Prayer Support

On Sunday morning, Amy and I will be presenting at this church in Southern Ontario. We'll be speaking about our experiences in Sudan and giving an update about our future plans with the K&G tribes. Please pray that the Lord would encourage and motivate His people here to pray for Sudan. Thanks!!

The Bread of Life

Or in this case, the porridge of life! Sorghum is the staple grain of the South Sudanese. They pound it in a mortar and pestle or grind it between rocks, stir it with water into a thick porridge over a fire, and scoop it into separate bowls for the men, the women, and the small children when it's cooked. It is then served with a stew made from wild greens during rainy season (like the one pictured here) or with one made from dried okra (during dry season). This is the usual daily fare of the M. people where I lived--literally, the grain of life.

But what happens when there is no grain, due to the flooding that has recently destroyed all the sorghum and maize crops in M. county? We've been hearing from teammates in Sudan that some people are getting UN relief food that is being trucked in on big lorries. Others aren't and are needing to sell their goats and chickens (cashing in their bank accounts) to buy grain to survive. Others will need to walk 8 hours to other areas that weren't affected by the floods to find sorghum when it's ripe.

Please pray that the people will be able to get the food they need to live during this dry season and that development (in agriculture practices, in education, in health care, in clean water) will continue for the future.

Please pray that they will also find the true Bread of Life, the lasting bread, and be absolutely satisfied.

"Then Jesus declared, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.'" John 6:35

Life in Sudan (continued)...

We'd like to describe a little of what church is like in Sudan. Here is a photo that shows the gathered congregation on a typical Sunday morning. To perceptive eyes, it shows joy and sincerity as well - a refreshing and profound experience. This is the beauty of worship in Sudan. One of our favorite features of the service is the greeting line at the end. Each member greets everyone else in a reception line: shaking hands, exchanging the "pat on the shoulder" greeting, and singing. Please pray that church leaders would be given opportunities for Bible education. Many have had none at all.

We hope you enjoy the Sudan Slideshow and the new map (at right). Thanks for keeping track of us!

One Year Ago Today...The End of the Beginning!

Yesterday was going to be my last post about our love story, until I got the comments from my Aunts and Christiane and thought, "OK, I'll do one more!" I hope you've all enjoyed the story as much as Nate and I have enjoyed reminiscing about all the fun little details!

The next morning, Wednesday morning, Nate and Kassu were due to leave for Y. on the quad bike. I woke up early, having slept very little anyway because of my excitement! I remember thinking, "Was that real last night or was it a dream?" I went to the dining hall in a bit of a stupor and got a few things ready for breakfast. I looked out the window and saw Nate outside brushing his teeth (we do that sort of thing in the bush!). He looked up and saw me looking at him and waved and I waved back, feeling a bit awkward, still not quite believing this was real. None of our teammates knew what had transpired the evening before so we didn't quite know what to do with ourselves in front of them! We sat across from each other at breakfast making eye contact occasionally, awkwardly!

Right after breakfast, they needed to leave so we all went outside to bid them farewell. We couldn't really say a proper goodbye but Nate slipped me a piece of paper with his email address and cell phone number in Nairobi (he was leaving the next week for Nairobi) and gave me a big smile as they drove away. I was so happy! That morning could have been so devastating if he had left with no understanding between us.

I floated back to the dining hall for our ladies' prayer time and promptly shared the happy news with Grace, Vicki, and Abebech who were absolutely thrilled. The men found out throughout the day and were also very happy for us.

Later that afternoon I got the following text message from Nate: "Got to Y. @ 12 pm. No problems on road. Beaming whole way!"

We soon began to find out just how many people had been involved in "setting us up"!
Jo-Ann, our director at the time, had said to her husband Howie after they met me in July, "She's for Nate!" Peter and Johanna, 2 of our Kenyan staff in Nairobi, saw Nate in August and told him, "Brother, there's someone for you in D.!" When I started getting to know Bethany and Beverly, who were Nate's teammates in Y., in October in Nairobi, they started dropping little hints about who this Nate Kidder was as well as overtly bugging him about me! Abebech (my Ethiopian teammate) and Meseret (Kassu's wife and Nate's Ethiopian teammate) both had dreams some time before we met that Nate had taken a trip to D. and returned very happy! In Abebech's case, it was before I had ever arrived in Sudan. And of course many teammates in Sudan and family and friends back home were concerned about us and earnestly praying for the right spouse for both of us. We felt such love and support from all of our team and from people back home when we started to share the news.

