Greetings from South Sudan! It is hard to believe that tomorrow is Christmas Eve, especially when it is over 100 degrees during the day!
The question that Fr. David, our parish priest, has been asking in almost every homily during Advent has been "are you ready"? Are you ready for Christ to come into your life on Christmas? Advent is the time of preparation and I have had lots to prepare for over the last couple of weeks. While most of the preparation has been for Christmas and the birth of Jesus, there have also been preparations for midterm exams (which finished up this past Friday), and there have also been preparations for my dad's visit and our pilgrimage to the Holy Land in less than a week. So many things to be excited and thankful for!
This morning over breakfast, Tom and I were talking about how today would be such a good day in America. We would spend time with family and friends, watch some football, and enjoy the snow. We discussed how different it was than in America and how it doesn't feel like Christmas due to the hot weather, not being with our family, and a lack of Christmas lights and trees. It's different, but it is a good different. Johnny, a volunteer from Italy, then beautifully stated, "But guys, the work you are doing here is so wonderful. The joy you are sharing with all of the children, you are helping children that desperately need the help and true presence that you are providing." It reminded me of a song that we have been singing while caroling in the villages titled "Christmas is a time to love." So true. Christmas is about what is in out hearts, not about snow, trees, or what's on TV. Christmas is a time to love.
This will probably be the last post of the year until I return from the Holy Land, but I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! God bless!
Saturday, December 22, 2012
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Santa! I know him!
Greetings from South Sudan! Things are getting very busy here! In the school, we are preparing for midterm exams, which start this Friday and will continue all next week. Being the the computer whiz and fast typer that I apparently am (if you're from America, you're great with computers), I have been in charge of typing all of the exams for the teachers and proofreading them for any errors and making the necessary corrections. It is time consuming and tedious, but I just put on some good Christmas music, and the time flies. I am anxious to see the performance of my students, as they are doing really well when we review.
The other big thing coming up starting Monday for the next two weeks we will be having a summer camp for the children. It will be in the morning and we will offer classes such as English, singing, arts and crafts, and Catechism. We will also be playing games and feeding the kids a breakfast (for most it will be their only meal of the day). This is such a big thing for the kids, as our primary school is now on summer break. Don Bosco, the founder of the Salesians, once said that "an idle mind is the devil's workshop" and the summer camp is a way to keep our kids busy and give them a positive way to fill their free time. It will be a fun and educational filled two weeks!
This past week we traveled to different villages to sing Christmas carols and Santa came too! I got to dress up as Santa for 2 of the days, and Tom and Jofin, the other volunteers, dressed up the other days. It was an absolute blast to be with everyone. None of the children knew who Santa was, but they really didn't care who this strange man in a beard and red suit was because he had candy! It was hilarious as I would yell "Ho! Ho! Ho!" and the young children would repeat with their angelic voices "Ho! Ho! Ho!". Most of them were excited, while some scared to death (just like in America!). It was such a beautiful moment to hear the singing of all the people as the smiles never left their face. We sang songs, danced with all of the "mama's", played with the kids, walked around to the houses, and shared joy. However, by far the best moment was when we had everyone come up and kiss the baby Jesus. They lined up in one line and one by one they bowed before the baby Jesus and gave him a kiss. You could tell by the reverence and respect they showed that they knew 100% in their blessed hearts that this is what Christmas was all about.
I thank you all for all of the kind words, prayer, and support. You have no idea how much they mean to me and how much strength they give me. God bless!
The other big thing coming up starting Monday for the next two weeks we will be having a summer camp for the children. It will be in the morning and we will offer classes such as English, singing, arts and crafts, and Catechism. We will also be playing games and feeding the kids a breakfast (for most it will be their only meal of the day). This is such a big thing for the kids, as our primary school is now on summer break. Don Bosco, the founder of the Salesians, once said that "an idle mind is the devil's workshop" and the summer camp is a way to keep our kids busy and give them a positive way to fill their free time. It will be a fun and educational filled two weeks!
This past week we traveled to different villages to sing Christmas carols and Santa came too! I got to dress up as Santa for 2 of the days, and Tom and Jofin, the other volunteers, dressed up the other days. It was an absolute blast to be with everyone. None of the children knew who Santa was, but they really didn't care who this strange man in a beard and red suit was because he had candy! It was hilarious as I would yell "Ho! Ho! Ho!" and the young children would repeat with their angelic voices "Ho! Ho! Ho!". Most of them were excited, while some scared to death (just like in America!). It was such a beautiful moment to hear the singing of all the people as the smiles never left their face. We sang songs, danced with all of the "mama's", played with the kids, walked around to the houses, and shared joy. However, by far the best moment was when we had everyone come up and kiss the baby Jesus. They lined up in one line and one by one they bowed before the baby Jesus and gave him a kiss. You could tell by the reverence and respect they showed that they knew 100% in their blessed hearts that this is what Christmas was all about.
I thank you all for all of the kind words, prayer, and support. You have no idea how much they mean to me and how much strength they give me. God bless!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
The long journey
Greetings! I have a story to share about one of my students that I was unaware of until just recently. And. Here. We. Go.
This student, let's call her R, is one of the better students in my class. She is a little on the shy side, but she is never afraid to ask questions before or after class on things she doesn't understand. She always performs well on assignments and tests. Every time I see her, I am greeted with a friendly smile and "Welcome, Luke from America!".
Now for more to her story. R lives in a village that is pretty far away.....almost a 3 hour walk away far. Ever morning, she leaves her house by around 5:30 so she can make it to school by 8:15 and she makes it on time Monday through Friday. After a long day of school and study, she has to make the same walk home with her books in her backpack. Once she is home, it is time to care for her younger siblings, help cook a simple dinner, fetch water, and maybe do some laundry. The next day, the same thing. The following day, same. On top of that, dinner is her only meal of the day. There is no breakfast before her long journey to school and she joins the majority of my students who use their "lunch break" as a time to play foosball at the school or just sit around and talk.
For the past almost 3 months, I haven't heard a single complaint from R. Not one "I'm hungry", "I'm tired", or "Here's why I couldn't complete my assignment". There is nothing but hard work and joy that beams from her as she receives one of the greatest luxuries a women can have in South Sudan- a quality Secondary School education.
I've been thinking a lot about R's story. Besides the obvious gratitude for the education and childhood I had (and how there were days when I had to be dragged to school), I've been thinking about her daily journey and the sacrifices she has to make each and every day to come to school and make herself better. What things in life am I willing to make that sort of sacrifice for? There are things I hold on to and don't give up in my life. These things are in all areas of my life, but especially with my relationship with God. I allow God into some parts of my life, but not all. R gives up everything to come to school to improve herself so she can get an education and job that will eventually support her family. And she does it without complaining or being deterred by anything. She has one goal- to get an education and a job so she can support her family. I hope and pray that I may be able to follow God, take the 3 hour long walk to be with Him and learn about Him, and have that be my goal and purpose every day of my life- just like R.
