Sunday, April 22, 2012
Small Update
Hey Everyone!
Billy had a quick trip into Yei this week and was not able to write a blog. He called and said he is doing good, all the supplies are bought and work has started to finish the roof! Everyone is very excited and can't wait for it to be finished. Billy said that the meetings with the WDC are going really well, and that the base is looking really beautiful. They have planted all kinds of plants and trees and the summer rains have started, making everything green and fresh. I wish I could be there!
I don't know the next time he will be in town, but hopefully he will have time to give a longer update!
lots of love
allie
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Where's The Lamb?
Happy belated Passover and Easter. I hope yours was a good as mine. After a week of working with the WDC and getting the community going again on the school, it was nice to have a day of rest and rat...???
Sunday I preached at the small church I am attending in Wadupe. After the service the men sat around and talked as the women bustled around getting lunch prepared. First, hot tea...so good. Then came the big plate. As the lady ducked under the grass roof and through the small door into the mud hut I prayed, "Lord, thank you for dying and coming back to life. You are all powerfull and full of love. Please don't let that plate have dried fish in it." And don't you know He is so great. That plate indeed had no dried fish(dried fish is the one thing I absolutely hate about Sudan. It's fish that has sat out in the sun to dry. It's rotten and horrible and you have to eat all the little bones. Mothers should make their kids eat it when they say bad things). I looked at the mangled hunk of brown meat in front of me and thought, "maybe it's passover lamb."
"It's bush rat" said Rufus.
Ohhh...good, 'cause I...love me some bush rat.
I had just about stomached it down. My hands were shaking. I wondered if this is what Paul meant by suffering for Christ. But I could see the light. A few more bites and the deed was done. Plop. Plop. Two dried, stinky, rotten fish dropped right on top of my last bite of rat...sigh...(quietly mixing food around so it looks like I ate it)...deep breath..no way around it. Bones and all. I imagined Allie sitting on the dirt floor with a big plate of rat and rotten fish in front of her."I should probably start on a plan 'B'", I thought...(for the food, not the girl).
All joking aside, I love Wadupe; I love the sweet people who give me extra helpings of rotten fish because they love me; I love the children who stand around my windows and whisper like they are at the "white man" exhibit at the zoo; I love the relaxed way of fellowhip they are teaching me; and most of all I love the smiles on the faces when they see a little clearer that a better Wadupe is possible.
Bush rat and fish are a small price to pay to be here letting people know there is hope. Much Love
billy
(mom: sweet tea, fried chicken, apple pie etc...june 7th, you know the drill)
Sunday I preached at the small church I am attending in Wadupe. After the service the men sat around and talked as the women bustled around getting lunch prepared. First, hot tea...so good. Then came the big plate. As the lady ducked under the grass roof and through the small door into the mud hut I prayed, "Lord, thank you for dying and coming back to life. You are all powerfull and full of love. Please don't let that plate have dried fish in it." And don't you know He is so great. That plate indeed had no dried fish(dried fish is the one thing I absolutely hate about Sudan. It's fish that has sat out in the sun to dry. It's rotten and horrible and you have to eat all the little bones. Mothers should make their kids eat it when they say bad things). I looked at the mangled hunk of brown meat in front of me and thought, "maybe it's passover lamb."
"It's bush rat" said Rufus.
Ohhh...good, 'cause I...love me some bush rat.
I had just about stomached it down. My hands were shaking. I wondered if this is what Paul meant by suffering for Christ. But I could see the light. A few more bites and the deed was done. Plop. Plop. Two dried, stinky, rotten fish dropped right on top of my last bite of rat...sigh...(quietly mixing food around so it looks like I ate it)...deep breath..no way around it. Bones and all. I imagined Allie sitting on the dirt floor with a big plate of rat and rotten fish in front of her."I should probably start on a plan 'B'", I thought...(for the food, not the girl).
All joking aside, I love Wadupe; I love the sweet people who give me extra helpings of rotten fish because they love me; I love the children who stand around my windows and whisper like they are at the "white man" exhibit at the zoo; I love the relaxed way of fellowhip they are teaching me; and most of all I love the smiles on the faces when they see a little clearer that a better Wadupe is possible.
Bush rat and fish are a small price to pay to be here letting people know there is hope. Much Love
billy
(mom: sweet tea, fried chicken, apple pie etc...june 7th, you know the drill)
Thursday, April 5, 2012
the work is beginning!
Hey everyone! It is allie again.
Billy called this morning (woke me up actually) to say hello and ask me to write another blog for him. He had a whole beautiful one written and the internet connection went out RIGHT before he went to save and post it. Bummer! He is in Yei right now buying supplies needed to finish the school, and plans to return to Wadupe tomorrow morning. The village is holding a meeting to organize the final stages of finishing the school's walls and roof! How exciting!! Billy is confident that the building will be completely finished in the next two months.
