I found out at the teachers’ conference that even when you speak the same language there can still be barriers. Put two Californians, a Georgia peach, a Nigerian, several Ugandans, and a whole host of South Sudanese together and it is humorous to watch us all try to communicate…in English! The vowel sounds are not … Continue reading Are We Together?
Education
Meet Anna
Meet Anna. She is a 10-year-old girl from South Sudan. She and her siblings came to the camp 2 years ago with her mom. She has never met her dad. Anna is a poet. Her chances of having her voice heard here are slim to non-existent, but she writes anyway. It is her way to … Continue reading Meet Anna
People of Purpose
This teachers’ conference had a theme of equipping and empowering, but I think more importantly, it imparted vision and purpose. Living in a refugee camp is like living in limbo. There is no telling when the return to your home will come. It might be a few months, or not in your lifetime. Being a … Continue reading People of Purpose
Greater Hope
People ask me all the time if my work in Uganda is part of my job. The answer to that question is complex and hard to explain. I work at AIM (Adventures in Missions) in Parent Ministry, which entails helping and supplying resources for parents, as their adult children travel around the world doing mission … Continue reading Greater Hope
Holy Moments
On our first day of teacher training an expert on trauma came to talk about PTSD. In a refugee camp such as the one we are in, most of the population has been traumatized, including the teachers. In a classroom with 100 traumatized students there are bound to be behavior issues. What the facilitator told … Continue reading Holy Moments
Mountain Movers
I met some Mountain Movers when I arrived in Arua. This group of amazing people were from different work backgrounds, cultures, and age groups. They are the other presenters, and each has a specific gifting and role for the conference. The group is a study in diversity. There are so many ways in which we … Continue reading Mountain Movers
Moving Forward
The past several weeks, life has been on hold. When a family need comes up, it takes precedence. Everything gets rearranged and rescheduled, for all of us. Our family stopped to walk Betty to heaven’s door. I can’t think of a better reason to push pause, however, moving forward, I seem sluggish and not quite … Continue reading Moving Forward
What About the Children?
My heart has pulled into its shell for protection, just like a turtle. In the wake of all the usual voices after a school shooting tragedy, it cannot handle the quagmire of clogged minds. It cannot handle the thoughts of children stopped from fulfilling their life dreams, or the images of teachers-turned-decoys with targets on … Continue reading What About the Children?
Dear MSDHS
Dear Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, You have made the list every school hopes to avoid…the school shooting list…the mass casualty list. The lock-down training you had, didn’t take into account a false fire alarm. The hide-and-go-seek plan didn’t work as well as you believed it would, because training cannot cover every possible scenario a … Continue reading Dear MSDHS
Pray for Me
If you had told me a couple of years ago I would be going to Uganda to help establish a school in a refugee camp, I would have never believed you. I walked away from a 20-year career as a public educator with no idea what I was going to do. I only knew I … Continue reading Pray for Me
Michelle's Mosaic 