Nairobi Day 2

I'm sitting on my balcony and just finished a cup of hibiscus tea--yummy! It's a little chilly! (the weather I mean)

Today was another great day at the seminar. I wish I could take you all along! Today the morning devotion time was on being image-bearers of God (Gen. 1), being crowned with glory and honor by God (Psalm 8:4-5), and our ministry being one of reconciliation of this image among the people in our communities (2 Cor. 5:18-20). It really set the tone for the rest of our sessions today and I think it can make a big difference when we view people (especially the poor, oppressed, and marginalized) this way. I'm so pumped that God provided so I can be here for this seminar. I'm the youngest person in the group and several people have commented on how blessed I am to be receiving this training at the beginning of my ministry in Sudan rather than later in life. So I do feel very blessed!

Oh, I forgot to mention yesterday that I met my first Mabaan person. One of the pastors, actually the chairman of the Sudan Interior Church (SIM-related churches in Sudan) for South Sudan has joined us at the seminar the past 2 days and today another pastor (from the Dinka tribe, the largest in Sudan) joined us as well. It's been great to have their input into our discussions, giving an insider perspective, and for all of us (Kenyans, Muzungus--white people in Swahili, and Sudanese) to learn together. I think it's very exciting!

Sounds like I will be heading to Lokichoggio, northern Kenya (our launching point into Sudan) on July 23rd and then on into Sudan on July 24th! The rest of the team needs to go back in the week before so I will be travelling by myself, by commercial airline to Loki and then by mission plane (with my stuff and probably a bunch of gear for the base to fill up the plane and of course a pilot!) up into Mabaan county.

Today we also had a report from Dr. Rob on the First Annual Health Assembly for South Sudan that he recently attended. He gave us an overview of the health needs and issues for South Sudan that he learned about there and they are staggering. The most sobering thing was the maternal mortality rate, which is 2,037/100,000, the highest in the world and indeed the highest ever recorded. In addition the under 5 mortality rate is 250/1000 and there is also a huge severe child malnutrition rate. We learned that South Sudan's health facilities are very much concentrated in a few states in the far south, with other areas further north including ours, devoid of health facilities of any kind. The exciting thing is that there are plans to decentralize the health services in South Sudan and a growing emphasis on small primary health care units and centers, of the sort that we are hoping to develop. Please pray for us this week as we talk about plans for the beginnings of this health work.