sudan part I

i decided that it will be easier to just post pics and describe them as i go...these first few pictures show the set-up- how we got there, where we stayed, what the grounds looked like, etc...

we flew in this tiny plane, referred to as "the caravan", from nairobi to sudan (jach, to be exact.)
it took over 6 hours to get there and we had to stop and refuel twice in order to make it.
once we got to sudan, rachel and i were talking to one of the guys from the PPF and he said, "the caravan is the best plane to come in because it is the easiest way to get out in case of emergency." we looked at each other, bewildered, and mouthed "emergency?"

here we are all stuffed in the plane. luckily, i was well equipped with my meclizine, so i didnt get sick...it was a small miracle. but barrett did.

dave took this picture as we were getting off the plane in jach. when you land in remote villages, all the people start running toward the runway when they see a plane coming. so, by the time we stepped out of the plane, there was quite a gathering of people waiting to greet us. it was awesome...and a little overwhelming.

this was where we slept. every morning as the sun came up, we would have some crackers, some instant coffee, and a devotional as a group. one of the africans would preach and we would sing together...good memories.

this one is pretty self-explanatory. join the mocha club.

here i am in their "hospital." it basically consists of a consultation room (a small room with one table and 2 chairs), and a pharmacy (above.) the meds are either fetched from other towns several hundred miles away or they are donated and flown into the area as cargo. as you can see, its not much. and this is the only medical clinic for over 11,000 people living in this area. crazy.

and lastly, i thought i would show the team (i know there's at least one guy missing from this picture, but you will see him later.) the white guy on the far right is brad, the founder of persecution project. he has some crazy stories.
all of the black dudes shown are ex-soldiers from the war who now work for either african leadership or ppf. the guy between rachel and me is mamud. he still has 17 bullets left in his body. what?!?