My dear friends:
	Grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.
	The latest news from Sudan is that truly is not a whole lot of new  
news, meaning that all is calm and well here. The problems that  
existed before are still present, but much less intense, and I have  
complete freedom to roam around town, usually on my own. This is a  
great change from when I left last year, when I couldn't even go to  
Church on my own. I still take precautions, and never go to the  
market alone, of course, but I do walk back and forth from school to  
Father Joseph's home without escort a few times a day.
	Father Joseph and I have had very good talks about my future, and we  
are convinced that I will be able to return here in January to teach.  
Much will depend on the situation, of course, but we have great faith  
that all shall be well. Part of my work when I return to the States  
will be to convince the Mission Personnel Office in New York that  
continuing work in Sudan is worth it, even it if means I have to  
travel back and forth to the States (and perhaps a different country)  
two or so times per year. This is not the ideal situation, but it is  
the best we can come up with.
	I will be returning on 1 September, providing the flight actually  
takes off. There have been great problems with weather of late,  
including a lot of flooding in Khartoum, and some flights have been  
canceled. When that happens, there is nothing that can be done except  
to wait. We do know that every single flight to London via British  
Airways is completely booked until 5 September (it's the Amman-London  
leg that is booked, not the Khartoum-Amman leg). Father Joseph's trip  
to the United States has  been delayed because his visa has yet to  
arrive; it now looks like the earliest date he can leave is 5  
September, even if he visa arrives today. (He is on the waiting list  
for 29 August, but BA told him not to hope too much.)
	At present, the water situation continues to be quite iffy. We had  
enough rain over five days to give us three-quarters of a barrel of  
water. But now the rains are insufficient -- for the past four days,  
we literally have had 10 minutes' total rain, and that very light.  
The water in the pipes was pretty clean for a few days, then reverted  
to milk chocolate in color, then was turned off. It has returned  
today and is light tan, meaning that if we can get the chemicals to  
treat it, we can use it for bathing and washing clothes. We are still  
buying bottled water every day (my water filtration system remains  
locked up in Bishop Daniel's house -- no one has the key, and  
frankly, he has filled that house will all of his belongings from  
Khartoum, so even if I could get in, I wouldn't be able to find the  
bag).
	I will remain in Renk until next Thursday morning, 30 August. That  
day, Father Isaac Chol Aleer, who is one of my great friends and  
"brothers" here, will bring me via speed bus to Khartoum. I will stay  
at the Flat Extra, in a secure hotel, until leaving for the airport  
on Friday night, about midnight. If Father Joseph is still here, he  
will take me to the airport. Otherwise, Isaac now knows the routine  
and is quite capable of watching over me. (On a lighter note, because  
I am considered Isaac's "sister," I received a cow when Isaac's  
daughter was married in June. It's a red one, called Aluel, which  
will become my Dinka name as soon as I "take possession" of said cow.  
I hope to go see my cow this weekend, at the cattle camp where Isaac  
most graciously is caring for it. All of this is to illustrate how  
close our relationship is.)
  	I do wish I could stay longer -- the students and I have been  
having a grand time, not just in classes but in dinners at my house  
and in our informal gatherings. We have sung together, had Cokes  
together, done a bit of dancing and told very good jokes -- not an  
easy thing when trying to translate things into two or three  
different languages. I very much am looking forward to returning to  
be with these men in January; we have a special bond that I want to  
continue. I have told them that I consider them my "children," in  
that I am helping to prepare them to go back out into the world with  
all kinds of new knowledge and ability, and that I very much want  
them to succeed. They have told me they consider me both their  
"mother" (and I am more than old enough to be the mother of some of  
these young men!) and their "sister." They go back and forth in  
calling me "Mother" and "Sister."
	I already have begun booking preaching and teaching dates upon my  
return. September's Sundays are all taken; I have one open date in  
October; and I have booked one date in November. Regardless of what  
happens next in Sudan vis-a-vis my return, I still feel a need to  
tell this marvelous story, and I need to keep busy. Booking the dates  
does quite the good job of keeping me off the streets at an awkward  
age, as my friend Missie puts it.
	Please to keep praying for this country. We are uncertain what will  
happen next, but remain convinced that God is blessing us and will  
continue to bless us here.
	Peace,
	Lauren