detour.

On the way back to America, I took a little detour to visit a dear friend from college, Sarah, and her husband, Alessandro, in Milan, Italy.

I flew in over the Alps, all snowy and glorious!

A very, very early morning train ride to Tuscany where Ale's family lives

 Driving around Pistoia

And then off to Siena, my favorite town in Italy, where Ale and Sarah picked out photos for their wedding album and I meandered around and took pics.  

Pistoia on a lovely Sunday morning

Then, our train back to Milan was delayed two hours, so we hopped on an earlier one.  We barely got seats in the aisle, where Sarah thought it smelled terrible.  I guess the toilet breeze flows more in the aisles than in the booths!

We got back late that night, and the next few days I spent wandering around in the city of Milan.  Here's the Duomo.  Makes me think of drizzle castles in the sand!

I just love old castles, crumbling walls, and plants growing in rubble!

It was a splendid detour over to Milan, and I am so glad that I got to spend time with the Martinis!  Thank you again, Ale and Sarah, for letting me jump into your world for a few days!

i never thought i would...

-Communicate the truth of the gospel simply in another language without help

-Live with lizards and spiders and ants and rats and snakes

-Teach homeschool in a shipping container

-Drive through rivers in a standard truck

-Have ostriches and hedgehogs and chickens for pets on the compound

-Fall asleep to the sound of rain pounding on a tin roof

-Teach stories from God’s Word to a group of mostly naked Toposa men

-Answer “yes!” by only raising my eyebrows, lifting my chin, or clicking my tongue

-Wave to cows on the road and point out which ones are pretty

-Get excited about nice looking tomatoes

-Witness baptisms in a flowing, extremely muddy, seasonal river

-Walk in some type of feces every day

-Feel the pain of missing people back home so powerfully

-Become this desperate for God

-Thrive this far out of my comfort zone

-Spend nearly two years of my life in South Sudan

I praise the Lord, because even though I never thought I could, He always knew I would!!!

“Lord, You establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished, You have done for us...Your name alone do we honor...You have gained glory for Yourself...” 

Isaiah 26:12-15

celebrations.

A little extra on how our team celebrated Christmas and New Year's!

 A birthday cake for Jesus, each colored sprinkle symbolic of a characteristic of Jesus.  I added brown sprinkles, my favorite!  They symbolize Jesus as the Servant, the One True God who humbled Himself and came as a man in order to be Savior, shedding His blood, that those who trust and believe in Him might be made one with God again!

The after-shot of our "White Elephant" gift exchange - Mindy's dad who came to visit for Christmas joined in too!  I ended up with a razor, some Kenyan soap, and some very old dental floss still in the package!  Other gifts were things like charcoal, salt, and a crazy hat!

 Friends from Cuidad Nueva in El Paso wrote down things for which they are thankful on little slips of paper.  My mom sent them with Mindy's dad, and I made rings from them and strung them up in our kitchen!  Thank you to each person who said thank you!  I've told my Toposa friends that each one says "Alakara Nyakuj kotere..."  "Thank you God, because..."  One Toposa friend even shared something for which she is thankful, and we added her strip to the chain!

 Welcoming in 2013 with Davis...

 and Walker...

and...I think that's Mindy...

Our friends at Mango Camp in Kapoeta invited us over for a New Year's barbecue in town.  We ate the best shish-kabobs I've ever had, potatoes, garlic bread, chicken, popcorn, custard, and ice cream!!  Yes, we had ice cream in South Sudan.  Bruce at Mango Camp brought some from Nairobi and had it in his freezer to surprise the Lewis boys.  Yum.

Happy New Year!!!

a very Toposa Christmas.

 LALAWA YESU, LALAWA JIK!  

PRAISE JESUS, PRAISE FOREVER!

