News from Melut, South Sudan

A view of Gideon Theological College 

I can't express to you the emotions Eli and I felt this week as we received photos and news from teammates in Melut. Our South Sudan director and fellow teammate flew in to Melut to spend a week assessing the situation in Melut, checking out the markets, and meeting with workers who are currently present
in Melut. We soaked up every tidbit of news and gazed longingly at every photo, remembering a life that seems a universe away and an eternity ago.

GTC staff housing is now housing other relief workers who needed a place to call "base"

The rains have come so it is green again!

Isn't this a picture of peace and beauty?
How can this be a place of war?!

With the rains, comes the mud

One of the sweet boys living on campus

To me this picture represents God holding Melut in His embrace

Boats are back up and running to and fro on the Nile River 

Our front yard

 I know that things change when you're gone. It's just a fact. But there was something in my heart that squeezed with pain when I saw this picture. This is our front yard. This is the view from the porch of our house. What is now tall, uncontrolled grass used to be a large flower garden that I'd planted last rainy season. That area used to be a space where our boys played. The grass was kept short and last year our boys even planted their own vegetable garden.

There is nothing wrong with the fact that it looks different this year. This is not where the Fader Five live this year. This is not where Isaac, Evan and Joshua play every day. Of course it wouldn't remain the same. But I guess this photo reminds me of the memories in that same spot. This photo reminds me that that life will never be the way it was. And that is OK. You know why?

GOD IS STILL THERE.

We are not. But He is.

Samuel, the GTC boat driver

 I wrote an article about Samuel sometime late in 2013. I wrote about Samuel because he is a remarkable fellow that has surprised us in many ways. God brought him to us at GTC in July 2013 when we desperately needed a trustworthy boat driver to run the "ministry" of using the college's boat  to bring in revenue for the college as it shuttled people around the Nile River. Samuel has gone above and beyond our expectations! And we heard this week that Samuel is still there, working hard on the GTC boat, continuing his service to the Lord and to Gideon Theological College. What faithfulness!

Faithful Samuel

Our teammate in the market

Seeing this bounty that is available now in Melut just blew me away!

I know my thoughts and feelings have been all over the place in this blog post. I think the main point I want to get across is:

- God is so faithful. 

- He is working in Melut. 

- And we are thrilled and encouraged.

Do we know what 2015 holds for our family? Not yet.

Are we ready to make a decision? No. Not yet.

Are we at peace and confident that God has a beautiful plan for Gideon Theological College? YES!

For the Fader Five? YES!

Thank you for going on this journey with us. We would so appreciate your prayers for continued peace and stability not only in Melut but in the whole region and the whole country. And we would also covet your prayers for our family as we are homesick for Melut and as we wait on the Lord.

Halfway through our furlough: so what are we thinking?

A flashback to July 2013...

 

Where we were one year ago



Life on the Nile in Africa

 



One year ago, this was my life. My boys spent their days running around with their little Sudanese friends, swimming in the Nile River, and helping their dad out with any project he needed "help" with. My husband was doing what he loved and was passionate about. I enjoyed drinking hot tea and coffee with my friends in the shade of a tree in the heat of the day. Was it an easy, carefree life? No, but it was our calling.

Five months after these photos were taken, the lives of everyone we know and love in South Sudan were changed forever. Fighting broke out in Juba, the capital city of South Sudan, spreading quickly to many areas of the country, including Upper Nile State where we called "home".

After waiting two months to see if the unrest would die down, our family decided to come back to the States for an early home assignment. Our plan was to reconnect with our supporters and get as many people as possible praying for the situation in South Sudan. Our hope has been that peace and stability would return to the country and our region of South Sudan so that, come January 2015, we might return to our "calling" and continue doing what we love and feel God designed us for.

We have now been in the States for five months and it has been a wonderful time. We've traveled all over the country, reunited with our family and friends, and enjoyed some very special and refreshing times as a family. We are starting to hear the question, "Now what?" and I have asked myself the same thing.

Thanks to a book given to me by a special friend, I have been reminded of the value and joy of  "blooming where I've been planted."

"The Nesting Place" has reminded me to take advantage of these next months that we'll be settled in our home in South Carolina. It doesn't matter how long or short we'll be here, we can BE HOME. It would be so easy to allow these months to be consumed with thoughts of what is next, with questions about our future, with research, with shopping and packing, etc. But that doesn't feel like blooming and that definitely doesn't feel like nesting. God has given me another 6 months to be here so I want TO BE.

People might be wondering:
Do I want to just settle back into life in America for good?
Do I want to make our home in Columbia, SC my forever nesting place?

Honestly, no.
I believe this is where God wants us at least through the rest of the year. I don't know what the Lord has for our family in 2015 but I will be ready to move if that is what is next. And by God's grace we will BLOOM wherever He takes us.

Special Reconnect with South Sudan teammates

Over the 4th of July weekend, we were invited to our friends' house in the mountains of North Carolina. The couple who invited us are on our SIM South Sudan team but are on home assignment in the States like we are. They invited us and two other couples who have also served in South Sudan. It was such a special time to reconnect and hear how everyone is doing since returning from the field.

