Vacationing in Wilderness

No, this isn't Southern Sudan--it's beautiful Cody Lake in the California Sierra Nevada Mountains near Lake Tahoe, where I spent a restful 4-day vacation last week.  Hiking into canyons, along trails and waterfalls, enjoying breathtaking views... I wondered how long it will be before Sudan reaches a place of sustained peace, so that development there can  occur without fear of violence.

Along the eastern areas of S. Sudan there are vast herds of elephants, wildebeest, giraffes, etc., rivaling the immense herds that range through Kenya and Tanzania. This was recently documented by National Geographic aerial photos.  If the region can be protected as a wildlife preserve, Southern Sudan will some day become a magnificent tourist destination rather than a conflict zone.  I look forward to that day in the future when visitors will choose to vacation in Sudan!

Micro-Enterprise Marvels

My name is Margaret Daru. I live in Nimule, S.Sudan, and this is my story:

Since I got a Mercy Beyond Borders micro-loan my business is shooting very rapidly upward!  Already I have repaid my first installment on time. I received $125 dollars and have so far paid $82.20 and I hope to clear the remaining amount before the time elapses.  My setback was due to an accident which happened to my husband: he was knocked down by a motorcycle when crossing the road, so for the past two month I'm not constant in my stall. Even at the time of this photo I'm on and off because his condition is not good and there is nobody to care for him in the hospital, so I must be with him every day. But I have enough stock in my kiosk to repay my loan and I am also very happy to tell you that we appreciate all the support MBB has given us.  Even if this amount of money is small, still it was a great blessing. Now my business has increased and what I have realized is the spirit of group and working together is very important for us as sick people it’s an achievement [editor's note: Margaret has HIV/AIDS, and the anti-retroviral medications she is on are not effective unless taken with proper nutrition].  I was weighing 50 Kg but now I have increased to 64kg body weight so feeding is no longer a problem even I have not fallen sick during this course. I thank the Lord for that. My beginning saving was 119 Sudanese pounds (about $44) and now I have topped to 305 Sudanese pounds ($113) in the saving box. This is good for my life!