From two different worlds. . .

Abigail almost jumped out of my arms as she saw Daddy drive on the compound in the tractor.  She wanted to see it and I knew that letting her ride would be a treat.  So, we decided to tag along as Kevin and the workers loaded the big 800 liter barrels onto the trailer to go to the river to get water.  It was in the evening when the compound cooks were ready to go home.  The two of them climbed on the back of the wagon with baby’s on their back.  I joined them, with Abigail on my back.  We hardly ever drive into town without stopping to pick up more people and market goods along the way.  This day was no different.  We stopped to pick up two more women with babies on their backs.  It was a beautiful sight, 5 women (including me) all standing in a row holding on to the trailer with our baby’s on our backs.  My only regret, I didn’t have my camera. 

             As I have been reflecting on the sacred moments in my life here, this image came to my mind.  Those women and myself being from two completely different worlds standing together in the same manner trying to hold on to a trailer traveling down a very bumpy road.  When I first boarded the trailer, I felt a little uneasy about how I would secure myself while holding Abigail.  I had never ridden standing on the back of a trailer before.  I remember sensing the uneasiness in one of the women we picked up.  She was unsure of how she would hold on.  Even in her world, she had not ridden like that on the back of a tractor.  I felt that was a sacred moment.  Both of us felt the uneasiness in similar ways, and I being from another world.  We smiled at each other as we found ways to hold on and brace our feet over the bumps, intertwining our arms.  As we all rode side by side, I wondered what was going on in their hearts and minds.  Were they wondering what kind of life I had in America or were they just concerned about getting home to cook a meal for their kids?  Even though there was a language barrier and there was silence, I felt a sacredness of just being near these women sharing in the experience of a routine they have probably maintained for many years, and Kevin and I were able to make it a little easier that day by a simple, yet somewhat uneasy ride home.

We have an oven for our compound!

Kevin designed a BIG oven for our cooks to use. . .the only problem, neither one of them have ever baked.  So, that is where I come in.  They are eager for me to teach them and our staff wives how to bake.  It will be a different experience to hold a baking class in the bush!   

      

        The foundation for the oven.  

      

              Abigail enjoyed helping Daddy!

     

 The walls are going up.

    Building the cover, metal sheet and cement.

. . . and the finished product.  For Father's day, I baked Kevin's favorite peanut butter cookies!

   Nap time, our cooks' babies

Missionary Cook-out

We had a pre-Father's day cookout and invited fellow Torit missionaries for some beef burgers and homemade fries.  We had a mixture of people from the UK, US, Sudan, and South Africa.  This is a treat for them since some of them do not have a meat grinder or a grill.  We can't just go to McDonald's to get a quick burger here.  

    

              The men watching the burgers; Kevin, Russ Noble, and Philip Byler

The ladies eagerly waiting for the burgers. . .

The lady guests are missionaries Linda Byler (US), Lyn Noble (England), Catrin Byrne (Britain), Natasha (new missionary from South Africa), and Grace Akot (Sudan)

Abigail loves our new compound dog, Moti (named after our town).  Moti thinks he is her guard dog.  He follows her and sleeps beside her tent, when we have it outside.

 Abigail teaches Michael to play tug-of-war. . . as Moti guards!

Beautiful are the feet. . .

One of the different things about living in Sudan is how dirty our feet get.  I mean they get pretty filthy and it is hard to keep them clean when we do clean them. 

It is hard to feel physically beautiful in the bush or to feel pampered in the sense that we westerners feel pampered.  My soul was telling me it needed some pampering.  When we went to Lake Naivasha in Kenya, I stumbled upon a wonderful “spa” by a pool.  I treated myself to a French pedicure and a massage.  It was the best pedicure I have ever had!  I couldn't help but think of the scripture, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!"  Isaiah 52:7.  My feet were physically beautiful and I definitely felt pampered, but I felt God speak to me that my feet are even more beautiful in Sudan, even dirty, as we are living out scripture doing Kingdom work!  It is vital to care for our feet in the bush.  Kevin has had an infection on his foot that made walking hard for him until he got some antibiotics and I got a thorn stuck in mine that, if it had gotten infected, would have been hard to care for here.  I also heard of another few missionaries that have injured their feet in the field.  Having a foot problem can slow down or even stop our work.  So, please pray that we are wise and cautious in caring for our feet and that they stay protected!

