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June 29, 2006
Arrival in Khartoum
Hello friends,
The body of Christ and our fellow kingdom workers greet you from the capital of Sudan. Khartoum is hot hot hot. Yesterday was 45C (about 112F) and, yes, it's dry heat!
It's so dry that the rooms are equipped with evaporative water coolers. Water trickles over some panels, cooling the air being pulled through it by a fan. As I type, relatively cool air is flowing into the room, filling the air with humidified freshness. To my friends from Texas: have you seen all the chimneys in El Paso topped with those water coolers? This is the same thing. They work great.
Well, we're not in Kurmuk anymore. This is SO not like "the bush". As we flew in on the Kenya Airways 737, we were amazed to see lighted streets laid out in a grid pattern. Cars were still moving around at 10pm.
Something amusing from the flight: a little wizened Sudanese grandmother was seated next to Bev. We were talking in a way that might be construed as conversation in Arabic. Bev then decided to go back to the restroom. She explained to the mama she needed her to get up so she could go. The mama just was not understanding the words or the hand motions. So Bev resorted to her medical Arabic and said, "The urine is coming!" The mama's face lit up. "Oh," she said as she tottered to her feet with a smile! Mission accomplished.
Our objectives for two short months are: 1) Manage the SIM Guesthouse and 2) study Arabic. The Guesthouse does have rooms to rent, but more importantly it has grown into a hub of ministry. Churches, kingdom workers, visitors, and the curious can converge here. I count 10 to 12 active programs that use this facility. A church building takes at least half the compound, which three churches share. We met two men doing mother-tongue translation in one office.
Your prayers for effectiveness and wisdom will be needed. Already we have been approached by Southerners wanting money and help. We need to combine compassion with a thick skin.
More later on serving the Lord in Khartoum,
With Love from Chris and Beverly
Published at June 29, 2006 01:52 PM
