Saturday our team’s summer interns arrived. The 9 seater plane flew into our tiny airstrip, our first time to see something so big, so shiny, so amazing, land here. And out stepped our three girls, two guys, plus two other short termers (here for the summer) and two returning team mates.
It was a big reunion!!
Bethany is here coordinating the interns time so that they can be well cared for without taking too much time from the ministries of everyone else on the team. Helping five individuals adjust to life in Bundibugyo is no easy task. She is walking them through all the details of life here; everything from signing in with the LC (Local Council, similar to a mayor) on their first day, to how to cope with the inevitable bodily disturbances caused by changes in food and water, to choos (latrines).
Last night the interns participated in their first of our weekly team nights. Every Thursday we meet as a group, first as adults for a Bible study, group prayer time and subsequent business meeting; then all the kids join us for PIZZA! Scott and Jennifer Myhre, our fearless leaders, built a brick pizza oven in their yard and we gather around it each week to recreate a slice of America as we speak our own brand of English, drink sodas and use our imported pepperoni (along with numerous other more local toppings) to cook fabulous brick-oven pizza. It’s a tremendously restorative time for us all and is sometimes followed by a team movie or shared birthday celebrations.
Sitting there and talking to interns about the experiences of their first half week here helped me put my life back into perspective. As each of them recounted the traumas of their slow adjustment (the heat at night, the bugs, the diahrrea, the mushy foods, African English, poverty/guilt, etc.) I began remembering my first two months here and can see how far we’ve come as a family. As each of the interns described how much harder it is to live here than they had been able to anticipate, I felt reassurance. I’m not crazy to struggle here! And I was thankful for the ability to have this chance to reach out, to listen and to empathize with them.
Our interns include two medical students (nursing and pre-med) joining Jennifer at the hospital as well as working on research and community education projects; a chemistry/education major who is teaching science at Christ School, a seminary student who is researching emotional and spiritual issues to better meet the needs of our Christ School students whole lives, and a multi-media guy who is documenting team life and ministry. They are a great group of intelligent and committed young people who have a heart for international ministry and are taking this chance to learn more about themselves, the world around them, and how God plans for them to impact that world. Pray for their time here to be a blessing to them and to the community. Pray that God would speak clearly into their lives as they submit to this often difficult and life-changing two months.
And if you too want to join us in this unpredictable and fulfilling adventure we call international missions; check out www.whm.org to learn more about our internships, apprenticeships and short and long-term commitments. We have a huge need right now for two guy teachers to come at the beginning of 2008 . . . . So pass the word.

Or should I say paradise lost . . . .
I woke to beautiful bright sunshine this morning, lifting my spirits through the tenacity of it’s rising. My heart has reached new depths of discouragement and disbelief this week. I struggle with local relationships, with lack of accomplishment, with the disapproval of individuals here and back home. I struggle to see why God brought me here while still believing that He so clearly did. To know that I am here because He wants me to be here is enough reason to stay, but it doesn’t help when your mind and heart are stuck on the realities of discouragement.
Please pray for me!
This last week we almost lost one of our sweet team girls, only two days younger than Naomi, because of a severe case of malaria. Lightening struck our school, the first strike of the storm when 50 students plus staff were out on the field. All were pushed to the ground by the power of the strike and we lost expensive electrical equipment. I discovered likely financial corruption on a significant scale among local people I work in ministry with. I got sick AGAIN with either a minor case of malaria that is still hanging around or another virus.
These are a few of the more easily recountable things that have left me feeling powerless, worthless, and meaningless. But God says differently. I know it’s true but I need you to pray for me to believe it in my heart and to accept it in each moment of my day. To accept His strength in my weakness, his productive ministry in my lack of know-how. He is bigger than my mistakes, wiser than my foolishness, and is doing something beautiful with all that is ugly in this world.
When I have trouble seeing anything worthwhile in what I am doing I turn with thankfulness to my family. My fiercely devoted and faithful husband and two beautiful and amazing children are such gifts. Pray that I would love them well, pouring into their lives in the ways that they can feel best. Pray that I would be Jesus hands and heart to them each day and night, not losing sight of them as my primary ministry.