This student, let's call her R, is one of the better students in my class. She is a little on the shy side, but she is never afraid to ask questions before or after class on things she doesn't understand. She always performs well on assignments and tests. Every time I see her, I am greeted with a friendly smile and "Welcome, Luke from America!".
Now for more to her story. R lives in a village that is pretty far away.....almost a 3 hour walk away far. Ever morning, she leaves her house by around 5:30 so she can make it to school by 8:15 and she makes it on time Monday through Friday. After a long day of school and study, she has to make the same walk home with her books in her backpack. Once she is home, it is time to care for her younger siblings, help cook a simple dinner, fetch water, and maybe do some laundry. The next day, the same thing. The following day, same. On top of that, dinner is her only meal of the day. There is no breakfast before her long journey to school and she joins the majority of my students who use their "lunch break" as a time to play foosball at the school or just sit around and talk.
For the past almost 3 months, I haven't heard a single complaint from R. Not one "I'm hungry", "I'm tired", or "Here's why I couldn't complete my assignment". There is nothing but hard work and joy that beams from her as she receives one of the greatest luxuries a women can have in South Sudan- a quality Secondary School education.
I've been thinking a lot about R's story. Besides the obvious gratitude for the education and childhood I had (and how there were days when I had to be dragged to school), I've been thinking about her daily journey and the sacrifices she has to make each and every day to come to school and make herself better. What things in life am I willing to make that sort of sacrifice for? There are things I hold on to and don't give up in my life. These things are in all areas of my life, but especially with my relationship with God. I allow God into some parts of my life, but not all. R gives up everything to come to school to improve herself so she can get an education and job that will eventually support her family. And she does it without complaining or being deterred by anything. She has one goal- to get an education and a job so she can support her family. I hope and pray that I may be able to follow God, take the 3 hour long walk to be with Him and learn about Him, and have that be my goal and purpose every day of my life- just like R.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Christmas?!?
I have to admit, when I left for South Sudan in September, there were certain things that I knew I was not going to miss being thousands of miles away from my home and country. All of the election hoop-la was one of them. The other one was walking through stores and seeing Santa Clause everywhere and hearing Christmas songs on the radio- in October. Don't get me wrong, Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year, if not the favorite. I love playing and sledding in the snow, drinking some hot chocolate, being with family and friends, watching Christmas movies, and ending Christmas night building a fort and watching Home Alone with my cousins (yes we are all in our 20's and 30's, yes we quote most of the movie and still laugh hysterically, yes I know, we're pretty awesome). These things and more I will definitely miss, just not the over-hype of everything. I thought for sure I was safeguarded all the way in South Sudan. About that....
For the past couple of weeks, I have been asked constantly about how the election was going and who was winning. They follow it pretty closely and loved hearing from "Luke from America" about how things were going back home. However, it was in a completely different context than back home. They asked not because it really effected them, or because they didn't know the answer, or because they were a democrat or republican and wanted to give their views on fixing the country. They asked because it was something they could ask that we both had knowledge about and in the end, they would know more about me. They asked because they cared about me. They asked out of love.
I couldn't completely get away from the election, but I thought for sure that there was absolutely now way Christmas would dominate the life and culture here and I wouldn't hear anything Christmas until Advent. Well, last week as I was walking from basketball to the rosary "Silent Night" filled up the night skies. Again, it was a completely context though than what I am used to though. The choir had started practicing the songs for Christmas mass almost two months ahead of time and preparations for the big day had begun. Roles have been assigned and Christmas spirit is filling the air. There hasn't been one mention of the word Santa, presents, Christmas trees or anything secular. They are starting preparations this early because Christmas is all about celebrating the birth of the most important person to ever walk this Earth- nothing more. He deserves two months of preparations and lots of hard work. One person stated that "the feast of St. Vincent de Paul was very special, but nothing is more special than the birth of Jesus, so we need to prepare and make it perfect- just like Jesus was." Everything done to prepare for Christmas is out of love- love for Jesus. The more I experiecnce the culture in South Sudan, the more l see that everything done here is out of love. Love for God and love for each other. They are perfect living examples of Luke 10:27- And I love it.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
A day in my life
Greetings from Gumbo! It has been a couple of weeks since I have blogged, but I'm back! For this blog entry, I'd like to give you a brief description of what a typical day looks like for me in South Sudan:
The day begins with waking up around 6:00, hitting the snooze button, and finally rising for morning meditation at 6:10. I usually read a Gospel passage and then reflect on its meaning what it is saying to me. Morning prayer follows at 6:30 and mass at 7:00. Starting each and every day rooted in prayer and the Eucharist has been such a big help for me and been a great source of energy and hope. We then have breakfast as a community before starting our work for the day. The morning work consists of a combination of teaching English in the secondary school, either one or two classes of about 45 minutes each, and some accounting and administrative work in the planning and development office.
After lunch at 1:00, we usually have a community building activity- ping pong! Almost everyone in the house plays and we have a lot of fun battling it out. In the afternoon, I usually go back to the office for a bit more work , have Arabic class once or twice a week, and then oratory begins. Oratory is a time for all of the children and youth to come out and play and have fun with their friends. This is when we play basketball, futbol, and volleyball with everyone, and play games with the young children. It is an opportunity to allow myself to be loved by the children, and to show them love in return. I have really enjoyed coaching basketball and the number of players continues to increase and they are all so hard working and have a passion for learning- all while a smile is on their face and laughter is in the air. After Oratory, we play the rosary with about 150-200 youth in 3 different languages- Arabic, Bari (the local tribal language), and English. It is one of my favorite times of the day as we all come together and pray as one. It is so special and beautiful when so many youth say "Hail Mary" in unison and their prayers lifted up. They pray directly from their hearts and fill my heart with joy seeing the faith and hope the young people have.
After cleaning up with a quick, cold shower, we have evening prayer at 7:30 and dinner around 8:00. By the time dinner is over with, I usually only have time to check email and get on-line real quick, finalize and review lesson plans for the following day, and do some light reading before it is time for bed and put an end to another beautiful and glorious day in Africa.
The day begins with waking up around 6:00, hitting the snooze button, and finally rising for morning meditation at 6:10. I usually read a Gospel passage and then reflect on its meaning what it is saying to me. Morning prayer follows at 6:30 and mass at 7:00. Starting each and every day rooted in prayer and the Eucharist has been such a big help for me and been a great source of energy and hope. We then have breakfast as a community before starting our work for the day. The morning work consists of a combination of teaching English in the secondary school, either one or two classes of about 45 minutes each, and some accounting and administrative work in the planning and development office.
