Anthrax, Exams, Teachers and New Arrivals

This morning we woke to a covering of sand. The wind had swept the particles into the air, forming a yellowish cloud in this meandering sand storm. The floating sand hides some of the sun's intensity but it has also left all my belongings covered in a fine film of dust. I never quite know what South Sudan will bring next but a day of cooler weather was a blessing.

Things to Thank God For:
1) Marol's Results
Our first final-year primary class was quite an odd collection of people with a mix of educational backgrounds (Marol had only been open for three of their eight years of study). Yet, they all managed to pass and some with flying colours.

2) The Married Couple - Dut and Regina
Having been married through their love and the birth of their son, they were kept apart by Dut's poverty and his inability to pay the cattle price. She was left to remain with her family in the highly volatile region of Abyei. She is now safely in Luonyaker (where Dut migrated) and Dut seems to give thanks for her every other minute. They are also a faith filled couple and I pray that God has called them here for a reason.


Things to Pray For:
1) New Arrivals - Joyce and Gordon Lovering
This amazing couple from the Forest of Dean arrive into Wau on Tuesday. They are coming to teach, help with midwifery and pray for up to a year. Please pray for their safe travels (to Juba on Monday and Wau on Tuesday) and that God will guard their heart in their initial impressions of Marol. It is a hard place to grasp from a distance and it is easy to be overwhelmed at first sight. They have already given much, so pray that God brings fruit from all that they are sowing. Please also pray for the logistical arrangements - it is not very easy in South Sudan.

2) Teachers
The last week has been a humbling reminder of how far we have left to go. In this season of teacher recruitment, I have seen again the low capacity of the teachers of these villages. There are currently no secondary school graduates available to teach amongst all of the 90,000 Apuk Dinka. It is a humbling thought.

To try to correct this situation, the hope is to run top-up secondary lessons at Marol, in the evenings, for the most advanced primary teachers. If we are able to do this with even ten teachers, it will cost us just £20 per teacher per month. They will not only then qualify for further teacher-training but also be able to share their knowledge with the 150+ primary school pupils they teach each week.

3) Health
There are anthrax scares amongst the herds of cattle and two infant deaths from measles reported in the last week. Disease can spread too fast through these small communities and intimate homes. Do pray for their protection and strength at this hungry, weak time of year.