Under the Mango Tree

From the Bush to Bluegrass

2012-03-07T17:31:00.001-08:00

We have been enjoying a climate change to winter being back in the states. But, our bodies have been shocked by the cold weather and snow over the winter. This has been a big change from the 100 plus heat of Sudan!

Although we have not written a post in a while, we have spoken with many of our friends personally about the details of our changes. We made a hard decision in November of last year to resign from Make Way Partners. These last 3 months have been a time of transition.

While living in a tent in the bush of Sudan, we came to value sustainable and environmentally friendly living. Kevin has learned much about natural building and has begun to pursue these techniques. We traveled to Blacksburg, VA to reconnect with our "home" church and were very warmly welcomed. Some friends that attend the church, Bill and Carla Mcguire, began a block making company that makes similar blocks to the block program Kevin implemented in Sudan. We chatted briefly with Bill and Carla and pursued a partnership with them and another couple, Jim and Jean Ebel. The company is called, Builderscrete. Jim and Kevin will be forming the construction arm of Builderscrete called, Builderscrete Construction.

After giving birth to Abigail and hiring a doula for my birth, I became very passionate about birth and the services a doula provides. I had a desire to become certified as a doula but was not able to when we left for Sudan. I was honored to be a doula for a dear Sudanese friend's birth in Sudan. Her birth was powerful and amazing. You can read the story on a previous blog post, "Away in. . . the bush. . . No Crib for a Bed. . ." . I desire to support couples in their child bearing year and help them prepare physically, emotionally, and spiritually as they embrace the journey to parenthood. I am pursuing certification and serve the New River Valley including; Christiansburg, Blacksburg, Riner, Floyd, Woolwine and surrounding areas. I am also teaching child birth education classes. I believe every aspect of our lives, especially birth, has rhythm. I am calling my maternity care business, "Rhythm of Birth".

Kevin and I are both excited about this new chapter in our lives. Through all of the transition we have felt deep peace and grown together as a family. We embrace developing new skills and remain open to one day using them overseas.

We are excited about living near Floyd, VA. This small town is known for its one stop light and lively music scene and art culture. It is a major stop on the VA Heritage Music Trail. There is so much life and culture in this small town! Abigail and I stumbled upon a fun toddler music class at the famous Old Country Store and our family enjoyed a night of blue grass at the same store. There is music to enjoy all weekend and every weekend in Floyd.

Thank you for all of your support and prayers as we have made these transitions. We would love to hear from you and about your lives. You can contact us via e-mail or Facebook.

With love,

Kevin, Shalene, Abigail

Welcome Fall

2011-11-12T04:13:00.000-08:00

In Alabama, fall has finally arrived. After two years, Shalene and I are thrilled to see our first cool weather. This past Sunday we enjoyed grilling hot dogs in a local park while Abigail picked up pretty fall leaves and stuffed them in the pockets of daddy's cargo pants. We have also found some great leaf peeping drives. My favorite was the drive up Alabama route 25 from Sylacauga to Leeds, AL. More than once Shalene looked at me and said, "This is just like the Blue Ridge Parkway". This is such a special time of year because in Sudan there is no 'cool' weather. There is only really hot and dry, or very hot and muggy. Nor could we enjoy the beauty of fall colors, everything just seems to sublimely go from green to brown before you realize a change has happened.

I am stepping into my new position as the field coordinator for Peru. Make Way Partners has sensed God calling for some time to engage in South America. Now we are preparing to send a young missionary couple to Peru to find indigenous partners at work fighting trafficking. Whitney has worked with Make Way Partners for four years, and her husband David recently joined our staff. They are preparing to leave for Peru in February. Every week, we meet together to prepare both for the logistics of their departure, but more importantly to prepare our hearts for the work we will be doing in Peru.

You can join us in prayer. Right now, we pray for the many logistical details that David and Whitney will face in moving. They will have to find housing, transportation, and begin many difficult processes with a foreign system.

In prayer for Shalene and I, you can join us in giving thanks for the grace and renewal that God has provided through the coming of Fall.

Warm Greetings from Alabama

2011-08-26T18:56:00.000-07:00

Some of you know that we returned to the US in June. We did not announce this return because it was rather sudden, and after returning we decided to take a few weeks to reconnect with our mission community here in Birmingham.

Our return was prompted after some attacks about 40 miles from our home resulted in numerous killings and child abductions. Romano, the Hope for Sudan founder and director, asked us to fly out to Nairobi until we understood more about the violence. We left immediately, and upon arriving in Nairobi, I (Kevin) consulted with our directors in the US and they asked us to return to Alabama and spend the time working from our home office.

While we have been here, we have worked to evaluate what we have done over the last 18 months, and what we hope to do. We have recognized that Make Way Partners continues to grow, and the load that places on our staff in the US is growing. I have also recognized that I need to do less building design and construction and more spiritual formation.

In light of this, we have decided to stay in the US indefinitely. I will take on new responsibilities in our home office.

It has been very challenging for us to make such a significant decision so quickly. It also makes us sad to part with the great friends we have made in Sudan over the last 18 months. While sad to make this change so quickly, I am excited about the work that I will be doing with Make Way Partners, and I look forward to sharing more about it in the coming months.

The work in Torit will continue as planned. My work there has been to train local craftsmen in new building techniques. This has been successful, and Hope for Sudan will continue to protect and care for many children under Romano's direction.

I (Kevin) will return to Sudan to collect the personal belongings that we need to bring back to the US. I will be leaving tomorrow, August 27 and returning in mid-September. Shalene will not be able to make the trip, she will be remaining here to care for Abigail. I do expect that I will be returning to Sudan regularly for specific projects or trips with Make Way Partners.

Grace and peace to you,

Kevin, Shalene, and Abigail

"Trading Spaces"

2011-04-23T11:32:00.000-07:00

Before joining Make Way Partners and moving to Sudan, in my unrealistic image of the missional life, I said I would "live in a tent" if that is where God led . . . little did I know, that would become reality. When I saw the direction we were headed, living in a tent for probably a year with our 9 month old baby, the struggle to hold onto my American comforts and false sense of security began. Over time, the desire to live a comfortable, “"safe”" life was overshadowed by our deeper call and God’s aching heart to help His children vulnerable to slave raiders, poverty, and disease.

Many people have been amazed and interested in knowing, "How have you lived in a TENT with a BABY"? I was often surprised by this question because life became somewhat normal and tent living didn't seem very strange. We found the experience valuable as we observed the culture and weathered some of the challenges the Sudanese face by living outside.

After a year and 3 months of being in Sudan, our season of tent living has come to a close and we are very excited and thankful to announce that we have moved into our new house!! It has been amazing to see and hear the excitement of the people on our compound and the guys building our house. As we were preparing to move in, I passed the cooks and the guys building. They talked of the chai (tea) and the grilled meat we would share together in our house. They informed us of the traditional house opening party that happens when someone moves into a new house, so we invited the builders and the compound over for grilled meat, chips (french fries), and sodas.

Our prayer is that our house would be a haven of rest and peace for us and those God would bring to our door. We pray it may be used as a place for people to take part in our lives and us share in theirs.

We hope you enjoy our video tour!

Kevin, Shalene, and Abigail

Members of the United Nations Bring Joy to Hope for Sudan

2011-03-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

In the midst of increased tension and chaos in parts of Southern Sudan, members of the UN took time to visit our children. The UN began hearing there is a Kuwaijah "white" couple living in Moti working with orphans. They became very interested and paid us a visit. They observed the classes and viewed the dormitory. The group went back to their camp very pleased and excited about seeing the children's bright smiles and the quality of teaching they are receiving. One Sudanese member commented through a smile, "There is no teaching happening like this in Torit." Our teachers have been trained in Zambia and use an experiential teaching method as opposed to the repetition and memorization teaching method that is used in most schools.

"When you hear the "Boing" hop like a Kangaroo"!

Abigail singing to the top of her lungs!

Surprisingly, the next day, another group came to see the children and were also very pleased . . . and the next day, ANOTHER group from the UN came to visit. I began wondering, "Why all the attention from the UN suddenly?" I concluded, word had spread throughout the camp and the UN is excited and wanted all their members to see Hope for Sudan.

