MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

or almost!!!

it's warm here-- and we're getting ready by guzzling water-- i cut 55 snowflakes for the local church for decorations(are they even going to know what they are?)-- the kids laugh as i run around singing christmas carols they don't know...and we've kept re-putting up the decorations- they don't want to stay up-- We get to FRY chicken for christmas eve lunch (when our base is celebrating together!) and i've finally finished illustrating the christmas story so we can read it to the kids-- funny kids, lots of life!

I'll be joining the Stonegate Fellowship's (from lovely Midland, Texas) team for Christmas and a few days! Yipee!! Should be awesome...I'm excited :)

Mostly have had time to journal and read this week, it's been pretty quiet...the cat did come back (thank goodness it's alive) but there's talk of trying to kill it-- sad sad... Back to other news, I've been doing some of the cooking...over hot coals on a hot day, oh electrical stoves are great! but i've been helping make mandazi (deep fried dough, dounut-ish but not...best when dunked in sweetened tea) and chipote... and cutting up various things...

we have a rooster now that looks like it stuck it's wing in an electrical socket-- it's comical-

Anyway, I just wanted to wish you a MERRY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm thinkin' of you all and praying for ya'll--

Oh and below is a christmas carol that my 3rd grade teacher taught us... I still know ALL THE WORDS... ha ha..

Love,
Robin

Good King Wenceslas:

Good King Wenceslas looked out on the Feast of Stephen,
When the snow lay round about, deep and crisp and even.
Brightly shone the moon that night, though the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight, gathering winter fuel.

"Hither, page, and stand by me, if you know it, telling,
Yonder peasant, who is he? Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence, underneath the mountain,
Right against the forest fence, by Saint Agnes' fountain."

"Bring me food and bring me wine, bring me pine logs hither,
You and I will see him dine, when we bear them thither."
Page and monarch, forth they went, forth they went together,
Through the cold wind's wild lament and the bitter weather.

"Sire, the night is darker now, and the wind blows stronger,
Fails my heart, I know not how; I can go no longer."
"Mark my footsteps, my good page, tread now in them boldly,
You shall find the winter's rage freeze your blood less coldly."

In his master's steps he trod, where the snow lay dinted;
Heat was in the very sod which the saint had printed.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure, wealth or rank possessing,
You who now will bless the poor shall yourselves find blessing.

Christmas is coming!!!

What a week and a bit more!

A lot of this week was spent harvesting g-nuts, wow, i have such respect for full time farmers--the chatter (although in arabic) was fun to listen too-- and i think i've had my exercise for a month! But it really felt good to get my hands and clothes dirty...g-nuts are like peanuts, just smaller...and roasted their quite yummy...and word to the wise, don't put boiled ones in a container, they rot...and faster than anything i've ever ever seen--

what else? oh sooooo much...i've done a lot of sweeping of leaves...they're falling because it's getting hotter and hotter...i'm enjoying an ice cold cola right now and it's keeping me sane---but back to leaves...they really need rakes in sudan--because i've been using a small short bundle of sticks (tied with cloth) to do battle with the leaves- :) I'm praying for the coolish breeze to keep on coming :)

Spoke at the prision ministry two sundays ago now, which was neat... cracks me up that they were trying to marry me off to the inmates...*sigh* but lots of praise and rejoicing...and a lot of the prisioners turn their lives around and are often let out early after meeting Jesus- way way cool!

What fun to have visitors this week-- from Stonegate Fellowship in Texas--they're staying at the Evangelical Presbyterian Church compound across town-- Always a bright spot in the day to have friends around!

Here's one thing i fail to understand-- today, to teach the cat not to eat the eggs anymore, they tied a rope around it's neck drug through the feild while they beat it and the dogs bit at it-- i don't understand-- it just seems cruel-

Over all it's been a good and quiet week- Most of the staff has gone home for the holidays and it makes it practically noiseless at times-- i've been playing with the base kids who i can get to immitate me walking like a chicken, making a monkey face, or any number of things--they've been helping me finish cutting snowflakes and putting up streamers, drawing random things..i think it's the first time i've ever used duct tape for christmas! the kids love it!!! and i've been reading the chronicles of narnia to them...

oh yeah, and i brought a christmas tree (fake)from the states with me for my room..it has a bright and shiny star that blinks different color on top! ha ha! yes!

