A letter from Lynn and Sharon Kandel serving in South Sudan
November 2015 – Cautious Hope
Life can get so busy or intense at times that you need to step back and be reminded of the important things. Getting away is a good thing. We went to Kenya for a week, and it was a good time of relaxing, enjoying cooler temperatures, and talking. Oh, yes, and having chocolate milkshakes! Back in Juba, things have been tense with an increase in crime all over the city. While this is not unusual leading up to Christmas, it has started earlier this year and has seemed more violent, according to our South Sudanese friends. I realize that this must seem odd since Christmas is supposed to be a happy family time celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior. For the people of South Sudan this time of year is hard because money is scarce. The consequence is theft as people try to get money to buy things for their children. It is easy to focus on the bad and negative, so we find that our trips to Kenya help us to step back and get a better perspective.
