One of the biggest challenges working in South Sudan is maternal mortality, which we still have the highest rate reported in the world. Our clinic focuses on pregnant mothers and at risk children, usually age 5 and under. Our Kenyan midwife, Annie shared this beautiful testimony of one ladies experience in our clinic.

“Ayen Makol Bol is a young mother from a village called Modol. She has been attending our clinic since September last year and all through her visits the baby presented breech. I encouraged her every visit and we prayed together for a safe delivery. She delivered yesterday though breech, we were able to conduct a safe delivery and welcomed her baby girl, Aluong Makor Manhiem, into the world.

This is the second successful breech birth for Ayen delivered in our clinic. She is a very happy mother and her faith in God has been strengthened. I told her it is God using His people in amazing ways to help her.”

If Ayen had birthed at home she would likely have died. The answer to South Sudan’s maternal mortality is qualified midwives who can prevent 90% of maternal deaths. We thank God for Annie and the rest of our IDAT clinic team, who depend on God for guidance and save lives like Ayen’s every day!

What can I say about Mama Sabet? She’s an amazing lady that brought an amazing man, my husband Sabet, into this world. She lived a hard life, gave birth to nine children, including one set of triplets, she buried four children, raised 14 grandchildren and was mother to our Agum for the first 5 years of her life. Her most important decision was asking Jesus to be her Savior and it’s because of that, we are confident we will spend eternity in heaven with her.

Due to the separation of North and South Sudan during the civil war, I only got to meet Mama Sabet in 2008 for the first time. Sabet and I had already been married for 8 years. She always told Sabet, if you marry make sure she’s a Dinka, and if she’s not a Dinka, make sure she’s South Sudanese and if not South Sudanese then African. So when he told her he was marrying me she was not so happy! But when we finally met face to face, we quickly bonded and her greatest gift to us was agreeing to let Agum join our family. It truly was a special time to spend the last few weeks of her life with her. During our last prayer night she heard Hannah praying for her and sat up and started praying! Sabet flew with us to Nairobi and the day before we left to return to USA , Hububba died. I’m so glad Hannah and I were able to be there for Sabet when he got the news. We did not want to share it until I had the chance to tell Agum and Jed.

Sabet has now returned to Tonj and will help arrange the memorial service. He will stay probably another 2 weeks and then travel to Florida.

Please pray for Sabet, Dominic (older brother in Australia), Angelina, Awomb and Maker (triplets in Tonj), Simon (Sabet’s uncle) Andria (Sabet’s dad), our children and Hububba’s 14 other grandchildren that lived with her: Sabet (14), Ater (13), Nichol (12), Aman (10), Gai (10), Deng (9), Abu (8), Katrina (8), Sarah (7), Anek (6), Nyakweng (4), Friday (4), Suzanne (2),  and Amoo (6mths). We will all miss her terribly.

It was truly humbling and really touched my heart to have five friends  from the Maloney community walk to Tonj just to greet me and Hannah. They heard we had come from USA and wanted to welcome us. They came bearing gifts of chickens!!