Goodbye to Chris!

We had our work Christmas party to enjoy a get-together and to show appreciation for the famous Dr. Chris on Dec 17 – a few days before we all left Juba for a break. Chris was Tearfund’s health advisor in Southern Sudan and during the last year, he was blessed with the amazing opportunity of a secondment with WHO, working with the Ministry of Health – doing major things for this country! I know Sudan is a better place because of Chris and we will all miss him dearly. Chris and his wife Karinya worked in Sudan for nearly four years and contributed immensely not just with their talents and skills as doctors, but their friendship as well. At his party, we had drinks, cakes and games (if you know Chris, this is not unexpected – he LOVES games). Me – not so much but I realised I missed a major childhood experience growing up American. Pass the Parcel. This is a game usually played (I’m told) at children’s birthday parties where you wrap loads of gifts, one layer at a time, and pass the package along to music. When the music stops, the person holding the package, unwraps a layer to find a gift. Our Sudanese staff loved this and it was really fun experiencing it with them. We also played the chocolate game which proved interesting in the heat. The chocolate bar was a melted mess by the end. Despite sweating under the Sudanese sun, this Christmas party had all the components of a Christmas celebration, laughter and fun shared among friends.