Link about South Sudan

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/01/world/africa/from-sudan-a-new-wave-of-lost-boys.html?_r=1&smid=fb-share check out this story, it is pretty intense

Akuem and Relaxation

Recently I have been super swamped and have been unable to write, which has been super frustrating. I have had all of these thoughts flowing around like the Nile durring rainy season, a current that has left these ideas in a jumbled up mess. So spending the last two days in Akuem (one of the field bases) has been a super blessing. I have had some time to take these thoughts and process them a bit further. Africa is starting to feel like home. It hit me hard after my first R&R that this place that I had been keeping in my mind as only a temporary place of stay, is and will be HOME for the next 8 months, and surprisingly it wasn't that hard of a thought to swallow. It felt right, and that is how I know that this call to Africa was God's plan not mine because it is only him who can grant the kind of peace I experienced in facing that thought. It is also a beautiful thought that while the cliche is "home is where the heart is" it is good to think that mine is where God called me to be, and that where he is my heart longs to be. I am in Akuem because I am playing praise and worship for the orientation they are hosting here. It is funny because they didn't know until I got here that I had never been to orientation so I am getting to attend the sessions as well. It has been really cool to be in orientation with the staff of South Sudan, and while you may think its weird that I am now making it to SP orientation after working with them for almost 3 years, some of the people here have been working with SP for 7 or 8 years and this is their first orientation. But all things aside this orientation has been and continues to be a blessing. I have been thoroughly enjoying being able to lead praise and worship, and the people here in Akuem have enjoyed it as well, it has also been a reminder to me that Praise and Worship is meant to be participatory, you can only have successful praise and worship if the whole group is involved and not just that but their hearts have to be involved, just the same way that God has to be involved. It is a quite simple realization but a good one all the same.

Just a few updates, we have pushed to get a weight set in Juba so I have been getting some lifting in, the physical training has been a good time to relax and spend some time with God as it always has been for me.
I created a housing proposal so that we might be able to move after it is presented and approved at headquarters, we have outgrown our current housing and need new accommodations so keep this in your prayers.

All in all though I am still hanging in there and working hard every day, but each day I am realizing that God didn't bring me to Africa because he wants my work, he honors my sacrifice and I am sure he is proud but above all he wants ME, and my whole HEART and I am constantly reminding myself of this, because it is easy to make it about the work and not maintain the focus that with out GOD the work is pointless.

1To man belong the plans of the heart,

but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue.

2All a man’s ways seem innocent to him,

but motives are weighed by the Lord.

3Commit to the Lord whatever you do,

and your plans will succeed.

4The Lord works out everything for his own ends—

even the wicked for a day of disaster.

Proverbs 16:1-4

Quotes I really liked

"We have only one story. All novels, all poetry are built on the never-ending contest in ourselves of good and evil. And it occurs to me that evil must constantly respawn, while good, while virtue, is immortal. Vice has always a new fresh young face, while virtue is venerable as nothing else in the world is." -John Steinbeck


‎"Observe constantly that all things take place by change, and accustom thyself to consider that the nature of the universe loves nothing so much as to change things which are and to make new things like them. For everything that exists is in a manner the seed of that which will be"-Marcus Aurelius


I have been reading East of Eden by John Steinbeck, which these quotes comes from


 a good friend of mine TiLissa Roseman suggested it and it is great!

From Refugee to R&R

I have been in Kenya for a week now, it is awesome I have been enjoying much needed R&R. Samaritan's Purse has a policy that every 10 weeks I.F.S. (International Field Staff) get R.R. and are flown to Nairobi Kenya. They have a guest house that they can stay at, and from there can decide if they want to travel elsewhere. I have been enjoying my time of rest in Kenya it reminds me why God set aside a day of rest, because he knew that we need it if we are to be effective doing work on his behalf the other 6 days.

