Howdy everyone!! I am trying something new this week, so let me know if you like it or not. Under each day that has pictures to go with the story, I have put a comment click here for photos, just click on that link and it will take you to the photo album. That way you don't have to go to the photo page. I will put the links of the photo pages later, but for now, it is a beautiful day, has cooled off to ohhh, perhaps 95-100 and I am going for a walk.
Have a blessed day!
Sharon
01/01/12 - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
What a New Year's Eve celebration there was in Akobo. It started sometime in the afternoon, perhaps around 5 or so. That is when I saw the people walking down the street with their chairs on their heads - that's the way they do it here - if you want a chair - you bring it, or you sit on the ground!
There was a great amount of singing and dancing and praying coming from the church from the sounds of it, it sounded like a great celebration. I know it lasted until the early hours because I still heard drumming and singing as the sun began to light the sky.
For me, it was a typical NYE. I stayed home, played on the computer for a while and read my book. Nothing to get too excited about. I didn't go to the church because I didn't know what was going on and I don't know how the traditions work here yet. I am usually told to wait and someone will come get me, only last night they didn't. So I waited and went to bed.
I tried to adopt a new tradition last night, but I had a hard time concentration. Dr. Carlos told me that in the DR Congo, he and his wife pray from 11 to 12 to pray in the new year. I like that. I think that I will adopt that plan for the future.
Sometimes I just have to laugh. I know that there had to be a perfectly good reason for it, but here is what it looked like from my eyes...
Two grown men, elders, I think, monitoring the church service. It is a great orchestra of movement.
One stands on one end and as people arrive waves his stick in the air and a whole section of people pick their chairs up and move right or left as he directs. Then more people come in the other side, and the process is repeated, many times throughout the service.
What almost made me laugh out loud today was, one man was orchestrating the movement with his stick. Another man was beating the drum with his stick. The orchestrator walked by, looked at the other man's stick, took it out of his hand and disappeared. A few minutes later, he comes back with a freshly cut stick, hands it to the drummer and each man goes on about his business.
I had to chuckle because it reminded me of two little boys, you have the stick I want so I am going to take it!
NY Day is extremely quiet. Not much to report. While you are munching away on that brisket Joey, that you so kindly told me about yesterday, I want you to think of my NY lunch - you got it - rice and lentils!
Happy New Year everyone!
12/31/11 – Saturday
It is New Year’s Eve in the US and it won’t be long before the day begins an people start their preparations for parties and special meals and/or just curling up and staying close to home, perhaps with a big fire in the fireplace or a bottle of champagne to toast the new year as the big apple drops.
I wish you all a very happy, safe and prosperous new year!! May God be with you all until we meet again, my friends.
It was a somber walk to the market today. It feels like all the joy has left Akobo. There seems to be an air of dejected resignation in the air. I am not sure I can really describe it. Where last week, even up to yesterday, there were happy, cheerful greetings, laughter and smiles on the road and in the town. All of that is missing today.
It seems life has slowed down by half or three quarters. Where people were walking quickly, with heads held high, they now move very slowly, like each step is a burden. There is a worry and a sadness that I cannot convey in words. Many seem to be just going through the motions and one older man I saw appeared to be on the brink of tears, and, another older lady, barely lifted her head in greeting, and when she did, the tears appeared ready to spill over.
There don’t appear to be very many people on the streets today. They are mostly women about my age, who appear to just be going through the motions of daily living. Where there are usually many at the water pumps, there was hardly anyone. There were a few older men walking slowly, but not the usual number. The teen and young adult boys that stood out yesterday are very obviously missing today. There were a lot of younger, maybe early teen boys gathered at the school and there appeared to be some kind of supervised tournament going on.
The young children and toddlers who have been playing close to the road are being carefully watched close to their homes. The girls that I’ve seen walking to and from the market, I didn’t see today. Many more houses have cattle tied close to them, where normally I don’t see them.
I am sure it is all related to the news of the past few days about the breakdown in the talks to halt the Nuer from advancing on Pibor, and the increase in the UN troops and activity in the area. I have seen the hopelessness and loss in the eyes of people on the news and in pictures on the internet¸ but I’ve never looked it in the eye. I have never felt their fear. It almost a sense of hopeless resignation of knowing what is coming and knowing there is nothing you can do to stop it.
