"Sweet" Sudanese Dancing; A Marriage Proposal

From Jennifer, via satellite phone:
(About 8:30 a.m. Monday in Sudan)

We had a great church service yesterday. We had a women's meeting; three women from our team shared, and a nurse talked about some women's health issues. Then we had a great afternoon playing with the kids. Some randomly showed up here while we were resting. We had a lot of fun.

The weather here is very hot!

The ladies here taught us how to dance Sudanese-style yesterday. Ellie has learned, as one person describes it, "some sweet Sudanese moves." Ellie is making a lot of friends and having a great time. Some men offered 100 cows for her! (laughs) We turned them down. Most of the men on the team have had women offer to marry them, too.

We've met five of the orphans so far. We're going to meet more today. Today, we're going to the school to work with the teachers and the children.
_________________

PLEASE PRAY:
1) For opportunities to meaningfully interact with the orphans

2) For the team's continued strength, good health, and energy in these final few days in Sudan

Another update from Don via Amy:

Thank you so much for your prayers. We have had a great day! The team is doing great, everyone is in good spirts and feeling well. We held the Pastor's meeting today from early morning until about 4pm. Don, Dan Davis and Julius shared in the teaching times, the team did a drama for the pastors. There were about 40 Pastors in attendance. They are so very hungry for teaching and have requested please for more. They would love to have a week long seminar several times throughout the year. The worship times throughout the day during the meeting were incredible. After the Pastor's meeting Micah, Ellie & Dan Davis took a two mile hike to the cattle camp. It was hard to take in all that they saw - you enter a different world. Don, the Robertsons, Triers & Steven met with three orphans and were able to hear more of their story. Each of their parents were killed by militia. Tomorrow the team will attend two church services in the area and then after lead meetings with the women and the youth. It will be a full day! Thank you for your continued prayers. God is so good!

Adele Booysen

Communications Coordinator

Empowering Lives International

Team Shares at Sunday Services; Temps Hit Triple Digits

From Kevin, via satellite phone:
(About 2 p.m. Sunday in Sudan)

We just finished our Sunday morning services. The services average about four hours! Everyone from our team--including Jennifer--had the privilege of speaking in front of the members of this Sudanese church. [Jennifer's a bit shy about speaking in public.]

Jennifer spoke at a women's ministry and shared her testimony with women after the service. They had a great time--she did a wonderful job. The other women on our team also shared.

We had the privilege of meeting some of the orphans. We're going to meet the rest of the orphans on Monday.

It's now 98 degrees in the shade and 104 in the sun. We are exhausted, so we're taking shelter in a barn. It's 98 in here with a slight breeze. Please pray that we'll continue to keep our strength up in this hot weather, and that we'll continue to stay hydrated.

Beautiful Weather, Beautiful People

From Jennifer, via satellite phone:
(About 11:30 a.m. Saturday in Sudan)

It's Saturday morning. We're in Sudan. We had a little trouble getting here; our flight couldn't land because it was raining and the landing strip was too muddy. So we landed about an hour away.

We were very impressed with how the people there greeted us. They took us to a compound where we could stay until we were able to get a ride back to the area where we're staying.

The weather is perfect: It's been in the 80s and overcast, which is wonderful. Kevin got a good night's sleep for the first time last night, so he's feeling much better today.

An update from Ellie: She's says it's very much like her time in Ethiopia. She's really enjoying it.

We're all doing a lot of spiritual processing. Right now, we're going to a meeting with 20 pastors from the area. Many of them walked a long distance to get here this morning for this meeting. They're very excited to have us here.

We're going to be meeting with the orphans later today, so hopefully we'll have an update on that tomorrow.

The people are very welcoming and open. It's just been amazing how the people have welcomed us. They've given us tons of food; we don't have any lack of food and water. We're having a great time!

They're in Sudan!!

I received this email this morning:

Hi there, everyone,

Ellie, Jervaun, Tim, Kevin & Jen are doing great! Due to their flight being delayed leaving LA plus some other minor issues that have since passed, their departure to Sudan was postponed until Friday morning. I've posted news from Sudan on http://eliteams.blogspot.com. Please keep checking that site for updates. Whenever we receive news, we'll post it on this site.

Blessings,

Adele Booysen

Communications Coordinator

Empowering Lives International

Jambo!

That is Swahili for “Hello.” Wow! We haven’t even made it to Sudan yet, and it’s already been an exciting trip. As hard as the enemy is trying to keep us out of Sudan, we are excited to see what God has in store for us there! There has to be a reason the devil doesn’t want us there. From flight delays, lost baggage, migraine headaches, and Kevin’s mysterious illness, it has been amazing to see God’s hand at work. The team has not become discouraged through it all, we have had positive attitudes, and I know at least for myself, I have learned to depend on God like I never have. So, here’s the story so far:

