Ikotos family and home life

3.)Here is Wanni and the baby (Innocent Malek Solomon). Here Wanni is holding the baby on his back with a baby carrier. THis is not normal, but we just did it for laughs.
1.) Ajiba, John, and baby.
2.) Voila the kitchen!

The picture from the blog that has the pretty mountains in the background is of the living room. It the same place then, that we had the birthday party. My hut is off to the left of that one. I will send that next time. Uploading pictures takes about a half and hour or so to put a few pictures on here. I will do it Berra, berra (slowly, slowly).

Also, I thought I'd add that I'm on an all carb diet- sorry Atkins. For breakfast Chapatis (like a pancake/pita), for lunch rice or chaptis with beans and sometimes slimy okra, and then for dinner rice and beans or a type of mashed potatoes (but corn flour) that tastes like eating dirt (called Asiita), mixed with beans or some kind of slimy green. For now, Peanuts and peanutbutter is also on the menu. Peanut are called Fuul or g-nut (ground nut) and peanut butter is called Ka'morte. It is good with honey on a chapati, but is rough on the stomach b/c I eat it uncooked and the ka'morte is ground and mashed in the same place the chickens run around. Well, that's all for now!

Birthday Party

I had a nice brithday party yesterday, full of chocolate cake baked in a charcoal oven by Andrea, biscuits (cookies) proveided by Agnes, as well as Strawberry drink, coffee, candy and new friends. My Sudanese friends thought that the sprinkled on the cake were beads! We assured them that they were made of sugar! :) Here are some pictures from the party:
The first one is of some of the people at the party. THis next one is of Calum chowing down on the cake and biscuits. And you can also see the cake, Andrea's arm, and the awesome thermos that keeps water hot for hours.

I hope everyone is enjoying the day. I just found out that WVU beat Maryland by 31 to 14. So that makes me happy! Also, thank God for new friends and charcoal ovens!!

Ikotos

more pictures TBA :)

Saabi Takke

This means "my friend" in Juba Arabic. I am learning it slowly while living with a Sudanese family for the next 2 weeks. So, now you know I have made it safely to Ikotos. I also am enjoying my time here, getting to know the culture and the language. The family that I live with, live in the "bush" in a nice compound of 3 huts and one semi-hut that is used as a sitting room. Yes, I do have sun-burn, by-the-way. Yesterday was especially hot and I was playing out in the sun with their 4 year old son, Wanni, who is my new buddy. Today, I am reaping the pain. Besides that Ikotos is very nice and the people here are friendly and happy to have me here to teach (which hasn't started yet). The mountains are foreboding, but beautiful. I will try to upload a picture this weekend. For those who are curious, there is a 7hr. difference from the east coast of the U.S. It is 3:30p.m. here and you all are just waking up!
So, when I got here, the Scotlands (Jordan and Andrea), who are the other missionary family here, informed me that I would be living with a family right away. At first, I wanted to jump back on the plane to Kampala, but after being there, I very much enjoy it. Agnes Ito is the mother (of 21 yrs. old) , Mylesh is the father, Wanni (4yrs) is the oldest, Innocent Malik Solomon (they haven't decided on a name yet, people just give their names to him, 6wks old), and there are 2 child relatives there too-- John (14yrs) and Ajiba (10yrs.). They are fun and love teaching me Juba Arabic-- especially Wanni! I went to Torit last friday, for a South Sudan retreat, to meet all the others in South Sudan, and Wanni cried the whole time that his Kewaja has left him (Kewaja=foreigner). As I walk down the streets of Ikotos I hear children pointing ans shouting "kewaja! Kewaja!" I reply "Kewaja? Kewaja tai? (you Kewaja?) and then laugh with them. It throws them off when I speak Arabic back to them. So, I am learning the language slowly and hopefully in a couple of months, will speaking fully. The Sudanese people respect kewajas much more when they are willing and trying to learn the language. There are many NGOs here to aid with development, but few get down and dirty with the people and few bother to learn the language. AIM is all about learning the language, which is good. The Scotlands have been here for about 3 yrs. and are completely fluent in Juba Arabic. They also are helping me learn. They have a 14 month old boy, Calum, who doesn't know what he wants to say first, b/c he hears 2 very different languages.
Well, that's the report for now. By the way the main news around these parts is whether or not the road to Torit is passable by car or Land Rover; and if there is a plane or helicopter that flys over or lands, even the adults stop their conversation to see if its UN or who it is that is landing-- then if it lands, the children rush to the airsrtip to marvel at the plane and the Kewajas! Also, it is Peanut season (they call it fuuhl or g-nut), which is also very exciting-- you West Virginians can understand that one, you and your apple butter festivals.
Hopefully everyone is well there!

In Kampala

Hey all,
I'm in Kampala, Uganda until tomorrow morning. I have been here since Saturday morning. So far, I haven't had to experience the whole flavor of being here b/c I've had a European toilet and a bath/shower like the one at my grandparent's old house (the type that has a shower nozzle connected at the faucet). Also, I've been eating food such a salad, breaded fish, potatoes au gratin, etc. Nothing to rough yet. :)
Yesterday I went into town (I'm acually a little outside of town) to see a concert by the Wototo children's choir. It was very moving and beautiful. The children at Wototo were orphaned by the AIDS cisis and now live in a special village in which each house is like a family unit with a house mother who has been widowed. The choir tours around the world. If you want to check out their schedule, or add them to your church schedule check out Watoto. Afterwards I thanked the children for their performance and they were so appreciative of the praise-- you could see it in their eyes and in their smiles.
So, today, I will be going into town again-- to get supplies and $$-- and lunch. And then tomorrow is the big travel day. Whenever I get the chance I'll update again.