Desert Camping Trip

 This weekend we left the great city of Khartoum for a bit of adventure in the desert. We and about 15 other families ventured 3 hours out of the city to camp and explore.

Just a little ways out of the city we discoverd the engine of the amjad/van was getting hot. We learned that it doesn't drive so well at faster speeds for longer times. :) Our driving caravan was kind to slow down and take a few "cool down" breaks with us. We were also stopped by the police and told that amjads were not allowed out of city limits because they tip easily at high speeds. This was one of those moments I was so thankful Eli knew Arabic so he could understand what the police were saying and explain that we didn't know about this rule. We still had to pay for the traffic violation but at least we can learn from our mistakes.

 Real off-roading here!

 Eli had to go back to the police checkpoint to retrieve his license which he left behind and while he was away the boys and I put up our tent and set up camp. We were very proud of ourselves!

 After setting up camp, Isaac was very very thirsty - check out the size of THAT water bottle!

 The boys were delighted to have tons of exploring to do with their friend Caleb. Here Isaac is holding a dried up goat leg. Yuck!

 This was a view of our campsite from high up on the rocks. I ventured up with a bunch of kids.

 As you can see I was a little nervous on the edge of the rock with all these little ones. I was glad when we started our descent. :)

 We found a great sand dune for jumping and rolling down. We had contests on who could get the most air. Isaac was a champ!

 Hot dogs for dinner!

 The boys even got to roast marshmallows

 Several people brought guitars and we enjoyed singing together around the campfire

 Isaac, Evan, and I woke up before Eli and Josh so we decided to go for a walk/hike to see the sunrise. It was incredible and will be an unforgettable memory for us!

 Isaac and Evan at the top of the rock just in time for sunrise

 After our sunrise adventure we came back with a large appetite for a breakfast of fruit, muffins, and other delightful things shared by other campers.

 Eli relaxes in the sand

The next morning we packed up camp and headed to the 6th Cataract - a place where there are multiple whirlpools in the Nile River. We found a nice cove for swimming - with no whirlpools!!! :)

Eli and Isaac were the first brave souls to enter the very cold water

 Isaac was proud to swim out to a rock island with Eli

 Evan on our boat ride

 Josh was a happy camper

 An oasis near the Nile River - this was an incredible sight after driving through the desert for a few days!

Everyone was tired and dusty when we finally got home (after stopping multiple times for the car to cool down) But we had such an amazing weekend in the desert - a one of a kind family excursion!!!

I Do Not Like Green Okra Soup

In homeschool today, one of Isaac's assigments (we've been reading Dr. Seuss' "Green Eggs and Ham" this week) was to write a similar poem after choosing a food that he doesn't like and writing about it in the same fashion. He chose green okra soup which is a staple food in Sudan. It's slimy, green goo and not pleasant to the eyes or throat. :) He did a great job putting a poem together. I thought it sounded like a fun idea so I wrote my own version:

I do not like green okra soup
not even in a chicken coop
I would not eat it on a plate
I would not eat it on a date
I would not eat it with my bread
I would not eat it if it turned red
I would not eat it with some fish
with kisra, asida, or any other dish
I would not eat it with special spice
I can't even look at it, it's just not nice
I do not like green okra soup
I do not think that I can stoop
but let me try it so I can see
if it's really disgusting or quite tasty
Say! I like green okra soup today
and that's a good thing since I'm here to stay.

Boys' Progress Report

 Yesterday I went to visit the boys at school and meet with the principal to hear how they're doing. It was so encouraging to hear very glowing reports about each boy.
Joshua: he has a true Sudanese accent and surprises his teachers with the things he says!
Evan: has really come out of his shell and is actually singing along in music class and participating more.
Isaac: is a true helper and friend. Since he's older than most of the kids he leans over and helps his friends with handwriting or if others are fighting on the playground he tries to break it up.

