but I’ve forgotten the words.  Once they were safely in their houses, we finished off our night with - yes, you guessed it - another unforgettable game of Hearts.

]]> http://debily.com/?feed=rss2&p=2366 http://debily.com/?p=2336 http://debily.com/?p=2336#comments Wed, 11 Aug 2010 00:10:32 +0000 Debbi http://debily.com/?p=2336 DATELINE:  Village of Hope, near Biyali, Uganda.  7:09 P.M. Village time.  That’s 11:09 A.M. CST for those of you keeping score at home.

THE MISSION BEGINS!

This was our first full day at the Village. We enjoyed a breakfast of french toast - which may simply be fried sweet bread - but it was REALLY good!  After breakfast, we spent some time in prayer, specifically for the Village of Hope.  There was an outside chance that an important decision could be made today, and we felt a great need to pray on behalf of those involved in the decision-making process, and for the outcome to be favorable.

There had been an issue with getting the examinations printed for the children, so Careenna and Connor spent some time in the “office” typing up the mathematics exams for the children to take tomorrow.  While they worked on that, several others of us went down to the school office to organize the supplies we had brought, as well as the clothes and ESL and craft materials.

It took much longer for Connor and Careenna to finish the exam, but once they were done we were able to have our team devotionals.  Dave had asked me if I’d be willing to share devotions today and of course, I was happy to oblige.

*****WARNING*****LITTLE DEBBI SERMONETTE AHEAD******

It’s like a snack cake for your soul.

I shared from Hebrews 11.  Those closest to me know that this particular passage represents a significant milestone in my spiritual journey.  And during the trip last year, God imprinted on me these thoughts regarding the power of one.

THE POWER OF ONE

How much more do I need to say? It would take too long to recount the stories of the faith of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and all the prophets. By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. Women received their loved ones back again from death.

But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half,^d and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world, wandering over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground.

All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.  Because of the joy^b awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

Hebrews 11:32-12:2

Last year, as part of our trip, Rose shared her story with us.  As she shared her story, I was struck with how God is using her - ONE woman - to change the lives of hundreds of orphans.  God is using her to create a network of young adults to unite and build a village.  God is allowing her to have a hand in shaping the future of her country through her contacts with government officials and people in positions of leadership.  After hearing her story, I penned these thoughts:

God’s word is filled with examples of the power of one…

Through one man, God birthed His chosen people.

Through one young man, God gave an army of 300 soldiers victory over the mighty Midianites.

Through one boy, a single stone, and a sling, God felled a giant and freed a nation held captive.

Through one boy, God took a simple lunch of bread and fish and fed 5,000 people.

And through one young woman, God provided His Son and redeemed all mankind.

God is using Rose - one woman - to touch the lives of Uganda’s children.  As she shared her story today, I was humbled and amazed by her dedication and how burdened her heart is.  God has placed her in a strategic location for a purpose.  I believe through Rose God will raise a generation of godly men and women who will impact their country and create change.

If God can use her, who am I to think that God can’t use me?  He has a plan and a purpose for my life that He is perfecting daily.  All it takes is faith - and a daily dedication to following His word.

The power of one - through the power of THE One - can truly change the world.

Taken from my journal, November 11, 2009

I took a moment to encourage the team that each of us has that power - the power to be the one through THE One - that God uses in a mighty way.  Like Cindy, like Rose, God has given each of us a purpose to accomplish, and it is through His power that we can do what He asks of us.  Take the time while we are here to look around at these children.  There are those among them who have dreams of being teachers, social workers, doctors….and yes, even the future President of Uganda among them.  One of these children might be “the one” that God uses to bring healing and restore peace to Uganda.

We have that same hope.  You know how I know that?  Because the Bible tells me so, in Philippians 1:6:

“Knowing this: that He who began a good work in you will carry it out to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Go and be “the one” today - the one to touch a child’s life, the one to make a difference, the one to discover your passion and purpose, the one that God can use…the one that yields to Him and allows Him to accomplish more than we could ever ask or imagine.

THE VILLAGE OF HOPE!

There wasn’t an opportunity to write yesterday so I will try to capture the experience from the perspective of a new day.

