During my years of deputation, I was sometimes asked if the weather gets very hot in Chad. Well, the short answer is, "Yes!" It can indeed get very hot there. I've not yet been there myself during the hottest part of the year, but I've heard it can be almost unbearable at times. On the other hand, when I arrived in Chad on my first visit to the country in early January 2011, the temperatures were quite pleasant.
To get a more specific and objective idea of the temperatures in Chad, I looked up the listed weather statistics* for Sarh, one of the largest cities in southern Chad, and compared them to other cities in the world. Keep in mind, though, that these statistics tell only part of the story. Humidity, wind, rain, sunshine, and the availability of heating and cooling systems all combine with the temperature to make the environment feel pleasant or unpleasant. Of course, on individual days the temperature may be much higher or lower than the listed average, as well.
For brevity, I'll just list Sarh along with the two cities where I spent the majority of my life before I began full-time missionary work (you can look up your own hometown on Weatherbase.com and make your own comparisons):
Des Moines, Iowa:
Average annual high: 15 C / 60 F
Average annual low: 4.6 C / 40.2 F
Average high during the hottest month of the year: 30 C / 86 F
Average high during the coldest month of the year: -1 C / 29 F
Average low during the hottest month of the year: 18.9 C / 66.1 F
Average low during the coldest month of the year: -11.3 C / 11.7 F
Melbourne, Australia:
Average annual high: 19 C / 67 F
Average annual low: 10.2 C / 50.4 F
Average high during the hottest month of the year: 26 C / 80 F
Average high during the coldest month of the year: 12 C / 55 F
Average low during the hottest month of the year: 14.6 C / 58.3 F
Average low during the coldest month of the year: 6 C / 42.8 F
Sarh, Chad:
Average annual high: 35 C / 95 F
Average annual low: 20.8 C / 69.5 F
Average high during the hottest month of the year: 40 C / 104 F
Average high during the coldest month of the year: 30 C / 86 F
Average low during the hottest month of the year: 24 C / 76 F
Average low during the coldest month of the year: 17 C / 62 F
So just which months are the hottest and coldest months of the year in Chad? This was a surprise to me when I first learned about it. The hottest time of the year in Chad is neither July (as in America) or Jan-Feb (as in Australia). It's March and April! That's because March and April are the end of the dry season in Chad, and the weather gets very hot as it gears up for rainy season. Once the rainy season actually sets in, the rain tends to cool things off a bit.
As for the coldest month in southern Chad, that is a little harder to decide. August actually has the lowest average highs (30 C / 86 F) as it is the height of rainy season and the rain helps it to not get so hot during the day, but Dec-Jan are the coldest months at nighttime (17 C / 62 F). It is also much less humid in Dec-Jan than in August, so if you ever visit me in Chad, you'll probably find that the middle of the dry season in late December or early January have the most pleasant weather.
* All weather statistics are taken from www.weatherbase.com. Other sources may vary as to the exact figures but at least this gives an idea.
February Prayer Letter
Dear Prayer Supporters,
Greetings from Bordeaux in southwestern France! Has it really been six weeks already since I moved here? Time has flown by so quickly! My days have been quite busy, as I have been settling in, starting classes, and learning how everything works over here. It isn't always easy, but the Lord has given grace.
Settling In
The Lord provided an apartment quite quickly after I arrived. It is in an excellent location, within easy walking distance from the church, the university, and the tram stop. It is comfortable and quite adequate for my needs, and I do enjoy sleeping in the same bed every night! Please contact me for my new mailing address.
I hope to soon have a working phone, but several delays and technical difficulties have slowed down that process, so my phone is not yet operational as I write this letter. Please pray that the difficulties with the phone service will soon be solved.
Language School While I was getting settled in, I was also starting into language classes. I took the placement test for my French language studies a couple weeks after my arrival. I was placed into level 1D, which is actually the third level of six (the first level beyond the two introductory levels). This has turned out to be just the right level for me - another reason to praise the Lord! My French is stretched to the limit every day, but by this means my French is also gradually but steadily improving. But I still have a long way to go before I am fluent in the language! Please keep praying for me as I study.
The above photo of me was taken on my very first day at the university, right after taking the placement test.
International Classmates
One of the interesting aspects of studying French as a foreign language here in France is the opportunity to rub shoulders with students of many different nationalities. I have classmates from eastern Europe, South America, Asia, and Australia, many of whom have never heard the gospel before. Please pray that I will be a good testimony to my fellow students. Pray in particular for Rebecca, Jessica, April, and Miyu. Pray for the church plant here in Bordeaux to grow spiritually, and pray for the salvation of the unbelievers who are attending.
Thank you for partnering with me in prayer!
