Sorry for the delay!

I've not had much internet access the past two weeks, so sorry for the lack of communication.

Here's a rundown of impacting events for me since my last update:
* On our last day at St. Bartholomew's Orphanage Mommy Susan called Lexie and I to meet one of the new cooks at the orphanage. She is a single mother who drunkard husband left her with four children. The woman was holding a small child, her son, who I took to be about ten months old. I was shocked to find out that the boy was actually four years old. His name is Leju Julius, and seems to have a litany of mental and physical disabilities, as well as malnutrition. He cannot speak, doesn't seem to be able to hear, and cannot see more than light and dark. Lexie examined him, as did Annet Gune, the IWASSRU nurse, and during their poking and prodding, the only response he gave was moaning a bit when they hit a sore spot. His stomach and probably liver are so distended that his ribs are displaced. His arms and legs have no muscle development, and he cannot support himself even to sit. His hands are tightly curled into fists and he drools constantly. Annet thinks that with good nutrition, vitamins, and physical therapy Leju might be able to gain strength in his limbs. For now Mommy Susan has moved the mother and her children into one of the staff tukels on St. Bartholomew's land and arranged for Leju to spend the days at the Babies' Home while the mother is working, which will free his other primary caretaker, his six-year-old sister, to go to school. This was the only time on this trip that I felt completely unable to process what I was seeing and feeling. My heart went out to this mother and baby so much, and they've been consistently in my prayers ever since.

* That same day, we left SBO, and it was the first time I had to say goodbye to friends on this trip. Until that time I had always been coming back in a week or two, so I didn't have to actually say goodbye. I'll try to upload the photo of our last moment there, saying goodbye to some thirty people all at once, not to mention the children who had become very special to me.

* We returned to Amazing Grace, my favorite place to be, which took the edge off of the goodbyes. We were joined by Mommy Susan, Annet the nurse, and Sokiri the child sponsorship director a few days later. I got to go with Susan and Sokiri and all of the children to purchase new clothes and shoes for every child, courtesy of the Lahash Christmas program. It was so special to these kids to get new clothes, especially ones that were not second hand and that they got to pick out themselves. It was an extremely long day, but really rewarding to see the delight over picking out patterns for dresses and the satisfaction of finding the right belt with the right trousers. I loved getting to "mother" the little boys, helping them adjust the trousers and pick out shirts, and we got to throw away one pair of trousers that a boy had been wearing. He was wearing a huge shirt because the zipper area of the trousers had been totally destroyed and was just open. They're saving the new clothes for Christmas, and I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of them all in their new outfits.

* For the stories of our "American" Thanksgiving and our African Thanksgiving, check out the Lahash blog: www.hopeisalive.com. I also got to talk to my parents, my grandma and grandpa, my uncle, and my best friend, and leave a voicemail for my brother, so that was special also.

*We continued interviews with the kids, and I did eight girls' interviews on Sunday afternoon. It was fun to be asking them questions and getting to know them better, but I was infinitely more blessed by the opportunity that they were giving me. The girls are pretty shy as a group, and one month ago they would never have given me the chance to sit on the floor of their tukul, eating cookies and chatting about their dreams for their futures while they tease each other and me. It was really special.

* We stayed in Adjumani one extra day as a result of Annet's medical exams. Lexie did a great job of administering the medicines for scabies, ringworm, flu, UTIs, and oral thrush, and she taught the kids how to treat cuts and scrapes on themselves and others. She trained the watchman, Father Wani, and several of the kids how to continue diagnosing and treated their illnesses. We talked to the kids again about hygiene, and on Monday we did a massive cleaning of their tukuls. They pulled out all of their mattresses, all of their sheets, all of their clothes and other belongings, and we paid a couple of dollars each to the older kids to wash everything for them. Their mattresses got thoroughly dried out in the sun while the covers were washed, and their sheets and mosquito nets were washed, dried, and repaired. While that was happening, Jeremy and I took insecticide and "bombed" each of their tukuls. The boys got a huge kick out of going in twenty minutes later to see how many cockroaches, mosquitoes, spiders, and other bugs we'd killed and killing the ones that weren't quite dead yet. Through the generosity of my parents, I was able to buy new bags for each of the kids to keep their belongings in, so there are no more piles of clothes for insects and rodents to hide in. We also bought them a big box of medicated soap and individual soap dishes to keep it in. It was adorable to see how proud they were of going to bathe with their individual plastic soap dish.