I think the reports of our plane delays have already been made, so I’ll skip ahead to our flight from London to Nairobi. Praise God that because of our flight delay on Sunday, we had to change all of our connecting flights so all five of us were on the same flight from London to Kenya, rather than Kevin and I flying to Amsterdam then to Kenya. About an hour into the seven hour flight, Kevin was asleep and suddenly began throwing up. We managed to get him to the back of the plane where the flight attendant made room for him to lie down on the ground. During that process, he never really woke up, and still doesn’t remember any of it. The flight attendants were wonderful, one even stayed with us the whole flight – I don’t think she ever took a break. As he was lying on the floor, he continued vomiting. As soon as we would give him a sip of water or ginger ale, he would immediately throw it back up. After about 45 minutes of this, they brought out the emergency kit and gave him a pill to stop the vomiting. As soon as it dissolved in his mouth, he threw up again. They waited awhile and tried again with the same results. During all this time, he would wake up occasionally and ask, “What happened?” Then he would immediately go back to sleep. (I should add that he had taken a sleeping pill, so we weren’t sure if he was so “out of it” from that, or some kind of illness.) Also during this time, another flight attendant was on the phone to British Airways medical staff who recommended that he see if there was a doctor on board. They made the announcement, and thank God, there was a pediatrician from Vancouver, Canada. He came back and checked Kevin, took his blood pressure, which was very low, and recommended another pill to stop the vomiting. Again Kevin threw up as soon as he took it. However, he was able to answer the doctor’s questions about his name, who I was, where he was going, etc. so that was progress. Eventually, they moved Kevin to a bed in first class. Thankfully there was only one other person in first class, so there was plenty of room for him and the doctor could examine him better. After examining him, and finding that his stomach and side were very tender and sore, the doctor told me he believed Kevin was having an appendicitis attack. It was decided that there would be an ambulance waiting for the plane to take him directly to the hospital. Kevin was also very dehydrated and the doctor felt he was going into shock. He still could not keep even the smallest amount of liquid down, so the doctor decided to put an IV into him to get some liquids into his body. You can imagine how difficult that was for the doctor, between Kevin’s tremor and the plane bouncing around. It took several tries in both hands before he was able to get it in. He also broke 2 needles trying to give him a shot of medicine to stop the vomiting. He did finally give him the shot, and although the vomiting did not stop completely, it did lessen. Throughout this whole flight, the rest of our team on board was praying and I would go give them updates, and then we would pray again together. I was very nervous about landing in Kenya, getting into an ambulance and going to a hospital where I did not speak the language, or even have the correct kind of currency to pay. I also was unsure of how they would handle the situation of getting our visas, picking up our luggage, and going through customs. Also, because we were on a plane, we had no way of contacting Don Rogers, who was picking us up, to let him know what was going on. As I was praying I really had a sense of peace from the Lord that somehow everything was going to work out. In my mind, I couldn’t image how, but I was trusting God that he had it all worked out. Just like he had it worked out to have us on the same flight as a doctor, before we even knew we would need one. By the time the plane was ready to land, Kevin looked much better. He was awake, aware of what was going on, his blood pressure returned to normal, and he even joked about knowing how to get free upgrades to first class. The pain in his side all but disappeared, and he vomited once during landing and that was the last time. The doctor and other flight attendants who had been helping us were amazed at how well he was doing. Because they had written a report, he still had to see a doctor to get a letter that he is well, or they would not allow him on another British Airways flight. The doctor was still concerned that it could be his appendix and recommended that he still go to the hospital. When we landed, one of the ground crew came on board and let us use his cell phone to contact Don, they had a nurse come onboard to examine him, and since the ambulance was not there, they were going to call for a taxi to drive him to the hospital. However, while talking to Don, we learned that there were 2 vans there to pick us up, so Don said he would take Kevin and I to the hospital in one while the others went in the other one. The workers there at the airport were so helpful. One man pushed Kevin in a wheel chair through the whole airport while holding his bag for the IV in the air for us. They took our whole team to the head of the visa line and got a supervisor to come and then let Kevin and I go through while the rest of our team got our visas for us. They also picked up all the luggage and took it through customs with no questions asked. (Except for 3 pieces of our luggage that were missing.) It was truly a miracle how everything worked out. Don, Kevin, and I went to the hospital in Nairobi, where everyone, and I mean everyone, spoke English and were so helpful. As soon as we walked into the emergency room, I went up to the desk and the man did not even question me, he just told us what room to go to. Imagine walking into an ER in LA at midnight and being put directly into a room, with a doctor following you, and no waiting to fill out paperwork. The doctor and nurse (who was a Christian) were very friendly and efficient. They immediately started another IV and the doctor did an exam. His diagnosis was that it was probably food poisoning, although Kevin had eaten the same as the rest of us. But he saw no signs of appendicitis or any other disease. We were there for about an hour while he got the IV, and I was able to get 3 prescriptions from the doctor filled right there at the hospital. All of this cost only about 1500 shillings which is somewhere around $30! Because of all this drama, we decided not to go to Sudan on Wednesday morning. Thankfully the Missionary Aviation Fellowship was very understanding and worked out a flight for us on Friday to Sudan. Since we had 2 extra days, on Wednesday morning, we drove about 7 hours north of Nairobi to the ELI training site. That is another blessing that came out of all this, because according the original schedule (our schedule, not God’s) Kevin and I were not coming here, the rest of the team was coming after we left from Sudan. I am so glad we were able to come here. First, we got to see beautiful scenery on the drive up, including orangutans and zebras. It was an interesting drive on barely paved roads. It was the bumpiest ride I’ve ever been on, and it is amazing how they drive, making up their own lanes, passing whenever, even if another car is coming straight at us. It was another lesson in trusting God for protection! But we made it safely. Upon our arrival, and having only a few hours notice that we were coming, they had a beautiful welcoming ceremony for us. All 190 orphans, the “parents,” and the staff were lined up to greet us, singing and giving us each a bouquet of roses. We went through and shook each child’s hand as they continued to sing and welcome us. It was a very moving experience for me. The children are beautiful, and the most well-mannered, respectful children I have ever met. They were so happy to see us, and they don’t even know most of us. They did remember Kevin from last year and were especially glad to see him again. They had a wonderful dinner prepared for us, and rooms ready for us. Kevin and I are staying in a house build by a former staff member and we have our own indoor bathroom, with a shower and hot water! It is much more than I would have expected. Thursday we toured the training site where they train local people on how to grow crops, take care of cows and goats, and produce things to sell. It is fascinating and I wish I had more time and room to describe everything. But it really does “empower” the people to make their own lives better and not rely on others. Then we toured the orphanage and met all the children again. There are about 12 children in each hut, 6 sets of bunk beds, and a large table in the middle. They each have a drawer for clothes and a shelf for shoes and books. Each set of parents has their own hut in the middle and a hut for girls and one for boys. There are 4 sets of parents, so there are 4 boys’ huts and 4 girls’ huts. They are the cleanest children’s rooms I have ever seen. They really take pride in taking care of their “stuff.” I visited each hut, sang songs, read stories, and just talked with the kids. Then, before dinner, Kevin did some magic tricks with the kids and I led the evening devotions for 2 of the “families,” about 48 kids, then we helped serve their dinner. They were so happy to have us there and were so attentive to the lesson. Their knowledge of God’s word put me to shame! Then we had our dinner with the team and staff here, a devotion time of our own, and a really focused prayer time for Sudan. Then we repacked our bags for Sudan (and yes, our missing luggage showed up and British Airways had it transported up here to us and we received it today.) Tomorrow morning (Friday) we fly to Sudan where we will stay until Wednesday, then fly back to Kenya. The rest of the team will go on to visit other sites, while Kevin and I will fly back to Nairobi and on Thursday fly home. We have many ideas of what we want to do and accomplish in Sudan, but we have certainly learned that God may have his own, very different plans for us.

