Jet lag is bothering me more this time than usual. Staying in a hotel room with little to do but read does not help - need to be up and about. (I am reluctant to leave the hotel alone but I did climb to the top floor to see the roof cafe.) But I did read the better part of a great book on social enterprises (now there's something to keep you awake). The businesses we are starting are really this category, social enterprises - a term I was not familiar with until the UN event I went to in NYC last month. I have soooo much to learn. The sleep thing again - when I woke up this morning at 3:30 and couldn't get back to sleep I called our daughter Jennifer on google hangout. The microphone on my computer was muted and I couldn't figure out how to turn it on so she talked and watched me gesture on the video. It was quite the conversation! Finally, we just instant messaged each other. I got back to sleep around 6 and woke up the second time around 9. Hoping for better sleep tonight. Moses is one of the Lost Boys who has been very helpful of our projects here. He works and lives in Juba, the one who met me at the airport yesterday. He stopped by 3 times today and got my phone working (don't trust the Verizon service representatives to know how to use your phone in South Sudan) and money exchanged. The inflation here is very high - exchange rate today is $1=72 South Sudanese Pounds or 1 SSP = $.014. My dinner tonight was $11.34 so not bad at all. Let me just say that TV channels here are limited. There are a plethora of news channels including CNN and BBC and in English and Arabic. There is 1 channel for sports, all soccer as far as I can tell, and 1 other channel called 1 - it is all movies and they aren't much, lots of subtitle and poor acting. I am excited to get to Rumbek tomorrow. Moses told me many of the good things happening there and I can hardly wait to see it all! He reports people everywhere inside and out the internet cafe (really need another solar panel), many women working Nancy's Garden, uniforms being made in the market with students' help, and 365 students at the school with half being female. So much has progressed just since my visit last November - unheard of here. God has been busy!

Arrived in Juba

It was 22 hours from hotel door in VA to hotel door in Juba, South Sudan but I have arrived safely! It is always interesting to pick out the other "aid workers" at the airport. We really stand out, well others more than me. Many are White. The ones with neck scarves and gauze or linen type shirts fit the description to a T. Most all are from large non-profits working somewhere in East Africa (since our flight goes to Ethiopia in East Africa). It is always interesting to learn what people are doing. Few have much contact with the people they are wanting to serve - the organization is just so large. Juba airport is still being built and the old one was torn down in November so they continue with tents. They are now orange from the dust. The floors are large pieces of plywood set on top of cinder blocks. They are worn very thin in many places, even large holes. But people just walk around all of that as best they can in the cramped quarters. It was actually a bit better laid out than it was in the original airport that was torn down last year. I was grilled last year about a yellow fever shot. I had decided not to get one because complications double when over 60 years old. But I weighed my options and decided to get it. You guessed it, nobody asked me a thing about it. Even had my immunization card in my hand but nothing. Moses Chol, one of the Lost Boys Settled in Atlanta but now living in Juba and a long time Abukloi supporter, was at the airport to help me navigate. Because he works for the President of South Sudan, he has some status and can get me through the luggage retrieval, no turn style here! He also had transport for me and a hotel reservation. The hotel is quite nice with electricity, AC, hot water, and wifi. So no complaints here! Moses told me the government workers hadn't been paid for 4 months. That impacts not only those workers (including teachers) and their families but the whole economy. Many schools and businesses depend upon them as customers. I know it has impacted the internet cafe Abukloi has in Rumbek. The bad news is there are no flights to Rumbek tomorrow, Tuesday, so I have to wait for Wednesday. My "ticket" is a handwritten note with my name and time to be at the airport. No airline name, flight #, etc. I have much I want to accomplish this trip and had shortened my time to 13 days total including travel so I just lost a valuable day. But if I have learned anything in these trips it is to just go with the flow. God is in there somewhere.

April Fools Day

It was 45 years ago today that Bob and I married - yes it was April Fools Day. And we are more in love now than ever - who would have thought! We are having lunch with friends in Fredricksburg this afternoon then on to Comfort Inn at Dulles Airport. A shuttle in the morning will take me to the airport for a very long flight. I will fly Ethiopian Air from Dulles to Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, arriving Monday morning, 15 hours and 15 minutes. There is a 3 hour layover then a 2 hour flight to Juba, capital of South Sudan. I will spend the night in Juba and then fly out Tuesday for Rumbek, a short 1 hour flight. I am traveling alone this time and for a shorter period of time - total of 13 days. There is much to accomplish so this is an experiment to see if this time shorter period is productive. We received word this week from our director, Justin, that a storm damaged a roof of the school. The local Community Development Committee who owns the property was notified and it is being repaired. Hopefully, it will be in good shape soon. School is in full session! I will try to write daily but will have to see how the internet availability is this time....