Happy New Year!

It's officially 2010!

Usually when I am at home, I end up hanging out with friends and playing games on New Years Eve. In Sudan, it was no different! We stayed up until midnight playing charades and Bible pictionary. It was so much fun. Mark and Dennis performed their rap for us. It was awesome! If I an figure out how to load a video, I will show it to you. It was nice to ring in the new year here. I pray that this will be a year full of God's blessings and that you will know the fullness of God's love for you.

Happy New Year!!!!!!




(Agum acting out Cinderella. Not sure where the monster was in that movie)



(Dennis' rendition of the last supper. Who knew a giraffe was present?)



(The Tonj Boyz. Word to your mother.)

Meet Abong

Abong, 14, and her brother Aguer, 18, came to live with us last week. Their sister, Rebecca, was adopted when she was twelve by a US couple after she was shot during the war. Their mother was shot and killed right in front of them. Abong and Aguer were left to be raised by one of their father's other wives. They were treated really badly and were beaten often. Now that Rebecca is 20, she wants to help give them a better life. So, she asked Suzy and Sabet (who know her adoptive parents) if they could help them get into school. There were no schools where they lived, so they have come to live with us. Since Rebecca doesn't make a lot of money, Sabet and Suzy will be helping with school fees, food and board. To help, Abong and Aguer will help around the compound when not in school. Coming from such a tough background, you would expect them to be hard and tough. Aguer is like that a little. He is very quiet and hard to read. Abong, however, is a beacon of light. She is full of joy and happiness. She is very quirky and funny. Mark and I have nicknamed her Pippy. Abong loves to be around people and she loves to laugh. It amazes me to see her like that even after experiencing such an abusive, sad upbringing. I know God has a plan for her. I can't wait to see what it is.

Quiet

Things around the compound have been pretty slow since Christmas. Since the clinic is closed (open only for emergencies), most of the clinic, construction and compound staff are on vacation until January 4th. It has been nice to enjoy a slower pace and get a few projects done. There are still several malaria cases coming in and this morning we had a birth. It was Margaret's first since returning. For those of you who have been here before, you may remember Australian Richard. He is from Sudan, but moved to Australia several years ago. His Sudanese/Australian accent is a trip! His wife, Rebecca, gave birth to their first child, a son, today. We thank the Lord for a quick, healthy delivery.

Happy Birthday Hannah!

Yesterday Hannah turned 8. We had a very nice day celebrating her birthday. We made Hannah's special requests for each meal. The morning started out with a fancy breakfast: chocolate chip pancakes and tea served on Suzy's tea set.



Then for lunch we had beans on toast (a true English girl!) and for dinner we had pizza and chips (fries). It was quite the feast. Around 4:00 we had family and friends come over to play games. It was a blast! Among the games were twister, water balloon toss (Sabet was the target) and duck duck goose.









After Hannah erupted the volcano she got for her birthday, we had yummy chocolate cake and ended the party with dancing. Seeing the kids dance around to music was so sweet and fun. I especially enjoyed dancing with Aman and Nichol, two of Hannah's cousins. The whole day was great. It made me realize that you don't have to spend money to have a good time. In the US we tend to go overboard, myself included. Really all you need is the fun company of family and friends and you are good to go.

Still Learning

This is a perfectly nice kettle...




This is the same kettle after I ruined it...



I didn't mean too! I heated up water for tea and coffee before breakfast and decided to heat up more so I could do dishes. Usually we heat water up with charcoal, but we ran out so I was using the stove. I ended up getting distracted and completely forgot to check on the water. Three and a half hours later, Sabet tells me he found the stove on, no water in the kettle and the kettle's bottom was burned through. I was horrified. Fortunately, nothing else was damaged. I couldn't believe I did that. Actually, I could (I blame it on a terrible short term memory), but I felt really bad. Gas and kitchen utensils are precious here and we don't waste them or abuse them. This is definitely a mistake I will never make again. I plan to hang the kettle on the wall as a reminder. Maybe I should write "hey dummy, don't forget about me!"

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

We left Safari Style on Christmas Eve. As we drove home, we listened to Christmas music. It was a little surreal listening to songs about snow in the middle of Africa. That evening after dinner, Suzy told the Christmas story while assembly nativities.



