I reserve the right to freak out

When Travis was in medical residency, he always asked his patients who had been married for over 30 years what is the secret to a lasting marriage. Though the answers varied, there is one piece of advice that has pulled us through many-a-crisis:

"Only one of you can be a fool at a time."

This morning at 6 AM, it was my turn to be the fool.

Aidan is now four months old, but as he has slept in 17 different rooms thus far in his wee life, he has not quite established great sleeping patterns and awakes frequently through the night. After his feeding at 5:30 this morning, I was back in my bed peacefully hoping to drift back into sleeping bliss when all of a sudden, I heard what sounded to me as drum beats, a man's voice calling out with responsive men's voices in chants, ending with a high pitch whooping war cry.

To sleep deprived, just off the boat, in the middle of Africa, a few miles from Congo, over imaginative and super protective mom, I just knew THIS WAS IT: All of my fears of in-the-middle-of-the-night-evacuation due to warring tribes was happening. And in the first week of our arrival!

However, my now awakened, sweet husband (who could somehow sleep through this crisis!) spoke truth to me, telling me that we were okay.

And we were.

Later this morning, I learned that the boys' soccer team was out for a morning jog and it is their habit to call out to each other.

I guess it is now Travis's turn to be the fool next.

You are most welcome here

I remember as a prospective college student visiting Auburn University learning about "Hey Day". Basically, everyone took a day to walk around and say "Hey!" to everyone else on campus.

We have experienced the Ugandan equivalent to that this week.

Yesterday, ready to meet new friends, we took markers and paper to our katoobe. Though I am probably spelling it wrong, a katoobe is a gazebo type structure that is used as a place in which to greet visitors. As our katoobe has no poles or traditional banana leaf roof, the only greeting that goes on there is saying hello to our neighbor's goats that think that it is their katoobe.

Once we shooed the goats out, we set out paper and markers, ready for our first friends. However, it was only 4pm, so Ugandan primary school was not dismissed yet. The goata returned this time being chased by an older man. He seemed to say that he was trying to grab the rope attached to the male goat, so the kids and I did the neighborly thing and chased the goats with him. So, while Lilli and Patton followed the curious Botu (our 10 week old puppy), I swung a broom towards the wayward billy with one hand while holding Aidan in the other. Eventually, our tactics worked and our neighbor went back to the compound of his family homes. And we followed...

After exchanging the four Lebwisi greeting words I knew, I shared our names. Then our neighbor and the three women with him proceeded to tell me wonderful things of which I have no clue, but I did the proper Ugandan thing and agreed with them in the three customary ways: raised my eyebrows, lifted my chin repeatedly, and made the "hmmm" sound simultaneously.

Eventually, the neighbor children did come home from school and our kids greeted them in the goat-free katoobe. Patton immediately connected with a young boy named Charity who played soccer with a volleyball while Lilli was surrounded by lots of little girls who liked to draw together.

"Hey Day" continued as I took an afternoon walk down a lane by a primary school. After chatting with children walking home on the same path, I turned to head back home. Once I had started my walk back, the oldest of the girls yelled down, "Madame, I will be your friend!"

And then today, we enjoyed the chapel talk centering on servant leadership given by our teammate Scott at Christ School Bundibugyo. As we met each of the teachers, they graciously said, "You are most welcome here."

So, here we are...exchanging the beautiful sing-song greetings as we walk around the town, meeting neighbor children, chasing goats, and being welcomed by new friends.

Oliyo from Bundibugyo

We are thankful to say that WE ARE HOME!

Thank you for praying for our transition to Uganda. The Lord has
answered your prayers in mighty ways.

In the three days that we have been in Bundibugyo, we have met all of
the team, started unpacking and settling into our home, signed in with
the local coucilman for the village, played outside, and visited the
Saturday market.

While at the market today, I was both grateful and in shock that this
is now MY market, these were MY neighbors, and we now LIVE IN AFRICA.
It is both humbling and awe-inspiring to know that this God's plan for
us. I am curious to see how he changes us and uses us here.

And we are grateful for your prayers. Praise God with us for:
~Travis enjoyed learning medicine and spending time with seasoned
missionary doctors at the African Christian Medical Dental Conference.
~During those two weeks in Kenya, the kids and I got over the 9 hour
time difference and got into the African rhythm of life. We even saw a
few types of monkeys at our housing!
~ ALL our LUGGAGE MADE IT! Thanks to the Myrhes and Scott Will, our
many bags made it across the border with no problems. Even the double
stroller that we accidentally left at the guesthouse somehow made it
with someone to the Myrhes who were traveling a few days behind us to
Uganda.
~In the last minute of packing all our stuff in our new truck and
preparing for a 9 hour trip over uncertain roads, GOD PROVIDED a
precious black lab PUPPY! We considered calling him Max as we were
certainly at our max for life changes, but have decided upon "BOWTO"
the Lebwisi word from "friend." He is a sweet little one who loves to
be right with us and the kids adore him! He has been especially
positive for Lilli as she is getting over her fear of dogs and is a
wonderful blessing for her to focus on during all of these
transitions. Having this "gain" makes the other losses of familiar
things not feel so hard.
~Travis is living out his lifelong dream of driving a LandCruiser
through the bush of Africa. He skillfully navigated the crazy,
crowded, and unmarked roads in the city of Kampala and over the rutted
and muddy road to Bundibugyo. The kids were cheerful and Aidan
miraculously slept most of the 9 hour bumpy ride. We are so glad that
drive is behind us for now!
~We have been graciously welcomed by the team and are enjoying getting
to know them better. What sweet fellowship!
~We are healthy! Hallelujah!

