As you may know, the Ebola outbreak in Eastern Congo has finally ended after two years, and Bill is moving on to a new challenge.  He left last week for South Sudan (where we lived from 2011 to 2015).  Maternal & child mortality has increased significantly in South Sudan over the last few years, compounded by a prolonged civil war and now Covid-19. In fact, the country has some of highest rates of mortality in the world for women and young children. Bill will be starting up a program in the interior of the country to address these issues in partnership with Interchurch Medical Assistance (IMA) and Lutheran World Relief (LWR), along with a team of dedicated South Sudanese doctors and nurses.  He will be in South Sudan until Christmas, while I continue my work with children and women in eastern Congo. We so appreciate the prayers and support of our family, dear friends, and churches back home… and we thank God for continued opportunities to serve.

In Ezekiel 22:30, the prophet says on behalf of God, “I looked for anyone to repair the wall and stand in the gap for me.”  And in the gap I will stand, heeding your every command.  (poem by Shirley Pope Waite)