I chose to extend my term in South Sudan two weeks so that I could travel to our Field Base in Maban, to play my guitar for praise and worship as part of a "Spiritual Renewal" initiative. With working in a tough environment it is very easy to run ourselves down physically, emotionally, and especially spiritually. So I opted to go and help by sharing the gift God blessed me with I traveled with a great guy named Spencer who led devotions and counseling. I was blessed by the trip with spiritual renewal of my own, it was good time spent with God and his word. I posted these pictures to Facebook they can be found by clicking on the previous post. On a different note while I was there I got to visit the Jamam refugee camp, it was heart-breaking. More than 40,000 people are living there.....that's right 40,000 people. They are struggling because they don't have enough water or food, and rainy season will just make things worse. I sincerely urge you to pray for them and get the word out because if the world stands idly by as it has done many times before than this will be a major disaster. I understand that there is always a disaster happening somewhere in the world and that there will always be poor mouths to feed in Africa, but if people put half the effort that they did into arguing about Amendment 1, think of what could be accomplished. I am not trying to belittle the scope of that argument, I am simply trying to underline the fact that if people could unite and love thy neighbor instead of arguing and condemning than so much could be accomplished.

Matthew 25: 31-46

The Judgment

³¹ “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.³² All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; ³³ and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; ³⁶  naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? ³⁸ And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? ³⁹ When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ ⁴⁰  The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, eventhe least of them, you did it to Me.’

⁴¹ “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘ Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; ⁴² for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; ⁴³ I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ ⁴⁴ Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not ^[a]take care of You?’ ⁴⁵ Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ ⁴⁶ These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

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Matthew 4:1-11

New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness

4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted^[a] by the devil. ² After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³ The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

⁴ Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’^[b]”
⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ⁶ “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
    and they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’^[c]”

⁷ Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’^[d]”

⁸ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.⁹ “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”
¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’^[e]”
¹¹ Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.




What can one take from this story?


At first glance it is about Jesus being tempted right?


Well if you look at how he was tempted Jesus proved three great things that hold true to who we all are in Christ:


You are not what you do: Verse 3- (If you are the son of God)
You are not what others think you are: Verse 6: (For it is Written)

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,
    and they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’

And finally You are Not your Possessions: Verse 9- (All of this I will Give you.) 

So in conclusion before Jesus was able to lead as many people as he did and heal them and officially start his ministry. He had to prove who he was in Christ and who we are in Christ (Sons and Daughters who are who God says we are, and who are deeply loved remember this.)

Bobby has been super busy! As most of you know the situation in South Sudan has grown serious.  In addition to the humanitarian issues of not enough food or supplies, North Sudan has declared war on the South.  The international community is trying to work with both countries to prevent it from escalating.  Much prayer is needed for the people of both countries and the aid workers. 
  
So mom gets to update the blog since son is working around the clock.  Please pray for strength and rest.  "The harvest is great, but the workers are few.  So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into the fields." Luke 10:2


Bobby and I thank all those who are lifting not only him but all the Samaritan's Purse staff up in prayer.  I have been amazed at how God's glory has been revealed in all this.  Right now a renewal service is being planned for the refugee camps. Pray for safety for Bobby who is offering up his gift of music.  Pray for true renewal for all those who have lost so much.  Pray for joy in our Lord in the midst of so much suffering.  


"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.  Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.  Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  Matthew 5:3-10

About To Head out to the Bush!!!!! Will Update Soon!!!!

Yida, Juba and life in between

Officially the Base Manager!

Plumbing work

2500 litre water tower at Hai Malakal

Moving the oven

Jackie

Driving Mrs Daisy

Getting work done with Jackie.

Sunrise at the Airport in Juba

Samson, Gerald and Joseph at the Airport on the way to Yida.

Flying like a boss!!!

Juba from the air.

Yida first impression

Princess

Health and Nutrition Clinic

Little kids swarming the Cawajas (white men)

sipping' all lady-like

Yida Compound

Outdoor showers

Toilet in the bush

A herd of goats

Chillin' on a dirt road 

DC3 in all it's glory.