Kevin shared a few songs

Two ladies, part of one of the groups that visited, from Norway and the Netherlands, were very eager to tell us a Canadian UN police "is very good on guitar" and offered him to come play for the children. He and the two ladies came "off duty" Thursday and played songs, danced, listened to the kids' songs, and played a large game of "Duck, duck, CHICKEN"!

"Duck, duck, CHICKEN"

“Jesus Power. . . ALL over the World, Master Jesus, Jesus Come Lord”

2011-03-03T02:54:00.000-08:00

Team and kids at Hope for Sudan

Abigail blessing the children of Sudan.

These were the words echoed in the voices of the children of Sudan one night, sung with such beauty and strength; their feet stomping to the rhythm of the drum in a cloud of thick dust that lay in the shadow of the moon. Their bodies moved as one as they sang and worshiped their “Baba”, Heavenly Father, into the night. These children . . . the children of Sudan . . . the children of God . . . are praying for Jesus’ power to come ALL over the world, not just America, Australia, Canada, Europe, Asia . . . but ALL over the world! As they sang and danced, they stood in powerful intercession for the people of the world. These children, now some young men and young women, were not too long ago fighting for their lives in the bush as they watched their parents killed or die of starvation or disease. Now they are cared for at New Life Ministry near Darfur and Hope for Sudan near the border of Uganda. It was an honor to share a piece of dirt floor in front of their home as together we danced in warfare for the nations.

Abigail loves singing with the children.

The Make Way Partner’s short term mission team was here for two weeks holding a vacation bible school, medical clinic, and women’s ministry meeting. With over 600 children cared for through your support of Make Way Partners and hundreds of sick people seen by the medical team, it may have been easy to be overwhelmed by the numbers. Really, the overwhelming feeling we experienced was the amount of love that God gave us to pour on His people. Each team member has stories of how someone touched THEM and how they saw the Glory of God revealed.

Here is the story from Make Way Partners' team leader, Matt, of bringing Dr. Sivley, the dentist to New Life Ministry. . .

Elizabeth is a sassy child around thirteen years of age. Elizabeth is a bit of a “middle child” in that she is neither among the oldest nor the youngest children at New Life Ministry, she is at that in-between age. One year ago I was sitting with James Lual Atak when Elizabeth came walking up, obviously in pain. She and James spoke a moment in Dinka, then James asked me to look at her tooth. Sure enough, Elizabeth had a terrible cavity that was obviously causing her pain. The extreme malnutrition these children endured before coming under our care has resulted in teeth prone to cavities. James lamented to me that there was nothing to do for a child in this situation. I committed to James that I would bring a dentist “next year.” I know better than to make a promise like that, but I thought, “How hard could it be to find a dentist who will come to Darfur?” Well, it actually turned out to be a bit more challenging than I had realized! Thankfully, God led me to Dr. Mark Sivley of Abilene, Texas and Dr. Mark committed to join our team. Mark pulled many teeth and relieved much pain during our week in Nyamlel. When I saw Elizabeth this year I was so happy to see that Dr. Sivley had been able to pull that hurting tooth. Shes miled her beautiful smile, a smile no longer marred by physical pain. I sat down with Elizabeth and told her:

“Elizabeth, last year I saw the pain you were in because of your tooth and I knew that God was telling me to find a dentist to help you. Because of you, I went and found Dr. Mark and brought him here to help you and the other children. I am sorry that it took us so long, but I want you to know that God used you to show me this need – because of you, so many people have found help this week.”

I won’t forget the look on Elizabeth’s face as I shared this with her, via our wonderful student interpreter Mary Achu. Elizabeth felt so special as she learned that someone had seen her suffering and remembered her. This humble child assured Dr. Mark and I – “God will bless you for helping me. God’s peace be with you always, you have helped me and God will never forget it.” You can see precious Elizabeth and her beautiful smile, along with Dr. Mark, in this picture.

Dr. Mark pulled MANY teeth!

One of the amazing tasks of the team was to JUST see and be present to witness the life of a child. I say, “JUST” but seeing and being a witness in another’s life is no small task. It is a task that takes being still and present in one’s own soul.

Hundreds waiting at the door of the clinic

Women from the meetings prayed for the sick.

Indigenous Director James Lual Atak, telling the crowd to come back tomorrow.

Dr. Kim Sweet praying for a woman.

One day, as I was teaching the children crafts, I had the privilege of being a witness to a small boy. He had colored a beautiful picture of a butterfly that represented him as a new creation. He was so proud of his picture, but may have been embarrassed to show it. I looked up in the crowd that had gathered around me begging for crayons, and saw this little boy intentionally making his way for me. What stood out to me about this little boy was he did not have a huge smile on his face as if to beg for my attention. He came with a serious face and made his way quietly and calmly through the crowd to show me his picture, trusting I would “see” him. It was in the quietness of the moment that he knew he had been noticed and that is what his little soul needed. The image of him stuck with me as we, too, can come to Jesus, quietly and calmly, without forcing or begging, to be “seen” by him.

One of the boys with his butterfly.

The team had a very important theme at Hope for Sudan. They taught good hygiene and hand washing. I have spotted the kids washing their hands after the team has gone!

Morning assembly at New Life Ministry. Kevin, with Abigail on his back. He took care of her while Mommy worked in Bible school

Make Way Partners has a child sponsorship program. Audrey Moore is the coordinator. As a child sponsor, it is very important to write letters to the child you provide for. Each year, during Vacation Bible School, the team brings your letters and hand delivers them to your children. Here, Audrey is calling names to give the letters. To sponsor a child visit the website, Make Way Partners' Child Sponsorship program.

The children look forward to this day all year!

As I was thinking about the mission team returning to their home countries, I was reminded of a walk I had taken. Not in the hot sandy African bush, but in the climate controlled Galleria mall in Birmingham, AL. After Kevin and I had returned from this same mission trip 3 years ago, we were walking through the mall. As we walked, we encountered the stores packed full of everything one could want or imagine to take home and probably collect dust on the shelves. We listened to the jingle advertisement of the latest exercise equipment and the rumble and chatter of people who may not even imagine life outside of their comfortable world. My soul was reminded of the children we had “left behind” singing and dancing in the bush with joy that they had a roof over their heads, food to eat, and a Father God who loves them. I was reminded that there are many, many, more children alone in the bush without shelter, food, and maybe without the knowledge of a Heavenly Father. I was also reminded, as I stood in the climate controlled building with many choices of food at my fingertips, that even though I was in a comfortable place, the people I left in Sudan were still there dancing and singing in the hot dusty air and some in the bush scavenging for food and struggling to survive.

Daughters of the King

I think about the mission team's thoughts and how their souls may fit back into life in the Western World. I am continually thinking about how my soul interacts in my “home away from home” and in a different culture as we now remain in Sudan. That walk in the mall is now a memory as we are, too, part of the ones, joyfully, “left behind”.

Those that have gone back to your home countries, remember the children you met and the experiences you had and share the stories of the people of Sudan. Those whom have not yet come and are called to support and pray for, remember the children who have been saved through Make Way Partners’ children’s homes, New Life Ministry near Darfur, and Hope for Sudan, near the border of Uganda, and the ones desperately in need of rescue.

To view the picture albums from Vacation Bible School at Hope for Sudan and New Life Ministry, visit our Picasa Web Albums.

The whole team

There are many ways you can help and partner in saving these children. Visit Make Way Partners website to find out how.

"Away in . . .the Bush. . . No Crib for a Bed. . . ."

2011-02-26T11:27:00.000-08:00

Imagine a noisy, bustling hospital room, many people sticking you with needles in precarious places, all dignity lost, and all the modern equipment and medicine to bring life into this world.

Next, imagine a young, simple couple in a manger with the only witnesses to new life emerging, the animals it housed and Father God . . . no modern medicine, equipment, or fancy birthing techniques.

This was the picture I held as I approached the “delivery room” of a simple bush woman, a servant, a friend. In the stillness and simplicity of the moonlit night was a woman participating in the dance her body was created to do, give birth. There she was perched against her outdoor bamboo kitchen with her body held strong and dignified, squatting on a cement block as she prepared to give birth in the sand. A few sisters gathered around and simplicity was our companion and the grace and mercy of the Lord at our right hand.