Christmas Day begins with sunshine, a difference from the two days before which started with rain showers.  We eat oatmeal and gingerbread scones and drink a cup of coffee.  Christmas potpourri from the states fills our porch with the smell of cinnamon.  Then, we lock up our tukels, toilet, shower, and kitchen as we are expecting to have guests on the compound after worship time under a tree nearby.  How many?  We do not know.  Yet.  We walk to the tree and greet those who arrived early.

 Girls from one area, ready to worship

Walker with Charles' daughter, Dorcas

Decked out for Christmas 

 The group around 9:00am.

We wait.  The small group forms a circle, and we begin to sing praise songs.  I am sad and disappointed.  The group looks like the one last Christmas, small and mostly made up of men.  But I know this group gathered is in itself a victory, so I sing along joyfully and am grateful for these believers who came to worship and pray to Jesus alone.

In the middle of a song, a distance sound whisks its way into our ears.  I hear it.  The pounding of drums, the stomping of feet, and the singing of a song.  But what song?  I think it must be a group headed for the other Toposa celebration, where others will be honored beside Jesus.  Surely, they are not coming here.  The words become clearer: "Acamit ayong kuwapa Yesu, acamit ayong kuwapa Yesu, acamit ayong kuwapa Yesu, nyabongari kaku nabo."  It is the Toposa version of "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus."  They are coming.  They are coming here.

I cry as I capture their entrance on video.  They come!  They come!  They are here to worship Jesus, their Savior!  They march around the small group and then join in our song.  They are only the first group to march in from a distance.  It happens again.  And again.  And again.  And again.  Each group marching in from a different area of Toposaland, led by a different leader.  Men come and women come and children come.  We sing and sing and sing for two and a half hours.  At 11:30am, the group looks like this... 

Somewhere between 400-500 Toposa gather under the tree.  

We listen to Luke 2 on the Proclaimer, the audio New Testament.  A Toposa leader stands to retell and discuss the story.  The people listen.  Even with so many in one place, it is quiet.  

Shannon stands and explains why Jesus came.  He tells of the fall in the garden, of the animal sacrifices that were not enough, of the promise of a Savior who would wash away sin.  He explains that Jesus is Savior and the only one who can bring people back into a perfect relationship with God.

We pray together.  Silence.  I can hardly believe that this is happening.

The worship time is over, but the party for Jesus does not stop here.  The leaders tell the people we will continue to celebrate on our compound.  Slowly, the Toposa trickle onto the compound.  We lock the gate; Shannon keeps the keys.

Mindy and I man the water hose.  The people are thirsty, but our water tank runs on solar power and we know that when the sun goes down there will be no more water pumped into the tank.  We let people drink, and then we turn off the hose.

Those who are not thirsty gather in groups.  They are believers and they are Toposa and they form circles and sing.  They dance, jump, shout, and blow their whistles.  

While most everyone celebrates Toposa-style, Carrie and our good friends cook a huge meal behind the house.  Three goats and more maize meal than you can imagine are made into a Christmas meal.

Maria, Nachebe, Regina, Regina, and Kine skin the goats

And stir the massive pot of maize meal

And sometimes I sit with ladies from Lolepan and sometimes I laugh with ladies from Nudwa.  Other times I join a Toposa circle and jump around in the middle with the other unmarried girls.  This is a different Christmas for me.  I am so glad I am here.

Mindy and I soak up sun on Christmas!

Nakai wearing her celebratory sunglasses

After a full afternoon of celebrating, all eat.  Five people or so share a bowl of ugali (think playdough-like grits) with goat meat and juice on top.  There is enough for everyone.  When they finish, they gather their things and head home by foot.

The cooks and some leaders and us on the Toposa Team do not eat while the people are still on the compound, but, once everyone else leaves, there are a few extra maize meal bags and goat intestines left over.  It is the perfect amount.

Jacob, Joseph, and Lokoyo

We eat and laugh and take silly pictures.  I am thankful to these Carrie and these women for their hard work all day over the charcoal fire.  The maize meal and the goat is delicious.

PRAISE THE LORD.  

