Abukloi School: We Can South Sudan!

Today, Thursday, we went to the Catholic Compound where our pre-session classes will be held, to receive students' applications. You may remember that the radio employee suggested we might get 3,000 students apply if we didn't limit the way we do this. Well, that didn't happen. We had 19 students come to apply which gives us a total of 32 as some pre-registered. Of those, 2 are female. Tomorrow we will give them their entrance exam. It will help us know what they need in terms of English. This Sunday we are hoping that all 14 churches in Rumbek will announce the information about the school. This will likely reach different people than the radio did and was the suggestion of the Episcopal Bishop. Those students will register NEXT Thursday and take their entrance exam the following day. We plan to start classes Monday, Sept. 30. What surprised us today was the age of the students. Because we asked for students who had completed primary but not currently in secondary school we got older students. The oldest is 32 and the youngest 14 with an average age of 22. Their stories revealed the struggles of the people here. They really want education but poverty keeps getting in the way. Some of them spoke of needing to help with the cattle camp. Those who do that do not go to school. Many of them spoke of the fees of public schools. It was overcast today with some rain off and on which reduced the temperatures and increased the breeze - no complaints here! We know God sent us here with a plan. Please keep praying we follow the Spirit in this!