Nothing is as we plan

I better get another blog post written before people start wondering where we are:)

I think it is time to catch you all up on how things finally worked out for Lynn leaving Pochalla and the 4 students getting home to Pochalla. Lynn did get out of Pochalla   on Monday the 14th - the day we were supposed to leave for Kenya. He sat at the airport pretty much all day waiting to see if any plane would come in that maybe he could get a ride on. A plane did come in and thanks to the help of Othow, our friend who lives in Pochalla, Lynn got a spot on the plane. You see, when planes come in like that it is pretty much every man for himself getting a spot on the plane so there is lots of pushing and shoving going on. I had not heard from Lynn and it was getting towards 5:30 pm and I was feeling like I did not want to look at my phone or turn the computer on and see a message from him. About that time Lynn walks in the door! I had been able to change our flights to Thursday the 17th with only a minor cost so we were set to go.
The students from Pochalla arrived in Pochalla on Christmas Eve! I have never been so thankful to hear about people getting on flights.
The week we left Juba the President had changed the bank rate to a free market rate which means that the bank rate was now able to try and keep up with the black market rate. The bank rate had been around 3 and the black market around 19 so you can see that this was a problem. Now the problem is that goods and fuel have tripled in price and some things are no longer available.  It has been a challenge to get money ( US dollars) out of the bank even from our Dollar account so this has really put a road block up for getting things done.
We had planned to leave for Kenya on the 14th and those plans changed to the 17th.
We had planned for the students to be home on the 9th and that changed to the 23rd.
We had planned to start getting things ready to send to Pochalla for building but with the cost of things those plans are changing.
We had planned to get money from the bank but those plans have changed.
God does not change!
I was asked recently what we do on a regular day. I am not sure we have a regular day but the day I was asked that had been an interesting day. We met with the Moderator to get a check to see if we could get some dollars from the bank. We were at the bank for 1 1/2 hours spending most of the time talking with a manager of some sort. We talked about the war, his being in a displaced persons camp, people who come to help versus those who come to see what they can get and about Lynn and I meeting in Juba. It was a nice time of visiting and hearing someone else's ideas and then on top of that we were able to get some money!
So, here we are again, waiting for the office people to come back from the month long Christmas break. We need to be getting supplies bought for Pochalla and are looking forward to a visit from Michael Weller in February.
Oh, and Lynn's frozen shoulder is starting to thaw:)

Here we are in Kenya. Today is a beautiful day with sunshine and 80 degrees. One of the things I love about Nairobi is that just about anytime of the year it is nice enough to eat outside! Most restaurants have outdoor seating, actually more outdoor than indoor:)
As we are here, eating good food, shopping for things to take back and enjoying the cooler temperatures, I feel guilty.  There are four young men who have not been home since January and they are sitting in Juba trying to find a way home. These men are in the Teacher Training Program through the Education Project that we work with. After classes ended the beginning of December we flew them to Juba so they could then get on flights to their home town of Pochalla. Yes, the same Pochalla that Lynn got stuck in:) We had 3 flights fall through and are now hoping for a flight tomorrow. Please pray that these men get on that flight! These men are polite, kind young men who keep telling us that God is with them and that He knows their need. Not sure I could be that positive if I was them! They have to leave their homes again the beginning of Feb. to be gone another year for school.
While here in Nairobi we always try to get medical stuff done. Lynn has just had it confirmed that he is getting older - he now has a frozen left shoulder! :) This will get better with exercises. Maybe Lynn is right, he can never retire because then his body will fall apart. Oh, man is he going to get me for writing this.:)
It is hard to believe that Christmas is just days away. We are going to keep the Kandel tradition of Ethiopian food for supper Christmas Eve, it just will not be with our children who will be doing the same thing about 8 hours after we eat ours. While at the mall the other day we had the opportunity to listen to a band playing Christmas music. It reminded me of the days when Dana was in band in high school - good memories! It also helped to focus me on the time of year we are in and to think about the meaning of this time of year. It really is the simple things that bring us the most joy.
Enjoy time with your families and thank our heavenly Father for the life He has given us.