We were very excited to welcome both of our trucks to Torit carrying life saving supplies, and some supplies to make our lives easier here!  A few highlights of the goods were. . . a Massey Ferguson tractor (I couldn’t contain Kevin!), a wagon, cement, steel, and some personal supplies for us ie. table, night stand, clothes rack, wooden floor length mirror (it made it over many miles of VERY bumpy roads unharmed), and some special food items that aren’t found in Torit.  Abigail and I enjoyed watching the men unload the tractor and trailer down the ramp Romano had made as well as seeing Daddy and the other men get dirty unloading 700 bags of cement.  The black men turned white!

Kevin was very eager to jump on the tractor to drive around the compound!  It was a childhood dream to work on a farm like he did with his Grandfather when he was a little boy.  We will soon have a farm here!

Kevin took a car fan and changed the wiring to make a solar fan.  This helps Abigail sleep inside the tent during the day.  It is TOO hot otherwise!  He was pretty excited when the sun came out and it worked!

Our borehole (well) is finally complete . . . well for now.  We made the decision to install a hand pump, but due to the distant it had to be dug away from our dormitory site to find water; it will eventually need an electric pump.  But for now to keep from continuing to use the river water, we will use the hand pump.  This is very exciting!  We won’t have to filter this water much, if at all, to drink.

Fresh vegetables will grace our compound and our kitchen table soon!  Abraham, one of our workers, started our vegetable seeds germinating a few days ago.  I am so glad to have him taking over our garden project.  I have never planted a garden but have always wanted to!  I think I will learn much from him . . . planting the Sudanese way! 

Abigail continues to surprise us!  I caught her standing, again in the bath, this time very stable and hands free!  She seems to enjoy finding new talents in the bath.  Maybe she is just showing them off.   She also found herself in a parade, of sorts, on the back of the trailer being pulled by Daddy.  She saw Daddy coming on the tractor and almost jumped out of my arms.  She wanted to see it.  We decided to tag along with the cooks and other men from the compound to get water from the river.  It was a sight, 4 women standing in a row all with babies on their backs holding on to the trailer.  I wish I had my camera!  Abigail enjoyed waving and laughing at all the children running from their tukels (houses) yelling,”Jenna Kiwaja” (lit. baby white).  She just eats up the attention!

One of Kevin's favorite cargo items on the trucks was the gicko (grill)!  It had its debut on Saturday.  We bought meat and had Njemochomo (grilled meat) with the cooks and the Kenyan workers.  Then, we had our first BIG rain storm.  It was a happy day!

Abigail says hello as Grace, our cook, holds her and her baby while Daddy cooks the meat.

Our cook's daughter helping Abigail learn to walk.  She is close!

Back Home in Torit

We have arrived back in Torit and are getting settled in.   It is good to be back.  We have transitioned quickly from city life back into bush life.  We arrived Wednesday and the first few days were a bit of a shock as we dove back into the daily tasks of cooking, cleaning, and carrying water.  It was a little disheartening to find the river,our only water source right now, VERY muddy due to the rains.  Thankfully we have packets of powder that help the dirt particles stick together and sink to the bottom of the barrel.  This is one more step we have to do in the filter process for us to have fairly clean water to bath and wash in and pure water to drink.  The locals are even complaining about how dirty the water is, but they still drink it straight from the river with no filtration.  We put it through about 3 and sometimes 4 filtration processes.

Both of our trucks have arrived carrying supplies to continue building.  We are thankful for their safe arrival.  The road is not safe that they traveled.  One of the trucks got stuck in the mud and when the driver and our 3 Kenyan construction workers left to find another vehicle to pull the truck, armed tribal men robbed everything out of the cab (personal belongings of the laborers) and beat the drivers assistants.  No one was killed and the men were able to continue to Torit.  When I was talking with one of our Kenyan laborers about the robbery he said, with a smile on his face, "Well, all I have are the clothes on my back, but God is still with me."  I was amazed by his heart and his faith!  It is wonderful to to be working with such men of faith and who have a vision for helping in the Kingdom of God!