The day of her delivery, the mother had been to our home (tent). I had taken her to her home with a load of fire wood. She left the vehicle at her path and hoisted the heavy load onto her head. Little did she or I know she would deliver that night. Women here have no way of knowing the sex of the baby or when the baby is due. They often wait for weeks expecting the baby to come any time. I was surprised to hear she did not have a “plan” for whom she would contact when she went into labor nor anyone to help her. I exchanged numbers with a pastor neighbor, since the mother has no phone, and went on my way. I got a call from that pastor at around 11:00 that night telling me to come and bring her husband, brother to indigenous director Romano, who was working and sleeping on our compound. We quickly and calmly gathered a few supplies, surgical gloves, sterile scissors, and blankets and loaded into the land cruiser bound for the laboring mother. I did not know if there was anyone to help her, but I had a peace that she and the baby would be ok and I would know what to do if and when I needed to do anything.

I was thankful when we arrived to find 3 women gathered around. The scene was calm unlike many other births I have heard about in Sudan. In my effort to try to “sterilize” the delivery, I gave the birthing companion the sterile gloves. Surprisingly she took them and struggled to figure out how to put them on. She managed to get one on when the baby came.

As Jesus was birthed in the stillness of the night and laid simply in a manger, this bush baby boy emerged into the night and entered into the beauty of life and the pain of a land ravished by war. The courage and strength of the mother were amazing as she eased her baby from her body. Her birthing companion sat beneath her with strong and graceful hands ready to cradle the baby as it emerged.

Holding the baby, one of the women took 3 pieces of plastic from a plastic bag and tied the umbilical chord. I brought out the scissors and motioned for someone to cut the chord. Well, that someone was me. I was nervous not really knowing where to cut. I asked and pointed, “Here?” The ladies nodded. The night air was cool so I quickly wrapped blankets around the baby while the mother waited to deliver the placenta.

I sat swaddling the little boy like, I am sure Mary, mother of Jesus, did on that still, peaceful night. The women and I joined in a quiet chuckle in celebration and joy of this new life we beheld. Father God was smiling as His hand had guided this life out of his mother’s body.

When the mother was ready, she stood gracefully and walked into her tuckle (house). I laid her baby boy beside her in swaddling clothes on the dirt floor.

Sadly, not all births happen this way in the bush. Often there are many, too many, women gathered around shouting, pushing, pulling and causing chaos. This rumble of activity, in an effort to be the one in charge, causes stress for the mother and causes her body to tense and work counter productively. Many unnecessary behaviors and preventable problems occur during child birth. With malnutrition and the lack of medical attention, in the event of an emergency, many women and babies die. I was thankful there were no complications in the birth I witnessed and no medical intervention was needed. The simplicity and grace of this birth were a beautiful miracle.

When I visited the mother and baby the next day, she informed me she and her husband named the baby boy Kevin.

Referendum and a time for rest

2011-02-24T02:46:00.000-08:00

Recently we were in Nyamlel, Sudan at New Life Ministries with our mission team. Early in the week, in the middle of the night, we were awakened by gunfire in the distance. Startled, we slept with one eye opened and our souls aware. This is not an unusual sound, but it usually brings concern. It was not until I returned to Torit that I realized the likely reason for the gunfire. It was in celebration of the referendum results.

Phillip and Linda Byler are the Sudan team leaders for mission agency, African Inland Mission. Here is a clip of their post on the referendum.

The last six weeks for South Sudan have been nothing short of AMAZING! Worldwide media predicted dire impossibility of a credible or peaceful referendum. Yet, while thousands around the world were praying, it happened in a quiet and beautiful way. Unanimously the international observers have declared the voting free, fair, and credible. Resoundingly the South Sudan people have pressed their thumbprint on the open hand and registered a vote for separation. Predictions are that over 95% have voted for separation from North Sudan. Meanwhile the international crisis against oppressive governments triggered by the Tunisia uprising has also
affected Khartoum by weakening their political clout against the south. One month ago, my best- case-scenario was not this good.

South Sudan will not officially become a new nation until July 9, 2011. Meanwhile they need continued massive amounts of prayer to achieve the challenges of creating a new African Nation out of the war
rubble of past decades. By God’s grace it can happen.

Kevin, Abigail, and I went to Kenya during the referendum process to stock up on supplies, visit the doctor, and take our first vacation living in Africa. We visited the port town of Mombasa, Kenya. We stayed in the African Inland Mission guest house on the Indian Ocean. It was beautiful and quiet. We recognized, though, we are in Africa and not FULLY able to relax. The guest house had tight security and, to get to the ocean, we had to unlock 3 heavy pad locks. We couldn't leave anything on the beach, even to go in the ocean, AND we were always stared at being the few white people in bathing suits on the beach. These are a few conditions we have to become accustomed to living in a different country.

We enjoyed family time and time for reflection of the milestone of the past year living in Sudan. A few of the highlights were a lunch boat cruise aboard the Tamarind Dhow, swimming in the ocean, walking out onto the coral reef, and Abigail and I watching Daddy fishing with a Kenyan guide in a dugout canoe.

We ended our Kenya visit by welcoming our mission team from the US and Australia. We flew back to our home in Torit with them to hold a Bible school with our kids at Hope for Sudan and New Life Ministries, in Nyamlel. The two weeks with them were beautiful.

Kevin, with class mates, in his bee suit

We flew out of Nymlel and the team dropped Abigail
and I off in Torit. Kevin flew on to Nairobi for a week-long bee keeping
course. He learned much and is eager to bring bees to "bee" the newest members of Hope for Sudan!

I will share more about the VBS and some pics on another blog post.

We have recently heard of pockets of tribal violence and fighting throughout Southern, Sudan. Please continue to pray for the peace of Sudan, the youngest nation in the world!

Blessings,

Kevin, Shalene, and Abigail

tis the season of . . . Anticipation

2011-01-05T20:55:00.000-08:00

As I thought about our Christmas season in Sudan, the word that came to me was anticipation. This season marks a year since we have moved to Africa. Last Christmas, we were in Birmingham, AL. Both of our families came to visit us and participated in helping wrap up our lives in the US, pack, and eagerly anticipate with great joy and fear our move to Sudan in early January.

The year was filled with anticipation as we awaited supply trucks to come from Nairobi carrying supplies for the construction, as we watched our fence being built to secure a home for the orphans, as we laid our first brick to begin Hope for Sudan, as we little by little made our home and anticipated building our permanent home, as we anticipated the arrival of the land cruiser, as we eagerly anticipated the end of the rainy season so we could bring the land cruiser to the compound, as we anticipated the arrival of our diamonds, AND as we came full circle and again anticipated the celebration of the coming of baby Jesus.

In the first few months of living in Sudan and in anticipation of all these events, I sensed my soul begin to loose sight of the beauty and value in the simplicity of our every day pioneering life. I was encouraged to keep my focus on what the Lord wanted to teach me in each moment of each day. My soul began to come alive as I became still . . . waited, listened, and observed the people, events, and life around me. The anticipation I felt was exciting, but it was in the small "happenings" of daily, simple life in the beginning stages of Hope for Sudan that began to deepen and enrich my soul.

In part of my anticipation of Christmas in Sudan, I thought about some traditions we could begin as a family. Before leaving Alabama, I made an Advent Christmas tree to count down in anticipation the birthday of Jesus. In the evenings, Abigail crawled up in Kevin's lap as he read the advent scriptures and then excitedly put the numbers on the tree. As we have anticipated and made many preparations for our "babies" to come to Hope for Sudan, in celebrating advent, we shared in the experience of the Israelites anticipating and preparing for the coming of baby Jesus.

I had a Masai man in Nairobi make our 6 ft. Christmas tree out of banana fibers. Abigail and I made decorations and we squeezed it into our tent.

Abigail enjoyed opening some gifts from family.

She saw the ball on the Santa hat, got excited, and said "ball". She LOVES balls!

With every pump by hand to get water from our well, we anticipated the arrival of our electric pump. On Christmas Eve, Kevin, missionary Phillip Byler, and some of our workers spent the day installing a new electric pump and erecting a water storage tower!

