"It's very, very dry."

Don just called. He says that they had a good but long day. "It was amazing flying over an hour over pure desert. No trees. No vegetation. The guy who cooked our meal tonight says that there isn't anyone growing any vegetables within 80 miles from where we are!"

Many of the refugees are returning to Sudan, but the situation is still rather hopeless. "They import EVERYTHING from Kenya. Food. Hardware supplies to rebuild homes. And everything's much more expensive here. A bag of cement that would sell for $8 in Kenya is more than $20 here. There are some cows, but people keep them for dowries. They're selling at about $400 each. And there are goats. Goat meat is the only thing they don't have to import. But people have no money! They cannot buy goods."

Tonight, the team had dinner at a construction site where USAID and the World Food Program is building a road to the north. As Don was relaying news to me, he could hear drums in the distance of some or other celebration.

When Don talked to Steven (ELI's guy in Sudan) about a week ago about the school we started, there were about 60 children. Today, there are 140! The school is at the site where ELI has about 50 acres of land, and the team will be visiting tomorrow. They'll also be talking about reforestation and meet with a Christian mission that runs a clinic in the area. "This far, we've been hearing mostly about the physical climate. Tomorrow, we'll find out more about the spiritual climate." They'll continue to meet mostly with nationals to determine the needs.

Around them are charred fields, dry grass, dirt and dust. "There's a lot of dry, dry grass. People are burning the grass because it's too tall, and so when rains come in April and May, new grass will germinate. Most people live along the road in grass thatch houses, because they cannot afford materials to build anything more."

It's very, very dry. The only water source are wells, and these are few and far between. People line up to draw water, and they often spend the night by the well, waiting for their turn. They area about 14 miles from the White Nile river.

Insofar as the team goes, Tom and Jim are tired (they're still getting over jet lag, having just arrived in East Africa a day ago!) Kevin's finding it very hot. But everyone's doing well.

"It's an exhilarating experience," said Don. "It's very different from Kenya!"

Please keep praying for the team!