One Year Anniversary

Yep... it has been a year since I arrived in Tonj. It has gone by really quickly, but still feels like I have been gone forever. The one year mark is a little bittersweet since I had originally planned to go home right about now. I know I am still supposed to be here, but I am sad I will be waiting longer to see family and friends.

As I think back about this past year, I am overwhelmed with memories. I am so glad I have kept a blog because so much happens daily that I forget about many things. It has been fun to go back and read my blog. Especially the ones from right after I got here. (www.thisisstaciesblog.blogspot.com)

There were good times and hard times. While there are so many, some of my fondest memories have been:

Praying for patients in the clinic.

Going to Elizabeth's house and praying for her to get pregnant. Now, she has baby Joshua who I had the honor of naming.

Visiting Rebecca in jail and having a Bible study with her and some of the other prisoners.

Enjoying registration – I love interacting with the patients...even when they laugh at my Dinka.

Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years in Tonj

Going to Turtle Bay with the Kuj family and Mark.

Game nights and lots of laughs with the staff here

Reading some of my struggles that were so hard at the moment seem funny now. Here are some funny quotes from my blog –

“I had to do triage. I was so nervous. I don't know one thing about triage. At first I couldn't find anyone to show me the routine and I felt helpless.” (Now I love doing registration and triage!)

“In the afternoon we went to the market. That was just as scary as the last time we went there. I never want to go there again! Maybe I can avoid it for a year.” (This one is so funny. I feel totally at ease in the market now.)

“Thank you Mike, Amy, Tim, Alica and Tiffany for your encouragement and support. It was a blessing to have you escort me here. See you in a year when you come pick me up!” (hahaha... nope. God had other plans! Now Mike, Amy and I are here!)

“It was very exciting and a little nerve wracking. The biting threw me a bit and the bugs freaked me out!” (Discussing a birth... the mom did the biting and there were bats and bugs all around)

“I will have to oversee a lot of the meals. I hate cooking and I am lousy at it. Thinking about doing it stress me out and makes me really anxious. Thinking about doing it over the next year makes me dread the next year. It makes me long to be home now.” (Now this seems funny, but I was devastated at the time!)

“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.” (See... I shouldn't be in the kitchen!)

One of my most meaningful experiences was flying to Kenya with eight year old Matoch after he was shot in the face. I'll never forget holding him while he cried right before he went to surgery to fix his injury. The language barrier seemed insurmountable. There was nothing I could do more to comfort him than to call upon the name of the Lord. Matoch's recovery was a miracle. The three weeks I spent with him in the hospital and Nairobi were challenging and rewarding. If God brought me to Sudan just for this, I would be ok.



(Matoch and I a few weeks ago)

This past year has been one where God has changed me. He has stretched me and grown me in ways I never thought were possible. I have done things that seemed far beyond my abilities. Yet, God has come through for me every time. I have learned to rest in Him and trust in Him for my future. When I felt alone and so far away from home, He was there for me to lean on. Just me and God. This year, I truly found my identity in Christ alone as I dealt with my weight loss struggle. God blessed me abundantly in that area and I am now 115 pounds lighter. He has worked on me inside and out.

It has been my honor to serve Him in Sudan with In Deed and Truth Ministries over the past year. God is doing so much in Tonj. Many lives are being saved physically and spiritually through the clinic and Bible training school. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you who have partnered with me in this. You are just as much a part of this as I am. Through your prayers and financial support, I am able to be your hands and feet in Sudan, working on the Lord's behalf. Saying thank you doesn't seem to be enough, but know I mean it 100%.

For those of you who committed to giving monthly for this past year, thank you. If you feel God calling you to continue, thank you again. If you are not able to give beyond the year, that is ok. I know that if God has called me to stay, he will call people to support the work. If anyone would like to make a contribution (either one time or monthly) here is how you do it:

1.Go to www.indeedandtruth.org. Click on donate and you'll see a my name listed and can designate a donation to me.
2. Mail a check to: In Deed and Truth Ministries, PO Box 51253, Colorado Springs, CO 80949 Please don’t forget to write my name on the memo line. Donations are tax deductible.

