Sudan In Pictures

It's been months I know but I've finally managed to upload some pictures once again. I realised I haven't really said much about Sudan, I guess because finding the language to describe it is hard for a "blog post". They do say however, "A picture is worth a thousand words" so maybe it's best to just let my camera do the talking. I'd love to upload more but I could travel to America and back by the time the computer would have finished uploading. (eye roll)
So...here it is. Juba SS.



A New Style statement in "New Sudan" as a woman tries to find relief from the heat in the market




If you're caught taking pictures of the SPLA -Sudanese Peoples Liberation Army-, you could...lose your camera to say the least. So sometimes you need to get a little creative with some Bond moves.
Or just make friends with them...


The hot months arrived! To save ourselves from roasting inside, the beds were moved outside to where it's some what cooler

My fiery little kids bringin' the kingdom =)

Some of my fabulous little world changers that make any hard days easier

From the desert to the bushes and a short story inbetween

It seems to be the common topic of emails lately, "Where the heck are you?"
(I know, I often wake up in the middle of the night asking myself the same question ;)
So to solve the most FAQ: I'm in Northern Uganda now.

Somehow the north of Uganda became my haven and feels now like home so it's nice to be back briefly. Work is also never hard to find as I run around teaching classes at a Children's Center or working with a friend I live with and the seven teenage mothers and their babies that share our house. (Which is totally bliss as I am LOVING them to pieces)

One fabulous thing about the Children's Center that I wanted to gush about though, is the latest door that's opened.
So the GCM model is really about empowering and releasing kids to pretty much change the world with Jesus and lately I've been working with this group of kids who are absolutely fabulous. They just catch everything so quickly. As they learn about healing the sick it's sort of a given that we'd go to the hospital to practice what I've preached so I spoke to the staff. They not only said that door would be possible but they brought up a twist. They didn't see just any hospital but they brought up the military hospital, inside the barracks, having the little orphan babies pray for the sick soldiers. Haha. I'm sure many of you can imagine my delight. =)

We entered the barracks and were taken directly to the hospital. An adult on the team meeting us there I think was expecting someone...taller and as he walked directly in front of me I could hear him laugh about "Barracks being no place for women".
I just smiled. And what about the six kids "The woman" brought with her?
(It's totally safe, don't anyone hear the word "soldier" and go into cardiac arrest. Never was I or any of my kids in ANY kind of danger)
We got to the hospital and a guy shared for a while and then I got up to explain that the kids have lots of Jesus in them and that Jesus loves to heal the sick so if they wanted prayer we'd be passing from bed to bed.
Well...It was amazing. lol. I had so much fun, I can't even say. The kids were simply fabulous praying fearlessly for the soldiers and leading them to God's heart. I'm just devastated that cameras were forbidden. =)
My favourite miracle of the day was actually a lady we prayed for. I assume one of the wives of a soldier there. She had a severe case of HIV. Her body was disgustingly thin with what I guess were scabies that COVERED her from head to toe. She seemed depressed, in pain and I couldn't blame her.
With permission we all gathered around her and carefully wrapping our arms around her delicate frame, just loved on the woman as best we could. After praying we asked her how she felt and if she could, oh so carefully, test out things she couldn't do before. Immediately her face seemed lighter as she described ringing and pain in her ears that disappeared! She then started kicking out her legs saying "I could barely do this before and not without severe pain. My pain is now gone!"
She was soooo precious. Whether healed of HIV I don't know but her smile said it all.
We all left the hospital laughing with pure delight at God's undeniable goodness!

So yes. I love Uganda. Sudan is amazing but here compared to Juba is a cake walk and I'm enjoying it thoroughly.
Minus my house I guess. That's not always a breeze. lol. In the last week alone,
Our toilet stopped working,
we had an...unwanted visitor,(haha)
a mouse moved in to my cupboard and will watch me when I'm most vulnerable,
I almost died from a massive spider with hundreds of babies hatching from it's behind when we sprayed it with Doom (bootylicious...not so much ;)
and I got lost in the village as sometimes every hut just looks the same. (I felt like a puppy as I circled some of the same houses and people tryed to convince me to live with them. "It's ok. Come Come. You are welcome to live." ....um...maybe another time thx...)

So, brief life update. Congo border still on the brain, if you can take that hint ;) Kenya next week for TheCall Nairobi which is exciting as the Cali crew is coming and for those who know Nairobi, two words : Java House. =)

It ends well ;)

Sometimes when you witness something that's troubling, instead of processing we can fall victim to the vicious thing we call "self protection". I was told it'd be the only way I’d survive my hop, step and jump through the war zones. (For Kristen;) But with Jesus being my, well, everything, and love knowing "no bounds" I still think self protection isn't really an option. lol So yes, in other words - I cry a lot. ;) But another fabulous thing about Jesus, is with him, the tears always end with hope and smiling uncontrollably.
ANYWAY, I'd numbed my emotions for a little while but,
Last week I saw a little girl get beat. Or "caned". It was awful. It's technically common here but, uh. Just blow after blow. I tried to stop it but by the time I followed the screams and went through the barrier of people / translation it was over. Nauseated I was mocked for my opposition to the "discipline" and defeated I walked away.
Later the little girl (about five years old) was in my room (lol or...house should I say) and I needed to leave, emptying the room behind me. "No" she protested and gripped the chair tighter. Eventually to what I thought was no big deal, she was convinced to let go and follow me out the front door. No sooner than we exited however that she turned and wound up with a clenched fist and proceeded to beat me. Not like a temper tantrum but like "attack". With every hit there was such rage, something so much deeper than me going to the market. Suddenly I remembered her beating earlier and the flood of emotions returned.
Later that night I sat down with one of the ladies and spent hours hashing out theories of discipline and child rearing. (haha I know I'm not a mom but I've listened to Danny Silk's parenting teachings a dozen times)
By the end it felt like breakthrough as she relented that "Options ARE a good thing" and "There is another way other than beatings"
Now as fabulous as that is, yay for two less children being beat, it seems hard to forget the force to which the cane fell the other night on the little girls back. And arms. And head.
From one fight to another my thoughts somehow move to the latest Congo occurrences.
250, 000 refugees in two months, rebels taking over villages and the UN states there are reports of "rapes and acts of violence".
Good job Sherlock.
Slightly worse then a canning.
And so again I make the decision: No self protection.
This isn't just another "African Outbreak". Stats on a page. Would that little girls beating have affected me so had I not heard the thuds of the stick? BUT would it have made it any less real.
It just all makes me step back a little. The stories provoke an "upchuck" reflex of the brutal sexual assaults and children joining the army action cause life is somehow still worse on the civilian side.
The issue is so much deeper than the last two months.
Though...with Jesus it always end with uncontrollable smiling. lol. "Never Again". As horrific as it is, I can't conceal the giggle inside of me. This is our chance to write history. Sure the ball was dropped with Rwanda, Northern Uganda, Sudan...but not Congo, not this time. I'm oozing cheese I know I know but we're called the "Hero Generation" and I think this story ends differently. No complacency. "Evil triumphs when righteous men stay silent" No self protection. No silence. Sidelines are not our only option.
"There is another way other then beatings"

Anyway, it's been on my heart so it comes out in a blog. Guess that's serious post #2 though. Sorry. Try to think of something light to cap off with...A large spider in my shower, that only seemed to come out at night, forced me to bathe outside for a week. Ya, lets just say even in the dark...I still glow. lol.. I think I've solved the mystery to my many Sudanese suitors... ;)

-If this is the first time you've heard of the Congo fighting than you live in a bigger bubble then I do (which is saying a lot) and I suggest you turn on the BBC- ;)