I live in South Sudan, Africa. I have two brothers, Lucas and Xavier, and two sisters, Rowan and Evangeline. My family and the Smith family, Lydia Vanwingerden, Anna Lise McGowan, and Jan Buchanan live in one compound. Scott Brinkerhoff, Samuel Ward, and the Njuguna family live in the Weer Bei compound, which is where the radio station and school are located. It is about a 15-minute walk from our house.

Where I Live

I live in Parot, which looks like a desert most of the time. It usually only rains from mid-May to September. That’s when it gets the greenest. The months of March and April are the hottest months of year, and the heat is brutal. It reaches 100-115ºF during the day and 80-90ºF at night most of the time! I have screens for windows but no air conditioning or fans.

Cows, goats, and sheep in Africa are like squirrels and chipmunks in America. They are everywhere! And the birds are amazing! I live in a densely populated area, with lots of villages back-to-back. There are lots of little children running around, most only half-clothed, cared for by their older siblings who are only five to ten years old.

School

Last year I went to Cush Christian School (CCS) in the afternoon with my brothers while my sisters went in the morning. The other half of the day we did our regular homeschooling at, well, home. CCS school has yet to start this year, but hopefully it will in May. This year I am a junior teacher and will help with the second-grade teaching in the morning while doing my regular work in the afternoon.

Our Work

My dad drives to a different village Tuesday through Saturday, training men and pastors. He teaches an evening class two nights a week, preaches at a church on Sunday mornings, and preaches for our team Sunday afternoons. He takes most Mondays off to stay at home with us.

As a family, we help to charge people’s phones, otherwise they would have to pay to charge them in the market. Every night, we feed two boys who come to our gate asking to be fed. My mom tries to make enough dinner to have extra for them, but, if not, we give them crackers and peanut butter. Two other boys have been sleeping at our house for three months because their house is too small for their single mom and her nine children.

Benefits/Hardships

One of my favorite things about living here is our animals. We have owned goats, sheep, chickens, cats, turtles, and donkeys! At the moment, we only have our sheep, Gladys, and our two donkeys, Peanut and Hope. The majority of my friends here are ages 16 through 20 because they know English best and we can communicate. Girls do most of the work here, including cooking, cleaning, caring for siblings, and pumping water; so most girls my age are busy all the time. I tried to learn the language, but good and consistent teachers are hard to find. I do spend time with my two closest friends, Akuem and Adhuel. Other friends I see at school, when I play soccer in the village, or at church.

I miss my family and friends in America a lot and think about them all the time. But I am so thankful for the friends I have here, especially the ones right here on our team, like Lydia and Anna Lise. The three of us paint on Wednesdays and Fridays.

God’s Work in South Sudan

Recently in school devotions, I was reminded of a very important fact: This is God’s work and He’s working in the hearts of the people in South Sudan. He is working through us to bring the gospel to them. We aren’t the ones that are changing their hearts, the Lord is. All praise and glory go to Him.

I have had some hard times while my family has been here, but those times have helped remind me that the Lord is always with me, I am never alone, and I need to trust Him in everything.