For you prayer warriors out there, here are some areas of need:

1.For guidance as I pray about God's will for my life and His plans my future with this ministry.
2.The Referendum in January – South Sudan will be voting on splitting from the North. No one knows if there will be peace or violence. For this reason, the women and children will be evacuating to Kenya for at least a couple weeks in January until we know it's safe to return. Pray for peace so we can return quickly.
3.Since I am staying longer, I have increased financial support needs. Ask God to provide “senders” my way.
4.For good health – I have had two bouts of malaria recently and some stomach issues. At the moment I feel great.
5.That I will spend quality time with the Lord despite how busy it can get here.
6.That God will use me to further His kingdom in Sudan and also as a blessing to Sabet and Suzy.

Thank you so much everyone for your encouragement and support.

Love,
Stacie

My First Trip to Malony

Thursdays we send a small team out to the village of Malony where we set up a mobile clinic. We have a container there that serves as a room, but the rain has prevented us from reaching it. So, we now set up under a tree about half way to the actual village. Last week, I got to go for the first time. I loved it. The drive there takes about 45-60 minutes. Half of it is on a good road and the rest is off-roading through a field. Our driver, Dabu, does a great job at preventing us from getting stuck. Malony is in a cattle camp area. There are lots of cows and sheep around. Many of the kids cover themselves in ash from burned cow dung to prevent mosquito bites. It's a very poor area, but filled with neat people.

When we first got there, there were no patients. Once we started setting up, they began to come. By the end of the day, we had seen 67 patients. Considering we weren't able to make it all the way to the village, I was happy with that. Those people wouldn't have been able to receive treatment at all if we had been there. We have three areas: triage and registration, doctor consultation and pharmacy. I helped with registration. Most of the cases we saw were minor. Anything requiring more attention, we referred them to the clinic. One man didn't have the two pounds we ask them to pay for their registration book (That is the only fee we charge. It's a very nomimal amount. We do that so they will have value in their book and keep it. Otherwise they will throw it away and we will have no information about their prior treatment.). So he asked if we would accept a chicken in exchange for four books for his wife and children. I paused for a second and said... sure why not? So we came home with a rooster!

It was a beautiful day. There was a slight breeze and it wasn't too hot. As we were sitting at the table and I was looking around at the landscape and seeing all the animals walking around, I felt like I got a glimpse of what it might have been like for a shephard in Bible times. It was one of those surreal moments I have every now and then.

It looks like I will be going every Thursday, which I am thrilled about.



(This is on the real road)



(This is when we start off roading. Some parts are good...)



(Some parts are not!)



(Sometimes, you hit a road block)



(This is doctor consultation area)



(This is the pharmacy area)



(In this shot you can see all three areas)



(Maybe I should have been breaking up this fight instead of taking pictures! I was told they were just playing around.)



(We had to send these little guys home. They all came to see the doctor, but didn't have a parent with them. Fortunately, they came after lunch with their mother.)

Second Malaria - Over and Out

Praise God I am doing much better today. This round with malaria wasn't as bad as the last one. I only had three days of vomiting, headache and fever instead of five. Plus this time I was able to sleep. I think the key was catching it early and starting the IV medication sooner. On Sunday night we switched from the IV back to the pills. I was given a medication to prevent vomiting and boy was that powerful! It knocked me out! I slept all night Sunday and all day on Monday. Fortunately it worked and I have been able to keep the pills down as well as eat and drink. Today I am resuming my duties and other than being really tired, I feel great. Thank you so much for your prayers!

Please Pray

Since Thursday, I have been dealing with a relapse of malaria. After testing my blood, a trace amount of malaria was found. Even though it was a small amount, I have been quite sick: fever, vomiting, headache, etc. Since I couldn't keep the medicine down, I have been put on IV medication. Since this is my second time having malaria, I am hoping it won't be as severe as it was last time. Please pray that I would quickly heal from this and that I wouldn't be discouraged.

Rebecca's Baby is Here

Last night at dinner Stephanie told me Rebecca (the girl we had been meeting with in prison) had arrived in labor. She was still in the early stages and because this was her first delivery, Stephanie expected the birth in the middle of the night. She asked if I wanted to be woken up and I said, absolutely. Around 9:30pm, one of our guards called me to the clinic. I went over there and Stephanie said Rebecca was fully dialated and the baby was on it's way. My job was to record the events as they happened so I waited for Stephanie to call out items for me to write down and also encouraged Rebecca to push (Chol!). Rebecca did an amazing job. She was really tough and delivered her baby after only 30 minutes of pushing. By 10:03, her son arrived. As soon as he came out, she looked down and started to smile and laugh. He was covered in white stuff and she looked like she was confused about his color. So I asked kawaja (white person) or jinubi (person from South Sudan)? Both she and Mary (her mom) laughed. We reassured her he would indeed darken up.

