Greetings!
 
While DiAnn has been staying at the Mayfield Guest House in Nairobi, I’ve been able to call her occasionally and visit.  I did so again before heading to church this morning - around 4:30 pm Sunday in Nairobi.  She’ll be rising early Monday for the flight into Juba, Southern Sudan.  We won’t have communication again until she returns next Saturday to the Mayfield after which I’ll do my best to send another update.
 
The trip has already been very productive and truly a blessing.  Just staying at the Mayfield has made the world a bit smaller in DiAnn’s eyes as she’s had an opportunity to visit with several  missionaries and individuals from numerous countries as they prepare for similar journeys in support of the people of Africa.
 
Friday - besides getting some rest after the long flights, DiAnn got acquainted with Rosemary Khamati.  She’s the Africa Director of Sudan Partners International who will accompany DiAnn into Southern Sudan.  DiAnn was also able to visit for quite a while with Daruka, Abraham Nhial’s wife and their daughter.
 
Saturday - really the first day to leave the Mayfield compound, she visited the main Nairobi hospital, University of Nairobi and spent two hours with James Solomon Okuk, a doctoral student at the University of Nairobi and a Sudanese that DiAnn has worked with remotely for the past few years.  It was great for her to meet all these individuals in person after having conversed with them vial email in the past.  She also arranged to meet at with James again after DiAnn returns from Juba as he wanted to hear her impressions of Juba and Southern Sudan first hand.
 
Also on Saturday, when taking a couple of pictures in front of the hospital, a security guard stopped them and asked what they were doing.  After a brief tense moment and then explaining what they were doing, they were offered a grand tour!  One of God’s many blessings.  Although they had a Mayfield driver take them to the hospital and then on to the university, they had the unforgettable experience of making way across a busy street and then a wild taxi ride back to the Mayfield.  Evidently on Friday when first meeting with Rosemary, they were discussing things that “Mr. Mills would not approve”.  Well when Rosemary asked DiAnn if she had ever crossed a street with the vehicles going every which way, she said no she hadn’t.  Rosemary then responded with “well close your eyes and grab a hold of my hand” and off they went as Rosemary parted the sea of vehicles and made a way for their crossing.  After getting to the other side of the street, Rosemary turned to DiAnn and said “Mr. Mills would not have approved” :)
 
I think that jaunt across the street was to get over to a cafe called the Java House.  DiAnn learned while waiting on the food “in African time”, that the place was opened by two American pilots - the first ones to begin flying into Southern Sudan when no one else would.  She had a tuna melt with chips - except she later learned that the chips were what we Americans would call French fries (British influence).  If you know DiAnn and her eating habits very well you’ll understand when I tell you that those chips went home with Rosemary to share with her family.  She then experienced her first Nairobi taxi ride - a form of transportation she claimed to never do again as “they have no sense” :)
 
Sunday - she and another lady from the Mayfield accompanied Rosemary to her own church.  They attended the 2nd of three services which had 4,000 in attendance.  She commented how similar things were in worship there in Africa and what she experiences in America.  After church and lunch they stopped by a grocery store to stock up on bottled water, dried fruit and nuts for the trip into Southern Sudan.  I believe it was on a more tame taxi ride returning to the Mayfield that DiAnn had decided to open her eyes.  She got a chuckle from the taxi driver after telling him she would just trust that Jesus was driving the taxi.  So with her eyes open she noticed a man crossing the street carrying a half-dozen dead chickens by their feet.  She commented about the observation, and her friend said “well DiAnn, I’m sure it’s a lot easier than carrying that many chickens alive!”
 
I’ll close this update out but will share that God has already caused DiAnn to take note that there are definitely things Americans could learn from the loving people of Africa she’s been blessed to meet.
 
Please be praying for continued good health and safety during her travels into Southern Sudan this week.
 
God Bless,
 
Dean