Field Notes for the combined months of January/February has been published. This issue of Field Notes included the following articles:

• A New Assignment after Vicarage
• TEE (Theological Education by Extension) - Managing the Harvest
• RLC (Resurrection Lutheran Church) Advance Team Visits Uganda
• Photos in Focus: Shauen's mother, Kathryn, visited Uganda in January. Grandma liked holding Josiah!

Our prayer requests this month include:

• For our preparations to work in Kenya and Tanzania
• That our vehicles sell at a reasonable price
• For fellow missionary Rev. Jacob Gillard as he assumes full responsibility for the work in Uganda

And we praise the Lord:

• That Josiah is continuing to grow and look super-cute as he gets chubby
• That LCMS WM (The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod's World Mission division) is intending to keep us on the field in East Africa after vicarage
• For recent visitors—Shauen’s mom, the RLC Advance Team, and our friend Norbert
• For our new glider rockingchair, purchased w/ help from the RLC Women’s Guild and transported to Uganda by the RLC Advance Team

If you haven't seen it yet, download Field Notes for January/February 2010 (PDF file, 672k) from thetrumps.org now!

~ Bougainvillea in the garden ~

~ Shauen and Krista Trump ~

After lunch we head towards the park known as the Source of the Nile. It's expensive by local standards - $15 for the four of us and the car to drive into the park. And, frankly, worth it once but probably not again. There wasn't much to see except the little shops full of curios and the big billboard explaining all about the Nile River:

WELCOME TO THE SOURCE OF THE GREAT RIVER NILE - JINJA, UGANDA

You are now on the Eastern bank of the River Nile, at a point where the river begins to flow from Lake Victoria (Source of the Nile) to the meditteranean sea (sic). It takes water three months to complete this journey of 4000 miles (6400 km).

The falls that John Hanning Speke saw in 1862, naming them the "Rippon Falls" after the President of the Royal Geographical Society in London, submerged in 1947 on the construction of the giant Owen Falls Dam. The dam completed in 1954, harnesses the head long rush of water from the lake to produce hydro electric power for ~ A tree grows out of the bridge pilings at the Source ~ Uganda.

"Omugga Kiyira" is the local name for River Nile. The bay behind this billboard through which the waters of Lake Victoria funnel in the Nile is called the Napoleon Gulf.

On the western bank of the river is an obelisk marking the spot where Speke stood for hours when he saw the source of the River Nile, making it known to the outside world.

Exciting stuff, eh?  All you can really see from there are a few pilings where they once built (or attempted to build) a little bridge across the river. But apparently underneath the water is what was once quite an impressive sight. Next - on to Egypt to see the delta at the other end! -Shauen

I was in an area that is led by a church leader who is wealthy by my estimation, farming a large plot of land, with chickens and several goats, several buildings in his compound with tin roofs, and even a brick building at the road which he is intending to turn into a shop. He has several able-bodied sons to help him in his farming. His family is easily able to support him in his church work as they do what his family has done for generations in that area. There are two congregations there that this leader works with, about 10km apart.

The first congregation we visited meets in a nice church building. It was built by the congregation over a decade ago with a good thatch roof and mud-and-stick construction similar to what we see everywhere in Uganda. Mud-and-stick buildings with thatch roofs do require some maintenance but will last for decades with a little annual care.  The congregation spent considerable time telling us about how they needed to buy land because the church was built on land owned by someone else. We asked if there was a risk they would be evicted from the land. No, they assured us, we won't be forced to move. Is the land the church is on now for sale? No, it's not for sale, but the owner wants us to buy it so it would be for sale to us if someon gave us the money. Is there any risk the owner would sell it to someone else? No, the owner won't sell it to anyone else. So why do you need to buy it? Because the owner wants us to buy it. Finally, they admited that the church leader owns the land. He wants someone to give the church several thousand dollars so the church can "buy" the land from him. From that point the congregation continued to list their needs. They needed money to establish a nursery school. They would buy land and build a building for their nursery school. I asked what their very nice church building is used for during the week. They replied that they don't use the church during the week. So I asked why they couldn't start their nursery school in the church building. Then they asked for money to buy a bicycle for their leader so he could get to the other congregation. It's too far to walk, they said (which, of course, isn't the case - it is far but could be walked in two hours). I asked why the two congregations together didn't buy him a bicycle (I didn't ask why he didn't buy himself a bicycle). They insisted the congregations were too poor. Then they wanted money to build chicken coops to keep their chickens safe. At this point I kept my mouth shut (which I probably should have done earlier). I later asked a trusted friend if you can keep chickens in a stick structure or a mud-and-stick building like those everyone constructs for free to live in. He replied that of course you can keep chickens in a structure like that.