We awoke to our final morning in Gulu Town - as the locals call it - after a night of hard rain.  It is so cool listening to the rain strike our tin roof over the courtyard.  I have no exterior windows in my room, and two floors of rooms above me, so there is no sound over my head.  Thankfully the morning was bright and sunny - something for which I was particularly grateful since our luggage would be strapped to the top of the van.

My bathroom adventures in St. Job’s room continued last night as I discovered - the hard way and much to my dismay and horror - that I lacked any water pressure at all.  I had to go get the manager so that I’d be able to flush the toilet and allow it to have time to fill before the sun rose.  The maintenance guy did a lot of scurrying around the building - going from my room to the second floor and back to the courtyard and back to my room…and voila!  Suddenly I had a full stream of water spouting from the sink and water streaming from the shower.  Hallelujah!

My joy over the rushing waterfall was premature, however.  I was hoping my newly-discovered water pressure would allow me to take a “real” shower but after checking the sink and discovering the all-too-familiar trickle I once again enjoyed bathing African style.  I must say, practice does make perfect.  I’m getting better at it.  I also had the privilege of shaving this morning so there’s always a new dimension every time.

We met for breakfast, but I have been so full that I opted to have one of my kashi bars and a banana.  Good choice!  I will miss the eggs at the village, and I’m disappointed I didn’t get to enjoy a chipati from the street vendor, but it was nice not to feel so stuffed for a change.

Robert brought our devotional and talked about upside-down expectations: how God surprises us on trips like this.  We come in with preconceived ideas of what we *think* we should see and feel and experience and do and learn, and God says, “Nope.  That’s not *exactly* what I want you to see and feel and experience and do and learn.”  If we are open and listening, we can be truly transformed.  I’ve already seen examples of that in our team on this trip…even though I’ve been here before, our experiences are new and fresh.  Nothing’s the same as it was last time.  And I’m glad.  God is revealing Himself to me in a way I never expected, and I’m loving being surprised by Him.

After prayer we packed up our stuff and met in the lobby to wait for the van…and wait…and wait…and wait.  So what do you do while you wait an hour for the van?

Well…you take a picture in front of the hotel…

…and sometimes the people in the background do strange things.

You play card games like Crazy 8’s in the lobby…

And still the people in the background do strange things.

Finally, the van arrived…an hour late.  Charles and the men loaded the suitcases to the top of the van.  Even though we had five extra people: Chris and Maddie, Asunta, Jeffrey and Rose, the van didn’t feel nearly as crowded as it did on our drive from Entebbe.  We drove first to the Widow’s Mark - a microeconomic center where widows learn and perform a specific trade to support themselves and their families.  We had been to the small storefront in Gulu Town on the trip in November with Chris, but that shop is now closed and all operations have been moved to the center.

It was fascinating to see the different rooms, each with a specific trade: one room for the beading, one room for the tie-dye, one room for the weaving…and in one room they were making DOLLS!  Beautiful African cloth dolls - women with babies strapped to their backs.  To be completely honest, I liked these dolls better than the one I bought in November.

This is the bead room.  Here they use plastic/glass beads rather than paper beads.

There were so many women working on the beads that they had a group outside.

They use the beads to make jewelry, baskets, and as decoration on purses/handbags and the dolls.

This was the weaving room.   I spent most of my time here, after I was done shopping.

Yes, these are not widows.  Boys need jobs, too, ya know.

Geoffrey is a “fringe” guy.  Literally.  He adds the fringe to the tablecloths and placemats.

I loved watching how they made the fabric, and how the looms worked.

George demonstrated how the loom works.  It’s a tedious, but rather quick process once you know what you’re doing.  The loom clicks and snaps and bangs to a predictable rhythm…

So I started dancing…

…And Geoffrey thought that was so funny he had to take picture of me with his cell phone.

So I took a picture of him taking a picture of me…

and I’m probably the newest Facebook/Youtube sensation in Uganda.

The large loom George was on is used to make tablecloths.

This smaller loom is used to make napkins and placemats.

This woman was spinning the yarn onto the spindle to use in the looms.

I also had to take a picture of her beautiful clothes.  Probably made with the tie-dye two doors down.

This is the tie-dye room.  I felt like more of an interruption here, so I didn’t stay long.

