Houston is home to approximately 1400 Sudanese. Under the direction of David Humphrey, the Houston office is pleased to work with area churches and other volunteers to provide help and encouragement for southern Sudanese in the area.
EVERYONE SCREAMS FOR ICE CREAM AT BACK-TO-SCHOOL PARTY Posted on September 30, 2009
To kick off the new school year, Aid Sudan’s Houston office and a group from Humble Area’s First Baptist Church held a Back-to-School Ice Cream Party on September 12th at the Sudanese Development Center. Around 70 Sudanese and Americans came out to enjoy games, indulge in ice cream and listen to encouragement from their elders about the importance of working hard and staying in school.
Not without a splash of cultural tradition, the Sudanese taught their new American friends a series of tribal dances. Over bowls of ice cream and amidst lots of laughs, Americans and Sudanese shared what they had in common and learned more about each other.
Thanks to Veronica Ajak for the great idea and to the group of volunteers from Humble Area’s First Baptist Church for providing all the ice cream and toppings!
2nd ANNUAL AID SUDAN 5K DRAWS OVER 600 posted on May 11, 2009
Despite threats of inclement weather, more than 600 runners and walkers took part in Aid Sudan’s 2nd Annual 5K Fun Run and Walk on April 25th in Houston! The event, sponsored by Houston’s First Baptist Church, started with a Kids 1K Run in Bear Creek Park followed by a 5K for adults of all ages.
The weather turned out to be perfect for race day. Aid Sudan Executive Director Peter Swann fired the gun to signal the start of the race. Then nineteen minutes and fifty-one seconds later, the first runner crossed the finish line. After the race, Sudanese and American winners were recognized at an awards ceremony with certificates given out by Moses Project missionaries Maker and Jengmer.
It was an awesome gathering of Americans and Sudanese and a great opportunity for people to learn more about Aid Sudan’s ministry. Peter reminded the crowd that while Americans run for exercise and fun, Sudanese run as a means of survival. Thank you to Houston’s First Baptist Church for their support of Aid Sudan and for sponsoring and organizing such a great event!
LIFE SKILLS CLASSES
To acclimate Sudanese into the American way of life, Aid Sudan’s Houston office offers several life skills classes. Taught by local volunteers, the classes offered include cooking and nutrition, English as a second language, computer skills and discipleship of local Sudanese church leaders.
Currently, the Sudanese Development Center offers classes in Arabic on Friday mornings from 10:00 a.m. – 12 p.m. and an English class for women on Saturday mornings at 10 a.m.For information on teaching or enrolling in these classes, please contact David Humphrey at david@aidsudan.org.
SUNDAY WORSHIP
Come worship with the local Sudanese community! The Aid Sudan team attends worship at the Sudanese Community Church which meets each Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at ChristChurch Presbyterian in Bellaire. Click here for directions.
GIFTS IN KIND
There are many ways you can get involved and make a difference in the lives of the southern Sudanese in Houston. One of these ways is to donate tangible items based on the specific needs of the community. We are currently accepting donations for like-new computers and laptops as well as bookshelves for the community center. Aid Sudan will be glad to receive these items and pass them along to waiting Sudanese friends.
If you’re interested in volunteering to help in any way or if you have any questions about the local work in Houston, please contact our Houston Director, David Humphrey at david@aidsudan.org or 713-414-5493.
Sometimes it is difficult to be away from my family in southern Sudan because when something serious happens, I need to be there, but I also need to be here ...