Lessons in Patience and God's Planning

As I told you, Lynn went to Pochalla last week. He was supposed to go on Wednesday the 2nd but then last minute we found out the plane was going on Thursday instead. Ok, that was fine with Lynn since that meant one less day in Pochalla.  Now, while in Pochalla Lynn has internet for maybe 4 hours in a day and that is the only way we have to communicate. So, now this week we learn on Tuesday that somehow Lynn never got booked on the return flight and, remember, these flights only go once a week. So, now what?? We are supposed to leave on Monday the 14th for Kenya and no planes are allowed to land in Juba on Saturdays and Sundays. Many phone calls later and lots of friends helping us we get a possibility. I was at the church offices on Wednesday, spending hours waiting for the car to come back to take the Treasurer and I to the bank. I was doing ok with the wait but it was boring. Along comes one of the women I have been getting to know and she tells me about a flight going into Pochalla with one of the churches partner organizations. I make a call and, yes! they can bring Lynn back. YIPPIE!! The plane is leaving early Thursday morning and will get back late in the day but that is ok as long as Lynn is on the plane. I am able to communicate with Lynn to let him know the plan. Thursday morning I get a call from my new best friend, Rev. John Philip, the guy who said Lynn could come back with them, and he says they are at the airport (8am) and will be leaving soon. At noon Lynn is able to message me to say no plane yet and what is going on! I call Rev. Philip and he says they are having a bad time at the airport and some people are being detained but they are still hoping to leave within the hour. Fast forward to 6pm and a call from Rev. Philip saying they were not allowed to leave on the plane and he was only just then leaving the airport! They have everything worked out and are leaving tomorrow morning at 8am with a shorter day so hopefully will be back early afternoon. Rev. Philip reminded me that our plans are not always God's plans. I had to agree and say that I would rather go with God's plans as they are always the best for us. Not that I am happy that my husband is not back in Juba yet and there is still some question as to if he will be able to get on the fight so please, pray, pray, pray! If he does not get back tomorrow then our trip to Kenya is put off and we are out the ticket but that is a small thing compared to getting Lynn back to Juba.
I spent the day yesterday doing 3 things that should have taken about 2 hours but actually took 7 hours:) That is the way of things here and I felt I had accomplished a lot in the day. It is a chance to sit and get to know people and practice Arabic and pray. I also got to watch the dynamics in the office with all the people coming in and out with issues.
Anyhow, life is all about changes.

A busy weekend

We had a busy weekend last weekend. We went to a 24th anniversary celebration of Nile Theological College on Saturday and then I (Sharon) went to a church service that lasted from 9 am to 1:30 pm. Then Monday Morning had a 9am meeting that started about 9:30:)

This is the banner that was at the front for the College celebration.

This was a really nice day for us and we were so glad we had been invited to it. We got to meet lots of new people and had the chance to put faces to names of people we have heard about.

I have to admit, this little boy ( plus all the others I did not get a picture of) cracked my up. Even here in a refugee camp everyone has a cellphone and they use them to entertain the kids. The choir was singing and there were 3 kids 5 and under recording the singing:) This had been a very long service and the kids were getting rowdy so the moms were all handing the kids their phones to distract them.

I should have gotten a picture of the kids sleeping on a mat right in front of me at the front of the church. This is the the kind of church service I remember from down country with dad.

Ok, I was going to add a video from the church service but I am not sure if I am doing it wrong or our internet is just to slow to do it so I guess no video this time.

travel delay

Please don't go into shock that I am writing again within a week of the last post! :)

Lynn was supposed to leave today to go to the village of Pochalla but the flight was postponed for a day because they had to use that plane/helicopter for something else. No, we did not get official word that the flight was postponed, we just heard through the grapevine and then confirmed with a friend  such is life here, no certainties. He hopes to leave tomorrow but we shall see.

I made a "big" lunch yesterday since Lynn was to leave today. Have you ever made a meal that requires 4 burners and you only have 2 and one of them does not work right? It is hard to have everything ready at the same time so it is all hot but somehow I managed and felt like I had really accomplished something for the day.

Monday we spent time at the Church office working on the budget for next year. A co-worker had already done one draft and we are just trying to fine tune it now. It was an interesting time trying to make sure we were all understanding each other when discussing money issues - never an easy topic! I think we did pretty good with the whole thing but we shall see when we meet again on Thursday:) Overall, it was a good time at the office, much like usual.

One special thing that happened at the office is that the General Secretary arrived! He has been in Khartoum for most of the year with back issues that resulted in surgery. It was wonderful to see him being greeted so wonderfully by his peers. There were a lot of people coming in on Monday because they (the church) are having Executive meetings this week so there were a lot of reunions happening and seeing their joy in each other was heartwarming.