The next day we visited the other congregation in that area. Again we received a long list of needs, the vast majority of which were things the congregation could do for themselves. If just 10 families between the two congregations each sold only one chicken, I told them, you could buy your leader a bicycle. And that brings us to the deeper issue. Uganda has suffered decades of handouts.  That's right. I use the word "suffer." The spirit of many of the people has been broken. Why do for yourself, they wonder, what someone else will do for you for free? As I drive down the road in the villages children stop playing to call out "Muzungu" which means "white person" and hold out their hand to me - asking for a gift. In a trading center, the first thing a man wanted me to know about the people was that they were poor.  Look at them, he said - they are so poor. Give them something.  Is that how you really want to be known, I asked him? Not that you are hard-working or that you are good farmers or that you have started your own schools for your children or that you cherish the land your families have owned for generations or that you are proud of your culture or history or that all of these shop owners in the trading center have worked themselves into the merchant class? You want me to know primarily that you are poor? This is what I see all over Uganda. A congregation that worships under a tree asks me to build them a brick church - every member of that congregation lives in a building, some mud-and-stick, some brick. If they can build homes for themselves, they can build a worship space as well. But why do for yourself what someone else will do for you for free?

I'm reminded of Glen Schwartz's article, I meet two kinds of people in Africa (PDF on missionfrontiers.org, 76kB). After decades or research and work on issues of unhealthy dependency in the developing world, Glen Schwartz (who also wrote the required-reading book, When Charity Destroys Dignity) asserts, "I keep bumping into two kinds of people in Africa. One kind believes in the capability of the continent to help itself, and the other does not." Unfortunately, if you tell people for long enough that they don't have the capability, they start to believe you. As one of my friends recently pointed out, Uganda is one of the most lush, fertile, priviliged lands in East Africa and they could easily become the bread-basket of the continent. They have not only the capability but also the resources. Instead of "doing for," let's "walk alongside of" and together work towards a successful, stable, healthy future. -Shauen

~ Visiting with church leaders in Amudat Town ~

~ Visiting together at one of the village churches ~

We had been expecting to do some home-stays because the only lodging in Amudat is a guest house that is in the process of being turned over to the government to be made into the district headquarters office. We were pleased to hear this very week that the building has not yet be turned over and is still functioning as the only guest house in Amudat. For your $4 you get a comfy bed with clean sheets and a mosquito net in a private room. There's a pit latrine out back and there's a rain barrel to collect water for bathing and washing hands. Although the guest house is wired for electricity, their solar system hasn't worked in years and no one with any experience has looked at it. It could be something as simple as a fuse - but if you don't know what you're looking for a simple fix is just as debilitating. The second night we were at the guest house the proprietor brought over a generator and hooked up the lights for us - a real treat! Then when we were checking out we were astonished to hear that the price had increased considerably! While I suspect the price increase was related to purchasing the fuel for the generator, the excuse the proprietor gave was, "the price of sugar has gone up." Mind you the guest house isn't a bed-and-breakfast place, so we didn't consume any sugar. But we paid $5 per night instead of $4 because of the cost of sugar - of course.

~ Pastor Moses and Ron enjoying (yet another) cup of African Tea ~ We visited only a few congregations in Amudat but spent a considerable amount of time sitting and visiting with the church leaders, many of whom had traveled to Amudat Town to see us. As a result, we got to spend time visiting and laughing together and learning about each other. Taking time like this is something I've learned over my year here to really value. Often we visit 3 or 4 congregations in a day, celebrating a worship service at each one. While that is nice and equitable to the congregations in the area, it also keeps us from just sitting together and really visiting. In Amudat this trip we got to enjoy a ministry of presence - sitting and visiting together, a time of Christian fellowship and brotherhood. In my opinion, it was one of the best trips upcountry I've ever enjoyed. 'Course you have to have tea every time you sit to visit and I really like the African Tea they serve in Amudat, so it worked out great for me. 

