Mike Roman, a Christian contractor from Chesapeake, Va., and Don Humphrey from Mt. Juliet, Tenn. left the U. S. on October 31 for a three-week trip to Sudan. The major thrust of their trip will be to arrange for construction to begin on the Sudanese preacher training school campus in Parajok.

Land will need to be cleared, fences built, building sites laid out, building materials purchased, and construction contractors hired. Secured sites will also need to be constructed for the storage of well-drilling equipment for Healing Hands International.

Your prayers are solicited that this will be the beginning of major construction that will produce a campus whose major purpose will be to educate 20 new Sudanese preachers every session. The need is urgent for many more trained Sudanese preachers to walk through the open doors now available in this country.

"With great pleasure, I'd like to let you know that I've washed my sins away." Thus a man in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, announced his baptism to thrilled Cyndi Murphy from Kentucky, who had studied the Bible with him over the internet. Here is her story....

"I met James Sokiri, 25 years old, of Juba, South Sudan through the World English Institute, an internet evangelistic ministry that offers free English grammar and reading and writing lessons--all through Bible-based lessons. James signed up in March 2009 and was assigned to me."

"It quickly became apparent that James was an exceptional student. Already highly competent in reading and writing English, (he works as a journalist for the UN Mission in Sudan) it soon became clear that what kept James doing his WEI lessons was his interest in the Bible lessons.

"Each grammar and reading lesson is followed by a test, and each reading test includes three thought questions that require the student to write in English. Most students write an answer of one or two sentences, but from the beginning James wrote whole paragraphs for answers revealing a deep understanding. It was very exciting to receive his lessons for I could see that James was an intelligent, skilled young man with an open and seeking heart.

"By the 19th lesson, James' answers clearly revealed a repentant heart and an understanding of what God does for us when we submit to baptism. By lesson 21, nine months after he had begun the studies, he clearly understood his personal need for baptism for the forgiveness of his sins."

"When he expressed a desire to know more about Christian evidences so he could refute those who cast doubts at him, I had him do an additional set of WEI lessons called "Evidence of Christ in History." By the time he had completed these lessons and worked through Advanced Level 1, James was more than ready to give his life to the Lord.

"Finally on August 29th, 16-1/2 months after he began studying with World English Institute, Sokiri James Kenyi was immersed into Christ along with his younger brother, Ginyi Robert, with whom James had already shared the Good News! James has a wife, Betty, (and infant daughter, Gift,) who he is also teaching and prays will soon obey the gospel of grace.

"In one of his thought questions, James was asked, 'What future role in the church do you see for yourself?' He responded, 'Maybe a preacher....' Who knows how many people this man may influence?!"

If you would like to know how to become involved in teaching people all over the world through the internet, go to this website: http//www.weiady.org/.

This message was received from Isaya Jackson on October 4. "It is with deep sorrow and humble acceptance of God's will that we announce the death of a brother in Christ, John Oryem, which occurred on October 2 in Juba hospital. John was until the time of his death a preacher at Owinykibul congregation. He was converted in the year 2002 while in exile in Kiryandongo refugee camp and started preaching the same year. At the moment we regret to say that we do not know the cause of his death."

John was only about 30 years old. They ask that we remember this faithful family in our prayers as they go through such a difficult time. The death of this preaching brother illustrates one of the problems all Sudanese have to live with. He was about 70 miles from the closest medical assistance. If he'd had access to medical care, he would probably have recovered.

Isaya Jackson's wife, Lina, had been told by her doctors that her cancerous breast tumor is now 70 percent eradicated. They say that if she continues to respond to the treatment in such a positive manner that she might be ready for surgery by early January 2011.

The Sudanese recipients of the "Seeds and Tools" assistance have expressed many thanks to their Christian brothers and sisters in the U.S. for remembering them. Maize seed, beans seeds, machetes and hoes have been given to each head of a household in the church in the areas the delivery trucks could get into during the rainy season. During the dry season, the assistance will continue.

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The standard of life in South Sudan is so far behind modern society that it dreams to one day reach Third World status.

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According to a report published by UNICEF, the infant mortality rate in South Sudan is 15 percent while the child mortality rate is 25 percent. About one in nine mothers dies during pregnancy or childbirth; only five percent of births are attended by trained health care workers. The malnutrition rate, meanwhile, stands at 48 percent, and severe malnutrition is over 21 percent. A U.N. official recently called South Sudan "the hungriest place on earth."

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In South Sudan, there is one doctor per 100,000 people.