Christmas morning, I ran over to the dormitory to capture the moment of our children receiving their first set of new clothes on Christmas. I didn't know how significant this was until we took a drive into town later that day. We passed by people that, the rest of the year, wore filthy tatered rags. It felt like we were driving through a card with almost everyone we passed, having new, very bright and clean clothes and shoes. They experience great joy to wear bright beautiful clothes for that one day a year.

As the kids dressed, they anticipated going to church under the mango tree to celebrate Jesus' birth . . . and to show off their new clothes and shoes! Abigail greeted them all and then placed her chair right in the middle.

The kids formed a dance group and they presented us with song and dance.

Kevin told the Christmas story.

In the evening, two Catholic missionary priests, Father Harold and Father Sylvester from the US came with some local youth to show an animated video of the birth of Jesus.

The priests brought coloring sheets of Mary holding baby Jesus and crayons. This was probably the first time any of the children had held a crayon. The kids caught on quickly and colored beautiful pictures!

The priests, Romano, his wife Susan and boys shared a Christmas meal of grilled meat, mashed potatoes, deviled (angel) eggs, and pineapple upside down cake with us around our table.

The season was a beautiful celebration of the many anticipations of the year and culminating the year in anticipation of the coming of our Lord!

A time for Family

2010-12-10T03:00:00.000-08:00

We continue to welcome more children into our family at Hope for Sudan as we, and pastor Tito and indigenous director Romano, welcome their families!

It is normal in African culture for families to be separated for many reasons, maybe jobs or schooling. Tito and Romano's wives are finishing their educations in Kenya with their children. We deeply admire Tito and Romano's family sacrifice for their wives' education.

We are excited to have Romano's wife and 2 boys here for the holidays. We are hoping Tito's family can join us as well. Abigail and the boys are playing, laughing, and fighting like siblings. It is a joy to have this time to knit our hearts together and bring more children into our family at Hope for Sudan.

Romano's wife, Susan, and I baked a pineapple upside down cake for our families.

We traveled to Tito's home village called, Lohitoke, to pick up more children. We now have a total of 31! It was special for Kevin, Abigail, and me to go with Romano and Tito to pick up these children. They are from a beautiful village located on the side of a mountain. We visited some other missionaries that live on top of the mountain. We hiked up to their houses, a hike they make everyday to go to the school where they teach. The beauty of the mountain could be deceiving as we approached a traditional dance circle on top of the mountain. Our guide, a missionary living in the village, told us of the witch craft and evil that is practiced. Though missionaries have lived there for many years, there are only a few devoted Christians in the area. Many villagers have one foot in the church and one foot embedded deeply into witchcraft. This is true for many African villages. The missionaries expressed their discouragement as they have been praying and longing to see Jesus embraced in that village. Please pray for the missionaries there, and us, for wisdom in sharing the hope of the gospel as well as the people of Sudan to have the courage to leave their traditional ways and embrace Jesus.

5 children packed into the land cruiser with Romano, his wife, Tito, 2 other men, Kevin, Abigail, and me. THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM FOR ONE MORE in the vehicle in Africa! One of the girls squeezed in between Kevin and me in the front seat. I had Abigail on my lap. Both exhausted and feeling secure with a "mother" fell asleep in my arms. I think Abigail's presence helps to ease their fear of going with these "white people" for the first time in a car. We ended the 2 hour ride with Abigail sitting on the girl's lap clanging heads together as we glided over the bumpy road . . .laughing and chatting!

Romano, Tito, and 2 of the children.

Kids running to meet their new brothers and sisters!

Kevin hung curtains on the dormitory . . .

. . . and then took a break to play football "soccer" with the boys.

As I approached this group of children, I heard them repeating and singing, " A . . A. . .B. . . B. . . C. . . C" . . . Lino, our new teacher, was holding class under the tree. I thought back to the conditions these children had come from where they were struggling to find food. Now, because of your help, they are in school learning!

Remember our big pumpkin patch? The cooks wanted me to teach them how to make pumpkin soup. I did it the Sudanese way, without a cutting board, counter, or fancy kitchen gadgets that they won't have when they make the soup themselves. They loved it and said it tasted like meat. That is a compliment here! This will be a nutritious meal for the kids.

We took a trip to see Susan's, Romano's wife, family in her home village. We met "under a mango tree".

Susan, her son Samuel, and I enjoyed a coke her family brought to us.

Abigail made many friends!

A traditional gift to give guests is a . . . chicken. Susan's sister presented us with two.

"THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM FOR ONE MORE"

As we approach celebrating Christmas here, the children, as well as the adults, have stopped me and asked for new clothes and meat for Christmas. Kevin and I have discussed how we remember feeling the stress of finding the perfect gift for someone who had everything OR didn't need anything. For these children, their simple request is an article of clothing and a bite of meat.
As you are in the thick of the busyness of Christmas fast approaching and probably stress of finding that perfect gift, think about giving the gift of sponsoring a child through Make Way Partners http://www.makewaypartners.org/child-sponsor-main.php to provide, not only clothes and meat for these children, but, education, shelter, medical care, love and the hope in Jesus Christ.
Your gift can help us care for "ONE MORE" orphan.

Blessings of PEACE in this season!

Thanksgiving in Torit

2010-11-28T22:27:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Thanksgiving two days this week.

We have a huge pumpkin garden and a pile of pumpkins we have harvested. These are a few I saved to make pumpkin pies on Thanksgiving.

On Thanksgiving day, Abigail and I made a turkey out of a toilet paper roll. As missionaries, we learn not to throw ANYTHING away! You may see towels covering bowls on the grill in the background . . . those are rolls rising in the sun.

Kevin smoked some ribs to share with the Kenyan workers and staff. We shared why we celebrate Thanksgiving in America and told them we traditionally gather with family and EAT EAT EAT!

On Saturday, we gathered at the Bylers' with other missionaries and pastor Peter and family from church.

Our table center piece, complete with Abigail and my toilet paper roll turkey and a Hokie Bird (VA Tech's mascot, Kevin's alma mater). A short term missionary left it at the Bylers' house and it made Kevin feel at home!

Who needs Starbucks? I was craving a pumpkin spice latte. So, I found a recipe and made some to go with our appetizers out of the leftover pumpkin. One of the missionaries from Canada brought some Canadian smoked Salmon (my favorite!) We ate it on some crackers the Bylers' brought from the states. These are treats that are hard to come by, rare, and travel MANY miles to grace our tables in Sudan!

Our Thanksgiving . . . tur . . .chicken. This is also a very rare find in Sudan. There is a new restaurant in town run by Arabs that has wonderful chicken. The local chickens running around our compound are too tough to enjoy. The restaurant sold these whole frozen chickens to us. Linda Byler made stuffing and stuffed the chickens and baked them in her charcoal oven. They were GREAT!

Kevin is our traditional tur . . .chicken carver.

Phillip Byler carved one of the tur . . .chickens.

Debra is a new missionary with African Inland Mission from South Korea. She is here working with local street kids now living on the African Inland Church compound.

Phillip and Linda Byler enjoyed hosting our Thanksgiving meal.

Philip Byler asked us to find a symbol around the house or yard that symbolized what we are thankful for. I chose a picture of a little child. I am thankful for Abigail and our children that have come to Hope for Sudan. Kevin chose his cell phone. We are both thankful for our means of communication. A few more feet from our compound we would be out of cell phone and internet range and have to use a satellite phone. I often think about that not too long ago missionaries in Africa had little to no communication with their friends and families in their home countries.

After our meal we gathered around and sang Christmas songs and lit the first candle in the yule log (a few days early) to celebrate the beginning of advent.

The Yule Log

We ended the day with a piece of pumpkin pie from pumpkins out of our garden.

Abigail enjoyed putting her hands in the cake and pie and helping herself!

We continue to be thankful DAILY for you, our friends and family, who support and pray for us, the staff here, and the kids.

Opening Celebration of Hope for Sudan

2010-11-23T08:58:00.000-08:00

Massies, director Romano, dorm mother Mary, and children

On Friday, we celebrated the opening of Hope for Sudan!

Moti, the compound dog, guards the children.

The children watched in anticipation as Kevin and I decorated the dormitory. Husbands and wives don't usually work together in this culture. We take opportunities to try and model a Godly relationship of service and love.

