Is it cigiri or cagori?

Our second week of language learning is well underway and we've been trying to practice Acoli in everyday conversation. Yesterday, we went to the market to pick up a few things (Lawor ceto wa i cuk kwanyo jami ma nok nok). The market is a great place to practice what we have been learning and it always seems to brighten someones day. We were looking to buy a charcoal stove (it takes about 3 hours to cook beans and uses a lot of gas when using our gas stove), and found one just outside the market. Tim was attempting to use the acoli name for charcoal stove (cigiri), but was confusing the pronunciation. The lady selling it seemed as if she was having a difficult time understanding what he was trying to say.

Finally, Tim asked her, "What is the name for this?"
She looked at us like we were crazy and responded very slowly, "Charcoal stove."
We all laughed when she explained she wasn't from the area and didn't speak Acoli.

We are have language lessons on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays for an hour and a half each day. It's amazing how only having 4.5 hours of lessons a week can add up when you are making time to study and practice speaking. So far, we have been studying the following things: places, transportation, pronouns, time, colors, prepositions of location, numbers and household items.

Our new teacher is teaching a number of other missionaries in Gulu through a language immersion program. Within each lesson or LAP (Learner Acquisition Program), we learn themed vocabulary, sentence structure and speaking. Learning the local language is crucial to the ministry we feel the Lord leading us too. We've been talking with other missionaries who say they regret not making time to learn the language when they first began. Our goal is to be able to minister from the Acoli Bible and speak the language fluently. It's ministry in itself to be able to communicate through the local language and we know the Lord will give us the patience and learning ability to tackle this goal.

January Update

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WE'RE BACK IN UGANDA

We made it! After 25 hours of flying with a toddler (who did very well), we are back in the pearl of Africa!  We had a great time visiting friends and family in Pennsylvania and Winnipeg, but have been a little overwhelmed by the hot weather here in Uganda. When we left Winnipeg two weeks ago it was -30°C (-22°F). It's the beginning of dry season out here, which means it's +30°C (+86°F) everyday and won't rain until April. Needless to say, we have had some severe climate shock! However, it was so nice to have a place to come back to and now that we have finished unpacking, our apartment definitely feels like home. While we’ve been away, a large supermarket and a brand new coffee shop opened up in town (this is a pretty big deal) and we look forward to checking them out.  We appreciate your prayers and support as we get resettled and begin ministering here in Gulu.

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LOOKING FOR A VEHICLE

We are also hoping to purchase a vehicle as it is needed for both personal and ministry use. Public transportation (boda boda – motorcycle) is great, but we don’t feel comfortable taking Silas on one. Thankfully, a missionary family we know has been lending us their vehicle when we need to get around as a family and just this morning, our neighbor offered us the use of theirs while they visit family in India for the next month and a half.  God is definitely providing for us! We are praying to find a vehicle that would be good for traveling to and from the villages and in our price range. Once we are able to travel, we look forward to connecting with pastors and churches in the villages surrounding Gulu.
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LANGUAGE LESSONS

As we begin the new year with excitement for what’s to come, we will also be starting up our language lessons again. Learning the local language is incredibly important for us to be able to communicate without the use of a translator. Our goal is to be able to read from, prepare messages and understand the Acholi Bible. We were connected through another missionary family to a new language teacher and we are looking forward to getting to work. While we wait to begin our lessons, we have typed up what we were learning in the summer and have been practicing our vocabulary. 

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PRAYER POINTS

- For a financial situation with a friend who we had loaned a small amount of money.  This person is a potential ministry partner but we want to be sure he deals with this situation with honesty.  Pray that God shows us through this situation if he is the right person to work with.

- For understanding and persevering through learning Acholi

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We would love to hear from you!
E-mail us at:
cyphersinuganda@gmail.com

CANADA:
Attn: The Cyphers
Heartstrings World Mission
430 Lakewood Blvd
Winnipeg, MB R2J 4B6

USA:
Attn: The Cyphers
Harvest Alliance International
3620 Ocean Ranch Blvd
Oceanside, CA 92056

Serving Overseas is...

 I've been reading a lot about other missionaries and their experiences. It has been so encouraging and quite humorous. So, after reading a blog post entitled "This is Missions" by Brook Gangard, I was inspired to make up my own amusing list. I hope it encourages you and brings a smile to your face whether you live overseas or not. 

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Serving overseas is...

Crying because the first time you make local rice it burns and the second time it’s too soggy. It’s trying to bake in a gas oven without a temperature gage and with cooking taking up so much of your time, you’d rather just not eat (husbands & children do not feel the same way). It’s having to relearn the art of cooking (not that you had mastered it before) and doing it so much that you regret taking Art in high school and wish you had taken Home Economics instead. 

