Thirteen people from around the country boarded planes this afternoon.
Nan Erbaugh, GWP steering committee member, is traveling with New Community Project for this learning tour – her 4th trip to Sudan! Nan looks forward to seeing familiar faces and places, meeting with GWP partner projects, and returning to a land that has captured her heart.
New Community Project is one of GWP’s most important partners as we work with women around the world. Read more about their learning tour to Sudan here.
Nan will travel throughout Sudan, and even be in Uganda, for the next 3 weeks! She will spend time in Nimule, where GWP project partners have a sewing cooperative. Nan was able to visit these partners in 2007, when they had 8 brand new donated sewing machines, but no money for supplies and teachers. A one-time $3500 GWP grant helped immensely, and these women are working with love and commitment for their daughters’ futures, and the health of their whole community.
GWP also has a project partner in Maridi, Sudan, but Nan will not be able to visit this carpentry cooperative on this trip.
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Pray for these 13 people (most from the Church of the Brethren, including GWP sister Elizabeth Keller) as they experience a new culture, reflect on their own lives, and consider violence, poverty, struggle, power and love in utterly new ways.
Pray for the women, children and men of Sudan, who seek peace and joy, as all of us do, all around the world.
Global Women's Project 
Nan, Are you from Indianapolis? I see St. Vincent’s Children’s Hospital was a sponsor for your page. I would love to hear more about your travels to minister in Southern Sudan!
Hi Joan,
Forgive my late response to your email. We had a death in our family 29 April, so I’m trying to get caught up now. I am not from Indy, but several folks on the 2009 Sudan trip were from Indy. I live west of Dayton, OH. I am not aware of St. Vincent’s being a sponsor of any part of the Global Women’s Project website. I am not a techie, so I have no idea what you saw.
The Church of the Brethren has had a presence in southern Sudan since the 1980s, but the civil war got so bad that the couple there in the early 90s, Phil and Louie Rieman, had to leave. Phil and Louie were co-pastors of Northview Church of the Brethren in Indy until their tragic death 26 Dec. 2009 in a car accident.
My husband and I really have the Sudanese in our hearts since we were first there. They are dear, sweet people who have been through so much due to their country’s civil war. Suffering and hardship have taken their toll and the people are so poor. They are creative, intelligent, eloquent, and strong, so it has been wonderful to see things get a bit better during the comprehensive peace agreement which began in Jan. 2005. However, things are not looking so good now as they get closer to the referendum vote next year. Their entire infrastructure was virtually destroyed, so it’s so hard to start from nothing–no banks, no post offices, hospitals with no doctors for a week at a time, schools being held outdoors. Things are definitely coming back now, but it is very hard for the women. The men are suffering the effects of having been soldiers–domestic abuse is rampant. The women are the glue holding everything together, trying to get the children in school, etc.
It is wonderful to be able to go back and visit a village. The people cannot believe you care enough to come back to see them. In Africa, they think they don’t matter to the rest of the world. They ask you to go back and tell their story. Their faith is so strong.
Well, I’ve rambled enough for now. Please let me know if you have any specific questions for me or if there are any other issues you’d like to know about that I may have info on.
Grace and Peace to you,
Nan
Hi Nan and Joan,
I stumbled upon your website through a google search and thought you may be interested in the following information.
I have a friend that has been working on a documentary of Southern Sudan for the last 3 years. It is now complete and he will be presenting it at Common Ground Christian Church in Indianapolis on Saturday, July 24th at 7:30pm. He will be doing a Q&A following the film. Here is a link to his website with a film trailer. http://nadusfilms.com/
Feel free to contact me with any question.
Peace,
Jared Hill
317-414-4892