CNN live

I got to experience a special delivery this week, not of a baby but of children. Back in November I wrote about the organization that stole 103 children who have been kept at the orphanage for the last 4 months. Our good friends there have worked tirelessly and with little help from outside organizations including the well advertised and funded UNICEF (although they were “in charge” of taking them home). So, if you were watching CNN this weekend and didn’t hear the names Annemarie, Annalina, Phillipe, Saleh Idriss, or Carmen or those of the Chadians who prepared their every meal and kept them clean then you can know that these were the amazing people who took care of them all this time. I guess I just wanted to make sure credit was given where it was due. I have no idea what the media said though.

All that to say I was in the convoy that headed to the Eastern border of Chad to return these children. We went to Adre to do some repairs on the WEC property out there but it’s safer to travel by convoy and we’d been waiting for one for months so we were happy to join them. We were there as the Chadians gave speeches and as the first children were returned to their parents after more than four months. What a joyous reunion! We also watched the CNN reporter struggle through the harsh conditions of Chad (heat, dry, and poor roads- an understatement). He mentioned to our director that he wished he’d gone to Palestine or Israel for the weekend instead. Chad isn’t for the weak. It took 6 hours to drive the 170 kilometres there with the road conditions which caused holes in the radiator hose, only 4 hours on the way home.

I thoroughly enjoyed our time in Adre. It’s actually cooler there as it’s about 1000 feet higher in altitude. From there we could look over the border into Sudan and it’s well known Darfur region. We saw the bullet holes in the home of some good friends of ours and I talked with a high school biology teacher who is one of only 5 teachers in charge of over 300 students. Not many are willing to go teach in this war torn town. It’s hard to believe what this town often faces as it seemed so tranquil, it was a relaxing weekend.

I also got one more sick day in before leaving Abeche, in one more week. As the heat soared to over 40 degrees and the fans sat still due to a lack of electricity it was more and more uncomfortable to be sick. Praise the Lord it was only really bad for about 12 hours and that the power came on an hour and a half earlier than it usually does. Most days the power goes out around 7 in the morning and returns between 4 and 5 in the afternoon. That day it came on at 2:30- Machallah (praise the Lord).

I have one week left in Abeche and a month left in Chad (to the day today). I heard Manitoba got some reprieve from the cold this week. I hope that continues for you and that it’s all warmed up by the time I get home! Have a great week everyone.