Praise Him for becoming a man and for coming to die to restore you and me and Toposa men, women, and children to Himself.  Praise Him for giving boldness and courage and fearlessness to the believers and those that listen to His Word to make a stand on Christmas for Jesus.  Praise Him for a smooth day and a good day of fellowship and celebration.  Praise Him for His provision of food for every person that came.  Praise Him for being Immanuel, God With Us.  

Praise Him for He is good and He is glory and He is God.  

Praise Him forever.

from the journeygirls...

...who are "rockin' around Toposaland" this Christmas!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

cry, shepherds, cry.

As I thought about how God chose to declare the message of the birth of the Savior to shepherds, people I see out in the bush with their animals every day, He gave me this song about a few shepherds from His Word and even one here in Toposaland!

"Cry, Shepherd, Cry"

A young boy protects the lambs

From attacks by wolves and lions

His heart looks to the Lord above

This shepherd turned king

Heard a voice, commanding…

CHORUS 1:

Cry, shepherd, cry

Tell your heart message

To the One who listens to you

Cry, shepherd, cry

For one of your sons

Will reign on the throne forever

Cry, shepherd, cry

Cry, shepherd, cry

Men on the hills watching flocks

One night, so quiet then loud

Their eyes look to heaven above

These shepherds listening

Hear many voices, singing…

CHORUS 2:

Cry, shepherds, cry

Go tell this message

For the people listen to you

Cry, shepherds, cry

For the world must know

That the Savior is born tonight

Cry, shepherds, cry

Cry, shepherds, cry

A Jewish man, set apart

Teacher, Master, Friend, and Lord

His heart looking to Father above

This Shepherd the High King

Heard a voice, comforting…

CHORUS 3:

Cry, Shepherd, cry

Your death will be the message

For all those who will listen and believe

Cry, Shepherd, cry

This pain is temporary

For the salvation of souls many, once and for all

Cry, Shepherd, cry

Cry, Shepherd, cry

A Toposa boy, years later

Hears of that God man, that Savior

His hearts looks to the Lord above

This shepherd, a missionary

Hears a voice, encouraging…

CHORUS 4:

Cry, shepherd, cry

Proclaim this message

To all who will listen to believe

Cry, shepherd, cry

For as you have known

Christ is salvation alone, teach them

Cry, shepherd, cry

Cry, shepherd, cry

Cry, shepherd, cry

Cry out, you shepherd, cry

HAPPY CHRISTMAS EVE!!!

the One who made the stars.

I was anxious a few nights ago when we headed to the village gathering to hear God’s Word.  I greeted the people and joined them in song, but my heart would not be still.  I began reciting verses from God’s Word in my head and then mouthing them to myself while the voices around me sang loud.  I decided to fix my eyes on the stars, the millions and millions of stars sprinkled across the vast expanse of sky above me.  I joined in the Toposa songs again with my eyes still fixed on the stars. I realized we were singing a certain song for the second time, which is not abnormal at a Toposa worship gathering, but this time it was extra meaningful.

Nyakuj kang namere kangare

Ipoloto iyong eloit nyibore daan.

My God who made the stars

You are greater than all things.

And in the middle of the chorus, up above, where I was looking, a giant stream of extremely bright, white light shot across the sky, leaving a blazing white trail lingering behind it.  I actually stopped singing and blurted out loud, “Is this for real?”  It was more than a falling star, which is a pretty normal occurrence to see in the night sky. 

I researched online for a little while we returned home, and some websites say that it was a part of rock comet, a meteorite of some kind that gets close to the sun and then breaks into many bright pieces that resemble shooting stars.  Apparently, this happens every mid-December!

But it doesn’t matter what kind of matter it was.  It was God’s reminder to me to stay my gaze on Him.  He knows my heart and when I am feeling anxious about something.  And He is faithful.  Always.

“Be my rock of refuge to which I can always go;

give the command to save me,

for You are my Rock and my Fortress.” 

Psalm 71:3

He is the One who made the stars.  He is greater than all things, anything and everything that comes my way. 

And He is my God.