False start

Well I just thought I was leaving South Sudan today, but I guess I was wrong. Part of missionary life is being flexible. I also have to remind myself T.I.A. ( this is Africa)

The journey started off around 9 am.  The vehicle and driver were hired at my expense.We first had to buy fuel and then when people realized we were going to go to Rumbek, approximately 2 hours away we were like a magnet attracting would be passengers. I think we ended up with 5 adults and 6 children, including a one year old with no diaper or underwear on and finally, the kicker, 2 live chickens!!

The chickens squawked loudly when the ride got rough. It was a good reminder, lest I forgot that they were there!

The drive was only 2 hours each way, but the road is not paved and this being dry season, it makes for dusty travel. The outside temperature is over a hundred so the window stays down to catch the hot breeze.  I hope you are getting a picture here.

The thing that slowed us up beside the bad road with speed bumps in the villages, was herds of cattle and endless goats crossing the road.

There were people out walking along the road and lots of children who spotted my white face and called out" kawaja" (foreigner/white person)

Once at the airstrip I went to make sure of the flight. The attendant informed me there was no flight today. Like a fool I repeated "there is no flight today"? The only flight coming in was unloading and  then going on to Chad. No thanks.

We made some phone calls and it was decided that we would go back to Tonj. First, we had some nice, hot tea. This is customary. It is served with about 4 teaspoons of sugar.  I was thinking maybe by some  miracle it would help counteract the sweat pouring off me.

Now, before the return trip we had to buy fuel again. In the photo you can see how fuel is most commonly sold. It comes from a big tank and local vendors fill 5 gallon plastic containers, then load them on carts and push them to various locations. It is poured from the container via a cut off soda bottle into your tank. Fuel cost 7 Sudanese pounds a liter. ($2.69 U.S, $2.49 Aust.)

Some scenery along the way

The only incident along the way was on the return when the local police wouldn't let us through the rope that marks the beginning of a village. He pointed to a non existent mark on the ground and said the vehicle should have stopped there. We apologized and backed up 5 feet. He was really wanting a bribe but we said sorry a few more times and he lowered the rope.

So here I am back at the compound. Looks like I may go out on Thursday, so stay tuned for the next update.

Nutrition and Malnutrition

The other day when I was over at the government hospital I noticed a World Vision sign so I went over to see what they were doing.

The building looked fairly new. No one appeared to be around so I peeked in the door to find 9 clean beds awaiting patients.

I found out later that this is where people who suffer from malnutrition are brought for treatment.

 It interesting to note from the sign that Korea is a financial supporter.

When I walked out to the back of the building I discovered several mothers with their children, ranging in age from infant to toddler.

I loved the little guy taking his bath in a basin. Other than the protruding belly he looked fairly good.

They were all just sitting there with their mats and sheets spread out over the dirt. I asked permission to take their photos and they were delighted when I showed them the screen. Most people here have never seen themselves in a photo. Next time I need to bring a Polaroid.

These little tots caught my immediate attention in their matching shirts. The one in the foreground is definitely the healthier of the two. The twin in the background has some folds around his tiny hiney and that, combined with his very skinny legs, are sure signs of malnutrition. It is a common occurence in South Sudan especially at this time of year. There has been no rain now for over 4 months and of course no crops.

So you might be asking, "what do people eat?" The other day when I was walking back from the school I saw these women who started smiling so I went over to see what they had in the big drum.

It was around 100 degrees outside and I could feel even more intense heat on my legs as I neared the middle of what was their kitchen.

Inside  the drum, which was filled to about half way was a milky -grey, very liquidy type porridge. It probably had a sorghum base. Didn't look appetizing and I know it's not very nutritious. It is however the staple here. At least the mangos are starting to ripen and  that will help for a little while.

Next time you are at the supermarket and have all those choices, would you please pray for people of South Sudan.

Bush Clinic

Friday morning we loaded up the Land Cruiser with supplies. There were 6 of us, Doctor Tom, myself and 4 clinical workers. Our journey to the village of Malone involved traveling approximately 12 miles, some of which was on the "main" road and I use that term loosely, but most of it was on a dirt track. We passed herds of cows, mud huts and almost ran into several goats as they crossed our path. Finally we stopped at the clinic site located under a big, shady tree.

The patients start gathering quickly once they see the vehicle pull up. The clinical workers got busy setting up the pharmacy and registering patients. Each patient has their temperature taken and are weighed before they see the doctor.

