NE Africa & Middle East

Published on August 01, 2005 by Naomi Delgado

We have spent the past three and a half months in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) Region. What an experience it has been! My eyes have been opened to a beautiful culture and a world very different from my own. My thoughts and ideas of the Arab world are forever changed! Jordan is a beautiful country, with so much rich Biblical history. I had the opportunity to visit a school for handicapped children. We had a great time singing songs and painting their little hands and faces. The children were thrilled with the puppets and instruments we brought along.

In the Sudan, I had the privilege of experiencing my first Action Team (land project of a week or more. Our assignment involved living with a local Christian family and conducting an English course at the local Community Centre.

My team of six was struck by the poverty in Sudan and the stark living conditions. The Community Centre was nothing more than scrap metal thrown together to form a shed-like building. Our host family, like most Sudanese families, had no running water or electricity in their home. They had so little, but were eager to give what they had and welcomed us into their home.

The English course was a great challenge for us. But the classes were very well received and Christ's love shone through our actions. After teaching six hours a day for 10 days straight with no showers, we returned to the ship exhausted and dirty but very blessed.

-Naomi Delgado