Pastor Mark and Ron had brought some elastic bracelets - the Resurrection Story bracelets - that use colors to tell the story of Christ. It was a great gift for the people here because both men and women enjoy ornamenting themselves with bracelets and necklaces. Most of their accessories are made from beads and women can often be seen doing beadwork as they sit together. After giving the people these colorful bracelets we asked if they could make them out of beads - of course they can. For the people of Amudat, finding a market for their beadwork is always difficult, so Pastor Mark and Ron bought some of their beadwork to take back to the States and promised that they would buy many of the Christ Story bracelets if the people made them. This is one of the best ways to provide social uplift - better than projects and far better than handouts. Find something the people do, some skill or gift or resource they have, and connect them to a market - it is hard work and an entrepenurial spirit that really provide meaningful lasting social uplift.

One of my great joys on this trip was when I asked a rather direct question (which you seldom do in Uganda). Knowing that Pastor Mark and Ron wouldn't quite be so sure how to go about it, I asked Pastor Moses,

Pastor, I am so happy to have brought my friends to come and visit with you and the Christians here. But our visit is too short. I wonder if next year I was to return and bring more friends like these with me, even 8 or 10 friends, and we were able to stay with you for a full week or even 10 days, what would you have us do?

~ Visiting together under a tree in Amudat Town ~ Pastor Moses gave me the best possible answer I could have hoped for. He got excited at the prospect and quickly formulated a plan. First, we would take the team to the furthest village that has a congregation (about 50km away, roughly 2 hours by truck). We would arrive in the morning and spend some time with the congregation. Then we would split up the visitors and partner them with the Christians of that congregation with translators and each small team of maybe 4 people would go out for door-to-door evangelism. That night the team would stay in the village and worship together either that night or the next morning. Then we would come to the next closest village, working our way day by day back to Amudat, doing door-to-door evangelism in each place. Pastor Moses didn't say anything about projects or funding for buildings or what could happen if only the team brought money with them. Instead, he got excited about spending time together, about walking side by side, about spreading the Gospel message. He knows that one thing a visitor brings just by nature of being someone from outside the community is a legitimacy and an endorsement of whatever group of people he's there to visit. Moses identified that the greatest need in his community is one that is perhaps the hardest for Americans to understand - the need for a ministry of presence.

While Pastor Mark and Ron did identify some good old-fashioned "do-something" bricks and mortar type needs as well, I still hold firmly to what Pastor Moses identified himself - a ministry of presence. For most of Uganda I assert it's the best possible thing you could do - better than building buildings or distributing eyeglasses or handing out money or giving people motorcycles - any of which may have their own place in the important goal of providing social uplift to people in need. The ministry of presence is a hard sell in the States but it's the best model I've ever heard of for short-term missions. What would I have you do? Simply come and be with us.   -Shauen

~ Drummers at Ndere Cultural Center in Kampala ~ The event is held outside in a small amphitheater. We order drinks and are offered to order the buffet dinner, or a meat (chicken, pork or goat) and chips (French fries). The event begins with an introduction to the drums of Uganda, the various rhythms, and their meanings. A competition tests the skill of the drummers in their precision and accuracy, as well as proper execution of the rhythm. There is much laughing and hooting as one by one the drummers are eliminated, until only one remains. Then the dances are introduced. The dancers and musicians are energetic and amazing in their talents and skills. Every dance includes movement and rapid shaking of the hips. I am amazed at how fast and how long the movements are maintained! Rhythm and timing are perfect. Shauen tells me that in the villages even the infants bob with the rhythms of the music. It is around them always, becoming a part of their life and being.

~ Ndere dancers balance pots on their heads as they dance ~ All the dances tell a story. It is obvious one is a courtship dance, with many suitors vying for the lady’s hand and being spurned, until one finally wins her favor. One dance includes balancing small pots on the top of the heads of the women dancers. Pots are added as the women dance, until there are eight stacked on top of one another, rising above the dancers by about six feet! None are dropped and the women continued a slow dance up the stairs and out of the stage area with all the pots still balanced carefully atop their heads!

The emcee is very good, entertaining, and works with his audience. Many of the jokes are focused for the Ugandan people, which has the crowd roaring at times and us outsiders wondering what is so funny. Shauen has to explain several of them to me… They are pretty funny! As in a great deal of comedy there is some truism in the joking. In listening to the dialog and the interaction my impression is of a light hearted people who know themselves, know some of their strengths and weaknesses, and can laugh at themselves.

