We're Going Back In!

In the Hills

Elly, me and Tianne

Unless something changes, pushing back our departure date, Elly, Tianne and I will return to the Didinga Hills of Sudan on the 26th of January.

I thought that I would take the opportunity to share a bit about the wonderful women I serve beside. I have also attached our individual prayer requests. Thanks for reading. Thanks for praying.

Elly:

In 1973 Elly was born to Dutch immigrants. The middle child of three, she spent all of her childhood in Miami, Florida. It was while attending Calvin College, that Elly first traveled to Africa. After graduating with a degree in Socio-Anthropology she accepted an assignment in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo). Three months later, she experienced her first of many evacuations. She returned to Mali, West Africa, for a two year assignment in 1999 working for a community development organization. Returning to the States to care for an ailing father, she taught art in a Christian elementary school in Miami. However, her desire to serve God in Africa never faltered, therefore leading to her joining the Didinga TIMO team in 2008.

Interview with Elly:

What are you most looking forward to in returning to Didinga?: I am eager to talk to my friend, Natalana again and hug our little neighbor, Regina.

Any worries about the eventual move back into Sudan?: Investing in lives, only to say goodbye again.

How often do you intend to bathe in Sudan?: Fully bathe? I am shooting for once a week.

Favorite Didinga moment, so far?: Joining in on the Harvest dances.

How many books did you read while home for the last 4 months in the States?: None

Hobbies in the States: painting, playing volleyball and elaborate road trips

Hobbies in Didinga: sleeping, eating chewy candy and trying to find a moment of solitude

What will you be looking forward to most after three LONG months in the Sudanese bush?: Hot baths, reliable internet access, pizza and Diet Coke

Elly's Prayer Requests:

• Courage in making new relationships and fighting the spiritual battle that I know is to come.
• Making the most of our limited time in Sudan.
• Protection and sanity!

Tianne:

After the birth of three Cole boys, Tianne’s parents’ rejoiced in 1983 with the birth of their first, and only, daughter. As a girl in rural Northern Michigan (almost in the pinkie of the Michigan Mitten) she grew up barefoot and animal crazy. Purchasing her first horse at fourteen, which she would have easily traded for an African elephant, her eyes were opened early to the joys of the equestrian world. This love for animals was only coupled by her growing love for Africa and God. At sixteen, Tianne undertook her first mission trip to Baja, Mexico. Other trips soon followed including Haiti, Honduras and the much anticipated, Africa.

Interview with Tianne:

Which parts of returning to Didinga are you most looking forward to?: I am looking forward to reconnecting with old friends in Napep and the chance to snuggle with my dog, Rose again.

Any worries about the eventual move back into Sudan?: “Onward Christian soldier…” (hahaha) I am anxious about learning the language and worried about making new friends.

How often do you intend to bathe in Sudan?: I am hoping to wash my feet and face once a day and well, once a week for the rest.

Favorite Didinga moment, so far?: Standing at the gate, while the buck-tooth man negotiated my dowry with Kim.

How many books did you read while home in the States?: Read one, started many.

Hobbies in the States: riding my horses, hunting, hiking and planning my next adventure

Hobbies in Didinga: reading, writing letters, baking in a calderon, crocheting and checking the water filter's level

What will you e looking forward to most after three LONG months in the Sudanese bush?:

Hot showers, unlimited electricity, ice cream and other American foods and riding horses

Tianne's Prayer Requests:

• That God would give me grace in learning the Didinga language.
• Health (While in the Hills, Tianne has a susceptibility towards skin infections)
• Prayers for living fully each day, while seeking God for the future.

Kim:

I am guessing that most of you reading this already know a thing or two about me. However, Tianne has strongly (arm twistingly so) encouraged me to share a bit about myself for those of you who don't.