It was such a privilege to be there and see her through this process. I think she is coming back on Friday so I will try to post a picture then. I praise the Lord for bringing her here and giving her a smooth delivery.

Best Quote Ever

On Tuesdays at 4:00 Mario comes to teach us Dinka. We usually go around the table and people ask him questions. We give him phrases or words we want to be able to say in Dinka and he teaches them to us. Yesterday, George asked how to say "don't smoke (chew tobacco), it will kill you." So Mario wrote it out in Dinka and then wrote as it translated into English. Then came the best quote of the day, possibly since I have been here...

"Don't smoke. It will kill you and then you will die."

Really? You are killed and then you die. I wondered how that process worked. It was SO funny.

Back from Rumbeck

Suzy, the kids and I came back to Tonj yesterday after a fun three days at Safari Style. We got to swim all day and eat yummy food. For breakfast everyday we had: eggs, bacon, sausage, toast and pancakes. Lunch was burger and fries, chicken and fries and pizza and fries. Dinner was chiappatti and beef, chicken and rice and pork chops. For two of the dinners we were served a really yummy zucchini soup. Who knew that would be so good?!

We had a really nice time and weren't quite ready to come back!

Emergency

Sunday night, we had just sat down for dinner when Rachel comes running to the dining room asking for one of the doctors. She had been assisting Margaret with a birth and evidently there was an emergency. Dennis ran over to the clinic and I followed him to see if I could help or at least pray for them. When I got there, Dennis was trying to get the newborn to breathe. Apparently, since he came out, he had not taken a proper breath. As he pumped air into the baby's lungs, I just started praying. "Father, please save this baby." I felt so bad for the mom who was lying on the bed watching all of this unfold. I went over to her and tried to comfort her with my limited Dinka. Dennis and Rachel took the baby into another room while Margaret and I stayed with the mom, waiting for the placenta. The only thing I could do was keep praying and hand Margaret gauze. George came and took the blood sugar levels of the mom and baby. Both were extremely high. While Margaret was working on the mom, we heard the sweetest sound... a baby crying! We all cheered and thanked God for saving this baby's life. I am happy to report both mom and baby are doing well.

Walking Partners

Here is a photo Rachel took of Suzy, Amy and I. We try to leave by 7:00am and get back by 7:45. By that time it's already getting really warm. I hate to think what it will be like in February. We might have to walk at 3:00am to avoid the heat!



(As you can see, it's a battle sometimes!)

Heading To Rumbeck

Tomorrow I will be going to Rumbeck with Suzy and the kids for a three day break. We are going to our favorite place in Sudan... Safari Style! I can't wait to swim and eat french fries! I may not be able to get online so I may not be able to check my email or post blogs. If that is the case, I will update you when I get back on Thursday.

Meeting the Bishop

Today I met with the bishop of the ECS church along with Mike and Suzy. (Episcopal Church of Sudan). He oversees all the churches in Tonj County. All of the students in our Bible School are ECS pastors and fall under his jurisdiction. He normally is in Wau, but comes here occasionally to check on things. We discussed a few issues concerning the pastors and the Bible School. He was a very nice man who loves God. I was very impressed with him and think he is a great person to lead the ECS church.

Whenever the bishop comes, the people of Tonj throw a party... all night long! We have heard drums and singing nonstop for the last two days. I think it's time to head back to Wau. :)

Wall of Encouragement

Here is a photo of my wall of encouragement. It's where I hang photos and cards people have sent. It's a corner of sunshine in my room and I love it. The team coming from my church will bring a box of supplies for me in November. If you would like to send something to me, you can send it to my mom's house:

Holly Larsen
2872 Colgate Dr.
Oceanside, CA 92056

or if you go to RdR, you can give it to Chris and Julie Breitbarth or Amber Engebrits who can drop it off at my mom's house. (Hope that's ok, guys!)

Thanks!

Prayer Walk

I just sent out this email to friends and family in the San Diego area. I thought I would post it here in case I missed someone or don't have your email address:

Hi Everyone!

I hope this email finds you well. I am doing well here in Tonj.

I am writing you because In Deed and Truth Ministries is having their annual prayer walk and I wanted to ask you to consider attending. Last year Suzy was there and this year Sabet will be there. It was neat to be there last year because it occurred right before I left to come to Sudan.

