Information about Doro--my home in 6 months

The examination area in the clinic

The making of pumpkin soup

The Village of Hope--a place of treatment for malnourished children who live there with their mothers

The Doro Airstrip

Tukul --I'll live in one of these eventually, but I may start out in a tent.

Cycling to church

SIM's former hospital buildings, damaged by two wars in Sudan.

Tukuls, tents and quads in the SIM compound

From the borehole water supply to her tukul

Church

The preferred shower of the three in the SIM compound.

SIM produced this short video clip for me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNYHMRuz8Qs

Here are some things I've learned about the location and ministry.

• When a plane is expected one of the missionaries takes a four wheeler "the quad" out to the dirt landing strip and rides up and down on it to clear off the cows so that plane has a clear strip on which to land.
• My primary foods will be beans, lentils, rice, pumpkin, maize, okra and sorghum. The sorghum grain is used to make a bread.
• My transportation will be by foot and bicycle.
• I will shower as needed under the open sky with water falling from a buckets with a spray spout that I will open and close as needed. Shorter hair will definitely be in order then.
• The clinic is a five minute walk from the tuckul where I will live.
• Our water source is our a borehole a short quad or donkey cart ride away--or walk if you are strong like the young lady pictured above.
• The two major religions in the area are Islam and Christianity--with influences of ancient tribal religions mixed with them.
• There are at least two Christian churches meeting within bicycle riding distance from the SIM compound. Think Biblically about what a church is--a group of people, not a building.
• Approximately every three months a couple of us from the Doro team will fly to the SIM base in Nairobi, Kenya or supplies and rest. I believe the break/resupply trip is about four weeks long.
• The national language is Arabic. The heart language is Maaban.
• The Doro clinic --The Memorial Health Care Center-- is the only medical facility for many miles.
• The Community Health Care Worker Training school is a nine month program for individuals from surrounding villages to attend for nine months and then return to their villages able to diagnose and treat many common illnesses.
• One in four children in Sudan does not survive to age five.

"For the love of Christ controls (compels) us, because we have concluded this: that One has died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him who for their sake died and was raised." 2 Corinthians 5:14-15