Thinking you got this whole latrine thing down… only to completely miss the hole and pee on your feet. It’s realizing you should have brought toilet paper with you… (yes. true story).

Finding cockroaches under your sink, behind your bed, in your cupboards and under your clothes. It’s finding cockroaches everywhere and yelling for your husband to come and destroy them. Every. Single. Time. It’s thinking you will never find the courage to kill them for yourself.

Face-timing your best friend and screaming when a rat suddenly runs into your living room. It’s yelling for your husband to save you because your laughing best friend can’t. It’s reaching for a shirt in your closet when you meet a mouse staring down at you. You yell for your husband (again…) and wonder just how many there are and when they will make their debut.

It’s at least once a month where you break down crying because there was another spider in your bed, you had to sweep 5 times that day, you just realized you are raising a toddler in Africa or you burnt the beans!

Going to send an email only to have power (and internet) go out. For a few minutes. For a few hours. For a few days. You just never know.

Hand-washing poopy cloth diapers and trying to find the joy of the Lord in that moment. It’s bleeding knuckles after washing cloth diapers because you are hand-washing the wrong way.

Covering your child with a mosquito net while he sleeps so malaria carrying mosquitoes can’t get him. It’s creating screens for every window using caulking, staples, screen and velcro.

When you realize you are raising a teething toddler in Africa. It's having a panic attack when he puts his dirty hands in his mouth or almost puts a cockroach in his mouth. It's when a “used to be fun bath time” turns into “don’t splash!” so he doesn’t get sick from the water. It's the fact that EVERYTHING goes into his mouth. It’s crying just a little because he is never clean no matter how many times you wipe him down or give him a bath.

When you forget that you can’t drink the tap water and you run your toothbrush under it and realize you will not be brushing your teeth tonight... you have to wait until it drys hopefully by tomorrow. 

Walking down the street and being shouted at “mono!” or “muzungu!” or being charged double (or more) when you go to buy something. It's being told you look fat... and coming to terms with the fact that it is a compliment and not an insult.

Learning to drive with vastly different "Rules of the Road"... (mainly one: biggest vehicle wins, unless it's a cow... then you wait). It's driving on the opposite side of the road, trying to avoid massive potholes, huge speed “humps,” ditches, large roaming animals, other weaving vehicles and people.
 

Missing Tim Hortons Iced Capps, chocolate glazed donuts and cheese bagels toasted with butter & herb and garlic cream cheese… (mmm, cream cheese)… and pretty much everything on their menu. It’s missing “fast food” in general. Fast food here is a goat tied to a boda boda (motorcycle) speeding down the highway.

HOWEVER…

It’s also… reconnecting with old friends and sharing stories over chai. It’s seeing your wedding picture displayed proudly on their mud hut wall.

It’s encouraging pastors and church leaders in a village church made of mud and a straw thatched roof, in the middle of a massive thunderstorm.

It’s sharing an Indian meal with your Hindu neighbors. It’s celebrating a birthday by surprising a dear friend with a party, who deserves every happiness.

It’s reading an encouraging word from a dear friend back home and longing to spend time with them. It's being incredibly grateful for friends and loved ones who support your decision to follow the Lord and the sacrifice they also make for you to do so. 

It's thinking... "How will we survive with a toddler and without grandparents around?"... and leaning on God for your strength, joy & peace. It's knowing those grandparents are a message or video call away... and will even come visit you (well, their beloved grandchild that is...).

It’s spending time with a girl struggling with prostitution and praying for God to move in her life. It's taking the time to love on her. It’s sharing with her that she is of great value and worth.

It’s struggling to learn a new language so you can connect with those who don’t speak English. It’s attempting to speak the local language in the market and bringing laughter to the vendors when your pronunciation is wrong but they applaud you for trying.

It’s spending time in a tailor’s shop comforting a dear friend who is mourning the sudden loss of a brother. He leaves behind a young wife and 7 children.

It’s praying in a store selling household items, with a girl who is having horrible nightmares and can’t sleep. It’s seeing her the next day with a smile on her face and sharing that she slept well that night after praying.

It’s learning to trust the Lord in the area of finances, good health and safety. It’s learning to live bravely in the uncertainties of this missionary lifestyle and all the challenges it brings. 

It's living “in between” three homes, but being rooted Christ so that you can love without walls. It’s trading in comfort for the cost of serving no matter where you are called or what you are called to do.  It’s knowing that the seemingly “insignificant” sacrifices aren’t for nothing. It’s all for Christ. 