After lunch at 1:00, we usually have a community building activity- ping pong! Almost everyone in the house plays and we have a lot of fun battling it out. In the afternoon, I usually go back to the office for a bit more work , have Arabic class once or twice a week, and then oratory begins. Oratory is a time for all of the children and youth to come out and play and have fun with their friends. This is when we play basketball, futbol, and volleyball with everyone, and play games with the young children. It is an opportunity to allow myself to be loved by the children, and to show them love in return. I have really enjoyed coaching basketball and the number of players continues to increase and they are all so hard working and have a passion for learning- all while a smile is on their face and laughter is in the air. After Oratory, we play the rosary with about 150-200 youth in 3 different languages- Arabic, Bari (the local tribal language), and English. It is one of my favorite times of the day as we all come together and pray as one. It is so special and beautiful when so many youth say "Hail Mary" in unison and their prayers lifted up. They pray directly from their hearts and fill my heart with joy seeing the faith and hope the young people have.
After cleaning up with a quick, cold shower, we have evening prayer at 7:30 and dinner around 8:00. By the time dinner is over with, I usually only have time to check email and get on-line real quick, finalize and review lesson plans for the following day, and do some light reading before it is time for bed and put an end to another beautiful and glorious day in Africa.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Salaam Aleikum!
Salaam Aleikum! This is the common greeting in Arabic that is translated "peace be with you." It is essentially how they say "hello". As I hear about the wonderful fall weather and fall activities back home, temperatures seem to be rising a bit here. We have been blessed with a little bit of rain to cool it down a tad, but sunny days have been over 100, or at least they felt like it! I have started to adjust to the African weather though, as I was actually a little cold one morning! One of the brothers even joked that it might snow!
Now for the story of the week:
Last Friday, I asked my class to write an essay answering the following three questions:
1. If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
2. How would you change it?
3. Why would you change it?
After writing the essay, they would then present their answers to the class in a short speech of just a couple of minutes. The essay (only 2 pages) was due on Wednesday, and the speeches were going to be on Friday. I was also going to answer the three questions myself and give an example speech on Wednesday, to give them a base to work off of. This assignment provided to be the best learning experience by far, for both them and me. Everyday, I asked them if they had any questions about the assignments, and there were only very minor ones predominantly about the sppech. On Wednesday, I asked for them to bring up their essays. They responded with nothing but blank stares. I asked again for their papers and again got nothing but crickets. Finally, one student spoke up.
"Teacher, we don't know how to write an essay".
Talk about a wake-up call and a lesson in only 9 words. I had completely taken for granted that the students, equivalent to high school freshmen, knew how to write an essay. Yet another example of things taken for granted and the differences in culture and level of education. This week, I will be teaching Essays 101.
For the speeches Friday, nobody wanted to go first, but once one brave soul broke the ice, there was a nice flow of volunteers who wanted to voice their opinion and get their first taste of public speaking. While I could go on for hours about their answers as it gave me a great glimpse into their lives and history, I will give you a summary and what it taught me. Feel free to email me if you want more details on anything (Ebenerlukem@sau.edu) For the first question, the most common answers were:
1. They would put an end to fighting, war and violence
2. They would put an end to corruption
The history in South Sudan is filled with violence. For most of the students, war and violence is all they know and has affected them in so many ways. There was a Civil War from 1983-2005 (the second one of the country) and there was still a lot of violence and fighting from after the Civil War had officially ended. While things have improved since the separation last year, there is still conflict and a lot of the tribes are in constant battle. Corruption is also a big problem with the government. There are a couple of my students who are "Lost Boys" (a great movie about this is "God grew tired of us").
That led to the question of why would they change it. Because innocent people are dying, families are broken, and progress towards a peaceful and truly free coutnry are slowed. The people of South Sudan are torn up both on the inside and outside because of war but they are SO PROUD of their newfound freedom and country. They use the term "new beginnings" a lot when talking about their country and lifestyle. What an appropiate term as they continue to move forward with their new life as a country and as individuals. It reminds me of a Braveheart line "I've lived long enough to live free". And they couldn't be any more proud.
How would they change it? The most common answers, to any of the problems and not just the two mentioned above, were that they would pray everyday, preach the Gospel to the people, and BE and live the example of the change they wanted to see. How proud this made me of them! Here is a group of young individuals, who have been through more than most ever will be, who have an unbreakable faith, want change, and are willing to change themselves. Wow.
After the speeches, I asked for feedback about the assignment and how the speeches went. They talked about the initial fear they had, but how happy they were after they got up to speak and finished! We then had a great discussion about they just overcame the greatest fear in the world today (public speaking), which brought many smiles to their faces. I then added that they should have nothing to fear when they change the one thing in the world from their speech. After all, the number one phrase in the Bible is "Do not be afraid."
I pray everyday for peace in our world, peace in our communities, peace in our families, and peace in our hearts. I ask you to please do the same for my students. God bless and Salaam Aleikum.
Now for the story of the week:
Last Friday, I asked my class to write an essay answering the following three questions:
1. If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be?
2. How would you change it?
3. Why would you change it?
After writing the essay, they would then present their answers to the class in a short speech of just a couple of minutes. The essay (only 2 pages) was due on Wednesday, and the speeches were going to be on Friday. I was also going to answer the three questions myself and give an example speech on Wednesday, to give them a base to work off of. This assignment provided to be the best learning experience by far, for both them and me. Everyday, I asked them if they had any questions about the assignments, and there were only very minor ones predominantly about the sppech. On Wednesday, I asked for them to bring up their essays. They responded with nothing but blank stares. I asked again for their papers and again got nothing but crickets. Finally, one student spoke up.
"Teacher, we don't know how to write an essay".
Talk about a wake-up call and a lesson in only 9 words. I had completely taken for granted that the students, equivalent to high school freshmen, knew how to write an essay. Yet another example of things taken for granted and the differences in culture and level of education. This week, I will be teaching Essays 101.
For the speeches Friday, nobody wanted to go first, but once one brave soul broke the ice, there was a nice flow of volunteers who wanted to voice their opinion and get their first taste of public speaking. While I could go on for hours about their answers as it gave me a great glimpse into their lives and history, I will give you a summary and what it taught me. Feel free to email me if you want more details on anything (Ebenerlukem@sau.edu) For the first question, the most common answers were:
1. They would put an end to fighting, war and violence
2. They would put an end to corruption
The history in South Sudan is filled with violence. For most of the students, war and violence is all they know and has affected them in so many ways. There was a Civil War from 1983-2005 (the second one of the country) and there was still a lot of violence and fighting from after the Civil War had officially ended. While things have improved since the separation last year, there is still conflict and a lot of the tribes are in constant battle. Corruption is also a big problem with the government. There are a couple of my students who are "Lost Boys" (a great movie about this is "God grew tired of us").
That led to the question of why would they change it. Because innocent people are dying, families are broken, and progress towards a peaceful and truly free coutnry are slowed. The people of South Sudan are torn up both on the inside and outside because of war but they are SO PROUD of their newfound freedom and country. They use the term "new beginnings" a lot when talking about their country and lifestyle. What an appropiate term as they continue to move forward with their new life as a country and as individuals. It reminds me of a Braveheart line "I've lived long enough to live free". And they couldn't be any more proud.
How would they change it? The most common answers, to any of the problems and not just the two mentioned above, were that they would pray everyday, preach the Gospel to the people, and BE and live the example of the change they wanted to see. How proud this made me of them! Here is a group of young individuals, who have been through more than most ever will be, who have an unbreakable faith, want change, and are willing to change themselves. Wow.