Thank you for your prayers for our travels.

With love,

Kevin, Shalene, and Abigail

Going home to Torit!

After almost a month in Nairobi, we are scheduled to fly back to Torit, Sudan early Wednesday morning (our time).  We are eager to be back and get settled in again. We have word that it is pretty peaceful in Torit since the election.  Thank you for your prayers!


 Please pray for our travels and the continued work in Torit.

Love,

Kevin, Shalene, and Abigail

Time of rest and reflection at Lake Naivasha

We enjoyed our time at Lake Naivasha.  We spent some time resting and taking in the beauty of the mountains and the lake.  It was refreshing to be together as a family and be able to slow down from the many daily tasks and demands on us in Sudan.    As I make that statement, I remember some of my first thoughts I had in Sudan. Everything takes a long time to do.  My personality is normally to rush through tasks in attempt to be productive and just get them done.  In the states, we have so many conveniences that enable us to do chores quickly.  I had to smile when I realized my soul was crying out to me to slow down when, in Sudan, I am unable to rush through my chores.  I miss so much beauty and richness when I rush and don't take time to see and experience even the seemingly most insignificant thing.

We took a fun boat ride on the lake and saw some big beautiful hippopotamus!  We took only video on the lake, so we missed getting a still shot of the Hippos, sorry Fred! Hopefully we will be able to figure out the problems we have been having with sharing our videos online and we can share many videos we have taken of our time in Sudan and our boat ride.

We were surprised when our boat driver pulled up to land and asked us to get out of the boat.  We met another guide and took a walking Safari to see many zebras, giraffes, gazelles, wildebeests, and waterbucks.  Our guide said that was the only place in Nairobi we could walk among the animals.  Most places you have to drive.  Abigail was so excited to see all the animals.  She talked to them and giggled at them.  Daddy had a hard time getting her to turn around in this picture, she wanted to look the other way to see the zebras!  She just jumped as hard as she could in the Ergo carrier when she saw each animal.  This trip was an early Birthday present for her.

I was so excited to see a giraffe!  Our guide said they are hard to see in the heat of the day.  They stay tucked in the trees to get shade and eat.  Giraffes are my favorite African animal.  I never "slowed down" enough to think about why.   Something in my spirit is just attracted to them.  Our MWP staff member in Kenya shared with our Director Kimberly about what makes giraffes significant.  Here as am excerpt from her blog. . .Kimberly Smith's blog

“Kimberly, the giraffe is a very important animal. He is so tall that he can see trouble coming from a long distance. That is his first gift. However, with that gift comes a responsibility to use his gift to sound the alarm and warn all the people – to give them a chance to prepare for the trouble that is sure to come. Also, he is a very clean animal. You will never, never find a giraffe wallowing in the mud like so many others; he keeps himself pure and clean at all times. Lastly, because he is so tall, he doesn’t eat the rubbish that falls to the ground; he can reach high to eat the very best fruit and buds that the very tall trees hold up for the sun to nourish. Thus, his body is always strong and powerful. When the people will not listen to his warnings of the trouble he sees coming, then he must use his strong body to stomp around, rustle up their fear, even physically push them if necessary, and urge them toward action. Of course, he can also see good things coming to encourage people. But, people are usually on the lookout for the good things. It is the hard things they do not want to see or hear, so it falls upon the giraffe to be the seer and teller.”

Then, Eugenio said to me, “Make Way Partners is like the giraffe – the seer and the teller. All who want to be a part must give our hearts, bodies and souls only the best food so that we are powerful enough to rouse the people to move – and act– in the way they need to go.”

Human trafficking is as stoppable as was the transatlantic slave trade of its day; so is oppression of all kinds. God gave us the Church, His Body, through which to accomplish that. Let’s all take Eugenio’s lead and be giraffes!

