September is already over!

Seed team at retreat

September was a very busy month for the Seed program! Here are some of the things I've been up to:
- Some of our participants initiated getting school uniforms made for over 100 kids in the camp for displaced people where they work.
- We had a women's retreat with other ladies from our organization.
- There was an evaluation of the Seed program here in Eastern Congo, which meant welcoming two wonderful evaluators and them doing a lot of interviews.
- We had another three day work meeting "retreat" where Seeders exchanged experiences and gave presentations. It's always so fun and exciting (and intense and tiring for the introverts among us) to be all together!

Seeders with students at school uniform distribution

thankful students celebrate their uniforms while parents and other IDPs look on

Seeder dances with students as they celebrate their uniforms while parents and other IDPs look on

There have also been a handful of sizeable challenges related to security and interpersonal conflict. The security challenges are hard for me as I wrestle with "aren't we supposed to trust God?" and "I'm responsible for these people's well-being!" The conflicts are why I took this job - and got my MA! It's still uncomfortable, of course, but I am qualified to deal with this stuff (with God's help!).

I've been looking forward to October as a bit lower-key. So far, this has not been true. The past week has felt really, really long with lots of unknowns and inefficiencies. My co-facilitator is on vacation, so I'm at the helm. It looks like we'll get our house back to ourselves after hosting one of our very kind participants since late June.

I'm looking forward to being able to breathe a bit. Also rainy season is here, and I love watching the big storms roll in, all cozy in our house. The temperature drops a lot when it rains, and I can imagine it's fall!

Lots of children's laundry out drying in front of our house!