At the same time the dancers and musicians portray a people composed of many individual tribes who are proud of their heritage and their culture. This night is the graduation of five young students who are learning to play the instruments and to dance the native dances. These young people, the youngest looks to be about 8 years old, perform a number of pieces with the drums and several dances. They are incredible. How wonderful to recognize their achievement and graduation in front of this large audience and allow them to perform as well. The applause and smiles speak volumes of the pride of the Ugandans in their culture of music and dance.

~ Pastor Mark baptizes in Kitwe ~

We have lunch at the Church Chairman’s home. Large bowls of rice and matoke (green bananas that are steamed and mashed) are placed on the table and smaller bowls of a beef soup (beef joints boiled in broth) are placed before each person. A basin and pitcher is taken to each person for hand washing prior to the meal, the cool water poured over the hands in small amounts. We have already washed with hand sanitizer, saving the family water and ensuring our hands are clean. Ron, Pastor Mark and I watch closely as we are shown how to eat the meal. ~ Ron, Mark, and Mom hesitate to begin their lunch ~ Rice and matoke are spooned into the bowl of soup and absorb some of the broth, then are scooped up with three fingers of the right hand and into the mouth. We are told with twinkling eyes that they can provide spoons and forks for us, but we determine we will do as they do. My attempts are not so successful. I end up with broth running down my wrists, lots of individual grains of rice submerged in the bottom of my bowl of broth, sliding through my fingers every time I try to scoop them into my mouth. Do you have any idea how slippery rice can be! I look up. Shauen, Pastor Charles, and the Ugandans have all cleaned their bowls, leaving only the joint bones. Ron and Pastor Mark have been more successful than I, but not by much! The pitcher and basin is again brought to each person, along with a bar of soap. I struggle to get all the oil, matoke and rice off my hands and wrists, without using too much water. The family must tote jerry cans to the community borehole (a deep well drilled as much as a thousand feet to the clean water in the aquifers) and carry them back to the home. Hands still sticky, I wave the pitcher on to the next person, and hope the sanitary hand wipes in the truck will complete the job.

~ Mom introduces herself after worship - longer is better! ~ All the guests did wonderful, of course. After expressing our appreciation for the meal, we continued back towards Kayunga Town, where we turned east to visit a brand new congregation in Busaana. This small congregation is led by a faithful new Lutheran named Gabriel and he is pouring himself into the work with abandon, confident that God's Gospel message will be heard in this community. Since it's a new congregation, we don't have a worship service but instead enjoy a visit and several songs presented by the children who go to the school where the congregation meets. What beautiful fine voices the children have! I enjoy an opportunity to share a few words from Scripture with the people who have gathered and although I can start things off in Luganda I'm soon relying on Pastor Charles to translate for me. Our visit is short but full of smiles and joy and we head back towards Kampala.

For Pastor Charles and me it has been a normal visit - something we do dozens of times a year. But for Pastor Mark, Ron, and my Mom, it is their first exposure and I think in this single day they understand more of the joys and challenges of my work here than a thousand blog posts, newsletters, or pictures could convey. -Shauen

~ RLC's Pastor Mark and Ron in Amudat ~

Resurrection Lutheran Church (RLC) of Cary, North Carolina (where Krista and I hold membership) is beginning the process of becoming a Congregation Connect partner with the Lutheran Church Mission in Uganda (LCMU).  This wonderful congregation has supported us at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis and they are continuing to support us as Together in Mission partners. Their interest in God's work in Uganda has drawn them to pursue the next step in involving themselves in that work. After a period of training in the Congregation Connect model, RLC began communicating with the career missionaries in Uganda (myself and Rev. Jacob Gillard) to prepare for a fact-finding trip to Uganda. Their first assignment from the field was to read the following books: When Charity Destroys Dignity, African Friends and Money Matters, and Serving with Eyes Wide Open.