It's hard to tell from a distance if Doctor Tom is seeing patients or running a veterinary clinic!  Cows and goats wandered about among us.

Many people, especially men, don't come to see the doctor but just visit socially under the tree. They were keeping a close watch on me so I decided to go and speak with them.

With the help of a translator I moved into their circle, sitting next to the village chief for some question and answer time.

I was asking about the problems they face. They were quick to answer. No roads, no clinic nearby, no food and no clean water.
Hmmm! What do you say to that?

Village chief is seated on the chair

After some quick thinking and sending up arrow prayers to God I thought it best to tell them about my God who is bigger than the sum of all their problems.

The Sudanese have a long held tradition of story telling. There is a 1% literacy rate so they have depended on oral learning.

 They enjoyed hearing stories from the Bible about Creation, Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham and finally Jesus. Periodically they asked questions.  At the end we said a prayer together that they might have a relationship with the One who created them and knows about all of their needs.  I know that my words are just that, words, but I pray that God who knows each and every one of those who heard would "set my words on fire" for His glory. (Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost for His Highest")

Surgery in Tonj

On Wednesday I joined the surgical team over at the government hospital to how they did things.  Improvisation is the name of the game here. Since certain items are either not available or too expensive you have to so what you have to do. Let's follow this step by step.

The IDAT ambulance brings the patient to the government hospital. It's less than a mile away. The patient is brought into the operating room after the consent is signed a they have had some IV medicine to sedate them.

 The O.R. is the room with the shiny glass window to the right of the steps. If you get close to the window and cup your hands around your face you can see in. I gave a few young boys a fright by putting my face up close to the window on the inside.

Meet Margaret who is a nurse midwife from Sierra Leone. She makes sure the patient remains sedated and is comfortable during the procedure. She is standing in the small ante room outside the O.R. It is highly unusual but you may notice there is only one door ! The other broke and can't be fixed. Oh well , what's a door?

Getting ready for the incision. It's a bit hard to tell but the light over the patient is tied onto a rod with a bandage. It flickered off and on a few times.

The doctor on the right is wearing a sterilized man's shirt ,worn backwards. Remember you have to do what you have to do.

The patient did well and no longer has a hernia. Yeah for doctors who are willing to give it their all despite the difficulties.

This and that, here and there

Today I have no specific topic just a few things I thought you might like to see and hear about. The Diguna team that built the tower left on Wednesday morning and headed back to Nairobi. We have a huge reminder of them that you can see all over town. Yeah!

This is Elizabeth. She is one of the kitchen staff. For your benefit  she is holding up the solar oven that is mounted on a box. It sits out in the yard all day absorbing the rays and cooking our meat to tender perfection. Yum!


Right before I took this photo she was kind enough to pick a few ripe mangos for me from the tree you can see in background.

Let me introduce you to Dut. He works as one of the night guards.  Don't think I'd want to mess with him. Recently we did have someone who was trying to steal a large plastic water tank from the compound. The locals don't take that kind of thing lightly. He was taken to jail.

Many times the guards have their hands full, especially at night when there is an emergency like on Monday at 7 pm when 2 victims of gunshot wounds arrived on the compound. Usually they arrive on the back of someone's truck and are off loaded into the clinic. All kinds of family members show up as well as those who are just plain curious, some even try to climb the high gate just to get a look. That's when the guard steps in.

This is Rosa and James studying their lines to get ready for a radio broadcast interview.
James works on the compound in the clinic. He's full of lots of information and fun to talk with.
I was so impressed with Rosa. She is 24 with 2 children. She speaks and understands English well. She was able to tell me a lot about the plight of women here. I received some valuable insights.

Joy at last

Finally a day filled with joy amongst so much suffering and pain. Yesterday I had the privilege of delivering Bibles to a local school. Last year in May I was here in Tonj with a team from the U.S. All of the team visited one of the public schools. One of my team members was deeply touched when the students were asking for English Bibles. When she returned to her home and discussed it with her husband they felt that God was wanting them to donate the much desired Bibles.

The Bibles were purchased in Uganda and have been waiting for the right time to be flown in. It worked out well logistically for them to be on the same flight as me. From the photo you can see them in the back of the plane.

