Friday, June 6, 2008

PS

Spell check didnt work. Dont judge me.
Also i know i'm using lots of vapid words like "really sunny" and "very nice" but once we get settled in Torit I'll be able to actually go into things rather than writing four pages of "so then we did this..."
bear with me. and keep checking, i promise i'll update more regularly. and put pictures! we've got great ones but they are, alas, on a different computer.
oh and also, as a sidenote, George is spectacularly savvy and is creating a virtual tour of our trip through Google Earth, where you can see each of the places we have been (we are mapping them into GPS services) and click on them to see pictures. It should be really cool-once it works. I'll link it when i get a chance. Also check out Neesha's blog as well for another perspective.
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2 comments:

Unknown said...

The players in our story
For any readers who do not know our family intimately, lucky you! Oh sorry... did I write that out loud? Anyway, here is a quick intro to the various players:

Ed -- Emma's uncle, my (Emma's dad) brother-in-law. Worked for a number of years for Save the Children out of Khartoum doing aid work in the east of the company. Entrepreneur mixing micro-economics and satellite technology to build phone systems in developing countries. Dynamic, tech-savvy with a long relationship to the Catholic Diocese in Southern Sudan - one of the true forces for peace and development in this part of Africa. He and Emma put the idea for this internship together.

George -- Ed's son/ Emma's cousin. 2nd year at Yale. Also tech-savvy and extremely talented in bio-sciences. Spent last summer at the NY Blood Center doing research into blood-borne illnesses. Has been told by his mother that he is not to get involved with blood products here. There's plenty of other pressing problems to solve.

Neesha -- a friend studying public health at Univ. of California in Berkeley. Made the bold decision to spend her summer doing aid work in Southern Sudan instead of mall-hopping in Southern California. A bit more quiet than the other two but - I sense - strong and determined beneath the calm. Her blog is at http://ne-mody.blogspot.com/ and reading these 2 together will give you a well-rounded vision of their experience. Not that my daughter would exaggerate the facts or anything.

Teody -- a Southern Sudanese woman who works closely with Bishop Paride (and I do hope I have spelled his name correctly). I have not met Teody but I hear that she is also one of those strong, quiet people who make miracles happen without seeming to try. From her trip to Wyoming with the family last year, I do know that she can spot antelope at 5 miles.

Bishop Paride -- one of Souther Sudan's strongest voices and forces for peace and justice. Has established a peace village further north to help those displaced by the years of disorder in the country and to help build a framework for civil society in Sudan. Part of the Catholic Diocese of Southern Sudan. A friend of Ed's who married him and my sister-in-law Anne Marie and baptized their first child Elizabeth. The kind of person you hope you would be if you too lived in this corner of the world instead of New Jersey.

Almost forgot - basic geography. Sudan Ancient Nubia. South of Egypt. A large nation that swings from the Sarahra Desert in the north to elephant grass savannas and equatorial forests in the south. Suffered from 5 years of civil war that ended in 2003. The Darfur conflict is in the north west of the country and the fighting over the oil region around Abeyi that you have read about is in the center. This poor country and its people have been through so much - and this is pivotal time that could bring peace and economic development that will help all its people. Some are helping in positive ways (Norway, we love you! We want to be you when we grow up!) Others could be, I think, a better force for good... US included. Here is a link to Yahoo maps - Emma et al are in the far south eastern corner: http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=m&lat=13.31664&lon=30.20949&zoom=5&q1=sudan

There are many other players in the story who I do not know and who Emma and Neesha will introduce you to as they write about the trip. I just wanted to cover the main players for everybody.

/dad

June 7, 2008 at 4:55 PM
smisch said...

i'll be sure to bear with you. you atrocious speller. even if your spell check isnt working i cant help making fun of you. its a love thing.

thanks to poppa ensign for the "players in our story" comment, because emmy is very bad at details. no offense emmylou but daddys tend to be better at describing what people do.

EMMA i LOVE you.

June 7, 2008 at 8:22 PM

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