Blessed Literacy

“Happy is the one who reads this book…”
~Revelation 1:3a~

I was struck by this verse last Friday at the small graduation ceremony for those teachers undergoing training in the Latuko language. These teachers had just completed their course so that they could go back to their home churches and teach others how to read and write in their mother tongue. I was so encouraged by these teachers. Each one was very eager to get back to their homes to begin teaching. The hope is that eventually the Latuko people will be able to read the Bible in their own language. What a wonderful gift! The Latuko Bible does exist, but very few know how to read it. With this course the Latuko people will get the chance to read daily the Word of God.

Baby Linda and Linda Byler

As I thought about this verse, Revelation 1:3a, I realize that I’ve never heard this verse before. Well, I’ve never heard this translation (Good News Bible). I would like to break this verse down a bit. The NIV Bible uses the word “blessed” which means much more than “happy”. This word describes the favorable circumstances God has put a person in. The NIV Bible uses the word “prophecy” instead of “book”. Now some would argue that this verse is only implied for the book of Revelation since it is based off the prophecy given by John. But for the sake of this simple verse, the word “prophecy” and “book” means “any word from God – whether command, instruction, history, or prediction” (NIV Commentary). I’m going to go back to using the word “happy”. When I heard this verse, I thought to myself, “am I happy when I read the Bible?” Honestly, I would have to say no, not all the time. When I was honest with myself in answering this question it saddened me. I have to ability to read and write, in English none-the-less! (I’m learning very quickly that English really is a hard language to learn. If you don’t believe me, try teaching 50 Sudanese children different techniques of English!) And yet, there are days when I feel like it’s more of a chore to pick up the Bible and read. I have witnessed the different people groups here in Sudan get excited when they see any book in their own language and even more so when it’s a Bible. I wish I could be excited every day when I go to pick up my Bible! I know that whatever I read, whether it is a Psalm or a passage out of Leviticus, the Lord will bless my life through that reading in some way. I may not know how and it may not happen that particular day but I believe I will be blessed by that passage. I was vulnerable with you, now I would ask you to be vulnerable with yourselves. Ask yourself the same thing I asked myself: “Am I happy when I read the Bible?” Then take the extra step and try and figure out why. You may have to dig a little to find the answer but it is there.

Linda, Teresa, and Beatrice

This weekend we celebrate the hope of our salvation. Friday we will witness our Savior sacrificing His life for each one of us. Sunday we will see our salvation secured. I encourage you to open up to the Gospels and read about what your Savior did for you. My prayer for you this Easter is that you may find joy in reading the Word of the Lord.

Baby Linda

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade…”
~1 Peter 1:3,4a~

Teresa

The Needs of Torit

I’ve been back in Torit for almost four weeks now and things just don’t seem to slow down. After a long weekend of recuperation at the beginning of February, I dove back into my areas of ministry.

Work at the hospital has been pretty sluggish. My first week and a half saw no patients. I learned from Richard, the counselor I work with, that many people in the area just don’t know that the VCT clinic (Voluntary Counseling and Testing) is at the hospital. Now I knew this was a problem prior to the World AIDS Day event in December but I thought for sure more people would be aware of it by now. But the reality is, that there are people in Torit that are traveling to Nimule and Magwai (other counties within Eastern Equatoria State) to visit the VCTs there. These people are spending money to travel to a VCT in other areas of the state when they could walk freely to a clinic in their own town. I suggested that perhaps we could send out some fliers. Richard liked the idea but thought that people wouldn’t even know where the clinic was located. The problem is the clinic currently has no sign; not even on the building where the clinic is located. Richard has been in contact with the AIDS Commissioner in Juba to get funding for a sign but to no avail. I asked him how much it would cost for a sign and he told me over 1000 Sudanese Pounds (roughly 500 USD). I thought that was a bit outrageous but learned that this would include signs on both ends of the town (so those traveling through in either direction would be aware of the VCT) and one in front of the hospital. Signs and advertisements are the best option for the VCT. Word-of-mouth usually works but that doesn’t seem to be a very reliable stream of communication at this time. To remedy this, I have asked if I could create a temporary sign or plaque to be attached to the building. This way, as long as people know that the VCT is at the hospital, they can just wonder around the compound until they find the right building. Richard has okayed this and so I hope to get a sign made very soon. The next step I will take will be to create fliers, with Richard, that can be spread throughout the town. I hope that we can send them by the various government buildings and churches. I will be using some of my funds to finance this project in hopes that the VCT will be able to be used to its fullest.

