Dear Friends,

The night before my departure from the UK I felt very supported and encouraged by the 40 or so of you who were able to attend my presentation on the work in Sudan. It was a lovely gift to me. Being back in Monkton Combe for a week was a keen reminder of the amazing beauty of that green valley and what a privilege it was to live there for 8 years prior to leaving for South Sudan. And I had a real 2 weeks’ rest in Ontario, much of it staying on lakes and much of it together with Jonathan (age 22, entering his last year of Economics). It was a treat to have good visits with old friends, who were all kind and provided wonderful care and hospitality. The time in the UK was all too fleeting and there were many I would have loved to have long conversations with!

I am anticipating that there will be lots of things to attend to on my return (from ‘Did the medication arrive from Kampala? Has the order for the next gone in?’ ‘Were the monthly reports and statistics all collated and sent to the appropriate places?’ to more mundane items like making the yogurt and toasted muesli again) so decided to write now and give you a bit of a heads’ up on things I’d really appreciate prayer for:

- re-settling back in Yei. It’s been over 6 months since I arrived and I know that, generally in working overseas, the six-months’ mark often brings with it a deeper challenge as things are no longer new and novel – and yet one usually hasn’t entirely settled in and found one’s niche yet either.

- 30th September I have discovered that I will be hosting the head of DFID (the UK government’s overseas aid arm; similar to CIDA for Canada or USAID) for South Sudan as I take him on a health tour of Yei

- John and Poppy’s upcoming visit from 30th September to 10th October then final departure on the 15th after a trip to Juba

- David Gough (CMS Ireland)’s visit from 8-11th October

- thoughts around what shape further work in Sudan might look like after my 15 months’ volunteer position finishes (April 2012)

- opportunities to be involved in medical education?

- wisdom in how to hand over management of Martha Clinic to the national staff, clarifying their finances and facilitating local ‘ownership’

- coping with even less electricity (it dropped to only 10 hours/day just before I left on this trip) and how that might be affecting my freezer and its contents

- living alone for a while until Katie, a young American woman who has just graduated from college in Alabama and is coming to work in an agriculture project in Yei for 6 months and will live near me in Tabitha/Jen’s old room.

With thanks,

Jenny