The CUMC Mission Team is considering involvement in the Southern Sudan Health Projects (SSHP),

In April 2008 an Assessment Team of six persons, trained by the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM) of the United Methodist Church, traveled to the Bor region in Southern Sudan (where some of the “boys” came from) to determine the community health care needs and to identify local partners willing to collaborate in restoring human health in the region.  The team reported recently to the churches involved and will be meeting with GBGM representatives to clarify possible projects the group might undertake.

One of the exciting by-products of this initial visit was the reunion of one of the team members, Mayol Malak, with his mother, whom he had not seen for 20 years, and, in fact, thought she was dead.  In December 2007, a friend visiting Sudan called Mayol telling him he saw his mother in their village!  Mayol was six-years-old when he fled home after troops from Sudanese northern government started bombing the village and shooting people.  He spent much of his life fleeing war, famine and living in refugee camps in neighboring East African countries with thousands of other “lost boys” before coming to the U.S.

Mayol’s friend arranged for a phone conversation with his mother in December and learned three sisters and a brother died in the war.  In April he was reunited with his mother and four surviving siblings (see adjoining picture).

Mayol graduates in December 2008 with a degree in business administration from Bryant & Stratton College.