After the speeches, I asked for feedback about the assignment and how the speeches went. They talked about the initial fear they had, but how happy they were after they got up to speak and finished! We then had a great discussion about they just overcame the greatest fear in the world today (public speaking), which brought many smiles to their faces. I then added that they should have nothing to fear when they change the one thing in the world from their speech. After all, the number one phrase in the Bible is "Do not be afraid."
I pray everyday for peace in our world, peace in our communities, peace in our families, and peace in our hearts. I ask you to please do the same for my students. God bless and Salaam Aleikum.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Journey on
Greetings from Gumbo! Life continues on safely in South Sudan as another week of teaching, learning, playing, and praying is in the books. It is amazing how I look back on each day and say to myself "Wow, this was such an amazing day with so many awesome experiences...how can it get be better?" And yet it does. Teaching has gotten a lot better this week, as the weekend before I read a lot about teaching ESL and that really helped out a lot with some basic things that I honestly took for granted with the English language and how I was speaking in the classroom. Their favorite thing and thing they thirst for the most is learning new vocabulary words, and more about Don Bosco! It has led to some fun and interactive classes. It has been a great apostolate for me. My arabic vocabulary continues to grow, although at a very slow pace! I am excited as this week I will begin organizing basketball drills on Mondays and Wednesdays, and lead a bible study with the youth. While I have been missing a lot of American things lately- family, food, watching sports with friends while enjoying a cold beverage, fall festivities and weather, I have been blessed with many other unique and awesome experiences.
For the month of October, since it is the month of Mary, one of the sisters has been traveling every Monday-Thursday to villages in the area to pray the rosary with the communities and children. Today, I had the opportunity to go with her and three other youth. On the way there, we played "dodge the puddles" as we had just received a fresh rain and the dirt roads were quite messy and muddy. As we passed houses made out of anything found in nature (mud, grass, sticks, bamboo) and lots of children with torn or no clothes on, I was reminded of my walks/runs back home and how blessed we are and the differences in the "neighborhoods". It was neat to see variations of games played in America. There were kids playing stick ball, and a game of tetherball- only it was a water bottle on the end of the string and you had to kick it back and forth. Along the journey, we were greeted by ALL of the children as they yell out one of my many names- "A-boon-ah", "Ka-wadda", or "Luka". Aboonah means father, as that is what they call any male associated with the church, Kawadda means white foreigner, and Luka is the African version of Luke. After a 30 minute walk, we gathered with over 100 children and mothers and prayed the rosary together (in 3 different languages) underneath a tree and we sat on some rocks and the ground. It was a really cool experience seeing all of the community members gather to pray together as one.
I thank for the the continued prayers and support! God bless you all!
For the month of October, since it is the month of Mary, one of the sisters has been traveling every Monday-Thursday to villages in the area to pray the rosary with the communities and children. Today, I had the opportunity to go with her and three other youth. On the way there, we played "dodge the puddles" as we had just received a fresh rain and the dirt roads were quite messy and muddy. As we passed houses made out of anything found in nature (mud, grass, sticks, bamboo) and lots of children with torn or no clothes on, I was reminded of my walks/runs back home and how blessed we are and the differences in the "neighborhoods". It was neat to see variations of games played in America. There were kids playing stick ball, and a game of tetherball- only it was a water bottle on the end of the string and you had to kick it back and forth. Along the journey, we were greeted by ALL of the children as they yell out one of my many names- "A-boon-ah", "Ka-wadda", or "Luka". Aboonah means father, as that is what they call any male associated with the church, Kawadda means white foreigner, and Luka is the African version of Luke. After a 30 minute walk, we gathered with over 100 children and mothers and prayed the rosary together (in 3 different languages) underneath a tree and we sat on some rocks and the ground. It was a really cool experience seeing all of the community members gather to pray together as one.
I thank for the the continued prayers and support! God bless you all!
Monday, October 1, 2012
Happy Feast!
As I write this on the Memorial of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, a wonderful saint who I have been reading about the last couple of days in her auto-biography, there is another saint that has made a big impact on me this past week. The saint is Vincent de Paul, which was celebrated in a big way at our local parish this past Thursday, as he is our patron.
Since we got here almost a month ago, preparations were being made for the big feast day on the 27th of September. For hours every day, the choir was practicing songs, children and various goups were practicing different dances, and money was collected to help cover expenses. I was getting excited as the antipication and mystery continued to build as I could tell right away that this would be very different than a typical celeberation in America. I was quite right.
The festivities started Wednesday when a live bull was brought to our compound. While we did not get to witness it, our friend would be slaughtered that night as the official kickoff. We could hear lots of singing and dancing from the joyous celebrants. Thursday morning we had mass at 10:00, which was led by the Vicor General of the Diocese. The church was busting at the seams, and there were large tents and chairs set up outside. The almost 3 hour long mass was filled with constant song, dance, and the Holy Spirit! It was such a joy to watch and be a part of! After mass, we had a huge lunch (with the bull being the main course), and it was shortly followed by the afternoon program, which was four hours of songs, dances, skits, and speeches. It ended with a traditional Bari (the local tribe) dance, which everyone participated in. It was amazing to so many people and so many communities come together to celebrate and enjoy each other's presence and wonderful talents.
On Saturday, we had a mini-retreat in the morning and our Rector spoke a lot more about St. Vincent de Paul. When he initially wanted to become a priest, his primary reasoning was that he wanted to have his own office in the church and to be able to retire early. However, he later had a change of heart and realized the reasons that God wanted him to become a priest and lived a saintly life. He soon discovered though, that his initial motivations about becoming a priest were very common in the Church at that time, and his mission became to change the hearts and vocations of priests to serve to people, not just to have the coveted corner office. The priest concluded with, "in order for him to change the people, he first had to himself change."
This has led to lots of prayer and contemplation the past couple of days. How have I changed since I've been here? What do I need to change about me in order to bette serve the people of South Sudan? How have I changed the people I am serving? I have discovered that I have changed quite a bit over the last month- in my thoughts about people and the world, my words- both what I say and how (slowly) I say them, my actions and habits, and even my appearance (still rockin' the missionary beard!)
As a last thought and official movie quote of this blog entry, we watched the Hunger Games a couple of weeks back. This was my first exposure to the famous series, and there was a quote from the movie that really struck me- "The only thing greater than fear is hope." As I continue to change, I hope to instill hope in the people of South Sudan, and that both they and I can overcome our fears as we both hope for change to create a better world.
I thank you for the continued prayers and support. God bless you all!
Since we got here almost a month ago, preparations were being made for the big feast day on the 27th of September. For hours every day, the choir was practicing songs, children and various goups were practicing different dances, and money was collected to help cover expenses. I was getting excited as the antipication and mystery continued to build as I could tell right away that this would be very different than a typical celeberation in America. I was quite right.
