Meet Donato

Donato is a very special boy. He is 13 and lives on the compound. Last December, he was brought to the clinic, half dead. He was attacked by men with machetes and left for dead by the side of the road. While John-Paul examined him and sewed up the cuts, he noticed Donato's skull was fractured and recommended further treatment which could not be done at the clinic. Fortunately, Sabet and Suzy where flying to Nairobi the following day to celebrate Christmas and get supplies for the next year. They decided to take Donato with them so he could receive treatment.

While he was in Nairobi, Donato's injuries began to heal. Since Donato had never been outside Sudan before, he experienced many firsts in Nairobi: light switches, airplanes, Christmas, new clothes, electrical power and many more. At first he was withdrawn, but as he became more comfortable with Sabet and Suzy, he began to open up. He changed dramatically after asking Jesus into his heart. He became helpful and eager to be a part of things.

Donato's family lives about 45 miles from Tonj. Previously, Donato lived with relatives so he could attend school in Tonj. However, now, he is very close to Sabet and Suzy and lives at the compound. He continues to go to school and is a part of the compound family. He was even baptized earlier this year.

I have had a lot of fun with Donato. He can come across a little shy, but once he is more comfortable with a person, he opens up. He is adorable and so funny. Today, he was helping us in the kitchen. We were making bread crumbs from scratch. The bread was baked so we put it in the blender to break it into tiny pieces. Donato put the first piece in and it wasn't breaking up. I recommended shaking it a bit to move the bread around. Well, that may have been lost in translation. He left the blender on and took off the lid. All the bread quickly broke into little pieces and flew into the air. Then he tried to catch the pieces, but ended up knocking the blender over and bread flew out to the side. It was so funny. I could not stop laughing.

Donato has been so helpful around the compound. He has been helping with water and laundry. Christmas is coming and Donato is supposed to go home to visit his family. After last year's Christmas, it's understandable that he wants to stay here! I'm not sure if he'll get to stay or not. We are so blessed to have sweet Donato here. Please remember Donato in your prayers. Pray that he grows up to be a Godly man.