Lynn is back guests are gone

Lynn left for Pochalla on March first and the plan was for him to come back on the 15th. I admit, I did not have much hope of this happening since our experiences with flying on the UN flights have not gone well. Lynn's plane was to get into Juba at 12:30 and I had laid down for a nap to get rid of a horrible headache at 12. At 12:02 my phone rings and I see that it is the Sat. phone so I know that it is Lynn and he is not on the plane! I really do not like seeing that Lynn is calling on the Sat phone cause it always means bad news. He was wondering if the flight had been cancelled and could I check it out and he would call back. Well, I tried making phone calls but of course the network was not working and I could not get through to anyone!! I  went to a co- worker who I know uses 2 different networks and asked her to call for me which she did and then we had to wait for that person to call another person to call another person to get the answer. We wait and wait and I get no call back from Lynn so I am pretty sure the plane showed up and he is on the flight as I am waiting for a call. I finally get a text from Lynn saying they were circling the Juba airport! So, he is back as well as the other two guys who flew out the next day for the States and Kenya! We are back to normal ( yes we are normal!) but still busy.
I told you that the lorry was leaving the same day as Lynn and it did. It got there on the 10th! After flat tires, being robbed, bad directions and more repairs they pulled in very tired and dirty. Nothing was taken from the supplies but our two men, that were traveling with the lorry, got their cell phones and money taken.
While Lynn was gone I seemed to keep pretty busy for about 10 days of that time. Banking is an all day affair here and I was at the bank at least 3 days. Then there is paying bills - you go to the office of the place and of course there is no one there so you ask around and are told he will be there in 5 minutes. Well, I know what 5 minutes means - anywhere from 5 minutes to hours! I wait though cause if I leave and come back another day it could be the same thing. He did come in about 15 minutes so I was happy. Remember, our temperatures have been running 108 -115 and I am sitting in a cement block building with no air conditioning ( trying to get some sympathy here:) ) so is it any wonder that I get BAD headaches?
Ok, so now you know we are still alive and kicking.
Lynn did have a productive time in Pochalla and the foundation has been dug so things are moving along there. The hope is that the building will be done before we leave for the States. I learned about more places in Juba and had good conversations with the taxi drivers. I also learned that many of the shopkeepers like it when Lynn comes in because he talks to them and so when I show up the first thing I am asked is " where is the man?" Guess who gets to do all the shopping when he comes back!:) I do like it that they know we are together and they want to know where he is if I am alone.
Getting excited to see all of you!

Hot, Tired and Busy

Well, we really are not bored anymore!

Hot - well, I count 110 and higher as HOT! The nights don't cool down much, maybe to 80, so I am really happy that we have air-conditioning in our apartment. It is really dry and windy now too so keeping hydrated is a real problem and headaches are a daily thing. Can you tell I am tired?:) I am thankful for the wind as it helps to cool me off when I am out around the city but it also stirs up the dust and aggravates the allergies. It also requires a shower overnight or you leave dusty body prints on the sheets!

Tired - Well, yes we are tired. The heat tires you out more than you realize. Plus, we have had 4 people coming through Juba that we have been doing logistics for and while we do like having visitors it is tiring. It is a good tired though, a sense of having done something and maybe actually successed at doing things in a timely fashion. I have been to the police registration place so many times they recognize me now:) They are very friendly and helpful to me so the process, while long(up to 2 hours) does go smoothly and I leave with a smile on my face.

Lynn is tired for another reason though. He has been getting supplies bought for the school building in Pochalla and arranging for the trucking of these supplies. The lorry(truck) was supposed to go las week but we are praying it is going today. Lynn left today for Pochalla by air. The plan had been for the lorry to go last weekend and arrive about the same time as Lynn but now Lynn will have 3-4 days to wait for the lorry. Not all bad because he can arrange things for when the lorry gets there. He will be gone for about 2 weeks. He will also have some company in Pochalla this time as there is a co-worker from the States and one from Tanzania that will be going to Pochalla on Friday to work on a water project.

So, I think the busy part has been explained too:) Between taking care of visitors I have had numerous trips to the bank trying to arrange accounts to benefit the church here and the visitors that come needing money from the account for their projects.

Things are on edge here in South Sudan. The devaluation of the currency has become a real life threatening issue for many people. Prices have quadrupled in the last few months and it looks like that trend will continue. Many people are starving and crime is on the rise. There has been renewed fighting in several areas of South Sudan which means even more displaced people.

It all makes me feel a little guilty for being able to leave for 3 months and go to the States to see my family and so many of those supporting us.