You all know about Victor’s Cows; he also makes giraffes! If you’d like one to help remind you and a friend to stand tall, order one of Victor's handmade giraffes now: Call 205.240.8597 or visit

http://www.netmemberservices.com/members/makeway/cart/inv.php?catid=7. 100% of the cost will go to help the most vulnerable to human trafficking.

Stand Tall!

Victor is our MWP Sudanese consul living in Birmingham, AL

I was excited to read about giraffes as I desire to stand tall in the fight against Human Trafficking.

Kevin came back to our room at the lake, after enjoying an early morning of alone time, excitedly telling me about a camel he had been watching down in the valley in front of our guest house.  We were surprised to see one so close and so tame.  I later saw if from the balcony of the outdoor dining room.   As we were leaving to go to Nairobi, I asked Eugenio, who picked us up, if we could drive down to get a closer look.  Of course he wanted to see Abigail's reaction to such a big animal.  As we drove closer, she saw it and began kicking and laughing.  We got out of the car and slowly approached it.   For some reason it was tied up.  We saw it was tame and got closer.  I was a little nervous that it would "eat my daughter", or spit on her.  It tried to sniff her and she giggled and kicked.  We started to get back in the car and she stared at it and whined as we drove off.  

Abigail is 1!

We celebrated Abigail's Birthday on April 14th.  We visited a shopping center in Nairobi and let her play in the BIG bouncy house.  She was a little nervous not having firm footing underneath her.  We also had to wait patiently for the other many kids that were playing in it. That was a little intimidating for such a little person!   She also went on her first "coin operated" car ride by herself.  The staff wouldn't let Mommy or Daddy ride with her,  they said we were too big.  She was a little nervous and held out her arms for Mommy.  Maybe we are trying to make her grow up too fast.  To attempt to ease her spirits from the car ride, we took her to get her FIRST ice-cream.  Daddy has been eagerly waiting to take her on an ice-cream date since she was born.  Mommy wanted to wait until her first Birthday as a special treat.  She wasn't so sure what to think about the cold sweet stuff we put on her spoon.  She gave a sour face and then ate some more.  I think she will be begging Daddy to take her on ice-cream dates when we visit Nairobi!

Abigail invited some of her missionary friends and MWP staff member friends from Nairobi to our guest house for a party in honor of her first Birthday.  We were delighted that some other missionaries to Sudan were also in Nairobi with their 3 young boys and could share this day with her.

Sweet Mama Helen let me use her kitchen at the guest house to bake Abigail's cake!

      

                                 Not so sure about this cake. . .  

"Am I supposed to eat it?"

                   

                                     "It looks better on the floor!"

Beautiful streamers by Kevin

Great Mei Mei Harmon gave her first REAL doll while we were in the states.  I saved it for her special first Birthday.  We named it Grace, after Abigail Grace.  She loved and kissed it!

Grandmommy and Granddaddy Young gave her first African Djembe drum.  She has so much rhythm.  Every time she hears music she dances, in rhythm.  One day I saw her crawl to her potty in our tent and turn it upside down to beat it.  I knew it was time for a drum!

  

                 She enjoyed playing with her party guests!

Update on the election. . . 

We have been awaiting news about the outcome of the election.  This election was handled very differently that any election we would be used to in the states.  The parties were not allowed to campaign until a month before the election.  We were surprised not to see any activity until right before we left Sudan.  President Omar Hassan Al Bashir made a visit to Torit followed by Salva Kir.  It was eery to have Bashir, such a powerful leader that has been indicted on charges of war crimes against the South, in our hometown.  We didn't go to see him, but Matt, our MWP staff member that was on the ground at the time, and Philip, MWP evangelist hopped on the motorcycle to see him.  They said he just shook his fists and people jeered at him.  It was kind of a joke.

A few weeks before the voting began, we were surprised to hear that the party in the south, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, pulled out of the running.  This left a sure win for the presiding president Omar Hassan Al Bashir as he had no one running against him.  Some parties have accused the president's party of fraud and intimidation to secure a win.

The voting began on April 11th and took place for 8 days.  There were many logistical problems and pockets of violence surrounding the voting.  James in Nyamlell has reported some violence.   Romano in Torit says things have remained peaceful.