It’s saying “Yes, Lord” and learning to be "joyfully flexible."

Blessed Be Your Name

As mentioned in our recent newsletter, we were recently invited to speak at a leaders conference in the village of Pacho. The theme of the conference was on encouraging the elders to empower the youth and the value of a life lived for Christ.

I felt led to share on Psalm 71:17-23.

"Since my youth, God, you have taught me,

and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.

Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God,

till I declare your power to the next generation,

your mighty acts to all who are to come.

Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens,

You who have done great things. Who is like you God?

Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter,

you will restore my life again; 

from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.

You will increase my honor and comfort me once more.

I will praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, my God;

I will sing praise to you with the lyre, Holy One of Israel.

My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you - 

I whom you have delivered.

As I was preparing what to speak on, something took a hold of my own heart. These past few months spent in Uganda have been filled with healing. I looked back over my life to the times when I have seen the marvelous deeds of God and the heartache of brokenness. 

And yet... God is faithful. He is so faithful.

It's incredible to me that I'm back in Uganda. My time here in 2010 was a perfect example of pure joy and incredible pain. And yet, the Lord has used both to grow me and has brought me back to serve Him through serving those living in this land.

Our lives are a testimony of his grace.

The ever popular song "Blessed be His Name" by Matt Redman comes to mind. If you listen carefully to what you are singing, it is an intensely powerful song. To me, it sums up these few verses in Psalm 71.

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

It doesn’t matter what season you are in… for example here in Uganda it is “rainy” season, meaning it rains almost every day. Many people have been planting and harvesting crops to feed their families. The cool breeze flows through the screened windows of our little home and brings a refreshing from the heat that normally clings to you like glue. It’s the fruitful time of the year.

But we are on the verge of the “other” season.

The “dry” season yields little rain and relief. The sun beats down and the heat dry everything out. Dust cakes everything in a think covering of a reminder that its terribly dry. Crops don’t grow and you have to sweep 5 times a day. It’s intensely dry and hot.

When I left Uganda back in 2010… I left in dry season. And to be honest, I feel I’ve remained in that season since that time. Wandering in the desert. Holding onto God and his promises but at times struggling when I see a mirage of a stream and thinking my time in the desert heat is done. But still finding myself here. I was so broken when I left Uganda 6 years ago and yet I knew God was calling me back.

And He is faithful. What I thought was lost… was actually being planted deep into my heart and on the verge of sprouting.

You give and take away

You give and take away

My heart will choose to say

Lord, blessed be Your name

It’s a choice. It’s easy to praise God in the “abundant” times… but it’s a choice to praise him in the “desert” times. And in my “old” age, I pray I continue to learn the things of God. As I said, looking back and standing here I am amazed at how the Lord is working everything together for the good.

Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

From brokenness to beauty.

From ashes to joy.

From dry to abundance.

He is working in our lives in such an extraordinary way. Whether you are in a time of abundance or find yourself wandering in the heat of the desert. Whether you are in the beginning stages of life or nearing the end. God is faithful. The young can learn so much from veterans of the faith and follow their example of holding on to the Lord no matter what life brings them. There is such value in a testimony of a life lived for God.

It’s not easy… but it’s worth it. 

August Update

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Home, Sweet Home... (Again?)

 Early this month we were able to move into the apartment that we’ll be calling our home for at least the next 9 months (minus some time back in North America this fall).  Since coming to Uganda we’ve spent three weeks in our first apartment, 3 ½ weeks house sitting for friends, 2 weeks back in our first apartment, and then moved to our current apartment (about 30 feet) 4 weeks ago.  After spending the last week in Kampala we’re back in our apartment for 4 weeks before heading to Pennsylvania.  Needless to say, all the moving has kept us fairly busy but it sure feels nice to finally set up our home. This trip is preparation for our return to Uganda in the new year. We will be able to jump into ministry & more language learning without the hassles of settling again.

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A Village Church

We recently had the opportunity to speak at a conference in the village of Paicho, about an hour’s drive from Gulu. We were connected to this group of church leaders when we spoke at our friends’ church a few weeks ago. Praise and worship had already begun as we arrived at the grass hut church and the steady beating of the cow skin drum & handmade instruments poured out. It was an unbelievably beautiful sound and Silas danced the entire time.  As the day went on, the number of church leaders grew as they arrived from the various villages surrounding Paicho. In the village, the grass hut churches have no electricity within the clay and mud walls and near the end of our opportunity to share our hearts, a severe storm rolled in. Even in the dark and rain pounding down and though the water was leaking through the grass roof and in through the open windows, the praises of the people rang out.