They all received new clothes for the celebration. It was beautiful to see them modeling!

Marching, with their new chairs proudly on their heads, to the ceremony. Guests and staff eagerly waited to honor them!

Taking their places as the honored guests in the front row.

Our mission is not only to care for orphans but to provide jobs for widows. Our dorm mothers are widows that, in this culture, have no hope of remarrying. Therefore they have no one to provide for them. They are happy to have a new family and care for the orphans. Above is our dorm mother, Mary Amo and cook, Itofa.

Kevin gave a greeting and shared our years of preparation and story of coming to Sudan. The word amazing has been a theme in our marriage, with an AMAZING God bringing us together to do AMAZING work. Now, it is AMAZING to see the fruitfulness!

Children led the way entering the gate with the community support behind them!

Director Romano, pastor from African Inland Church, and Minister of Education Peter dedicated the dormitory.

The minister of education, Peter, cut the ribbon. He is a Christian and very supportive and willing to help us and give in any way he can. He shared that he wants to help us find the "best" Christian teachers.

After the ribbon cutting we had a little fun with an "over under" game using a balloon.

We had teams of men, ladies, and children. Missionary, Phillip Byler, headed up the men's row.

The ladies in their skirts had a tough time putting the balloon through their legs. The object of the game: LAUGH! Mission accomplished!

We presented a cake to the children.

The Lord has instructed us to care for His precious diamonds. They are His treasure and a gift to us. We symbolized this with the children cutting the cake, which is contrary to the culture. The culture caters to the adults and the children are often treated as inferior.

In the evening, Kevin and I honored and thanked the workers who have left their families and come from Kenya to build Hope for Sudan. They have worked hard and have a passion for protecting these kids! They had a generous portion of, their favorite, Nyama choma (grilled meat).

Make Way Partners has a child sponsorship program. Our goal is to find sponsors for each child which will enable us to care for more children. For an orphan, sponsors become family which not only financially cares for him or her, but also may be the only one to pray for him or her by name each day. You or your church could become family to one of these children! To find out more about child sponsorship, visit Make way Partner's website http://www.makewaypartners.org/

Our Diamonds have come!

2010-11-16T23:52:00.000-08:00

Opening of Make Way Partners' children's home

Hope for Sudan!

First time to enter the gate of Hope for Sudan!

Because of your prayers and generous support, we joyfully announce the arrival of our Diamonds!

The first Dormitory

At 7:00 in the evening on Sunday, I heard the sound of the land cruiser honking through the bush to enter the gates of Hope for Sudan for the first time as Romano, our compound Director, brought our FIRST group of children to live here! I quickly grabbed my camera to try and capture the moment of these kids coming to their new home. Our dorm mother, Mary Amo, our Kenyan workers, that have diligently worked to finish their home, and Kevin, Abigail, and I welcomed the children with open arms. It was special to me to see the men pick up the kids as if they were their own!

Abigail greeting her new brothers and sisters

The first group greeting the second group

Our new family!

Romano showing their home

Welcome to your new home!

Mama Mary showing their beds.

Mary immediately stepped into her role and showed each child the first bed they have probably ever slept in. I could sense much emotion in them and one had tears running down his cheek. In the exciting moment, my heart began to break as I know they were scared and sad to leave the only comfort they have ever known, though traumatic and harsh.

Proud Romano with "his" kid.

"Hey, I want to play with you".

Excited sis just kept greeting them!

Taking a drink.

On a bed for the first time.

The Kenyan workers, guards, Kevin, and Mary began to split fire wood to heat water for the children to bathe. One child, 5 years old, quickly came out of the dormitory and dipped his head into the bucket of water to drink. Romano told us he had to walk about 8 miles to reach where he was meeting Romano. When Romano found him, he had fallen asleep on the road. Exhausted and hungry they all fell asleep on their beds.

Plenty of food!

When dinner, complete with meat, arrived to the dormitory in the evening, Mary and Romano woke the kids up to eat. They had been very quiet and shy upon arriving, but when the food came, they became hungry, vibrant children . . . the silence was broken! They had never had meat before. One boy put a piece in his mouth, made a sour face, spit it out, and handed it to Mary. With a chuckle, she took it. He didn’t know what to do with this foreign food in his mouth.

More children came Monday. The boys were excited to try out the top bunks. They had to be shown how to climb the steps on the end of the bed. They proudly looked down at everyone as if they were really on top of the world!

Abigail and I spent the afternoon playing with and observing the children interacting and watching the staff caring for them. Mama Mary began right away teaching the children to wash their hands before they were served food and teaching them to wash their dishes. As they sat eating, Mary led them in repeating their numbers and ABC’s in Arabic AND English. They played a game of pointing to their facial features. When they got the answer correct, they were told to sit under a shade tree as their reward. They are learning quickly they will be loved, cared for, fed in plenty, and educated.

Next group of kids having their first meal at Hope for Sudan.

They shared their food with Abigail.

Flowers Kevin brought and my cake.

The evening ended with sharing cake with the children to celebrate their arrival and singing a song they had learned in just their first day. Unbeknown to them they came for my Birthday party too! They were wonderful gifts for our (Kevin's on Wednesday) Birthdays! The children had full bellies with 2 BIG meals AND a BIG piece of cake.

Telling the children about cake.

Helping Romano show it!

They were repeating the word "cake".

Romano enjoying a big piece and the leftovers!

Thank you all for doing your part to build the Kingdom of God! Visit Make Way Partners' website http://www.makewaypartners.org/ to learn of ways you can help bring more children to a safe and loving home. Please pray for the children as they transition into their new life. Pray for the staff as they care for and teach the children. Continue to pray for Sudan in the upcoming referendum.

Kevin is going to Nairobi

2010-10-26T00:21:00.000-07:00

Kevin is leaving this Wednesday (tomorrow) for a short trip to Nairobi to research some electrical supplies that are needed here that will go on our next supply truck and to take care of some other business. He will return on Monday.

Abigail and I are staying in town at the Noble's (other missionaries) so we can be closer to the market.

Please pray for Kevin's travels, for our time as we are apart, and for the continued work here to remain on schedule to move the kids in very soon.

Diamond in the Rough

2010-10-19T10:19:00.000-07:00

Kevin and I were sitting around our table enjoying some down time on Sunday afternoon when some men approached the compound needing our "ambulance" service. They had carried a young woman they had found collapsed in the bush from sickness. It had rained heavily during the night and throughout the morning. The road was, AGAIN, full of water and the tractor (ambulance) has been grounded for about 3 weeks awaiting a part to come by plane from Nairobi. So, the tractor was unavailable. We loaded the woman into a beat up clunker of a truck (we are VERY surprised it runs) and loaded the guys, who would carry her across the river in a hand made stretcher, and their bicycles. I squeezed in on top of their bikes with Abigail on my back. As we drove through the bush, Abigail and I had to lean different directions to dodge the many branches and thorn bushes that had grown into the road. I had to keep repositioning my hands as I struggled to hold on. I looked down at my left hand and my diamond wedding ring caught my eye. "Diamond in the rough", I thought. . . "Diamond on the back of a dirty beat up truck, driving down a very rough road." Then my focus was drawn to the sick woman in the front of the truck. SHE is a "diamond in the rough".

This phrase is used to describe someone that has hidden exceptional characteristics and/or future potential, but currently lacks the final touches that would make them truly stand out from the crowd. The phrase is metaphorical and relates to the fact that naturally occurring diamonds are quite ordinary at first glance, and that their true beauty as jewels is only realized through the cutting and polishing process (Urban Dictionary).

She, in her "unpolished state" DID stand out in the crowd in her need for help. She, like a diamond, when "seen" and recognized through the "rough" exterior for her heart and true beauty, is worth far more than jewels in the eyes of Jesus.

The phrase kept ruminating in my soul throughout the day. The Lord spoke to me, "YOU are a diamond in the rough".

"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away". Isaiah 64:6

As I try to do "good deeds" to help the people of Sudan, I recognize they will fade away and are filthy rags in comparison to Jesus and His Glory. I must allow His spirit to work in me to etch away my uncleanness and impurities to reveal His beautiful treasure in me.