Again, thank you for praying us here.
We will keep you posted about how to continue to pray specifically.
Until then, please join us in praising God for his faithfulness.
All our love,
Amy and the Johnsons

Lessons Learned in our First Weeks

Now in our last night in Kenya, we are enjoying internet access at the missionary guesthouse. Over the past two weeks of adjusting to life in Africa, we have learned a few lessons:

1. Advertisement for a heated pool in a London hotel means that there is no ice on it.

2."Power Boy" laundry detergent is just as safe as hypo-allergenic baby detergent for washing baby clothes.

3. The orange drink in the bottle at "tea time" is actually made to add to water for a punch-type drink, not meant to be drunk alone...and can keep your child awake for hours!

4. When checking in extra baggage at the airport, make sure that bag doesn't contain all your diapers!

5. Lilli and Patton love to play "Safari Hunt" in which they wear safari hats and carry a box to collect treasures they find on their hiking adventures.

6. I can make popcorn on the gas stove...this suburban mom is going to survive!

7. A sunset over the Rift Valley is stunning.

8. You can make up a lot of games with pom-pom balls and popsicle sticks.

9. The only Swahili words we knew came from "The Lion King": Hasanti sana, squashed banana!

10. The name given to me by the guesthouse worker, Mama Amos, is "Mama Bebe" as I am a mama of a baby. It makes sense. Her son is Amos.

We fly to Entebbe Uganda tomorrow. Lilli has picked out her favorite dress for her arrival. Watch out Uganda, the Johnsons are coming!

Aidan's African Riverdance

We have loved time with our team and set aside time to study African medicine before entering the jungles of Bundibugyo. We could not be more blessed with the team that God has given us. The time at Brackenhurst has introduced us to so many incredible people sharing Jesus through medicine across the continent. The children are doing great. You can see their little wheels turning as each day they process the new people, scenery, and foods. Patton is hanging out with some dear friends from Mali today. They have cars and a spiderman outfit! Lilli is having her first school session with Miss Ashley. She is so excited. She was most concerned to know if they have circle time and craft time at the schools in Africa. Aidan, being disappointed that he may not make the Winter Olympics growing up in Africa, and having little else to do as a 3 mo, has decided to take up another competitive sport. Enjoy the video.

Much love,

Travis

The First Week

Wow, its been a week. Our pastor told us that the thing he and his wife miss most about missions is the constant absolute dependence to see God show up everyday, or else they did not know if they were going to make it. It is so true. Thanks for praying with us. He has helped us on the airplane, through airports, with the luggage, sustaining the kids, living in a foreign capital city with 3 kids (including a 3 mo) without knowing anyone, connecting with friends and sleeping through the night. He has also thrown in feeding of giraffes, a random monkey and a wonderful new team just because he delights to. Lilli has been our photo journalist and has taken over a hundred photos on her fisher-price camera. S0, here is a look at our first week from three feet off the ground.

Winks

I have always thought of winks as a special way to communicate quickly and personally to someone you love, in a crowd, without gaining anyone else’s notice but the one you intend to. They are also semi-rare events, for those special moments; moments when you see your spouse hanging out with your friends or family and you are overcome with thankfulness or love- or the moment when you hit a big hit in baseball and your dad let’s you know he is proud of you- or when your grandmother catches you doing something just right and keeps it between the two of you. I think that God winks at us as well, with quiet little messages directed right to us, that lets us know He is there with us. I believe shooting stars are a way He winks at us. Perhaps I think this because when I sit below the enormous night sky, I am usually thinking through some sort of problem. This usually leads me to contemplate God’s vastness and my insignificance. At that point He shoots a meteor across the stratosphere as if to say, “I know, and I love you.” In the big enormous sky, a quick event, unnoticed by most to communicate His love- a wink.

Most recently, we received a wink in a totally different way. We love the show Psych, and religiously check our Internet to see if the latest episode has been posted. The new episode for this season premiered Wednesday night. We had been anticipating it for months and were looking forward to a welcome break from the emotion of moving to Africa. The show was a little disappointing, which is good, since we will be leaving it behind in a few days with the rest of things we love. Surprisingly, at the end of the episode, Shawn, the lead character, has a tearful, heart wrenching and unexpected good-bye with his girlfriend. She told him that she was leaving to Uganda to help start an orphanage for children affected by HIV. Uganda? Really? really? How many places could have the writers chosen? I am not sure what specifically led them to write “I am going to Uganda,” but I have a feeling Jesus chuckled when He helped inspire it. For most of the viewers of this TV show, they probably thought nothing of it, rather than some far off land. To us, it was a wink. It was as if Jesus wanted to say, “I know you are finishing packing, closing up your house, saying your goodbyes and questioning why in the world are we doing this. So, incase the other hundred ways I have confirmed this calling in your life have been forgotten, I wanted to remind you it is me who is calling you. I love you and I am going before you and I am going with you.”