25

I am blessed.
YWAM (youth with a mission) arrived to help on Friday.
The spirit is moving in Wadupe.
Thank you all for your prayers
I miss many of you at home (especially MCH).
But I will see you all soon.
Life is good,
So good.
Thank you God for another year.

P.S. If someone could make it possible for me to see the Celtics/Heat season opener, it would be a pretty fantastic birthday present.
That's all.

I have put the armor on...

After my last post I received a few emails asking the question, "If you aren't eating burgers, what are you eating?" Here are some potential daily meals for me:

Breakfast: Boiled Eggs, Cassava, Bananas, Bread, Rice

Lunch: Rice, Beans, Avocado, Cabbage, Tomatoes, Oranges (sour)

Dinner: Rice, Beans, Greens, Fried Potato Chips, Pumpkin, Onions, Corn, Sweet Potato

To drink: Imported Tea from Uganda or Kenya, Local tea leaves, Passion fruit juice, Local coffee(my brother Mitchell will tell you how good Sudanese Coffee is)

*Pineapple and Mango are not in season (unfortunately)
**To be clear, I do not eat this healthy at home

For those of you who are not interested in my diet, chew on this: Ephesians 6:10-20 These are words in the Bible. I have read and heard them since my childhood days of sitting in Victory Baptist Church in Cooleemee, NC. Growing up I thought the words in this passage like, "...for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly realms..." were about some kind of make believe, science fiction, or corrupt government officials that must have died around the same time as the book's author, Paul. On Friday and Saturday I again studied the short book of Ephesians. For the first time in my life the words I read resonated inside of me. I thought well, I must be getting wiser and have simply gained a better understanding of the Bible. This morning as I type these words, there is no doubt why I understood those words so well when I read them Saturday. Last night some events occurred (which I dare not recall in this post for personal reasons) that clearly showed Bill and I the spiritual forces of evil and powers of dark that are in Wadupe. I am thankful to have read these words and know that I can prepare myself to go to war. If you are reading this and these words seem silly, like something from a Stephen King novel as opposed to something existing in reality, I can only say that I wish I felt the same. If you do not read the passage mentioned, just know that it ends with, "Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel...Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should." I ask for your continued prayer and support and as always, thanks for reading.

P.S. Also currently reading, Johnny Cash The Autobiography. Strongly recommend that one.

Ode To A Cheeseburger

I never thought I'd miss you so
You have left me feeling empty
I search every menu in every restaurant for you
You mock me, appearing in print as "beef"
I order and it takes several minutes to chew a single bite
You are alien to this place
I am surrounded by countless goats, and their kids
You float above disguised as a cloud
I know that I was in love
You are an addiction; your flavor unmatched
I desperately grasp for the fleeting memory of your grilled scent
You exist now only in dream form
I see golden arches ahead! At last!
Adieu, adieu.thy taste fades...
Was it a mirage or a dream?
Fled is that juicy beef: Do I wake or sleep?

Hello all! Everything here in Sudan is great with me (I will get over my burger cravings). We are scheduled to meet with guys from YWAM tomorrow morning to discuss the needs and issues in Wadupe. We are starting to address the lack of spirit and faith in the community and it has been another reminder of how hungry these people are for something other than bread. We have basically discovered that although they live on what is claimed to be some of the most fertile soil on the largest country in Africa, many people are just too lazy to farm. They either do not see the point, have the money to start or they are still suffering from savaged land due to the last civil war (war that is claimed to have cost more civilian lives than any war since WWII). Yesterday I searched eight websites that ranked the worst overall countries in the world. Sudan fell out of the top three merely once. This place is dark, desperate and approaching what could be the most pivotal month in their war torn history. Most of the locals we have asked about the current situation point in the same direction. Loss of faith. Continue to pray for these people, the nation, and wisdom for the government. Thank you all who have taken the time to read this and I send sincere apologies to John Keats.