Sudan Update 15 November 2010

Since my last post we've mainly been working on building a house for Julius,
a long-time evangelist, in Karika, a small village about 38 kilometers
west of Mundri. The site already had a slab and walls brick walls
laid up to about waist height, built on a previous Frontline trip.
Together with Sylvester, a local bricklayer who's worked with the
Busls before we've laid up the walls the rest of the way, built some
window and door frames and installed them, poured a bond beam around
the top of the walls (to hold everything together) and then laid a few
more courses of bricks on top of that, put up trusses and half of the
tin roofing sheets, and added a small veranda on the front of the
building. Stay tuned for pictures! We've been camping under some
mango trees by the Karika SDA church while we work on the house during
the week and
returning to Mundri on the weekends.

Here in Mundri Luke and I have started a small youth Bible study that
meets every Thursday night. The group is pretty small right now but
they're interested and it's a blessing to get together with them and
study Bible prophecies that are so relevant, particularly in war-torn
and -apprehensive Sudan. We've also been assisting the local church
in a few evangelistic projects, transporting poles from the bush to
make benches, ferrying the youth choir to Lui for the start of a
series there, (it's an unforgettable experience to cruise through the
African bush with a full choir, complete with instruments, praising
the Lord joyfully from the back of your truck!) and helping wire up
the lights for the meetings being held here in Mundri.

On another occasion we rode Luke's motorbike to Eyeira, 40 miles west
of Karika, to visit the Adventist vocational academy there. We were
warmly welcomed by a few members of the school administration, as well
as an American couple, Lowell and Neria Jenks. Mr. Jenks is teaching
woodworking and small engine repair and maintains the nicest workshop
you've ever seen:) You'll probably be hearing more about Eyeira and
the Jenks, because our next project is going to be helping Mr. Jenks
add on to his shop to make space for some additional woodworking
machines and hopefully a small furniture manufacturing industry to
help support the program.

We hope to wrap things up with Julius' house this week and then spend
a week or so at Eyeira pouring a slab floor for the expansion on the
vocational building.

Other miscellaneous notes; we've made some tasty Mexican food on our
charcoal burner, including excellent corn tortillas using freshly
ground corn on our charcoal:) We've started remodeling a termite
mound behind our house into a cob oven (with a slight bit of
difficulty--apparently termites require quite a bit of convincing to
set up housekeeping elsewhere). Papaya season is starting, as well as
orange/tangerine/lime season! Luke has started seeing dental patients
in his spare time, and has successfully installed five or six fillings
using Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART) techniques--no shots or
power tools, and very little pain as well! He's come to the
conclusion that what South Sudan really needs are dentists--everybody
has major teeth problems!

Thank you for your continued prayer support. The church in South
Sudan is going through some problems right now, and we're trying to
figure out how to navigate through the politics without becoming
entangled--the situation definitely needs prayer, as well as the
upcoming referendum. Voter registration starts today and the topic is
on everyone's hearts and lips here.

We're also looking forward to the quickly-approaching day when Jesus
will come to claim all those aliens and strangers who are longing for
a better country--a heavenly one!

Excelsior!

Joel

--
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing
of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and
perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2