Life in Photo, Summer 2015

We know so many strong, lovely Ugandan women! Pictured here left to right is H., who stays with some EMI staff; Hope, John's Human Resources Assistant, and Oliver the Great.

Marriage can be remarkably difficult in Uganda in light of the expense to honor family and tradition (and to express status)--as in, as much as an American wedding. We've also heard that only one quarter of pastors are authorized to perform marriages by the government. Most Ugandans "marry" by cohabiting. So EMI was very proud of construction foreman Richard Tatyabala for formalizing his vows in marriage to his wife, Lydia!

 

Ugandans don't mess around when it comes to weddings! Pictured here is the wife and daughter of our finance manager, Semei.

A good number of our EMI construction workers turned out for the wedding, all spiffed up! They're pictured here with one of our construction managers, Jay.

L-R: Brittany, our highly talented office manager; S., one of our kids' close friends; and her dad, Steve, who pioneered our construction management program.

Making pottery at a local pottery studio that trains Africans in this art. You can read about my thoughts on this deeply rewarding experience here.

You might be living overseas if...your son has a preference for termites over grasshoppers as a snack.

Intriguingly, we'd shake them up...and then they would all travel in a circle in the same direction as before. Weird.

Though I did eat fried termites, and they were good!--I didn't try this. (I have standards.)

...So our guard, Yokanah, collected them. They're fried like grasshoppers, with onions and/or garlic; they have enough fat content that you don't even need oil! TED Talks actually says insects could be the next frontier of nutrition, since it's a such a sustainable source of protein!

While John was climbing Kilimanjaro, we had mountains of our own: of wings. This pile was in the corner of our sidewalk. Once a year, the termites perform their aerial nuptial dance, then those alates shed their wings.  

Hanging with a mzungu friend this weekend

So you may have seen the last posts' "John and Jamal" Cokes. Well, in Luganda, I've been named "Sanyu", meaning joy or great happiness. I like this. (C. is called "Mukisa," or blessing.) Finally got my Coke! Which my husband obligingly consumed.

I love how everyone in the States asked me about Oliver, aka Oliver the Great and one of my favorite all-time people. This woman saves my life on, like, a weekly basis.


 

Father's Day 2015: W. wrote "An Ode to My Dad." This included lines like, When you play with me, it feels like sunshine.

 



Dad and paparazzi





...And then she turned 8. As in, one more year until our time with her in our home is half done! Sniff. This one's lovely inside and out!

 

Look who's armed and 11?



Is anyone else's living room constantly reshuffled into forts in various forms?

 

This cutie, pictured here climbing trees with J., is one of our EMI staff kids.

 

Our East Africa office is full of BOYS! Here, we celebrate the 4th of July with friends.

 



You're always welcome here!

 

Photos from the top of Africa

Sunrise from the "Rooftop of Africa"

John summited Kilimanjaro for the third time this past February--his second time to lead the trip--fundraising for our EMI East Africa office's Build Africa Together campaign. 

The biggest highlight this year was, unquestionably, the presence of his dad on the trip, who also made it to the top at 19,341 feet. This was especially memorable as he and his dad have so many exhilarating memories from mountaineering together in John's teens and early 20's--and despite his dad retiring upon his return home, he's obviously still got it. 

The Build Africa Together campaign's vast vision for discipling and training East Africa is nearly completed--as is the more tangible jointly shared office building with Mission Aviation Fellowship that will stand as a hub of missions support. The move is scheduled for mid-August! See photos for that below, too. 

 

All photos except building photos are copyright John Breitenstein.

The porters are incredibly helpful, friendly, and fast, climbing Kilimanjaro more than once a month, and often in running shoes.

Many species are completely unique to Kilimanjaro. These trees (not sure what their name is, so not sure they're unique) remind John of something from Super Mario World.

Together at the summit!

 

And for the photos of the current construction progress on the new building...pretty exciting stuff!

 

 

Photo update

Some of our best. Gifts. EVER.

And it only took, what, nine tries to get a photo.

 We're getting so excited about the progress of EMI East Africa's new joint facility with Mission Aviation Fellowship! Check out the pics. (My kids are so stoked that it's on an airfield!)

We heart EMI!

P.S. Thank you for praying for us! Please ask God

• for discipleship opportunities and our maximization of them here in EMI;
• that God would show us the “good works He has prepared in advance for us to do” as we address copious needs with limited staff; and
• to continue to raise up local East Africans to train and disciple in our disciplines.