We don’t know when we’ll be able to update again. The satellite phone has not been working all the time, and we will not have any more internet access after tomorrow morning. Thank you for your continued prayers. Kevin is feeling much better, we are all well rested and excited to see what God has for us in Sudan.

Landed in Kenya

Kevin, Jennifer and Ellie were able to get a flight to London.

On the next leg of the trip, Kevin became extremely ill. He was vomiting , and a doctor was called. The doc was trying to treat him for seven hours, and couldn't determine the cause of Kevin's illness. He was taken to an emergency medical center in Kenya. Doctors still weren't able to identify why Kevin had gotten ill, but the symptoms have passed.

Kevin is feeling better now. Jennifer and Ellie are both fine. They are now trying to arrange flights to Sudan.

PLEASE PRAY:
1) For Kevin's full recovery, and for the health of the entire Sudan team

2) That Kevin, Jennifer, and Ellie will be able to quickly arrange flights, and that the rest of their travel will be smooth

We're out of here... I think

Last night we went back to the airport to try to rebook our connecting flight to try to get to Nairobi by Tuesday so we can get on the charter flight by Wednesday morning. So, after two hours at the airport here is a new itinerary:

Monday United airlines #934 leaving Los Angeles 12:00 noon arriving London 6:30 am then we leave London 10:30 a.m. on British airlines flight #65 arriving in Nairobi 8:45 p.m. which gets in on time for the Wednesday charter flight. Now here is where the prayer needs to come in. United says that their people will go in the belly of the plane and re-label our luggage to go on the British air flight instead of the Kenya Air flight. All of the orphans’ letters and backpacks and clothes are checked in. Please pray that our luggage will arrive with us on the British airline flight.

OK... maybe not

After taking this picture, talking on the cell phone saying good bye to family, telling them "I love you," we boarded the plane, fastened our belts, then the pilot says, "we have some bad news - the plane is leaking fuel!" So, we all deplaned and they said the plane should be fixed by 9:00 p.m. Ok there goes our connecting flight. An hour later the report was the plane cannot be fixed and now we will be leaving monday at noon. But, your luggage will stay on the plane. We are back home tonight... And will be leaving on Monday. But here's the deal: we had a 24 rest scheduled in Nairobi to adjust to the time change and to shower before we fly to Sudan. Please pray that our itenerary changes can be adjusted. The plane that we are flying into Sudan is a charter flight and it is scheduled to fly out Wednesday morning. Please pray that we can get to Nairobi by Wednesday morning or that we can change the charter flight for later.

We are out of here

Happy Easter!! Today is the day that we leave for Sudan. We just finished two highly charged services my prayer is that we honor our Lord. Please pray for our travels there and back Jennifer and I will be back to share in the service on Sunday, April 22nd. Ellie will return to share in the services the following week, April 29th.

Ellie has arrived in LA

I received a phone call from Ellie at 8:40 a.m. saying “I’m here” in a very tired voice. I parked the car walked over to baggage claim hoping she looks somewhat like the picture she sent us. And sure enough we recognized each other. After a few hours at our home we went to “Target” and REI for last minute shopping, then we took her the local diner “Ronnie’s” for lunch. We went to the church to get ready for tomorrow and Jennifer started packing and Ellie crashed!

Kevin

A note from Ellie:

I’m sending this in place of a formal good-bye to you my dear friends with the hope that you will provide your prayers for this journey. Together let’s ask God to see the suffering of His people and to add to our numbers those who are being saved. Praise Him for the opportunity to know first hand what is happening on the other side of the world and the power that He gives us to use love to bridge the cultural and physical differences between us. I want nothing more than to close my own eyes and see what I am about to see with His eyes. To cry because He is crying; to ache, because He aches and to love, because HE LOVES. This leaves me with great anticipation to see what it is really like over there and what exactly the God of all creation is doing about it. I know that He works all things together for good and I am convinced that many good things will come from the evil that has lived in Africa. I am blessed to see his work.

Ellie

update

Hi team,

This is going to be a great trip.

There has been a bit of shuffling here and there but here is the latest information. Please let me know of any challenges with this schedule.

Don:

arrives in Nairobi 6:15pm Thursday April 5th - stays at Mayfield night of 5th

Friday 6th - Don flies to Eldoret on evening flight (will need to be picked up please) and goes to Ilula for night of 6th.

7th - Saturday am Don travels to Kipkaren for Guardian Day and connecting with ELI KK team

8th - Sunday - Easter at Kipkaren -

Sunday evening Don travels back to Ilula for dinner and night.

9th - Monday at Ilula - then takes evening flight to Nairobi - Sleep at Mayfield

TEAM:

10th - Tuesday - Don meets Sudan team from California at Nairobi JKIA at 6:30am Kenya Airways (Tim Trier, Jervaun Trier, Ellie Clause, Micah Albert, Kevin and Jennifer Robertson)

All team goes to Mayfield for orientation, showers, repacking for Sudan. Sleep at Mayfield.

11th - Wed - 6:30am meeting time at Wilson airport MAF Charter flight for above Sudan team (Davis, Julius, Kiptoo, Elizabeth will be picked up in ELDORET).

11th-17th in Sudan

17th - Tuesday - team returns from Sudan and is dropped off by MAF in Eldoret Then team goes directly to Ilula

18th - Wed - team is in Ilula and in the evening Micah Albert is taken to Eldoret Airport to go to Nbo AND Tammy Ring will be picked up and brought back to Ilula.

19th - Thurs - Team travels from Ilula to Kipkaren in time for greeting and lunch (ROBERTSONS - Kevin and Jennifer stay in Ilula and take evening flight out to NBO)

Team arriving in Kipkaren are Don R., Tim Trier, Jervaun Trier, Ellie Clause, Tammy Ring

20th - Friday - AIDS HIV campaign

21-25 continue in Kipkaren (23rd - Jervaun Trier is taken to Eldoret Aiport for flight to NBO)

25th team participates with Edna and children ministry outreach in Kipkaren.

25th evening team travels to Ilula

26th Ilula

27th - evening flight for team from Eldoret to NBO and then to USA

Blessings in Christ. We cover all this in prayer.

Where will we be?

We will be traveling three days before we arrive in Sudan. We leave from LAX to London then London to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to Nairobi, and Nairobi to Padak, Padak to Sudan. You can click on the map for a bigger picture. We will be staying between Bor and Jonglei at the orphanage and school in tents.