This morning I woke up and skyped with my family. They were celebrating Christmas on Christmas Eve night which was Christmas morning here. It was neat to be able to see them all (including my nieces, Katryna and Piper) and wish them a Merry Christmas. After a yummy breakfast prepared by Suzy, we opened gifts and then went to church. I was excited to be surprised with a gift. I didn't think I would have anything to open. Someone sent a stocking with Suzy's items for me. It had a movie, a necklace and a ton of my favorite candies (chick o sticks). Someone who knows me well must have been in on it. That is a completely random candy that few people know I love. Until I find out for sure who did it, thank you so much. It was a really sweet surprise.






Church was really simple and nice. Sabet led us in a few worship songs, then Dennis and Margaret read the Christmas story, a few Christmas carols were mixed in there and we ended in communion. I loved the service.






This evening, we'll be having a really good dinner. Currently we are cooking a turkey and will have other English foods to go along with it. Being away from home is hard, but being here makes it easier. God has blessed me with an extended family here and I am thankful for them. I pray that everyone has a wonderful Christmas and remembers the true purpose is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, who came to save the world.

New Arrivals on the Compounds

I am proud to announce that Sasha the cat had two babies. She delivered them right before we left for Safari Style. The kittens are so cute! Mom and babies are doing well.

Good-Bye Sheena

On Wednesday afternoon Sheena left to head home. Sheena was with me on the first trip in February and came with me in October. It will be weird to be here without her. Sheena took on the role of a midwife and did a fabulous job. I think she delivered twelve babies. Sheena always had a positive attitude. She never complained (even when being woken up in the middle of the night because she was needed in the clinic) and always helped me in the kitchen even though she worked a long day in the clinic. She even managed to love me and encourage me even when I was grumpy. Sheena will be missed. She definitely made an impact on the people here. I pray that God blesses her upcoming wedding and marriage to Josh. I wish I could be there to support them on their special day. Love you Sheena! Come back!

Safari Style

Tuesday morning we left for Safari Style. It's in a town called Rumbeck. It took us three hours to get there on a really bumpy road.



Once we got there, we checked in and had a really yummy lunch (chicken and fries). Then we headed for the pool. It was so wonderful. I can't even describe how it felt to be in that pool. I was so relaxed and happy in there. It felt like heaven.




From that point on, I was so refreshed. Safari Style was everything I hoped for and more. I was really looking forward to it and I knew it would be really great. It completely met and exceeded my expectations. The rooms were amazing. We had air conditioning and flushing toilets! I even got to the point where I was shivering. Who knew that could happen in Sudan? The food was awesome. We had yummy breakfasts (eggs, bacon, sausage, toast, crepes), lunches and dinners (pork, lamb, potatoes, brownies, cheesecake). The grounds were really green and nice to hang out in. They have a few animals that walk around (a giant goat named George, a deer named Gypsy and a dik-dik named Rambo.)



We hung out by the pool quite a bit. That's where we did our white elephant gift exchange and played games.



Our gift exchange was hilarious. The rule was you couldn't spend more than 5 pounds (less than $2) on it. Poor Hannah opened Mark's gift which was a pair of his holey underwear. The underwear has a story behind it, so it was really funny. We had all kinds of random stuff. I ended up with a bag of salt. We had a lot of fun.





Our time in Safari Style was great. We laughed a lot, got a lot of rest and had a lot of fun. It was a much needed break. On Wednesday afternoon Sheena and John-Paul left and Margaret flew in. On our last day, we had the best time in the pool. We stayed in there until right before we had to leave. We made a bridge out of pool loungers and tried to see if anyone could walk on water. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time.




Now... when can we go back?

