Jim Taylor
From Carolyn, the Missionary with the kids from the Sudan
Monday, February 06, 2017, 07:35

This is part of her latest letter. You all helped her get the kids out of Sudan .. thought you would be interested in how they are doing.

We are all moved into our new home, although somewhat crowded in a small part of it as the larger part is still being built around us. Right now the mamas and I jokingly call ourselves Camp Luwero because we are still cooking outside under a huge tarp over a wood and charcoal fire, having no kitchen yet. We are washing our dishes in plastic tubs with water that we are carrying daily by the gallons and gallons and gallons from the borehole, which is located literally right next to the pig sty’s. There is a very large piggery, estimate of about 300 pigs, about 50 yards from our compound walls. Needless to say, when the wind shifts in our direction…. And when we have to ALL daily go to the borehole… My arms are once again getting very strong as I only want to make that trip once a day!

All of our kids have started school so that means the alarm goes off at 4:30 a.m. for the cook fires to start and the kids are up too as they have to all take turns getting their cold bucket baths. By 6:00 a.m. they have eaten and we put on our Sudanese gospel music and dance for the next hour as the bus comes in three trips over the next hour and a half to get them all. Then they all start rolling back into the compound after school around 5:00 p.m. As they arrive running and laughing, we remind them to wash their uniforms (by hand), get their bathing water from the borehole and bathe and then after dinner go get more water and study. Needless to say we are ALL very tired by the end of the week! Kids in America have it made, washing machines and moms and running water and kitchen stoves and microwaves and carpools and drive thru’s…

Our kids never ever complain. They don’t know any different and this is just how we roll. We do what needs to get done and they laugh and play around it all most of the time. A new novelty for them has been that we now have six bicycles and they ride them every chance they get. All ages, they LOVE bicycles. We are hoping to get eight more this next week as an elementary class in Florida raised money to buy them for our kids. We are also now in the land of plenty when it comes to food. There is no shortage of food, all kinds, and they are getting back all the fat they lost when we were down to half rations for months as we were stranded in South Sudan. These kids are so resilient and there is no sign of trauma in them. They are happy and free. All of them have to repeat their school grade of last year because all the schools closed as everybody ran from the fighting, yet none complain. They are just happy to be going to school again. I’ve never seen kids so excited to go to school every day!

We are just so thankful to God and to the government of South Sudan and the government of Uganda and all our supporters for helping us in our hours of need. We will never ever get tired of saying thank you. Every single Sunday in church when it is time for testimonies, I stand up and thank God for all of these things. We are so blessed, even though we have so little materialistically compared to those who live in America and Europe and places like this. Yet we feel we have so much more because we have the most important thing, relationship with each other and relationship with Jesus, and the time to enjoy it all!

Our prayer for you this week is that you would have the time to enjoy each other and the time to enjoy Jesus. It is everything and so much more. Everything else pales in comparison. Never let time get away from you and each other! Let Sunday church services run on for hours. Don’t look at your watches. Enjoy every moment. God will be glorified in His church, AS we fellowship together, and often. God bless you and may He continue to shine His face upon you and keep you in perfect peace.