  In March Isaac and Evan will graduate. Joshua is only in playgroup so if we were to stay in Ktm longer, he would move up to the next class. On graduation day, March 22, there will be a grand celebration and the children are already rehearsing songs and dramas for that day. In the above picture, they sang 2 songs while I spied through the window.

 On Thursdays the children get extra play time on the playground and the boys look forward to that all week.

 This school has been a huge blessing to our family. Not only has it made it possible for me to take Arabic classes, but it has improved the boys' Arabic, their social skills and they've made so many friends. Though they are young I have no doubts that they have made an impact. 

This is what we do

 This is what our mornings look like 5 days a week - lots of Arabic grammer, vocab, and conversation.

Eli does a great job making class fun and interesting. We press on, working harder than ever since we only have 3 more months of special Arabic study.

Arabian Nights

We had so much fun at a wedding last night! We got all dressed up and spent most of the time on the dance floor learning how to dance Sudanese style.

Eli sat a table with a bunch of businessmen from Tunisia and Libya.

 The wedding didn't begin until 8 pm so as you can see in this picture, the boys were getting pretty tired by the end of the evening (we left at 11:30). We're thankful today is our day off so we can recuperate from all the partying last night. :)

God answers

If you read my previous blog post, you know that I, Bethany, was struggling with uncertainties in our future and feeling overwhelmed not knowing how to plan and prepare for what is coming. More and more over the past couple of days God is encouraging my heart to take one day at a time and not worry about our future. He called our family of five here and he's not going to just drop us off somewhere and not care for us. So I have been trying to focus on the day I'm living and make the most of each day.
    The wonderful thing is that only a few hours after I wrote the blog, a couple who lives and works in Melut where we hope to move to, called us on skype to talk through some details. They also assured us that whenever we come, there are multiple housing options for us. That was such an answer to prayer. There are still many things up in the air, but God knew we needed a bit of encouragement and He gave it to us when we needed it. I'm so thankful. Thank you to those who are praying and to those who have emailed me to encourage me.

Wrestling

Bethany here. I know that most of the time we write about places we've visited or events in our family but every now and then I find it beneficial not only for myself but for you, our readers, to get a window into what is going on in our hearts. I don't have to tell you that living overseas in a very different culture and studying one of the most difficult languages in the world is challenging. But lately a new struggle has been going on in my mind and heart - a wrestling match if you will.
    I am the type of person who thrives when my life is organized and planned out, when I know what to expect, when I can make plans and prepare myself and my family for change, etc. Unfortunately I have none of that in Sudan. No matter how hard I try to organize and plan, life is always changing, plans change, weather changes, etc. Lately it's been harder for me than usual, especially since we are anticipating a move back to South Sudan in less than 3 months. Knowing our time in Khartoum is nearing a close, I've already felt myself withdrawing (though very unintentionally.) The difficult part for me is that I don't know what will come next for our family of five. All I know is that we will have a conference in Kenya in April and most likely pack up our Khartoum home and take our things to Nairobi. After that, we don't know for sure. It might work out as we hope and we can move to Melut in Upper Nile to teach at Gideon Theological College. We might end up at a different base. We might end up staying and teaching here in Khartoum. The hard thing is that we can not make any solid decisions at this point and it is almost driving me crazy.
     The other realization that has been hitting me hard is that wherever we move next in South Sudan will require us living in some sort of temporary housing for at least 5 months (a hut or tent) until our own house can be built. Unfortunately June is when the rainy season begins and that will make it extremely hard maybe even impossible to begin building during that season. So how does one homeschool and try to "settle" and make a "home" when you're living temporarily for a period like 6 months? How does a young American mother do this in a rural area of Sudan?
    These questions are daunting. I have to admit that as I've pondered these things, it's become quite overwhelming at times. But the Lord keeps drawing me back to His lap, reminding me that He called us here, called us to this unpredicatable, unplannable life. God knows me inside and out. He knows this is an inner struggle for me. Yet He will not give me more than I can handle and I believe He will settle our family exactly where He wants us.
    Will these next few months be challenging? Yes. Will this be a difficult year? Yes. What should I do about that? Get depressed? Quit? Complain? NO!!!!! Lord, I commit to follow you wherever you take us and however you want to make it happen. Please just give us the grace and strength and JOY we need to take each day at a time.