There is a referendum that is scheduled to happen in January of next year.  This is to determine if the South will succeed and form its own government.

 We have been busy in Nairobi getting supplies to continue construction as well as personal supplies, visiting doctors, and enjoying some rest and a change of pace.  We are unsure of our return to Sudan.  We are encouraged to hear Torit seems stable after the elections.  We hope to book a charter flight home in early May.

Please pray: 

• for the peace of New Life Ministry and Nyamlell as well as the people of Sudan as they have experienced much political activity recently. 
• the continuation of building of Hope for Sudan and that our next shipment of supplies due to leave Nairobi in a few days will arrive safely.
• for our health and safety as we continue our work in Torit. 

Celebrating our risen Lord and the raising of Hope for Sudan!

  

  

The fence is almost complete and the first building is raised.

 We are happy to report that our fence is almost complete and we have raised the walls of our first building.  We will complete the gates to our fence and roof of our building upon receiving supplies on our next trucks.  The Hydraform blocks are working well and look really nice!  

Abigail will be our next builder!  She loves to watch the construction process and makes a great supervisor!

The Administrative building, our first building

Easter Celebration

Romano, our indigenous Director, gave the workers a Holiday Friday through Sunday to celebrate Easter.  He invited the workers, some community friends, and the village chief to an Easter feast.  We slaughtered a goat and had many dishes and soft drinks to share.           

          

It's amazing what feast can be prepared on a 3 rock fire!

Abigail helped prepare the meal . . .

and so did Mommy

The workers enjoyed playing board games together.

Romano, our indigenous Director, in red and orange.

Sudanese hand washing. . .they bring out the soap after the meal, to get the grease off.  

Serving the meal, big portions!

One of our watchmen, John

We enjoyed the meal and the fellowship of the workers.

Abigail is crawling and learning to stand, she will soon be walking.

Kevin greeted the guests and thanked them for coming

The chief of Moti encouraged and thanked the group for their hard work

We flew out of Sudan on April 6th to await the outcome of the Sudanese election.  We stayed the night in Lokichoggio, Kenya with MWP evangelist, Philip and his family.                     

                                                

Abigail enjoyed playing with Philip's 1 1/2 year old twins and his other 2 children.   

                                                                                                     

After we rested a night in Nairobi and went for a dentist appointment, we made our way to Lake Naivasha, Panorama Park.  We are enjoying a few days of rest and reflection as a family.  

The house we are staying in

                                                                       

Abigail enjoyed her dinner on the front porch watching the sunset.

More pictures of our time at the lake to come soon!

Under the Mango Tree

Kevin and I were discussing our blog and the significance of changing its name and the work here to develop this orphanage. We decided to change our blog name to “Under the Mango Tree”. 

            Mango trees are very significant in many ways.  They become a gathering place for people. Our blog represents a gathering place for people to enter in to our lives here in Sudan and the work of Hope for Sudan.

The trees are tall, big, and long lived. Not only do we have much land that God has given us, big and vast . . . our heart and God’s heart are BIG as we prepare to receive kids and build a LONG LIVED place for them to grow spiritually and physically. 

They are deeply rooted. We desire Hope for Sudan to be deeply rooted in God’s truth, character, and fruit for many years to come.

They produce sweet fruit.  Hope for Sudan will produce sweet fruit in the children.

Mangos have a mild sweet odor similar to the “Lily of the Valley”.  “Lilly of the Valley” is a symbol of humility.  Like Jesus in Phil. 2: 5-8, to do His work, we MUST empty ourselves, taking the form of a bondservant and humble our selves by becoming obedient to the point of death, to ourselves and our fleshly desires.  We desire to walk in humility and teach the children to walk in humility.

They provide shade for protection.  Hope for Sudan will be a place of protection and provision for those that are not forgotten. 

The fruit and leaves are traditionally used as floral decorations for public celebrations, religious ceremonies, and weddings.  Hope for Sudan is a celebration of life, provision, protection, growth, and peace!

            So, we hope that you will enjoy your visits with us “Under the Mango Tree”!