And here are the dolls!  I really wanted one, and they were only $6!  But there was only one finished one left, and Chris got it.  There is a level of perfectionism regarding these handicrafts.  Though the doll was made, she was missing her bead necklace and earrings, and they weren’t willing to sell and “unfinished” one.   So maybe I can get one at the airport or the safari lodge gift shop.  If not, I might be able to get one  online if shipping isn’t outrageous.  Or, I’ll just wait and get one on my next trip.  *grin*  I had to come back for coffee this time, so I can come back for a doll next time.

After we’d all had a chance to shop and visit, we loaded back into the van and it was off to the village!  This team truly has fun together so even a 2-1/2 hour van ride, packed in like sardines, over bumpy African roads doesn’t seem long at all.

Of course, there’s all kinds of silliness when you’re stuck together for so long.

On the way, we made two stops: one at a market in Gulu to pick up some pineapples.  That’s where we met this little cutie patootie.  Mindee gave her one of our bags of chips and she ran off to share them with her family.  A minute later, she ran back to us to say “thank you.”

We didn’t pick up THIS meat for dinner.  Goat stew, anyone?

The second stop was to pick up some chickens for dinner.  Yes, I said chickens.  Live ones.  With the feathers still on them and everything.  As our van pulled up, the vendors from across the street came running with their limes and pineapples and cassava and potatoes and meat-on-a-stick and nuts and chickens.

Holding the chickens by their feet, the men brought 6 or 7 - both hands FULL - to offer us to buy.  Rose was truly in command of it all, feeling the legs of the chickens and bartering the price.

We all pretty much decided the world would be a better place if Rose was in charge of all negotiations: peace treaties, geographical regions, whatever!  We ended up with 4 or 5 chickens - LIVE ones - in a box strapped to the top of the van, tucked neatly in with our luggage.  Dave was convinced their feathers and wings would help us be more aerodynamic as we drove along.

We crossed the Nile (again) shortly thereafter, and it wasn’t too long before we were at “the land!”

The Nile River!

The river was high…we’re in the rainy season.

When we arrived at the village, the children were still in school, but Cindy was out in front waving at us.  We said hello and unloaded our gear and found our long-lost luggage we sent ahead from Entebbe.  Cindy showed us her new hut - VERY NICE!

To me, this hut spells L-O-V-E.

I could seriously live here - happily - for quite a long time.

I was ready to drop $2K right on the spot to build my own…and tell Matt to sell everything and get ready to move!  But I didn’t.

We had some time to visit with Cindy in her hut, learning about the current state of affairs related to VoH.  I won’t share those details publicly on the internet but will say that the situation is complex and there are no easy answers.  All I can do is trust that God has all of this under His control and He will create a thing of beauty in the end.

We were then treated to lunch - of rice and beans, pineapple, and “spaghetti” (Ugandan style!).  It was SO good!

Then the children were done with school and were finally able to see them!  I instantly recognized Stella and Joyce from the safe house. Stella in particular recognized me and gave me a great big hug and wanted to spend time with me.  I was so honored!  When I saw Irene, I recognized her instantly!  I hugged her tightly and nearly cried with joy to see her again.  It was so precious to actually be there after all these months of longing and waiting and hoping.  There are so many new faces but I am determined to learn as many as I can!  Scovia (the shy one) snuggled up to me and wanted me to come with her to see her house.  I was eager to see all that had been accomplished since our last trip.

It was amazing!  FOUR HOUSES, 2 staff dormitories, latrines for boys and girls, a staff latrine with 2 bathing rooms, 2 squatty potties and 2 box-seat pit latrines and another house underway.  To think that God has put all this together - and then allow these setbacks - just doesn’t make sense to me.  I admit I don’t understand God’s plan, but I rest assured that He has one and that His plan is GOOD.

I went with Stella and Scovia into their house and saw their rooms.  To see the finished homes, and the joy of the girls sharing it, was a special moment.  Such peace, contentment, and joy!  I saw where they bunked and tried to match each girl with their bed.  This also helped me learn their names.

Then it was playtime!  Renee and Mindee brought out the bubbles and Jon brought out a kickball and we had a blast: blowing bubbles, playing “soccer” and just hanging out.

Beautiful Scovia, having the time of her life blowing bubbles!

Janet learned quickly how to make a “snowman” out of bubbles.

After awhile with the bubbles, some of the girls stood in a circle passing a ball around.  I told Trace we should make them say the name of the person they passed it to.  We had a great time learning each other’s names and played the game for probably an hour or more.

