This is the 100th BLOG!

Dear Friends,
Greetings! I am watching CNN in my apartment at the Furlough Home at the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. I am missing advertisements for Abu Dhabi, Egypt, UAE, etc., on Al Jazeera television that was available to me in Khartoum, Sudan. I am certainly becoming more informed about political issues in the United States however!

I have just under two months now until I return to Africa on August 2nd. I have collected a battery operated fan for the hot days without electricity in Malakal in the south of Sudan, as well as ordering a basic solar stove and a bag to purify water through solar heat. I find it ironic that the batteries which will power the fan will have to be recharged at night with electricity. I wish that solar was more advanced at this point in history. I think it is a cutting edge and has not been developed to a point of daily use yet. I do trust that in due time it will be as common and reliable a technology as electricity. In countries such as Sudan where solar heat is plentiful most of the year, I hope it will become a widely used and free form of power and fuel after an initial investment for solar equipment. In places in the world where there is not yet electricity, solar could well be the next step in creating a powered infrastructure.

I also have a mosquito net tent coming to me via UPS. The malaria bearing mosquitos are rampant in Africa and South Sudan will be full of the pesky creatures. Learning that I will need to sleep under netting in order to avoid the ailment I began to question if a tent might exist. I feel claustrophobic under netting and was thrilled to learn that yes, tents do exist. The one I will take with me to Africa has coverage quite a ways up the sides because mosquitos can bite through netting. It also has a zipped front so I can easily get in and out. I don't know if my bed will fit into the tent or if the tent will have to sit on the bed, but I feel better already knowing that I will be protected from mosquitos and all sorts of crawling insects and rodents....

The solar equipment and the mosquito tent were given to me by friends in Sacramento. I am very grateful for their care.

I'll write again soon and let you know how the preparations are coming. Please be aware that there is a great deal of military conflict in Sudan in the Nuba Mountains right now and keep the Sudanese people in your prayers.
Blessings,
Debbie