The festivities started Wednesday when a live bull was brought to our compound. While we did not get to witness it, our friend would be slaughtered that night as the official kickoff. We could hear lots of singing and dancing from the joyous celebrants. Thursday morning we had mass at 10:00, which was led by the Vicor General of the Diocese. The church was busting at the seams, and there were large tents and chairs set up outside. The almost 3 hour long mass was filled with constant song, dance, and the Holy Spirit! It was such a joy to watch and be a part of! After mass, we had a huge lunch (with the bull being the main course), and it was shortly followed by the afternoon program, which was four hours of songs, dances, skits, and speeches. It ended with a traditional Bari (the local tribe) dance, which everyone participated in. It was amazing to so many people and so many communities come together to celebrate and enjoy each other's presence and wonderful talents.
On Saturday, we had a mini-retreat in the morning and our Rector spoke a lot more about St. Vincent de Paul. When he initially wanted to become a priest, his primary reasoning was that he wanted to have his own office in the church and to be able to retire early. However, he later had a change of heart and realized the reasons that God wanted him to become a priest and lived a saintly life. He soon discovered though, that his initial motivations about becoming a priest were very common in the Church at that time, and his mission became to change the hearts and vocations of priests to serve to people, not just to have the coveted corner office. The priest concluded with, "in order for him to change the people, he first had to himself change."
This has led to lots of prayer and contemplation the past couple of days. How have I changed since I've been here? What do I need to change about me in order to bette serve the people of South Sudan? How have I changed the people I am serving? I have discovered that I have changed quite a bit over the last month- in my thoughts about people and the world, my words- both what I say and how (slowly) I say them, my actions and habits, and even my appearance (still rockin' the missionary beard!)
As a last thought and official movie quote of this blog entry, we watched the Hunger Games a couple of weeks back. This was my first exposure to the famous series, and there was a quote from the movie that really struck me- "The only thing greater than fear is hope." As I continue to change, I hope to instill hope in the people of South Sudan, and that both they and I can overcome our fears as we both hope for change to create a better world.
I thank you for the continued prayers and support. God bless you all!
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Learn, Teach, Learn
Greetings from Gumbo! This week, I have officially become an English teacher in the secondary school (essentially high school)! It is quite different here than in America. The students are very eager to learn as secondary school is seen as such a privilege in South Sudan and completition of secondary school puts you way ahead from an educational standpoint. To give you an idea, we have over 400 young people in the primary school (K-8), and there are 28 students in the secondary school. However, it is the first year the secondary school is open so the numbers will hopefully grow over time as we continue to establish ourselves in the community. The students are a wide range of ages, anywhere from 15-30. So far this year, they have learned about misspelled words, antonyms, and abstract nouns.
One of the most difficult things thus far, especially in the classroom, has been the language barrier. While everyone speaks English, I was told by the class that I need to speak "African English, as my American English is too difficult to understand." I have difficulties understanding them as well and we usually laugh it off when our accents get in the way of strong communication. It makes it very difficult to explain concepts and definitions, as I use a synonym to explain the definition of one word, only to find out they don't know the definition of the synonym! It has been a while since I have not broken down the English language this much in a long time and it is another reminder how much I take for granted!
The first week as a teacher has taught me so much, much more than I have taught them! I have been reflecting on the language barrier and difficulties in getting my point and message across to them. I try a variety of things- analogies, pictures, I slow down my speech, but nothing seems to work. The problem isn't because they aren't listening (at least most of the time they are listening) or because I am doing a bad job of explaining the meaning behind my message. It is because they don't know, me, my "American English", my style of teaching, or my personality. However, in time, we will get used to each other and our ways and it will create open and effective communication between us to foster a greater learning environment!
This leads to my reflection for the week- does God feel the same way I do as a teacher sometimes? Does he get frustrated when he tries and tries to tell us of so many marvelous things in so many ways, but I am not listening? Or do I not get the message because I do not truly KNOW Him and His ways. This has led me to really "open my eyes to see, and open my ears to listen" this past week and look for God everywhere, because He is everywhere. I have also been reading the Bible a lot more this week (which is definitely a weak point in my faith) to try to get to Jesus and His ways more. I am reminded of a catchphrase from an old MTV show- "You may think you know, but you have no idea. This is the true life of..." This is the true life with my relationship with God.
To close, this week has brought even more unique learning opportunities outside the classroom! I have started to learn how to drive a motorcycle, I have picked up guitar again after some time away, and even learned how to properly eat with my hands (there are rules)! I must say it was one of the most interesting and interactive meals ever! We also attended a concert put on by the pre-schoolers, which was an hour of smiling from ear to ear. It is amazing how the innocence and joy of a child can make such a big difference in a day and a life.
May God bless you all!
One of the most difficult things thus far, especially in the classroom, has been the language barrier. While everyone speaks English, I was told by the class that I need to speak "African English, as my American English is too difficult to understand." I have difficulties understanding them as well and we usually laugh it off when our accents get in the way of strong communication. It makes it very difficult to explain concepts and definitions, as I use a synonym to explain the definition of one word, only to find out they don't know the definition of the synonym! It has been a while since I have not broken down the English language this much in a long time and it is another reminder how much I take for granted!
The first week as a teacher has taught me so much, much more than I have taught them! I have been reflecting on the language barrier and difficulties in getting my point and message across to them. I try a variety of things- analogies, pictures, I slow down my speech, but nothing seems to work. The problem isn't because they aren't listening (at least most of the time they are listening) or because I am doing a bad job of explaining the meaning behind my message. It is because they don't know, me, my "American English", my style of teaching, or my personality. However, in time, we will get used to each other and our ways and it will create open and effective communication between us to foster a greater learning environment!
This leads to my reflection for the week- does God feel the same way I do as a teacher sometimes? Does he get frustrated when he tries and tries to tell us of so many marvelous things in so many ways, but I am not listening? Or do I not get the message because I do not truly KNOW Him and His ways. This has led me to really "open my eyes to see, and open my ears to listen" this past week and look for God everywhere, because He is everywhere. I have also been reading the Bible a lot more this week (which is definitely a weak point in my faith) to try to get to Jesus and His ways more. I am reminded of a catchphrase from an old MTV show- "You may think you know, but you have no idea. This is the true life of..." This is the true life with my relationship with God.
To close, this week has brought even more unique learning opportunities outside the classroom! I have started to learn how to drive a motorcycle, I have picked up guitar again after some time away, and even learned how to properly eat with my hands (there are rules)! I must say it was one of the most interesting and interactive meals ever! We also attended a concert put on by the pre-schoolers, which was an hour of smiling from ear to ear. It is amazing how the innocence and joy of a child can make such a big difference in a day and a life.
May God bless you all!
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Weekend of Travel
I can't believe I have been here for over a week! I have been talking with the other SLM's a lot this week about how it feels like we have been here for months- that is mainly due to the hospitality of the Salesians and neighboring community! It has been great to receive so many warm welcomes, refreshing smiles, and open arms everywhere we go. Things have been progressing very nicely as I am getting more and more into the rhythm of life in South Sudan. I have continued learning Arabic and started doing some accounting work in the planning and development office. And of course, there are plenty of kids to play basketball and soccer with every night! I start teaching English in the secondary school tomorrow and am so excited!