* Edwin, Christine, Jeremy, Lexie, and I did two nights worth of "adolescent issues" discussion. We talked about personal hygiene, the differences between boys and girls, the way bodies change as they are becoming adults, and respecting one another through those changes all as a combined group on the first night. Their homework was to come up with questions for separate discussions the second night, and the girls came through in a big way. They had a ton of great questions, ranging from HIV to pregnancy to the biology of their bodies to traditional beliefs about infertility. Both nights were phenomenal, and made me even more sad to leave them.

* The best thing out of this entire trip was a compliment from our friend Jaclyn Karkner, a mid-term missionary who has been doing Bible lessons with the kids since February. She said that she could tell that we were doing something right because the kids were acting like themselves around us, not super formally or reserved, and that she could see so many positive changes happening at the orphanage even in the past four months. Those positive changes have so much to do with the prayers and support of you friends back at home. Thank you for caring about these beautiful kids, and being willing to support Lahash and IWASSRU as we care for them.

* I got to chat with my friend Lisa in South Africa one day, and she asked me if I was missing home at all. When I thought about it, I realized that each time I come to Africa, the concept of home gets a bit more distant and obscure for me. My language has started changing from talking about going "home" at the end of a trip to going "back to the States". Every time I've come to Africa one of my good friends has unexpectedly and suddenly moved away, whether temporarily or permanently, and because my focus has been so much on living here in Africa, I've spent less and less time maintaining and growing friendships at home. Of course I miss my family and I miss my Home Community, but when I'm not here I miss my family here and the communities of staff and children who are so special to me. I'm realizing that "home" will probably be a complicated concept for me for the rest of my life, but I think that's a blessing: having so much home that it can't be relegated to one location, or even one continent.

So all that is a recap to say that I'm blessed and thankful and sad and sorry. I'm especially blessed to say that God is good and faithful and the same yesterday, today, and forever, even in Africa.

I'll be arriving in Portland on Monday, December 8th, at 7:13pm. It would be awesome to see some of you then, or in the next few days.

Best to you...Leisha

I'm back at Amazing Grace Orphanage

Hey everyone! We made it to Adjumani in one piece, and it only took sixteen hours. (Note: the “only” was sarcastic) Read the Lahash blog for that story, and the story of distributing the gifts that people donated for the children here.

An addendum to that story is how after we distributed the gifts, and the children disbursed to prepare for bed, I was standing outside the girls’ room, and was grabbed and pulled into the room with the words “we need some help”. When my eyes adjusted to the dim light inside, the girls removed their shirts to demonstrate the problem. The bras that we gave them had removable straps, and the girls had gotten the bras on, but had no idea how to attach the straps. We laughed a lot as we began attaching the straps and adjusting them, and they were teasing the girls who were too shy to show off their bras to the other girls. After we finished with the bras, I explained the quizzing function and solar power of her calculator to Piting and explained the paint-included paint brushes that a few of the girls had received.

After the chaos in the girls’ room, I asked Edwin to see what was going on in the boys’ room. He found them diligently assembling their model racecars, airplanes, and yachts. Some had even reached the painting stage, but when Edwin looked up, Sekwait (say “Say-quat”) was laying in his bed just staring at his calculator, still in its package. Edwin asked if he was planning to get any sleep that night. Without even looking away from the calculator he just shook his head no.

I’ve been having a really great time with Jeremy and Lexie and Edwin and Christine. Between card games, late night laughing sessions, and prayer requests that get sidetracked into long personal anecdotes leaving us crying from laughing too hard, I am having a tremendously fun time with them. Right now, as I write this blog post, we’re sitting in the center tukul listening to some 1960’s love songs and Lexie is making friends with one of the more persistent flies. She’s named him “Ernest”, and got mad at Jeremy when he tried to chase Ernest away. Highly enjoyable.

Thanks for your support and love and prayers. Thanks for reading this blog.

It's late, so this will be brief

We're leaving at 5:00AM tomorrow morning for a 5:30AM check in time for our bus to Adjumani, which might not get all the way there, but will only take 14 hours, if we're luck. Read the Lahash blog for more details about that.

I still haven't packed, so I need to be brief, but I'll let you know one personal update from me. If you look closely at the photos on the Lahash blog, you might notice my hair looks a little funny. I got my hair braided by the women here at the house on Friday night. It feels a bit weird to me to have all these tiny braids all over my head, and I'm pretty sure I got my scalp sunburned this afternoon, but the kids keep telling me I look smart (aka I look nice or sharp), and it'll be nice for traveling. I slept with my head wrapped up in a scarf like a turban Friday night so that they wouldn't fall out. My scrub pants and t-shirt I wear for pajamas were being washed, so I was wearing a tank top and a wrap skirt, and looked awesome. I'll probably be destroying that photo. (Either that or posting it to this blog at a later date...y'know, one or the other.)

