Lahash Travel Team Meeting: Sudan Night
On Saturday the new Lahash team that will be traveling to East Africa this December and January met at the home of a Portland Sudanese family. Sam and Susan Dilla cooked up a large feast while we discussed our upcoming trip.
Our team is now formed, and is composed of the following people:

• Team 1 (Sudan & Uganda): Dan Holcomb, Josh Thrash, Nate Grubbs, Lyla Peterson
• Team 2 (Kenya & Tanzania): Dan Holcomb, Doug Holcomb, Anya Holcomb, Leisha Adams, Johanna French, Dana Betermann, Lyla Peterson

We'll be leaving on December 11th, and the final team will return on January 22nd.

Interview with Pastor Nick Macharia (from Tenderfeet)
Nick Macharia, a partner and cofounder of the Tenderfeet Children's Center with Mama Margaret, was recently in Italy where he was interviewed for an online podcast. You can listen to the amazing in-depth interview by clicking below:

Kibera slums, Tenderfeet and a vision of hope for Kenya and Africa, IMC interview with Pastor Nick Macharia

HIV/AIDS: The Killer Disease

Jo French AIDS Evening
Johanna French, a Lahash partner living in Dodoma Tanzania, is in town here in Portland for the week. She spoke last night at Mosaic Church about the critical need to focus our attention on the AIDS crisis. She shared photos of her experiences with the AIDS patient Zainab, and how the stigma, lack of drugs, poverty, gender inequality, poor diet control, and the world's indifference led to Zainab's death earlier this year. Thanks everyone who came out to listen! For more on Jo and her work, visit her blog.

Kim's Sudan Photos
Kim Davey (a friend from Imago Dei Community) just returned from a solo trip to Uganda and Sudan where she taught English and art to the kids and staff at Amazing Grace and St. Bartholomew's. You can check out a sample of her photos here:

Kim's Sudan Trip

CarrieAnne (a nurse from New York) training the community on growing fresh vegetables for AIDS patients in Eldoret, Kenya.

AIDS focus:
This month Lahash is focusing on the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa.
Did you know:

• HIV attacks the body's immune system - specifically the CD4 cells
• There is no known cure for AIDS
• With Anti Retro Viral medicine, those with AIDS can live for many years (20+)
• 40 Million people have AIDS
• 10 Millin children have been orphaned from AIDS

Black + White Exhibit Teaser:
The Black + White exhibit is just under two months away - make sure you mark down the dates of October 27 and 28th. For artists, the deadline for submitting works is October 14th.
Here's a short video teaser hosted on YouTube:



Free Derek Webb
Derek Webb, a former member of the group "Caedmon's Call" has released a groundbreaking album called "Mockingbird" that cuts deep into the sins of the "White middle-class Republicans". It's a startling prophetic voice addressing poverty, racism, war, materialism, and nationalism.

The amazing thing is that Derek is giving the whole album away for free! Check out FreeDerekWebb.com and make sure you download the incredible album right now.

AIDS in Africa - A Lahash Special Event
You are all welcome to an evening here in Portland with Johanna French. She will be speaking about her year in Tanzania and Kenya facing AIDS and the horrors and hope that are evident everyday. Johanna is working with MCC, and based in Dodoma Tanzania. Lahash partners with the church in Dodoma helping provide awareness and assistance to AIDS patients, and through a sponsorship program with children orphaned by AIDS. You can view Jo's personal blog here, and her thoughts on the past AIDS conference in Toronto here. Her comments were recently published in the Christian Post.

When: Thursday, September 14, 7:30 PM

Where: Mosaic Church
1832 NE 39th Ave
Portland, OR 97212
Mapquest Link

Chai will be served and everyone is welcome.