Photos, Observations and Reflections on 5 days in Sudan

Sudanese girl who followed us around the health center from afar
from the air
ECS (Episcopal Church of Sudan)
I think I like the choice of kitenge better than the toilet paper for decorating
Christine, Kim and Larissa chillin' by the river
Gaby showin' off his mad kayaking skills!
...and his chivalrous side by rescuing Miss Anna
stunning color grown in Scott's garden and cut for our enjoyment
dinner out on the town
ful, addis and kebob (too bad the pita didn't make it in the photo, bad move Heidi!)
Larissa the chef in the team house kitchen (homemade "hint of lime" tortilla chips with fresh black bean and corn salsa on the menu - scrumptious!)
safari tent (where the guys sleep when they're staying at the compound instead of at their place in town)

The Dukul (2 bedrooms and sitting room - this one belonging to Larissa/Christine)
The team house (living room and kitchen and library)
and last but not least, the choo!!!!!! (combined with shower rooms)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

• People are tall and black
• Smiles are readily offered
• Land is very flat aside from the random hills/mountain-esque highlands that seem to pop out of no where from the air
• It does in fact get cool and green during rainy season
• Roofs of homes are almost exclusively thatched (instead of tin sheets)
• Compounds are open, spread out, and often built around a central tree
• Military presence is prominent
• Churches are decorated with scraps of kitenge fabric instead of toilet paper
• Food has a lot of arab influence (pita, ful, lentils, etc)
• Partnerships seem to succeed (NGO & Gov’t, NGO & NGO, NGO & church, etc)
• people have settled in Mundri from all over the place
• family units are usually severed in one or more ways
• people are well traveled both in southern sudan and internationally (Uganda, Kenya, etc)
• town is quite spread out
• people keep relatively to themselves
• there are several restaurants and guesthouses in town
• while I didn’t stay long enough to discuss politics there was no presence of anything that suggested that anyone wants to remain part of a united Sudan while there were a lot of strongly stated posters/t-shirts re. unity = death.
• Dance involves a lot of small shuffle-type steps
• Men are forward and marriage proposals are frequent and in English
• “Mikado” which I think is both a question and the answer to the same question re. are you okay/good; I am okay/good in Moru (one of the local tribes/the name of their language)…isn’t it also the name of an opera? (mind you, I know nothing about opera)
• people are in fact familiar with the notion of a line/queue and in fact had to usher me into my proper position in said formation
• first missionary on record arrived in Mundri in 1912, yes, almost 100 years ago and Mr. Kenneth I-can’t-remember-his-last-name is very highly regarded and spoken of frequently
• hibiscus tea is very lovely, very red, and very sweet
• Shani soda is akin to the Mirinda fruity of Uganda and slightly akin to the Cream Soda of the US
• The traditional African high pitched “ai yi yi yi yi” exclamation by women is very loud and very prominent in large gatherings
• People are quick to offer their help with endeavors they feel are valuable to them and their community
• Community and church groups are very organized and active
• Things are expensive to buy
• Limes and guavas are in plenty
• Health center had nurses/clinical officers/midwives/eye nurses/dressing changers/VCT counselors AND patients present and active but only a few lab supplies and meds available
• Critters such as scorpions and skinks are super sized

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a crazy summer of coming and going in Bundibugyo we were hesitant to impose on our sister team, but they were so very gracious and excited to have us, telling us we weren’t visitors, but more like family. And family they were for us as well. They know where we come from and know the people we know, love the people we love, know what to ask and how to take our responses with a grain of salt given who we are. We were invested in Mundri before we even arrived because we love them, they are invested in Bundibugyo even they no longer live here because they love us and love the people here. We know them and respect them and it was so fun to see their new home and their new lives with our own eyes…

There was a fabulous mix of doing nothing and a bit of exploring and getting the lay of the land…trepsing around town and the market with Scott, seeing Larissa with her hands dirty in the soil in the Bible College garden, shuffling around a circle in the dark on the football pitch in town with drum accompaniment while trying out a bit of local dance with the added bonus of having guys around to watch our backs when we needed it, biking what I was told after the fact was about 10 miles round trip with Larissa to her Arabic/Moru speaking church and rebelling by refusing to go and sit in the front by myself as the visitor, watching movies, dance party in the drizzling evening rain including everything from eastern European line dancing to the Macarena, eating delicious food and even being given the chance to cook once for them – the least we could do in light of their gracious hospitality, biking by the health center with Christine and Anna who patiently accompanied me on a tour given by one of the clinical officers on duty, enjoying meals of ful and addis with fluffly pita bread at a roadside restaurant as the sun sets on Mundri town, sleeping in during morning prayer because, well, I could, killing super chubby scorpions on the wall of the shower, kayaking on the river nearby, watching the Masso kids star in their latest movie adventure filmed while one staycation the week before we arrived, also delving back into WHM East Africa archives by watching “Scott and the Dragon” produced in Bundibugyo by Annelise and Scotticus in honor of the birthday of Scott Myhre several year back, driving 2.5 hours to the next closest airstrip because of bad weather and chatting about reubens and childhood vocabulary lessons along the way…it was an all around good time.

There was however one glaring piece of the puzzle missing, Miss Bethany Ferguson ☺ Bethany is a peer, colleague, and friend currently on break in the US but usually a present member of WHM Sudan. You know how people reflect their surroundings differently based on their gifts and talents and passions? Well, we missed out on “Sudan according to Bethany,” and while Anna was able to sleep in her empty bed, her presence was dearly missed. We’ll catch ya on the flipside, friend!

If you are of the praying variety, please do keep our brothers and sisters in Mundri in your prayers as they move forward in uncharted territory as a new team in a new field in a relatively unsettled political situation. It was so encouraging to see their gifts at work in creative ways and their growing love for their new home. Might God be glorified by his Kingdom being furthered in Southern Sudan!