In Christ's Service,
Anna Beth Wivell
In Christ's Service,
Anna Beth Wivell
A Typical Day in Language School
I haven't been updating this blog much for the last few weeks, partly due to being very busy, and partly due to the fact that language school, while very helpful and necessary for a missionary, is not too exciting to read about. But all the same, I thought you might like to know what a typical day is like for me - now that I am mostly settled in with a regular routine.
If you know me well, you probably know that I am a natural early riser. So it is quite normal for me to be awake and alert at around 5:30am. I exercise, have breakfast, spend some time with the Lord, and get ready for the day. On most days, my classes start at 8:30 so I leave my apartment around 8:00 and walk to school, usually getting there with time left over for a little last-minute studying. I usually have around 4 hours of classes each day.
Here in France, meal times are very important - not surprising when you consider that French gave the English language words like "gourmet", "connoisseur", "restaurant", and "cuisine". So there is always a good time allowed for lunch - at least an hour, sometimes an hour and a half. I prefer to bring a packed lunch, and that doesn't take long to eat, so I usually have extra time to do homework and write emails. By the time my classes are over and I walk home, it is usually late afternoon.
After class, I sometimes take the tram to the bank or grocery store to run errands. There are no grocery stores in walking distance - except for the bakery, which is almost next door (yum! French bread is really good!). Thankfully, France has an excellent public transportation system. I typically have a few hours of studying to do in the afternoon and evening, with a bit of time left to rest and unwind before bed.
So there you are - a typical day in language school for a first-term missionary ... at least for this first-term missionary! Please continue to pray that I will be a good testimony for the Lord to my fellow students. Pray especially for my classmates Rebecca, Jessica, April, and Miyu.
On another note, please pray also for a university graduate student who has visited the church several times recently. She visited as part of her research for a project on world religions, but has expressed that she is fascinated by what she has seen and wants to know more. As far as I can gather from listed statistics, there is scarcely any gospel witness in her homeland in east Africa, and not much in France either. Yet in spite of all, the Lord brought her our way so she could hear the gospel. The Lord has impressed her on my heart many times this week to pray for her. Please pray with me that she will come to know our wonderful Savior.
If you know me well, you probably know that I am a natural early riser. So it is quite normal for me to be awake and alert at around 5:30am. I exercise, have breakfast, spend some time with the Lord, and get ready for the day. On most days, my classes start at 8:30 so I leave my apartment around 8:00 and walk to school, usually getting there with time left over for a little last-minute studying. I usually have around 4 hours of classes each day.
Here in France, meal times are very important - not surprising when you consider that French gave the English language words like "gourmet", "connoisseur", "restaurant", and "cuisine". So there is always a good time allowed for lunch - at least an hour, sometimes an hour and a half. I prefer to bring a packed lunch, and that doesn't take long to eat, so I usually have extra time to do homework and write emails. By the time my classes are over and I walk home, it is usually late afternoon.
After class, I sometimes take the tram to the bank or grocery store to run errands. There are no grocery stores in walking distance - except for the bakery, which is almost next door (yum! French bread is really good!). Thankfully, France has an excellent public transportation system. I typically have a few hours of studying to do in the afternoon and evening, with a bit of time left to rest and unwind before bed.
So there you are - a typical day in language school for a first-term missionary ... at least for this first-term missionary! Please continue to pray that I will be a good testimony for the Lord to my fellow students. Pray especially for my classmates Rebecca, Jessica, April, and Miyu.
On another note, please pray also for a university graduate student who has visited the church several times recently. She visited as part of her research for a project on world religions, but has expressed that she is fascinated by what she has seen and wants to know more. As far as I can gather from listed statistics, there is scarcely any gospel witness in her homeland in east Africa, and not much in France either. Yet in spite of all, the Lord brought her our way so she could hear the gospel. The Lord has impressed her on my heart many times this week to pray for her. Please pray with me that she will come to know our wonderful Savior.
Life in Language School
I'm already into my second week of classes and am getting settled into a routine. Four days a week, I make the ten-minute walk to class in the morning, and return to my apartment in the late afternoon when the classes are finished. If I need to run errands in the afternoon, the tram stop is about a five-minute walk from my apartment, and the bank and grocery stores are a short tram ride away. A mission church plant is very close by, maybe a three-minute walk, so I enjoy participating in church services and young adult activities three or four times a week.
After several years of nearly constant traveling and meeting new people, I am enjoying the opportunity to build friendships with people at church as well as classmates at the university. Today the Lord gave me the opportunity to share the gospel - as best I could in my rather halting French - with several classmates after class was over. Pray that they understood at least some of what I was trying to share with them, and keep praying for more opportunities, especially as my French improves enough to converse more easily.
After several years of nearly constant traveling and meeting new people, I am enjoying the opportunity to build friendships with people at church as well as classmates at the university. Today the Lord gave me the opportunity to share the gospel - as best I could in my rather halting French - with several classmates after class was over. Pray that they understood at least some of what I was trying to share with them, and keep praying for more opportunities, especially as my French improves enough to converse more easily.
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