Facts about Sudan

• They have suffered the longest continual civil war in the world – conflict for nearly 21 consecutive years and for 37 of the past 48 years.
• An estimated 2 million people have suffered war related deaths during the past 21 years. Sudan’s death toll is larger than fatalities suffered in current and recent conflicts in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Somalia, and Algeria combined. Twice as many Sudanese have died in the past 21 years than all the war related deaths suffered by Americans in the more than 200 year history of the United States.
• The people of Sudan have fled their homes in larger numbers than any other country on earth—4 million are internally displaced within the country, and 800,000 are refugees in neighboring countries.
• The people of Sudan are struggling to escape one of the worst famines seen anywhere in the world in recent years—approximately 2,5 million people faced serious food shortages last year, thousands died.
• The 30 Million people of Sudan live in Africa’s largest geographical country. Their country is equal to the size of the United States east of the Mississippi River. The southern one-third of Sudan, where the warfare, famine, dying, and population displacement are worst, contains approximately 5 million impoverished people in an area roughly the size of Texas.
• Virtually all of southern Sudan’s 5 million people have fled home at least once during 21 years of war. Families have become scattered to the winds: brothers and sisters cut off from siblings; widowed or abandoned women forced to live alone.
• Many southern Sudanese people have lived an uprooted existence for 15 years or more. They have become vagabonds of their country’s war—forced to flee from one location to the next again and again and again. Many have been displaced a half-dozen times during the past decade.
• Daily life for uprooted Sudanese is harsh, with no margin of error. Stripped of their possessions, families struggle to feed and clothe themselves in strange new surroundings that feel remote and unwelcoming. Even as they go about the arduous daily chores of survival, individuals face loneliness, and gloom. Life they feel is passing them by.

“Average Church Band”

Today we had a prayer time for Angela. She is the keyboardist and singer of the "Average Church Band." They were given the opportunity to entertain the troops this Easter weekend. Please pray for them this coming weekend. myspace.com/angelavicente

Ellie Claus

Last November I flew up to Anchorage, Alaska for my Grandfather's funeral. My cousin's husband Karl Clauson is the Senior Pastor of Change Point (changepointalaska.com). It’s a huge church and runs over 5000 a week. My other cousin Gwen Adams is the senior leader of the children's ministry which is running over a thousand children on a weekly basis. Gwen was asking me a lot of questions about Sudan after the funeral. Through this conversation I found out that my grandfather, in the last 6 months of his life, had been praying for the healing in Sudan and that it was a burden upon his heart. Gwen felt she would love to get involved in supporting some type of ministry in Sudan. She said “I have a thousand children that come to our church. If each child would bring a dollar a week that is a $1000.00 a week!” Now there are two ways I could approach this: 1) A sales presentation with PowerPoint and try to meet with key players and close the deal. Which is not me. Or 2) bring someone with us and allow the Holy Sprit to speak to them and let them see what Christ sees and come back to Alaska and share Christ's heart. With this on my mind I thought of asking Gwen to come to Sudan with me. But, my cuz has three children and is running a huge ministry, so going into a very dangerous country is not the brightest thing especially if you don’t have a clear calling about going, forget it. I told Gwen the best thing to do is find someone with a heart for orphans. Two months later I was given a phone number with a name “Ellie.” I called Ellie and realized that I have an opportunity to equip Ellie “to do great things for the Kingdom of God.” I believe in order to do that you have to take risks - big risks - Sudan-sized risks. In a conversation I had with her, she is definitely open to take risks in order to be sold out on Him. Easter Sunday I’m going to introduce her to our congregation at the 9:00 am and 10:45 service for prayer before we fly out that day. Please begin to pray for Ellie that the Lord will instill His direction for her life and that when she goes back to Alaska she will bring part of the hearts of the Sudanese children with her.

Signed, sealed, delivered

We're going to be getting to know 24 orphans that have lost both parents due to the war. I think it's important that these dear children know who is praying for them and supporting them. If you would like to write a letter to them, Jennifer and I will hand deliver it. (yes they are leaning English) In the letter describe who you are and where you live. We will show on a map where the letter is coming from. Please enclose a picture of your self or your family. It's important to have a picture of you and your family to put up in the classroom. If you interested please mail it to:

Kevin Robertson

12610 Braddock Dr #225

Los Angeles CA 90066

Or email me at:

Pastorkevin@marinachristian.org and attach a photo and we will print the letter and photo and bring it with us. Then when we come back we will put the letters in this blog with their picture. It's important that we build a relationship with these children. Please mail them by Tuesday April 3rd, and email by Friday April 6^th.

Sudan Schedule

This is a email from Don Rogers our team leader

Hello again team,

I pray that things are coming together well for the upcoming trip.

I will be in NY for a few days and then leaving for Kenya on the 4th to be there ahead of you by a few days.

A tentative schedule for Sudan:

11th - Leave Nairobi and arrive Padak, So Sudan

Travel by truck one hour to Kolmarek (ELI Site)

Fellowship with Stephen and staff.

12th - Visit with community / home visits / Explore ELI training center / help with construction

13th - Visit School / Visit Cattle camp

14th - Sat.- Children's games and simple Bible story - Meeting/Discussions with local Pastors

15th - Sun. -Church - Discussions with youth - Rest

16th - Mon - Final Video takes - Possible follow-up with teachers and pastors

17th - Tues - fly from Padak to Eldoret and to ELI Kenya Training Center

Everything is coming together well. There will be times for ministry with the children in Sudan. A couple of parachutes have been ordered (Thanks Kevin and Jennifer) which will provide some amazing interaction with children. You may want to bring a few other things like a few jump ropes.

Tim - can you bring those uninflated soccer balls in the office and an air pump?

Visual Bible pictures / flannel graph story or two would be a bonus.

We will have a Kenyan nurse traveling with us! Bernard Kiptoo has been to Sudan before and will be a blessing to have on the journey with us.

Much of our time is dedicated to Listening and Learning. Having a few light tools for spontaneous ministry to children is good.

I'll communicate more within a couple days from NY.

Keep covering this trip with your prayers.

Looking forward,

Don

Missing my buddy….

