January 28, 2006
Deb is well and reported that she was busy working on a sermon to deliver at the main service in the Lui Cathedral on Sunday. She has preached at the English service there before but this is going to be the first time doing it for the main service. She has to do a 30 minute sermon. Considering that it has to be translated into Moru it is hard to be sure about the timing.
She described her typical day as starting at about 8:30 at the Samaritan’s Purse clinic in Lui, where she does rounds with the pediatrician. She helped to drain fluid from around the heart of another child this week, but there was concern the patient may have active TB in addition to other ailments. She is quickly learning about tropical pediatrics. Her day usually ends about 7:30 in the evening when she finishes teaching English.
While we were talking I heard a loud rooster crowing, which she said she barely notices any more. And there was also the sound of 10 people drumming under a mango tree not far away. The mango trees are heavy with fruit and soon it will be ripe and she will be eating more of it than ever before.
She had less company than usual this week as many of the English speakers were away at a synod meeting in Juba. The staff at the cathedral was busy starting to prepare for the arrival of the February group that is going to visit. This means they were trying to get the critters out of the huts they will be using.
Deb has a British book to recommend for anyone who wants to learn more about Southern Sudan. It is Cry for Sudan by William Mather (Paperback, Price: $9.99 at Amazon, Publisher: Terra Nova Publications, Published: Spring 2004, ISBN: 1-901-94933-8). She suggested that those planning to come next month read it before the trip.
Speaking of critters, the latest was a large toad, about the size of her fist. She took a few containers to the Samaritan’s Purse clinic one morning to fill with clean water. She has gear for filtering the water but using theirs extends the life of hers, and they have offered it to her. In any case she filled the containers and put them into her backpack. Then she set it down while making rounds. When she picked it up to leave the toad jumped out, startling her enough to drop it. Toads are harmless but its just something else to get used to in Lui.