Thanks for reading our story and to the many of you who were a part of it!

One Year Ago Today...Exciting Peace

Tuesday morning I went to the dining hall and met Nate and Vicki who were already there. We soon discovered that Grace had been sick all night and was in no condition to go to the clinic. Normally that meant neither of us would go, since we ladies weren't allowed to venture into town on our own at that time. Vicki suggested that I could still go since Nate could escort me...but then she wondered if that would be culturally inappropriate--single man, single lady riding into town together. I blushed as I glanced at Nate, who also looked a bit embarrassed. Finally we decided that I should go ask Abebe what he thought, as an African man. I did and he smiled and said, "No problem! You can go."

And so, we went! Just the 2 of us got to cycle into town together. I thought to myself, "Now is his chance to say something to me if he wants to!" We chatted leisurely as we rode into town and went to the clinic. We went in and greeted the staff and I introduced Nate to them. They started calling him "Doctor" because he was white and coming to the clinic, which he enjoyed! I found him a chair to sit on so he could observe what I was doing with the patients.

It was a fun morning. I remember just loving my interaction with the mothers and children that day and really feeling the presence of God with me. I knew I needed Him...it was my first time to see patients at the clinic without Grace or Vicki there to consult with and I also didn't have any translator for the first hour so I had to make do with my limited M. language. Nate helped me out with his Arabic a couple of times. I felt so happy and comfortable to have Nate there watching me--everything felt so right. It was one of those moments where I knew without a doubt that I was where and with who God wanted me to be. Nate will tell you that this morning in the clinic was when God also spoke clearly to his heart, saying "This is the one for you."

When it was time for us to leave, we said goodbye to everyone at the clinic and I told Nate that we usually go over to the soda shop in the market after we finish and have a cold soda. I asked him if he'd like to, and of course he agreed! So I guess you could say this was our first date. Nate will tell you that he made that 300 ml Pepsi last an extraordinarily long time and I did too! He was saying to himself, "Now's my chance! I need to talk to her. Come on, say something man!" (my paraphrase!) but he didn't! We chatted for probably an hour and then went to buy bread. We continued to talk as we sloooowly cycled home. I was thinking, "Come on, Nate, say something to me! This is our last chance!" I even took us the long way around, via the road rather than the path, so we could continue to talk as we rode side by side.

We arrived back at the compound for lunch and then I believe we sat and talked in the dining hall for the rest of the afternoon. Again, we were left alone for the most part and had great conversation, but neither of us said anything about our feelings for each other. Both of us were wondering if the other was just being "nice".

By supper time, I was pretty upset. I thought, "We had all this time alone all day and we haven't said ANYTHING." Nate's time there had changed my life. I wanted to be with him and I didn't know how I would handle it if he left the next morning and I was left hanging. I prayed, "Lord, please help me to wait and to trust You."

After supper, everyone stayed around the table and talked for a while. I made Sudanese hibiscus tea and we had sesame halva from the market. After a while, people started getting up and going to their tukuls to retire for the evening. I stood up and started slooowly clearing up the table, very thoroughly. Nate stood up and started helping me. Pretty soon, we were the only ones left. We finished clearing up and then stood there, talking. Neither of us moved toward the door. After a little while, when I thought it wouldn't be too obvious, I sat back down on a chair, signaling that I was very interested in continuing to talk. Nate remained standing for a few more minutes and then sat down across from me. I needed to use the latrine BADLY but I didn't want to end the conversation by doing so.

Finally, a transition took place when I leaned back in my chair and noticed a sizable scorpion crawling under the table, heading between our feet. I jumped back and pointed it out to Nate and he got up to find a stick to kill it with, while I took the opportunity to run out to the latrine. Phew!

I returned to the dining hall to find a dead scorpion on the ground and Nate sitting down in his chair again. I sat down and we just looked at each other and smiled. Somehow I knew the big moment had arrived. His opening line was, "So Kassu thinks I should stay here for a few more days..." and I knew exactly what he was getting at. He looked terrified and almost backed out of what he was going to say next so I encouraged him by unleashing my own feelings and telling what the past 5 days had meant to me. Then he did the same and pretty soon it was all out in the open. One thing he said still stands out to me. He said he'd been feeling this "exciting peace" throughout the last 5 days when he was with me. I understood what he meant and thought that was a perfect way to describe our interaction.