Going on this trip is exciting and scary at the same time. Last year when I went, Gordon was my biggest encourager. He kept saying “the Lord is going to bless you. He is not going to let any harm come to you.” When I was gone last year he told me that he prayed every day for me on this trip and when I got back Gordon was the first one I saw (besides my wife). I remember I told him “It’s you and I next year buddy!” It will be a year next month since he passed away. I’m still going to wear his hat in Sudan that he gave me last year. But I will miss his prayer covering and his words of encouragement, and his friendship. As we are approaching Easter we are reminded that we serve a risen Savior. Jesus is the one that majors in resurrections. I baptized Gordon a few years ago and baptism simply means death to ourselves as we begin a new life in Him. On April 29^th 2006 Gordon died. But, on April 29^th 2006, Gordon was given a new resurrected body that will last forever. One day I will see Gordon again according to the Bible. That’s what brings me Joy when I miss my buddy.

A Day of Shopping

Yesterday and today we started our shopping for Sudan. Where we are staying is going to be very remote. I don’t think people get how primitive it is there. There is no running water, no electricity, and no toilets. There isn’t even a store around. I have this idea of a reality show. 5 young adults that live in the West Side live in Sudan for two weeks and see how they would survive. It would be a great show. We are going to be in the Sudan for five nights. We bought our tent, air mattress with a battery operated pump, and sleeping bags. We have to buy new clothes for the trip for a few reasons: That we need to have long sleeves, no shorts, and Jennifer has to have long skirts. The temperatures average 100 to 120 during the day and 90 to 100 at night. This is the summer season in Sudan. The reason we are wearing long sleeves is protection from the sun and mosquitoes. When we leave Sudan we will leave all of our cloths there (with the exception of the ones on our back) because there is such a need for clothes. We bought extra batteries for the digital camera as well as the video camera. Please continue to pray for Jennifer and I as well as the other team members that are joining as. We are a week and a half away from Easter and leaving for Sudan.

Our Anniversary

After church we hit the road. We drove north up interstate 101 to a small town on the beach called "Cambria." We are staying at the "Blue Dophin Inn" until Wednesday. I don't know if this is a good or bad thing but neither of our cell phone has reception. We have to drive 2 miles from the hotel to get reception and 32 miles to the closest Starbucks which is in Morro Bay. But, it's a beautuful area and a nice room with a fireplace. We're celabrating 7 years of marraige.

A Good Morning

As you know, when I started my sermon series “Mind, Body, and Soul” through the book of Colossians, I told the congregation that one of my goals was that on Easter Sunday I can have my shirt tucked in without having a gut hanging over my belt. I have been walking 4 miles a day and have been doing sit-ups. This morning I decided that I was going to jog to the beach without stopping (2 miles). I did it! My calf and ankles hurt but I did it. When I was walking back there was a lady that I pass almost every day for the last 6 months and all we have said is good morning with a wave. This morning was different. When I was about to wave and say good morning she staring talking. I pulled out one of my earphones from my i-pod and said “pardon” and my morning was made when she said “You’re looking good” and rubbed her stomach. I said thank you and took this picture of her walking away. Talking about making your day!! A complete stranger saying three encouraging words. How powerful our words can be to encourage one another even if we do not know them.

Getting ready

I decided it’s time to start writing for my blog again. We are two weeks away from leaving for Sudan. I’ll try to keep daily updates on everything with the ministry, myself, and Sudan. One new thing I am doing is inserting videos in my blog . Tomorrow will be the first test video. If it works I’ll post it tomorrow evening. The reason I’m trying this is that I can post videos from my trip in Sudan and give you more of a feeling of being there with us.

Apel Mary Mading (10 months) and Aguto Elijah Mading (3 years) (True orphans)

Mary and Elijah with their grandmother, who takes care of them
Aguto Elijah Mading (Age 3)

Apel Mary Mading

Elijah and Mary live with their grandmother, who also takes care of
two other grandchildren. Their father died in the war, and their
mother died of typhoid when Mary was just two months old. Their
grandmother tries to plant some sorghum, but has hardly any income
from that. We provide her with the necessary means to be able to care
for these two children.

Abraham Ngong Kueth (Age 12)

Subject: Abraham Ngong Kueth (Age 12)



Abraham grew up with his uncle. "I hear my father and mother are
around, but I don't know... My mother was wife number 2 to my father,
and they got divorced. My uncle took care of me, but then he took me
to a cattle camp. I stayed at the cattle camp since I was small. I
don't have any brothers or sisters."

Abraham is in Grade 1. He likes to play football, and wants to be a
doctor when he's big. Why a doctor? "Everyone says, 'I'm sick, I'm
sick!' But there are few doctors around. I want to be like the people
who came and helped people by making them feel better."

(He was brought to the home by Abraham Mayan.)

Rachel Amer Kuol (Age 11)

Rachel's father was a soldier in the SPLA army and was killed in the
war. Her mother was abducted by guerillas. "I don't know my mother,"
she explains. "My grandmother took care of me. But my grandmother
doesn't care about me. So when I heard about the school, I decided to
come here. I decided by myself. My grandmother didn't care."

When asked what she liked about school, Rachel replies, "I like to
think, think, think!" She also likes reading in the afternoons.

"When I'm big, I want to be an evangelist!" she says.

David Luar Banchol (Age 9)

David grew up in a cattle camp with Peter, one of the other boys at
the children's home. "I don't know anything about my family," he says.
"I cannot remember them at all. I've always been living with the
cows."

David likes school. He also likes to dance and play football. He
doesn't like to have to wear clothes!

Asked what he'd like to do when he's big, David answers without
hesitation, "I want to be a headmaster!"

Peter Mango Akuch (Age 11) (True orphan)

Peter has lived in a cattle camp for as long as he can remember. "People tell me my parents were killed in a raid during the war," he says. He has no siblings. He was brought to the children's home from the cattle camp by Zachariah Maluk, the principle of the ELI school in Sudan. "Peter has some problems with his stomach from living with the cows so long, so I brought him home," Zachariah explains.

Peter likes learning. And he loves?playing football! "I also like helping people. I like it when they call me to help!" he says with a smile.

When he grows up, Peter would like to be a pilot. "People will know me," he says. "They will know that I'm special."

Mary Diyo Akech (Age 11)

Mary's father used to be a major in the SPLA before he was hit by a
stray bullet and killed. Her mother is in the hospital in Equatoria
due to sleeping sickness. Mary's sister Rachel also lives at the
childrens' home in Kolmarek. A relative brought the two girls from
Equatoria to Juba, from where they were put on a motorboat to Bor. In
Bor they lived in a cattle camp where they were responsible for taking
care of calves. Their grandmother heard that there is a school in
Kolmarek and brought the two girls to receive an education.