Plane Crash

This morning I was blown away by what happened. So much went on, it's hard to remember all the details. Shortly after breakfast, we were getting ready for church when all of a sudden a bunch of cars and people come rushing into the compound. By the time I was able to get over there, I had to push through people to get into the clinic. There were lots of military people with guns everywhere. I saw Sabet and he told me that a lady had been hit by a plane. I entered the room and saw Dennis, John-Paul, Sheena and Sabet trying to resuscitate her. They worked on her for about fifteen minutes before calling it. There was nothing that could be done. Her injuries were too severe. She probably had major internal injuries. The doctors could tell all her ribs were broken as well as her sternum and shoulder blades. It was so hard standing there, pleading with God to work a miracle. Even after they stopped, I prayed that God would bring her back. She was young and had so much life to live. Unfortunately, it was not God's will that she survive. It's hard to accept, but I am not going to question God's sovereignty. As He asked Job, "Did you form the earth? Do you cause the sun to rise and set?" It's not my place. Even if she had lived, I don't know how she could have gotten the treatment she would have needed. My heart broke as I watched Dennis, John-Paul and Sheena wash the dirt off the woman so she would be presentable to her family.

After she died all of a sudden military people and civilians flooded the clinic. They all wanted to have a look at her. I just wanted them to leave, but I guess that is the Sudanese culture. Within a few minutes, the military men and cars left. Then the mother came in and we had to tell her the news. We were told that she had one small child that she left behind. The mother was very stoic and did not cry. Later the husband arrived and we had to tell him what happened. He kept asking me “calas?” (Finished?) I kept telling him yes, she was gone. He was crushed. People kept coming into the room and looking at her in the midst of this man's sorrow. We were getting so upset. This was not a show. Sheena finally started yelling ”no, go leave,” and shooed them away. Later another round of military cars came. They looked around and left again. It was so bizarre. The governor was there, along with the commissioner, the health commissioner, traffic commissioner as well as other government officials. The plane that hit her was bringing soldiers in preparation for the president's visit at a peace summit in Tonj. We later found out that the woman, Aquach, did not run across the airstrip when the plane was coming (as we had previously been told). Instead, the plane overshot the runway and crashed. It ended up on the other side of the road. This apparently was where she was killed. No one else was hurt.

There was so much more that happened, but the flury of activity has left my mind hazy. It was a crazy, sad morning. A couple hours later, her body was taken back to her house.

After church, we went on another picnic. It was Sheena's last one before leaving on Wednesday. We had a really nice, relaxing time. It was a blessing to destress after such a hard morning. On our way home, we went by the airstrip to see the plane that had crashed. There were lots of soldiers around it. They came over and yelled at us for taking pictures. Right by the airstrip is the home of Aquach. We could see them digging her grave so we stopped by to give our condolences. Her body was laid out in the home and a few of us went in to pray for the family.

It's hard to get used to the ups and downs of life here. There is so much sadness. Fortunately God provides joyful moments as well to get us through the day. Here is a picture of the plane that crashed as well as a few pictures from the picnic:

And These Are The Days of Our Lives... In Sudan

Just wanted to give you an update on Mabior and Rebecca. It looks like it is a no go. Whatever you do, don't mention Rebecca to Mabior. He is very sensitive about it and will get upset. I don't know all the details, but I think Mabior mentioned something about marriage to Rebecca and she rejected him. Plus, I think Peter (the pharmacist) likes her and she likes him. This is not confirmed, just a suspicion. It's like high school!

Another update - Mary's missing daughter has returned. The morning after we told Mary she could live in the house by the compound, she came to work with her husband and daughter. She wanted to show us her daughter had been found. It reminded me of the Prodigal Son. Thanks for your prayers!

Sadness and Joy

The last few days have been a mix of sadness and joy. There have been so many emergencies in the clinic, it's hard to keep track of them. Many times, cases come that we are not equipped to handle. When that happens we have to refer them to Wau, the nearest city with a hospital. It is three hours away on a bumpy road. When they get to Wau, they have to pay for the procedure before it will be done. A lot of people die while waiting for someone to bring the funds. We have had many cases lately that have been referred to Wau. Usually they end up staying in the clinic overnight while they figure out how to get to Wau and how to get the money for the treatment. Travel at night can be dangerous so they wait until the morning to leave.