As you can see we did a lot of relaxing and having lots of fun on Lake Toxaway. There was so much to do: skiing, kayaking, paddle boarding, swimming, and much more!

The weather was beautiful and we all had a wonderful time - especially the boys!!

On the night of the 4th we watched a spectacular fireworks show at a nearby golf club. We spread a blanket on the grass and were awed by the huge and beautiful displays of light and sound. :)

One day we all went on a hike to see some waterfalls. They were just beautiful.

Some of the group got daring and climbed up the side of a large rock to then slide down the other side which kind of waterfalled into a small pool below. Yes, Isaac and Evan did it but this nervous mama was holding her breath the whole time!!!

At the top of the rock Eli talked them through what they were going to do

And then down they went!

 

It was a very sweet and special few days, spending time with friends who know what we've been through and what the transition back to the States is like. We were all able to listen to each other, encourage each other, and challenged to press on, each in our unique set of circumstances that God has put us in for now.

Update on South Sudan

The Situation
It has been just over six months since fighting broke out in South Sudan.  The numbers are scary.  While we can only estimate right now, it appears over 15,000 people have lost their lives while close to 1 million people have fled the fighting to return to their homelands or taken refuge within the UN camps around the country.  Often people have fled with only what they can carry so imagine the lost businesses and personal possessions.  Schools in the areas of conflict have suspended, travel is dangerous, and food is scarce.  Those who have fled have made grass shelters to give them shade but the rains come this month so many organizations anticipate a sharp increase in disease.

President Salva Kiir and former Vice President Riek Machar
Leaders of opposing sides of the conflict

The Good News
In early May a peace agreement was signed between the two opposing leaders of the conflict and again on June 10th, they re-affirmed their commitment to peace and gave themselves 60 days to form a transitional government to move the country forward.  Here is the article: Sudan Tribune.
Fighting on the ground has continued but at a much slower pace and intensity.  Hopefully, the main fighting has stopped and the country can move forward in earnest to establish peace.

Gideon Theological College
The school remains closed at this time.  The principal, Kur Deng, has remained at the college but is taking this time to continue his studies doing long distance learning.  Steve and Judi Cochran have continued to live and work on the campus.  Steve is preparing the housing and buildings for when the school opens up again.  The school will most likely remain closed for the rest of the year but we are hopeful to open up again in early 2015.

What Can you do?
Pray that God will give great wisdom to the leaders of South Sudan and those who counsel them as they figure out the next steps.  For you Americans, think of it as 1776 and a new nation is defining who they are and what they want to become.  It is a key time.

Give to Grain for Pain.  This is an organization led by a Christian Southern Sudanese woman that we know from Melut who is helping to meet the needs of those who have fled from the conflict and now are starving from the lack of food.

-Eli

Special Family Time

A Picnic at Lake Murray

Obviously our lives here in the States while on Home Assignment look quite different from our lives while we're in South Sudan. But this year in the States is our season of soaking up as much time with family and friends on this side of the ocean and we are trying to do just that. Eli's sister Alyssa and her family of six came to Columbia, SC last week to spend a few days with us and boy did we maximize our time together!

Bethany playing with her nephew in the lake

The two 5 year old cousins

The whole gang - 7 boys!

Watching World Cup games during lunch

A picnic in the backyard

No Fader reunion is complete without games!

Settling - after many months of moving around

Home school in the sun room

We have now been back in South Carolina for two weeks and we are really enjoying being in one place for a while! The boys seem to appreciate it too. They love having a routine. So we're back to our home school routine every morning and including lots of fun summer activities in the afternoons.

Swimming in the neighborhood pool

Taking bike rides in the neighborhood

Eli was thrilled to be reunited with his motorcycle

Mmmm...fudgesicles on a warm day

Playing in the sprinkler

Photo Book

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Road Trip Finished: May 7, 2014

Packed in our van in Greenville Texas before starting our final leg of the journey back to SC

 

As you all know our family took an epic road trip this spring that lasted 67 days, took us through 21 states and covered 11,000 miles! It's very hard to find words to describe what the last two months have been like: wonderful times of reconnecting with friends, being with family, sharing in churches, raising prayer for South Sudan, and seeing so many incredible, historic sites.  We also want to give glory to God for His protection and provision. Not once did we have a "scare" on the road or car trouble of any kind. All along the way God has provided for our every needs, even blessing us with a "peaceful haven", a 2 bedroom condo in Columbia, SC to call home until our renters' lease is up at the end of June and we can move into our very own home. We have been living in transition since we left South Sudan in early December so that is a very long time not to be settled. Thank you Lord for giving us a little bit of normal for now.

Thank you to all of you who have prayed for us on this journey. For those of you we haven't seen yet, don't worry, our adventures in Odyssey (our van) are not over yet! :)

More highlights of this amazing road trip!

Our boys' dream came true and we got to spend a day at Lego Land!

Lots of special time with Audrey, Bethany's sister down at the beach
We had three years of talking to catch up on!

Just this week we visited the Grand Canyon as we drove through Arizona

The work of God's Hands

Our Happy Travelers