Seems like there was something more important than the braids to tell you all about, but I can't think of what that was, so read the Lahash blog, and pray for safe travels for us, and I'll update you in a few days!

Love,
Leisha

P.S. Annie, I finished Twilight in like twenty-four hours. After reading Crime and Punishment it was like eating cotton candy after a seven-course gourmet meal, but sometimes cotton candy hits the spot! I'm very excited to read the sequel when I get back slash see the movie.

P.P.S Jeannie, I had to hide the peanut M&Ms from myself so that they would actually make it past Kampala. Bless you, my sister.

Second team (and their luggage) is here

Lexie and Jeremy arrived Tuesday night, and I have to admit I was super excited to receive them. I had spent the weekend sleeping late, taking naps, reading Crime and Punishment on Dana and Erin’s recommendation (I loved it!), watching movies, and having long chats with Jose. Jose and I also went to church at Kampala Pentecostal Church, a pretty awesome, English language church that is doing crazy cool, community-based work. Over all it was a really relaxing schedule, and very little was expected of me. Can anyone blame me for wanting to put off the resumption of work?

The Warner Pacific friends arrived quite late in the evening, so yesterday was our “getting used to each other” day. I can unreservedly say that I am super excited to travel with these two. I feel completely energized having them around, and we had a great conversation about the sponsorship project that they’ll be helping me with, developing detailed personality-based profiles of each child in the IWASSRU sponsorship program over green salad and mushroom pizza at Mamba Point, courtesy of Mama Susan. Then, last night after the tickle war, we played a three-handed game of hearts and laughed until tears came to our eyes. It made me miss you friends at home, because I’d forgotten how fun it is to share that natural banter (and “TWSS” jokes).

I fully admit that I sprang upon the trunks that they brought with them, tossing clothing to all sides until I came upon the bag of peanut M&Ms and note from Jeannie and the box of granola bars from Dan and Erin. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Also, huge thank you to Jeannie and Mike, Lyla, and other friends who organized quickly enough to get me the calculators, some blankets, and some ointments for the people with leprosy. Even though those things aren’t for me, I felt like it was a care package from the States, and I was practically giddy looking at all the items (of course it was like one in the morning, but still!).

I’m going out to the Government of Southern Sudan offices for visas to Sudan today, and I will finally call my friend Ian, who I promised to get in touch with like a week ago, before I entered the black hole of the weekend.

Please continue to prayerfully consider donating some funds to Lahash for the care of those people with leprosy or for the “maxi” fund for the girls in Adjumani. Is there a women’s Bible study out there that would be willing to take a collection for these beautiful girls-becoming-women? Can I ask my Home Community if Batman might be interested in the people with leprosy?

Thank you all for your prayers. I know it’s because of your prayers that I’m feeling so strong and encouraged. God bless you.

Leisha

P.S. Annie, I’m starting to read the book you gave me.

Leisha to Africa, again

Hey everyone,

I'm off to Africa again, and this time I promise to update this blog more frequently! Hope you follow it and leave me comments.

I'm leaving on Monday morning, October 13th, and returning to Portland on December 8th.

Along with Edwin Angote and his wife, Christine, good friends of mine, I'll be leading two teams. The first team is from Berean Baptist Church here in Portland. The relationship between Berean Baptist and Lahash International is based on the advocacy of Betty Jones and Lyla Peterson. The church sponsors one of the precious girls at Kampala House, and they are looking forward to meeting Poni Gloria! Lewis works as a chaplain for Multnomah County jails, so we're trying to arrange for him to do some prison ministry in Kajo Keji, Sudan. Teresa works at a women's shelter in Portland, and has a background in childcare, and is really interested in the Charlotte Babies' Home at St. Bartholomew's Orphanage in Sudan. Rita has already traveled to Uganda with Youth With A Mission (YWAM), and is excited for the Berean Baptist community to be expanding into more international cross-cultural ministry.

After the Berean Baptist team leaves (in time to get home and vote!), I'll have a day or two off, then the second team arrives! The second team is two people who are friends from their time at Warner Pacific College, where my brother, Roy, currently attends. They have spent several years learning about Southern Sudan and Northern Uganda. They have both traveled, and will be helping me with some interviews for the sponsorship program. I'll write more about their roles when we get a little closer to their arrival in early November.