It was so sweet to hear his voice. He is doing well, and again, appreciates all the prayers.
until next time!
allie
Billy called this morning (woke me up actually) to say hello and ask me to write another blog for him. He had a whole beautiful one written and the internet connection went out RIGHT before he went to save and post it. Bummer! He is in Yei right now buying supplies needed to finish the school, and plans to return to Wadupe tomorrow morning. The village is holding a meeting to organize the final stages of finishing the school's walls and roof! How exciting!! Billy is confident that the building will be completely finished in the next two months.
It was so sweet to hear his voice. He is doing well, and again, appreciates all the prayers.
until next time!
allie
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Wadupe
Hey Everyone, this is Allie (Billy's lucky future wife) ;)
Billy's internet access is pretty limited, so when necessary he asked me post small updates on how everything is going.
So! Update #1 from me:
He has arrived safe and sound in the village. The Wadupe Development Committee was so excited to have him back, and the conversations and ideas have already started flowing. Billy said it is so good to be back in South Sudan. He is loving the food, the smells, the sights. And as much as we all miss him over here, I know he is exactly where he should be. So, thanks for all your prayers. They are greatly appreciated.
Hopefully Billy will be able to post again in the next week or so.
with love,
allie
Billy's internet access is pretty limited, so when necessary he asked me post small updates on how everything is going.
So! Update #1 from me:
He has arrived safe and sound in the village. The Wadupe Development Committee was so excited to have him back, and the conversations and ideas have already started flowing. Billy said it is so good to be back in South Sudan. He is loving the food, the smells, the sights. And as much as we all miss him over here, I know he is exactly where he should be. So, thanks for all your prayers. They are greatly appreciated.
Hopefully Billy will be able to post again in the next week or so.
with love,
allie
Friday, March 23, 2012
Here and There
Hello all...
i arrived in kampala a few days ago. i finally got my visa for sudan yesterday and im taking the bus up to arua this morning. Then i'll be in sudan the next day. i am battling one of the worst cases of jetlag i have ever had, probably due to the fact that i dont have anyone here to keep me awake during the day. so pray that i'll get my days and nights straight.
funny story:
it has been nice getting back to africa after being gone a year. everyday i remember something i love about it. one of my favorite things about africa is the language barrier. only because it makes for hilarious conversations sometimes. yesterday at dinner my waitress wanted to ask me if i wanted a bowl of soup. however, she pronounced it a bowel of soup. i chuckled to myself and replied, no thank you, no soupy bowels for me. of course i have to keep in mind this lady is speaking a second, maybe a third or fourth, language.
everything is going well. the bus ride today will be long, but tomorrow i'll be in sudan. thank you all for your prayers. much Love
billy
i arrived in kampala a few days ago. i finally got my visa for sudan yesterday and im taking the bus up to arua this morning. Then i'll be in sudan the next day. i am battling one of the worst cases of jetlag i have ever had, probably due to the fact that i dont have anyone here to keep me awake during the day. so pray that i'll get my days and nights straight.
funny story:
it has been nice getting back to africa after being gone a year. everyday i remember something i love about it. one of my favorite things about africa is the language barrier. only because it makes for hilarious conversations sometimes. yesterday at dinner my waitress wanted to ask me if i wanted a bowl of soup. however, she pronounced it a bowel of soup. i chuckled to myself and replied, no thank you, no soupy bowels for me. of course i have to keep in mind this lady is speaking a second, maybe a third or fourth, language.
everything is going well. the bus ride today will be long, but tomorrow i'll be in sudan. thank you all for your prayers. much Love
billy
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Spring
Where I am going there will be no blossoming cherry trees and no flowers to mark the changing season; no gentle April showers and no extremely white people soaking up the sun again. Where I am going there will be red dirt, strange but familiar smells, and a heat that forces everyone to the shade of the giant mango trees. There will be thick greenery and heavy rains; and there will be at least one extremely white guy living in a village of very black Sudanese. My legs are jumpy and my hands are restless. Finally.
It has been over a year since I was last with my friends in Wadupe. I miss them dearly. I can't wait for a hug from Rufus and Marchello and Juma's big white smile; and the many many handshakes that are to come in the next week. I can't wait to hear the kids whispering as they stare through the window in my tukul, then scream and run away when I poke my head out. I am leaving this evening. Pray for me if you remember.
Rufus and the gang (Wadupe Development Committee) have been working hard in my absence. With the budget I left them in December of 2010 they have finished the school latrines, sent three young men to the city for more education, conducted a teacher training seminar, raised the walls of the new school building, and built a chicken house. These men have caught the vision and are working together to develop Wadupe.
This trip the Development Committee will update me on their progress, share their ideas for the future, and together we will organize the community projects they chose for this year. We will put the roof on the school and put chickens in the chicken house. We will work on our farm and the library, and try to develop ways to improve our work. We will always study the Word, encourage the Christians to follow the Way, and we will pray and fight against the dark spiritual oppression that weighs on Wadupe.
