The first week in Germany was awesome – apart from having to get over Duenge Fever, which I brought back from Sudan. The look on my mum’s face when she saw me standing in the door was definitively worth the flight (she didn’t know I was coming for her 60th)!!! I also had a fantastic time in my church and with my sisters and friends – lots of catching up…I got to England on the 24th of November and pretty much that day my pastor told me that he would actually quite like me doing my Master’s degree at Regents (my former college). After some discussion I met with the dean of postgraduate studies on the 26th and there seemed to be a wide open door that just fitted – I still consider Nantwich my home so it’s nice to be able to spend another year studying here. After some discussions at Elim headquarters we decided it would be best to do the Master’s full-time in one year thus I will be starting in January and finishing off in December.
I’ve had a great time over the last few weeks, which is a real answer to prayer. I was a bit afraid to come back and find that I don’t fit in anymore but I’ve just had such a great welcome and it was/is a joy to catch up with friends at college and at church. I spoke Sudan at a different church every Sunday for the last 4 Sundays which was such a privilege and I enjoyed myself thoroughly – you have to ask the people in the churches whether they also enjoyed listening to me though :-).After all that happened this year it was really good to meet up at Elim headquarters and brainstorm and seek God’s guidance together about the future. You might have gathered from the amount of changes mentioned in my newsletters that this year was a bit chaotic regarding the number of organisations I worked with as my first contract with Open Doors fell through in April. It was never planned like this but looking back I really think God had his hands on every single moment of this year and I am thankful for all the experiences and exposure I had in Sudan. Needless to say though, we are very keen that the problems of this year will not repeat themselves over again when I go back so Elim is now making enquiries on an official/organisational level to have things ready in place for December ‘08.
Please pray for Chris Jones and for the enquiries that will be made over the next few weeks and months. There are a number of options/offers on the table and it will take discernment and wisdom to figure out the best move also keeping in mind the always changing political reality in Sudan.
I will be moving on campus on the 3rd of January straight after I come back from Germany. Please pray that the move goes well and that I settle back into student life quickly. I am a bit nervous as I haven’t studied for the last 1 ½ years so I hope I’ll be ok. Please also pray that I will build good relationships at college.
January is full now, but there are still plenty of free Sundays from February onwards. So if you would like me to come to your church please email either myself or Caroline at missionsadmin@elimhq.net
