TGIF night in Tonj!

This is Dennis Sherreitt reporting live from Tonj for the RdR team!  Wow, what a trip so far.  If you know me, you know I got go to food right away.  Our first morning we had these incredible Kenyan donut (homemade) called Mandasis – just like Sopapillias in New Mexico! Last night we had Tonj Tacos for Matt’s Birthday, flour torts made by Thadd with a lentil, onion and corn filling with Tonj salsa….. to die for!  Tonight we had Sukuma Wiki, a classic poor man’s delight from Kenya…… wow, what flavor.  We are eating sooooooo good!  Oh, and don’t let me forget the delicious, warm chocolate cake with milk chocolate frosting made by the one and only, Thadd Tague, from scratch….. outrageously yummy.

We had a birth in the compound today and all the girls got to witness it.  They were all stoked!  The sick part is they came out to me and said they had something for me to BBQ, it was the mother’s placenta…. that was so wrong!

Thadd, Cody and I have been working on making bricks for the new birthing center, what a job.  The work is hard.  The heat is intense and the sweat is pouring out of us.  Making bricks is a multi-step process.  We are working hand-in-hand with about 13 young Dinka boys, most of which are about 15 years old.  They teach us Dinka, we teach them English, I teach them “American Football” as the locals say.  These guys are a hoot and us guys are having some much fun working with them.

The girls are all working in the clinic and pharmacy with the staff here in the compound and each are learning stuff from one another.  The birth today was really an exciting event for the girls to be a part of.

Matt is totally energized about the interaction and learning that is taking place in the Pastor’s school.  He comes out of the long teaching sessions on fire about what going on and the issues that are being discussed.  I got to say though tonight he and the men went down in flames against the local Pros on the basketball court outreach in downtown Tonj.  The locals towered at 6’6″ and above with arms as long as their legs….. no wonder why.

Want to draw a crowd…. pull out a camera, that’s it.  Everyone wants their pictures taken, especially the kids, and they are all so cute.  And yes we all got tons a pictures.  Yesterday at the basketball clinic, we had 3 cameras and the batteries on all went dead from all the pictures we took of everyone, and they all want to see themselves on the screen.  So much fun.

What can I say about this trip so far……?  Wow!  There’s no place I would rather be right now than here.  I know the rest of the Team feels the same way.  We are all grateful God called us to come.  We are being blessed more than words can express for answering His call and coming.  My advice to all back home….. if you hear that small voice calling you to go, where ever and serve….. go, don’t miss out on what He has in store for you.  That’s my take from Tonj!  Please continue to pray for the ministry here, Suzy, Sabet and the staff here in the compound, and pray for us as we go out in to surrounding areas this weekend to witness and put on sports clinics.

Owabiok (goodbye in Dinka) and God Bless from the RdR Team,

Dennis