Each year the prayer walk has a specific fund raising purpose. Last year it was for the new medical clinic building. This year it is for an ambulance. We desperately need an ambulance for the cases we refer to Wau. Having a sturdy vehicle on call 24 hours per day will help save lives. Often people die while waiting to find a way to get to Wau or decide not to go at all because it costs too much money.

The prayer walk is on October 23 on Shelter Island. I tried attaching a brochure, but I couldn't for some reason. You can visit the website to get all the information. If you aren't able to fund raise, please still go if you can. I would love to have a group of people there representing me since I can't be there myself. It would also encourage Sabet to see a big turn out and meet you. I know it's a lot of effort to go there on a Saturday, but it would bless me so much if you did. Get a bunch of friends and family together and make an event of it! It will be a nice time of fellowship, prayer, walking in beautiful San Diego and eating yummy food. If you are able to go, you can register online. (www.indeedandtruth.org) It costs $20 and that will get you a t-shirt and lunch.

If you aren't able to go, but still want to be involved, you could sponsor me. We will be walking here (on our airstrip) in support of the event going on in San Diego. To do that, you can email me your pledge and mail the donation to In Deed and Truth Ministries, PO Box 51253, Colorado Springs, CO 80949.

I really hope you are able to go. It will be a lot of fun. Make sure you introduce yourself to Sabet and tell him how you know me.

Thanks!

---Stacie

The Cleanse

For the past ten days, Suzy, Amy, Rachel and I have been doing a cleanse. The purpose is to clean out our digestive system and lose a little weight. On our last flight, Suzy included special food that would allow us to do the following program:

Days 1-4

8:00 Fruit (1 cup - Mango, Papaya, Grapefruit)
10:30 Fruit (1 cup - Mango, Papaya, Grapefruit, apple)
1:00 Chicken Soup (1 cup)
3:30 Chicken Soup
7:00 Chicken Soup

Days 5-7

8:00 Fruit
10:30 Fruit
1:00 Chicken Soup
3:30 Chicken Soup (Fruit once we ran out)
7:00 Salad (lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, carrots, onions, walnuts, cabbage, green peppers)

Days 8-10

8:00 Yogurt and Fruit
10:30 Fruit
1:00 Chicken Soup
3:30 Fruit (Watermelon)
7:00 Salad (tuna and fetta cheese added)

This was a big challenge for me. It was hard to not eat certain things on our menu (cereal, popcorn, hamburgers, etc). I loved the chicken soup so that made it easier. We were only allowed to drink water on this program which was challenging. This morning we finished the cleanse and all weighed in. We each lost weight – between 9 and 13 pounds. Then I indulged in a few treats I had been dreaming about for 10 days – I had a bowl of cereal, a bite of cake from last night, a bite of chocolate and … a mini slim jim!!! Did I just undo all the work of the cleanse? Possibly! I think I got the cravings out of my system and am ready to ease back into eating our normal menu. It felt good to eat healthy and practice self control.

Here is the chicken soup recipe we used. It is REALLY yummy!

1 Whole Chicken
2-4 quarts filtered water
1 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
4 medium sized onions, coarsely chopped
8 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
6 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
2-4 zucchinis, chopped
1 pound green beans (we didn't have these)
½ peas (we didn't have these)
4 inches grated ginger (1 Tbsp ground ginger)
4 tbsp extra-virgin coconut oil (olive oil)
1 bunch parsley (cilantro)
5 garlic gloves
2-4 tbsp sea salt
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (we used regular pepper)

Put everything (but parsley) into a pot, bring to a boil. Cover and cook for 8-12 hours. (We used our solar cooker). 15 minutes before finishing, add the parsley (we didn't have this so we used cilantro from our garden). Remove chicken from the soup and take off the meat from carcass, getting rid of excess fat. Put the meat back into pot and it's ready to serve.

(Weight loss update - 115 pounds lost)

Busy, Busy

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while. Things have been very busy around here lately and I haven't been able to blog or email very much. Since getting over malaria, I have been very healthy, praise the Lord. The week after I got sick, I was in catch up mode. I have been helping Suzy and Sabet with the prayer walk, Sabet's schedule and whatever other administrative items they need. In addition, I am back on laundry duty. I don't mind doing it and try to do it as efficiently as possible, but it makes for a full day. I am doing my normal work load and also running back and forth to keep the laundry going. There are sixteen of us on the compound, so there is never a shortage of clothes or sheets to wash.

I wish I had more exciting things to tell you about, but nothing too new is going on. I will try to come up with something!