"I like to study," this first-grader says. "I also like cooking. And
to read and write."

When she grows up, Mary wants to be a pastor.

Kuol siblings (True orphans)

Monica Arok Kuol (Age 11)
Grace Adhiang Kuol (Age 8)

William Reech Kuol (Age 5)
>
> Monica, Grace and William's father died in the war. He was a soldier
> for SPLA. After their father's death, their mother committed suicide
> by drinking poison. William was about 2 years old when their mother
> died. The three siblings went to stay with their grandmother along the
> banks of the Nile River.
For Monica, the best thing about school is learning. Grace likes
reading, while William enjoys playing football with his friends at
school.

After school, Monica likes to help around the house. She usually helps
for at least an hour, then she likes to read. She doesn't know yet
what she'd like to be when she grows up.

After school, Grace likes to read. She wants to be a doctor when she
grows up.

Though William's favorite pastime is to play football, he agrees with
his sister Grace. He, too, would like to be a doctor someday.

John Mangany Mongrach (Age 9)

Mangany (pronounced Man-'gai) is an only child. His father died in the
war, and he does not know where his mother is. Until coming to the
children's home, he lived in a cattle camp. Mangany is in Grade 1. "I
used to play a lot when I was living in the cattle camp," he explains.
"But now, it's better to know to read and write." He dreams about
being a pilot. "You fly so high, and everyone can see you. They stop
and look at the airplane," Mangany says.

At the children's home, Mangany enjoys being with other kids and
playing with them.

Zachariah Machar Abraham Deng (Age 11)

Machar's father died in the war. His mother and older brother lives in
Malakal. "I heard about the school here and that there are orphans, so
I came here. I was staying with a relative at the time. I came here on
foot."

Machar likes learning. "If I have a good education, I'll have a better
life," he says. "I want to be a doctor."

When he's not in school, he likes to take care of the goats at the
children's home.

Samuel Gai Alier (Age 8)

Samuel is the oldest of three children. He used to have older
stepbrothers and -sisters (from his fathers marriage to other wives),
but his olderr siblings all died in the war. He has two younger
sisters who live with his mother in Equatoria, Southern Sudan. Their
father was killed in the war. Samuel lived with his grandmother, who
sent him to Kolmarek when she heard that there's a school. Now that
Samuel is able to go to school, he most enjoys reading and writing.
For fun, he practices to read and write. He also likes to invent new
games, which can keep him busy for long periods of time. "I also like
to play ball, and I really like to tell stories," Samuel says. "I like
being here because of school."

Rachel Yom Akech (age 8)

Rachel's father used to be a major in the SPLA before he was hit by a
stray bullet and killed. "My father taught me about Jesus," she says.

Her mother is in the hospital in Equatoria due to sleeping sickness.
Rachel's sister Mary also lives at the childrens' home in Kolmarek. A
relative brought the two girls from Equatoria to Juba, from where they
were put on a motorboat to Bor. In Bor they lived in a cattle camp
where they were responsible for taking care of calves. Their
grandmother heard that there is a school in Kolmarek and brought the
two girls to receive an education. "I like to be educated," Rachel
says. "I really like learning to read and write."

For fun, Rachel likes "playing carefully, with love. And I like
playing soccer. But I don't like fighting."

David Manyang Amor (Age 10)

Like all the other children at the children's home, David is in Grade
1. He came to Kolmarek because he heard that there was a school.
David does not know where his parents are. "I last saw them when I was
very small. I also have an older brother, but I don't know where he
is."

David loves playing football. His dream is to be the president of
Southern Sudan. "I want to be like John Garang," he says confidently.
"I want to learn so that people will respect me. I want to make money
so I can give things to other people."

Peter Makwen Samuel (Age 8)

During the war, Peter's parents abandoned him. He lived in the forest
with his uncle, hiding from the war. He is not sure where his parents
are now. He's in first grade, and he loves learning, especially
English. "I also like the respect that I see at school." After school,
Peter likes to read his school books. When he's big, he wants to be a
doctor.

Martha Achock Anyot, Age 9

Martha is the oldest of three girls. Her father was an SPLA soldier

who died in the war. Her mother lives south of Bor.

Her step sister (an older sister from her father's first wife) took

her to a cattle camp to live because there was no food at home. When

this sister heart that there is a school in Kolmarek, she brought

Martha so that she could have an education. "Life here is better than

in the cattle camp," Martha explained. "There, I had to take care of

calves. Now I get to go to school."

Martha doesn't yet know what she wants to do when she grows up.

"Right now, I just like to learn," she said with a shy smile. Her

favorite thing to do at school is to learn how to read. She's looking

forward to being able to read the Bible.

For fun, Martha likes helping in the kitchen. She also enjoys playing

games with the other children.

Last note

Many of the tree seeds that Steve Fitch left have germinated and they learned much through some of the challenges they faced with some termites eating some of the seeds. He is ready to keep trying and we will send more Mango seeds in a couple of weeks when Juli and a medical team return to Kolmarek around May 3rd to be there until the 9th. Pray for this team please. They will be staying in tents on the Kolmarek property. The winds and rains are present and could present a challenge.

Steven successfully returned to Kolmarek a couple of weeks ago after coming to Kenya to visit his wife and his new son. Yes - his wife delivered a boy while she was in Kenya. His other son Immanuel (now 2 years old) is still not doing very well health wise so Steven and his wife took him to Nairobi to see the doctor that did the first surgery on the baby. We arranged for Steven to again take a large truck all the way to Kolmarek with school books, cement, chalk boards, food to feed the orphans and school children. Praise God that he traveled safely during the several day trip and nothing was lost. God is good.

You remember how so many of the children had flies in their eyes and how that can lead to blindness (trachoma). Juli and Allison and seven others from our ELI staff in Kenya are flying on May 3rd to join with Steven for a mobile clinic and health trainings. David Tarus and Pastor Peter Maru from our Kipkaren Staff are also going to hold several hours of seminars and discussions with the local pastors. We want to help these Christian leaders grow in Christ and leadership. David is especially god at encouraging pastors and we hope to learn more about how we can partner with these local churches to help them grow and to help their members to grow in knowledge of Christ and also how to reduce the poverty and suffering that surrounds their daily lives.

