Hi again,
Back from another fruitful trip. I will include a partial journal of the D. trip here, and pictures. You can get the full report from me by sending me a request.
S. Sudan Trip February 2-8, 2007 to D., Upper Nile
During the long trip by plane to Northern Kenya, then on to D., I’ve contemplated the remarkable history of Sudan as recorded in Moorhead’s fascinating book The White Nile. It’s interesting that precisely 150 years ago, two years after Livingstone stumbled upon the majestic Victoria Falls along the Zambezi in southern Africa, the first expedition attempting to chart the headwaters of the Nile set out from the East Coast of Africa. That journey, followed by others in the ensuing years, opened the interior of Central Africa to the outside world and exposed the awful scourge of slavery, an age-old noose around the neck of the people of southern Sudan and her neighbors to the south.
“Probably nothing more monstrous or cruel than this traffic had happened in history…” (p. 83). By 1870, it was recorded that “some 50,000 slaves were being brought down (to Khartoum) from the Upper Nile every year, and a gang of at least 15,000 Arabs was engaged in the trade” (p. 144). A healthy young girl “was valued at ‘a single elephant’s tusk of the first class’... and she could also be purchased for a new shirt or for 13 English sewing needles…” (p. 149). Three years later Livingstone died in Africa, leaving this inscription for his Westminster Abbey memorial, “All I can add in my solitude is may Heaven’s rich blessing come down on everyone, American, English or Turk, who will help to heal this open sore of the world” (p. 119).
In the decades that followed, slave markets were closed and the ‘open sore’ disappeared from sight, only to re-appear sporadically, even recently, in Sudan’s tragic history. Descending onto the D. airstrip this hot Friday afternoon, looking out over the sparsely-populated, flat, sun-baked country all around, I am struck once again by the burden which these people and their neighbors have borne for so many painful years. Jesus’ words are timeless in their application, “Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” May your Rest come to this place, O Lord.
Journal entry Friday 2/2/07
Thursday was a long, tiring day of travel which began abruptly at 5 am. Mr. Gachoka arrived with his van, the Schaefers and I loaded our belongings, and we drove through the dark, wet hills to Nairobi. An ALS prop plane flew us to Lokichoggio and after a quick look at the unoccupied SIM house with its wall-full of angry bees, we settled at the ACROSS compound for the night. I slept soundly. Loki was wonderfully cool, after un-seasonal rainfall. Douglass of ACROSS was ready for us at 6:15 a.m. and we drove the bumpy road to the airport. Joey D. joined me for the trip into Sudan, leaving Schaefers to deal with the bees (!) and get the Loki house into livable condition. John M. was our pilot – a great guy, father of Abby and bright-eyed Caroline. Joey sat up front and had a flight lesson, while I alternately read and dozed in the seat behind, in the little AIM Air Cessna 206.
Our stop at Y. was brief. The secondary school project is well underway, and Joey remained with the team there. The winding Y. River is a beautiful sight from the air as we follow it from Y. village to D. To explore its oxbows and serpentine pathways would be a pleasure. There is a large hill standing out from the plain, halfway between the two market settlements. War raged along the margins of the River for more than twenty years, I must remind myself, and there will be no leisurely ‘tramping in the bush’ for many years to come.
Many familiar faces awaited our arrival at D. airstrip, and such a joy it was to greet Sebsibe and Abebe. Thus we began our days together, and I heard both joyful and trying news. The Ethiopian missionary couples have had little encouragement from the few local people, churched or unchurched, who live in the area. Nevertheless, despite living in tents without a single ‘tukul’ hut in progress and no grass yet in sight for the compound fence, they have an unwavering contentment. Their regular village visits each Wednesday and Friday took them this week to the village of Deng, a man possessed by a demon. Long years with the demon, since his youth, earned Deng tremendous respect and notoriety in the region. His ability to foresee events and wield power in the community brought him wealth, so that he even owns vehicles where a simple bicycle is considered an outstanding achievement. He listened while Sebsibe and Abebe spoke about Jesus from the Scriptures. He told the missionaries of the demonic influence in his own life; how he would be led into the bush for even six days at a time, completely out of his mind and living in the dirt, only to be found and dragged home by his family. “Can you deliver me?” he asked. Sebsibe tells me his answer was “No, we are not able. But we serve the God who is able, who is more powerful than the demons.”