They kept switching places around the circle…which made the game more challenging!

Before dark, a football team from another village came in to play against “our guys” - the men on staff here.  It was a great game - very intense - but the VoH team won 1-0!

The VoH team is in the blue.  And yes, they play barefoot.

During the game, the girls braided my hair (and Mindee’s and Renee’s and Amy’s).

Before the braiding…with Scovia.

The braiding starts.  And yes, my hair was a fright after that bus ride.  I didn’t care.

Janet joined in…

…and pretty soon I had a full-fledged beauty salon entourage.

I had to take a picture with my two hairdressers.

And then Gladys wanted in on the fun.

And then it all fell apart!

I ended up looking a little like Buckwheat from the Little Rascals, but I didn’t care.  I loved it!  We played until the game was over and it was time to go to dinner.

I just can’t get enough of these girls.

The children went to their homes and we ate around the campfire.  We had such a great time laughing and sharing as we ate.  We noticed the children were heading down to the school for evening worship after the meal.  I asked Cindy if we could join them and she said yes, so Trace, Jon, Amy, Robert, Connor and I went down.

Oh.  My.  Goodness.

I am so glad we did.  What an amazing, indescribable time we experienced.  The noise in the room as the children sang was nearly deafening, but we experienced TRUE worship as it was meant to be.  Singing, dancing, spontaneous praise, giving their all in complete abandon.  No one worried about what others would think or say.  They moved as the Spirit of God led them, they raised their voices in tremendous song, they poured out their hearts to God.  After the intense worship time, they all sat down and began praying.  Simultaneously.  Out LOUD.  To see the passion and fervor with which they pray is humbling beyond belief.  I was holding back tears - unsuccessfully at times - as they prayed, thanking God for US, how humbled they were to have us here, and how they hoped to be able to help us.

We left, the ones being humbled, awed, and filled to overflowing with gratitude as we sang our way back to the camp and hugged all the kids good-night.

We are one family

We are one family

We are one family

In Jesus’ name…

]]> http://debily.com/?feed=rss2&p=2290 http://debily.com/?p=2264 http://debily.com/?p=2264#comments Sun, 08 Aug 2010 16:18:16 +0000 Debbi http://debily.com/?p=2264 DATELINE:  Gulu, Uganda.  10:15 P.M. Gulu time.  That’s 2:15 P.M. for those of you keeping score at home.

WORSHIP

What a day!  What an amazing, incredible, glorious day!  A day filled with the joy of the Lord and His incredible presence here with us!

We started the day with church at Watoto Church, the same church we visited in November.  It’s a satellite church of the Watoto Church in Kampala.  The American worship leader we saw in November was not there, but the passion and energy of the worship and praise was unchanged.  We sang with loud voices and exuberant praise:  “You Are Good”, “There is No One Like You” (good old David Crowder!) - and when we got to “You Are God Alone” I lost it.  Just the power of those words, and being in a foreign land, away from my comfort zone, brought me to tears of absolute humility and gratitude and repentance and longing.

Pastor Joe - another one of Rose’s cousins! - brought the sermon, a powerful message on Truth.  He used the example of pillars to represent truth as the foundation of strength for our lives.  At the end one of the “elders” - a man probably younger than me! -  came up and spoke passionately about the need for Christians in Uganda to rise up and be involved as pillars in their spheres of influence: entertainment, education, health care, law & justice, politics, business.  It was inspiring!  I pray that Ugandans will heed that call and allow God to use them to heal their country from the inside out.

I was struck by the thought that Americans could have used that message, too.  And it wouldn’t necessarily be a bad idea to have Americans rise up as pillars of truth in our spheres of influence either.  Our country is desperately in need of healing from the inside out, and maybe God can use US to be the ones to bring about that healing.

We lunched at the same place as last year - a great restaurant above Cafe Larem.  The fish fillet (pronounced WITH the “t” at the end) wasn’t as good as I remembered - and there were a few more bones in it - but we had great fellowship and were able to catch up on our Nigerian soap operas which is always fun.

You see why we never go hungry in Gulu.  Yeah, I’m really “suffering” for Jesus.

