Happy 2016!

Greetings to all.  Thank you for visiting my website.  I hope 2016 is finding you happy, and in the best of health and spirits.  Life in Yei is still exciting and challenging.  I'm enjoying the dry season  (from December thru the first of April).  I am able to walk around town taking care of business, making friends and practice my expanding Arabic vocabulary.  It's very dusty, and temperatures have been averaging in the mid 90s - sometimes over 100, and nights in the 70s.  I've been impressed with how the people are using this time to build and repair buildings and homes, many are making bricks, and some main roads are getting grated and fill-in dirt laid to repair ruts and holes from the rainy season.  The government has made 28 states within S. Sudan.  Yei county is now a state with it's own commissioners and governor.  The people here are excited and hopeful that peace and prosperity is on the horizon for Yei (as well as all S. Sudan).  The governor of Yei is a Christian and has a lot of good relations with the people here.  So that's a Praise the Lord!  There was a huge cross raised and a ceremony before Christmas - Yei for Jesus.  Please keep S. Sudan and Yei in your prayers that they continue to give themselves to Jesus.

The Health Team has a very busy schedule outlined for this year.  Training Home Health Providers (HHPs) was done this week.  Seventeen men from various villages and communities came together to learn about WASH (WAter Sanitation and Hygiene).  They are volunteers (no pay and will work about 20 hours a week) who will go out in their communities to teach/help what they have learned this past week.  They know "Prevention is better than cure."  They will also work with their local PHCU (clinic) to help people get medical help needed .  The Health Team and the County Health Department will work together to follow-up with each of these volunteers to support their efforts.  Then of course there are other scheduled trainings for malaria, nutrition, HIV/AIDS, water and sanitation, etc throughout all the UMC communities.  I will work with the team when possible as I continue language learning, and working with the hospital and the Medical Stores.

Thank you again for all of you who are supporters both in prayers and finances.  Both are sincerely needed and appreciated.  God has two arms extended:  one to help with the spiritual needs, and one to help with the physical.  That is how I see your precious gifts.  If you are seeking how to be a supporter financially you can do so by clicking on The Mission Society logo.  It will direct you to enter my name as the missionary funds should be directed to.  The site is very secure, and gifts are tax deductible.  Thank you in advance for you support!