One such case we received on Thursday was a boy named Ngor. He was (approximately) sixteen years old with congestive heart failure. That is not something we are able to treat. Unfortunately on Friday morning he passed away. I arrived at the clinic shortly after he died and found his mother, Ajok, on the floor crying. I didn't know what to do. What do you say to a mom who has lost her son? It's hard enough when you speak the same language. When you don't, it's even harder. So, I just sat down on the floor with her and held her. Sabet and Jon (who does registration) came in and helped translate. She told us a little of her story. She had ten children and six have died. She didn't understand why it kept happening to her. We did our best to console her and we prayed for her. Ajok had another son with her, Madhieu, who gave his life to the Lord that day. Please pray that God will comfort Ajok during this sad time.

Thursday night we watched some of Sabet and Suzy's home videos. We watched their wedding in Kenya. It was really fun. I was holding Jed and he kept saying “I don't want to see them kiss” and buried his head in my neck.

Friday night, we had a bomb. No, not one from the sky, one on the dinner table. Dinner was terrible! It was my first complete disaster! We were going to have baked potatoes and baked beans. You would think that after five hours in the solar cooker and one and a half in a charcoal oven, the potatoes would be done. Nope, they were rock hard. They were hot, but not soft. And the beans... apparently I burned the beans. I should have known something was up when Jed came in the kitchen and said “what's that smell?” I couldn't smell anything, so I just said, “oh it's just the smell of dinner cooking.” I noticed some of the beans were stuck to the bottom of the pan, but I just left them there and poured the rest into the hot pot. I didn't know something was up until Suzy said “the beans are a little smokey.” I tasted them and sure enough, they were very smokey! I couldn't even eat them. I could barely smash my potato enough to eat it. In the past, I would have been crushed and discouraged. This time, however, I could join in and laugh at the situation. I remembered Suzy telling me, no matter how bad food is, people will eat it. And they did. Poor things. And no one was sick today. Hallelujah.

Today (Saturday) we had a low key day. It was really nice. After breakfast, Sheena and I went to the market with Mabior. It was the first time I didn't feel nervous or anxious about going. We had a nice time. I had to get a new white elephant gift. There was a glitch in mine. I'll tell you more about it after Christmas. Usually I go nuts with Christmas. I love Christmas so much and I love to buy presents. I really missed going out on Black Friday this year. Here, their focus is on Jesus (as it should be) instead of presents. I love that, but I couldn't resist doing a little shopping! So today, I got a little trinket for everyone (10 people) for less than 20 Sudanese pounds (less than $8). Not too bad! After lunch, we got to rest. It was nice to read and sleep for a few hours.

After dinner, I went to the clinic to see what was going on. Sheena and the doctors weren't at dinner so I knew they must have had emergencies. When I got there, it was a madhouse! There were tons of people there. We only see emergencies at night and on the weekends, so there usually aren't a ton of people there. Tonight, there were many emergencies. All malaria related. With each emergency, you had six people from their entourage so it was very crowded. Since there wasn't much I could do, I just tried to help out where I could. I took some temperatures and got the weights of a few children, held the flashlight when needed, held a child during a shot and paracheck (malaria test), and just visited with them. It was nice being there in the midst of chaos and seeing the work the doctors do. Even though we aren't set up to keep people overnight, there are five people staying the night. They need IV medication. God is doing amazing things here. So many people would die from treatable, preventable sicknesses with out this clinic.

Mayual is still with us and his burns are continuing to heal. We had hoped he would be able to go home by now, but he still has areas that need treatment. The biggest concern when he goes home is infection. We are being extra cautious because we know his family won't be able to keep his skin clean when he goes home. He is a sweet boy and I'll miss him when he leaves.



(Suzy and Jed with Mayual. Jed gave him one of his toys.)

On Tuesday we are going to Safari Style for two days of R&R. It's in a town called Rumbech. It's about four hours away and it's where Sheena is flying home from. She is leaving on Wednesday. We are all going to see her off and stay another night at Safari Style. They have a pool and AC. Plus I don't have to cook for two days. :) I can't wait!

