Life And Death

As I sit on a friend's spare bed, having spent the day exploring with another, I am reminded again of the richness of having gracious and patient friends that God has been kind enough to give me back here in England. The last weeks have been steeped in trying to settle back in to this homeland, and God has reminded me of the blessings of friends. I am grateful and, slowly, starting to feel rested.

Life
Thank God for Ayak. Beneath their thatched roof, a few hundred metres into the forest, this little girl was born on Saturday. Her safe arrival seemed a little miracle as her mum (Regina) had fallen seriously ill with malaria prior to her birth. Her mum and dad (Dut) are the couple that could finally marry, and escape the clashes in Abyei, after the gift of cows by an Englishman. Ayak literally means drought. Yet, now, she brings much happiness to this little family.

Another of Bol's daughters

And Death
If you turned through the towering crops towards Bol's circle of mud huts, the children would spot you and run to greet you. Madut's little legs carried him the fastest and the girls would run closely behind. Nyanut's silent presence would always watch from a distance, too shy for the bold greeting of the younger children. Nyanut was about ten year's old and lived with her uncle (Bol) for much of last year. Her mother lived about three hours walk away. She had been lent to Bol to care for his youngest daughter. This week she died of malaria. No one could afford to take her to Wau to seek treatment.

Other Things to Pray For:
1) Teachers at Marol
They are in good health but the road from the market to the school remains as nearly five miles of swamp.

2) Talks in the UK
Pray that I have the right words to say as I speak to people in the UK about South Sudan.

3) Abyei Floods
Having had their homes bombed to pieces in May, the people of Abyei are now facing some of the worst flooding in memory. Crops and people have been washed away. Fifteen have been killed and ten thousand displaced.

Thank you!

Munching, Mums & Marol

As routines are resuming after the summer, I thought it was timely to request more prayers for South Sudan. Thank you for being part of these prayers

The last months have swept me away as I moved back from South Sudan to the UK. I now have a term away from South Sudan as I start a MPhil/PhD researching peace-building in South Sudan. It is intimidating to be away from South Sudan, but I am also confident that I need to rest a little - in God, in my studies, with friends and just sleeping! I will also continue to serve Marol Academy and am asking God to give me others to join me in this commitment.

Thank God
1) For The Harvest

As you walk the dusty tracks or turn through the fields of sorghum, you see even the smallest children tearing apart the tough sugar cane poles. With smiles on their faces, they munch the first, sweet fruits of the harvest. At Marol, the small school garden is now sprouting with greens to feed hungry tummies. No one is sure that there will be enough to eat until the next harvest but, for now, they are happy to feast.

2) For The Marol Family
I remain in awe of the five volunteers who remain at Marol (Gordon, Joyce, Loice, Rachel and Emma). Joyce has built strong relationship through her midwifery work and the others have laboured hard to be a gift to the pupils of Marol. They are even running Bible studies that dozens attend. Yet, last week, even the bumpy road to the nearest market flooded so they are now quite stranded at the school. Thank God for their faith, boldness and strength. Also, please pray for God's gentle protection over them.

Prayer Requests
1) Regina and Her Unborn Baby
The bombs fell and the artillery shattered the birth place of Regina this May. Sitting on the border between North and South Sudan, adjacent to rich oil fields, Abyei has been the site of some of the heaviest fighting. She had left just a few months before with her little son to join her husband in Luonyaker. Yet, in May she watched with anxiety and fear for her family. Now, heavily pregnant, she also waits with uncertainty for her baby. With little midwifery available, most women rely on their female relatives and just give birth on the mud floors of their huts. Regina is nervous for her and her baby as no female relatives are nearby.

2) Secondary School
As the last term of the school year approaches, conversations are starting about whether we can afford to sustain Marol Academy Secondary School. This year it has been such a privilege to see the first secondary class. Filled with an ethusiasm to learn, amongst the insecurity of opportunity, they are an impressive cohort. One boy walks six hours each day to be at the school.

3) Development Officer for the Church in Wau
The Diocese of Wau stretches from the northern deserts of Raja County to the swamps of the eastern stretches of Warrap State. With bombed cities on the borders, militia fighting amongst its communities and very few basic services, the Diocese has many challenges to face. Yet, with people turning to Christ in the heat of the civil war and churches planted despite their isolation, the last few years of peace have given the Diocese a new ambitious vision. They hope to educate their own pastors (most are not literate or able to read the Bible) and serve the community. Interviews for a South Sudanese Development Officer happen tomorrow (Tuesday). Pray for someone of faith who can easily make a big difference.