Our children, that we will be caring for soon, are certainly "diamonds in the rough" waiting to be discovered, seen, refined, and valued as children of the King. We pray each child will allow God to polish them as they grow and find their true beauty and place in the Kingdom of God. Through your support and prayers, you are partnering to help polish these precious diamonds!

Here is a little diamond being polished as she learns of Jesus' love for the people of Sudan and the joy she brings to them!

Daddy surprised Abigail with this dress from his trip to Ethiopia. We had some professional photos made in Nairobi and JUST got them by plane yesterday! She is looking more African . . . even with her pink crocs!

We are getting closer to bringing "diamonds" to Hope for Sudan!

The workers are putting the ridge vent on the dormitory. This lets hot air out of the building to help keep the kids cool.

The almost complete dormitory with the workers finishing the trim around the windows.

Please keep in prayer for the kids moving in soon and the upcoming referendum in Sudan.

For where your treasure is . . .

2010-10-04T01:21:00.000-07:00

Many people have wondered how we can leave the comforts of our home in the states (although they are very nice to have) and come to live in the bush. . . . with a baby. We have continued to feel at home here and God has given us the grace and wisdom we need to weather the storms . . . literally! Little Abigail has begun to recognize this as her home, even after spending much time in Nairobi, and she LOVES playing with the animals, children, and in our front yard and kitchen sand box! She has also become the greeter for our compound.

As we have written in our recent blogs, the last few weeks in the rainy season have posed its challenges for the roads and transportation. We have experienced many mechanical problems with our vehicles as well as "stuck in the mud" problems as we waited patiently for the Land Cruiser. Recently, Kevin, Abigail, and I took a walk to the market. The 6 mile trek wasn't for pleasure. With the motorcycle failing to start, the tractor needing maintenance, and the road being impassible; we had to walk to get food and a battery for the motorcycle. When I think about comforts of home, I miss good roads and good vehicles the most. Upon arriving to

Sudan

in February, I watched people walking long distances with nothing but a piece of plastic in the form of a flip flop hanging from their feet and huge loads of food and firewood on their heads and many a baby on their back. My soul began to struggle. I felt sad for them in their "hard life" and had never known what it was like to be without transportation. I was thankful for the tractor, motorcycle, and beat up truck . . . and then, they failed me.

As we began to prepare for our walk, I was tempted to whine as I may have months ago. But, I realized walking that distance was not much different than the many hikes we have been on for pleasure. I began to even get excited about it. As we walked, I was able to slow down even more than we do in the tractor, and observe the culture around me. Through their laughter and stares at these 'white people' walking, I began to get more of a glimpse of their persistence and determination through their "hard" life and struggle.

The people of Sudan have been through MANY difficult times. It is hard for me to imagine facing what they have as we try to grasp for what physical security we can here in the form of, transportation, good shoes, good rain gear, bringing extra food and supplies from Nairobi as well as our only TRUE source; Jesus for our guide, peace, and comfort. . .

I have read this passage of scripture many times in Matthew 6: 19-22:

¹⁹"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. ²²"The lamp of the body is the eye; if therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.

. . . it has become more real to me as we have begun to make our home in

Sudan

.

The word in the above passage that stood out to me is CLEAR. I wondered what the word meant in this context. It means prudent, knowing how to deal with fellow humans in the circumstances of life. . . the circumstances of life. . . that our whole body be full of light. Through their difficult circumstances, many people of Sudan reflect light and hope in their eyes as they find their security in Jesus.

We are anticipating more transportation problems at the end of the year, this time not from mud but from the government changing the taxation policies and the border being thrown into chaos. We hope to be able to purchase as many supplies for the construction and get them across the Sudan border before that time.
Here is an excerpt from Make Way Partners' President, Kimberly Smith, about how you can help in this need . . .

            “To fill the need in both Southern Sudan (Hope for Sudan orphanage) and Darfur (New Life Ministry) we are trying to raise $255,000. There are three ways you can help. First, pray for the orphans, indigenous staff, and the missionaries who serve them. Pray specifically for their focus to remain on God as their provider and source of security. Second, consider what financial contribution you and your family can offer to protect the orphans. Third, there has never been a better time to introduce the work of Make Way Partners to other friends, family members, co-workers and your church and giving them the opportunity to offer tangible love to an orphan.” Visit http://www.makewaypartners.org for more information.

Thank you for your prayers and generous support through Make Way Partners as we continue building His kingdom to house His precious children.   Please continue to pray for the people of Sudan to have wisdom, hope, and peace as they face a crucial time in their government in the upcoming referendum.

Through the tough rainy season, the building continues!

Kevin comments on some new technologies he has researched and is now implementing . . .

A picture of the first dormitory receiving it's lid. What is the shiny stuff between the metal roof sheets and the trusses? Nothing short of space aged technology right here in Moti. This is reflective insulation, like what astronauts have in their space suits. It is designed to reduce 'radiant' heat entering through the roof. What a difference it made! We laid the insulation before lunch and after the break the
workers didn't want to get out from under it.

One of two latrines under construction. Where's the pit you ask? Well these won't have a pit because they're composting latrines. We'll mix the waste with lime and leaf matter to make a rich compost. This will keep us from filling up a latrine every year; after one year, we'll clean it out and start over (I think we need to take volunteers for this job). Other people using this system say that it almost eliminates flies also. I sure hope that it lives up to all of the reports I've read. We are working diligently to move children into the Dormitory as quickly as possible. For this to happen, we must finish the roof, the windows and floor, and two latrines and the bathhouse.

Road Trip

2010-09-25T21:59:00.003-07:00

Romano's wife and kids pose in front

We have been needing and waiting for a Land Cruiser since we arrived in February. We purchased this one from Austria from a Catholic Trading group called BBM. It just took a while to ferry it here.

Again, this was a miracle journey . . . and a challenge! Eugenio, his wife Jane, an electrician to work with us here, and Romano left Nairobi after very carefully and securely packing and tying the cartons of supplies in and on top of the vehicle. They even took very good care of a "Christmas Tree" that I had a man from the Masai tribe make for us out of banana fibers. It is about 7' tall and posed to be a big challenge to wrap it for potential rain and pack it on top. But, once again, a delicate piece for our house survived the long rough journey! Abigail and I will enjoy making memories as we make decorations for it.

Eugenio and Jane stopped their 'Land Cruiser' journey at the border town to Sudan and Romano and Peter continued the journey to Torit. We were getting reports along the way that they had made it further and further and then cleared both borders with no problems. Romano said that just the day before the border patrol had not let anyone pass. He chuckled that they arrived "just in time" and they were able to pass. A God thing!

I asked Romano if they had encountered any rain on the trip. They had a tarp over the supplies on top, but I was still concerned that some things may have gotten wet. Again he chuckled and said, "No, people were laughing at us and couldn't believe it had not rained on us the whole way!" But, they did get stuck in the mud and had to, literally, repair a rickety bridge by changing around the boards to drive across a river. From the pictures the vehicle was tilted and I am surprised the boxes on top didn't slide off. Romano said, "They were packed very well." . . . it took a while just to cut through all the rope to unpack everything.

When they arrived to Torit, they called and Kevin and the guys jumped in the tractor (Praise God it is out of the mud) and went to meet the Land Cruiser. Romano had to park it on the Torit side of the river, and Kevin parked the tractor on our side and they had to completely unload the Land Cruiser in a river of water and mud to the wagon to bring the supplies to the compound. We have to keep the Land Cruiser in Torit until the rains end and the road is dry enough to bring it to our compound. So, we patiently continue to wait for "good" transportation in Moti.

Thank you all again for your prayers. I am convinced they are the only reason this trip was so smooth and your prayers have saved us much this week!

On the Road Again!

2010-09-23T10:31:00.001-07:00

Many thanks to Shalene as she has made a few posts recently about the tractor getting stuck. Lets see if I can fill in some of the details. The tractor is significant because right now, we are using it to bring water, stone, and sand for our block making, mortar, and concrete. Our construction work will stop without it. The river between us and the Town of Torit has risen so high with recent rains that no vehicle can pass. Normally if the tractor broke down, we would visit the market and find a truck for hire until the repairs could be made. Or when a vehicle is stuck, we could go to town to hire a truck to help pull it out. But the town is cut off right now.