Born in 1980, joining three older sisters, I became the youngest and all around craziest, Davey daughter. Growing up in the woods outside of Spokane, Washington I quickly learned to love being active in God's great outdoors and the joy found in pushing myself to my limits while playing sports. Attending Western Washington University, I graduated with a degree in Interdisciplinary Child Development and more importantly, learned what it meant to be a Child of God. After a brief, but totally enjoyable teaching stint in western Ireland, I taught second grade for three years in South Western Washington. Having felt the pull towards missions for years, the summer of 2006 was spent working with Sudanese orphans in Northern Uganda and South Central Sudan. Sudan was and continues to be where God has faithfully lead me.

Interview with Kim:

Which parts of returning to Didinga are you most looking forward to?: I know that God is busy in the Didinga Hills of Sudan. With the comfort of His presence and invitation, I feel a true confidence in my decision to return to Sudan. I know that it will be hard, but I also know that I have the opportunity to joyfully step smack dab into the middle of God's will for my life! I am excited to see what God has in store for us and the Didinga people.

Any worries about the eventual move back into Sudan?: Sure. The naivety we went in with last year has been replaced with a real sense of the struggles we are sure to face.

How often do you intend to bathe in Sudan?: Oh man, I am going for once a week as well, but feet and face daily.

Favorite Didinga moment, so far?: Witnessing the miracle of baby Thabon's first breath and working in the fields next to my best Didinga buddy, Martha.

How many books did you read while home in the States?: more than 25

Hobbies in the States: loving on my nieces and nephews, running, climbing mountains, exploring used book stores, anything that is outside and active....

Hobbies in Didinga: reading, baking cookies late at night (we're talking 8pm), I want to learn how to knit, gardening in both my field and the Didinga's, making up imaginary life scenarios, like how to get three, single, Christ-following males into the Hills. :)

What will you be looking forward to most after three LONG months in the Sudanese bush?: long, hot baths that I did not haul or boil the water for, the absence of monotony, fruits and veggies and talking with those I love!

My Prayer Requests:

• Christ's heart for the Didinga people.
• Patience in the face of diversity.
• The ability to fall asleep easily and rest without nightmares.
• Team unity.

Uganda

Two days after arriving back in Africa, I traveled to Uganda for AIM's Central Region Conference. That first week of travel was spent on the shores of Lake Victoria near the mouth of the Nile, in the relatively modern town of, Jinja.

Fisherman on Lake Victoria at the, "Source of the Nile"

Weaver Birds

Lake Victoria Egret

A crazy Ugandan fruit tree - the fruit emerges from the tree trunk - not my favorite

I really enjoyed my time at the conference. I was greatly encouraged by stories from fellow missionaries, especially those who have been on the field for more than thirty years!!! What an inspiration. The week was also filled with plenty of opportunities to catch up with old friends and many chances to make some new, like Johnathan and Lauren Ramirez, the couple whom we will be working with in Nagishot.

Me, Zilla, Lindsay, Elly, Tianne, Lauren and Johnathan

We also had some time to play tourist. The day after the conference ended, a few of us took the plunge and rafted the NILE. I love to raft and couldn't pass up the opportunity to raft a river as famous (or, is it infamous?) as the Nile. Many of my friends had rafted the river, and most, if not all, brought home, "I Rafted the Nile" t-shirts and heroing stories of near death experiences.

I have rafted a bit in the States and had one close call kayaking the Snake. I figured that most mzungos probably wouldn't raft the Nile if it wasn't "safe" or at least, not more than once! With that in mind, I did what I could, convincing Elly, Tianne, Zilla and Lindsay to come along.

The day turned out to be one of my favorites. I'd heard that the river was comprised entirely of class 5 and 6 rapids. Which is, sadly, not true. However, there were four class 5 rapids, one class 6 and a slew of class 4. A 8/9 foot waterfall is also part of the fun however, our boat sadly missed this bit (real tears of disappointment came to my eyes when we did).

They made us portage the second to last rapid, the class 6. This one was, in a word, BIG! The whole day had been pretty overcast, but it did not start to pour until we stepped out of the boat to walk around the ominous Bid Daddy of a rapid. The class 6 drowning monster was only surpassed by the partnership between the deafening thunder that was so close it seemed to rattle the muddy ground we walked upon and the surprisingly bright set of lightening bolts hitting the ground on the opposite side of the river.

