Manwella is the head house keeper in our apartment building and goes about her work singing praise songs and laughing all day. She has been a real blessing to us by also teaching us Arabic once a week. She attends a very, well lets just say, lively church:) Lots of dancing and very loud preaching! We arrived ten minutes late because of not understanding the directions given us ( our fault, she gave good directions) and 3 hours later we left with the service still going on. It had to be well over 100 degrees in the building and there were some fans but we did not get the benefit of them. I am so glad we went but am not sure if we will go again.
Lynn's dresser/desk/ironing board/storage area is
being put to good use these days! He is glad to have a congregation to be working with and they are really anxious to get a school built. It takes him about 40 minutes to get from our bus stop to the one near the church and then about a 10 minute walk to the church. He has taken the Boda Boda (motorcycle taxi) to the church but these drivers are kind of crazy and it is not the safest way to travel so I think(hope) he will use the bus from now on. He even went and bought himself a "briefcase" to carry his papers, measuring tape, bottle of water and calculator in so he looks kind of official now:)
You know, we work really hard long days (?!) so we have to stop and have tea when ever we can:) This place has now become on of my favorite places for tea because I can get toast here! I can't make toast at home and we don't eat out for breakfast so this was my first toast in South Sudan and this was just this month(Aug.)! This place is right across from the church office so when Lynn goes with me we stop over here before trying to get a bus back home.
It is really hard to believe that we have been here for 9 months now! The time has gone really fast and now that we are a little busier I think the time will go even faster. I feel like we are getting settled and starting to feel like there is a reason for our being here:) We have really had to wait on the Lord to show us what He wanted of us and since I am such a patient person that was really easy for me! That should get some comments:) I keep reflecting on how we do not know God's plan for us but that if we step out in faith He will lead. I look at the conditions of people here and am amazed at how they sing and dance to the Lord - I have much to learn from the people of South Sudan.
Juba is a really interesting mix of people. There are a lot of people here from Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. These people have all come here to work because they can make a pretty good living for a few years and then go home. The Ethiopians and Eritreans stay longer and are the ones building hotels. You can go to the market and here almost as much Swahili and English as Arabic. The taxi drivers tend to be Kenyan so we speak Swahili to them but in the market it is a mix of Arabic and English.
Lynn and I have been walking every morning (for exercise not to be romantic - Kaye!). This used to be a quiet time for me, a time to pray and think and now I still pray and think but I also have a new way to connect with my husband:) I would never have thought we would be walking together like this!! You know, after having him on the road driving truck for something like 18 years, we have had to learn how to be together 24/7 and we are learning that old (dogs) folks can learn new ways of living.
Hopefully the next blog will have some pictures of the school construction!
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