On Saturday, we left to pick up Romano’s father who had broken his leg when a land cruiser ran his bicycle off the road. We reached about one mile from him when we sank into a soft, muddy place in the road. I worked with another man for five hours, but we couldn’t free the tractor. With no water or food, we could not spend the night there, so at 6 pm we started a 10 mile walk back to our camp. Fortunately I had a satellite phone and called for a friend to come on his motorcycle. He met us about half way home and the three of us bounced and slid through the dark to our camp.

Monday we sent twelve of our workers walking the ten miles to the tractor while I made preparations with our crew leader for the rest of the compound. We started work early Monday afternoon after about an inch of rain had fallen. We worked until dark, lifting the tractor with a jack and making many trips on foot carrying stones and logs to squeeze under the tires. We tried many times, but the mud was too strong.

Bush ambulance . . . Mr. Oguma waiting to be lifted into the wagon.

I could tell all of the workers were disappointed and discouraged. Everyone was dirty with no extra clothes and few provisions for the night. We walked a mile to the nearest village to sleep for the night. I awoke many times that evening hearing thunder rolling in from some distant source, praying that rain would hold off. Daybreak saw us back at the tractor and after a few hours of work the rain began to fall again. We decided to make another try before the water began to rise. I climbed aboard the tractor and rocked it back and forth, trying to get the traction to move forward. Each wheel slipped in turn as the tires grabbed one stone and then another. One inch it a time, we crawled until it was clear we were on solid ground. Joy and cheers broke out as we celebrated our small victory. But we turned quickly back to our work because now the tractor was parked on the opposite side from our home. The only way home was back across the same treacherous ground. We worked feverishly in the rain to rebuild a road of logs and stones that would support the weight of the tractor and prayed as we inched across it. We walked to the village to finally pick up Romano’s father and eight of us took turns carrying his stretcher the mile back to the waiting wagon. By this time, so much rain had fallen that a river flowed where we once worked to free the tractor.

The ride home required that we cross many more now rain swollen rivers, and a few times I was worried we might get stuck again. One was so high that it flooded our motorcycle and we had to load it into the wagon to carry back home as well. As we arrived home, the clouds parted and the sun started to dry our clothes, but our spirits were already lifted that the job was done.

As we arrived to the compound, Shalene, Abigail, the guards, and the dog gave us a warm welcome and Shalene had made a big pot of pumpkin soup for all of us. Romano’s father had some heartfelt words for Shalene, “My children have helped me and they have not even eaten for many days because of me, I thank God and you”. After spending five days in pain in the bush, these words were full of so much gratitude.

Unfortunately, we learned that Romano’s father has broken his hip. His healing will require many more months, and it is uncertain right now what treatment may be available for him unless he travels which could be a very painful journey. Continue to pray for him as he seeks the appropriate treatment.

Hallelujah!

2010-09-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

That is the best title I could come up with! It was music to my ears today to hear the tractor coming way off in the distance. After rain ALL day, and literally just in the nick of time, Kevin and the guys got the tractor out of the mud! They had to carry the man with the broken leg to the wagon and then take him on to his son's compound near Torit for the night. I will share more of the story later. . .right now, I need to welcome my husband back!

Thank you so much for all your prayers. It TRULY was a miracle!

Love,

Shalene

Continue to pray!

2010-09-20T11:06:00.000-07:00

Romano and our Kenyan logistician Eugenio are leaving Nairobi tomorrow driving our Land Cruiser to Torit! We have been waiting since January to have one for our compound. Please pray for their safe journey and that the road from Torit to Moti would be dry enough for them to drive it to the compound. That road may be the most difficult in the journey. Also, continue to pray for Kevin and the guys trying to get the tractor out of the mud. Kevin just called and said he and Thomas had a rainy motorcycle ride out to Makuru. It has continued to rain making more mud and making their job more difficult. The guys worked until dark to get the tractor out. Kevin said he thinks they are close. Hopefully. . .tomorrow! The tractor is a vital part of our construction and remaining on schedule for building the first dormitory to take in kids in October.

Thanks for continuing to stand with us in prayer!

Love,

Shalene

Tractor or . . . ambulance?

2010-09-19T10:06:00.000-07:00

Romano, our indigenous leader's father rode his bike to our compound last week. He came up to our kitchen and introduced himself to me. It was an honor to meet him. He is from a village called Mokuru about 10 miles away. On his way back to his home, a land cruiser came whizzing through the bush. He didn't see the land cruiser until it was right up on him. He scrambled to get out of the road and wrecked his bike. He is an old man and his bones are weak. He broke his leg pretty badly. Romano's brother, Thomas, works here on our compound. He got word two days after the accident that his father had broken his leg. On Friday morning he came to Kevin to ask him for help to bring his father to the Torit Hospital. The only vehicle we have here that would make the journey over the long wet road is the tractor. Kevin noticed the tractor had a flat tire. By the time they got the tire fixed it was too late to make the trip. Thomas left with one of his brothers that has some nursing training to go help treat his father. He had almost reached the village of his father and stopped the motorcycle to examine a stream crossing. He tried to restart the bike and the battery was dead. He sent the nurse on to his father and Thomas started to push the bike back. 5 hours later, he returned to our compound. He had pushed the bike 8 miles over many steep hills. What persistence! The next morning, Kevin and Thomas ate a hearty breakfast of pancakes and eggs, packed their back packs of water and food, and set out for Makuru. We knew it would be an all day trip, we didn't expect them to return until dark. The nurse walked back and came to our compound informing me that he had seen the tractor and they had reached Makuru and they were on their way back. I breathed a sigh of relief and expected them home at around 6:00. Shortly after, Kevin called from his satellite phone and said they had gotten stuck and had been digging for a few hours to get out. Some men in the village took a stretcher that our welder had made and carried the father to the tractor in hopes they could get unstuck. Unfortunately they did not. They were going to start a 10 mile walk back and would return at around 10:00pm. Ugh! The nurse had just assumed they made it to Makuru because they were so close when he left them. It was discouraging news. Our two Kenyan construction workers had been in town most of the day. When they returned they were surprised Kevin wasn't back. They immediately began trying to figure out what to do. We have an old clunker of a truck here and they began searching for the keys and trying to start it. They had to charge the battery and it started. But, the clutch didn't engage. Wouldn't help much. Simon, one of the Kenyans, heard a motorcycle coming and walked out to meet him. It was Paul, one of Romano's friends. Kevin called Romano in Nairobi and asked him to call Paul in Torit. He reached Paul and sent him to get Kevin and Thomas. Kevin did not know he was coming. When he reached them, they had walked about half way (5 miles). The road was bad and muddy. The bike went down once, but they made it at about 8:30 pm. Kevin tried to pay Paul for his fuel and for making the trip. Paul refused it. It was VERY nice of him. Some guys that help us out demand more money. But, God sends us other guys that graciously help us for nothing. Kevin was pretty muddy and tired when he approached home. Thankfully I had made him his favorite peanut butter cookies AND brownies for him to come home to. Sadly, he informed us the tractor is stuck pretty bad AND Romano and Thomas' father is still out in his village. Kevin plans to try to get the tractor out on Monday. Please pray they can. . .they may have to wait a few months for the road to dry out before the tractor will come out. The tractor has already been used several times to carry people to the hospital. It has been a life saving vehicle!

Thank you for your prayers to retrieve our tractor and for the man with the broken leg to recover.

There is no place like home

2010-09-15T01:20:00.001-07:00

We arrived back to Torit on Monday at around noon to a very warm welcome. Well . . . the road wasn't very "warm". When our plane landed, Kevin called for a motorcycle driver to take him to Moti to our compound where he picked up the tractor to come back to get Abigail and I. We were waiting at the Nobles' (other missionaries here) house and having some lunch. They had flown in with us after a break in Nairobi. Kevin came for us at around 3:00 pm and we loaded the tractor with our luggage, passed by the market to get some chicken for dinner, and began our long slow trek back to Moti. It is only about 3 miles away, but on the tractor it usually takes about 45 minutes. Not this day. We were able to navigate through some of the mud filled road. We picked up some women carrying their load on their heads and Kevin had filled two 800 liter drums with river water for the compound. I felt like we were riding a slippery surf board. I was watching the road closely so I could discern which way to lean as we slid over the road. And then, the trailer tilted. We were stuck in a huge mud hole. I thought the trailer would tip over. I called for Kevin to stop the tractor and he helped Abigail and I jump out of the wagon. We assessed the wheel in the mud and Kevin walked back to the river to get some guys to help bail the water to make the trailer lighter to be pulled out. He came back and chuckled, "It will cost more for me to have this water bailed than it did to have it filled." Through prayer and bailing the water, we were able to pull the trailer out and get home before dark to unpack our tent enough to sleep in it.