We were serious and didn't waste any time--obviously, since you're reading this a year later and we celebrated our 4 month anniversary yesterday!

I went back to my tukul after we said goodnight and excitedly emailed my parents with the news. Nate went back to his tent and slept peacefully for the first time in 5 nights!

One Year Ago Today...Day 4 of Nate's Visit

Monday November 5th would have been the last day, except that Nate convinced Kassu that day that they should stay an extra day, until Wednesday! I was thrilled! A big end-of-rainy-season storm blew in on Monday night further confirming their decision to wait an extra day for the "road" to dry out a bit.

That morning after breakfast, Nate, Kassu, Grace, and I stayed at the table and talked for about 2 hours, discussing some interesting theological issues. It was a lot of fun and showed me that Nate and I could relate well on an intellectual level and have stimulating discussion. I was loving how his mind works, what a thinker he is.

That afternoon, Grace and I wanted to go visit a severely malnourished little boy in D. who we were trying to help. Nate asked to go with us so off we went. Grace kept commenting on how Nate was so interested in seeing the medical work! ; ) It was a sad visit because little John was not doing well. I was happy that Nate got to see this side of the work. His Arabic skills again came in handy when my M. reached its limits and I was having difficulty communicating with the mother.

On our way back to the compound we passed SIM's Basic Education Learning Center (like the one Nate taught at in Y.) and some of the guys were sitting around outside their huts. They had all met Nate when he shared in their devotional time that morning and we stopped to talk to them. Grace carried on home and the 2 of us sat down with the guys to chat for a while. We had a fun conversation in Arabic and M. After a little while I excused myself and headed for the compound because I thought maybe Nate wanted to visit with the guys "man-to-man" and I didn't want it to be too obvious that I wanted to stay with him!

I went to my tukul once again feeling a bit dejected, wanting to spend more time with him because I knew he was leaving so soon. My desire to be with him propelled me outside once more, even though I thought he'd still be over at the BELC. I walked toward the dining hall and as I did so, met him coming in the front gate and walking toward me! We went into the dining hall, sat down, and continued talking for the rest of the afternoon. Our teammates came in and out the odd time to get something but really gave us space--I think they knew what was up!

That afternoon we talked on a much more personal and vulnerable level, telling each other about some of life's challenges and struggles that we had been through. I found that I trusted him and wanted to open up to him and he seemed to feel the same way. We had an amazing conversation and I think it could then be considered official--I was in love!

That evening in my tukul, I was more distraught than ever. I didn't know if he felt anything at all for me and how was I going to handle him leaving on Wednesday morning? I went to sleep with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation for the next day--the last day. Tuesday morning Grace and I were scheduled to ride into the market town and volunteer at the clinic there. You guessed it--Nate was planning to go with us. He wanted to see our work at the clinic! ; ) I was excited about the prospect of spending more time with him in town. However, that night Grace became very ill with a tummy bug...

One Year Ago Today...Day 3 of Nate's Visit

Sunday morning rolled around and I had planned to stay in D. to go to church. If you can believe this, I had actually suggested to Nate that he go to a new church plant with Abebe (Ethiopian teammate). Since I genuinely believed he was in D. to visit our team and check out our ministries, I thought he'd enjoy the scenic walk by the river and the new church meeting under a big tree. But the next morning I heard from Grace that no, Nate was going to go to D. church with us. ; )

He waited for us by the dining hall and smiled at me as we walked up. I smiled too, feeling shy all of a sudden. Grace had forgotten something and said she'd catch up so the 2 of us headed over to the church. I couldn't sit with him because the men sit on one side of the church and the women and children on the other. I love M. church especially because of their amazing singing. There are congregational songs led by someone up front, spontaneous songs that erupt as people are touched by the message and lead out, and anyone who has a song to share (either individually or in a group) can get up and sing at various points. Also, visitors are encouraged to get up and share a word with the congregation so in this instance, Nate was asked to. He got up and brought the traditional greetings from his area and the churches there, which is an important custom. He used some Arabic and some English which was translated. Then he shared an encouraging word from John 14:27 about peace from Christ vs. fear--very appropriate for this group of people. I was impressed with how he communicates cross-culturally and interacts with different kinds of people.

It was a fun church service because Nate and I both experienced our first baby name vote! Yes, that's right. A baby was being dedicated that day and the congregation voted on 2 names--Joseph and Gabriel. We all had to put our heads down and raise our hands for the name we liked! Joseph won out and after church we were invited to the feast. I've included a picture of me with the ladies and Nate with the men at the party.

