February 10, 2009

If you have not heard yet, we have a crisis occuring in our extended family. Our sister-in-law Suzanne Ramsey is in ICU in a Kansas hospital. Suzanne is Roxanne's brother Dan's wife (that would be Pastor John and Vivian Ramsey's son and daughter-in-law). Roxanne is flying out today to take care of their 4 small children so Dan can focus on being with Suzanne. Please remember them in your prayers. While Roxanne is in Kansas, and I am here for another 10 days, our girls will be stayign with others. THANK YOU to all who will be watching our girls during this time of crisis!

Here in Africa we have finally finished Genesis 1-3. My idea was to spend ample time in Genesis 1-3, because in theology there is a saying that goes "all of Chrsitian doctrine is in Genesis 1-3". So we covered a lot of it, and now have moved on to Cain and Abel, and into Noah and the Flood. The morning 4 hours of classes go well --- the afternoon 2 hours get long, because it is so hot and humid here.

I talked with one of the students at lunch today. His name is Daniel. His wife died of Malaria about 10 years ago. They have 6 children, one was only 9 months old when his wife died. Daniel was a farmer prior to coming to seminary. He is one of the "lucky" ones in the sense that he only lives about 7 miles from here, and go home on the weekends. His oldest daughter is 17, and she takes care of the home and family. I asked Daniel what we could pray for him, and he said three things: 1) the continual education of his children 2) that his children do not become orphans 3) that he can get remarried. The problem with the last one is that in this culture, the "dowry" is a very real thing, and he cannot afford a wife. He said that he would need to pay at least 500 Sudanese pounds ($250) to the father of the bride in order to marry her, and he doesn't have the money, nor any way to earn it now that he is in the seminary. Please pray for Daniel!

This practice of a dowry is widespread here. In this local area, the custom is to pay money. However, most of the students say that in their tribes, you must pay with cattle. It costs anywhere between 25-50 big and healthy cattle for a wife! They said that since I had two daughters, I could probably get 100 cattle for them! Maybe Kristen and Taryn will get married here in Sudan!! :)

Another interetesting custom is about Mother-in-laws. Apparently a mother in law cannot come under the roof to her son-in-law. Even if she comes to visit, she has to sleep somewhere else. We were studying the story about Jesus healing Peter's mother in law in Mark 1, and they could not understand why his mother in law was in his house! This also seems to be a widespread practice.

On a lighter note, in the local market here in remote Yambio, and even when I was in Kampala, Uganda, I see a lot of Tshirts that have Barak Obama's picture on them!