Update 8

Hi Everyone,We can't thank you enough for your partnership in prayer. God has done so much on this trip and we can really feel your prayers. From this point on, the updates you will be receiving will be from the Sudan team consisting of Rich, Kerry, Danielle, Pastor Brent, and Pastor Rob.

The Entebbe team finished up the pastor's conference today, meeting up with the Kampala team. Tomorrow for them will be a day of debriefing, shopping, and getting packed for the trip home, or for some, further ministry in Gulu.

As for us, we flew into Kenya on Wednesday and then took a smaller plane to a village called Lokichoggio. This is the staging area for some of the largest relief organizations working in Sudan. As we got off the plane, we instantly noticed the change in climate. The weather had gone from a comfortable 75 degrees with a cool breeze blowing off of Lake Victoria to a sizzling 98 degrees at 6:00 p.m. As we stepped off the plane, we noticed that there was a heavy presence of the Kenya military. We soon found out that on our plane was a high ranking government official that represented this region of Kenya. For us, was very good news as the dignitary and the military protection will be traveling on the very same roads that we will. We will be on a desolate, mountainous road that runs through what is called "no man's land", meaning that this is an area of land not protected or managed by the Kenyan or Sudanese governments. Because of this, it is a very dangerous stretch of road to travel on. Now the military is providing escorts through this area because of this government official traveling on this road. We feel we will have the best security that man can provide, but knowing that God is our ultimate protection.

Our final stop tomorrow will be Narus, Sudan, where we will stay at a very primitive Catholic compound. There we will meet up with the Promise Child Sudan Director, James Nyika and his family. We were blessed to be able to bring James into our pastor's conference in Kampala. On the way back to Sudan, James picked up his daughter Fiona who is nine years old. They flew with us from Nairobi to Lokichoggio. This was Fiona's first time on an airplane. You should have seen the smile on her face and heard her sweet giggle as she peered out the window of the plane. It reminded me of the first time I took my kids to Disneyland. When we arrived at our hotel, we were hungry so we were thinking about dinner. We asked Fiona what her favorite food was. We expected her to mention a typical African dish like casava or goat meat, but she said, "What I just left." When we asked her what she just left, she said through a sideways grin, "hamburgers and french fries!" Who would have thought there would be an In-N-Out right here at the Kenya airport!? (just kidding).

Over the next three days, we will visit the Taus tribe. Taus is translated "forgotten people." We have been providing support for these people for the last two years, and we are thrilled at the opportunity that we have to meet them in person. We hope that our presence here is very clear evidence that God has NOT forgotten them.

Please continue to pray for us as our adventure continues.Until the last one hears, Pastor Brent for the Sudan Team