Typical house in Yida

Unloading Cargo

Storage/Food Warehouse

Taking food into the storage facility

New Office being built

Roofing the Office with Bamboo.

Patience and Flexibility

    This week was a great one. I have been getting better acquainted with my responsibilities as Base Manager. This job will be more challenging than initially thought. I have many responsibilities that include:

• Budget Manager with signing power for all Office, Housing, and Staff related items/functions 
• Housing Arrangement/Vehicle Transportation Coordinator
• Network Administrator
• Utilities Overseer for 3 Locations
• Generator Overseer for 3 units
• Lease/Contract Manager
• Office Manager
• New Housing Manager (we are looking for a new base and planning for it, had to draw initial sketches for our compound planning)

The White Nile

I'm not stating these to brag but just to say that there is never a dull moment. I feel like God is equipping me with the patience, fortitude and know-how to be quick on my feet and the flexibility to not only learn but act in these roles He has put before me to His Glory. But to be perfectly honest it is extremely stressful at times, so thanks for the much needed prayer and support.

This week I was able to go to a two day training program entitled Managing Projects in Emergencies.  It was hosted by an organization called Redr uk (Registered Engineers Disaster Recovery). It was very informative and I felt like it mapped out alot of interesting concepts. One being the reason that disasters occur because a given community's capacity is exceeded. 


This means that all disasters occur simply because the community's capacity to handle the given situation is exceeded and that NGO's and GO's are working to supply relief in the form of helping increase a community's capacity until they are able to increase their own infrastructure and capacity to a volume that can address their situation. 

Coffee Break

I was able to attend this training with my friends Patrick from Nairobi, Peter in logistics, and Lasuba in logistics. 

Peter - at training bright and early!

The training also showed us more critical ways of thinking about disasters. How to identify the roots of the situation (the main causes) so that they can be accurately addressed, instead of only addressing the fruits (effects of the disaster) because these will just reoccur. Both of these concepts were portrayed in the format of a Problem Tree, a very simple yet effective planning tool. 

The Problem Tree

Waiting for our ride after the first day of training.

The training was hosted in the Peace room at the Intra-African Hotel. Although the material was quite dry at some points, I feel the training was very beneficial. Also another benefit was that the food at the Hotel was great! This was the first time I was able to enjoy a burger since being in South Sudan ... the simple luxuries of life! lol. 

The Intra-Africa Hotel.

The Peace Room

After the two days of training were over,I spent  the rest of the week playing catch up  - addressing various budget items that were tabled in my absence. One of the joys of being the Base Budget Manager. (I think I have signed my name to more papers in the first month of being here than the entirety of my academic career.....this may be a slight exaggeration but you get my point!) 

Loading the caravan to Yida with Conor

I also helped my buddy Conor load a Caravan plane with lumber and supplies for Yida as they are preparing for the rainy season.

...keep this in your prayers..... 

In about a month rainy season will hit and it will be a struggle to get enough food into the refugee camps near the border because roads will become impassible. This is a major concern because there are essentially a ton of people with no means to provide their own food - suffering from famine, and NGO's like Samaritan's Purse have the ability to only provide a certain capacity of food. 

At the close of this week we said goodbye to our acting DCD (Deputy Country Director) Len.  He was a great help and will be missed, so we said our goodbyes and sent him off with the gift of a shirt that made him look more Sudanese. 

Len is officially South Sudanese and has the t-shirt to prove it! 

We also celebrated our Country Directors B-day by presenting him with a "Major Award". It is small things like this that remind us of our fellowship and sense of team here in South Sudan. 

The Country Director's Major Award.

We are all children of God that were called by God to act on the situation here in  different capacities, but it is nice to come together as a family to celebrate the small things. It provides a sense of unity that God wants us to share as the Body of Christ. To be a support net for each other and to build each other up.

Most of the team - and Len.

