Cooking Acoli

Last week I had the opportunity to help our friend Harriet cook lunch. Although, I have already had "official" lessons on cooking beans and rice, this is more a chance for me to practice speaking and writing Acoli. So, I've decided to create this simple recipe and provide the translation. If you are wanting a little taste of Northern Uganda, give it a try :)

* Note: If you don't a charcoal stove and gas oven, electric is fine :) 

Beans & Rice

Ingredients:              La rub dek:

1 cup dry beans                         kikopo acel me muranga

2 tomatoes                                 nyanya aryo

1 green pepper                          kalara acel

1 onion                                        mutungulu acel

3 garlic cloves                            garlic adek

1 tsp baking soda                      magadi/ kado atona

2 tbsp beef stock                       Muchumi Mix malaga aryo

1 cup rice                                    kikopo acel me mucele

Directions:

1.     Light the charcoal stove. Fill a pot with water and add one cup of beans. Let beans boil for one hour. 
Mok cigari. Pong agulu ki pii ci ony muranga kikopo acel. Wek muranga o yeny pi cawa acel.

  

2.    Check beans and add more water. Add a teaspoon of baking soda to the pot and stir. Put lid back on and return to a boil.
Rot muranga ci med pii mokene. Med magadi, ket giwiye ci dwok ka yenyo.

             

       

3.    Chop the tomatoes, green pepper, onion and garlic. Put the onions and garlic in a  frying pan and fry. Then add the tomatoes and green pepper.
 Tong nyanya, kalara, mutungulu, ki garlic. Ket mutungulu ki garlic i i cubaria ci cel. Ci med nyanya ki kalara.

             

4.    Add 2 tbsp of beef stock to the vegetables and stir until mixed well.                          
Med Muchumi Mix malaga aryo i dek ci i rubi wang ma o rube maber.

             

5.  Fill a pot with water and add one cup of rice. When boiling, reduce the flame/ heat and cook until ready. 
Pong agulu ki pii ci ony mucele kikopo acel. Ka o yenyo, dwok mac ma nok ci ted wang ma ocek.

6.    When beans are soft, add to the fried vegetables. Pour bean water into pot as well and stir in some salt.
Ka muranga dong yom, med i dek. Ony pig muranga i cubaria ci yeny kado i iye.

       7. Enjoy your meal! 

         Cam dek!

February Update

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MINISTRY UPDATE

Since we’ve been back in Uganda, we have had plenty of opportunities for ministry. Tim had the opportunity to join up with Terebinth, a group focusing on training pastors, for the first month. They focused on teaching the Joshua, Judges and Ruth.  Since then, Tim has been teaching three small discipleship groups he meets with weekly.  Two of the groups are comprised of pastors from Gulu and the other of young adults.
Janessa has recently started a discipleship group in the market with a group of tailors. They are studying Jesus’ interactions with women in the book of Luke. Within the next few weeks, Janessa will also be starting up another ladies discipleship group inside our compound with the ladies who work in our neighbor’s homes.
                           ______________________________________________________


                                     MINISTRY UPDATE

Acoli lessons are going well, as mentioned in our recent blog post. We are already a month into lessons and have learned so much. We are trying to devote 15-20 hours a week to studying on top of our three weekly lessons. Using flash cards and tests has helped us grasp the language and encourages us to use it every day. We're also been practicing Acoli by translating simple songs and books that we read to Silas.  Who knew that Dr Seuss can help you learn a new language!

Janessa has been using the Acholi Bible in her marketplace Bible study since the ladies are more comfortable reading and sharing in Acoli even though they are able to speak english. It’s a great opportunity to listen and understand what is being said through immersion. It’s amazing how much we know and already how useful it has been in ministry
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PRAISE REPORT

We are extremely thankful for God’s provision since we’ve returned to Uganda.  We were able purchased a two-year old washing machine from a missionary family transitioning back to the US for a quarter of what it would have been if we bought it new. We also bought solar panels so we can have partial power (internet, fans, & lights), which is an incredible blessing and will be extremely helpful when we are with power for days at a time.

Last week we also found an office to rent in the main market. It’s a small room on the third floor facing out across town. It’s a quiet place to meet with our discipleship groups and provided more privacy than meeting in a restaurant. Another small, yet significant praise report is for all the cooking and baking we have been able to do. It’s becoming easier to figure out our gas stove and adapt ingredient list to what we have. I (Janessa), felt overwhelmed when we first arrived in June last year with the amount of time cooking/baking took. But the more I’ve been trying, the more I’ve begun to enjoy it! We’ve managed to figure out how to make naan, tortillas, chocolate cookies, cinnamon scones, etc.

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PRAYER POINTS

• The mosquitoes have been really bad since we’ve returned. Pray we find the source of where they are entering our apartment and protection from getting malaria.
• For the past two weeks electricty in Gulu has only been on 2-4 most days and some parts of Gulu are without city water as we approach the end of the dry season and the city resoviour is running dry.  Pray that rainy season comes soon and whatever issues are going on with the electric are resolved soon.
• We'll be beginning the process for our long-term work permit soon.  Pray that this process, and a few other pieces of paperwork that accompany it, will go smoothly.  
• We're hoping to importing a vehicle from Japan for personal and ministry use.  This is generally how cars are brought into most of Africa.  Pray that we find a good deal on a great car!

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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

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.
                                            __________________________

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. 

                                          __________________________

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

______________________________________________________

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

______________________________________________________

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