During the meal, Trace - out of the blue - asked me to tell one thing I loved about everyone at the table.  I guess it came from my “10 Things I Love About….” lists I had been compiling on everybody from the beginning of the trip!  Although I was put on the spot, this is something I *LOVE* to do, so I was happy to oblige.  I don’t remember exactly what I said, and this may be embellished a bit, but here goes…

Maddie - I love your sense of calm.  You always seem to be able to adapt to whatever is going on without getting yourself all riled up.  You are the peace of this group.

Mindee - I love your friendly, outgoing nature.  You never seem to know a stranger.  You have the ability to make everyone feel right at home the moment they meet you.  You are a true friend, and people are drawn to you.

Chris - I love your take-charge attitude.  Whenever we’re not sure what to do, or things seem to be disorganized, we can count on you to take the situation by the horns and get things moving in the right direction.  You keep us from being frightened of ourselves or paralyzed by the unknown.

Amy - I love everything about you!  Your spiritual maturity, the way you just dive right in and take whatever comes your way.  You may feel afraid inside but you certainly don’t show it.  And you have just the cutest sense of humor ever.

Connor - I love your sense of initiative.  You don’t wait to be asked…you just DO.  You jump in headfirst and give all that you have.  You pour yourself out to make someone else’s day.  You ran off to play football with the kids and came back filthy…but with a smile as big as Texas on your face and the face of every child in that camp.  You are a model to me of what I hope my son will be like at your age.  (I know I didn’t tell you that last part at the restaurant…but later I wish I’d thought of it then…because it’s true.)

Jon - I love your child-like curiosity.  You are in this trip to suck all the marrow out of it.  You are immersing yourself in every opportunity you have to learn about Uganda, its people, the Village of Hope, and what God is doing.  You are available and willing to see how you fit into God’s plan for these children and their future.

Asunta - I love your smile.  You are a beautiful woman inside and out with a heart that just spills out love for these children and young mothers.  You are a shining light of hope to them and you are making a long-lasting impact among your countrymen.  I am honored to be your friend.

Careenna - I love your sense of adventure.  You take life for all its worth.  You give it your all and don’t worry about what others will think.  You have a heart that beats with passion and fever and you refuse to sell out for anything you don’t believe in.

Trace - I love that you are genuine.  You are real.  You are who you are, and you are comfortable with that.  Your sincerity makes you approachable and easy to love.  You have a depth of character that defines who you are, and gives you wisdom beyond your years.

Renee - I love your tender spirit.  Your eyes see beyond the faces to the heart.  Your heart bleeds for others.  Your hands speak tenderness and love.  You are the embodiment of compassion to everyone you meet.  You are vulnerable and kind.

Robert - I love your big heart…a heart that is big enough to be a father to your own children as well as the fatherless in Uganda.  You have opened that big heart to love these forgotten ones, and you have shown them what a man of character is.  You have given them a glimpse of their Heavenly Father through the love that is spelled T-I-M-E.  You are in it to win it as far as these kids are concerned.

Rose - I love your passion.  You are the angel of Uganda.  Your tireless efforts on behalf of these precious little ones are not forgotten or unappreciated by any of us.  God is using you to change the future of your country…to rebuilt your people…to raise up a great and mighty nation that knows His name and calls on Him.  You are a blessing to me and so many others.

Charles - I love your driving skills.  I am so grateful for your commitment and dedication to getting us where we need to go safely.  I am never afraid when you are driving.  I know I speak for my family and friends - and for ALL our family and friends - when I say this.  We love you Charles…oh yes we do….

Dave - I love your gentleness.  I know you get frustrated and irritated, but you speak with calm words that soothe even the roughest situations.  You are a true peacemaker and a man of quiet strength.  You remind me of my own father, and I’m grateful I can see a glimpse of him in you.

And then I cried.  The big, ugly cry.  Yep, it wasn’t pretty, but there it was.  My heart, spilled out right there on a little cafe table in the middle of Africa.  Renee’ hugged me, and Trace thanked me, and I tried to catch my breath and the moment was over.  But I was so honored to be the one to build into our team.  God has put together an amazing group of people and the fact that He allowed me to be part of it is simply awesome.

After all that food, we felt like we needed to walk a bit, so we walked back to the hotel where we changed and headed out to our final IDP camp of the trip.  This is the camp that has most of the young children.

This precious little one crawled up on my lap and stayed there the whole time.

