O God,
surround those who travel, in Your service, with Your loving care;
protect them from every danger; and bring them in safety to their
journey's end, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
JANUARY 2010
The Rev.
Susan and Ed Eastman spent three weeks in Renk, from Raleigh, where
Susan is a professor at Duke. Ed accomplished amazing things in getting
a new fenced vegetable garden well on its way, and making arrangements
for planting fruit and shade trees, which will improve the Renk
Theological College campus tremendously. They will also provide needed
food for the students. Susan’s classes grew in size in the second week
as the students gradually arrived from their remote towns and villages
(3-5 days by bus over incredible “roads” or else coming down the Nile by
boat.) They were grateful to be in Renk and grateful for the support.
David Romanik and Patrick Funston, two students from Virginia Theological Seminary, taught at Renk Theological College until Feb.1.
The Chicago Media Team, Constance Wilson, Kevin Goodman, Charlie Simokaitis, and Bishop Jeffrey Lee traveled throughout the Diocese of Renk filming a documentary.
MARCH 2010
The Rev. John Dau, from the Diocese of Bor, where he has served as Principal of Malek Bible College has been visiting the U.S.
APRIL 2010
The Rev. David Vence Bako, former Acting Principal of Bishop Gwynne College, Juba, visited the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia April 3-19, 2010.
MAY 2010
Buck Blanchard, Director of Mission and Outreach for the Diocese of Virginia, traveled to various dioceses within Western and Eastern Equatoria and visited the Diocese of Juba and the Provincial Office.
Sally Rawls, from Suffolk, VA accompanied her brother, Buck, to various dioceses in Western Equatoria.
Jennifer Ernst, Coordinator of Partnerships for the ECS, visited the Provincial Office and the Dioceses of Wau, Maridi, Ibba and Juba. She is a member of the Diocese of Virginia.
MAY 11-20, 2010
A team from the US traveled to Sudan with the intention of solidifying relationships between particular dioceses in The Episcopal Church (TEC) and the Episcopal Church of Sudan (ECS). At the invitation of Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul and the bishops, the team traveled together to Juba and divided into smaller teams to visit various ECS dioceses. Some team members experienced the Sudan for the first time, others visited new ECS dioceses, still others hoped to better define their relationships and move forward in solidifying companion partnerships.
The Rt. Rev. Duncan Gray, bishop of the Diocese of Mississippi and Mr. Greg Miller, a professor who volunteers with the Sudanese community in Mississippi, traveled to Twic East along with the Rev. Canon Judi Yeates and her husband, Jim, from the Diocese of Nebraska. Both dioceses have been active in Twic East.
The Rev. Andrew Merrow and his wife, Cameron, visited the Provincial Office and the Diocese of Juba. The archbishop also serves as the bishop of Juba Diocese. Merrow is the rector at St Mary’s Episcopal Church, Arlington, Virginia in the Diocese of Virginia.
The Rev. Kim Seidman, Clergy Resident at Christ Episcopal Church, Alexandria, Virginia in the Diocese of Virginia, visited the Diocese of Wau and the newly enthroned Bishop Moses Deng Bol.
Larry Duffee, a member of St George’s Episcopal Church in Fredericksburg, Virginia, also in the Diocese of Virginia, traveled with the team and will remain in Juba for four months at the invitation of Archbishop Daniel. He will serve in the Provincial Office as an External Financial Consultant.
Diana Church, a member of St Mark’s Episcopal Church, Louisville, Kentucky in the Diocese of Kentucky, will be traveling to Juba and the Diocese of Wau. This is Diana’s first trip to the Sudan.
MAY/JUNE 2010
Bishop Hilary Garang Deng, Diocese of Malakal, comes to the U.S May 30- June 11. He will participate in a program at Duke Divinity School, Durham, NC May 30-June 2; the AFRECS Conference, St. Paul’s Alexandria. VA, June 4-6, and the EPGM Annual Meeting, Virginia Theological Seminary, Alexandria, VA, June 9-11. Bishop Hilary is Chairman of the Theological Education Commission of ECS, and will represent Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul and the ECS.