I've probably forgot many things...but that's at least some of it-- things are well, but hot.. and we actually got meat for dinner last night!

Much love and merry christmas to you all!!!
Robin

Why did the chicken cross the road?

I actually think they don't...they stand in the middle of the road and stare at you until you get out of your vehicle until you get out and chase it... oh that ruins more jokes...other fowl news...we were driving back from Golie (more on that later) and ducklings were swimming in a mud hole...SO CUTE!!! let's hope they're still alive!

This has been an fun week- Our DTS left for outreach today (praise report; the base vehicle is working!! ok, so it sounds like itmight break down, but still it's getting them to outreach)--we had a love feast and killed goat (roasted too...yum!) and decorated the meeting hut--remember mud hut with grass roof-- with snowflakes- I'm teaching african children to make snowflakes- ;) hee hee..they LOVE it, although they have no concept of snow!

I found myself the speaker for one day for a youth pastors conference in Golie- Here's the fun part- they didn't give us the topic they wanted us to teach or for how long-- they were supposed to pick me up at 7 am Monday and came on Tuesday at 1!!! Welcome to Africa-- when I got to Golie I was dropped in my room (I HAD A LIGHTBULB!!!! WOWIE!!) and left me there...for hours...so, when was i going to speak? This was all becoming funny--anyhow they finally (about 8ish) told me i'd be speaking the next day and disappeared saying they'd show me the schedule soon! Soon became on the way to class the next morning and the schedule was me...until 4 in the afternoon- 6 1/2 hours of teaching with a half hour break for lunch-- turned into an amazing day (though they kept trying to marry me off to the single pastors...how many cows and goats am i worth?) and amazingly i had MORE than enough material- luckily i like to talk! All in all a funny and great experience--

The ywam run preschool had their end of term graduation on Friday- we killed 2 goats- and I , like South Africa, found myself cutting up gobbs of intestines, heart, stomach, and about anything else you can think of... I smelled like goat for the rest of the day-- really really smelled like goat-- then i found the hide hung up with my clothes pins on the clothesline- delightful...ha ha ha...

Much more to say but the internet is SLOW!!! Love to you all and talk to you soon!
cheers mates!
robin

The Chicken roost in the Palm Trees
or
The Dancing White Girl
or
Try walking 4 miles to use the internet

So, I couldn't decide on a title... ALL are true...the chickens do sleep in palm trees...watch out for falling eggs!!! Free range chickens are overrated instead of being plump and edible, they're thick and scrawny...and pesky...cheeky creatures who try and steal anything they can eat...

It's December! Although cuddling up with a book and warm cup of something drinkable seems like it would be a good idea, I would be off my rocker if I did it! cricky! I'm so thrilled that rainy season is hanging on for dear life because it's about 90 during the day and drops to 60 at night...I can handle that! I'm praying that rainy season stays and stays and stays and stays!!!

It's been a neat weak-- this last Sunday we had visitors from Juba at church--a BIG deal since theres been government restricted travel for the last millenium it seems- there was much celebrating and all that jazz- so much that church was 5 hours-- after service we danced and sang up a storm- Some of the older Juba ladies told me it was an honor to be with a white woman who could dance African drums-- laugh away if you must, but I think I was designed to dance in Africa, just maybe not America- Hey, I had the same comment in South Africa and the Sudanese DTS also told me I'm a natural dancer, they're shocked-- i think it's great...and funny!

After church we had ice cold sodas...oh what a treat! Then it was off to the prision ministry which was neat..I got to give part of my testimony, tomorrow I'm going to be giving a talk-- we had 14 people come to know Jesus last week and we'll be teaching them more of the Bible this week!

Most of this week I've been hanging out with the Sudanese DTS--a great group of 6 students, I'm going to miss them when they leave on outreach-- Their lecture this week was missions, and i got to step in a day and teach! What a honor and what fun!!! God was at work for sure-- I had them wash eachothers feet at the end of the class (it all built up to that point) and grown Sudanese men were in tears-- it was powerful-- Sudanese men DON'T cry-- at least not where anyone can see them.

We also bonded over government issued mandatory menengitis shots..fun fun... hey at least this was FREE!!!

