Magwi Journey

The roosters are just starting to crow, the night sky is lightening and I have a mug of Stump Town coffee. It is a good way to start your day. The community sets off to Sudan for about a week's stay. I guess I'm a little anxious though because there are a lot of unknowns right now.

The reports coming to us are that the road is bad and very muddy. Last we heard is that very few vehicles are traveling in and out of Magwi. When we left Magwi there was a long stretch of muddy quagmire that was almost impassible. Trucks were sunk deep in the and it didn't they were getting out soon. The only way we made it was by going off road through peoples yards. We had their blessings but it is not something I like to do. This time we are packing boards to help keep from sinking so deep in the mud.

The other thing that is troubling is that we haven't heard from our people in Magwi. Our only means of communication is via sat phone and it only works if they have it turn on.

The journey takes about 8 to 10 hours depending on the road. This time we are using the Prado which hasn't made the trip before so we are not sure how it will handle the deep mud. It should do well but you never know until you try it.

Five of us are going, two have not been before so everyone is excited. You can check out their blogs from this site. It will be fun to see what they write when we get back in a week. We will stop to see Ross Kelly, writes in Deep South Sudan, coming and going. Always a good visit.

I should be packing so I will end this here. Hopefully when I come I will add something about our journey as a missional community.

The Story of Missional Journey

I don't see myself as much of a writer or really for that matter much of a story teller either. But there is a great story to tell, I hope I can do it justice. Articulate it so that it is understandable to you.

The story is not about myself only but includes many others as they move in and out of the journey. People in the U.S. and people here in Africa. Some have been part of the journey for sometime others for a shorter time but all were and are important. The journey is much more than the shaping of me as a person but it has become the shaping of a community in mission.

This is a story that moves away from traditional, conventional thought to explore what mission might become or at least an alternative for those who might not be as comfortable with traditional mission as be might be. In no way do I mean to imply that we have the answers to doing mission right. In fact I think we have more questions than answers. I must say that this is still morphing, I don't have any idea of what the end looks like but it is exciting getting there. Life is more exciting when done in community.

Some of you may want the story to unravel much faster, I sorry that it won't it has been a long time in forming so it will be long in telling. Interspersed with episodes of the community story will be many other thoughts and glimpses of life and work as a community.

Feel free to join in with your questions, thoughts and options. You might become part of the shaping.