The more I am here, the more I am getting used to life in Sudan. When I was here in February, I hardly slept. Nature is so loud (as well as the army, drums, people yelling, etc.) When I first got here in October, I had to listen to my Ipod before falling asleep. I would either watch the IT Crowd or listen to Joel Weldon's "Cross the World" album. Old School Hume Lakers know who that is. It's so random, but I came across it and found it very soothing. Maybe the nostalgia made me happy and it felt like home. However, now I fall asleep right away and stay asleep most of the night. It's great. I also freaked out at all the nasty creatures there are (lizards, frogs, bugs, etc.) Now, I don't freak out as much. If I see a lizard or spider on my wall, I don't call for someone to kill it, I just ignore it. I still HATE the giant grasshoppers, preying mantis, centipedes and other creepy crawlers. But, if they aren't on me, I don't panic. I will admit to seeing a giant grasshopper on my bed and calling Agum to kill it. After the shirt incident, I am a little jumpy. I also am comfortable walking around without a flashlight at night. Another thing, I am eating things I would never eat at home like lentils, eggplant, spinach, quiche and other stuff. My family may pass out from shock, but I can make and will eat Spaghetti (sometimes Spaghetti Bolognaise if I'm fancy). I know, crazy stuff is happening here!

Until next time...

P.S. Go Chargers!

Meet Mary

(Mary is in the middle. Rebecca, her daughter, and her mom are also in the picture.)


Mary Abak is a very sweet lady who works on the compound. She was the one who bought us all sodas when we came to visit her house. A very generous gesture. Mary is a pleasure to work with. She washes the dishes, cleans the rooms and helps us prepare food. I am so thankful for her hard work.

Mary also loves the Lord. She usually has something to contribute during our Bible studies. She is not able to read her Bible, but she says she carries it in her heart. Lately Mary has been going through a hard time. Mary is one of four wives which means her husband is gone a lot. Her oldest daughter was given to an old man in an arranged marriage. She was unhappy so she ran away with another man. She has been on the run since. Mary's husband has been trying to track her down to return her to her husband. In addition, yesterday Mary found out she has to leave her house. Someone had been letting her stay there, but now wants her out. Needless to say, Mary is under a lot of stress.

Today I walked into the kitchen and Mabior was there with his Bible. He was reading something to Mary. I asked him what was going on and this is what he told me: Mary was really upset last night and cried out to God. During a dream, He told her to read Matthew 5:4-9. Since she can't read, she asked Mabior to read it to her. He didn't quite understand it, so I grabbed my Bible and read it with them. Mary found a lot of comfort in those verses. She said she felt God was with her during her hard times and He will take care of her. We discussed her hardships and I assured her God would provide.

I am happy to report Mary now has a place to stay. There is a house someone started to build on Sabet and Suzy's land, just outside the compound. No one is there now, so Sabet and Suzy said she could stay there. She just needs to put a roof on. When I saw her later this afternoon she was estatic. Mary is very solemn and usually doesn't show much emotion. During the foot washing, we couldn't tell if she liked it or not. Her face showed no expression. Sabet translated for us and said she was filled with joy. We never would have known! When I saw her this afternoon, I knew she had talked to Sabet and Suzy. I said "God is good, Hallelujah!" and she pointed to the sky and started singing "Jesus loves me, Jesus loves me..." in Dinka. I recognized it as one of the songs we sing in devotion. It was such a special moment to see serious Mary showing so much emotion. God took that burden off of her and she was overjoyed. I could see the relief she felt.

Please pray for Mary. While she no longer has to worry about where she will stay, she still is worried about her oldest daughter.

Piper Flynn Larsen has arrived!

My new niece is here! She was born at 1:41 on Tuesday December 15th. She is 5 lbs and 13 oz and is 17 inches long. She is a tiny little thing. Kate and Piper are doing well and should go home on Thursday. Thanks for your prayers.

Real Men Wear Dresses and Cook Dinner

Tuesday is the men's day to cook. Mark made a delicious pumpkin soup for lunch. Shout out to Dennis and Mark for cooking dinner. We appreciate the break more than you know!