This is a note for Grandpa Burt..you'll be pleased to know Samaritan's purse is alive and active in Yei; they're doing A LOT of good!!! :)

Life here is good, and the reality is that I'm living in a 3rd world country- trash, hard work, and not the American living standard. A place where, until the recent past, war was an everyday reality and most people live like each meal is their last.Where fighting between tribes or the north and south strikes fear that peace may not be forever. Though i still find it amusing to stand in the dinner line with a man with an AK-47 strapped to his back--i've really seen more fire power now than in my entire life! I have to admidt I'm enjoying pumping my own water (for EVERYTHING) because it gives you the arm workout without having to pay gym fees...oh feel the burn...

Really, I am loving it--some moments are hard- if you ask me to eat dried fish soup and their version of boiled greens once more i might scream...but silently, i suck it up and keep going...Hey there are good moments of tasty meat and such..mmmm...

Love to you all!
Robin

I'm here! Yay for Yei!

I want to start by saying it's great to be here-- and even though my family has always said I'm full of the beans, well, it's LITERALLY true now- Rarely has a meal gone where beans isn't the staple. I am beginning to realize just how thankful I'll be to have that jar of peanut butter and some granola bars. I've spent most of the last week doing dishes, pumping water, talking with the Sudanese DTS students, cutting snowflakes with the Americans (gotta start christmas prep sometime!), cleaning house, making hospitality cards for the base, and throwing up. I know that last tid bit ("throwing up") will be a great delight for those of you who were secretly, and not so secretly, hoping I'd be like the guys in "Invisible Children"--only it was a sort of type of thing because by dinner i was back on my feet and ready to fully join in the night of praise and worship--African style. Far from the frozen chosen I found myself wiping sweat from my brow and struggling to keep up! But OH what JOY!!! It's been neat to just jump in, even holding a drum for running, singing, dancing preschoolers--delightful chaos for sure!

The trip from Arua, Uganda to Yei was nothing short of a journey...First take the worst road you've been on and make it 10 times worse and then multiply that by 7 hours- I have never been happier to get to my destination. Seriously, these roads make some of the "horrid" American roads (potholes and all) feel like silk-- In any given moment the side, or even the middle, of the road might just simply be gone-- I'm fairly convinced that with decent roads the trip could have been cut in half at least! Crossing the border was smooth, what a blessing, and it helped to have a local walk us through the crossing (I went with staff from the Yei base, good bonding time!). I must say bumps and all it was a safe journey- Had I left Arua on Saturday with Pastor Sam (as orginally planned) i would have had a greater adventure to tell you-- His bus caught fire and they had to jump through the windows...then they had to hitch a ride the rest of the way- So yes, it all went pretty smoothly for me!

I'm looking forward to really exploring Yei, this is my first outting from the base- I might get to help out with school, women's, prision, and orphan ministries...um, it's Africa, we're still trying to figure it all out...and also how to get me places... it's a rather interesting thing when you have to push the truck to start it-

bed time is early, the generator died, so lamps and flashlights keep us going until we drift off to sleep-

A closing thought...if mosquito nets hold out teeny-tiny little things like mosquitos, shouldn't they also hold out HUGE spiders? yeah, that's what I thought... until I found one in my bed the first night..Luckily, unlike Australia, none of them are really poisenous... i'm still watching for snakes!

God bless and I hope you're having grand adventures of your own!!! God is good! :)

hi everyone!
I'm in Arua!!! I leave for Yei on Tuesday! YAY!!! it's been fun with chickens, riding on the back of bikes side saddle, eating new stuff, doing laundry in a basin, and so forth and so on! More from Yei!

Thanks for all your prayers!
ciao!
Robin

Twas the day before take off
and all through the house
every person was packing
before flying out...

Well, here I go, I leave tomorrow after getting my last rabies shot- I'm filled with excitement and anticipation and a few normal nerves as well- I have bandages and medicine, skirts and hats, and a "few" more necessities...I'm all set... now it's just waiting!

God Bless!
Robin

Hello!!! Here are some photos I was sent by a friend who has already served at the YWAM (Youth With A Mission) base in Yei!
Enjoy!!!!!

For further information check out http://www.ywamsudan.org/

Robin

Hello friends!

The countdown begins until I leave for Sudan in just a mere 3 weeks! I'm full of excitement and anticipation- as well as a desire to be done with all of the various vaccinations that I need. God's opened so many doors already and has provided many contacts and friends along the way to help me get ready for this journey- I'm going to try and upload some photos from the YWAM (Youth With A Mission) base in Yei, Sudan so you can get a feel for where I'm going-

Hope today finds you blessed!
Robin