Deng was not convinced, but he desired to be delivered, so they prayed for him. At last, they said, the man was cast down on the ground, shaking violently, then the demon departed and he was still. Deng sat up, and with gratefulness and amazement began to ask what he must do, to be saved! Should he get rid of one of his two wives? Give up drinking? Remove the fetishes? They told him the Good News of salvation, and Deng put his trust in Christ who has the power to save. The Lord would instruct him what to do next, they said, and promised to visit and teach from the Bible regularly. Deng will certainly need much prayer in days to come, but he immediately followed the pattern of the jailer in Acts 16 by calling his family and testifying to them. That day, his wives and two other family members also trusted Christ for salvation. What a blessed day!
Other good news: In these two weeks since I last visited, the UN came and helped the army from the North remove all eight tanks onto large trucks, for transport to K. A terrible chapter was ended when those machines of death were taken away. We can expect that the departure of the M. army from this area, will follow in the near future. Some of the SPLA troops have already moved to a location near the town, as the new “Joint Integrated Unit” of South Sudanese forces is being formed. There is hope that the rest of the SPLA will follow next month, and vacate the old hospital premises. Ah! Such news is almost too good to believe!
As I flew toward Lokichoggio early yesterday, Nancy was at home contemplating the wisdom of my journey to D. with its three resident armies. She typed an encouraging text message which reached me in Loki and went with me, when I left the reach of telephones. It read: “I Kings 22:19 the armies of heaven are with you.” So there were four armies in Doro, not just three! And now the prospect is imminent, that there will be just two: The army of the New South Sudan, and the hosts of the living God.
And later on the trip ... On we pushed to the village, and a wonderful reunion with local Pastors J.H. and D.N. As we sat and talked, the subject of leprosy came up and so we went to visit three lepers. A fourth came to us at the end of the day, as well. All had typical lesions of multi-bacillary leprosy. These I documented with digital photos, and will work into a presentation in order to begin a desperately-needed treatment program which our leprosy nurse will be able to oversee.
As expected, many came for medical help and we cared for each one. There was a child quite ill with malaria, a man with chronic osteomyelitis years after snakebite, patients with filarial onchocerciasis, and a woman with advanced mitral valve injury due to rheumatic heart disease. Most dramatic, of course, were the lepers. Finally, we said our good-byes and headed for home via the village of the woman with presumed TB, whom I’d visited in January. Gratefully, her lungs sounded clearer this time, and despite the unavailability of TB medication she was bright, and eating well! I left more antibiotics and other medication, and prayed that the One who created her, would shepherd her back to good health. The family was much encouraged
And conclusions ...
- Our compound needs a builder – whom will the Lord provide?
- Water for the health center – who will design the refitting of the pump, and the new tank and piping which will be required?
- Solar fittings and panels could be here by late this year – will we have a place to install them? Will we have a builder to oversee all this?
- The hospital buildings may be vacated in the next month, and will need to be cleaned of years of filth and refuse – how will we do that?
- What about the temporary health center – who will knock out the bricked-up windows, put up insect screening, hang dividers in the open space, dig toilets?
- How will the nurses live at the unfinished compound, if we are able to prepare the temporary health center? Are they going to have time for the many patients who will come? Who will bring their daily water from the well? Who will trek to the market to buy their food? Who’ll cook it over the coals, manage the grass-hut kitchen, wash their clothes, and so on?
- Then there will be the purchasing of materials for building, perhaps a brick press to source, cement to bring. The transporting to D. of large stocks of medical supplies and equipment, tables and chairs, exam couches, a small generator, solar infrastructure, two all-terrain vehicles, and more – who will help with all the logistics?
- From where will the additional funding come, to accomplish all this?
- Our base in Lokichoggio is an important point for the movement of these items, but Lou and Gerrie are just here for a couple of months – who will live and serve the team, in Loki?
This is the right time to remember the powerful truth contained in the Lord’s words to Sarah, “Is there anything too hard for God?” In His time and by His enabling, we look forward with anticipation to His answer to the many challenges ahead.
In Christ, Rob