Tuesday Bible Study

Today we took the women's Bible study on the road. We want to do it at one of the ladies houses about once a month. That way we can meet the women that live near them and invite them to come to the compound on Tuesdays. Today we went to Elizabeth's house. Since we tend to draw attention to us wherever we go, it was a little chaotic. We had to compete with chickens, dogs, cows, drums and other distractions, but it's ok. TIA (This is Africa). Gabriel came with us to translate and had to shoo some guys away that were lingering. We had quite a lot of women and kids with us. Suzy gave an overview of 1 Peter. Then she prayed for the needs of the women. We had some praises to report (Dorothy reported that Amin was brought home, Mary's daughter was found and Elizabeth's stomach was better.). It's neat to see answered prayers. Suzy also announced that Sheena is leaving next week. Then Elizabeth said that Sheena and I have to stay and marry Dinka men. I just told her I was leaving that up to God. I also told her I am very expensive!

Do you remember a previous post about Achol (the first one)? She popped up at the Bible Study. It's so great to see her big smile. She unfortunately is still having trouble. She came to the clinic last week with a head injury. Apparently some boys were eating food that belonged to a baby. When Achol told them to stop, they stoned her. Fortunately her injuries were minor and she is doing well now.

There's a baby on the way...

Please be in prayer for my sister-in-law, Kate. Monday night she stood up to greet Derek as he walked in the door and woosh.....her water broke. She is a few weeks early, but I think everything is going ok. She is dialated at 3 cm and just got an epidural. I can't wait to hear that my new niece has arrived and what name they decided on. I love you guys and am praying for you. Wish I was there!

Perfect Timing

Every now and then after dinner, I will wander over to the clinic to see if anything is going on. A couple nights ago I did just that. I walked in right as Sheena was saying "it's a boy!" Perfect timing! Since she was alone, she then said "Stacie, do you want to clean him and suction him out?" I had never done that before, but I put on some gloves and did my best. It was really cool to be the first person to help him out while Sheena tended to the mom. This was number twelve for Sheena. I suggested they named him Sheeno, but I haven't heard back about that one yet!

Random Notes From This Week

Just wanted to give you a quick glimpse of my life this week:

Tuesday was the men's day to cook. It was such a blessing. Since I didn't have to be in the kitchen, I was able to work in the clinic doing triage and registration, then worked on organizing Sabet's office and then worked in the pharmacy. It was an exhilarating day. I felt really refreshed. The men did a great job. I don't think they realize this is a weekly thing!

Tuesday afternoon we had the women's Bible study. We are studying first and second Peter. This week we studied Peter's life and learned about his progression of faith. It was neat to see his ups and downs and see how God used him. Once Suzy was finished teaching, we talked about Jesus washing the disciples feet. We expressed to the ladies that God brought us to Sudan to serve them. Like Amy did in February, we had a chance to wash the feet of the ladies in our study. It was a really special time. I think they were a little confused and didn't know what to make of it at first. We even stepped it up a notch and painted their nails! We are going to take our study on the road to different ladies houses in hopes of getting the word out that we are here.



Yesterday I went to the market with Suzy, Mark, Mabior and Donato. The market really freaks me out and I was a little hesitant to go. However, we are doing a white elephant gift exchange and I needed to get my gift. Our limit is five pounds (about two dollars). Donato was leaving the following day to go home and he wanted to get presents for his mom and brothers. It was also Mabior's birthday and Mark wanted to buy him a jalabior (a Sudanese man dress). It was quite an eventful trip. While I wasn't as freaked out as I have been before, I still was a little intimidated. Very quickly we get surrounded by people who want to see Kawajas (white people). Donato found his presents and Mabior got his jalabior. Mark even came away with some treasures. He gets a lot of attention with his cattle camp hair cut. He was also carrying a fake club. One guy saw his stick and traded his real one for it. It was very nice of him to do that. Also, one man sold his spear to Mark really cheaply. So he's an offical Dinka now! As we neared the end of our visit, one guy started talking to Mabior in Dinka and pointed at me. Mabior told me he would pay 1000 cows if I would be his wife. Not too shabby if I don't say so myself! Right before we left, I found my gift. After we do the exchange, I'll tell you what it was. It's funny.

Cooking update- The charcoal oven has become my nemesis. I baked pumpkin bread and a chocolate cake in there and neither came out very well. The chocolate cake was okay with the frosting on it, but I don't think you are supposed to stick a fork in a piece of cake and pick up the whole piece with the fork in it. The perfectionist in me was crushed. I hate to let people down and waste precious resources. Suzy tried to tell me it was ok, but I was really discouraged.

