Nyinbuli - Day 4

I have been here in Nyinbuli, S. Sudan for 4 days now.  Every experience is a new one and it has been hard for me to even bring my brain to a place where I can be concise.  Even now I am not sure of my ability to actually tell you anything useful about this place.  So be prepared for more random thoughts and rambling.

First thing of note, the roads here are terrible.  I know I informed you (better than complaining) about the roads in Juba and how terrible they were. Well that was the capital city, imagine how much worse they could be out here in the bush.  I am thankful that there is a road, but what a road.

We flew from Juba to Aweil on Monday.  A 1 hour and 30 minute flight.  We landed on a dirt landing strip and taxied up to the airfield office, which was little more than a shack and a tent.  I took pictures and I wish I could share them with you, but I think that will have to wait.  The internet here is reliable but it doesn't seem to have the bandwidth to support photo uploads today.

Anyway, Holly and I waited at the airstrip outside Aweil for several hours.  Unfortunately our IAS Nyinbuli team thought we were to arrive on the afternoon flight.  Oh well.  We were picked up eventually and we headed into Aweil town to do shopping for the team and to have lunch.

This town was much prettier than Juba.  It was almost suburban.  Well, underdeveloped-suburban.  We went to the market and Holly and I walked around a bit until we decided we were gaining too much attention (White People!) so we went back to the truck to wait.  After an hour or more of market shopping we had a lunch at the cleverly named BBC Restaurant (right down the street from 5 Stars Restaurant).  I'm pretty sure the place has no association with the BBC, it is only named that to sound posh and to attract foreigners.

Finally, we got on the road to Nyinbuli, a 130km (about 81 miles) trip.  It took us more than 3.5 hours.  The road is wide and straight and so rutted and washed out that you cannot maintain a traveling speed.  Sometimes you must inch around a deep hole or go off the road completely to avoid a small pond in the middle of it.  Or perhaps there is a herd of goats or sheep or cows that must be driven through.  And for those of you who might just want to ram the animals in frustration, keep in mind that those herds are the only money most of these people have.  They are the basis of the local economy.  If you kill one of those animals you must find the owner and pay them back (probably double).

So it was a kind of hellish ride, but we made the best of it.  Everyone remained cheerful and we drove into the compound as the sun was beginning to set.

Next point of interest, the clinic.... I have worked in the clinic every day, so far.  It is wonderful.  The clinic is about a quarter mile walk from the fenced IAS compound.  Everyday when we arrive there are already people waiting to see the clinical officers and the midwife.  They register or check-in and then they sit and wait under the sparse trees to be called in for their turn in the exam room.

It is malaria season so some are very sick.  We had two children whose temps were so high we ended up pouring water over them to cool them down.  We also frequently see malnourished or vitamin deficient patients.  I've been told that because of the decades long war and the annihilation of a generation, people do not know how to farm or how to adequately feed themselves and their families.  They are smart and teachable, but they are also frightened and traumatized.

The Dinka also seem set on restoring the population they have lost due to war, so they marry off their young women (not a new trend) and those women endure pregnancy after pregnancy after pregnancy. The mothers wear their poor undernourished bodies out.  They loose babies.  And many mothers die too.  I think S. Sudan and Afganistan have the highest mortality rates among mothers giving birth.

One of the primary focuses of this clinic is to educate people concerning the best way to have strong families.  Today we taught a workshop informing about birth-spacing and family planning. 
And speaking of workshops... I arrived just in time to participate in the three day IAS workshop that was being held here.

There were several hour long sessions every day and each session was on a particular subject.  Subjects included; human rights, conservation, nutrition, leadership, birth planning and childcare, and HIV/AIDS awareness.  South Sudan has not had much exposure to AIDS until now so we are taking advantage of this time to educate the people in the hopes of avoiding a national emergency.  The biggest obstacle to this is that you don't talk about sex here.  At all.  It is considered highly inappropriate.  But we must have these uncomfortable conversations because we want to save lives.

We may scoff at the more strange or even foolish aspects of another culture.  But that is an unfair judgement of something we cannot possibly understand fully because we have not lived their lives.  Instead we must approach all of these issues as simple teachers.  We are bringing information we have learned in our society.  They may do with it what they will.

There are so many other things I would like to tell you.  I wish I could just tell you the stories of all my days and nights here.  But there is not enough time.  I have some other responsibilities.  We have a woman laboring here right now (the first since our arrival) and Holly may desire my presence.

I will leave you with this request, please pray for the women here.  They are second class citizens.  They are baby making machines - that is their primary value to the community.  They are married as young teens (13 or 14 is not so unusual) and they have no choice in the matter.  This is a polygamous culture so disease and abuse is a constant issue.  They are not encouraged to attend school or think of any future beyond being traded for cattle to an old man who will then impregnate them repeatedly until they die or become unable to conceive.

Above I wrote we shouldn't judge another culture too harshly when we don't understand their society.  This kind of abuse, however, is not something we can look past.  A woman is a full person.  She is made by God in His own image.  She is a vital aspect of creation.  She is God's finishing touch on His masterwork - the cherry on top.

When a people undervalue and abuse their women, we must do something to change those hearts.  Here we are educating and giving clinical help.  At home you must pray that the hearts of the people would be changed.  And perhaps if you have money, you can give.  And if you have time, you can give that.  But don't turn your back.  Don't ignore their desperate situation.  Don't agree with the culture that tells them they are nothing.  Then you are just as guilty as the person who has abused them.  These women are beautiful and friendly and charming and caring and full of humor and character.  Please don't dismiss their need.  Spend some time praying for them today.

Father, I thank You for the opportunity to share Your love with the people of Nyinbuli.  Today my heart is aching for the women especially.  Their lives seem so hard and so hopeless, but I know they are seen, understood, and loved by You.  I know You hear their cries of their hearts.  Please, in Your grace and mercy, make a better way for these women.
I pray for the men here too.  I ask that You would soften their hearts and open their eyes to see what their hands have wrought.  Help them to love their wives and to treasure their daughters.
Above all Father, I pray that these people would come to know You as their Savior, the Lover of their souls.  And that by knowing Your love, they would learn to better love each other.
Jesus, I pray these prayers in Your precious name.  Amen.