A letter from Debbie Blane in South Sudan
January 2013
Dear Friends,
Greetings from Juba, the capital of South Sudan! I am spending three nights here in Juba on my way back to Malakal from Christmas in Nairobi, Kenya. My flight to Malakal is in the morning and I will be returning to a town that has had no power since I left on December 16.
Please pray for the people of Malakal, both my students and the regular residents. The suffering is great in that town. Simple things like charging a cell phone have become difficult with the lack of power.
There has been no indication when power will be restored.
On the 4th of February I will begin teaching a Concentrated Course, Theology 4, to the seniors of the Nile Theological College (NTC). We will meet for two periods, or three hours, for 12 weekdays in a row. This is why it is called Concentrated. I suppose it kind of like a January session at some colleges in the United States.
In May the current class of seniors will graduate from NTC. This is a milestone as they will be the first class to graduate in the new Republic of South Sudan. Had we remained in Khartoum, Sudan, they would have graduated in December of 2012.
I have written several letters that can be found on my PC(USA) webpage but probably have not reached all of you by email. When I am in Malakal the Internet is limited. If you desire to check out older posts, please visit the webpage: https://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/missionconnections/blane-debbie/
We continue to feel the presence of God through our studies and the community at the Nile Theological College in South Sudan. This is where our hope and our strength to persevere come from. Please continue to pray for us and that Jesus will continue to meet our needs, spiritually, physically and financially. Please continue to pray that our graduates will impact this country in a way that will lift the veil from the eyes of those who do not know Christ and that the country will be guided by principles that may not directly be Christian, but will be grounded in the hopes of basic human rights. Since all life comes from God in Christ, whether or not something is specifically Christian, when it is life-giving and filled with love, it is from God.
My own prayer is that whether students serve in church ministry or in secular capacities they will be living examples to their colleagues and those they serve of the love in Christ lived out in everyday life so that all may know that God desires us to have life and to have it abundantly.
Blessings,
Debbie
The 2013 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 103
Read more about Debbie Blane's ministry
Visit Debbie’s blog: Debbie's Journey Continues
Write to Debbie Blane
Give to Debbie Blane's sending and support