I went back to the market late this afternoon, I WILL find the plug I need. Things seem to be a little closer to normal, more people on the streets, children playing, still not close to the road, but a little father from their doorsteps and several in large groups walking back from the river, either with dishes, laundry or dripping from swimming/baths. The mood seems a little lighter too.
12/30/11 – Two weeks in Akobo!
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Funny, as it may sound, it is hard to remember I haven’t been here forever. Life has become comfortable very quickly, and sometimes I am amazed by that, and others, it tells me I am exactly where God intended me to be.
It has become a routine of going to the market on a daily basis, not necessarily to buy anything, but because it gets me out on the road where I am meeting people and having a chance to practice what little language skills I have, besides, the kids are great fun, and didn’t really believe I could or would play ball with them. It didn’t take long for the familiar phrase “Teacher, you play” to come back.
Today was a great day! It started with an early morning trip to the market. I found potatoes! Now that may not sound exciting to you, but in the land of “rice and lentils”, it was very exciting. And, I had said I would cook tonight. I wish you could have heard the reactions to that!
“Are you sure? You can cook? But it is the wood fire? Surely, you can’t cook on that? Are you sure?”.
Well, I did cook on that, no one spit it out, so I figured that was a good sign. And the ladies and I had so much fun laughing and “talking” as they showed me how to cook it. I felt bad because I didn’t stick around to help them clean up and wash dishes; perhaps another day. I need to learn how to say “You teach me”.
People are waiting for news today about the Nuer/Murle conflict and how the talks turned out. From what I gather the news is not going to be good. The church leaders and vice president have spent the night trying to convince them to lay down their arms and return home. The last I heard is it remains a very volitle situation. Many prayers are being offered. I pray that God, in his wisdom and mercy, will bring this conflict to a peaceful resolution before any more lives, homes, cattle, property, etc. are lost.
I had an interesting conversation with Rev. Peter today when he came for a visit and to explain the church’s plans for me in case there is a serious situation. He told me the history of the conflict, and how it has grown from men fighting men, to the Murle starting to take women and children, then the Nuer retaliated the same and began taking their women and children. What broke my heart was his question, “you know I too have lost a daughter in this fighting don’t you?” No. I didn’t know. The rest of the story is that in the conflict of 2009 his brother and his family were living in another village, as the Murle attacked the village, his brother’s wife was killed and their daughter was kidnapped. “To this day, we don’t know what happened to her. We don’t know if she lives or dies.” What do you say to that???
For all the beautiful, wonderful things that happen here, there are those kinds of stories as well. Stories that we, as Americans, have never had to live or experience. I was trying to think of a way to describe it that would make sense in our culture. It would be like 6,000 youth(18-30 year olds) from Stephenville, talking up all their guns and knives and deciding to march across the countryside on a mission to kill every person that lives in Granbury, and completely annihilating Glen Rose, Bluff Dale and Tolar in the process.
12/28/11 – Wednesday – A Hospital Visit
Today was a visit to a hospital like I have never seen before. I had looked at pictures of the Akobo hospital on line before I came, even used a few in my presentations. But those photos in no wy could prepare me for the reality of the situation. As we were walking through, Dr. Carlos must have perceived a change in me or my attitude, because he quietly said, “Now you understand. This is poverty in Africa.”
And you know, I know that this is not the worst of the poverty in Africa. I am quite certain there is much more poverty in Africa for me to see. And, much worse, but let me finish this story before I get too far off track.
As we entered the hospital grounds I am reminded that the hospital was closed for three weeks right before I arrived. The soldiers came and shut down the hospital because one of the staff had been killed by a rival. They were afraid of retaliation killings, so the soldiers came and took over the hospital. All of the patients were forced to leave, to go back to their homes without treatment. If I understand it correctly, the doctors could not practice so during this time there was no medical care except in the outlying primary health care clinics.
As we approached the hospital, Dr. Carlos told me the concrete areas in the front, that reminded me of cattle holding pens at home, are actually, where the people come for health education that happens every morning. We walked through the first building that is used for outpatients and clinics, through a courtyard and into the hospital itself, through it and out a door.
There, we found patients laying on mattresses on the ground. They had been brought out for some fresh air and sunshine.
There is an acute outbreak of malaria right now and many are suffering from it. Some were alone, some had family members with them. There is a water pump in the middle of the courtyard where someone was filling a bucket. This is the same pump that supplies water to the operating room! To one side cows are grazing and another, the goats are climbing.
