Birthdays..

This week one of our number celebrated his birthday (Dr Rob, the boss). This, along with my own impending birthday on August 25th (not that I'm dropping hints) served as a timely reminder of something I've been meaning to share with you for a while. None of my friends here know when their birthdays are, or even how old they are. Usually they try and work it out from what they can remember, and it tends to change from time to time.

The other day I was having a bad day, and not only because I had to spend the whole day cutting and welding metal together. At the end of the day Iwas sitting with some of my friends under a tree when Joash asked me, "Kevin, why do you keep quiet like that".

When I explained to him that I'd had a bad day he said, "In our culture we say that it's your birthday". I thought he'd misheard me and explained "No no, I said I had a bad day, not that it's my birthday...it's Dr Rob's birthday today not mine"

He replied, "Yes, we say that if you are having a day like that, when you are unhappy, it means it muyst be the day you were born". I'm not sure what I think of that one to be honest. Was certainly an interesting exchange.

Speaking of anniversaries, of sorts, this evening at team devotions we were remembering some of our predecessors here who were among the first SIM Missionaries in Sudan in the late 30's. There were 5 of them here, working in the clinic (part of which still exists today) and building bridges with the then unreached Mabaan tribe. 70 years ago this month, two of them were killed when the clinic was bombed during World War Two, having only been here for 6 months or so.

Makes you think about the sacrifice these people were willing to make, living in a hard, isolated place(there were no planes waiting to come and whisk you away...no airstrip either), and staying even though they knew they were in danger. In order to spread the message of Jesus. I wonder if I'd be willing to do that, or if I'd be allowed to...probably not. One of my colleagues offers some eloquent insight (and some photos) here.

While we are on the subject of photo's, it was brought to my attention recently that I have offered you no pictures of the building project I am woring on on this particular medium and so you have all being relying on your imagination on the occasions when you ponder what my work looks like.

So, in the next few days I shall endeavour to post some up to date pictures so that your overworked imaginations can get some respite. I will however have to think creatively about how to get these pictures as I seem to have misplaced my camera, but dont worry. I wont let you down...