A Neighborly Visit

Our neighbors right next door are Gertrude and Tom.

They had four daughters when we first moved in. They now have six girls!!!
In a culture that does not often value women, we have some interesting realities in common.

The last day of December their newest family member was born!

Opileni (also Elsie Jayne's Lugbara name) Joanita (after the neighbor!!) Noela was born!

At six weeks we found her the same weight as our biggest four month old!!!

This is precious Emmanuella who came for a little sand box visit after we got to meet her sister!
Gertrude noted what we hear often in town, that Elsie Jayne and Lucy look like twins.
Elsie Jayne was certain that Emma and Lucy looked more like twins cause they are the same height!

Humbly Learning

About ten days ago, I got a phone call from a friend...her grandmother had just passed away in the village hospital.  She was coming for the burial and then would be passing through town.  I was excited to get to see her, but sad to hear of her grandmother's going to be with Jesus.

A couple of times I had gotten to bring her to town in our car for better medical care...

She was a precious lady...one of the oldest Ugandan's I have met...you could see she loved God in her face!

After praying for the family the day of the burial, we sensed we should go and pay our respects.

Tuesday, the day Miriam left, we jumped in with both feet and took our four girls to the village just outside of Maracha town. 

Along the way there was road construction...

A friend of ours has recently gotten a job driving a dump truck. He's never driven before and is actually really scared of it...but it's a job so he's trying to stick it out. We thought we might see him, but we didn't get to that day.

Most people we passed weren't driving big Chinese road machinery...walking is the common mode of transportation. We were humbled to be making a quick day trip when most people would never go both ways in one day!  Thank you all who have given us the gift of our car...and monthly contribute to diesel!!!



Our friend's mama was delighted to meet our twins!  She was amazed at Elsie Jayne and Lucy and how they had grown since she last saw them too!!!
What a treasure our girls are...in the midst of mourning her mother, we were blessed to see a smile on her face!

Aida and Sophia

My friend is so lovely...one of the most beautiful people I know! She sacrifices so much for her family and she loves Jesus so much!  She too was so excited to get to meet our newest family members!

Jennifer and Chloe

After we were served a meal in the family home, we went to the place where the body had been buried earlier in the week. We prayed for the family and for Jesus' nearness in that place and amongst that dear family. There were literally hundreds of people still sitting around mourning with the family--just being present during this time.  They told us there were at least 1,000 at the funeral. 

We got to greet everyone there and even sit and help a bit with the kitchen work.  The girls and I pulled little leaves off of their stems, a spice for some dish, none of which was identifiable to me!

After we decided we needed to get going to make it home by dark, Aida went to get something for us! She came back with a cock and a hen...our gift for the twins!

So so humbling...a precious lady with such a great loss, having to serve literally hundreds of friends and family day after day and then we drive up in our car from the "big city" and she thinks of us and honoring our dear babies!

What sacrifice! What love!

Pray with us for Aida and her family this week and as Jesus brings them to mind in the days to come.

As we drove back to our home with indoor plumbing and solar power we were humbled yet again at how much we have to learn. We did "better" culturally than we would have five years ago, but still...we have SO MUCH to learn!!  We should have greeted everyone FIRST and Lucy had a little "village toilet issue."  The list really could go on and on, but we are learning and in spite of ourselves Jesus is bringing joy to at least one family in Maracha.  We are humbly learning...thanks for praying with us as we go!

Visiting Nebbi, Saying Good bye to Miriam and now to...Daddy...

Last week we went to church in Nebbi! We were so excited to get to visit some of our pastors there and greet some of the church members and introduce them all to the twins!!!

They were pretty excited as well!

There were other visitors Sunday that don't normally attend the church we were at...
These are some "mamas" that came special to see the babies and meet their mom!

They had met Billy once before, but they kept saying how they had come to meet the mom of the four "mundu" children. 

Sadly, on Tuesday Miriam left us!!!  We are missing her moment by moment. She was SUCH a blessing to us each day, but she had to go back to Kentucky where she is caring for her grandmother. While here she just lived life with us, usually with a baby on her lap!  This is her in Nebbi at church with Sophie!  She taught the big girls school three days a week and just generally "walked" with us here in Arua!  What a big hole she leaves as she goes! THANK YOU MIRIAM for being with us during our first five weeks back home-home!!!

Elsie Jayne was REALLY happy to get to reconnect with some of our friends from the Nebbi area. It's fun that she remembers people!!!  She is pictured here with Pastor Benson and daddy!

