a fall day.

I don’t know about you, but I spent this lovely “fall” afternoon with…

Ironman and...

The Hulk!

For a special science project on October 31, these two fine heroes joined us in the kitchen as we whipped up some mean caramel apples.

 Peeling the caramels that my grandma sent in a care package (thanks Gigi!)

 Stabbing the apples as we melt the caramel

 Dipping the apples and waiting for them to harden

And eating a delicious treat!

Later in the afternoon, I took a walk to a nearby garden.  I visited this one months ago when it was only dirt and tiny little sprouts.  But now…

And then...

After throwing around a tennis ball, playing “Monkey in the Middle” with some friends, the river came.

  

I actually got to witness it coming and watched as the waves grew in size and as the waters reached further and further across to the other bank.

This tree was standing about thirty feet closer on this bank of the river when I moved to Paringa about 17 months ago.  Over time, the water eroded away all of the soil around it bringing it crashing down about a month ago and moving it along away from the bank to where it lies in the middle of the river now!

the rest of the trip.

Seeing the Queen was tremendously exciting, but the rest of the trip was just as wonderful and lovely!

Took a tour of Windsor Castle after seeing the Queen in person!

Off to Cambridge!  Took a tour of St. John's College.  

LOVED the Virginia creeper on the walls!

 Had a cappucino (for you, Bobber!) at Luton Hoo, 

a mansion that let me step into Pride and Prejudice

See the beautiful gardens!

 A day spent in London (like the picture, Tia Julie?)

 Ate lunch at a Lebanese cafe--best wraps ever!

Even had a tour of St. Paul's!  

We climbed all the way to the top of the dome in the middle and saw all of London.

"Mooched" around lots of little villages like this one of Bibury

Oh, autumn!

 And saw ruins of a manor house in Minster Lovell.

The last place we went to see was Blemheim Palace where a Duke and Duchess live.  

My favorite room was the library!

And finally, a special shout out to Steve and Janet who were, undoubtedly, quite the best hosts in all of England!  Thank you!

we went to London...

...and we saw the Queen!

Mindy and I went to England on vacation, and one day in Windsor we happened upon the Queen's unveiling of a statue created in honor of her diamond jubilee!

Waiting (with Mindy's Aunt Janet) for the Queen's arrival

 Her Majesty

The statue

We were right behind this lady with the pink shirt!

You can check out the details of what happened in this article from the Windsor Observer.

pray His Word.

This is God.

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.  And God said, "Let there be light,' and there was light."  Genesis 1:1-2

Though the enemy works, God's purpose triumphs.

"The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God...For God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ."  2 Corinthians 4:4, 6

May this be true of the Toposa people.

"Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.  For you know that it was not perishable things such as silver and gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect."  1 Peter 1:17-19 

 Pray through these verses on behalf of the Toposa of South Sudan.  Thank you!

eerie lullaby.

Dark.

It is time for bed and sleep.

But alas, once again, I hear the drums and the singing.  It is a strange and eerie sort of lullaby that, in no way, puts me to sleep. 

It is witchcraft.  The beating of drums and the chanting of songs by people with empty hopes.  The people in villages gather around a sick person and drum for three hours in the hopes that this will please the evil spirit and the sickness will leave.  Or people walk just outside the village to sing together, haunting melodies, in the hopes that it will be offering enough.

If they think the problem warrants it, they will also kill a black goat and have it lying beside them as they beat the drums and chant the songs.  Blood or feces may even be wiped upon the sick person, on the place on the person’s body where it is hurting the most.  Or the goat may simply lie there to protect them as they sing.

Every night.

As I go to sleep I hear this cry to emptiness, this empty effort to somehow gain the pleasure of empty gods, empty spirits.  How I yearn to let the Toposa know that there is another option instead of drumming for and singing to emptiness!

There is a life of fullness that could be theirs. 

An abundant life awaits those who choose to call on the name of the Lord.  

And a real and present and powerful God is here—listening.

“The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy.  I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.”  John 10:10

May this truth be my lullaby no matter how many drums I hear! Jesus brings life!

unstuck!

PRAISE GOD THAT BUCK IS UNSTUCK!!!

Our friends at Mango Camp, a tented camp in Kapoeta, were a HUGE help with the stuck truck.

1) They rescued Carrie and the volunteer from the truck before there was too much water inside.
2) They just barely kept the truck from tipping over completely and being swept away by the river.
3) They were able to get the truck out of the river to the other side!!!

The truck was filled with water, but Carrie and the volunteer got out before it was too bad (and Carrie saved the satellite phone that was in the glove box)!

Now, please join us in prayer as our friends at Mango Camp work on the truck to make sure everything gets in running order soon.  Water was coming out from everywhere.  Hopefully on Friday we can go and pick up a working truck!  Please pray that the river does not flow on Friday and that it does not rain in between now and then.  The "roads" are really bad right now.  Thanks!!!

On the other side of the river...those of us back on the compound had some rainy day fun!  We made American cupcakes from a box with American chocolate icing.  (It may seem like a small thing, but just throwing water/egg/oil into a bowl with the mix and plopping it in the oven was a treat!)  The boys played a game from Walker's school supplies, "Sound-O!"  (basically bingo with letter sounds), and then Mindy, Davis, and I took our chance with Monopoly Deal.

Oh, and Delilah is going to have puppies again.  We are having a competition to see who can guess the right number of puppies!

Also, thanks to some Toposa neighbors and their gardens, our kitchen seems to be overflowing these days with two vegetables that neither of us ate much in America...

Okra

Pumpkins

stuck truck.

Shannon and Carrie took both cars to Kapoeta today to take the team to the airstrip and to drop off Shannon's car to be fixed (the alternater belt keeps falling off).  They hoped to come home soon after that.

Well...naturally, their plans went awry.  For as you see, our truck got stuck in a hole in the small flowing river.  One of the team members and Carrie had to climb out through a window!  A large truck picked them up and brought them across to the Kapoeta side of the river.  

And then...the river flowed.  And it is still flowing, BIG TIME.  Shannon and Carrie are spending the night in Kapoeta.  We're here on the compound with the boys and Edwin.  And Buck the truck is sinking deeper and deeper into the mud in the middle of the flowing river.  

A video from a team member

But praise God!  The team made it to the airstrip on time to get to Nairobi and catch their flight home to America!  And praise God!  Because He is still very much in control!  Praise Him, because He still works in mighty ways when cars are broken down or stuck in flowing rivers!

A picture of the rescue from the truck

Please pray for wisdom as the Lewises work with people in town to get the car out when possible (whenever that will be!).  Pray for the boys to have a fun night at home and get good rest (they are great by themselves!).  Pray for Davis who is sick.  He's such a trooper!  And pray for Mindy and I as we head to the village tonight to continue sharing the Story Cloth with our friends.  Thank you!!!