Hello everyone. I’ll start by reassuring you on the security
front that Maridi is an oasis of calm in what is the madness that surrounds us.
We are just praying like billy-oh for the peace to continue here and spread to
the rest of the country. Trisha, Leah and I went for a prayer walk this morning
around the ECS (Episcopal Church of Sudan) land which is large and
under-developed. There is a lot of fertile land but not the facilities to farm
it. Even the NGO’s (Non Government Organisations) struggle to operate here due
to the disproportionate prices and difficulties in getting anything here. Right
now prices are rising daily, trucks are loaded up with goods at the border but
unable to get in without paying unaffordable taxes. Therefore the cost of what
is here is soaring and the need to grow your own food is getting urgent.
The weather has cooled for the past couple of days after
reaching 42 earlier in the week. The benefits are for those of us going through
the change wringing with sweat, nobody notices. And Millions of mangoes are
literally falling off the trees all around us. We will not go hungry in the
next couple of weeks. It’s really, truly fabulous.
Its Easter week-end
as I write and the youth group bands and parties are in full swing. Music fills
the air as if it is coming out of the air. It’s such a gift as music lifts the
spirit and helps to lighten the load of what is a manually hard life. The water
taps were off again for a couple of days due to fuel shortages at the plant.
The borehole is very hard to pump and the queues are long. The manager went to
the lake to fill up the jerry cans meaning the water was so dirty I was scared
to wash in it. I put so much bleach in it I think my hair might turn blonde. I
had one bucket to wash a weeks’ worth of clothes and I’m not sure they’ve come
out any cleaner. But God is blessing us here. I know i could not do this
without His supernatural help.
I’m off to town this afternoon to photo some widows and
orphans who I’m hoping to get sponsorship for. For those who worry about where
their money goes to when they sponsor kids like this can i tell you that it
really is an answer to prayer for those on the receiving end. Life changes
completely when you have money for a uniform and school fees and the widow’s
struggle is turned to joy when she can send her kids to school. She may still
have to work all hours breaking stones but at least there is hope.
I’m loving it here and feel I have a work to do but I am now
counting down the weeks until I see my family again. I’m dreaming of meeting
you all at the airport. (I hope someone is there to meet me). July 23/24th
I think is my return date. How wonderful
is it though that love can travel across the miles from my heart to yours and
yours to mine. Love you all gazillions as you know.
Lynn