The three structures that you remember seeing on the ELI property with you help will now continue to be built. One of the rooms will be used as a temporary health clinic during this teams trip in May. It will then be used as a classroom for the school and our training center and another of the buildings will be used to house the 15 orphans that we now have under our care.

We have 9 boys and 6 girls that we feed and educate at this time. There are 38 full orphans in the school.

Thanks so much KEVIN.

I'll send the important answers to question 2 asap!!!!!!!!!!!!

Serving together,

Don

Question 6

What information, if any, will the sponsor receive?

Photo and profile - ability to send and receive letters at least twice a year (via internet).

Question 5

What will this support pay for?

Daily food, clothing, parental care, education, Christian loving home environment.

Question 4

What will be the monthly financial commitment for a sponsor?

$90 per month per child

Question 3

Most specifically, what needs are being directly addressed as a result of funding from MCF?

Marina Christian Fellowship has been instrumental in helping this entire ministry to be launched into the Sudan! It was your initial investment of $10,000 that helped Steven to travel there to continue building crucial relationships with the local leaders and villagers. With this additional investment just received ( $20,000) we have been able to not only move further to reach our goals for Phase one but also to support the staff and feed these needy children and orphans.
These are the needs that so far have been directly addressed as a result of funding from MCF:
1. Enabled key leadership (Steven Reech, Zacharia Maluk, Abraham Mayen Kon) to move from Kenya and Uganda to set up life at the Southern Sudan ministry site of Kolmarek.
2. Helped with the costs of purchasing and trucking vital construction materials and supplies from Kenya to Kolmarek in January. These initial supplies include 100 bags of cement, roofing timber, iron sheeting, fence wire, food for the children, seeds.
3. Helped with the labor costs for constructing the roofs of the first three School and Training Center structures.
4. Helped with a second truck of supplies in April. These vital supplies needed to reach Kolmarek before the rains began (Apri15th) so that construction and the feeding program could continue. Steven personally escorted these supplies as well as carried funds given by MCF to pay the teachers and staff their compensation for their ministry service up through April.
NEEDS BEING ADDRESSED BY MCF:
* 180 children most of whom have been malnourished are now being fed three important meals each week.
* 15 orphaned children are being feed three meals a day and live in simple temporary shelters.
* Vital construction materials have been trucked into Sudan from Kenya which will enable us to complete one building for the school campus, one building for the Training Center, and one structure to house the orphans (while the permanent orphanage is constructed later this year and into next year - We already have a donor willing to cover this Orphanage/Boarding facility cost).
* MFC has provided funds to support the teachers in this new Christian School for the first several months of its existence. This is extremely significant in that this is the first school in this area teaching children for over a decade - all schools and in fact most of the village was destroyed during the war. MCF has helped initiate and support this important Christian school with food for the children and with support for the teachers and construction materials for several of the permanent buildings now being constructed.
* MFC has invested in the school books for the school. Steven Reech just two weeks ago returned to Kenya to be able to visit his family as well as to return with more construction materials as well as supplies for the school. he returned with over $1,000 value in school text books. Before this the teachers were teaching from the one book that they alone had as they would read out loud from the text book and then write some things on the chalk board (two of the four classrooms did not even have a chalk board).
* MFC has provided the chalk boards for each class room and writing books for each of the over 170 children in the school!
*MFC has provided a portion of the funds needed to be able to buy the fencing posts and wire to demark the Empowering Lives Sudan School / Children's Home / Skills for Life Training Center Property.

Question 2

What is the current status of the work in there? Some of this is addressed in the last email (3-29-06).

Yes - my last email did cover much of this. The rains have now started in Southern Sudan so the possibility of getting more supplies into Kolmarek for construction, well drilling, or anything else is very limited if not impossible at this time. It was so fantastic to receive your gift from the church just in time for Steven to buy the cement, school supplies, chalk boards, food, and funds for salaries for the staff and teachers. What an incredible blessing! Our strategy is initiated with direct ministry to children while at the same time we are constructing the "Skills for Life Training Center" and some staff housing. All of these things weave together and overlap as we work to change and empower lives.
TREES / WATER - Trees (seeds) have been planted using the seeds that Steve Fitch brought and instructed Steven on. So far many of them have germinated and now that the rains have come they are planting more seeds in the plastic tubes since getting water to the seedlings was one of the biggest challenges they faced daily. The rains will help to relieve some of this burden until we are able to have a company come into the area and drill the borehole and install the water pump system. The company we were in dialogue with said that they must first finish a contract they have with US-AID before they can visit our area again -AND they must wait until the rains subside enough for their heavy machinery to be able to get in and out of the village. This might still be a couple of months or more before we can get the borehole drilled but we are hopeful that sometime sooner something can happen and it can be done sooner than we are now thinking.
SCHOOL - we are still using the community hall building across the road for the time being. There are 170 children but most likely more than that at this time. We are feeding the children lunch 3 times a week at this time. Corn must be brought in from Kenya so all foods at this time are expensive. We look forward to the future when we will have our borehole and demonstration farm - producing our own foods there locally for a portion of the cost and at the same time demonstrating to the people ideas for agriculture and food production.
SKILLS FOR LIFE CENTER: This center is next to and in fact a part of the future school and children's home. We want all of the great ideas that we will be implementing to be front and center in the lives of the children at the school and Children's Home (Orphanage). There were three iron sheet structures in February. They are going to be very useful when the medical team arrives in a couple of weeks. Even as I write we are hoping that Steven was able to borrow the cement block forming machine from the Fisheries (where we stayed) so that they can put in the foundation and walls for one or more of those three buildings.
All of these buildings will initially be used as classrooms for the school and one will be housing for the orphans while we are securing funds and staff for the Housing for Orphans.
ORPHAN CARE: There are 38 orphans in the school and 15 of them have no where to live. These 15 are the first group of children we feel God has brought to us and we are providing temporary housing for them at this time in simple mud structures we are borrowing. There are 9 boys and 6 girls. The girls are staying in the home of one of the women teachers.
We are feeding these 15 orphans every day of the week and providing their schooling.

Question 1

What are the programs and strategies (current and long term) NOW being used by ELI to address the needs in Sudan?