This weekend has been one of many travels! On Saturday, we went to a nearby village of Mobi to get a closer view of the Nile River (there are some pictures in the pictures section). It is such a quaint little village that has beautiful views of the Nile and a very mild climate due to the tall trees towering above. We walked around and allowed the scenery to soak in, played a game with the young people, and headed back to our home in Gumbo. Later that morning, we introduced a few lucky children to American football. We passed the ball around to each other, and worked on counting in both Arabic and English as we successfully passed and caught each one. It was amazing to see them progess as they were initially hesitant to play with this odd shaped ball but by the end of it they were pros! In the afternoon, we headed into town drop off our Spanish friends at the airport and get the groceries for the week. It was great to be able to see more of the town and how everything worked together. The cars are always so close together, there are no street signs or lights, and people are crossing in front of and between cars all the time. You have to watch out for the goats and dogs that suddenly decide they want to cross the street!
Today, a group of pre-novices, sisters, and volunteers went with a priest to celebrate mass in Mogili, a village about an hour and 15 minutes away. On the journey there, we passed some monkeys, lots of people bathing in small creeks as we crossed the bridge, and a sign that read "de-mining in process...please be patient". Many reminders to be thankful and count my blessings. Before we left, we were told that it is a "hanging church that has natural A/C!" It turned out to be a large shade tree in the middle of the village! The altar we used was essentially a coffee table and all of the people brought their own plastic lawn chairs. The "child care center" was two blankets laid down on the dirt, one made of cloth and the other one was made of straw. They rang the bell- a small, blown up part of an old bomb they struck with a hammer to signal the beginning of mass. All of the music was sang a cappella. There was no huge gathering space. No organ or other musical instruments. No stained glass windows, large crucifixes, or elaborate fountains. No walls surrounding us. It was just a group of people (and goats and chickens that joined in the celebration!) that were overjoyed to be able to come together as a community once a week (this is the only time of the week a priest is present) to pray, give praise and worship to the God they love and adore so much, and celebrate in the most Holy Eucharist. It didn't matter what songs were played. It didn't matter what the priest said for the homily. It didn't matter who was or who wasn't there. All that mattered was the community came together to celebrate the Eucharist. It was such a blessing and absolutely beautiful to see and be a part of the love and joy that was in everyone present.
I pray that God continues to bless each and everyone of you and you find joy and happiness.
This weekend has been one of many travels! On Saturday, we went to a nearby village of Mobi to get a closer view of the Nile River (there are some pictures in the pictures section). It is such a quaint little village that has beautiful views of the Nile and a very mild climate due to the tall trees towering above. We walked around and allowed the scenery to soak in, played a game with the young people, and headed back to our home in Gumbo. Later that morning, we introduced a few lucky children to American football. We passed the ball around to each other, and worked on counting in both Arabic and English as we successfully passed and caught each one. It was amazing to see them progess as they were initially hesitant to play with this odd shaped ball but by the end of it they were pros! In the afternoon, we headed into town drop off our Spanish friends at the airport and get the groceries for the week. It was great to be able to see more of the town and how everything worked together. The cars are always so close together, there are no street signs or lights, and people are crossing in front of and between cars all the time. You have to watch out for the goats and dogs that suddenly decide they want to cross the street!
Today, a group of pre-novices, sisters, and volunteers went with a priest to celebrate mass in Mogili, a village about an hour and 15 minutes away. On the journey there, we passed some monkeys, lots of people bathing in small creeks as we crossed the bridge, and a sign that read "de-mining in process...please be patient". Many reminders to be thankful and count my blessings. Before we left, we were told that it is a "hanging church that has natural A/C!" It turned out to be a large shade tree in the middle of the village! The altar we used was essentially a coffee table and all of the people brought their own plastic lawn chairs. The "child care center" was two blankets laid down on the dirt, one made of cloth and the other one was made of straw. They rang the bell- a small, blown up part of an old bomb they struck with a hammer to signal the beginning of mass. All of the music was sang a cappella. There was no huge gathering space. No organ or other musical instruments. No stained glass windows, large crucifixes, or elaborate fountains. No walls surrounding us. It was just a group of people (and goats and chickens that joined in the celebration!) that were overjoyed to be able to come together as a community once a week (this is the only time of the week a priest is present) to pray, give praise and worship to the God they love and adore so much, and celebrate in the most Holy Eucharist. It didn't matter what songs were played. It didn't matter what the priest said for the homily. It didn't matter who was or who wasn't there. All that mattered was the community came together to celebrate the Eucharist. It was such a blessing and absolutely beautiful to see and be a part of the love and joy that was in everyone present.
I pray that God continues to bless each and everyone of you and you find joy and happiness.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
New Beginnings!
Hello from Gumbo-Juba! This past Saturday night, I left my parent's house in Chatham, IL and started the journey to South Sudan. After spending over 17 hours on a plane, over 13 hours in airports, one delay in our luggage (they put it on the second flight from Addis Ababa to Juba, we were on the first), 15 minutes in a car, I finally arrived to my mission site! It was such a moment of joy to finally be at my destination after so many months of preparation.
The first couple of days has been filled with so many wonderful and glorious things, as well as so many reminders about life. As we drove from the airport in Juba to our site, we had motorcycles passing us on both sides of the car...reminder...I'm not in America and things are very different! All of the power is from a solar powered generator, so lights are very rarely used during the day and sparingly at night. If we have a few cloudy days in a row, we will go without any lights or power at all. My mosquito net (I like to look at it like I am sleeping in a fort EVERY NIGHT!) was also a big change for me.
The days so far have been pretty relaxed, as they are giving us time to adjust to the community, culture, and time zone (we are 8 hours ahead from CST). Yesterday, it was very exciting to start Arabic class! We will take a class for about an hour everyday for a while to get used to the language. When the group is in class,I feel like Adam Sandler in Billy Madison, constantly saying "slow down!" While English is widely spoken around the mission site, it is not the native language and most of the younger children do not speak any English at all. It is a big change to use the language side of my brain and the young people laugh at us when we mispronounce words, but they appreciate the effort we are putting into it kindly correct us.
Also, this morning it was very nice to get to know more of my daily schedule and duties I will be performing throughout the week. The majority of my time will be spent in the planning and development office doing various administrative tasks. I will also be teaching 3 English classes at the secondary school (it is similiar to a high school) and one Commerce class. In the evenings, I will be spending time at the youth centre playing either soccer, volleyball, basketball, (no tennis), or learning native songs and dances- as there is always music and dancing going on! We also have daily mass and prayer.