She never snuggled in though I held her tightly and told her how beautiful she is.

She never spoke, but those eyes pierced through my heart.

This little sweetheart clutched  bead necklace with a cross on it.

How I hope and pray that one day she will come to know the love of the one who sacrificed His life for her on that cross.

They sang and danced for us and did a poem and recited Bible verses.

The boys are ready to get going with the drum!

Then we sang our two songs for them.  Before we could even sing a lady appeared from behind one of the huts.  Her face was deformed and she looked wild.  She was shrieking and ran up to us and started hugging all of our team one by one.  She especially took to Chris and made her dance.  We learned later that the woman’s name was Anna and she was abducted by LRA rebels.  They cut her lips off, giving her the deformed look and they also infected her with AIDS.  Finally one of the older boys stepped in and off she ran, dancing and shouting all the way.  You can see the video of our encounter with Anna here.

After we sang, I shared the Bible story - the same one about Lazarus - and taught them the Bible verse.  It amazes me how quickly they pick these verses up!  I’m so grateful to have a small part in helping them learn about God and His love for them.

They finished with a time of dancing.   Connor, Careenna, Amy, Mindee and I all danced with them.  It was a blast!  I never did get all the steps right but my dancing coach Stephen was right there beside me showing me where to stand and interpreting the steps for me.

Me with my dancing coach Stephen.  What a wonderful young man!!

Dancing brings out the joy in their hearts!  Lots of smiles when they dance!

All too soon it was time to say goodbye.  The reality of what life is like for them after we leave…the monotony of day-to-day living in the village…hit hard as I looked in their eyes.  The smiles may hide the pain, but the eyes haunt my soul.

Beautiful faces…such sadness in their eyes.

I hate goodbyes…especially this kind.

We returned to the hotel where some went off to play volleyball and others of us went shopping.  We found an African handbag for Mindee, so now she and Trace are “bag buddies.”

I tried one last time to get on the internet, to say hello to Matt and update my friends.  But the cafe’s were all filled to capacity with long waiting times so it was a no-go once again.  We walked to where Heather and Gus were staying and had the chance to visit with them one last time.  Maddie was able to say goodbye since we’ll be leaving Gulu and she’ll be flying back to the States before Heather returns to the village.  Even though we were only a few blocks from our hotel, we opted for a boda-boda ride back.  That was an adventure!

I’m pretty sure he cheated me out of about 500 Ugandan shillings, but I was willing to forgo the 25 cents he owed me.

Amy and I snuck up to the third floor of the hotel, where we took some time to look out over the city of Gulu.  If the squalor and filth is appalling from ground-level, it only gets worse when viewed from above.

This is the marketplace where we purchased the African handbags.

The trash just piles up anywhere there is space for it.

The architecture is a varied palette of mud huts, rickety shops, and concrete buildings.

We enjoyed dinner by candlelight again.  Chris picked up an avocado from one of the roadside vendors and enjoyed that as her pre-dinner “snack.”

\

We closed out our evening with some game time in the lobby (where there was light).  I began by teaching Connor, Robert, Maddie, Amy, and Careenna how to play “Hearts”.  I had no idea what I was getting myself into with this but it soon became our nightly addiction.  We modified the rules to accommodate more than 4 players and adapted Ugandan shuffling and dealing rules.  We also played Bananagrams, and I proved once again why I’ve been banned from that game on all mission trips.

“PEEL!”

]]> http://debily.com/?feed=rss2&p=2264 http://debily.com/?p=2207 http://debily.com/?p=2207#comments Sun, 08 Aug 2010 03:18:22 +0000 Debbi http://debily.com/?p=2207 DATELINE:  Gulu, Uganda.  9:39 P.M. Gulu time.  That’s 1:39 P.M. CST for those of you keeping score at home.

LET THE LITTLE CHILDREN COME

What a day!  What an amazing, incredible, beautiful, heartbreaking day!

My day at the Florida Magnificent Hotel began quite early, when - a little after midnight - the power went out…and so did my white noise.  With no fan to muffle sound, I heard every footfall, every opening and closing door, every cell phone beep, every voice in our interior courtyard.  I did have enough forethought to recognize this as a possibility and so my little handy-dandy camping fan was parked right at the corner of my bed, ready to go at a moment’s notice.  But the faint little whirring of a 7″ two-”D”-battery-powered fan was a poor substitute for the giant buzzing of the overhead fan.  After several hours, the power returned, and I was able to get a little more sleep before I could hear the stirring of our team members.

