SMOi

Prayer requests
- work deadlines are Monday and Friday, pray that I will be able to meet these.
- Relationships with the locals and the church, pray that with my short time here I will make the most of it and encourage and share the Gospel with many adults here
- health - I have been around a lot of sick people and some of the food does not always agree with me the second go round so please pray for health


So today was a great day but it has been a while since we have had
internet access (we just got it back). Anyway, so I was getting back
to work on some designs for a rainwater cistern when I got a package
from Mae Johnson Way and was SO STOKED!!!!!
I spent the time after lunch reading the letters. I cannot tell all
of you how encouraged I am. It has been so funny because I talk about
my experiences at Snowbird so much to all the other staff here. The
letters and shirt was concrete proof that there is no family that can
compare to the SWO family.
So here is an update that you can give to the staffers, if you want,
so they can get updated on what I am doing:
Thanks SWO for the letters. I cannot put into words how encouraging
each and every one was to me. For those of you that aren't quite
familiar with what I am doing here it is: I am working with
Engineering Ministries International (eMi). This non-profit org.
works at helping meet the needs of evangelical Christians across the
world. My specific project is designing and engineering a theological
school in Rwanda. Only 5% of the pastors have a high school
education; therefore, it is crucial that these pastors that are
shepherding Rwandan believers have a proper and adequate knowledge of
the Living God. Our main office is in Uganda (where I spend most of
my time). Here is what Uganda is like from my perspective:
I have got to say that SWO has prepared me so much for the missions
field. First off, sleeping above the bike shed and rarely showering
or even having hot showers is much like it is here. I have to sleep
in a net which is weird. I feel like I am in a cocoon sometimes and
the showers here are either bucket showers or if you are very blessed,
a shower head however the baths are never hot only cold. The roads
where I live (outside of Kampala) are not paved and poorly maintained.
In the wet season the roads are very muddy and you slip and slide
everywhere. The rain causes big ruts so Andrew Grey's gator would eat
up the 4-wheelin. For the dry season, now, the roads have huge wholes
from the rainy season but everything is dry so dust is everywhere.
After a while your eyes strengthen so getting dust in them doesn't
affect you. Breathing in the dust that cars and trucks kick-up as
well as breathing in the smog that they spew out is never easy (no
emission controls so no catalytic converters to filter the exhaust).
I have met a Kenyan here and we have made very good friends. We will
go running and eventually I will teach him to swim. When we run, we go
up hills like the hills at SWO that is used for prayer and mountain
surfing (if yall still do that). So you can imagine running up huge
hills and breathing in exhaust and dust is not fun but it is great
being able to bond with a brotha from another motha. Africans are
like gazalles running. They can stinkin fly. In any sport or
activity I will give it my all and they will still smoke me. They
will say phrases like "My body thanks you so much for working it so
hard"...while I am saying to myself "My body wants to fall over and
die, when will you get tired."
I love the people here. They are so friendly and love to talk to
Muzungus (white people). Especially when a white person can speak
their language. Anytime I talk to a Ugandan in his native language
they smile really big and say "Who is it that a Muzungu knows
Lugandan?" When you speak to a kid in their language, most are
stunned or laugh uncontrollably. Muzungu refers to the way white
people walk. We walk very fast compared to our African brothers. The
Africans like to say "Muzungus have watches but Africans have time."
It is in reference to how we are always in a hurry. It is funny
watching an African making fun of me. They like to walk really fast,
bent-over like a monkey. Africans have great posture, they think
Americans postures are poor. They carry everything on their head (I
am serious, I have seen some crazy things on peoples heads).
I cannot wait to get back to NC only so I can show those interested in
pictures, stories, and stereotypes that are that are not true of most
Africans. I love it here and do not want to go home except to
encourage others, fellowship with my long-missed men, and see my
fiance Andrea.
Staffers, campers, and whoever reads this letter, be ever so thankful
for the ministry of Snowbird. That environment of a love for Christ
and dedication to one another in love is not found anywhere else, not
even in the US. Many of the staffers and locals tell me of how
blessed I am to have such community back home. Thanks for being a
family.

Your humbled brother and fellow warrior in Christ,

John McNeill

ps - does anyone still sleep above the bike shed? I seriously miss
that place and the men who stunk it up in there with me. Is Miss
Tully and Miss Roberts finished with the AT? Finally, great call on
opening up archery and skeet shootin - best recs ever!!! But who put
Patrick Neal on a shotgun? Emo's don't shoot guns do they? Just
kiddin I love you bro and miss you greatly. Blue holdin down a new
position known as SOFA - hilarious. Has anyone seen or heard from
Mowgli, Smalls, Wolfeman, or Big Daddy Hicks? Lastly, how is the
revelation skit - Hardcore as ever?