The culture in South Sudan has provided so many lessons about life so far. The people are the most joy-filled people I have ever come in contact with and they are grateful for every moment God has given them on this beautiful Earth- and it shows in so many ways. While playing soccer on the dirt field with no nets in the goal, some of the kids are wearing shoes, some are wearing sandals, most have no shoes at all. Sometimes the ball is regulation size with air in it, sometimes it is a smaller ball, and sometimes the ball is completely flat. However, none of that matters to them at all. They are surrounded by their friends and smiling ear to ear the entire time. Every moment is an opportunity to share joy...and they do. Everywhere you look, there is always laughter and joy. Nothing matters besides being in the moment and enjoying that moment.
They are also a faith-filled people. In fact, in Arabic, when asked "How are you?", a common response is "I'm great, thanks be to God." ( in arabic class, we are only speaking and not writing any arabic so I cannot write any for you...sorry!). Again, they are so grateful for everything God has given them. When a fellow SLM and I were walking with a group of young people earlier today, they spontaneously yelled out "God is good....All the time! All the time...God is good!" An hour later, we joined over 300 people in the community to pray the rosary together as one. What an unbelievable moment that was to hear "Hail Mary" being echoed throughout the village- and in 4 different languages/dialects!
Theme so far- learn, enjoy, and be grateful for each and every moment of each and every day because "God is good...All the time! All the time...God is Good!"
The first couple of days has been filled with so many wonderful and glorious things, as well as so many reminders about life. As we drove from the airport in Juba to our site, we had motorcycles passing us on both sides of the car...reminder...I'm not in America and things are very different! All of the power is from a solar powered generator, so lights are very rarely used during the day and sparingly at night. If we have a few cloudy days in a row, we will go without any lights or power at all. My mosquito net (I like to look at it like I am sleeping in a fort EVERY NIGHT!) was also a big change for me.
The days so far have been pretty relaxed, as they are giving us time to adjust to the community, culture, and time zone (we are 8 hours ahead from CST). Yesterday, it was very exciting to start Arabic class! We will take a class for about an hour everyday for a while to get used to the language. When the group is in class,I feel like Adam Sandler in Billy Madison, constantly saying "slow down!" While English is widely spoken around the mission site, it is not the native language and most of the younger children do not speak any English at all. It is a big change to use the language side of my brain and the young people laugh at us when we mispronounce words, but they appreciate the effort we are putting into it kindly correct us.
Also, this morning it was very nice to get to know more of my daily schedule and duties I will be performing throughout the week. The majority of my time will be spent in the planning and development office doing various administrative tasks. I will also be teaching 3 English classes at the secondary school (it is similiar to a high school) and one Commerce class. In the evenings, I will be spending time at the youth centre playing either soccer, volleyball, basketball, (no tennis), or learning native songs and dances- as there is always music and dancing going on! We also have daily mass and prayer.
The culture in South Sudan has provided so many lessons about life so far. The people are the most joy-filled people I have ever come in contact with and they are grateful for every moment God has given them on this beautiful Earth- and it shows in so many ways. While playing soccer on the dirt field with no nets in the goal, some of the kids are wearing shoes, some are wearing sandals, most have no shoes at all. Sometimes the ball is regulation size with air in it, sometimes it is a smaller ball, and sometimes the ball is completely flat. However, none of that matters to them at all. They are surrounded by their friends and smiling ear to ear the entire time. Every moment is an opportunity to share joy...and they do. Everywhere you look, there is always laughter and joy. Nothing matters besides being in the moment and enjoying that moment.
They are also a faith-filled people. In fact, in Arabic, when asked "How are you?", a common response is "I'm great, thanks be to God." ( in arabic class, we are only speaking and not writing any arabic so I cannot write any for you...sorry!). Again, they are so grateful for everything God has given them. When a fellow SLM and I were walking with a group of young people earlier today, they spontaneously yelled out "God is good....All the time! All the time...God is good!" An hour later, we joined over 300 people in the community to pray the rosary together as one. What an unbelievable moment that was to hear "Hail Mary" being echoed throughout the village- and in 4 different languages/dialects!
Theme so far- learn, enjoy, and be grateful for each and every moment of each and every day because "God is good...All the time! All the time...God is Good!"
Monday, August 27, 2012
The journey continues
Whew! What a month is has been and there is so much to share! For just over three weeks, I was in New York for orientation as I continue to prepare for my life as a missionary in South Sudan. The time spent there was filled with one learning experience after another. Learning about all of my fellow SLM's (Salesian Lay Missioners) and how amazing and awesome their faith journeys have been and continue to be. Learning about what it means to be a Salesian and live a life in the spirit of Don Bosco. Learning about transition, letting things go, saying goodbye, the ups and downs of mission life. Learning about the ginormous collection of buildings and people they call New York City. Learning about ourselves, how we got to this blessed point in our lives, where we want to go and who we want to be in the future as we continue to grow each and every day while on mission. Learning about the love that Jesus has for us and how we can share that love by being present with everyone we encounter. It was a truly blessed time with some unbelievable people that was filled with so much joy and countless memories.
This past week, I started putting that learning into action! I spent a few days up in Davenport wrapping up some final things and saying goodbye to so many people that have a special place in my heart and that I will miss dearly. It was great seeing everyone, but also sad and difficult to say goodbye. It was a little crazy going here, there and everywhere, but it was extremely reassuring to know all of the support and prayers that will be coming from that area! I thank you all for everything you have done!
The last couple of days has been spent back in Chatham and has been more of the same- running around and seeing as many people as I can! Yesterday was an unbelievable time as they did a blessing for me and my ministry at mass and I had a ton of family and friends show up to support and pray for me. Again, the outrcy of support and well wishes from the community was just amazing. After mass, my parents hosted a going away party that was again bittersweet. It is always a great blessing to be able to see so many family members and friends, but I really suck at saying goodbye! I want to thank you all who came out to support me as it is all of the support and prayers from everyone that will provide the strength and energy that is needed when times are tough! Thanks again!
Over the past couple of days, I have been thinking a lot about the grace of God and His blessings from a couple of different perspectives. Over the course of my life, I have always been very blessed. Blessed with the most awesome family and friends anyone can ask for. Blessed with so many tremendous opportunities to do almost anything I wanted to in life, whether it be in church, school, or sports. I've been blessed with a number of talents and gifts and the ultimate blessing of life. The last month has been one reminder of these blessings after another. I have often times questioned the worthiness of these blessings- Why me? I have messed up countless times throughout my life yet the blessings continued to be showered upon me. I sometimes feel like Wayne and Garth in Wayne's World bowing down and saying "We're not worthy! We're not worthy!" (By the way, I just decided I will have a movie quote in every blog post- just a little warning!). However, yesterday while I was at mass praying before the celebration began, I was staring up at the crucifix. Here was Jesus, with holes in his hands and feet, staring down at me with his arms wide open and I swear I could see a huge smile beaming from his face. It then hit me hard. Despite the mistakes I've made and holes in Jesus feet, he is there to love me with open arms and it is out of his unconditional love for us that these blessings come from- he loves us anyway. Even more amazingly, all he asks of us is to love him back and love all of his people of this world and to be his hands and feet. I pray that when people see and talk to me, they can see Jesus and His work, and not Luke Ebener. I pray that I can use the blessings bestowed upon me to be a blessing to the people of South Sudan.
