A message from Yournew Wol...

I filmed this greeting from Pastor Yournew Wol in Malek Alel, Aweil South in July last year. The building is the Aweil Bible College which has been instrumental in the development of leaders in the church, government and community. Yournew Wol has been instrumental in establishing churches throughout the Aweil region, as well as in Nairobi and the Kakuma Refugee Camp on the Kenyan border. He is a gracious and wise leader, and deeply loved by his community.

Correction...

Recently I wrote that MSF (Doctors Without Borders) will be leaving from the Aweil Civic Hospital. In fact I had been told they had already left. However I have now been told they are negotiating to stay. This is great news. Lets pray they will be able to continue their critical medical relief.

A greeting from Ang'er...

Here is a message from my sister Ang'er, taken in Aweil last year. She had just returned from Canada where she completed a degree in community health. Ang'er works passionately for her community under very difficult conditions. Currently she has an educational role with young women addressing issues of health and sanitation. In addition to her other responsibilities with government and church she is the key person I consult with in regard to medical projects in Aweil and is a key leader in our partnership.

Please support Ang'er with your prayers.

From Magill to Awiel...

Late last year I showed our Sunday School at Magill Church of Christ some video of a Sunday School in Awiel, Southern Sudan where I had recently visited. Our kids got involved making a banner, writing cards and donating clothes to send over. One of my Sudanese friends recently took them over and presented our small gift as a symbolic link between the children in our two communities. Here are the photos...

With Pastor Tanya Nokes and children from our Cafe Service








And then at the front of our Chapel Service










To its new home at the front of the Episcopal Church in Awiel Town










The children holding cards they have received from Australia










With Rev Angelo outside their grass cathedral

The Political Situation in Sudan...

Several people have asked me if our work will be affected by the Sudan Government’s expulsion of aid agencies. From reports I have been given the Government’s policy will not be implemented in the South. Even if it were, we have not established an organisation in Sudan, so effectively there is nothing to be evicted. In fact we are working in the manner the Government is advocating Ie resourcing local leaders to deliver the required services.

There are however some indirect consequences for our work. One is that MSF (Doctors Without Borders) are in the process of leaving Aweil. I am told this is in response to the abduction of three of their doctors in Darfur. They have been the only ones providing quality medical care in the region. The other obvious impact will be on the increase of Darfuri refugees fleeing south into Aweil as the situation in Darfur deteriorates.

Rather than being an obstacle to our partnership with Christian leaders in Aweil, the expulsion of Aid Agencies has brought a greater urgency in both areas where we have commenced work - our support for those ministering to Darfuri refugees, and the development of the Aweil Civic Hospital. However the situation is volatile and future developments are hard to predict.

A medical task group...

You've probably heard the news. The President of Sudan has been charged with war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity and a warrant has been issued for his arrest. Rather than handing him over to the International Criminal Court the Sudan government has reacted by announcing the expulsion of aid agencies from the country. I thought this would only apply to Darfur and the northern regions but I have heard Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) are preparing to leave Aweil following the abduction of three of their doctors in Darfur.

Even though the MSF hospital looks more like a tent than a hospital, it is the only thing close to genuine medical care in the region. They provide excellent treatment to babies and children, including giving vaccinations. Soon it seems they will be gone.

This of course increases the sense of urgency in providing the medical assistance that Ang'er and Deborah, the midwife at Aweil Civic Hospital, have asked us for.
I have established a medical task group which is currently working towards sourcing the required medical equipment and supplies to resource the midwives and birthing assistants. When this is ready we plan to take a team to Aweil which will include an Australian midwife working with a Sudanese midwife to provide some basic training and establish a small maternity section in the defunct Aweil hospital. The task group includes Dr Victoria Anip, a Sudanese doctor based at Modbury Hospital, two Sudanese midwives - Asha Sulaman and Aderek Rieng - and Ros Stafford-Green who I introduced a few articles earlier.

It is hard to comprehend that a community that has so little appears to be losing the small amount of medical assistance it has received from the outside world. Please pray for our medical task group as we seek to respond to the ever-increasing need.

A gift for Darfur...

Today we have sent $1500 AUD to Pastor Yournew Wol Kuot which will be used by a team that have been caring for the Darfurian refugees in Aweil. While Joseph Mawien and I were in Aweil last year we met people from Darfur who had fled the genocide. And when we visited Malual Kon in Aweil East we visited the refugee camp (pictured) where the Darfurians were being fed by the World Food Program. For the past six years we have heard of the ongoing civil war in Darfur and the devastating impact it has had on the African tribes. But hearing about it on the tv news is very different to being there and meeting the victims face to face.

What touched me most was hearing Rev Angelo describe the way the churches in Aweil were caring for the Darfurian refugees. They provide them with food, shelter and clothing and with their limited resources were providing care for the sick and wounded. I was impressed with the way Christians were caring for Moslems. Angelo told me "now they have become our brothers".

I had no hesitation in telling Angelo we would support him. For so long I have felt totally helpless in the face of this disaster and it was a relief to know there was something we could do. I asked Angelo "Please tell the people of Darfur that they have sisters and brothers in Australia who know about their suffering and pray for them."

$1500 isnt a large amount of money, but a dollar can go a long way in Sudan. As well as being very compasionate, Rev Angelo is a discerning man and will enusre the money is used for the maximum benefit. And as he provides for their physical needs, he also shares the gospel of Christ. It's nice to know we can be a part of this wonderful ministry.

Let me know if you would like to get involved...