Lui-Missouri Day at General Convention

Sandy Coburn spent lots of time helping the AFRECS board member in charge of the booth at General Convention put together a display on Lui to be shown on our official day at the AFRECS booth, and the Companion Diocese Committee helped pay the graphic artist who actually created the panels for the whole booth as well as each diocesan partnership. I will post better photos after convention ends; I didn't bring the cable for my camera and right now am having to rely on my phone for uploadable (crummy) photos.

The display was very nice; besides this big poster, we had six story cards, on which half the page was a photo and half was its story. I spent the day "staffing" the booth, but exactly nobody actually came up to us to talk about Lui or explore the idea of companion relationships. We were selling crafts for the Mothers' Union in Kajo Keji, and I believe we sold a total of one bag and seven cards. Still, working the booth was fun and a very good opportunity to chat with others involved in Sudan relationships. If nothing else, the time here at GC with the AFRECS people has given me a sense that we are not alone in our struggle to develop a relationship with our Moru brothers and sisters. Everyone is walking a fine line between building relationships and turning into an NGO.

What we actually did at the booth today was work on a letter to President Obama that we hope the bishops will all sign. Its purpose is to encourage him to do everything he can to oversee and safeguard the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Advocacy was the number one priority of Archbishop Daniel when we asked him what he needs from us. He stressed it again and again. Tonight quite a few of us, including AFRECS and TEC leadership, are going to dinner to talk about advocating for Sudan. The other Sudan-related thing I did today was talk with Craig Coburn, the executive director of Five Talents, about microlending in Sudan. Craig is a wellspring of useful information and well up on what it's like to work in Sudan.

On a less global but equally pressing note, I had email this morning from Stephen Dokolo telling me that the crops in Lui are failing because they have had so little rain. He is fearful of famine and asks the prayers of the Diocese of Missouri for their crops and their weather. Please pray for our Moru brothers and sisters, that their crops may thrive and their food supply be secure. And please pray for peace in Sudan, the just and complete carrying out of the CPA, and wise and prudent governance by both the Juba and the Khartoum governments.