to the Olympics!

Since we won't catch any of the Olympics, Mindy and I made this cake.  We did not plan this, but the white coloring worked out perfectly.  It's representative of the Olympic flag under which a South Sudanese marathon runner is competing!

To the Olympics!

welcome home.

God held back the rains, and Mindy and I arrived back on the compound an hour before the river began flowing!  (The flowing river would have kept us either in Loki or Kapoeta and prevented us from reaching the compound.)  We were greeted by Jonas, a friend at the tented camp where we left our car to be repaired during our Nairobi trip.  He held out his hand and said, "Welcome home!"

The trip to Nairobi was for a meeting with company personnel, and then some time for restocking!

 Here's the flowing river on the way out.  It went over the hood of the car, but we made it across.  We waited for seven hours until the sky looked like...

This!  The plane landed here and took us straight to Nairobi.

 We stayed with the jgirls in Nairobi before the meeting.  This is when we celebrated Mindy's birthday with breakfast!  I made/attempted to make coconut pancakes.

And we had strawberries!!!!!

 At the meeting, we helped to raise money for Lottie Moon Christmas Offering (which sends and keeps  m's on the field!).  Mindy and I got henna!

 This is what mine looked like as it was drying.

One night was birthday themed, and I sat at the March table.  Our table's decor was rodeo (hence the bandana) and our table decorator gave us all presents!  I got socks!!!  Which I was REALLY excited about, because my toes were FREEZING!!!!!

Traffic and roads in Nairobi are never a bore.

Birthday bash for four July bdays at an Italian restaurant!

 Fro-yo at Planet Yogurt...a Nairobi fave of mine.  This is me with Jessica, my roomie from training in Zambia!

 Emily and Mindy

The gang from training--Jamie, me, Jessica, and Anna-Grace

We started homeschool today, and it went well!  I realized how much I missed teaching for the past month.  It poured rain ALL day long, and the river is REALLY flowing (meaning it poured rain in the mountains too!).  Praise the Lord for a safe trip home and for the rain!

hypotenuse.

Oh how I long to take the shortest distance to getting things done!  But, the Lord sometimes delights in sending me the long way around.

As you know, there are three sides to a triangle.  The hypotenuse is the side that is opposite the right angle.  If its two ends were labeled A and B, the hypotenuse would be the shortest distance between A and B.  Travel along the other two sides to get from A to B would be over a greater distance.

I figure that American culture is definitely in favor of going along the hypotenuse.  The fastest way to get things done.  The shortest distance between two places.  The least amount of work required. 

In Toposaland, the culture naturally prefers taking the longer route, the other two sides.  Time does not matter.  Neither does distance.  And here, you have to do the work in full at all times—you can’t make half a house be a whole one, can’t leave a garden unattended and expect it to grow, can’t hope the cows make it on their own to the cattle camp and back.

I am slowly learning that spiritual life is like a triangle.  How many times do I want to say I’ve done something great for God so I do it by taking the hypotenuse, and get it done quickly?  How often do I make plans and chase them, hoping everything will work out just like I planned and in the perfect timing?

However, God takes me down the other two sides.  A lot.

I say, “Tomorrow we’ll go tell the AIDS stories in this village!”  And then tomorrow it rains.  We can’t make it.  Then the next day, the river flows, so Charles, our translator, can’t make it to the compound.  (Passing the right angle and making the turn onto line #2…)  Then, the third day comes around, no rain and no flowing river, and then God says, “Ok!  Today you will go tell the AIDS stories in that village!”  And we go. 

And it’s awesome.

For instance, we planned to teach the AIDS stories to the leaders (whom Shannon disciples) as they already are in the habit of taking what they learn and teaching it to others.  Plus, they are from many different areas around Paringa (where I live).  Finally, we set a date, and it went beautifully!  There were sixteen men present from ten different areas, and they were so involved in listening to the stories and in the discussion that followed.  They were excited to hear the truth about this disease, and they readily agreed to teach their families, villages, and groups that gather to hear God’s Word.  Praise the Lord!

On another note, I’ve waited for an opportunity to sit down again with Nakai and Lopir, my two friends with whom I shared part of the Story Cloth in Toposa.  Finally, today they planned to come over, and I planned to serve them biscuits and share the story from Creation to Christ in Toposa (as much as I have memorized).  Because of some other kids who were riling up the four compound dogs from outside the fence, the moment Nakai and Lopir arrived, the dogs came at full force to attack!  I had to shove them back outside and then jump outside the gate myself!  I tried sharing the story, but there were other kids that came and distracted us.  Still, I will extol the Lord at all times.

Taking the hypotenuse is easy.  Sometimes it is the best way to go, and God can work very fast!

But…taking sides #1 and #2 is also good.  And God has taught me that, sometimes, the slow and long way is even better.  

To wait.

And be still.

And watch Him work through every part of the triangle.

"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still...[t]he Lord is a warrior; the Lord is His name."

Exodus 14:14, 15:3