Update Summer

Bush Fire

On a particular Thursday, we were enjoying some time of rest and reflection. No classes occupied our time, just the inexpressible beauty of living the in great African Plains. I had been sick for several weeks and had been relegated to a tight regime of sleeping. Tired of this regime, I rebelled and decided to make a cake for everyone at camp. This is not an easy task considering that I only had five ingredients to work with and no oven to bake it in, but where there is a will, there is a way. So, with a determined will, I built a good fire and heated sand to bake my cake. I mixed the five ingredients that we had with as much vigor and love that I could muster and when the fire was hot enough, I nestled my pan in the midst of the sand to cook it as best as possible.

In the midst of my endeavors, I heard a strange sound… almost a popping, snapping. I ignored it at first, but it grew louder. I went to investigate. It was coming from behind my hut. In the valley below a farmer had set his fields ablaze in an effort to clear them before the next planting season began. Smoke soon filled the sky and the birds of prey swooped in to collect rats, snakes and other critters that tried to escape the flames. I went back to cooking, not thinking much about it.

But the wind changed, and the fire charged up the hill with wild abandon. Flames taller than I consumed the brush that blanketed the hill. In horror I realized that its’ greedy appetite wanted to consume our huts as well. In front of my hut there was a large pile of grass and sticks- left over building materials from the school house. If the flames captured the grass we knew that all would be lost. My grass thatched roof would easily catch fire and the few possessions I had with me would be consumed.

Everyone jumped into action. We carried bundle after bundle of grass to a safer spot across the road. Just as we were about to grab the last couple of bundles, the fire suddenly leaped out at us and chased us away. The grass burst into flames and we were forced to redirect our attention on saving the houses. We grabbed sticks and began to beat the flames; we poured water from the jerry cans onto the roofs of the huts and removed items of value from inside. It was a fierce battle, but the hand of the Lord was fighting with us and we were able to conquer the flames! The fire left an ugly scare on our land, its fingers reaching within a couple of feet from my hut and several other huts.

But once we were saved from one battle, a new one began for me. I had a major asthma attack, and found that I had to fight for every breath. I sat inside a vehicle and tried to breathe the cleaner air, hoping that it would help, but as the minutes ticked by, my breathing became more and more labored and painful.

During this time, one of my teammates explored the damage done by the fire. The fire had wiped a blackened hand throughout our camp but amazingly nothing of importance was burnt and no one was hurt. Our cooking area had experienced the flames as well, but there, sitting on the charcoal stove sat my cooking pot. When they lifted the lid they discovered that my cake was baked to perfection!

Another teammate poked around in the charred bundles of grass. There he found a burnt snake- in the very pile of grass that I was reaching for as the flames chased me away!

In the aftermath of the fire we ate cake (and crispy snake!) and rejoiced in God’s protection. Then I went to Kaabong to get breathing treatments and to be in cleaner air. I recovered well and am doing fine.

“This is what the LORD says- He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: fear not, for I have redeemed you, I have summoned you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” Isaiah 43:1-2

There really aren’t very good pictures of the bush fire, so here are some random ones… On top are pictures of our cooking area. Then there’s a picture of me being cheeky, and a beautiful sunset, and on the right are some of my favorite Karamojong guys: Ngole, Teko Simon and Nalobe. Ngole was our language helper. Simon was our translator extraordinaire. All of these guys are men of faith and are ready to share their faith with their tribesmen!