Peace and Amama

Primary School

School, on the other hand, has been incredibly busy. School actually started before I got back which I didn’t think would start until the end of February. AND the school has expanded to not just nursery, Kindergarten, and Primary 1, but those three plus P2-P4. When I found this out my first question was “And who will be teaching all these levels?” When I left in December there was only Charles (the headmaster), Rogers, and myself. We now have another young man from the church and Beatrice, Pastor Peter’s wife. Beatrice, however, only teaches when she’s not incredibly busy. (She constantly has to play hostess and she’s a mother of three, one of which is still nursing.) I was a bit apprehensive in coming back to the school and this news made me even more apprehensive. I knew how much I struggled in the last term; I wasn’t sure what this term was going to be like. But God is good and I am actually very much enjoying school. I met with Charles and Rogers to discuss what I would be doing during this term and we agreed that I would still come on just Tuesday and Thursday mornings, but this term I would only teach English to P3 and P4. With how the schedule works, I will be teaching P3 and P4 Tuesday mornings and only P4 on Thursday mornings. Charles thought that the older students would understand me better and be a bit more disciplined. So far he’s right. I arrived my first day of teaching in this new term and found the school relatively organized but still a bit chaotic. Classes have been separated as best as possible but with large numbers. Two classes meet in a large UNICEF tent behind the church (they’ve made a partition to separate the classes), two more classes meet under big trees beside the church, one class is in the church, and the other is beside the school office (also in the church). While school seems to be going well, the numbers keep growing. In fact, it has been four weeks since the beginning of school and we still have parents registering their children. I’ll give you an example: My first day of teaching P4 (Thursday, February 14), I had six students. The second day (Tuesday, February 19) I had 12-15 students. The third day I had 21 students. Last Thursday I had close to 30 students in just P4. I have only taught one P3 class and that was over two weeks ago, so I have no clue what the class will look like now. I believe that there are easily 200 students at the school right now and only four-five teachers. (See if that would be suitable in the States!) I think the reason they are still admitting students to the school, even four weeks after the beginning of the term, is so that the school will be recognized by the government. I also think that is the reason for the addition of more class levels. I don’t believe the AIC school in Torit was recognized by the government last year, therefore the teachers do not get paid. (I’m not really sure how the pay system worked last year or if the two teachers even got paid.) Once the school is recognized by the government, the government can also send in more teachers and hopefully funds for a real school building. Right now there is a real need for teachers, trained teachers, in Torit. The town is growing and it’s growing fast. More and more families are moving back to town and they need schools to send their children to, thus the need for teachers. If you are interesting in teaching in Torit, let me know! Anyway, back to school…my students do seem to be a little more disciplined than last term and they seem to understand me better. I have two or three P4 students who speak English very well and they have been such a blessing to me. They have been able to translate a bit of what I’m saying to the rest of the class. I feel more encouraged at the school this term and I definitely enjoy it more. I still see areas of struggles from time to time but it was nothing like last term. One struggle I still have is the style of teaching. I have to be gracious in this area because the way the other teachers teach is the way they were shown when they were in school. They have also not been properly trained. Usually a lesson consists of the teacher copying the lesson in English straight from the book onto the blackboard. They will read what’s on the board and make the students repeat it several times aloud and then they walk away leaving the students behind to copy what’s on the board into their notebooks. That’s it. There is no real teaching going on. They don’t work one-on-one with any child and they don’t even give the children a chance to ask questions if they have them. The children are expected to understand it. And of course most of the children don’t really understand even if they say they do. Most of them can’t speak English, so I’m sure they can’t read it. I have been trying to do more teaching than just copying things onto the board. I am using the books for the grade levels but I try to explain the lesson and then give them an exercise. With P4, I actually grade their exercises during the class time so that I can correct them and see patterns of misunderstanding. At the end of the lesson, I then go over the entire exercise and have them give me answers. I have even told them that if they do need help or they don’t understand something that I will help them. I actually had one little boy this past week ask for help because he didn’t understand what he was suppose to do. I hope that I can model this style of teaching not only to the students but to the other teachers so that hopefully they will at least be able to see the difference in styles.

