A pool inside the house

The sky was darkening and rumbling as the thunder rolled and the storm came. I hated to stay in my house when it rains because it’s very airy inside since the house was designed for dry season. The walls are half-mudded. And when it rains heavily I feel I am standing in an open sea with the waves tossing and turning my things upside down. So, I decided to be at my neighbours house. They make fire inside and it’s warm and more fun with all the smoke around the house, tearful eyes, and sniffing which reminds me of home. As we were sitting and chatting behind closed doors from storm and rain, suddenly from behind the house came water, gushing in like a river. Since the house is small, within a minute it quickly flooded and became a small pool. Our feet were deep in the water. As I was new to this kind of situation I didn’t know what to do but the woman (owner of the house) ran outside and started re-mudding the hole where the water came from, but there was no way to stop it because the rain was heavy. So I started throwing water outside scooping them from a big bowl but the water never got finished. The woman then came to the front door and started to dig a hole towards the direction where water was flowing, then within a second the water passed through that tiny hole and the house began to slowly dry. After things settle down a bit we held our stomach as we laughed and laughed over the whole situation. I am impressed by their quick wit and action over any situation that occurs. It’s amazing how they can fix things within few seconds. It was an eye opening for me to see how people survive in a small wretched house during rainy season. And they live happily in that condition. Nobody complains! Oh Lord, teach me to be happy and content with what I have. My house is fifty times better than theirs but I still wanted to escape to a concrete house, to be safe and secure. But God was giving me some serious lessons by taking me to my neighbour’s house to see what was going to happen and I saw ‘it’ happened.

Kharif

It's just so strange that Sudan was looking so dry, hot and sweaty a month back and now with few rains it's looking fresh and green but hot. Kharif is a word rainy season in Arabic. During this season people are usually busy ploughing and cultivating. People who are wise could actually grow enough food which sustains them for a year and even sells them at the market. They grow sorghum (staple food), maize, okra, beans, pumpkins, groundnuts. People are literally dependent on rain for their crops. The rains have been very scanty. Please pray for more rains during this season.

daily visitors

One morning Praise and Halleluyah came to my house dressed up in their jerseys. I surprised them with my own jersey and we pose for some pictures. They are Nigerian kids, missionaries of SIM working together in Yabus. They come to my house every morning after their breakfast and have fun together and mess up my house. They are really cute and beautiful. No one would believe what amazing things they could do at their age. They are tough than ordinary kids since they grew up in a bush. I go for home visit with them. Evangelism can happen through children.

Umi (my mother)

Umi is one of the first M*** women I have met. She is old but strong. She is generous and always cheerful. She loves people like me who is foreign to her, but accepts me without asking any question why I want to be friend with her. I have a love in my heart and I want to share that love to her. I want her to know what that love means and what this love would do to her once she accepts it - it would change her life forever. She visited us several times. It's a long walk for an old lady to be visiting, but she came today, with a packed lunch and gasping for breath when she entered my house. What a joy to see her smile and be with her and talk to her. She brings such a blessing. Everytime I think about her I have this intense urge deep in my heart that cannot be expressed in words but LOVE is welling up from within. Until she embrace this love my soul is not at rest. Please pray for her and for divine intervention.

Yabus Bridge

" Hey, I have finished my food. Could I have some more? Or I could play with this pot"

We went for visiting to our friends house. It's always fun to be at neighbours place and find some interesting things. This boy after clearing up the food in the pot, started playing with it. So the next time the mother had to clean the pot thoroughly for another dish as these things are used for several reasons.

A view of where i live in Yabus. The Zinc roofs are the school building. I live in the grass house "tukul". This is during dry season.

Language learning

For a very long time I have wanted to learn Arabic so much as to me it sounds like the most beautiful language in the world. Indeed it is. Finally, I have found myself doing an intense learning which might take me for six months to build my level of speaking at least. I have joined in an Arabic school which is mainly for Women Literacy. I feel that this opportunity came at the right time when I need it. It’s fun to be in school learning Arabic, however I find it very challenging since I am the only non-Arabic speaking Khawadja in the class. (Khawadja is a term used for foreigner in Arabic). One day the teacher gave an assignment to draw a picture of different things. I was assigned to draw ‘the market area’. So the next day we all came prepared with our drawings. The teacher asked each student to explain the drawing in front of the class. It was such a difficult thing for me since I have limited Arabic. However I formed some few words in my mind and tried to explain my picture only to hear a laughing audience. Anyway I am glad that was a good platform to perform myself well. Everyday has been thrilling and exciting and exhausting sometimes.

Love is sharing

Sudanese are very relational and they share everything with everybody. There is no individual thing, but community. They form in groups (children, women, men) and eat food together. Their food is mainly of sorghum made into Kisra (sudanese flat bread) or Asida - shown in picture) with okra soup usually. It taste good. This picture is taken on Christmas day. I love to see the children eats food... only the smartest gets the best portion.

Health is a blessing

These last few weeks have been a testing time for me. I have to cross mountains over mountains, i thought it's finally over but i see there are more coming and it's such a giant thing to expereince. Sometimes i am too tired that i don't know what i am doing or i need to do, but deep down in my heart i know that i need to persist and keep going.

This time i feel that i have come to the end of myself. God is beginning to do something but i am impatient and weary of circumstances around me. But i still trust in His sovereignty and great purpose for whatever reason i am put through in this situation.

Health is one of the main issue in a field. I wonder how godly men and women served God with poor health. I pray to God everyday to give me strength and health so that i can go and speak the Word, walk and live the Word. I can do that only with good health.