IN THE THICK OF IT ALL...............

We recently spent a few days in Eldoret, Kenya, with Samaritan's (SP) Purse friends.  We drove back to Nairobi on January 1st and began plans for the new year with our ministry.  On January 3rd we received a call from  SP requesting our immediate travel to one of the largest Refugee camps in S. Sudan.  Doro refugee camp is in Maban, S. Sudan and is one of the major SP locations.  There are a total of four refugee camps in this region totaling about 100,000 people from the Blue Nile region of N. Sudan.  These camps are about 70 kilometers from the N. Sudan border.

We were informed that one of the national staff for SP had hung himself on the compound inside one of the toilets.  The entire compound was in tremendous turmoil and very confused by the tragic event.  Within 3 hours of receiving the call we were on a Kenya Airlines flight back to Eldoret, where we boarded an SP plane that took us to Doro.  Our assignment was to minister to and counsel with those traumatized by this death.  As missionaries in Kenya and Sudan, we are exposed to all kinds of things that rip at our hearts, even death is not a stranger to those who serve in S. Sudan.

SP runs a hospital and clinic, as well as a nutrition program for mal-nurished children.  Death is literally a daily event within the camps.  SP also has two ambulances used to transport people to the hospital and remove those who die.

The SP compound is an enclosed camp within the four refugee camps, with some security on the gate.  The compound is all tent living, with outside toilets and showers (no roofs, and no heated water).  There is a generator for power most of the day.  The missionary and national staff are busy from sunrise to well after sunset with a multitude of ministries and emergencies.  One of the major programs is food distribution for the Doro refugee camp, which contains about 40,000 people.

We have spent many hours visiting with local Maban's and trying to understand their culture related to someone who has taken their life.  There are many superstitions, even among the Christians, that will take a long time to work through.  The living conditions here are minimal for everyone, the food is very basic, and the dust is everywhere.  Chris is not feeling well, and the doctor her on medication (maybe the water).

God has placed us right in the heart of the most seriously needy area in S. Sudan, not to mention one of the most volatile when there is fighting.  We cannot adequately express/describe the things we have seen and experienced.  As we begin Eagles Nest Ministry and work closely with SP, we fully expect God to place us in these types of situations more and more........ He has taken our ministry in Africa to a whole new level of commitment and willingness to sacrifice all for the call to minister in Africa.

We will share more of this ministry opportunity in the next blog.  We have included a couple of pictures.  We are sitting under a tarp in the middle of the compound as we write this.  Chickens running around, cows and camels outside the gate, some refugee fighting about 7 kilometers north,and 100,000 people living in any type of make-shift covering with their families.   We will be meeting with several of the staff this afternoon and they are bringing in a local pastor to translate for us.

It is times like this we cannot tell you how much your prayers mean!

Gary & Chris