We are off to South Sudan!
By Lindsay
Steve and I are delighted to be joining Medair, a fantastic Humanitarian Aid organisation working in 11 countries around the world including South Sudan, meeting the needs of some of the most vulnerable people (medair.org). I was properly introduced to Medair last month when I attended the excellent ROC (Relief & Recovery Orientation Course) which introduced me to the world of Humanitarian work and threw me into scenarios where I began to imagine what it may be like living and working in a different environment. It was brilliant, and I came away really impressed with Medair and keen to get going.
Steve has already worked with Medair in South Sudan, so for him, this journey is different to my own where I am balancing excitement with some trepidation and a lot of list making. He will be working as a WASH Advisor (WASH stands for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene - basically loos and access to clean water) so he will be looking in on Medair's WASH projects across the country. I am going to be working as the Base Manager helping support staff living and working in Juba through ensuring the building is functioning and well staffed. I'm looking forward to meeting the local staff who I'll be working alongside - drivers, cleaners, guards and cooks etc. - and our wider team of international staff who we will be living with on the compound.
This is not entirely out of the blue - I finished a Masters in International Development last year, and having spent some time in Uganda and Malawi feel very drawn to East Africa and giving my time towards helping people with a different set of needs. God has led me carefully through the last couple of years, bringing me out of a job where I was very involved in supporting people in Nottingham and into a part time role where I was able to take a step back. This provided an opportunity to give God a chance to bring some new desires into my heart, and here we are!
For Steve, he has never been too far from wanting to rejoin Medair! If we hadn't met and married, he would probably already be elsewhere... So we now have around 6 weeks on the clock to pack up and go. We have our house sorted (thank you God) and everything seems to have slotted into place so far...
Thanks for joining us in Blog-land for this season of our lives, please do stay in touch (we will have good internet in Juba) and let us know your news as we bombard you with ours!
Steve & Lindsay x
So excited for you two! Looking forward to sharing in your adventures 😁
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