Making Jewelry

Not only have I been busy in the school and the hospital, but I’ve also been helping Russ and Lyn Noble with a project. Russ and Lyn’s ministry is literacy within native languages. In the past they have run training courses in eight different languages of South Sudan. This coming week they will be starting a training course in Latuko or Otuho (both the same language just different spellings and sayings). The Latuko tribe is one of the largest, other than Acholi, in Eastern Equatoria. The goal of the course is to train teachers from different areas around the state to teach literacy in their mother tongue. There are two teachers coming from seven or eight towns across Eastern Equatoria. The course will run for ten days at the end of which the newly trained teachers will go back to their home churches and start a literacy class. In a couple of months, Russ and Lyn hope to travel to these churches to see how the classes have progressed. So, where do I fit in? Well, they have been creating materials for the course over the past two weeks which need assembling, cutting, laminated (yes, they have a laminator), and other things. That is what I’ve been doing in my spare time. Any of you who know me well and have worked with me know that I actually enjoy doing these things. It has actually been really interesting to do some of these things because I’ve gotten to see a little more of the Nobles’ ministry and a new language. The Latuko language has 35 letters in their alphabet! 35! I found out that another language in Western Equatoria close to Congo border has 45 letters in their alphabet! Russ and Lyn have been persevering through computer glitches, teaching methods, and teaching materials for the past few weeks but they are just about prepared and should be ready to go Tuesday morning. Please be praying for them over the next two weeks and specifically, that they can produce eager, well-trained teachers.

P1

That is just a taste of what life in Torit has been like since I’ve been back. There is much more that I have not shared, but I’m sure I will share those experiences in due time. Well until next time…Salaam Taaki!

Winny

Goodbye Kenya, Hello Sudan

The second half of ABO went quickly by. Meghan finally recovered and both of us were very active with the children. On top of learning new things about the various African countries and animals, the kids got to experience a trip into the market, a home visit, and time spent at a local school where they also got to swim. On the last day of ABO the children got dressed-up in different African garb and set up a market of their own. Each child laid a konga (blanket/wrap) on the floor and displayed all of their crafts they had made throughout ABO. The parents later walked through the market and did a little “shopping.” Although getting the market set up was a bit stressful, everyone had fun in the end.

Alex Juggling Chicks

Scottish Dance

At the end of the last full week at ABO we had a fun night and a celebration dinner. The fun night was just a bunch of skits, jokes, dances, songs, and trivia games. The kids sang some songs they had learned and a few of the girls put on a puppet show. There was a challenge between the kids and the parents about who knew more about Africa. The kids won. The Scot taught us a Scottish dance. One of the Brits juggled baby chicks (not even kidding!). One of the parents made up a song about coming to Africa to the tune of The 12 Days of Christmas. Our skit, though, was hilarious. Meghan, Rachel (one of the 12-year-olds), and I were the six-legged elephant named Gertrude. We covered ourselves with this blanket; my arm as the trunk and Meghan as the rear. Carolyn narrated as we did two tricks. The first trick was to walk over the middle of a person. We got one of the kids to lie down on the floor and we walked over his middle. Then we got Mr. Fast, who is one of the ABO leaders and also incredibly tall, to lie on the floor and we would walk over him from feet to head. When we had walked over half of him we stopped. Carolyn started saying “Gertrude, what are you doing? No, don’t do that!” And about that time Meghan (being in the rear) lifted her leg and dumped a bottle of water onto Mr. Fast’s stomach. The audience and Gertrude were laughing hysterically. The night ended with ice cream, cookies, and brownies. (Yes, I am in Africa, but I don’t get to eat these things all the time!) Now, onto the celebration dinner and, oh my, what a dinner it was! I’ve never seen so much meat in my life! I think the men were getting pretty desperate for iron and protein and, as a result, dinner was a meat fest. I’m not kidding. It was meat for the main course with a side of more meat! We had steak (fillet mignon w/bacon wrapped around it), chicken, pork tenderloin, hot dogs (that tasted like American hot dogs), and all in a large abundance! We also had some sautéed onions, grilled pineapple, fried potatoes, cheese, fruit salad, and, to top it off, ice cream. I don’t think I’ve eaten so much meat in my life! Everything was grilled outside and it was amazing. Poor Meghan, though. She doesn’t eat meat so it was more potatoes for her! After the dinner, a group of young Kenyan women came in and danced for us. They also had us join in for one of the dances. Only a few of us (me included) got up to dance but it was so much fun.