After the feast we went home and I went to my tukul to change, a bit dejected because I wanted to spend more time with Nate and didn't know how to make that happen. Well, it just "so happened" that I needed to go and get a cooking utensil from Abebech's kitchen hut that I would need that evening. Nate was staying in their safari tent and as I walked over I bumped into him by the hand-washing station. I didn't know he would be there, honestly! We stood there talking for a few minutes until Abebech, who was making delicious Ethiopian food for us that evening, invited us to come and sit down in her kitchen and have tea while she cooked. We did and ended up having a great couple hours, talking and laughing about interesting cultural customs and funny things that had happened to us in Sudan. Abebech had been praying for a husband for me for a while and I think she was delighted to keep us talking in her kitchen! Eventually, I had to reluctantly excuse myself and drag myself away from Nate to go and cook a peanut stew for our dinner.

Later that evening, I emailed my parents and told them I was getting to know this amazing guy and really liked him. I was a bit distraught because my feelings were growing and I didn't know if they were reciprocated. Only 1 day left with him--they were planning to leave on Tuesday...

One Year Ago Today...Day 2 of Nate's Visit

So, it was a busy Saturday morning on our compound. Grace made her famous sweet potato pancakes that she made for us most Saturdays and I made porridge to supplement since we had guests. I remember Nate commenting on how good the porridge was and I was happy!

Later that morning, Nate, Grace, Vicki and I got on our bikes and rode into the market town. We had to stop at the clinic to check on a little boy with burns. Nate started talking to people in Arabic and I was impressed with his language abilities. We soon went over to the market and started wandering around. It was then that I found myself walking beside Nate and he struck up a conversation with me specifically, asking me about my travels around the world. We started talking about how I grew up in the Arctic and about my family and then about his life and his family. The conversation continued as we walked around the market stalls and all the way home on our bikes. I felt so at ease around him and thought, "Wow, this is going rather well!"

We went back to the compound to have lunch and then later that afternoon we walked through the bush to G. village for our Bible teaching time there. Nate enjoyed getting to know Butros, an elderly man who was our language helper and translator, as we walked through the tall grass. It was a great afternoon of interaction with the villagers and fun to see Nate in that setting. On the walk home, Nate and I started talking again and continued most of the way.

That evening, the whole group decided to play games in the dining hall. Our Ethiopian teammates had never played Skip-bo before so Nate started to teach them and a good time was had by all...especially by Miss Amy Winger who was sitting at the end of the table, next to Nate. There was plenty of banter exchanged and we had a lot of fun teasing each other. I just remember feeling so happy and peaceful that evening and not wanting it to end...

One Year Ago Today....Day 1 of Nate's Visit

One year ago today, Nate rolled into my life on a quad bike. My team had heard that he and Kassu were planning to make the trip that day, Friday November 2nd. I remember waking up with anticipation that day, excited for the visit and the opportunity to get to know Nate. We didn't know exactly what time they'd arrive, only that it would take them several hours to travel the 60 km or so between Y. and D. on the ATV.

My teammate Vicki and I headed to the market town on our bikes to get some supplies. I think we got back to our compound right around noon and as we rolled in, we saw the quad bike and were surprised to find that the guys had already arrived! I was so nervous and realized with dismay that I was absolutely covered in sweat from the hot ride to town! Vicki and I walked into the dining hall where everyone was gathered to find Nate and Kassu, covered in mud, telling about their harrowing trip. We greeted them and Nate paused his story to smile and say hi to me and shake my hand. I hung around for a few minutes and then quickly excused myself to go and change my clothes before lunch (and make myself look half decent!). While I was in my tukul I made sure to pluck my eyebrows which tend to get a little neglected in the bush! Feeling human again, I made my way back to the dining hall and to Nate.

I don't remember a lot about that first day, except that I was pretty quiet. Nate and I didn't get into any real conversation between the two of us until the next day. I remember sitting around with him and Kassu and Grace and mostly listening, trying to throw in a little comment here and there. That evening we all watched a movie and I remember not paying too much attention to the movie but listening for Nate's comments from the back of the room and wishing I was sitting with him!

I soon learned that they were planning to stay until Tuesday or Wednesday the following week! What!? I couldn't believe what I was hearing! I thought they were only there for the weekend. I was deliriously happy that I was going to get to spend 4 more days around this guy. To be continued...