We have arrived in Chad

We are here! After months of planning and preparation, endless hours of French lessons, being completely overwhelmed by boxes, bags and never ending packing, and to top it off an overnight flight across Africa from Uganda via Rwanda and Ethiopia, we have finally made it to Chad! We arrived two weeks ago hot and tired but fell into the loving arms of the amazing MAF team here who have made the transition and settling so much easier. 

Leaving Uganda was tough. Saying goodbye to dear friends and Sam's family was emotionally hard mixed with the tiredness of all the packing, but through it all we had an overwhelming sense of Gods peace and a renewed sense of His calling to Chad. 

And so the next chapter of this journey has begun. The first two weeks have been good, we feel we have begun to settle well and are slowly adapting to all the new experiences. Fortunately we have arrived in the rainy season so the temperatures are relatively cool at 30 degrees(!) although with the humidity it feels a lot hotter. We are currently living on the MAF compound in the home of another family who are away on furlough for the next three months. This has been a great blessing for us to start life here on the compound as it is very well set up for the children and we are with the other two MAF families who are here at the moment.

The compound has lots to keep the children occupied with swings, slide, trampoline, sand pit, a small climbing frame and a paddling pool. With Chad having very little else for the children to do this has been great and Rachel is loving walking out the front door straight onto the trampoline!

At the moment there is no available house for us on the MAF compound so by October we need to find an alternative. We are currently looking at a number of options and so would value prayers in knowing the best way forward. Also, all our household items are currently being stored by MAF in Uganda and so the sooner we have a more permanent home then the sooner we can bring all our things up which will help us, especially the girls to feel more settled. 

Sam began his role as soon as we arrived and is busy getting to grips with all areas of the programme. We have already met some of the partners we fly and it is amazing to hear some of the testimonies about the importance of MAFs presence in Chad. Sam will continue to connect with local NGO's and missionary organisations to understand more about what they do and how we can support them better. 

Having now been here for two weeks, it is interesting to reflect on some of our first impressions of life in Chad. Although on the surface the main centre area of the city seems relatively developed it doesn't take long to see the extent of poverty all around. Many people live in mud houses within a few minutes of the city centre and yet the prices of food here are so high, even by expat standards. Arriving in the rainy season has shown us just how severe the rains are. We were concerned about a bit of flooding in our home, but the next morning as Sam drove to work he was shocked at the extent of flooding and the number of homes submerged. We now understand why MAF is busiest in the rainy season with 90% of the countries roads impassable at this time. Also all our great French lessons have left us confused as here they tend to mix their French with Arabic! On a lighter note, we are slowly getting used to powdered milk, not a lot of cows in Chad!!  

We would ask for your prayers as we settle in these early days:

• For Sam as he gets to know the programme and lead the team here in Chad
• For good friendships to develop both in the programme and with the wider missionary community here
• For the girls as they adjust to yet another new home, new friends, the heat and different food
• For the right permanent house to become available
• For us all as we continue to navigate this journey together as a family.