Rachel and Becca

Kids at Fun Night

Carolyn and Meghan

Becca, Amanda, and Lorien

On February 5, we said our goodbyes to everyone and headed up to Nairobi with Carolyn. As soon as we were settled in Nairobi, we grabbed some pizza for lunch and then headed to Junction to shop a bit. Carolyn had to debrief with the ABO leaders, so Meghan and I wandered around this book/music/movie store. After a while, we met Carolyn at Java House to do some emailing, drink coffee, and eat dinner. The next day was the big shopping day. After breakfast at Java House, we bought a few African crafts then head back to Junction to shop at Naukumatt. After shopping a bit we saw a movie…this was our third movie in Africa! Once the movie was over, Meghan had to finish up a little shopping so Carolyn and I went to Java House (again) to do some emailing. That evening Carolyn made dinner for us and we watched a movie. Thursday morning we flew from Nairobi to Loki. We were only in Loki for the day so as soon as we dropped our stuff we went into town to run some errands. We met up with Phil and Linda who were bringing a team out of the Didinga Mountains and also Russ and Lyn, who were out for their resupply. We literally spent the entire day running around and getting things organized for our flight out to Sudan the next day. (Meghan had to do her resupply in Nairobi and Loki so she had A LOT of stuff and weight was becoming an issue since we were taking the small plane into Sudan. Luckily Phil and Linda were able to take all of my stuff and just a few things of Meghan’s with them in their vehicle.)

The Sossamon Family minus Kyle

Me and Rachel

I finally arrived back in Torit early Friday morning (February 8) and, after a little recuperation, spent some time in town and at the AIC church. My, how much has changed! The little town I left in December has grown quite a bit in my absence. Although the town itself has changed, the people themselves have not. I was greeted by the same friendly faces I left two months prior. The greetings this time were “Happy New Year” and “You have been lost!”; appropriate greetings for the beginning of a new year and for one returning after some time. As I continue to reacquaint myself with the town and my ministries, I will share with you more. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Kenya. It is such a beautiful country and I would love to explore it more in the future. But for now, I am excited to be back in Torit. Welcome back to Sudan!

Kenya Elections, Regional Conference, and ABO

I guess I’m long over-due for an update, so I’ll take you all back to the beginning of 2008. This may be a bit long so you may want to get a cup of coffee or a snack. Well, here goes:


Nairobi, Kenya:
Meghan and I flew into Nairobi on December 29, two days after the Kenyan elections. Our hopes of spending every day in Java House, shopping at the Massai market and Nakumat, catching a movie, and getting hair cuts and pedicures were quickly washed away by the release of the election results. Although we were able to eventually do many of these things, our time in Nairobi was very different than we had expected. Our first stop in Nairobi was Ya-Ya Center, one of the many malls. More than half of the shops were already closed and the other half were closing because many people were fearing coming into work. These people were fearing rioters. Even many of the matatu and taxi drivers stopped running since rioters were stoning and burning vehicles. Our first few days were pretty uneventful since we couldn’t do very much. We spent most of our time at the guesthouse where we were staying hanging out with some of the other guests who were unable to travel out of the city. New Year’s Eve was extremely uneventful. Meghan and I just spent the night in our room and at midnight we toasted our bottles of Coke. We found out on January 1 that our plans to travel into Uganda by road the next day were cancelled since it was extremely unsafe. We then needed to make alternate arrangements, both housing and travel. Luckily, Meghan knew an older couple working with AIMCare who were able to take us in and the Central regional office took care of our travel arrangements into Uganda. We left Methodist Guesthouse on January 2 and went to stay with the Stiansens. The funny thing about this move was that at Methodist we were in a much safer part of the city (closer to the outskirts actually) and where the Stiansens live is right next to the largest slum, Kibera. Although we were so close to Kibera, we were in a very safe gated neighborhood. The day that Dick picked us up from Methodist, we did a supply run at Naukumat (equivalent of a Walmart). Everyone in the store was stocking up on the essentials since they weren’t sure when they were going to be able to get back out of their homes. It was like in the States when we go to the grocery store right before a big snow storm. As I stood in line looking at the people around me, it saddened me because these were people who were just trying to go about their daily lives and weren’t at all interested in rioting. Now, here they were, their lives interrupted by political unrest. It was just really sad. After we got to the Stiansens, we were informed to stay indoors until otherwise informed. We were on house arrest for a couple of days, but when we were finally given the ok to leave, we were able to venture into the city. We actually went to the nicest mall in the richest part of Nairobi called Village Market. This mall was unlike any I’ve ever seen. It was an outdoor/indoor mall with a beautiful courtyard area. One side of the mall held all of the shops, the middle was the food court, and the other side had…get this…a movie theater, bowling alley, mini golf course, and water park! Yes, all in this mall!!! It was crazy! I know what you’re thinking…this is in Africa?!?!? Yea, it was crazy. After doing a little shopping (since everything was SO expensive), we saw a movie. It was so nice to get out! We stayed with the Stiansens for about a week enjoying as much of Nairobi has we possible could under the circumstances before we flew out to Uganda. (Just so that everyone knows, there was never a time when Meghan or I felt threatened by what was going on in Nairobi. We felt safe both at Methodist Guesthouse and with the Stiansens. We were in constant communication with the short-term coordinator at the Central Region office in Kampala and the short-term coordinator for Kenya. We were even informed of the contingency plan if we needed to enact it. I want to thank you for all of your prayers during our time in Nairobi. We greatly appreciated them!)


