Growing Through Everyday Life

Since a month out in Uganda, I have now been back to South Sudan for two months.  Times here have been challenging, but it is still a joy to be here.  I usually feel like I am taking baby steps of progress.  Other times I feel that I am standing still, and occasionally I feel like I am stepping backwards.  I'm sure many can identify with such feelings. To me, serving in a nation such as South Sudan always sounded like an exciting and challenging task and often just the thought of it was energizing.  In reality it is challenging and exciting, but it still requires focus and self-discipline that does not always feel so exciting.  Language learning is hard work demanding much time and effort.  Other aspects of life here such as health and a good energy level are not easy to maintain and I find myself needing to spend more time resting that I would like.  But in living out here, I am frequently reminded that we as followers of Jesus have a responsibility to preach the Gospel and make disciples.  And that is a worthy task that makes the daily discipline worth it.  I wish I could say that I am always well-disciplined in every area, but that is certainly not the case.  It is something that I have been working at most of my life though.

One area recently that I have been concentrating on is my prayer life.  I had always acknowledged and believed that being devoted to prayer and spending time in God's word was important to truly effective ministry.  Now I am seeing that an active prayer life is more than just important, it is absolutely essential.  I must say that prayer is wonderful and often refreshing.  It sometimes feels like a discipline, but it is often something that I enjoy.  There are still those periods of time where it seems to be difficult to focus in prayer and I find sometimes that I just need to press through. Other times I find simply adjusting the way in which I spend my time in prayer or in studying the God's word helps me refocus.  But I want to encourage you that if you know Christ, remember what a privilege it is to spend time in prayer listening and talking to our Father and learning from Him through His written word.  Recently I am being challenged to pray throughout my activities in the day. For me, this currently looks like praying in my heart for individuals as I encounter them or pass by them.  Some days it is easier to do than others, but I find that the more intentional I am about it, the more naturally it begins to come.

My last stay in Loryok had its ups and downs.  I was blessed to have Pastor Joshua from Juba visit.  He held some evangelistic meetings that I often joined him in and it was encouraging to have another believer to fellowship with as well as lead the our Sunday morning gathering for the two Sundays that he was here.  The heat was quite intense though making the nights difficult to sleep.  I found it easier to sleep outside despite the constant wind dusting me at night.  Thankfully some rains recently came cooling things down and reducing the amount of dust in the air.   

One of the current difficulties I have been facing in Loryok is regarding living space.  While I had been focusing on getting a home established in the Boya Hills area, I also desperately needed to get a new grass roof on my current home before the rains came this year. The termites over the years had taken their toll on the roof.  I talked to the owner of the house who agreed that the roof needed to be replaced.  He has allowed me to put my belongings in another, but smaller space so that the roof could be replaced. The work has progressed most days, but it has moved very slowly. Today the roof is near completion.  Another layer of grass still needs to be added before the final bundle for the peak is added.  I am hoping it will be done before I return within the next few days.  Once my home in Loryok is finished, I hope to get my building materials up to Kerenge so that the work can get started there and I can have a place to stay in the Boya Hills area.   

 Thatching the roof

Note:

All the names of places probably are a bit confusing, so I have added something here on my blog.  If you look at the side bar, near the top you will find a link named "Map of Frequented Places" to a map I have drawn.  Below the map here is a bit of info about each place that I stay or regularly visit.

How you can pray:

-Continue to pray for the nation of South Sudan as it is still facing turmoil in a number of areas.

-Pray for the Lord to raise up other believers who have a heart for sharing the Gospel with the Laarim people.

-Pray that I would have wisdom in balancing caring for my body and needs and working.  I feel like often fall on to both sides sometimes overworking and other times taking it too easy.