You were one and now you are two… You are too skinny, you have reduced, we must make you fat…

The things you hear that sound strange to the western ear, but if you know the culture you know that the words are kind and loving.  When we first arrived at ECTC we continually hear two phrases. Firstly, “Oh Daniella! You are no longer Miss Olson when you left us you were one and now you return and you are two. You are now complete!”  I know they are meaning well and they love me; I also know I was complete before I married Evan, because I am complete in Christ. Secondly, “Jena fi? Jena wen?” which means is there a baby there? Where is the baby? Then when I answer “Jena mafi” (baby no) they say, why? Then they say they will pray that God will give us a baby.  Then I say family planning and they say they will pray that God will give us a baby.  Oh how I love these people!  Thirdly, “Daniella, you have reduced! You were good before you left and now you are too skinny! We must make you fat again before you leave!”.  No, I really like the way I am good thing I only have to eat 3wks worth of potia.  Love the culture! These things just make you laugh and love them more!

Leaving...

We left South Sudan yesterday and after leaving ECTC at 8am we finally made it in Kampala at 4:45pm.  And... finally got to eat again at 5pm after eating last at 7am. So hungry... Everything was good and we are safe and sound and resting.  We are really thankful for the time we got to spend in S. Sudan and will write more about it later.  Today we finished some loose ends in the office debriefed about S. Sudan and ECTC with Linda Byler and did some shopping. Tomorrow we rest and pack and than leave very early Friday morning and will begin our long way back to America! The Lord has blessed us and we are continually thankful for his faithfulness!

This was written last week… Yesterday, we were fortunate enough to have coffee with Caesar and Ruth Drasi. Caesar is the director of ECTC and one of my adoptive Sudanese fathers. Ruth is a dear friend and was also like my adoptive mother. It was so nice to sit and talk with them and share about our marriages and passions. They are so excited that I am married and were so excited to meet Evan. Ruth was famous for coming to my house and giving me talks about my future husband (she also did this to Tara who was here before and with me for 3 months) and praying that I would find a good man. I remember once she told me to make a list of what I wanted in my future husband and then told me that maybe I had too many things on my list and was too picky and maybe I was trying not to get married. She was right, but God blessed me in that anyway! We were blessed by this visit and were grateful share and revisit the passion God has placed on their hearts for that place. There are many challenges, but there are also many things to praise the Lord for that outweighs those challenges. May God’ name be continually glorified and God continue to keep their vision clear with what He wants.

On our way!

On our way to Africa!

We are so excited!

Something that struck me...

Romans 8:31-39 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died-- more than that, who was raised to life-- is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christi Jesus our Lord. Doesn't this just make you go "WOW"!

Labels, Abunas, and Sunday Sermons...

We have been slacking a little on the posting, but believe me we have not been sitting around doing nothing. Our busy week began with Sunday morning where Evan preached on Acts 9. The music in the service went an hour and 1/2 and than when Evan began to preach he forgot that with an interpreter it takes a little longer, but it was a great sermon and we laughed how a half an hour sermon went an hour. :) Sunday afternoon we went with my friend Grace to the village to visit my sweet, wonderful friend Sukanema and her family. I was so excited to see Brian who was just a baby when I left and now is sooo big! He has an amazing smile! Usually I try not to stay too long at Sukanemas because I do not want to in convenience her, because she doesn't have a lot of money to be Sudanese hospitable(which is give you tea or a meal or a soda), but she knew we were coming so she had rice and chicken waiting for us. In a way this was good because Evan got to see what the Sudanese do when they bring you food. First of all in the village the women still get down low kneeling on the ground to give you the food(when there is a man around-which is probably why we got food in the first place)and than they leave and you do not see them again until after you are done eating. It was such a nice time laughing with Sukanema and seeing her mother and sister and brother again! Oh I missed her so much :)! We looked at pictures of Tara(which she misses dearly) and took pictures of our own. Monday began Evan's three day 9-5 seminar where he is the only speaker! He is really enjoying it, but is exhausted! There are about 45 pastors(Abunas)and church leaders from all around this area. Many of them are older men who definitely have the joy of the Lord. Evan is learning so much from these men and has learned that the church is the church no matter where you are; there are the same struggles, joys and encouragements! God's global church! Tomorrow is his final day with them. Pray that God will continue to give Evan wisdom and the words to speak. Today I got so excited because I realized was so close to be completed with the library and than realized after talking to the librarian for ECTC that over a hundred books are mislabeled, so that has been my mission for today and tomorrow; I still hope to be completed by Friday. Yesterday, I had the privilege to build tsunamis and earthquakes with my class I am guest teaching. They loved it! They had never done something like that before, some of them saw me do it with the old students a couple of years ago, but always wanted to do it themselves! Friday is volcanoes! God is continually teaching us to be vessels for His kingdom and glory! Praise the Lord for safe travels for the pastors! Please continue to pray for rain!

Sundays and Mondays

Today is the day the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it even if you are sweating in it to death. :) We have discovered that even if it is rainy season, there is no rain! Ooh I have forgotten about the amount of sweat you loose here. But, that is the not the purpose of this post. Yesterday, Evan and I got to experience church in the new ECTC chapel(BEAUTIFUL and AMAZING). I love worship in South Sudan... so vibrant and enthusiastic. First of all we show up to church and were ushered from the seats we chose in the 5th row to the front row... hmmm. I knew it was going to happen and yet I was hoping it would not, but we were found out. Dancing was happening during worship and the usual high pitch call from women. Oh how I have missed this! I loved watching Evan's face as he took it all in and than as we listened to the pastor and the translator. Next week Evan will be the one preaching and he will also have a translator... oh I can not wait! It was a also a joy yesterday to have tea with one of my adoptive Sudanese fathers, Angelo, and learn about all that is changing and happening here at ECTC. We are continually thanking the Lord for bringing us here! It is amazing to me to see what the Lord is continually doing here. Things that we struggled with two years ago that the Lord is blessing- more and more Mundu (the local tribe) are growing maize and the last witch doctor has fled: the fear is gone. Praise the Lord! The compound buildings have tripled. There are so many families living here and the teacher education program is in full swing! All of the maize flour they use to feed the students and the chickens they use to feed the staff are coming from ECTC farms and gardens! Praise the Lord! God's vision and promise are true here and is amazing to vision of the laborers going strong here! So you are probably still wondering exactly what we are doing other than a lot of learning and listening. Evan will begin teaching a seminar next week for pastors, he is preaching this Sunday, and speaking in ECA chapel on Wednesday. I am taking over Senior 1(9th grade) geography for the next two weeks and I am reorganizing and trying to create a new system in the library because it has not been in use for two terms(the librarian who organized it and categorized it before left for school and there was no one to take care of it). I am out of my element in this, but I am determined to get this library back into working order. So if you have any ideas of how to categorize a primary and secondary school library maybe you can shoot me an email. So, there are just a couple of things we want you to pray for. 1)God will continue to provide qualified workers for this place that have a passion for what God is doing here. 2) Wisdom for staff and teachers and encouragement. 3) The continued wisdom and direction for those in the South Sudan government. Praises! 1) Praise the Lord for his continued protection and guidance at ECTC. 2) Praise the Lord for the staff he has blessed this place with. 3) Praise the Lord for the little rain we have had.