Preparations Stateside

I have been tying up loose ends, getting ready to leave for Sudan in a couple weeks. It is very exciting but also a little nerve-wracking at times. I will be working at Cornerstone Children's Home, an orphanage in Nimule, Sudan for several months this spring. I'll be teaching, mentoring, and doing some office work (flexing those Microsoft Access muscles!) and also working on whatever needs to be done while I'm there.

Some people have asked how they can help support the mission work in Sudan. There are several things that the kids need. If you would like to help w/ any of these items, just let me know. I will include a list at the bottom of this post. All of these things will be more of a blessing to the kids than you know. 

Also, the director of the orphanage, Ross Kelly, has a (much better written and more eloquent) blog that he has kept for the past few years. The web address is www.deepsouthsudan.com. The internet coverage there is hit-or-miss, so the website doesn't always work. There is also a website for Fulaa Lifeline International, one of the main sponsors of CCH, at www.fulaa.org.

The biggest request I have is for you to keep CCH in your prayers. Please pray for the safety of the kids and the workers, that God's spirit would move in a mighty way among the people of Nimule, and that God would provide the provisions that the children need through support from His people.

Hopefully my future posts will give you a clear picture of what things are like on the ground in Nimule. I'm hoping to include pictures and stories of the kids and their lives to help you get to know them. 

I will have some internet access while I am in Sudan, but, again, the coverage is not always reliable. I fly out February 9th and would love to talk to all of you before I leave. Give me a call or send me an email sometime before then.

Miscellaneous Requests

·    wind-up flashlights
·    a cd/tape player that allows for tape recording (we're thinking of making some cassettes of our choir to sell in the town)
·    money toward a bicycle (maybe $70 or so)
·    solar powered or wind-up radios
·    a really good young adult book (several copies so we could read it together with the youth)
·    medical supplies (see the attachment)
·    candy! 

Medicine Requests

(Listed in order of priority. Items in bold are in short supply.)

1. Painkillers (Tylenol, Ibuprofen, etc. for both children and adults; chewable Tylenol)
   
2. Multi-vitamins for children and adults
   
3. Slow Release Carbamazepine (to control Mori Luka’s seizures)
   
4.  Metronidazole and other medicines for stomach illnesses (bilharzias, hookworm, amoebas, etc.)
   
5.  Diarrhea Medicine
   
6.  Liquid Cough Medicine, Cough Drops, Throat Lozenges
   
7.  Promethazine and/or other medicines to control vomiting
   
8.  Feminine Products
   
9.  Antacids (Tums, etc.)
   
10.  Scabies Medicine/Cream
    
11.  Allergy Medicine (especially Benadryl)
    
12.  Amoxicillin
    
13.  Ringworm Medicine/Cream
    
14.  Cipro
    
15.  Cephalexin 
    
16.  Doxycycline
    
17.  Rehydration Packets
    
18.  Cold Sore Cream
    
19.  Cream for wounds inside mouths
    
20.  Acne Products
    
21.  Penicillin
    
22. Medicine to treat typhoid
    
23. Chlorine Medicine to treat water
    
24.  Balsam (or anything like it) 
    
25.  Heat Packs for Sore Muscles
    

Medical Requests
(Listed in order of priority. Items in bold are in short supply.)

1. Iodine
   
2. Alcohol Pads
   
3. Bandages and Medical Tape (All sizes)
   
4. Band-Aids (All sizes)
   
5. Disposable Gloves
   
6. Antibiotic Ointment
   
7. Anti-itch Ointment
   
8. Q-Tips
   
9. Toothbrushes
   
10. Moisturizing Lotions