They asked us to share the vision God laid on our hearts, for discipling leaders and pastors, especially in the villages where Biblical training is difficult to find. It was incredible to see the response and interest. As many have shared with us… being trained in the Word of God is crucial to churches thriving. Even during our stay in Kampala, a pastor from Malawi connected with Heartstrings and a dear friend of ours from North Eastern Uganda shared about the need for discipleship throughout Africa. We are encouraged to see doors opening and pastors & church leaders who are hungry for the Word of God. 

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Prayer & the Home Goods Store

A couple of weeks ago I (tim) was running some errands and stopped by a home goods store to get a few cooking utensils.  As I was coming in the employee (who I had meet once before) was on the phone and even with my limited Acholi I was able to tell she having a conversation with her pastor.  Normally I would have simply done my shopping and been on my way, but I felt led to ask her about who she was talking too.  She shared with me and it turned out to be a pastor I knew.  Then she told me the reason she was calling him was that she needed prayer.  For the past number of nights every time she fell asleep she was having nightmares that she was being raped.  Her pastor wasn’t able to come to the shop that day so I asked her if I could pray with her there.  We prayed together and the next day I came back to see how she was doing.  When I walked through the door she had a big smile on her face and said she slept perfectly that night. 

God has been connecting us to people in all different ways.  A few weeks ago I took a wrong turn that lead into a dead end.  As I turned around I saw a guy stand up and wave at me.  It took me a second but then I recognized him as the leader of the drama and dance ministry that Janessa had led back in 2010.  Then a few days later I parked on the road waiting for a friend to come to the car and a pastor who I had taught in Bible School with passed by and we recognized each other.  He’s now overseeing a denomination of churches in and around Gulu and was excited to see how some of the pastors he’s overseeing could be involved in our discipleship.  

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PRAYER POINTS

-     Finishing up a few necessary projects around the house before we head back to 
North America for a few months

-          More divine moments like in the home goods store. That we would be sensitive to the 

Lord’s leading.

- For partners to connect with us through prayer and finances

- For understanding and persevering through learning Acholi

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We would love to hear from you!
E-mail us at:
cyphersinuganda@gmail.com

CANADA:
Attn: The Cyphers
Heartstrings World Mission
430 Lakewood Blvd
Winnipeg, MB R2J 4B6

USA:
Attn: The Cyphers
Harvest Alliance International
3620 Ocean Ranch Blvd
Oceanside, CA 92056

a simple shopping trip

If there is one thing I love (as many women do), it’s shopping! I could spend hours looking in and out of stores for things to buy… whether they are needed or not. However, now that we have moved to Gulu, shopping has become something else entirely. For example, if you needed to buy chicken, rice, avocados, a broom, a notebook, fabric, a hammer and packing tape… you could just drive on down to the nearest Walmart. After reading the signs above each aisle, you could make your way through the store (possibly stopping for a mocha frappe at McDonald’s?) and pick up your few items. Can I just say… that would be delightful! All those options in one convenient place? Or perhaps to spend the afternoon at a mall… eating Subway while checking out Chapters?

Well, in Northern Uganda… we have no Walmart and we definitely have no Chapters. We do have a Main Market where we stop in to purchase our meat (if it hasn’t been hanging there too long), eggs, fruits, vegetables, rice, dried beans, fresh fish, etc (most from items are bought from individual vendors). We pass by many stalls and chat with those along the way. On the second floor of the open-air market, you can purchase fabric and find a tailor to sew you a skirt, along with new and used clothing to be sorted through. All other items, can be found at the stores around town… if it’s in stock or even carried at that store. If not, a 5-hour drive to Kampala may (or may not) prove to be beneficial.

This week, we attempted to do a weeks-worth of grocery shopping & thought we’d put together a little look into our shopping experience:

Stop #1: Main Market (muzungu “rare imported foods” stall) – cucumbers, cilantro, red pepper & zucchini

Stop #2: Main Market (odii Stall) – a container of Odii (sesame seed paste (tahini) for making boo)

Stop #3: Main Market (banana stall) – bananas

Stop #4: Main Market – (fresh produce stall) – tomatoes, green pepper & leafy greens (Nightie, pastor of a small local church)

Stop #5: Main Market – (fresh produce stall) – Irish potatoes, onions & carrots

Stop #6: Main Market (fresh produce stall) – avocado, a cup of peas, and passion fruit

Stop #7: Main Market (dried goods) – dried beans

Stop #8: Main Market (tailoring stall) – to pick out some fabric to make Silas a Ugandan outfit (I did a Bible Study with these tailors back in 2010)