Even though the wagon rides are a little nerve racking, I am able to slow down and take in the culture around me. My soul is alive with many thoughts and wonderings as we drive over the long bumpy road. It was heart warming to pass by the villages and see the kids run out waving and smiling calling Abigail's name. A thought stood out to me as I looked down watching the road pass under the trailer, there are many foot prints in the sand. Some are bare and others have various shoe prints. Each of those prints are leading some where . . .to the market for food, to the woods for firewood, home to a family. Each print tells a story of someone who is valuable and has a place in this world. Those feet may never step out of Torit to have many of the experiences we in the western world may have, but they are a valuable and a cherished part in the Kingdom of God.

We were warmly welcomed back to our compound by the workers and Moti (dog) and Mango (cat). They were so excited to see us and especially Abigail. Moti stayed glued to me as Abigail and I pet him and she kissed and hugged him. It was very special to see her so delighted to see them. She knew they were hers and that we were home. Mango and Moti took their places back under our feet and begging for food. Moti found his place in front of our tent to bed down for the night to guard us. It is nice to have our little family back together again!

The cook's kids came over to greet Abigail and play with her.

A Farm in Ethiopia

Kevin and Romano visited a farm in Ethiopia called, Genesis Farms. Genesis Farms is the result of a collaboration between American and Ethiopian investors, and a mission group called "Double Harvest". They have 150 acres of vegetable farming, a dairy barn, and 30,000 laying chickens. Around 600 people work there every day. It is an amazing ministry to the community, incarnating the gospel through just business practices and regular teaching. It is also a very profitable business, hence the mission's name, "Double Harvest". They have graciously agreed to donate drip irrigation equipment to us for 5 acres for our future farm at Hope for Sudan. Currently our market is supplied with vegetables being carried approximately 500 miles from Uganda and Kenya. Producing local vegetables will provide fresher produce to our community, provide jobs, and improve the selection in the local market. We hope that with our vegetable production, we will be able to provide adequate nutrition to the kids, as well as sell enough to purchase food items which we don't produce. We are so excited about what Kevin learned to have a successful farm here!

These tanks flood the seed trays with water once a day as the plants leave the greenhouse and await planting.

We enjoyed our time in Nairobi and some special treats. Kevin and I found a nice place for a dinner date with live Jazz. Eugenio, our logistician in Nairobi, and his wife and daughters enjoyed an evening with Abigail.

As I said in my last blog entry. . ."There is no place like home". I have found that very true. We do lack many "modern" comforts that we have in the statse and in Nairobi, but we love our home here and the openess it provides. As we sat down for dinner the other night, I smiled as I could watch the sunset from our out door kitchen. We will soon begin building our house that will provide running water and a kitchen sink!

I will share an update and pictures of our construction progress soon!

Please continue to be in prayer for the selection of the kids that will fill our first dormitory, for the staff selection, and the upcoming referendum intended to be in January 2011.

Flying home tomorrow!

2010-09-12T10:24:00.000-07:00

Hello family and friends,

We are flying back to Torit, Sudan tomorrow. Please pray for our trip as you go to bed tonight!

We will post a blog update soon of some highlights of our time in Nairobi and of some of what Kevin learned in Ethiopia on the farm he visited.

Love,

Kevin, Shalene, Abigail

From muddy streets to TRAFFIC!

2010-08-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

I am sitting on a comfortable couch (something I miss in Sudan) listening to horns honking and cars whizzing by on the busy streets of Nairobi. We arrived in Nairobi last Wednesday and I am still trying to decide if I like the smog filled streets of Nairobi or the dirt (mud) filled streets of Torit better. As I try to cook in our tiny closet of a kitchen in our temporary apartment, I tell Kevin, “There is no place like home”. I think I like my bush kitchen better, even though I like having running water!

We are in Nairobi for a little while in hopes to accomplish much. Kevin is continuing his work to shop for supplies and technologies to build Hope for Sudan and our house, he and Romano will be visiting a farm in Ethiopia for a two week training on drip irrigation to be implemented on our compound, he is also looking for a class to maintain his civil engineering licensure, we will be visiting Drs. for routine check-ups, and we will take time out for fun and rest as a family.

Preparing for our trip to Nairobi posed its challenges. A few days before we left, the tractor would not start. The battery was dead; the alternator was out and was not charging the battery. Some of the guys brought the generator to it to charge the battery. It started. The next day, the day before we left for Nairobi, Kevin rushed into town in hopes of finding an alternator for a land cruiser. When he returned, he saw Garang, the guy who had driven the tractor out to get sand 45 minutes from the compound, and no tractor. Concerned, he asked him where the tractor was. The battery was dead and they couldn’t start it to bring it back. Kevin breathed a sigh and shifted his plans to finalize last minute details before leaving for Nairobi and started trouble shooting. He received the news that the tractor was stuck while standing next to a truck that had been left on the compound by another mission agency. The light bulb went off! He “borrowed” the battery from the truck and he and Garang balanced all 150 lbs of it on the motorcycle. Did I mention it is the rainy season?! This was all happening in the middle of a rain storm complete with big thunder and lightning. As I watched them drive down the road trying to hold on to the battery, I began to pray. A few hours and much rain later, I heard the motorcycle return. Kevin informed me the tractor was on its way behind him! Whew! I told Kevin I had been praying and was thankful to see him AND the tractor. He said, “I was praying, too, that we wouldn’t get struck by lighting”. When they returned, Kevin sat down for a quick dinner and then, by headlamp, began to change the alternator at 9:00pm. The alternator fit but he didn’t know if it would work until the battery had time to charge the next day. Praise the Lord, He has given Kevin the technical AND mechanical skills needed to trouble shoot so many problems here.

While Kevin was being mechanic, I was doing laundry and cleaning out our storage boxes that had gotten wet from the rain and letting them dry in the few hours of sun we had. When we go away, we pack up our outdoor kitchen and storage boxes and put them inside our tent.

The day of our flight, the tractor started! Praise the Lord! We loaded our bags into the trailer. We made our way down the road to Torit to meet our plane. It had been raining hard all evening and morning. We had to cross about 100 yards of water that was probably up to our waist. A 4 wheel drive vehicle would not have made it through. The tractor and trailer were our only means to make it to catch our plane. We were very thankful the tractor started that day!

Another one of Kevin's mechanical "projects"

This was our first time meeting Tito's wife Edwina and son, our partner with Hope for Sudan. Edwina is attending a University in Kampala, Kenya. She will finish in December and join Tito in Torit. Romano is in the middle.

Edwina taught me some Sudanese dishes and I taught her how to make "smashed" potatoes. She said she had always wanted to learn. . .not hard! We cooked a big meal for Tito, Romano, and Kevin as they met and planned for Hope for Sudan. It was nice to share my kitchen with her!

I caught Mango and Moti sleeping on the job! Can you see Mango by the basket? They were sleeping in the same position.

Hope For Sudan is coming up!

All of the steel is ready to simply bolt together when it arrives on sight. It allows the construction to go quickly.

Here is the frame for the first dormitory!

Giraffes!

Remember my blog post about the symbolism of giraffes? Go back and read about their significance. They are my favorite African animal. We decided to take Abigail to meet this amazing animal.

She enjoyed feeding them.

Visit our You Tube page to view some videos, http://www.youtube.com/my_videos. I am uploading a back log of videos now that we are in Nairobi with a faster internet connection.

There is much buzz around Sudan about the upcoming referendum. This is a vote that will decide whether the South will succeed from the North and form their own country and government. This is a critical time for the people of Sudan. This vote is supposed to happen in January. But, we never know if votes will happen on time. Please stand with the people of Sudan in prayer as they approach the referendum.

So close!

2010-07-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

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!