We started into a ward and there is a tiny baby laying on the concrete on a blanket. Her mother is a patient. A few minutes ago, someone was with her, now she (I am assuming!) is alone. We were outside the woman’s ward, where there were a couple of patients and one is recovering from a c-section that her family didn’t want done because they thought it would kill her. It took a lot of convincing them that without it, she and the baby would both die. Old tribal customs and beliefs are hard to overcome!
There was another ward with one man surrounded by family laughing and talking and celebrating. I don’t think I will ever forget the smile on his face as he sat with his arm, or what had been his arm, wrapped in guaze a few hours after surgery. The arm had become infected from gangrene when he suffered an injury and couldn’t get treatment because the hospital had been closed. That is the reality of medical care in Africa!
As we walked through the wards, I was struck by the number of beds with no mattresses and no mosquito nets. When I was asked, I was told that the soldiers took them when they were living there when the hospital was closed.
It is hard to describe when I look through American eyes that are used to our pristine clean hospitals with the most modern, up to date equipment that money can buy. What I am, is amazed and overwhelmed by the dedication of the staff and the healing that occurs in this place.
What I have to remember, is even though there is no running water to the operating room, even though the IV bags hang from ceiling rafters or are tied to window screens, there are no fancy machines beeping the latest stats to a computer that is being monitored down the hall, this hospital is no different than ours.
God is present in the sickness and the accidents and injuries. God is in the healing, in the living and in the dying. And, He is present in the suffering and the rejoicing. And He is in the hands and skills and knowledge the doctors and nurses and staff that have dedicated their lives to serving here, when many leave family and friends far behind for the opportunity to serve here. God is here, walking these halls, laying with the crying baby in the courtyard, and with those seeking fresh air and sunshine under the shade of a tree, every bit as much as He is walking the halls of our hospitals.
God is here.
I was called to the church so I went thinking I was going to pick up a letter from Rev. Peter. When I arrived, there were men sitting outside and they motioned to me to over my head. Then, I looked through the gate and realized that it was a worship service!
So I rushed home, grabbed a scarf for my head and the table cloth I have been using for my lu-all, the pretty sheet the women dress in, and ran back down the street wrapping my hair. I have learned you don’t go to church without your head covered or the women will gather around you in front of everyone and cover it for you!!
As I was rushing down the road, I thought “Oh my gosh! I hope this isn’t a funeral and I am supposed to dress in dark clothes!” I had my sparkling pink scarf wrapped around my head and was wearing my pink flowered table cloth for my lu-all. I quickly came up with the story that we wear bright clothes to honor the life, just in case I needed one, and knew that God would forgive me.
Whew! When I arrived it was a baptism so bright colors were ok. I knew it was something special because they were using the inside of the church. I can honestly say I have never been to a baptism like this!
I tried to sit in the back of the church, on the very back row. Rev. Stephen came and got me and told to follow him, so I did. I was lead to the Pastor’s office and soon discovered, I was going to sit at the front with them! I was glad I did, it was nice to have a front row seat.
Once the names were taken in the exercise books, the service began. I don’t remember all of it in order, but what I do remember is the 10 Commandments. Before they started, they asked if everyone knew them. Two people raised their hands and were escorted out. I was told that if you can’t recite them then you and/or your child cannot be baptized because you promise to live by and raise your children by the 10 commandments. It’s a good thing no one looked at me!
Then came the blessing of the water. Two large pots of water were brought into the sanctuary during the procession, covered in white cloths with three crosses on them. Once the water was blessed, they began the baptisms.
The names were called, one at a time, and they came forward. I was impressed that each baby, each child, each adult was baptized individually and privately. It wasn’t a group baptism. Each one was done with dignity and respect. The pastors took turns so each one was able to participate. As a group of about 10 was finished they would stop and pray for that group. Each time a water bowl was emptied, they would stop, fill it and bless it before proceeding.
It was truly a special service and I was happy to be included and had the privilege of witnessing 158 baptisms!
12/26/11 – Monday
Language - counted 5 greetings and 10 other words/phrases I know, not bad for my first week, and I know there are more that I didn’t count
Learned there is no milk on this side of the river because there is no grass for the cows. The cows on the other side have grass so there is milk.
It was an interesting day! The meeting I thought was going to happen last Friday, we were summoned to today. It was great!
26 women attended, ranging in age from young mothers to grandmothers and great-grandmothers;
It was facilitiated by Kabora, a consultant who had been working on a nutrition survey throughout the area for the past few weeks. We talked about what the women know, what they’ve been told and what is important to them.