It officially feels like Christmas! We have a tree up in the dining room. A couple nights ago we were sitting in the dining room, talking, listening to a Kenyan Christmas CD and it hit me... I am in the middle of Sudan and it's Christmas. It was a little bit sad, but mostly surreal.



Sheena continues to do well with the pregnant moms. Earlier this week Sheena delivered another baby. That makes eleven! Here is a picture of her with the baby and Dennis (one of our doctors).



Donato went home today. He is going home for a couple months to visit his family. He will come back when the school year starts. We were sad to see him go. He has been with Sabet and Suzy since the machete attack last year.

This week I have been helping with triage and registration. I think I will be doing that from 9-11ish every day. I remember being so nervous about it when I first had to do triage and now I love it! I have a blast interacting with the patients. They always laugh when I speak Dinka. Once I get their registration books, I try to read their name and they always crack up. Sometimes there will be a child who is terrified of me. They either are scared I am going to give them a shot or they are just not used to seeing a white person. A couple days ago, one girl freaked out every time I walked by. Her mom had to shield her face so she wouldn't see me. Today, I came across a cute little baby named Matiang. He was about six months old and was really chubby. Every time I said "cheebak Matiang" he would get a huge smile on his face.

Today I was attacked by a giant grasshopper. I was sitting at a desk counting money, when I felt a poke in my back. I got up and shook out my shirt and a six inch grasshopper fell out. I was on the brink of hysteria, but was able to control myself (somewhat) since the kids were there. I still get the chills thinking about it. The nasty bugger totally scratched me! The praying mantises (plural: manti?) are out of control. A couple guys in the clinic thought it would be funny to stick giant ones in my face. Of course I flipped out and they have been warned. Do it again... I punch you.

Mayual is still with us. Unfortunately, he is still in a lot of pain. Yesterday it took us two hours to clean him. It was awful. I held him while Sheena and Thon cleaned him. It was horrible holding him while he was basically tortured for so long. All I can do is say, "I'm sorry" and "you are doing good." I just pray that God numbs his body from it. He had developed a fever which is a sign of infection. We are giving him antibiotics and fortunately his fever went down today. Please keep praying for him.

Sabet is sick. His maleria returned. Please pray for a speedy recovery.

That's all for now! More to come...

Sad News About Achol

I am so sad to be writing this, but Achol and her baby died. We were given information on the wrong patient. Apparently once Achol got to Wau, she was made to wait another day before they did surgery. We don't know why. I think the baby had died at that point and Achol died during surgery. We don't know the reason for her death. Our hearts are heavy and we ask you to pray for her family. There are now four children without a mom.

Update on Achol

Praise God for a miracle. We received word that Achol was able to give birth naturally in Wau. Somehow her pelvis opened enough to deliver the baby. Maybe it was the three hour drive on a bumpy road! Achol and baby are doing great. Thanks for praying!

Meet Mark

Mark is 20 years old and lives in Temecula. He has been here since July and wears many hats. He helps with the pastor, serves as clinic chaplain, helps in the pharmacy, disciples some of the young guys, runs the Jesus film outreaches, helps out around the compound wherever needed and much more.

Mark may be young, but he is mature in his walk with the Lord. He loves God and wants others to know and follow Him. Mark preached in church on Sunday and did a fantastic job. He shared about God being our Abba Father and what that means to us.

Mark is also my source of comedy. I don't think anyone has ever made me laugh as hard and as often as he does. He cracks me up. He has the funniest awkward/embarrassing moment stories. I wish I could share them all with you. We also share a fondness for Chuck Norris jokes.

Mark has been such a blessing to me. He has made my transition here so much easier. He is a humble servant who is always willing to lend a hand. I love how he loves the people here. He is transforming as much as he can into a Dinka! Recently he cut his hair in the style of the men in the cattle camps and he also got his ear pierced (by Suzy!). Mark is a treasure and I will really miss him when he leaves in January.

I have so many funny pictures of Mark, but here are a few favorites...