A letter from Debbie Blane, mission worker in South Sudan
September 2012
Dear Friends,
Greetings! I am currently in Juba, South Sudan. I spent four months in the United States this summer and have now returned to South Sudan to begin my teaching responsibilities at the Nile Theological College in Malakal.
I had the great pleasure of meeting with many groups of people, preaching at many churches, and staying in the homes of many mission committee members this summer as I did Mission Interpretation. Part of what I love about the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is our connectionalism; no church is an island to itself, we are all a part of a greater body of the Presbyterian Church and beyond; joining with other denominational bodies as the Body of Christ throughout the globe. Whether I was in Hollywood, California, or Atlanta, Georgia, I was aware of how our faith in and love of/for Jesus Christ connects us far beyond our connections as human beings and even as Americans.
Our loving and relational Triune God has created such complex webs of interconnection between us as human beings and between human beings and God that the connections are infinite beyond our ability to comprehend. What a lovely web our God has woven, and each of us has a place in the tapestry!
I am currently waiting in Juba, the current capital of South Sudan, for the arrival of all nine pieces of luggage that I brought back with me for my work in Malakal. The pieces include two that are components of a solar generator and one that is a solar oven. Food, books, clothing and an American bedspread are among the other items.
The senior class at the Nile Theological College has but two semesters left now until graduation. They were to have graduated this coming December 2012, but instead their graduation will be in June 2013. The separation between Sudan and South Sudan caused the college in Malakal (in the south) to miss a semester and our academic year has now been shifted.
Please pray for all of us living in Malakal in difficult conditions. Please pray for proper nutrition and good study conditions. Pray that the students will learn all of the good things that God intends for them to learn during this last academic year. And pray for their instructors, including myself, that we are strengthened by the Holy Spirit to be faithful in our teaching and in our own self-care.
Thank you for your support, whether through prayer, love, and/or with your financial resources. However it is that God calls you to be a part of God’s ministry through me at NTC, I am grateful for your partnership!
Blessings,
Debbie
The 2012 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 94
Visit Debbie’s blog: Debbie's Journey Continues
Write to Debbie Blane
Give to Debbie Blane's sending and support