We have just had 3 weeks of having people visiting here in Juba. These were all mission folks doing work but also visiting with us. It was fun to have visitors here but sure made me wish for a nice big kitchen so I could cook for them. Poor Jim had to eat baked oatmeal for breakfast every morning and  then eat out the other meals, well, except for pancakes for supper one night and smoothies another night. I can't believe I really do miss cooking - at least a little:) Makes me wonder, when we are back in the States next year if I will cook? Hmm, maybe I will let Dana cook for me!

It really was nice to have things going on and to learn more about places around Juba. We had our share of all day meetings and long talks about missions and South Sudan. Wonder what we will do with all the "wisdom" ?

Lynn is hoping to go to the village of Pochalla next week. He will probably be gone for a week. He will fly in on a UN flight and if he has to use the Un flight to come back out he will be gone for a week as they only fly in there on Wednesdays. I will not go with him since I do not have a travel budget and I am ok with that. It will be strange to be here by myself but then that means I can party with my co-workers!! HA! This place that he is going to is on the border to Ethiopia and right on a river. Lynn was there in January and says it is a nice quiet village and that he wants to live there. That would be ok with me except there is no phone or internet service:( Not sure I could handle not being able to keep up with the family.

To those of you who have asked about our days and what we do, here are some examples. Today, Lynn has spent a couple of hours trying to make flight bookings for our trip to Kenya and he has not succeeded yet! He has also spent hours doing computer work for PCUSA and this is the guy who does not like desk work.  With the fuel shortage buses are hard to get so the other day we waited 45 minutes for a bus then I went back home and Lynn took a motorcycle taxi which I refuse to ride. Today I spent most of the morning making a meal and cleaning up after myself in our tiny kitchen, oh, and washing some clothes by hand. Last Wednesday I went to the office for a short meeting with the treasurer and spent 3 1/2 hours there and did not have my meeting. Mind you, I did have a great time with the two ladies in the women's department and had tea and bread with them:) Relationship building at its finest. It is crazy how we can spend so much time not getting things done and yet feel like we have accomplished so much. It is a good thing that we both like the slow pace and drinking tea!

We are still looking at being in the States next spring but don't have dates set yet. We are thinking that we will be there by May and even with that i am worried about how cold it will seem to us. Guess we will have to have someone bring winter coats to the airport for us. :)

I know many of you are worried about the situation here and want to know if we are safe. We are safe for the most part. There is a lot more petty crime but there are also more shootings. We are ok here in the city during the day and we just don't go out at night unless we are using a taxi. There are supposed to be some changes taking place in the next month and we will see how all that works out. I don't like seeing all the soldiers and their guns riding around in open vehicles but that is part of life here. I still walk back from the office to the apartment and feel ok doing so.

In a groove - NOT!

Just when I thought things were settling down and maybe, just maybe, we were on an upswing, life throws us another curve ball.

We found out last week that the banks are either not giving out any US dollars or are only giving out a few hundred dollars to the first number of people in line. This is a real blow for the church. Many things we could pay for in dollars and get a better price but now we cannot do that so things will cost 3-4 times more money. This will not stop the work but may change how we some things. We will be fine, personally and the church will keep on keeping on but the people on the street, the average person.....oh,my. Most people are paid in local currency but the majority of food stuffs are imported (even rice and beans) and with the dollar crisis the prices are going up but not wages. I cannot even begin to imagine how people will make ends meet.

Then there is the fuel shortage. Last week we figured a gallon of fuel cost about $21 - road trip anyone????? On the plus side with this is that there are not as many cars on the road so it is easier to cross the street:) Taxi prices have doubled, food is still going up but the good news is that we can still afford the a taxi and can still find food:)

Now, I realize that as I am writing this that it all sounds like negative things and while it is not all rosy it is really not all that bad here. Hot? yes, rain? yes, stress and tension? yes. There are also smiles, laughter, hope and relationships that are building. I am learning (still!) that I have to just put my trust in God even when things may not look to bright. God has brought me here and I need to fulfill His purpose for me here.

As we were talking to the church people about the money situation here I was taken back, at first, by their laughter and "oh well" attitude but then I realized, they have been through this so many times that they have learned to just go with the flow, a lesson I need to learn:)

Lynn is hoping to go to a town called Pibor on the 6th but there has been so much rain that we are not sure the plane will be able to go because it will not be able to land on the dirt airstrip. This will just be a 3 day trip to go along with a co-worker to check out some water well possibilities. He gets to stay in a tent! hehehe:) No, I am not going!

So, I have to say that even with all that is happening here, I feel more at peace and at home here than I did a month ago and it is a really good feeling. So, maybe we are on an upswing. I am ever so thankful that God knows where all the pieces of the puzzle go and I just have to be willing to be placed by His hand.