The adventures in the bathroom continued, as I discovered when I turned on the shower.  The Sophie’s Motel was a rushing waterfall compared to the drip, drip, drip of the showerhead at the Florida Magnificent Hotel.  My dreams of enjoying a hot shower quickly dissipated…followed immediately by my dreams of having a shower of any kind.  Quickly, I rinsed off as best I could, knowing I’d just experienced far better than anyone we would meet at the camps today.

We began our day with a delicious breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, and bananas.  The Florida Magnificent Hotel even had hot chocolate - labeled “Drinking Chocolate”!  Maybe it IS a magnificent hotel after all.  Several of our team members tried the “cocktail juice”, which we later learned was passionfruit juice.  It was good - but too sweet for me and had an aftertaste of grapefruit so I stuck with the “Drinking Chocolate”.

Our team enjoying breakfast in the lobby of the Florida Magnificent Hotel.

After breakfast, we gathered in the interior courtyard/dining area for our morning devotional.  Trace shared about being sent out in God’s name.  One of the things she shared was from a Beth Moore Bible study where Beth said she often wonders if God is risking His reputation by being associated with her.  That was a sobering thought!  It reminded me of a story I once heard about Alexander the Great.  A young boy had been brought before Alexander, with a long list of accusations against him: stealing, mischief, lying, etc.  Alexander asked the boy his name and the boy’s reply was “Alexander.”  Alexander the Great then said, “Change your conduct…or change your name!”  I never want to be in that position with God.  I never want to feel like He’s putting His reputation on the line because of *my* actions and behavior.  I am a “Christian” - a bearer of Christ and HIS light and HIS good news - and I need to let HIM be what people see when they look at me.

Our hotel came with a conveniently located dining area outside our cluster of rooms.

We gathered here each morning for devo.

Then it was off to the first IDP camp of the day, the one where they make the beads and necklaces.  When we arrived, we were greeted with the gleeful shouts of children…and the heartbreak of the life they live.

On our way to the camp.  We learned to be very cozy with each other.  I’m tucked nicely away in the very back seat near the window.  So I can wave at all the children.

The poverty these children live with day in and day out is real.  Their lives are a continuous monotony of a struggle to survive.  Their distended bellies are a stark reminder of the hunger that consumes them continuously.  Their filthy, torn clothes and half-naked bodies demonstrate the depth of their loss.  And yet, the van arrives and they greet us with smiles and waves.  They line up outside the van hoping to simply catch a glimpse of the “visitors.”  They linger among the periphery, wanting desperately to be part of our activity but knowing their place is not among us.  They shake our hands, all the while demonstrating respect for us and our status in their village.  They smile shyly and giggle at our feeble attempts to communicate.  Our visit - though not designed for them - is the highlight of their day.

As Charles parked the van, we made our way to where the VoH children were sitting.  There were only a few there - mostly boys, working quietly on their necklaces.  I found a place to sit next to Denis, and he immediately showed me his pattern and allowed me to “help” him.

Denis was very patient with me when I would not follow his pattern correctly!

Denis was always in charge, choosing the beads for me while I strung them.

We quickly got into a rhythm and worked without speaking.

No words were necessary.  It was simply an honor for me to be part of his world for a little while.

This was the first necklace we completed together.

Denis and I managed to complete a grand total of three necklaces together: two long, multi-colored ones and one double-strand solid-color purple one.  When we finished the purple necklace, Denis expertly threaded it through for reinforcement and added the clasp.  He then indicated, in his limited English, that he wanted me to wear it.  I was so touched by his act of selflessness, his generosity.  How I wished I could have kept that necklace.  I would have paid any amount of money to wear it the rest of the trip…but I knew it had to be returned.  With great sadness, I gave it to Rose at the end of our visit…and prayed Denis would not see me taking it off and giving it back.

As we worked on our necklaces, we were able to see how they make the beads.  Using scrapbooking or colorful paper, they cut strips in a specific pattern.  Then the paper is rolled to make the unique bead shapes and glued closed.  A coating of shellac is added to ensure the seal holds and add a glossy finish.

