So, my big sister Karen is the Director of Music (and brilliant organist) at the Wesley-Knox United Church in London, Ontario. Â She also runs her own 38-voice community choir, named (appropriately) the Karen Schuessler Singers, and she pretty much surrounds herself with all things music.
Well, back in November her church’s Mission and Service Committee officially kicked off a new project called Journey with Sudan, which includes the sponsorship of two young Sudanese women to attend school, and just a few days ago a 16-member team began a two week trip to South Sudan under the auspices of Canadian Aid for Southern Sudan (CASS – http://www.web.net/~cass/index.shtml), who have maintained a presence in Gordhim, just southeast of Malualkon, for 15 years.
After decades of civil war, the people in this region truly have nothing and CASS brings them medicine, builds schools, digs wells, educates them about sanitation, and helps people begin home-based enterprises. For two weeks, Karen and her companions will be staying at a Catholic mission in Gordhim in the northeast corner of South Sudan. Each morning, Karen and a jazz singer colleague will run a music camp for more than 300 children, while others from the team teach them crafts. Â Later in the day they will participate in educational activities, help in the medical clinic, deliver goats and chickens (donated through CASS) to families, and take part in the lives of the locals for two weeks. And of course, there will be lots of singing!
If you’d like to find out more about Journey with Sudan and follow the project’s progress, Karen’s husband Harry is facilitating an informative and daily-updated digital notebook documenting the experience. Â Here’s the link: http://wesleyknox.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=66&Itemid=53
Just a thought.
Glenn Gordon - Always Write 
Hi, Glen. Hope all is well. Great to see that you are following the South Sudan trip. Just a note that you may want to indicate that the November in your post is not November 2012 (the Mission Committee can’t work that fast) but November the year before, 2011! All the best to you and your family and hope to see you again soon. Harry
I’ll make the change, Harry. Thanks.
Hope you’re surviving the time at home flying solo.
And we’re hoping to get out to London sometime in the next year.
Glenn
Thanks, Glenn (spelled it correctly this time). We’ll look forward to your visit! H
How wonderful that she is doing this work, Glenn … and thank you for sharing your articles with me. I have missed your writings … and I miss seeing you! I hope to return to the neighborhood for a visit this summer!
Happy New Year to you and yours!!!
Love ya, Suzi
PS My new address if you ever need it is: Suzi Smith 1851 Pebble Beach Circle Elk Grove Village, IL 60007 Cell: 847-846-3537
Watch over my dear daughter and her family for me … I miss them all so much!
________________________________
Thanks, Suzi, my sister is quite amazing. And yes, I’m back to writing again. I really appreciate your support. And thanks for the contact update!
Glenn – you are blessed with a very talented gene pool in your family! WOW! Karen is an angel with a true voice!
Thanks, Desiree. Karen IS quite amazing! And she’s passed those genes down to her very talented kids, too.