If I had set up a vision meeting it couldn’t have been better than this turned out to be and it wasn’t even my meeting!
Of the questions asked the last two made my heart sing. These answers are the reasons I am here!
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1. Who is the best person/how to get message to women in the villages?
a. If these women know they can learn
b. You teach us, we will go to the village and train them (CHE!! YES!!!)
c. We can teach them best because we know their language and how to talk to them
I am here to teach them to teach others. I am here to train them to go out into the villages and train others. And I could have jumped off the chair and hugged all of their necks when they answered that question the way they did!The other question will give focus to the work we will do together and help me plan the trainings and programs to help them best.
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2. What would you like to know more about?
a. Water management – how to make it safe
b. Gender based violence – we don’t know our rights, we live like vulnerable people
c. Education – adults
I had an opportunity to explain that what my job is here, and for the fisrt six months they would ask what I am doing here, but my job for this time is to learn their language so I can speak to them (lots of clapping) and to learn how to live from them. I invited them to come to get me, take me to your home and teach me how to make porridge, how to wash the clothes, etc.
I explained that we are building a house for me that will have an office and they are all invited to come and learn the way I do things. I told them I would be cooking with the sun and they could come and taste my food (more clapping). I told them together we will learn
It was a good opportunity to tell the women directly what I will be doing and why. I was happy to tell them that my job is to train them so they can go to the village and teach and that what they said made me very happy and when the rainy season comes we will begin to work on planning our programs for the next dry season. They were happy with that.
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The Christmas Offering...
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It is my first Christmas and I am excited to see how the worship here will be different from ours. It is not only my first Christmas, it is their first Christmas as a new country as well. The service was held outside and the grounds were packed with people.
What a beautiful, spirit filled service!! All the choirs sang, and worship was amazing and I was mesmerized by the offering as I watched it grow!
It was extremely obvious who had new clothes and who didn’t.
For the first time, I wondered about the wisdom of “us” adopting children in foreign countries. Not about providing for their basic needs such as food and shelter, but in our enthusiasm to give, do we do more harm than good? I know, this is the question that has haunted me throughout this whole holiday season, and I have struggled with it more than once, and drug you into the struggle with me.
What got me started this morning was the extreme contrast of looking out through the congregation and seeing the children sitting side by side. Most scrubbed clean as you can be when your clothes are washed in river water, some with clothes that were old, some freshly ironed, others new and I know they were bought in the market here.
But the one that really grabbed my attention and pulled at my heart strings was the little toddler girl all decked out in her brand new, frilly, lacy, snow white with red trim, full ruffled skirt, every American grandmother’s dream Christmas dress for their precious child. It was a beautiful dress and she was a beautiful child, sitting next to the little boy, about the same age, in his freshly washed, holey T-shirt and that is all.
I could just picture how much fun the person who bought that dress had, and how proud she was when she packed it up and mailed it away to her special little girl in Africa. But she didn’t see the little girl sitting next to the little boy and the look on his face because she had something new and he didn’t. It is the way of life here, some are “chosen”, most, are not. And for that, I am very sad today.
I didn’t do much the rest of the day, mostly took the day off, laid on my bed and read a book. I cannot remember the last time I actually sat still long enough to read for three or four hours! What a gift that was!!
I also spent a little time sitting by the river where my new house will be. I try to spend some time there every day so the people will get used to me. I admit, I was a little down, I thought perhaps, someone from the church would have invited me to spend Christmas with them, but that didn’t happen. So I took off across the road, you know me, I am never down for very long! When I arrived, I was sitting in my very, own, God provided, National Geographic movie!
I walked through the compound and on my left was a gathering of men and women with their things spread out on blankets, enjoying a picnic and a lot of laughter and fun.
Across from me, are the three tokuls designated for the displaced people. The women were gathered together near the cookfires in the dirt, and the teen age girls, were doing what teenage girls do best, sitting in chairs off to the side laughing and giggling.
I was sitting by the river watching an old man, slowly make his way along the bank with his hand carved paddle in an old dug out boat, that was dark, dark brown with age and water. He waved as he glided by.
At my feet, about a half dozen little boys romped and played in the river near the bank, each one showing off for me so I would laugh. They laughed and played, dove and swam, and every once in a while would come up the bank just to stare at me.