This led to many more thoughts as I am now 6 days away from leaving for South Sudan. I have been thinking a lot about my upcoming work and mission in South Sudan and the children and adults I will be serving. When I was in New York, there was a very small "waterpark", which was a part of a larger park across the street from where we stayed. It was basically a slab of concrete that was equipped with various water fountains, sprinklers, and water toys for the kids to run through and cool off on a hot summer day. One afternoon, another SLM and I couldn't help ourselves and we decided to stop by and run through the waterpark with all the kiddos (some people would say we are inmature, we prefer to look it as accepting Jesus challenge to be "child-like"). Anyway, we weren't there for 5 minutes before we were the catalysts of an all out water war. We were running around filling water bottles, cups, anything that could be used to dump water on the opponents. Very early on in the "recruiting process", there was a little girl who came up to me and said, "I trust you to be on your team, and you should trust me too." This got me thinking about how important the trust of a child is and how trusting a child can be as she put her complete trust in me after only knowing me for a few short minutes. While this was quite humbling, it was also a wake-up call and challenge to truly be the hands and feet of Jesus and for people to see Jesus in everything I do, as children are always looking up to you and me. The question I was asking myself was "How do I do this?" More recently, the question was, "How do I use these blessings to be a blessing in return and be more like Jesus?
Well, yesterday after mass, I was speaking to some of the community members of my church and a lady whom I have never met or seen before came up to me. She said "I do not know you and you do not know me. I was observing you before mass began and throughout the entire service and I could tell there was something special about you and that God was working through you. I then saw you come up for the blessing and I was not surprised at all that you were going to be a missionary. I wanted to wish you the best of luck and I know God will be with you on your journey. God bless." Another prayer answered. It is in the little things in life that people see Jesus working through you and me. We do not have to do great and abundant things, just "small things with great love", as Mother Teresa was known for saying. If I can use the blessings God has so graciously given to me to do the little things in South Sudan and love and be present to the children, I will have served my purpose, and God will continue to smile down on me and His people and send down an overflowing cup of blessings.
Thanks again for all the loving support, king thoughts, and heartfelt prayers you have given me as I cannot thank you enough. May God continue to bless each and every one of you.
This past week, I started putting that learning into action! I spent a few days up in Davenport wrapping up some final things and saying goodbye to so many people that have a special place in my heart and that I will miss dearly. It was great seeing everyone, but also sad and difficult to say goodbye. It was a little crazy going here, there and everywhere, but it was extremely reassuring to know all of the support and prayers that will be coming from that area! I thank you all for everything you have done!
The last couple of days has been spent back in Chatham and has been more of the same- running around and seeing as many people as I can! Yesterday was an unbelievable time as they did a blessing for me and my ministry at mass and I had a ton of family and friends show up to support and pray for me. Again, the outrcy of support and well wishes from the community was just amazing. After mass, my parents hosted a going away party that was again bittersweet. It is always a great blessing to be able to see so many family members and friends, but I really suck at saying goodbye! I want to thank you all who came out to support me as it is all of the support and prayers from everyone that will provide the strength and energy that is needed when times are tough! Thanks again!
Over the past couple of days, I have been thinking a lot about the grace of God and His blessings from a couple of different perspectives. Over the course of my life, I have always been very blessed. Blessed with the most awesome family and friends anyone can ask for. Blessed with so many tremendous opportunities to do almost anything I wanted to in life, whether it be in church, school, or sports. I've been blessed with a number of talents and gifts and the ultimate blessing of life. The last month has been one reminder of these blessings after another. I have often times questioned the worthiness of these blessings- Why me? I have messed up countless times throughout my life yet the blessings continued to be showered upon me. I sometimes feel like Wayne and Garth in Wayne's World bowing down and saying "We're not worthy! We're not worthy!" (By the way, I just decided I will have a movie quote in every blog post- just a little warning!). However, yesterday while I was at mass praying before the celebration began, I was staring up at the crucifix. Here was Jesus, with holes in his hands and feet, staring down at me with his arms wide open and I swear I could see a huge smile beaming from his face. It then hit me hard. Despite the mistakes I've made and holes in Jesus feet, he is there to love me with open arms and it is out of his unconditional love for us that these blessings come from- he loves us anyway. Even more amazingly, all he asks of us is to love him back and love all of his people of this world and to be his hands and feet. I pray that when people see and talk to me, they can see Jesus and His work, and not Luke Ebener. I pray that I can use the blessings bestowed upon me to be a blessing to the people of South Sudan.
This led to many more thoughts as I am now 6 days away from leaving for South Sudan. I have been thinking a lot about my upcoming work and mission in South Sudan and the children and adults I will be serving. When I was in New York, there was a very small "waterpark", which was a part of a larger park across the street from where we stayed. It was basically a slab of concrete that was equipped with various water fountains, sprinklers, and water toys for the kids to run through and cool off on a hot summer day. One afternoon, another SLM and I couldn't help ourselves and we decided to stop by and run through the waterpark with all the kiddos (some people would say we are inmature, we prefer to look it as accepting Jesus challenge to be "child-like"). Anyway, we weren't there for 5 minutes before we were the catalysts of an all out water war. We were running around filling water bottles, cups, anything that could be used to dump water on the opponents. Very early on in the "recruiting process", there was a little girl who came up to me and said, "I trust you to be on your team, and you should trust me too." This got me thinking about how important the trust of a child is and how trusting a child can be as she put her complete trust in me after only knowing me for a few short minutes. While this was quite humbling, it was also a wake-up call and challenge to truly be the hands and feet of Jesus and for people to see Jesus in everything I do, as children are always looking up to you and me. The question I was asking myself was "How do I do this?" More recently, the question was, "How do I use these blessings to be a blessing in return and be more like Jesus?
Well, yesterday after mass, I was speaking to some of the community members of my church and a lady whom I have never met or seen before came up to me. She said "I do not know you and you do not know me. I was observing you before mass began and throughout the entire service and I could tell there was something special about you and that God was working through you. I then saw you come up for the blessing and I was not surprised at all that you were going to be a missionary. I wanted to wish you the best of luck and I know God will be with you on your journey. God bless." Another prayer answered. It is in the little things in life that people see Jesus working through you and me. We do not have to do great and abundant things, just "small things with great love", as Mother Teresa was known for saying. If I can use the blessings God has so graciously given to me to do the little things in South Sudan and love and be present to the children, I will have served my purpose, and God will continue to smile down on me and His people and send down an overflowing cup of blessings.
Thanks again for all the loving support, king thoughts, and heartfelt prayers you have given me as I cannot thank you enough. May God continue to bless each and every one of you.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Welcome!
Welcome! I still have a few weeks until orientation so it won't be updated anytime soon, but I have officially created my first blog! I leave for New York July 26th and then South Sudan sometime in late August. I am super stoked and thank you all for your prayers and support!
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