Journal - January 21, 2013

2013-01-26  Dancing in the Streets…

It is Saturday morning all I wanted to do was to put on my blue jeans and t-shirt and lie on my bed and read all day.   I had heard the people chanting not too far from me, for most of the night and long before the sun came up.  Young women came marching down the road outside my window.  They stopped the parade and danced for a while. I ducked down in my bed hoping they would march on so I could run to the latrine. .  As I lay in my bed, deciding that there was no choice I was going to have to get up.  I went flying across the compound in my pj’s.   They were on a mission and had a purpose.  I didn't know what it was, but they kept going so I didn't worry.  I heard them stop down the road and more voices were added to the chanting and stomping. The crowed was growing bigger!

The first thing you should understand about Nuer women is they are very modest.  They cover their heads and 70% of their bodies, rarely leaving the house without their long scarves tied over them. Running across the compound in cotton capri length pj’s is certainly NOT culturally appropriate.

I got dressed, since there were so many women about, culturally appropriate, in my long skirt and shirt.  I was sitting in the dining room watching this glorious sunrise, when all of a sudden an even longer line of women came marching down the street waving sticks and tree branches, and doing this kind of stomping dance in front of our gate.  The younger women had been joined by the older women and elders. 

They had attracted the attention of the other American worker here and he came out and asked me what was going on.  I told him I didn't know, but they had seen my fly to the latrine in my PJ's so maybe they came to cast out the evil demons or something, or to express their displeasure at my inappropriate dress.

I asked the guard what was going on because now, I have all these women - maybe 30 or 40 - stomping in the road, telling me to come out and waving sticks and branches at me.  He told me they were celebrating a wedding.  They wanted me to come and dance with them.  So, now, I have most of the compound and IMC staff watching me.  

Hey, I am game for anything, so I went out and let them teach me how to dance.  I can't dance, but I can stomp and wave sticks in the air.  Next thing I know I am caught up in this beautiful whirlwind of women in swirling bright colored scarves, stomping in a pattern and waving sticks in the air.  I am being led down the road to who knows where.  

During all of this, Dr. Aaron (from California) had been video taping the happenings.  They let him follow us to the edge of the compound then turned and started chasing him back and telling him in no uncertain terms he was not allowed to go.  

And, so, I was caught up in the women and we continued to stomp and dance down the road and around a corner until it faded into nothing but a little narrow path. t I had no idea where we were going.  The tall bush grass turned to scrub bushes and grasses that were taller than our heads.  The women who had taken charge of me, stopped and broke of bushes and gave them to me indicating I should wave them. 

The narrow path  opened into a small area with a few grass huts that were nothing more than a few sticks woven together and then into an area that had been swept clean and two more huts were there surrounded by a small fence.

More women were gathered and singing and dancing, there were many men, sitting in a circle on the other side.  There were elder women sitting along the edge with ancient pipes sticking from their hands or mouths.  What a joy it was to be a part of their celebration! And how honored I feel that they came to get me and invited me to be a part of it.

I stayed for a while and then they told me "You go now. We will dance in the field at 3 and you will come.  The elders will come for you". (I am so grateful Mary speaks English!!)  So, now I am waiting for 3 o’clock to see what happens next.

Nothing happened at 3 o’clock.  I waited.  I thought they would come,  I learned later the guard didn't let me know they came, so now I will do some "fence mending'....

2013-01-25    PENCILS…

I wish I could send you all a picture of the fear in a little girl's eyes today when I handed her a colored pencil and let her draw on my paper. Some of the kids were filled with wonder, some were leery and some were excited to try, some just took the pencils and stared. They didn't know what to do with them.

It occurred to me later, that pencils are sticks with a sharp point.  A stick with a sharp point is something used for killing.  It took some brave boys, like this one drawing in my book.  But eventually, we built some trust and they all took a turn trying.

What an awesome thing to be able to show them a small stick with a sharp point can be used to make something pretty...

It turned out to be a great language lesson on the river. I drew the picture, they told me the word :)

2013.01.23           WALL-WALL, MALUKE AND MORE WORDS …

The language lesson began,  “Thok, naath, bok kel”.  Thok – mouth.  Naath – people. Bok – book. Kel – one.”  That is 1^st language of the people.  But then it was “mouth of the people”.  I couldn’t figure out where Bok (book) and kel (one) fell into place.  I was confused.  “It just is” was the answer. 