Our programs and strategies take into account the full life of the people. As you know we desire to see the oppressed empowered spiritually, physically, and economically. Though this may seem like a wide scope and difficult undertaking it is possible and we have already been doing it successfully as can be seen well at our Kipkaren Training Center ministry area.
Poverty is caused by many varied and often intertwining issues. To address only one issue (Spiritual needs) without addressing the hunger or malnourishment that the person is facing does not represent well the full love of God. God wants to know that persona and see that he or she has the basic necessities of life. A quick review of Matt. 25 makes this clear. Sorry if it sounds like I'm preaching here but there are many that will ask you questions like " Can an organization really do all those ministries well? Maybe they are spread out too thin and cannot do any of it effectively." Good question and the answer from my perspective is a resounding Yes - we can do all these things and integrate them well within the area and among the lives God has called us to serve. I mention all this because it effects the approach we feel God leading us to in regards to ministry in Southern Sudan - specifically the village of Kolmarek and the surrounding area.
PROGRAMS AND STRATEGIES for ELI in Southern Sudan
1. NATIONAL LEADERSHIP - We want to equip and empower a key strategic national team of change agents who understand the Gospel as well as the vision and strategies of ELI. We want to support this team initially with funds from outside so they can work well yet can still relate on a deep level with the villagers among whom they are hoping to change. The lead visionary and leader is Steven Reech. His relationship with the Kolmarek village goes back generations and his return to this village after over ten years in exile was celebrated by the local people. Relationally we are already off to an amazing start which if we used traditional approaches of sending in missionaries would take several years and even then not be as effective. Stevens role at this point is crucial and we praise God that his vision is beginning to be understood but more importantly that a trust level between himself and the local leaders and people is off to a wonderful start. Steven cares deeply for these people and has a Godly passion to see them helped. Having these Key people on the ground at entry level is an important part of the ELI strategy. Receiving financial support from friends and churches for these Key Nationals is essential to the present and future success of the vision and work.
Other key nationals are :Zacharia Maluk - Headmaster and Children's Ministry leader
Abraham Mayan Kon - Agricultural worker and trainer / Agroforestry implementation
ELS Christian Academy School Teachers
Parent couple to care for Orphans

Questions for Don Rogers

Hi again Kevin,
It was so great to talk with you the other day on the phone.
Since then I have heard from Steven Reech via Satellite phone. He is so thrilled with all that is going on. He sounds very happy because he is now seeing the vision becoming a reality!

This email that you're reading is NOT yet completed but I've had so much going on that I thought I would send what I have so far and get you the rest asap - hopefully by Monday. You need and deserve as much information as possible. SO SORRY for any delay.
In your last email you had sent me these questions. I now that we talked by phone about all of these things but I wanted to put them down here as well as add some other supporting information so that you and the amazing missions support team that has come into existence can have all you all need to fulfill the calling God has put on your hearts to reach out to and care for the orphans and needy people of Sudan. Truly you are a blessing and this partnership is very important to us.

$20,000

We wired the money to Empowring lives international!

Email

Hi Kevin!

I hope that you are well. God once again allowed me to travel across country boarders into Tanzania and back - this time by car (about 10 hours of driving). Our work in Tanzania is really on the move.

Thanks again for your prayers and encouragement in our ministry. I wanted you to know that Steven Reech just arrived here in Kenya yesterday after traveling four days by truck and then bus!! He and I will meet again on Friday to discuss what the next steps are for the continued development of the school and our ministry to orphans and our training center in general.

Right now we have 15 children in our full custody who are complete orphans. They are living together in the mud house which was located toward the end of the school. Attached is a list of the names of those children and others in our school who are orphans. You'll see that many were orphaned because their parents were killed during the war. From Stevens discussions there are some great opportunities to make investments right now that will help us to make a huge impact on the village. Specific numbers can come by this weekend but if you have some funds earmarked for the work and you trust us to use it for the below this would be a great help.

1. We need some funds to help feed these 15 orphans three meals a day and then the rest of the school at least one meal three times a week.

2. We need some funds for cement to finish at least one of the classrooms / sleeping quarters. We plan to have a small medical team head to Kolmarek in May to help with some of those incredible sicknesses we saw and to do some training on health care. They will need a place to sleep and if we can finish some of the other rooms as well we can house the team and use another of the rooms for trainings.

3. There is a great need to finish fencing the property. The poles we need come from the forest near Bor that we saw so we have to pay for the tree and also the transport.

4. BOOKS for the children in the school. You saw their classes and the one chalk board they use - Steven has now a list of the books that they need which he can buy this week here in Kenya if we can et him the funds.

5. Salaries for these teachers in the school.

I received some incredible news from Steve F. that funds were approved to help us put in the borehole! Unfortunately we will have to wait for the drilling company to come back into the area to drill - most likely it will be May - BUT we are thrilled with the resources that are now available to drill this crucial water source.

I just wanted to shoot you an email to let you know that the work is moving ahead and we are so grateful for all that you have done and will do through the blessings of God and your church. You had mentioned that some funds were already available - now would be the best time for us to invest them in feeding these children - building out the classroom that was started - fencing the property - buying books - supporting the teachers.

Can you remind me of the amount that was available for this? Are the funds with the FM Conference Office?
If you could notify them to forward some to our ELI office we may be able to get them in time before Steven Reech returns to Sudan early next week. It has been a great challenge to get the funds there - having Steven hand carry them will be our very best option if it can work out.

Thanks again for your encouragement. The phone conversation we had was such a blessing and encouragement. Thanks for being a part of our team.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Don

Ethiopia Eden

Who could imagine somewhere in Ethiopia a seven year old girl struggles to live, in a world of thirst, hunger and loneliness. A girl who may never get to go to school, marry, see Disneyland, feel secured and loved. Who would have thought that somewhere in America a seven year old girl loves life, people and culture. She hungers to see others have Jesus and be touched by Him. Through her heart of concern she will share with those who don't have or know. She dreams of trees that will give life to ALL creatures big and small

God bless my Eden

S Fenwick
Feb 12, 2006

Their eyes

I see their sky, it looks like my sky Their eyes look like my eyes. A million miles away but we are just the same.



Lives, passions, families…..

In a world where the size of your wallet gives you value, they are nothing but they are me.

So I stand and fight to tell their stories and bow before God for the courage and Strength.

If the world is against us God will sustain us

Lord let the things that break your heart break my heart

Do you see your sky it is their sky their eyes are your eyes We are one in this world.

A million miles away is closer than you think

Melanie Slayton