The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.- (1 Corinthians 12:12-13)

Driving and Flying

This week I spent the first part of the week securing a three month extension to our office lease with our landlord - I had to draft the contract and other paperwork. This was, of course, a valuable learning experience. At the same time I had to see through an internet connectivity problem with the office. I quickly realized that people get fairly stirred up when the internet is down. Both of these issues were resolved and I was able to visit one of our Field bases. 

Flying in the King Air to Akuem

On Wednesday, I flew out to our base called Akuem to see our operations there as well as take my driving test for my South Sudan license and meet with their base manager Harmony to discuss his approach to base management.

Studying the pilot

We flew out early Wednesday morning on SP's King Air plane. it was a fun experience because i got to sit right behind the pilot. 

I go to sit right behind the pilot!!

We had to stop in a place called Wau to refuel, upon first arriving at the desolate airstrip you wouldn't think that it is one of the biggest cities in South Sudan, with apparently some of the best laid out streets (being straight and logical, something that is not prevalent in all of South Sudan). 

Wau Airport

Getting fuel - it's cool that it's stored in the wings.

After re-fueling and dropping of two Expats (International Staff). We flew to another airstrip about 40-45 min out from out Akuem base since the King Air we were flying is not able to land on the air strip directly in front of the Akuem base. Upon Arrival we loaded up two Land Cruisers to set out to Akuem, one with bags and one with Expats. 

Arriving right outside Akuem and loading up the truck.

It was evident upon driving through the area of the harsh reality that the people of this community live in. We saw thatch huts in remote dry areas with extremely hot weather, and hand pump wells that have been drilled by SP to provide the communities with much needed water. It is easy to see also that these people know no different way of life and have grown accustomed to these conditions. 

Come to the well - for real. 

Driving to the compound.

Arriving at the Akuem compound

Upon arrival to the base the Area Coordinator, John, gave us a tour of the facilities. Akuem, being the biggest operating base of SP South Sudan, houses a huge W.A.S.H. program that addresses Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene in the surrounding communities by drilling wells and providing communities with education about proper hygiene, through the building of latrines, ect. 

The tents the people on base live in. 

They also have a huge fleet management shop that is responsible for maintenance on the compounds 50+ vehicles so that transportation is reliable and mobile. 

The fleet workshop - and where I took my driving test. Yes - I passed.

They also have a huge church reconstruction program that is aided by their on site prefabrication metal shop that helps construct supports and other structures key in the church building process. 

Metal prefab shop.

Hand pumps that are used after bore holes are dug to bring water to local communities.

They also have many other programs such as a  bible outreach to the different tribes within the community. This is a pretty active base that has had their capacity taxed because of the recent growth of the other SP bases along the border, but they are still working diligently to help the Northern Bahr Gazal Region in which they are located. They are also doing a great job at keeping Christ as the center of their operation and committing their programs and efforts to HIS GLORY! 

All of the problems at Akuem are for HIS GLORY!

Overall it was a great adventure to go visit their base and I am looking forward to visiting out other Field Bases. Keep the South Sudanese people in your prayers especially since rainy season will begin shortly and they will have difficulties getting food to these people since roads will become impassible. This is a reality of thousands upon thousands of people with no food to eat. 

Also check out this video, this guy was working for SP named Ryan Boyette and is now trying to show the world what is really happening here in the Nuba Mountains http://video.msnbc.msn.com/rock-center/46581824/ Please pray for him as well. 

In closing I would like to remind everyone that if we are faithful and reach out to the Lord in prayer. He will act on this situation. Just as Jesus fed the five thousand, He is and remains faithful to his people and can make sure that these sheep of his flock are fed as well. 

So pray fervently with the authority that God gives us as his ambassadors. Because we can't just pray, doubtful that our prayer will be heard, but we must pray knowing that our God is awesome and there is no limit to his power, and that with his help we can move mountains. 

For Jesus said ""Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me; otherwise believe because of the works themselves.Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son." - John 14:11-13

Mobilization of the troops.

We just have to believe and 

God will work in a mighty way, t

hrough us, and 

with us so that all may be to his Glory!

~ Bobby