The children performed a short program for us and we were able to sing two songs for them: “My God is So BIG!” and “King of the Jungle”.  They liked the second one a lot!  I recognized Nancy from last year, who I sat and sang and strung beads with at this same camp.  We had our picture taken together, so now I can bring BOTH pictures when I go back next time.

This picture was taken last November.  Nancy is next to me, on my right.

And here we are now.  I don’t know if she remembered me, but I certainly remembered her!

I know I’ve spoken a lot about our team, but this visit to the camp just illustrates perfectly the way this team functions together.  As soon as we got off the van, Careenna and Connor took off to go play with the kids who greeted us.

Amy soon joined them and had the children playing “Ring Around the Rosy”.

Mindee and Maddie ended up snuggling with babies on their laps.

Trace, Renee, Dave and I mingled with the bead-makers on the mat with Rose and Asunta.

Rob, as always, was the rock star with his video camera.

Jon took a tour of the camp with Jeffrey, getting a behind-the-scenes look at camp life.

It was just amazing to see our team just completely do “our thing” without any prompting - each one using his or her unique gifts to serve and bless these children.  I am so honored to be part of this Body of Christ.

We stopped at Diana Gardens for lunch (and ate WAY too much yummy food!) before traveling to the second IDP camp of the day.  We didn’t actually go to the camp, but rather to the house where they make the tie-dye fabric.  This is a micro-economic project for the teen mothers - those girls who have been raped or taken as concubines or wives by LRA soldiers…or men from the IDP camps.  The project is still in its infancy stages, so the girls are still working to perfect their techniques and discover which colors produce the best designs.

We watched them make the dye…

…and saw how they fold, tie, and/or wrap the fabric to make the beautiful designs.

They were busy working, many of them with babies strapped to their backs, so we didn’t get much time to interact with them.

It was still great to see this project in action, which also helps fund VoH!

Then it was off to camp #3.  This camp does not have a project to do, but they danced and sang for us.  One of the older girls introduced their program and was so poised and articulate.  We were all very impressed!  After they danced, they sang several songs and then performed a very cute drama: “God is With Me.  What?!?”  But the message was powerful and you could tell they cherished it.

After their program was finished, they recited Bible verses.  That is always a highlight for me.  It’s obvious they hide Gods’ word in their hearts and truly treasure it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoO8xqjxoKQ

When they finished, we sang our two songs for them.  They reallly listened and you could tell they were trying to learn the words as we were singing.  Then I had the privilege of bringing a Bible story.  I shared the story of Jesus raising Lazarus.  Rose interpreted for me.  I was so nervous but I just prayed that God would speak His word through me.  The children sat mesmerized, hanging on the story.  At the end, I shared with them the Bible verse, John 11:25a.  They learned it  - with Rose’s help - in a matter of minutes.  We then danced some more - Mindee and I joining in - in celebration.

Where there is dancing, there will be drumming, by big and little boys.

None of us wanted to leave.  There were tears in our eyes as we said good-bye.  We headed back to the hotel where we split up into a couple groups: those who wanted to play volleyball with Asunta and those who wanted to walk and/or shop.  As much as I love volleyball, I was so tired out from the dancing (and jumping!) that I opted to go for a walk.  As we were heading to the internet cafe’ I spotted a stall where a woman was selling African handbags.  I had wanted one so I didn’t have to lug the big backpack on the bus every time.  Trace, Renee’ and I all bought one.  Mine is reversible -and only cost $2.50!

This is the stall across the street from our hotel where they were selling the African handbags.

They were making new ones as we shopped!

The internet was still too slow so we came back to the hotel and sat on the front porch reading, people watching, or journaling.  It started to rain, and within 15 minutes the van with the volleyball players returned.  Their game had been rained out, but they still had a great time watching the other team play and playing soccer with the children that had gathered from the village.

It rained the rest of the night, so we stayed at the hotel.  I’ve never seen the streets of Gulu so empty!  We sat and talked and “bonded” as a team until dinner.  We decided to eat at the hotel rather than Diana Gardens.  Dinner was late - around 8 P.M. or so - but it was SO good.  I had chicken with rice and a slice of avocado…YUMMY!!

By 9 we were all tired so we turned in for the night. It had been a long day but one filled with lots of moments to remember - moments of God working through us to love the least of these.

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