What a week!

My last cuddles with Baby Isaac

 We had quite the week here in Melut starting with last Sunday, the day after our big graduation. Sunday morning was an extra long, but special church service as multiple congregations from different tribes worshipped together (they had traveled to Melut for Graduation.) Then that afternoon was the 40-day memorial service for our dear friend Elizabeth who went to be with the Lord in October. We were really feeling our loss on graduation day, a day that she had been looking forward to for so long.

Monday morning students started leaving. The men from northern Sudan left early that morning and several families packed all of their belongings, pets, and all their family members into the back of a huge truck for what was probably a 5 hour drive.

Lifting Evan up for a final farewell

Isaac and Evan's best friend German was one of the passengers on that truck so it was a tearful goodbye.

Waving goodbye with prayers on our lips for their safety

 

As the truck pulled out of GTC's gate, I was working hard at containing my tears but when I saw my oldest son sobbing I realized we both needed a good cry. I put my arm around him and we silently walked home, feeling the same emotions and sadness and letting the tears fall.

 

That same afternoon a decision was made to medically evacuate one of our teammate families to Kenya due to a very sick 2-year old. God was so good to provide a plane that flew their whole family out of South Sudan less than 24 hours after making the decision. But this was a hard day as we prayerfully sent them off, knowing this was not what any of us planned for or expected. And worrying for their sweet little boy.

 

Thursday - more goodbyes.

This time we said goodbye to the Heska family who joined our team here for one year and Claire who is heading back to the States for her home assignment. Thursday was the 3rd day that week Eli spent waiting at the airport, making sure people got on their flights. This week just happened to be the week that the airline that flies out of Paloich, an hour from us, suddenly stopped flying so the airport was full of passengers needing to get to their destination. God worked wonders to get all of our GTC people on those flights!

 

On Friday Eli and I both breathed a sigh of relief and took a slow day - we needed it!

Saturday was full of projects around campus, cleaning up after the students who left and working on things at home, packing up and securing everything since we'll be away for almost two months!

 

One of my favorite things about this week that I have thanked the Lord for many times are the new friends that God is already bringing for our boys. Isaac, Evan and Josh had to say many goodbyes this week but two boys in particular above, Deng and Go, have started coming over every day and they all seem to getting along splendidly.

We are now trying to organize a flight to travel to Uganda to spend Christmas with my (Bethany's) family. With the airline down, it's proving to be a challenge, but hey, it's a new week, we never know what's going to happen!