"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them."

- Mark Twain

Just a quote I've used a couple times recently, so I thought I would throw it up on the blog.

Again nothing great to say, but a few tidbits before I go another week without internet.

I have been mostly researching churches, driving around trying to create a good list of what is here, and learning the history of as many as I am able to meet with. Of course it is rainy season, so probably less than half of the churches are accessible right now. And I have wasted hours and hours of my life trying to reach some only to give up in defeat later. Along with a slew of vehicle problems, I feel like I've put in a lot of effort for little accomplishment.

None the less, Sudan always comes with some highlights, and what I think will eventually be fond memories.

- After being misinformed about how far it was to the "big city" of an area, I got caught in the middle of nowhere without headlights while driving at night. I was crawling, but it was pitch black and I managed to go off the road. When I tried to adjust I swung the whole back of the truck off and found myself stuck on a 45degree angle. I slept in a tent by the side of the road, and discovered that Sudan never sleeps, as people were moving by all night, singing, chatting and having a good old time. And of course plenty of people stopped to point and question me in languages I don't understand.

- While representing SP at an opening celebration for a church we helped build, I was nearly trampled by two Dinka guys having a fist fight. A lot of the boys who live at cattle camps were there, and those boys are wild. Think of how crazy people get in an all male dorm at college, then multiply it by about a hundred. More like Lord of the Flies actually.

- One of our key national staff broke his kneecap into three pieces while playing football, and we drove him into town this morning so we could send him to Nairobi for surgery. A bit silly that he could have had that surgery in thousands of locations in the U.S. and none in South Sudan.

- My buddy Steve Myles was pressed into duty leading worship when we stayed with some friends, when he admitted to knowing how to play guitar. But this was his first worship leading experience, and turns out he can't sing and play at the same time. Pretty funny. Steve is the guy who kept me sane for the past month, as he was my only friend for the majority of that time. He's finished his contract now and on his way home. I'm gonna miss that guy a lot.

- I was fairly far into a meal a week and a half ago before I realized I was eating a soup full of goat intestines and other unpleasantries. We have some names for this soup, but I will not share them here for the sake of keeping the blog child-friendly.

Currently working through The Pilgrim's Progress. More devotional than an exciting novel experience, but some really good things to say. I'll bet most believers would find at least one or two ideas in it that would give them pause.