The irony of the situation was not lost on Zilla or me. We could only imagine the headline: "Sudanese missionaries struck by lightening while portaging a class 6 Nile rapid."

With the whitewater swirling around our boat and thunder crackling in our ears, Tianne abruptly changed her mind about rafting the Nile. In a seated fetal position, in her best third grade girlie voice she repeated one time after the next, "I don't want to do this anymore." However, as the boat was pushed away from the rocky shore and into the final class 5 rapid, she neither cried or tried to escape. She was a real trooper and I dare say she had almost as much fun as I did.

Ready to raft the Nile: Me, Zilla, Elly, Tianne and Lindsay

The life.
Zilla and I relaxing on the shores of the Nile.

I also had the chance to visit Susan Tabia, the Sudanese woman I spent the summer of 2006 with. She has almost single-handily started and run three orphanages for Sudanese orphans in both Uganda and Sudan. What a special lady!

It had been almost four years since I had been in Kampala, surely one of the craziest cities I have ever been to. However, I was pretty confident that I could find my way back to Susan's house. Jumping on two boda-boda's (motorcycle taxis) Elly, Tianne and I headed across town. Going by what I felt was "right" we eventually found the house. Unfortunately, Susan had moved the week before.

My favorite form of African travel, the boda-boda.

The rest of the afternoon was classically African. While I was renegotiating the boda price, Susan was unknowingly called and summoned by her former neighbors. About an hour and a half later, a car arrived taking us way out of town to Susan's new house.

What fun to see her and all of the children again after all of these years. I remembered many little faces and was quite delighted when they remembered mine. I learned that Duku, the wee one who stole my heart that first summer in Sudan, is now a healthy, vibrant first class student.

As I had not been able to contact Susan through email about arrangements and didn't know the long distance that separated her new house from her old, we were unprepared to spend the night (we had already paid for a room in town). So, after dark we jumped back in the car and set off for the city. After almost thirty minutes of travel, while we were stopped in traffic, our car was lightly rear-ended. Wanting to check the damages, the driver and eventually Susan and another young woman with us (all Sudanese), got out of the car. It didn't take long for an angry crowd of Ugandan men to surround the right and backsides of our car. With Sudanese plates and insignias on the vehicle, our companions identities were easily revealed. Under the crowds protection, the car which had caused the accident, quickly sped away. Without a working police force or reliable insurance company, nothing could be done about the damages. To the mocking shouts of our Ugandan accusers, "Sudanese are not welcome here!", we sped away.

We traveled to and from Uganda on the Akamba bus, a gem of an African machine. Probably as nice, if not nicer, than an American Greyhound. Sure the trip was long (14+ hours of travel) and hot (sitting over the engine is never a good idea), but also really a great way to see the countryside. As our bus steadily climbed, I rested in a perpetual state of near to restful sleep. Then after maybe 10 hours of sunburned landscape, our eyes were blessed by the sight of the lovely Kericho tea plantations. The temperatures receded as the heat was replaced by a cool springlike breeze.
Oh, what a true sight to behold! Simple breath-taking.

Tea fields in Kericho, Kenya
BEAUT-I-FUl!!!

My New Address

"But what is happiness except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads?"

I LOVE mail and I can't thank you enough for writing. A simple letter can brighten even the hardest of Didinga days.

Here is my new Didinga mailing address:
Kim Davey
c/o AIM Serve
South Sudan Team in Nagishot
PO Box 21171
Nairobi 00505
Kenya

Family

Backblogging...
I am so thankful for the months I had at home with my family and friends.

Christmas Eve with my Family
Dad, me, Lachrisa, Tamara, Stephanie and Mom

Some of the reasons it's hard to be so far away, a few of my nieces and nephews:
Lily, Oliver, Evan and Ella

Mr. Oliver Ellis

Somewhat Identical Cousins: Oliver Ellis & Evan Willis

Mom and Oliver

Thanks for always being there to come home to.
Love you.