Today the RLC Advance Team of two arrived for their fact-finding tour of several regions in Uganda. I carefully selected regions that do not have any existing strategic partnerships. Each region has congregations in different circumstances. Kayunga has only a lay-leader in an area with 4 congregations. Busia has a vicar in an area with 2 congregations. Amudat has an ordained pastor who serves 10 congregations. Each region is in a different Ugandan kingdom (tribe/people-group) and each speaks a different language, so the Advance Team would also experience a variety of cultures. The fact-finding trip is just that - a short trip (in this case only one week long) to learn about the possibilities, strengths, and capabilities of the Lutheran church in each region. Over the course of this week together we'll visit each of these three areas. -Shauen

~ Krista, Shauen, Josiah, and Mom at Murchison Falls ~

~ Giraffe at Murchison Falls ~ We stay at the Red Chilli Rest Camp inside the park. Mom is in a canvas tent which (according to her) is located well "across the road from the main camp, the restaurant, and the rest rooms. The distance between all these is only about 60 feet, but I am definitely on an island with the forest behind me and the service roads in front." Krista, Josiah, and I are in a small cabin called a banda with a fan and a light that will work until the Uganda Wildlife Authority shuts off their generator around 11pm. Mom is awakened during the night by hippos coming through camp and is worried about her little island so far from everyone else. She is, of course, a bit overly concerned but fresh in her mind is the warnings posted all over camp about hippos and we've already explained how the hippo is the most dangerous animal in the safari lands. She's not concerned at all about the warthogs that wander the camp day and night. Somehow she survives the night despite the proximity of the wild animals and we set off early in the morning to be the first in line for the ferry across the Nile - we have to begin our safari drive early in the morning to have any chance of seeing lions!

~ Lonely Leopard at Murchison Falls ~ Unfortunately, even though we do make the first ferry across the Nile, the day has warmed too quickly and the prides of lions are hidden away in the cool shade by 9am when we get to the Nile delta where they can usually be found. Instead we "resign" ourselves to enjoying the elephants, various kinds of antelope, a solitary leopard in a distant tree, and giraffes. Our ranger even sends us off the track to approach a giraffe - we stop about 30 feet from where he's grazing on the tall bushes and he studies us with curiosity as Mom stands up through the sunroof to take pictures. How strange we must look - a Landcruiser must look something like an elephant but with this person standing in the sunroof it may appear to be a stunted giraffe of some kind! After feeding for a while, the giraffe slowly ambles along towards the next tall brush. God is amazing. Later we come upon what must be 30 giraffes in several family groups feeding on some trees. It gets hot and we are sad to find that the air conditioning has now completely quit working. Even worse, a loose wire to the A/C compressor shorts out the dash and climate systems in the truck - now we have no A/C, no gauges, and no blowing air whatsoever!

~ Elephants on the Nile in Murchison Falls ~ After our excellent safari drive (even without lions) we take the ferry back across the Nile and have lunch at the camp. In the afternoon we go back down to the Nile for a river tour. Krista was a bit leery of taking Josiah onto the river, fully aware that hippos can overturn boats with ease and that the Nile Crocodile is common in these waters. But she's reassured when she sees the size of the boat we'll be on and decides to come. We see lots of hippos and elephants and crocodiles as we make our way towards Murchison Falls. At one point our guide points out a disturbance in the water ahead and the engine is turned off as we float up the Nile. Within feet of the boat a bloated hippo carcass floats and crocodiles snap and rip and roll with it trying to break free a piece for their lunch. Mom is amazingly close to these powerful jaws as she sits on the side of the boat and Krista leans far from the crocodiles with baby Josiah in her arms. The crocodiles are more interested in the easy meal in front of them, of course, and have no regard whatsoever for us furiously snapping pictures as we drift by. Further upriver a small isthmus is shrouded in the smoke from controlled burning and a herd of elephants meanders along the waters' edge. Finally we reach the falls and our guide points out the eddies where crocodiles wait for any animal or fish that goes down the falls and is easy picking at the bottom.  That night we sleep solidly happy for the amazing things we've seen in the course of a single day.

~ The sky is big in Africa ~ The next day we enjoy a more leisurely breakfast and prepare for our departure from the park. On our way out we go to the top of Murchison Falls to get a different perspective. The entire Nile river is compressed at this point into a cleft between the rocks that can't be more than 10 feet across! The water is loud and the spray reaches well into the sky. Down several levels it gushes and there are, of course, no railings to speak of - only one nice little sign, "Please do not go beyond this point." Mom tries hard to take pictures that'll impress those back home, standing on one foot to lean out over the falls! Krista captures this dangerous activity with our camera which proves useful when Mom insists she was doing no such thing.

