Ukarumpa - First Impresssions

We have been here for a week now and are a little settled in; we are well, praising the Most High. Our Lord has been and is still watching over us. We arrived last Saturday and were immediately embraced with much love and caring; we even had clothes from generous new friends, until our luggage arrived a couple of days ago.

Mara has started school – she has a full schedule, starting at 7:45 am and going till 3:30 pm with one hour break for lunch.

We marvel, praising God and thanking Him for the sun, for it warms our body, water and house; for the rain, for it is what we drink and wash with; for the grass, which enjoys our eyes and helps clean the abundant mud off our shoes and feet; for the birds, who greet us every morning, before the dark dissipates. The beauty of this place is striking – manifest of God’s glory in His creation – the land, the people; my heart is heavy with the burden I see in their eyes; may the Lord have mercy and reveal His glory to these peoples He has placed so deeply and firmly in our hearts.

Beside the gentle, almost surreal, waking up to the birds’ “speaking” and the weightless fog, swiftly lurking behind the hills, the highlight for me was probably this morning, when I went to a busy market and stopped at each merchant to greet them in my foreign speech and manner. Oh, how big and beautiful their smiles - they light their faces! We must do this again.