Invisible Children

Again, I’m within a month, but I do apologize for the amount of time between each entry. I’m trusting that you all had a great Christmas and were able to celebrate with those you love. My Christmas break was VERY trying and I had to deal with a lot of very hard situations. Through all of those tough times I was blessed to spend time with some great friends and people that I love dearly. Christmas Eve I spent the night at the Hopson’s house so I could be around kids on Christmas morning. After presents were opened and I was able to Skype with friends and family, I went to lunch with our field directors who have two daughters around my age. It was great for both of us! After that I spent the rest of the day with Jade, Shelah, and Lino. We played volleyball, ate good food, and just celebrated together. I spent the night there because Shelah didn’t think I should have to sleep alone on Christmas. In the morning we got up and all went to the mall for lunch and then Lino and I stayed because we saw the Hopsons who were heading to see Madagascar 2. We watched the movie and then went home and played more volleyball. Those were the best two days of my entire break.
I was able to Skype quite a bit, which was nice. I love reconnecting with you all. I wish I had more time to do that, but alas school has begun again as of yesterday. I can’t believe that it’s the first week and I’m already booked up everyday after school with some thing or another. I have a new student and by next Monday I should have three more new students. Yesterday was an interesting start to the semester. I’m not a fan of having to re-teach my rules and that, but it must be done. I’ve started teaching an elective for the high school students. I teach it three days a week when my kids are away at one of their specials. It’s really time consuming to teach the high school class, but I think it will be good for my ministry in the long run. Since I’m teaching while my kids are gone, three of my breaks are gone each week. Heritage has a new guy who’s coming in to help teach social studies in the high school and he’s also going to teach my social studies class. It’s a huge blessing and I’m really excited for that to be taken from me.
Something exciting about the first day back at school… Lino was able to come back! I was able to spend almost everyday with him and his family over break and it’s been quite a battle because he is still having seizures and passing out. Luckily they seem to be getting his medicine under control and it’s been a few days since he’s had a seizure. Please keep praying for this special young man. It cannot be good to have as many seizures as he’s had in the past two months. Please pray that they can regulate his medicine and that he can stay at school all semester without any more problems. Pray for his self esteem because I think he’s nervous to be back at school and around so many people. He is still dealing with depression too; and he’s nervous that he’ll have a seizure in front of everyone at school. He wants to succeed and he really wants to complete school so please remember him. Please pray for his overall health and well-being. I’ve really grown to love him and his family dearly. When my time comes to head home, leaving Lino will be incredibly difficult. My main ministry has been ministering and counseling this kid for the past two months.
Moving on… my friend, Francis is an amazing musician (also the music teacher at Heritage). He is the leader of a worship band/group called Studio 10. They had their first worship night a few weeks ago and it was awesome! I made and ran a power point for the evening, and even with that task which can really be a distraction, I was able to draw nearer to the Lord. Francis has been a really good friend lately and I’m lucky to know him. He’s one of those people that can pick up any instrument and play it well in a few weeks time. He’s a songwriter and he has an amazing voice too. It’s super intimidating to be around someone like that because it’s so easy to feel inferior, but I think I like the challenge.
So anyways I just found out that my return to the States will be on June 17th. I’m having some mixed feelings about coming back already simply because of the great friendships and relationships I’m building here. Please know that I really am missing you all terribly in spite of that. ☺ It’s weird to think that June 17th is in just 5 months.
I’m excited that my discipleship group with the ladies from KIU will be starting back up again soon. They’ll all be back from their break at home in Kenya. What else? I’m looking forward to traveling up north to Arua soon. Nick is ministering up there now, so it’ll be cool to see the dynamics there. He’s got some really cool opportunities opening up for him right now and I can’t wait to see where they go. Nick gets to go home to the States this weekend to see his sister who is having a baby. I’m going to try to give him some stuff to bring home and mail for me, which will be nice. He’ll fly into Chicago and then also be in the Marion/Indianapolis and Atlanta area until the end of the month.
Another rainy season is supposedly beginning soon. The weather is still really hot, but I like the days when it rains because it cools down a little in the afternoon time and the classroom isn’t nearly as hot.
Other things about life here…
Well the justice system isn’t always very just. It is actually easier and better to bribe a cop than to go to the station. Now, if you’ve actually done something to warrant going to the police station, plan on being there for hours and hours at a time. And you won’t just have to go once to fill out a report, no, you’ll have to go multiple times.
What else? Oh, sometimes people walk in front of moving vehicles just to make some money. BUT because of the very likely possibility of mob justice you should NEVER stop when you’re in an accident… especially a single girl, alone, in the dark. So hit and runs are fairly frequent here, probably a daily occurrence actually. It’s quite sad really.
Oh! I just recently watched the documentary Invisible Children. Please, please, please take the time to find this and rent it. I’m sure it can be found at places like Blockbuster. It was made by three young guys just looking for a story to tell. They wanted to go into Southern Sudan and film all of the stuff happening there, but on their way there they found something just as dismal as the situation in Sudan. In Northern Uganda in the Kitgum area there are thousands and thousands of refugees, mainly children who have escaped from the LRA. These are some of the kids that I deal with daily. Lino escaped from the LRA. Please watch this documentary. I really think it will help you see and understand why I am so passionate about being here and working with these youth.
As far as my prayer letter going out by the first of January, yeah that didn’t happen. BUT I’m working on it and getting the input of others. It should be going out soon. I really think of you all often and miss you much. Your prayers and support are still felt and necessary. Be well friends!