So close!

On Friday morning, Kevin and I were discussing at breakfast wondering if the truck could make it through the mud from Torit to the compound. We were not sure where the supply truck was at this point. After about 3 weeks of eagerly waiting for the truck to come from Nairobi, Kevin received a call that it had reached Torit the night before and wanted to wait till morning to make the trek over the rough road to Moti.  It was 7:30 a.m. and we were getting ready to have our morning devotions with the staff.  Kevin excitedly jumped on the motorcycle to go to town to meet the truck.  I waited back at the compound with camera ready and to receive a call that the truck was close.  I wanted to be ready to get the shot of them driving on the compound.  About an hour later, Kevin called and said they wouldn't be coming any time soon.  They were STUCK in the mud.  It IS the rainy season.  They were also delayed by the police in town saying they did not have the correct paper work to be in Torit.  Jackson, one of our staff, talked to them and they let the truck go.  A 6X6 truck from World Food Program came to pull the truck out of the mud.  Then. . . on to another mud hole.  Stuck AGAIN!   This time, Kevin got the tractor from the compound and made about 6 trips to unload the truck to lighten the load.  This time, the tractor was able to pull the truck out.  It went a few feet. . .and, you guessed it, stuck AGAIN!   The guys came back to the compound, it was dark.  The drivers and workers walked the rest of the way, they were only about half a mile from the compound, to try again in the morning.  We were all disappointed to not have the truck safe on the compound, but glad it had made it this far.  Saturday morning came and Abigail and I decided to ride the tractor to see the truck and get pictures.   Romano hired the World Food Program truck again to come and pull it out. The tractor took one load to the compound and while they were unloading, HERE CAME THE TRUCK!  I had just sat down to nurse Abigail and heard the truck coming.  I jumped up and got the camera to get the shot I had waited all day on Friday for.  The men worked hard to get the supplies that were left unloaded, including a hydraulic dump trailer.  Kevin took an inventory of the supplies.  There was joy and disappointment in seeing the supplies.  Working with tools and machines in Africa has its challenges.  There often seems to be a problem or something missing with having the right tools and fittings for machines.  Kevin found this to be true with the supplies.  It is difficult to purchase supplies from another country and ensure that we get what we need.  There were some supples missing and fittings that didn't work. When supplies come from so far away, it is difficult to replace them or get the ones that will work. Thankfully they were small things. Thank you for all your prayers for the safety of the truck and the drivers!

On his way to meet the truck.

The second place the truck got stuck.

The first of 6 trips to the compound with supplies.

On our way to see the truck stuck the third time.

here it is. . .

Unloading HEAVY steel. . .in the slippery mud. . .

. . .more steel.

Kevin assessed the puddle to see if the truck could pass through that way on the way out.  The sand is firm and may be more passable.

The shot I had been waiting for!  It is FINALLY here!

Unloading at the compound.

Lifting the dump trailer to CARRY it off. . .

very slowly.

The tractor pulled it the rest of the way.

Abigail, Moti, and Romano enjoying the rain!

Mango, the new addition to the Massie compound!

The Bylers brought him to us from the Nobles, other missionaries here.  He is in training to catch the many mice and lizards around our home.  He already fits right in with our other "babies" Moti, the dog, and of course Abigail!

Lord of the harvest. . .

This scripture came to me, "Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out the workers into His Harvest", Matthew 9:38, as we were harvesting our first spinach of the season.  We are very excited about having spinach.  We were used to eating much spinach in the states and had not been able to get any here.  Jesus is the LORD of His Harvest as He Has sent His workers here to build Hope For Sudan. Our garden is a symbol of the Harvest He has planted.  

Sweet corn sent to us from the US by a teacher friend from the school where my mother teaches.  Thank you!  Sudanese only grow field corn here and it is really tough on our teeth.  It is almost ready to harvest. 

Tomato plants

On our way to harvest the spinach

Beautiful, bright, straight from the garden, spinach salad!

What would you do for a . . .date?

Okay, so I stole the jingle from Klondike.  Shalene and I took off on the motorcycle Saturday for a date.  We dropped off Abigail at a friend’s house and visited the hotel in town for a cold drink.  As we left for the hotel I saw big dark clouds in the southern skies.  Not a good sign, but not enough to deter us.  We finished our cold drink and saw the sprinkles starting outside.  A quick stop for Abigail and we started our dash back to camp…just a little too late.  What was light rain as we left town turned into a deluge half way back.  We rode the motorcycle through a small river that usually serves as the road in dry weather.  When we got back, we were so soaked that we decided we needed to take these pictures.  It was a good thing we left town promptly, as I discovered when I tried to return later in the day one of the small creeks we have to cross had swollen from a puddle you can step across to a waste high river in an hour’s time.  And what of Abigail…I think she slept through it all!  

The innocent and the soldier. . .

Last week we house sat for the Bylers, other missionaries here, while they were in Uganda for a week.  Our laundry helper and her sister came to do our laundry and brought their baby girl.  I sat in a chair with my notebook and pen in hand to listen to the women talking and trying to discern what some of the words they were saying meant.  Abigail and the little baby (that I can't remember her name, let alone pronounce it) were joyfully playing on a mat beside us.  I heard some rustling, people chatting, and vehicles in front of the house and at our gate.  Recently, a gate was erected around the entire airstrip that is next door to the Byler's compound.  The Byler's were given a key to the gate because they, as well as all of us missionaries, come and go by plane and receive mail often by plane.  HOWEVER, they were apparently the ONLY ones to be given a key and it was received by the gardener.  So, we didn't know who had given us the key.  A United Nations soldier came to the Byler's gate and asked me to open the gate to the airstrip.  I didn't feel it was my responsibility to be the gate guard and knew that the Byler's were not always home to be able to open the gate when people needed on or off the airstrip.   I told the soldier I was surprised the UN did not have a key and firmly stated that they needed to get their own and then opened the gate.  The sacred moment in all of this confusion and misunderstanding, was when I returned to the backyard where the ladies were doing laundry and the girls were playing on a mat.  I saw a beautiful picture of a Bangladeshi soldier smiling through the fence at our innocent babies.  He even called his other soldier buddies to come and look.  Neither of them spoke Arabic or English and were trying to say something to us. We couldn't understand.  I looked up at the other mother, shrugged my shoulders and smiled as both of us watched these men with machine guns smile and coo at our babies.

A UN Helicopter (I borrowed these UN pictures from a friend to give you the idea).

A Mission Aviation "MAF" plane.  The Byler's home is in the background to give you perspective of how close the planes land.  

The building of Hope for Sudan continues!

The kitchen for the orphanage.  The walls and roof are complete!

Simon, our welder from Kenya, welding doors and windows for the buildings.

Kevin planted an herb garden.  He has been planting some fruit trees and other various "African" trees for the compound.  He is really enjoying being a farmer!

Remember the oven Kevin designed?  Our compound cooks, Grace and Margaret, daughter, and administrator (for translation) came to our kitchen for their first baking lesson.  I had to use a coffee mug as a measuring tool and proportion each measurement according to it (they don't have measuring cups).   We baked a basic loaf of bread.  When it was done, the cooks were a little nervous about tasting this "white woman" bread.  I told them it was bread just like they can get in the market.  I hope they will agree to come for another lesson and I will watch them make the mix.  We desire for them to learn to bake for the staff and the kids!

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