Kampala, Uganda:
On January 8, Meghan and I flew to Entebbe then traveled onto Kampala for the Central Region Conference. The Central Region is comprised of Uganda, South Sudan, Chad, CAR (Central African Republic), DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo), and Rwanda. The conference brought in AIM missionaries from all the countries listed above including some of the bigwigs from the UK International Office. Conference was such an encouraging and refreshing time for all of us. I was able to reconnect with everyone I went through the LAMP course with and learn about what they were doing on their mission fields. I was able to catch up with the Bylers and Matthew and finally meet the Scotlands (also serving in Ikotos with Meghan). I also got to meet several other people and find out where they were serving and what they were doing. Every day each unit within the central region would present the missionaries serving the various locations within that unit. After the unit presentations, our conference speaker would give his talk. The talks were taken from John 13, 15, and 17 (loving one another, the Fruit of the Vine, and prayer). The talks centered on the life of a missionary and what our goals should be as a missionary. We should love not only those we are serving but those who are serving along side us. We should constantly be growing in our walks with the Lord, producing fruit as we grow; we should be dependent on the Vine (Jesus). Finally, we should pray for ourselves, for those working with us, and for all believers. The speaker pointed out an interesting fact about prayer. No where does Jesus say to pray for the unbelievers. Now, this does not mean that we are just to forget the unbelievers. Jesus tells us in Matthew 28 to “go and make disciples of all nations…” So, just because Jesus doesn’t say that we need to pray for the unbeliever doesn’t mean that we should not tell them about Jesus. Jesus does specify that we should pray for all believers and for this reason: “that all of them may be one, Father just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believer that you have sent me…May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17: 21, 23). These lessons will be very encouraging for me when go back to Sudan and continue in my ministry. The afternoons were spent hanging out and continuing our fellowship with one another. Conference ended with a time of worship and prayer; an extra boost of encouragement before we all parted ways.

Calum

Three-legged Race

Machakos, Kenya:

Meghan and I flew back to Kenya on January 14 to help out with Africa Based Orientation (ABO). ABO is a three-week orientation for long-term missionaries coming out onto the field for the first time. The orientation is being held at Scott Theological College which gives those participating in ABO a chance to interact with the African students. We are helping Carolyn Cummings with the children’s ministry while their parents are in classes. Carolyn picked us up from the airport and we drove south to the beautiful town of Machakos. Along the road we passed a game reserve and saw zebra, antelope, and a giraffe. The 15th was my birthday and luckily we didn’t have much to do except prepare for the next day, so I was able to relax and enjoy the day. Meghan and Carolyn were incredibly sweet and made me TWO cakes (fun-fetti w/cream cheese icing and spice cake w/cream cheese icing)! AND we had ice cream! Of course I shared cake and ice cream with everyone else. ABO started on the 16th, which meant we started working with the MKs (missionary kids). We are working with 14 kids between the ages of 3 and 12. There is a 2-year-old and a couple month-old that two Kenyan ladies are looking after. Our mornings consist of play time; learning a new African country, animal, and artifact; working on ABC books (the ABCs of Africa); a walk; a biblical lesson; and a craft. After lunch we normally watch a kiddie movie then do another craft. The kids have been a joy to work with. Some days are a little more challenging than others but God continues to give me patience and helps me to persevere through the day. I’m looking at this experience as practice for when I go back to Sudan and continue teaching my African students. In between working with the kids, we have gotten opportunities to enjoy Machakos. We went into town the first day and just looked around.