I was reading today from Matthew 24...as Jesus describes the future. vs. 31 says they will gather together his chosen ones from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.  One of these precious ones will be our friend Elnai James. He was with us for about a week recently and was on his way to visit his mother in South Sudan. He shared his story with Miriam and we got to hear again how the Lord has miraculously protected him and helped him as he has endured so much for such a young man.  As one of the "lost boys" we praise Jesus he isn't truly lost! He loves Jesus and is seeking His best for his future. Maybe he'll join university, or he'd really like to get a job as a worship leader at a church. Pray with us about God's best for him!

Now, the immediate prayer request!!!  Billy leaves in the morning for ten days!!!!!!!!!!!!Jesus is going before him and us...but we really need you to pray! Just pray as he leads you! Joanna and the girls, for safety, health, peace, creativity, sleep and joy! For Billy as he trains the Eye Team from Tenwek Hospital in Bible Storying Thursday through Saturday in Kenya. Then on Monday, the 27th he helps facilitate a training for pastors in Kampala, Uganda, and finally on Tuesday the 28th-March 1st he will be in Southern Sudan reconnecting with some of our friends there and following up from the training he got to do there last year. 

We are praying that Billy would be able to share all God has for these various groups, but also that he would have safety in many forms of travel--- car, air, taxi, motorcycle...health throughout the time and once home, clarity in each teaching moment and just peace that the girls are ok even if we don't get to connect.

Do keep praying with us as our colleague Scott Rambo is in Congo still and Meg is home with her two little guys and one on the way!  Jesus is helping, but as he leaves Isiro tomorrow and goes to Bunia, do pray with us for the right connections and wisdom about God's future ministry there. He will connect with Billy on Sunday the 26th and they will travel together through the second part of this journey.

Prayer Blog Update

Many of you all have been following WGM Uganda's 24/7 Prayer Blog. They asked our family to share throughout the month of February so we just updated some ministry opportunities and thought you all  would be interested. http://247prayeruganda.blogspot.com/2012/02/scotts-side-of-story.html is the link and we would love for you to continue praying, not just for our family but also for our fellow missionaries and their ministries.

Thank you for being a part of our story.

Growth

Sophia Anne and Chloe Catherine

We are growing!!! I took the twins to the clinic to have them weighed...Sophia was 4.8kilos and Chloe has made 4.4!  The whole process is a bit different here than when we took them in the states...some of you may remember from when the big girls were little.

In the states they would take off all of the babies clothes and even their diaper and lay them on a scale with a clean blanket on top.
When I took them to the clinic down town, they kept their clothes and their now cloth nappy on and I put them in a sling.  That sling then hangs from a big scale with a meat hook on it. Anyway, all that to say a bit of weight was added in the process surely, but either way they are both gaining. I'll try and snap a picture when we go for four month shots and weight checks in mid-Feb.

 

I love this picture of Chloe because she actually looks CHUNKY!!! The truth is there is still nothing chunky about either girl, but they are growing!!! Their faces really are fuller!  HALLELUJAH! PRAISE GOD FOREVER!!!

They actually do smile now intentionally and Sophie (on the right) even "talks" quite a bit. Chloe just listens to her like she is a crazy girl...I wonder how much of their personalities we are seeing already!
They are wearing 0-3 month clothes rather than newborn now!!!
They hold their heads up and are generally seeming like big babies now! 

Thanks for praying for all of us to keep growing in Jesus!!!
Billy is making 32 on Friday!!! What a love gift he is to all five of us everyday!  Jesus is teaching Him more of Himself everyday and we are all richer because of that!!!
Elsie Jayne is healthy now. It was just a stomach bug I think...the fever was only that one day and now she is well!
Lucy is doing great. Her rashes are finally fading and she looks like herself again!!!
Jesus is healing us! We are settling in and we are making new friends in our neighborhood even as we reconnect with our old friends. Do keep praying for Jesus relationships and that we might be a LIGHT.

The weekend wasn't totally as we expected it. Our crew going into Congo, including Scott Rambo, got turned back at the boarder. There were a few extra "fees" required that weren't legitamate...so they came back to town. We'll try and get proper visas from the embassy in Kampala and try again when Jesus opens the door again. You can guess that has been discouraging, but we are still holding on in faith believeing...we will take the land in His time.

Our time as a Sudan team was great!  We really enjoyed getting to know our newest team member and dream together about what 2012 might hold!!  Having Auntie Joy here was really special for Elsie Jayne and Lucy Mae as they remembered her and were delighted to see her again!
We were really thankful for the opportunity for Billy to preach on Sunday. Jesus helped him and we ask you to pray with us for the congregation made up mostly of street children from here in Arua and people who support and care for them.

Thanks for continuing to carry us to Jesus in prayer. He is faithful and will complete all He has begun...in spite of us!!!