Welcome to Yabus!

Some things are as we expected - others not. We are SO thankful to be here and to begin settling into our new home. We wanted to update our prayer partners and say thank you for praying us all the way here – it was certainly a long journey. The most exciting part for me was to see the four cable reels at the airport and to assist in loading one reel into the plane with us. With five men we were able to roll the cable reel up a ramp into the back of a truck and then up a ramp from the truck to the plane. Whew! What is especially remarkable to me is the number of people who have a stake in this bridge – who are invested or involved in some way. Customs folks, logisticians, taxi drivers, airport security, pilots, and now the people of Yabus. When the plane landed in Yabus we rolled it out of the plane onto a truck and then drove it to the site. When the day comes, we'll unroll the cable from the reel and get a large group of people together to set it into place.

The SIM Secondary School recently finished a new faculty house that is not yet occupied, and they decided that we should use it while we're here. It is beautiful! With half-height masonry walls and wood framing above (with bamboo siding) it is quite breezy and cool. On the day we arrived we hustled to mount our solar panel to the roof and plug everything in so that we have a couple lights and a plug strip for charging our computer. I am so thankful for the opportunity to learn how to set up a solar system!

The kids have been having a lot of fun playing with the other kids here and seem to have adjusted already! Em and I are finding that while many things take much longer to accomplish without running water, we are very much enjoying the company of our highschool friends the Faders and are enjoying the cushy service of our Sudanese cooks and clothes-washers!

I have already been asked to be on the board of directors for Microenterprise Yabus, Ltd., which is beginning its first in a hopefully long series of micro-loan programs. This is a very exciting venture to be a part of, and it will be fun to see these aspiring business-owners build their businesses and provide for their families.

I visited the bridge site today to assess the construction and to work on a schedule with the project manager, Eli. The towers look terrific, and the work has come a very long way. I am very impressed and very excited for the work ahead. The first step, beginning tomorrow, will be to complete the concrete works (tower thresholds and soil anchors) so we can allow them to cure while we prepare for the next phase. The schedule will be very tight.

Each morning we begin the day with a time of devotion and prayer, joining the Sudanese, Indian, American and Swiss teachers at the BELC (Basic Education and Learning Center – the adult education program). This is a great team to be a part of, and we are thrilled to be here, serving alongside them. Blessings on you all!