The Palace Museum

 Today Eli and I went to visit the Palace Museum here in Khartoum with our friends Brett and Cathy.
The museum is in an old Anglican church built by the British exactly 100 years ago.

 The President's Palace is directly behind the museum. We accidentally pulled into the driveway when we were looking for parking and were reprimanded 2 separate times!

 Encarved in the door of the church it says, "There is but one God."

 Eli, Brett, and Cathy stand in front of the beautiful stained glass windows and the weapons case.

 A beautiful elaborate coffee tray presented as a gift to the President when he visited Port Sudan.

 The first piano brought to Sudan by General Gordon

 The first organ brought to Sudan after Sudan finally got electricity

Our Christmas

 We began our morning with the final reading of our advent: the story of Jesus' birth and then the boys got to open their stockings.

 It was such an added joy to have gifts sent from family and friends in the States to open as well.
Somehow it made it feel like our family was sharing Christmas from afar.

 We had cinnamon rolls for breakfast

 My friend and I got henna done for the Christmas season. The dyed fingertips are a sign of a married woman.

 The BIG gifts this year were new bikes! The boys have been asking for bikes since we got here and this year their grandparents and great-grandma gave this wonderful gift!

 Joshua's first bike

 Trying it out - a little hard at first because of the sand

 Of course friends wanted to help and share in the excitement

What I haven't included here is that we had a very special service at our pastor's home. They have a lovely garden area and set up sound equipment so we could have a lovely Christmas service in their garden. Our church family consists of people from many nations and backgrounds so it was truly worshipful to join and sing and remind one another of God's indescribable gifts for us. After our advent candle lighting, carols, and a short message we fellowshipped and then enjoyed a fabulous potluck with dishes from many cultures. I took stuffed chicken with American style sage dressing.
    Another highlight of our Christmas happened in the evening. Around 5 pm we packed up loads of plates of Christmas cookies and wrapped 2012 calendars that have Bible verses in Arabic in them and went to visit our friends and neighbors to wish them a Merry Christmas and share a bit of our Christmas tradition with them. It was lovely to spread some Christmas cheer and the boys did great after 3 solid hours of being in peoples' homes.
    We will forever treasure this Khartoum Christmas knowing we may never have one like it again since we will most likely be in South Sudan next Christmas and the Christmases thereafter. Our hearts are brimming over...

Arabic Christmas Pageant

 Last night our Arabic Language School gave a presentation of the Christmas story, all in Arabic, to our teachers, staff, and our families. Each class prepared a part of the story to present in Arabic. Eli and my class did a small skit explaining the significance of each of the wise men's gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. In the picture above Eli gave the introduction for our skit.

 This is part of the audience - other students, teachers, family, etc.

 It worked out perfectly that one of our school mates recently had a baby in November so his wife posed as Mary and their new son had his first acting debut as Baby Jesus! Our classmate, Beth, presented gold to baby Jesus, symbolizing the truth that he was King of all Kings.

 I presented burning incense as a symbol that Jesus would be the last and greatest High Priest

 Eli brought the myrrh. He went to the market here in Khartoum and found all the different minerals and perfumes they combine to prepare a dead body for burial. He brought them on a tray to give to Jesus to symbolize that Jesus would die for the sins of the whole world.

 After our dramas and speeches, we presented special gifts to each of the teachers to thank them for their patience with us over the months.

We also gave a gift of thanks to our director and his wife. They are the couple who run the school.
It was a very fun program followed by food from all of our unique countries: Switzerland, Germany, Brazil, the US, Uganda, etc.