Friday Morning Fellowship

The two families with whom I shared Friday morning and early afternoon.

One of my new African outfits, me in the green, center.

Dear Friends,

I was invited by two of the other teachers at NTC, and their families, to join them for fellowship on Friday. As Friday is the Muslim day of prayer it is a "day off" in Sudan. Hanna, in the red striped shirt, his wife Eva and their daughters Phoebe and Joyce, drove me to Christoph and Tina's home. We talked, prayed, and shared a wonderful cake that Tina and their children had made for us!

I am thankful for new friends to share life with in Sudan. On the way home I learned that Egypt has a large middle class and that Sudan has practically none, just as in many other countries where the gap between rich and poor is growing as the middle class disappears.

By the way, I found switches on the back of the water cooler and have figured out why there was not hot and cold water. It is now working correctly. The next project is to get a new queen size matress. I had hauled a down comforter with me from the states which, while a bit too warm, has proved to be a great thing to have here. The tailor made a cover for it, at first with no opening through which to get the comforter out, it has now been altered. Okay, so in other countries the cover is known as a duvet. I now have a nicely made bed and will look forward to having other duvet covers made so that I can inexpensively change the look of the room -- and having a queen size bed to put it on!

I will be teaching New Testament Background as a concentrated course for three weeks in January and then in February will begin 24 classes of the History of Mission. Today I have been starting the work of reading through books to see which ones will be of most value. Cecelia the house helper came as well. It is absolutely amazing to me to see how much dirt and dust she sweeps out of each room. I am thankful for her availability to me because I don't know that I would put enough care into the housework on my own. It is terribly nice to have her come and clean it well each week.

Tomorrow Wahiba will come and if traffic is not so bad in the morning we will go to the Catholic church and then to the tailor again. There may have been plans for tea as well later, but it all begins to melt into one long line at some point. Perhaps I will be able to go to the International Church tomorrow evening a last time with the neighbors who will move soon. I still need to sort out the church issue, finding out for instance what time the Reformed church service is in the church near the college.

Blessings,

Debbie