Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Repurposing, Shepherding, Developing, and Growing

A photo essay on the last few days...

On Saturday Acacia and Liana were just being sisters waiting for the MAF plane to land. =) We welcomed old and new friends from Arua to our compound for the weekend as they came to attend to the installation of the new Bishop of the Lui Diocese.


We arrived in Lui on Sunday morning for the installation of the new Bishop right around 9 am. The service was set to start at 9 am and we walked into the cathedral around 9:10 as the opening songs were ending. They were very serious about keeping time for the celebration.

Lui has a long history of faithful men and women serving God starting with Dr. Kenneth Fraser, the first missionary in Lui. He is buried next to the cathedral he built. Dr. Fraser also started a school and a hospital in Lui which operate to this day.

When Dr. Fraser arrived in Lui, he built the cathedral next to a very old fig tree that had been a part of the slave trade in Sudan. He repurposed a tree that had long been the first stop for Moru people to a life of slavery and he made it a shade and resting place for men and women who would worship God freely.


Stephen Dokolo was installed as the new Bishop of the Lui Diocese. It was quite a celebration presided over by Archbishop Dr. Daniel Deng. The two central passages were 1 Peter 2 and John 10. Bishop Stephen was presented a staff as a symbol of his call to shepherd the pastors and congregations of the Lui Diocese. Join us in praying for Bishop Stephen, Bishop Bismark, and all the men and women called to shepherd the church in Sudan.

As we were getting ready to head home, I saw a man with two locally constructed beehives on the back of his bike. I quickly got out my camera and snapped a picture for some friends of mine in PA. Two fellow Nittany Lions have left the corporate engineering life in San Francisco have started Third Root Farm. Nick is new to beekeeping, but was interested in seeing pictures of local beekeeping methods. We LOVE the local honey. =)

If you are interested in any particular aspect of local culture and life here, let me know and I may be able find out more and snap a few pictures.

Michael stopped at the market as we headed home. The heat of the day and a long service under a tin roof had its effect on all of us. We kept hydrated, which makes a huge difference. I just like this photo. =) Notice Gaby in the driver's seat.

On Tuesday I spent a few hours biking around town hoping to connect with some of the other NGOs in Mundri that are working in the area of development. God had prepared the way for me that day because almost everywhere I stopped there were people around who had time to tell about their work and share prayer requests. I even just happened to see a sign for Mundri Active Youth Association when I was looking for another organization and followed the arrows to learn about a group I hadn't previously visited.

I also got to visit Women and Youth Empowerment Microfinance Institution, which is currently the only banking institution in Mundri. Despite the name, any person between the ages of 18 and 50 can apply for a loan or participate in their savings program.

Join me in praying for all those who are working in the area of development in Sudan. Also pray for me as I continue to look to scripture, read books, and learn from wise friends as I think about development in Africa.

Thanks to our guests from Arua who came bearing a gift of fresh fruits and vegetables, that night I made grilled zucchini in a citrus splash marinade with black beans and brown rice for dinner. Any dinner with fresh fruit and vegetables is such a treat.


David also brought seeds for us from his stock in Arua! Today Acacia and I planted a small herb garden in half of an old water can that was then used for mixing cement and now has been repurposed again. If they grow well on our porch, they will be transferred to a small herb garden next to the kitchen in a few weeks. Hopefully we will have basil, cilantro, rosemary, thyme, hot peppers, chamomile, parsley, chives, and oregano in a few months! With Larissa still in the US, I've been taking a leap and trying my hand at helping something grow.

This afternoon I organized my language notebook, reviewed my language learning plan, and studied some of the Juba Arabic that I learned at Sudan Christian Fellowship in Richmond. Pray for me as I continue learning Juba Arabic in Mundri.

So that was a bit about the last few days. Tomorrow Bethany arrives in Mundri, and we are all excited to go the airstrip to welcome her back. =)

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