Last Saturday (19th) we hiked Mt. Iveti, a mountain overlooking Machakos. I’m not sure how far we walked but we hiked for a good four hours and there were some pretty strenuous parts of the hike. There were stretches along the hike that made me feel like I was hiking somewhere in Virginia. At the top of the mountain is this little town called Kusyomuomo where we stopped and had a Coke. The hike was great and I got some really beautiful pictures of the area. We also had the chance (just yesterday actually) to take the kids one of the area schools and let them go swimming. The pool was freezing but it was great to go swimming. Friday (25th) was a day off for everyone. Half of the group went to Nairobi for the day, but Meghan and I went with six others to a ranch where we could do a mini “safari”. We left Thursday afternoon and arrived at this quaint little ranch. We stayed in bandas that were situated in a horseshoe around this beautiful little courtyard. The bandas were a replica of a mud hut only built with wood and much larger. As soon as we arrived, we dropped our stuff and went out for a game drive. We saw many antelope and wildebeest. We also saw a giraffe and actually walked out within a few hundred yards of it. When we got back to the ranch we had a delicious dinner (the food at ABO isn’t the greatest!). Meghan had been sick with what we thought was malaria earlier in the week and half way through the week found out that she also had a bacterial infection in her stomach. She hadn’t really eaten anything that week so she was super-excited for the food. Well, I think she over-did it because she got really sick that night. Friday morning we got up shortly after 6 and went on another game drive (Meghan stayed in bed). It was really foggy so we weren’t really able to see much initially. We did see lots of antelope and wildebeest again. We also saw several ostriches, zebra, warthog (including baby warthogs!), and lots of giraffe. We searched for cheetah since they do live in the reserve but we never did find one. Towards the end of our drive we got stuck in the mud…which I believe is part of the safari experience. After 15 minutes of the guys and Amanda digging in the mud we spotted a vehicle. Luckily, this man was able to help us out of the mud. After that little adventure, we had delicious breakfast. Half of the group took a walk and the rest of us (us girls) lounged around reading and sleeping in the courtyard. It was such a peaceful day! After lunch, Meghan and I went on a short walk and saw a whole herd of wildebeest and zebra. We left the reserve later that after and, as we were leaving the park, we saw a whole herd of giraffes (including babies!). The boys had past the herd on their walk earlier and counted 18. It was amazing! I was so grateful for such a peaceful day off! Meghan and I have another week and a half of ABO before we finally get back to Sudan, but I will update you on the second half.

Our Tour Guide

The Hike

Thank you for patiently reading through my blog. I hope to be better disciplined in writing my blogs in the future. One last thing: please keep Meghan in your prayers. She’s been battling this bacterial infection for over a week now, which has prohibited her from being able to work with the kids fully. Thank you again for continuing to keep me in your prayers. I appreciate it! Well, until next time…

Mt. Iveti

Safari Pictures

Christmas in Loki

After traveling six hours over unpaved, bumpy roads in the back of an NGO vehicle next to a kerosene drum and piles of luggage, Meghan and I finally reached Lokichogio (Loki). Loki, which is located across the Sudan border in Kenya, is a quaint little town with many more supplies than Torit or Ikotos. We spent nine days in Loki resupplying, hanging out in town, and celebrating Christmas. Christmas was celebrated quite differently than any other before. Christmas Eve morning was spent baking Christmas cookies (sugar, gingerbread, and cowboy) for the potluck later in the day. That afternoon we joined the Hildebrandts (Jon, Ginny, and Josiah) and a few other missionaries at the Fungs’ house several kilometers outside of Loki. Each of us brought something for the potluck and had a wonderful meal! Afterwards the children decorated sugar cookies while Chris Fung led us in some Christmas hymns on her piano. That evening Meghan and I watched “An Affair to Remember”, which was the closest thing to a Christmas movie we could find. (There’s just something about watching an old classic film around Christmas!) After the movie, we spent some time reading through scripture and singing Christmas songs. At midnight, we held our own candlelight service singing “Silent Night” and “Go Tell It on the Mountain”. After sleeping in late Christmas morning, we enjoyed a pancake brunch and opened a few gifts we received at the potluck the day before. After brunch we walked into town to pick up a few gifts for the Hildebrandts. It was really neat to walk past people, who were dressed up in their Christmas clothes, and wish them a “Merry Christmas”. When we got back, we put together a cute little bundle of things and spent the rest of the day at the Hildbrandt’s house. Ginny had the house completely decorated with a beautifully trimmed tree, stockings, and little snowmen all over. Later that evening, Meghan and I went to 748 (a pilot restaurant – or pirate restaurant according to Meghan’s dad!) for dinner and a chance to Skype our families. (748 has free wireless internet so we spent as much time there as possible!) We left the restaurant late that night after long conversations with our families. This was one of the most peaceful Christmases I’ve ever had and one in which I could better focus my thoughts on the birth of my Savior.