~ Krista, Josiah, and Shauen at Murchison Falls ~ After leaving the top of the falls, we continue on the way home without incident, stopping to feed Josiah at the same place on the side of the road. This time a few curious boys stop to watch us - they can't see Krista feeding Josiah through the tinted glass so they're quite curious about why we've stopped. We eat a few snacks while Josiah has his lunch. Finally Josiah is done and I take him to the tailgate to change his diaper - which our little observers also find fascinating. In Luganda I tell Josiah to greet the boys and they stare at me in apparent amazement and then giggle furiously. I give them a couple slices of dried apple (I'm sure they've never eaten apple before as it's not a fruit that grows in Uganda) as we finish our snacks and with a wave to our little friends we're on our way again. Only the speed bumps placed every 50 feet disrupt our drive and Mom is entertained by the choreography of trucks, buses, taxis, and motorcycles as they wind back and forth across the road to hit these speed bumps at an angle instead of head-on. She's even more entertained when I spy a ditch that is driveable and we speed past a few hundred yards of speed bumps in the ditch. With our safari behind us we're happy to be home again with the memories of our great adventures fresh in our minds. -Shauen

~ Lukonda's worship space - built by the TEE class ~

Getting the TEE class from the nearest big town where they've been dropped off by the bus out to the Lukonda village takes a bit of work. My truck is loaded down with 12 people including myself as we drive the 20km to the village. It's a bit tight and I drive cautiously, fully aware that I'm overloaded. But the truck doesn't seem to mind in the least.  Around noon we're all gathered and ready to begin. Managing the Harvest is an interactive presentation. For Delano and Linda to truly put their vast agricultural experience to use, they need to know how farming works in this community - everything from soil condition to harvest times to environmental changes over the years. With a flannel sheet and pictures, the Meyers paint a portrait of a normal year from the farming perspective. The presentation eventually comes to focus on our responsibilities as stewards of God's land and suggestions of ways to improve the health and retention of the soil, improvements in storage of harvested foodstuffs, optimal times to sell, the great need for family cohesion and so on. Scripture comes often and easily into the presentation and times of sharing. Delano and Linda have obviously learned a lot over their 15 years of agricultural missionary work. Each time of discussion the participants are divided into three groups: women, young men, and elder men. When the time of sharing begins, it's the women who get to speak first, then the young men, and finally the elder men. Otherwise, the first two groups wouldn't share because culturally deference is always given to the elder men.

Lunch has been arranged at the nearby trading center but gets pushed back hour by hour until our students are finally served around 4:30. For those who rose well before dawn to get here on time it has turned out to be a long and hot day. After our lunch we have run out of time for the last presentation of the day and promise to continue it on Saturday morning.

On Friday night we head back to Kayunga Town and the men disperse to find lodging for the night, agreeing that they'll return to the hotel we're staying at for a little more discussion at 7pm. After a year of TEE, our students have adapted themselves to the Western-style punctuality and at 6:50 all are assembled and ready. Delano comes ambling in around 7:10 and is shocked that the whole class is assembled and waiting for him! "Never in Africa," he says, "have I been the last one to arrive!" It's a small but revealing victory for our students, who take pride in the discipline they exhibit when it comes to "keeping time."

Saturday morning we again pile into the vehicles to return to Lukonda for the last part of the Managing the Harvest workshop, which begins with a Bible Study hour. A few more locals have come this morning to glean what they can from the last hours of the workshop. Finally we pack up and begin our journey back to Kampala. Delano and Linda will continue on further to the east for their next presentations. ~ Students pose at the bridge where the Kabaka's Premier was stopped ~ On our way back to Kampala the men in my truck beg for us to stop at the bridge that divides Kayunga district from the next district. This is roughly the place where the Premier of the Chief of the Central regions was stopped by the government last year - an action which ultimately resulted in riots and dozens of deaths in Kampala.  My TEE men want their pictures taken at this historic intersection of political and cultural power so we take some time for photos at the bridge before safely returning to Kampala where my wife, my baby, and my Mom await me. The rest of the journey is relatively uneventful except for a few diversions around some road construction - normally not of note except the recent rain has made these dirt bypasses slippery and we chuckle as we watch several cars get stuck trying to crawl up the slopes back onto the paved road. After patiently waiting for these cars to slide far enough aside, our capable truck effortlessly makes the climb with nary a spinning wheel. -Shauen

When two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.