Then we moved on…  ahhh, aeee, eee,ohh, wuuu – vowels!  A, E, I, O, U ---I got that.  I repeated it many times and was told,  “In the sentence it has no meaning” and I knew it was going to be a long hour! 

I also know the words for child, there, person cow and fence.  I just don’t know how to use them in a sentence…..I feel a long struggle with language coming on.  Oh well, my life has been pretty calm lately, God hasn’t had much to laugh about and I am sure Jesus’ side has healed from all the previous poking as they sat side by side saying, “Watch this one!”

If they laugh half as much as the ladies by the river and I did today, it will at least be interesting.  I watched them cook their dinner and learned two more words “Wall-wall” and maluke.  Wall-wall is a kind of porridge made by tossing bits ground corn or maze in a bowl with some water until it forms balls and putting it in boiling water until it is “couped” - cooked. 

Maluke is soup – a thin broth, that might have had “rey” fish in it…10 minutes with the ladies and I had much more helpful language than I did in my hour this morning…and that is part of the challenge, finding what works and what doesn’t work….

BUSH WALKING…

It is hard to believe that less than a 5 minute walk from the compound life can be so drastically different.  It is a harsh land, long grass (bush), scrub trees and some houses built together in compounds and others extremely isolated.  They are made of more natural materials and have the appearance of being used for nomadic people.  I’m not sure.

2013.01.22  WEDDING BELLS…

The wedding was supposed to happen at 1.  That was what I was told yesterday.  Today, I asked Pastor Stephen what time I should come.  He said “Perhaps you should come at one. But they come from very far away, so perhaps you should come at two. Well…Maybe you should just listen for a lot of noise from the church and come when you hear it.” 

Well, about 12 I began to hear a lot of noise and thought  perhaps I should go.  But they told me 1, so I thought perhaps I should wait. So I did.  I waited until right before 1 and I went.  When I arrived at the compound there was no sign of a wedding. So I took a chair and visited for a bit.  Then the ladies picked their chairs up and began to move so I went with them. We spent the next hour and a half on language lessons and examining my Nuer song book.

It has a wire binding and they have never seen anything like it so it is very fascinating to them.  John Tuita, spent a lot of time explaining the order of worship to me and told some of the most beautiful stories I have ever heard using the words to the hymns in the book.  I could have listened to him speak for hours…  Read the words to Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus, then tell it as a story.  It is beautiful and give a whole new meaning.

The wedding finally started about 2:45.  I tried to sit at the back of the church.  That was NOT happening!! They ladies came and got me, rearranged chairs and people and moved me to the front. 

All in all it was a pretty traditional wedding, if you leave the soldiers guarding the compound out of the picture.  A beautiful bride, a nervous groom, three bridesmaids in purple formal dresses, three groomsmen and two train bearers made up the wedding party.  I wish I could have taken better pictures but the camera guys were in the way most of the time.  Six pastors participated in the ceremony, saying the prayers, giving blessings, reading scriptures pronouncing the vows and preaching a sermon, followed by more prayers, more blessings and more song

2013.01.21 .  Now we are free, we fought the war and now we can speak for ourselves. We have a voice. We fought for it. Now we will use it.

Our conversation began, "You come to meet the women at 1PM", then it was followed by "Oh, they are coming from a long way. They will come at 1. You should come at 2". At 2 o'clock he came and said "The women are coming from some distance, perhaps you should take a rest and I will call you when they arrive"

I had a great meeting with the women and we began discussing what THEY want to see happen. AGRICULTURE! One woman said the floods took all our wheat and all our sorghum. Even the forest where we can go when there is no food is gone." 

Hmmmm....things like that are hard to hear, but make me glad that God put me here.  I pray that he gives me strength, courage, knowledge and the ability to help.

Another younger lady stood proudly and came to the front to address everyone.  I was impressed as she spoke with conviction and passion.  She said, “We are free now.  We have a voice.  We have never been able to speak before.  Always before the men spoke for us.  Always before the elders spoke for us.  Now we are free, we fought the war and now we can speak for ourselves. We have a voice. We fought for it. Now we will use it. We are young women. What you teach to us we will share with our children and we will change our country.  We thank you for coming.  We thank you for helping us. We will teach you and you will teach us.”

I just wanted to cry!