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Dear Peadar and All the Wider Community I hope you are all well and battling out the cold weather there. It certainly is not cold here as it is now reaching the hottest time of year. It's been a long time since I have written, as I have to say this is one of my hardest years in Africa due to ill health and crumbling economic times within the country. Because of the War in the Ukraine, most Aid Agencies left the country due to rising costs of transportation of food and fuel. The World Food Program being the major support to the country has scaled down their operations and in my area they have left completely. Doctors of Africa also left the town of Rumbek and they were the main suppliers of medicine. This has left a devastating impact and an impossible situation for people to access medicine in an area where no one can afford it, Things were never good here, but it's certain to say they are drastic at present. Myself I have been trying to fund the leprosy colony with food and medicine, but it is not possible to supply them with a stable diet of Beans and Maize as I can now only afford to supply Maize. Thanks to a very generous donation from Majella McKenna of Edenmore of a huge amount of vegetable seeds, I was able to do a lot of food growing in the colony which has helped a lot but not enough for the 4900 who live there. I was able to complete the New Medical Center and Maternity Unit this year before the hard times struck, which is a great advantage to the people, and I was also able to get funding for a new church in the area of the leper colony for the Spiritan Fathers also. An Irish Broadcaster who works for the Vatican called Colm Flynn came to visit the work in the colony and a short video has been produced on the lives of the people and what I am trying to achieve for them. Most are missing hands, fingers, legs and toes and although they are cured from the disease of leprosy, their quality of life is limited and they succumb to many injuries unknowingly because the nerves in their limbs have been severed and no longer feel pain, so they do get burnt and injured quite a lot and by the time it is noticed it is usually infected. Most of the people are elderly and I have to say, even though I speak little of the language, I have a great love for them and we interact very well. I bought sewing machines and material for them and for those who can manage they make their own clothes which gives them a great sense of achievement. Even for the young men, for them to be taught how to grow vegetables and make homemade beds, this has a great sense of confidence for them, I took a young boy to live with me from the Colony last January who had no one to care for him call John Tarcotch, he was living in the wild at the time and could not see, he had leprosy on his face and he had suffered a stroke. Amazingly this child with all his suffering never failed to smile and laugh and make everyone else laugh. He had never been to school but a highly intelligent child. He can now speak perfect English and can even hold down a conversation with my Mother and Sister on the phone, talking to Mamma Noeleen as he calls my Mother is a must every day. I was not able to control any of his illnesses which I tried everything for, but in the end I was able to get him to Uganda where he had 2 operations and he is now doing very well, You can see the change in him in the photos below. He is the most adorable child I have ever met, and he steals the heart of everyone he meets. His Aunt who I finally found narrated the story of his life which was truly unbearable for me to listen to. His name Tarcotch in the Dinka language means "Nobodys Child" but since he came to live with us I think he is "everyone's child" My own health took a bad turn beginning last March and since then it has been just a case of hospital after hospital with very little success except the diagnosis of Crohn's disease. There is no facility here in East Africa to treat such an issue properly, so I will have to return to Ireland to see what can be done. I did battle it as much as possible on my own but it is not really achievable. I have a really hard time leaving the people here as they have become a part of me and my existence and it will be hard to be away from them. It would never have been possible to help the many people here if it were not for all of your kindness. It is you all who have made their lives brighter and less painful and I cannot sincerely thank each and everyone of you enough. Many of those who donated to the Mission Account in the Credit Union did not leave their names leaving me unable to thank you properly which i feel so deeply sorry for. I hope you can accept my appreciation to you all through this update. Many of you will be now preparing for Christmas and beginning to enjoy this festive season. I do wish you all a very Blessed and Happy Christmas and Healthy and Peaceful New Year