There were little girls making their way down the slippery river bank, water jugs in hand When they reached the bottom, they very carefully filled those jugs and made their way back to the top where they disappeared into the houses.
Across the river, I watched the boys in the cattle camp – they are down to three today – I wonder if the rest went home for Christmas. I watched as they worked together to build their fire and watched the smoke float across the sky as the cattle moved about, munching their dinner, stirring up the dust into a cloud of grey.
And before long, the girls couldn’t stand it anymore and I was surrounded by the little ones too afraid to come too close, the boys running in and out of the river and the girls who reached out and shyly touched my hair. I pulled it out of my pony tail and you never heard such sounds of joy as the reached out and touched it.. It was hard not to laugh as they picked through my part, laughing and giggling and discussing something in great detail. I am sure from the tiny clumps of hair they were pulling on it must have been all the colors in it.
I had been playing the head, eyes, ears, nose, etc. word game with the other kids when I said “mata” (the word for hair) and those girls hands went to work! I must have counted at least a dozen braid going all at once all over my head! Little braids, big braids, in between braids, and so much laughter. Then, as quickly as they started they began ripping them all out and put my hair back exactly as they found it and returned to their chairs.
All, in all, it was a wonderful day and not all that different than if I had been at home. I would have had dinner with the family, I would have gone by to see what the kids got for Christmas and played with them. But, I still probably would have taken a nap, read my book and might have even sat by the river. And I would have missed out on my “Great Christmas Adventure”….
About 5 Mothaman decided we should have something special for Christmas dinner, so we took off. I didn’t know where we were going but, hey I had been close to home so I was up for anything. Said a We headed down the road to the market and kept on going. On past the town center – nothing like you’re picturing – and on towards the airport. Before we get there, we take a turn to the left towards a stick gate and find a boy ready to lock it up. Mothaman few words and he let us in. Turns out we were in a garden looking for pumpkins and tomams. We ended up with a sack full of eggplants and promises of pumpkins tomorrow. When we got back to the market, it was closed and the soldiers were out making sure they were closing. We did find one place open and bought 6 soft drinks. And head back down the road. It was a little spooky to me as it got darker, to be walking the road with soldiers, but we just kept to our side and made our way home without incident.
We didn’t get the eggplants until Monday, the dinner was ready when we got back, but those were the best tasting sodas I have had in a long time!
12/24/11 – Christmas Eve
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The speaker at the church has been going non stop since about three this morning. I hear the constant ramblings of the man with the microphone. He has been talking or singing since long before the sun came up He is hard to tune out and makes it difficult to concentrate on anything else. Be he has said a couple of things that have caught my attention –
We say “Mary Christmas” to honor the mother of Jesus…
Reconcile – If you have walked away from your mother, your father, sister or brother, or any friend or tribesman, turn around and walk back, extend your hand. That is your gift to God for His gift to you.
Equality – is not just for me or you. It is for everybody. That means all of us including your mother, your sister, your wife. You treat them the same as you treat you.
And something that I knew somewhere inside of me, but just didn’t jump out today –
This is our very first Christmas as a new country! Let us celebrate!!
One of my new neighbors came to get me, very excited because she wanted to show me something…
“It is for the Kreesstmaasss dinner”! They were butchering a cow or an ox and very proud! I don't know if it was the offering from last week - there had been a cow tied to a tree - if so it fed the displaced people a nice Christmas dinner.
After it was off to watch the marching through the town. I took some great videos and they all disappeared. The best I got was a picture or two…It was fun marching with them and seeing parts of Akobo I probably won’t be able to see again for a while. It is hard to describe the marching; a hundred or more children, youth and adults, lined up in formation. They were waving white flags with three red crosses, beating drums and singing hymns all through the town. Children lined the streets, much like watching one of our parades, trying to join in. Adults stopped what they were doing and smiled as they marched by,
Most areas of town look much the same…
There just isn’t much green anywhere – just dry, hard, packed, deep cracked ground. It is going to be difficult to find ways to make things grow here. After dinner I was talking with Kabura, a nutritionist working on a survey, in this area about an idea I had for planting potatoes and root vegetables in bags of dirt. She was telling me in Kenya they are called gunny sack gardens and things grow quite well in them, require little water and little maintenance and take up little space, you just prop them against the house.. I am all for that!!
I didn’t make it to late worship. Rev. Stephen said he would come get me and to wait. Only he didn’t come and get me.
