I find it’s the simplest things that stand out when I come here. I made room for my breakfast on the coffee table.

We smiled in the middle of the night when thunder and lightning awoke us, followed by a downpour of pounding rain to lull us back to sleep.  We love hearing the storm outside when we are in a safe shelter.  (Just read “The LORD is a shelter right by your side . . .” Psalm 121)

Pastors Charles and David requested a ride to a church about an hour drive away from Gulu this morning.  Hal began cooking his breakfast – toast, topped with two fried eggs, grilled onions, and several splashes of Tabasco sauce; I cut up a mango, passion fruit and a small banana for fruit salad.  This would be food to last the day.  There will be an intentional meeting together with leaders of the church today as they work together through a dispute.  The meeting will last as long as needed in an effort to bring resolution.  We are encouraged by their work in the churches.  We prayed together, then Hal backed the truck out the narrow driveway in the rain to collect his passengers on “mono” (white people) time – 8:00 a.m. sharp.

As for me (a common phrase here to begin to describe how a person is doing), jet lag is winning today . . .  The heaviness that hits in the afternoon or evening can be overpowering.  I struggle to stay awake so I can sleep at night.  This morning I chose to stay back for the day and rest in hopes it will be the last day of symptoms!  Soon after I could no longer hear the rumble of Hal’s diesel truck, I stretched out on the couch and fell sound asleep.  Ahhhh . . . it felt like a luxury!

Hunger pangs are what really got me up off the couch.  Last night’s dinner was a sliced tomato and a small banana – it’s what we had on hand.  We were too tired from the day to cook or to go out for food.  Don’t feel too sorry for us – Hal also had some frozen yogurt (which means we have a refrigerator/freezer in our room 🙂   ) ,

some “Nice” cookies with peanut butter, and some g-nuts (roasted peanuts).  It’s just what we chose to do as we forced ourselves to stay awake until 8:30 when we raced to bed!

The food I cooked for breakfast gave me energy; the refreshing mixture of the flavors of fruit danced on my tongue.  I’m beginning to feel alive again.  🙂  It’s what I need for my body.  My time with the Lord this morning is what I need for my soul.  In a place where food is a focus, the comparison between the physical and the spiritual come alive.  I find myself asking that the fruit we bear as we depend on Him during this time will be refreshing to Him and will cause Him to dance and rejoice.  “The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”  Zechariah 3:17