Stop #9: Main Market (egg stall) – eggs

Stop #10: Almasa – mustard

Stop #11: Mega Shoppers – bag of milk, flour & curry powder

Stop #12: Country Bakery – a loaf of bread & t-bits (dried chipati & the closest we get to tortilla chips)

Stop #13: Fresh Cuts – chicken

Stop #14: Households Store – 2 plastic chairs & plastic containers

Stop #15: Jayshree Hardware – a small can of varnish (our neighbor is the manager)

After 15 stops, 27 items, a mere 3 hours of grocery shopping, spending a total of 177 000 shillings ($38 for groceries & $15 for the chairs) & a relatively happy baby, we succeeded in finding the majority of the item on our list J. Most days we only pick up an item or two, but we will see if a bigger shopping trip saves us time throughout the rest of the week.

July Update

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ACHOLI LESSONS

Kopango! Itya nining? (Hello! How are you?)
We have been taking Acholi lessons for the past three weeks and enjoying every minute of it! Our teacher has been coming to our place for three hours a day, five days a week. It has actually been quite difficult to find the time to study on top of lessons, meeting up with people and adjusting to living in Africa with a toddler. So, as of this week, we have decided to take a break from daily lessons and take time to study what we have been learning with friends. We have also been using Acholi when shopping at the market and within our daily interactions with those in town. I (Janessa), even used a few vocabulary words in the message I spoke at a church this past Sunday. As you can imagine, it brought smiles and a whole lot of laughter.

Since language learning has been our primary focus for this trip, we haven't been as involved in ministry as we would like. However, our long term plan is to minister in the village areas where English isn’t as well known and without learning Acholi, we would be limited to using an interpreter.  We feel that taking the time to learn Acholi is a little like planting a garden. You can scatter and plant seeds quickly, in hopes that your garden will grow sooner. However, if you take the time to prepare the ground by breaking up the soil, digging holes and adding fertilizer, the harvest will come in the proper time. So, learning the language of Acholi is our ministry at the moment.  As we continue to use what we have been learning in daily conversations with those around us, we know we are planting seeds that result in us being able reach out to those we feel God leading us to in the future. 

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GULU & DISCIPLESHIP

Along with learning Acholi, the focus for our time spent here is getting reconnected in Gulu.  The city of Gulu has grown a lot since we lived here 5 ½ years ago.  It’s hard to find updated numbers but it has most likely doubled in population these past five or so years. Many displaced Acholi have been returning to their home after the war and as commerce is being re-established, more job opportunities are being created.  While the city has grown, so have the number of ministries taking place here including at least four ministries that are involved with discipleship.

I (Tim) have been able to meet with the leadership of those ministries and observed meetings for two of them. Hopefully, I'll be observing a third next week.  It’s exciting to see all of the discipleship taking place and at the same time presents us with different questions and opportunities for our future plans.  Please continue praying with us as we seek to hear from God if we should join in with one of these ministries or start a new program.  There is still plenty of need and desire for more discipleship especially outside of town and in the villages.

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MONTHLY UPDATES & BLOG

This month we wanted to take a moment to share with you about why we do a monthly update. The two main reasons we send our monthly update is for prayer and to keep in touch.  We know that prayer is so important and that our efforts and energy will be futile without God. We desire for God to be at the center and purpose of everything we do.  Secondly, to put it simply, we live far away from so many friends and family. We don’t want to lose these encouraging relationships or only be connected when we’re back in North America.

              At the same time, we try to keep or newsletter to bullet points of our lives so it doesn’t take you too long to read through it.  For more detail into what’s happening in our lives we also have a blog: http://cyphersinuganda.blogspot.com, where we try to post at least once or twice a week.  Since we have more space to write on our blog, this is where we expand on things we’re processing through, struggles we’re facing and mostly about our amazing experiences serving God while living in Uganda, Africa!

Click on the following links to read the blog posts that we (Janessa) shared this past month:
Bed by Boda & Other Things
A Dying Seed
Visiting Friends

We are hoping to write about the following topics soon:
Speaking at New Life Church
Grocery Shopping in Gulu
Moving Again
Praying for God’s Direction
Daily Life at Home

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PRAYER POINTS

- For partners to connect with us through prayer and finances

- For understanding and persevering through learning Acholi

- For good health

______________________________________________________

We would love to hear from you!
E-mail us at:
cyphersinuganda@gmail.com

CANADA:
Attn: The Cyphers
Heartstrings World Mission
430 Lakewood Blvd
Winnipeg, MB R2J 4B6

USA:
Attn: The Cyphers
Harvest Alliance International
3620 Ocean Ranch Blvd
Oceanside, CA 92056