These people are growing. Hope is growing. And this growth is what happens when love meets potential; when hope meets the faithful; and when the church supports one another. Thank you for the prayers, the donations, and the encouragement. Be excited! a new season is near.
GOD is Greater
It has been over a year since I was last with my friends in Wadupe. I miss them dearly. I can't wait for a hug from Rufus and Marchello and Juma's big white smile; and the many many handshakes that are to come in the next week. I can't wait to hear the kids whispering as they stare through the window in my tukul, then scream and run away when I poke my head out. I am leaving this evening. Pray for me if you remember.
Rufus and the gang (Wadupe Development Committee) have been working hard in my absence. With the budget I left them in December of 2010 they have finished the school latrines, sent three young men to the city for more education, conducted a teacher training seminar, raised the walls of the new school building, and built a chicken house. These men have caught the vision and are working together to develop Wadupe.
This trip the Development Committee will update me on their progress, share their ideas for the future, and together we will organize the community projects they chose for this year. We will put the roof on the school and put chickens in the chicken house. We will work on our farm and the library, and try to develop ways to improve our work. We will always study the Word, encourage the Christians to follow the Way, and we will pray and fight against the dark spiritual oppression that weighs on Wadupe.
These people are growing. Hope is growing. And this growth is what happens when love meets potential; when hope meets the faithful; and when the church supports one another. Thank you for the prayers, the donations, and the encouragement. Be excited! a new season is near.
GOD is Greater
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Changes Changes
Last September Derrick and I sat down to decide if we would continue on with Why The Woods or call it quits. We both felt that we had started a good work in Wadupe and that our method of development was innovative and unique. We felt like it would be a disservice to Wadupe and to you guys if we simply walked away from it. So we decided to continue on. We wanted to take our work to the next level. But, as we sat at a table looking over my scribbled notebook of ideas, which held valuable information about the future and past of Why The Woods, we realized my sticky-note organization skills just don't cut it anymore. We needed help.
Welcome Ashleigh Stroot. The day prior to my and Derrick's meeting a lady I have known for a few years randomly approached me at a coffee shop to ask about my work in Sudan. She had followed us for a while and wanted to know what we were up to. After talking a while she informed me that she is getting a master's degree in non-profit management and was looking for a small local non-profit to help. Bingo.
Now: our group has grown from three(Derrick, Katie, and Me) to four; we have revamped the mission statement, vision statement, and our entire organization. Katie has decided to turn over the treasurer role to our newest board member Kristin Trivette. A huge thanks to Katie for humbly serving us since the beginning...and keeping me out of trouble. Derrick, Ashleigh, Kristin, and I are working each week to revamp Why The Woods, better organize our efforts and help grow the organization. Basically we are putting all my sticky-notes, napkin pieces, and scrap papers of wild imagination into legible writing and storing it all neatly on Ashleigh's computer. It's a lot of fun.
Now for the biggest change....we are changing the name. So sad, but the time of Why The What? What the Woods? Wine to Woods? etc. has come to an end. We have a few options we are throwing around and hope to launch the new name/website before I leave the country on the 18th. Wish us luck.
Another big change...we are relocating from Mocksville to Boone. I am looking at office space soon and we are currently changing the address. Pray for us as we go through a lot of legalities and paperwork. Stay tuned for a Wadupe update and the upcoming newness. We are excited that this simmering vision will soon begin to grow.
GOD is Greater
billy
Welcome Ashleigh Stroot. The day prior to my and Derrick's meeting a lady I have known for a few years randomly approached me at a coffee shop to ask about my work in Sudan. She had followed us for a while and wanted to know what we were up to. After talking a while she informed me that she is getting a master's degree in non-profit management and was looking for a small local non-profit to help. Bingo.
Now: our group has grown from three(Derrick, Katie, and Me) to four; we have revamped the mission statement, vision statement, and our entire organization. Katie has decided to turn over the treasurer role to our newest board member Kristin Trivette. A huge thanks to Katie for humbly serving us since the beginning...and keeping me out of trouble. Derrick, Ashleigh, Kristin, and I are working each week to revamp Why The Woods, better organize our efforts and help grow the organization. Basically we are putting all my sticky-notes, napkin pieces, and scrap papers of wild imagination into legible writing and storing it all neatly on Ashleigh's computer. It's a lot of fun.
Now for the biggest change....we are changing the name. So sad, but the time of Why The What? What the Woods? Wine to Woods? etc. has come to an end. We have a few options we are throwing around and hope to launch the new name/website before I leave the country on the 18th. Wish us luck.
Another big change...we are relocating from Mocksville to Boone. I am looking at office space soon and we are currently changing the address. Pray for us as we go through a lot of legalities and paperwork. Stay tuned for a Wadupe update and the upcoming newness. We are excited that this simmering vision will soon begin to grow.
GOD is Greater
billy
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