Albino, the IDAT compound manager and one of the Diguna men, Dan, and myself loaded all the boxes  and drove to the school. The headmaster met us outside and immediately there was a lot of excitement. Since there are 950 students enrolled we had to do this in some sort of orderly way.

I was given a megaphone to address the students. Many understand some English but for clarity and full understanding I had a translator, Albino, on my left and the headmaster was on my right.

I told them the value of the gift that they were being given and referred them to James 1:25 which tells us not to just hear the Word or in this case read it but to do what it says. There were many bursts of applause. Sometimes here it is like a status symbol to have a Bible in English so I told them not to boast about what they had but instead share the gift by learning to read well, using the Bible as a tool and tell others about the truths they learned.

The children were dismissed to their respective classes and we went around the entire school handing out the Bibles to each individual student.
Class sizes here are a bit different than most western style classes. Level P5 for example had 100 students. The classes are not by age but more by education level. You can have a young man who is 16 with an 10 year old. Uniforms are not required but each student pays 35 Sudanese pounds for a year of school. That is the equivalent of $13 U.S.

There are no desks. Each student sits on a bench with his book or paper on his lap. There are no windows to block out sound, light , heat etc. There is a simple chalk board and no posters or charts of any kind. The lessons are taught in English.                                                                 

It was so much fun watching them open their Bibles and immediately I could see them mouthing the words as they read.  I am praying they never lose the desire to read the Word that transforms lives.

Girls are not a common sight in schools but it is improving. I even thought there were more this time than when I visited in May 2011. Education is the key for change in South Sudan.


Did you know that it is more likely for a teenage girl to die in childbirth than graduate high school? That's a staggering statistic.

Even the smaller students  whose classroom was outside under a tree were given a Bible and encouraged to learn to read fast.

As we were leaving the headmaster was handing out Bibles to all 20 teachers. Yes, 20 teachers for 950 students. Anyone want to apply?  It would be hard, but you would have you socks blessed off.

I know I felt so blessed to have been a part of this special day.
When God taps on you heart to give and you obey great things can happen now and for eternity.

Ignorance is NOT bliss!

I have learnt many things while I have been here in Tonj, not the least being, to expect the unexpected. No day is ever the same and I never stop being surprised and shocked by what I hear and see.

Yesterday, some time after lunch I learned that a woman had given birth to a baby at 35 weeks gestation. (supposed to be 40 weeks) I also learned that the tiny infant had already been resuscitated once since it's birth 4 hours earlier.  Midwife Stephanie filled me in on the history of the mother.
With the help of a translator I dug a bit deeper to try and find out the reason why this early birth may have occurred. This was her 8th pregnancy. Before you ladies reading this in a western civilization start gasping, it is very normal here. Often times a woman like Ater, has many babies because there is a huge chance that several will die. Ater has already experienced the death of 3 babies. She later changed her story but I believe this one to be true.

She never came for a pre natal visit until January when she was almost 8 months pregnant.. It was thought on this visit that she may have an S.T.D. ( sexually transmitted disease) According to her she could not afford to be tested at the government hospital because it cost 10 Sudanese pounds. It's hard to know if that is true as people can get money from relatives and friends for such things. Anyway, if she has an S.T.D. she was never treated and therefore put her baby at risk. She received no vitamins, especially iron which is usually lacking here because of poor diet. She also had no tetanus shot nor was she treated preventatively for malaria. So many things she did not receive. I asked her why she never came for visits and her reply was she felt okay.

This  35 year old woman has never had any education and has no idea how her body functions, is completely unaware of the wrong she has done and the harm she has caused. I could go on with a lot more as it deeply burdens me, but now I want to tell you more about her tiny daughter, Athon.

Athon has been prayed over multiple times. She is a little fighter. We are in the middle of no where in South Sudan. There is no Neo Natal ICU, there is no special warmer for the baby to be in so the temperature stays constant, there is no digital monitoring of any kind. There is no ventilator to assist with her breathing.

Today I lifted up the sheet that is around her and checked for breathing, she was not breathing. One of the doctors listened fora heart beat, it was barely 40, should be around 140. I turned her, stimulated her and prayed for life. She began some gasping breaths and seemed to be hanging in there again. She continued this pattern all day.

I was in the middle of this blog when the dinner gong rang out so I stopped and went to dinner. It was here that I heard that baby Athon lost her battle. My mind is filled with a million thoughts. What if we..., why didn't we ..., we could have.... and on and on.
I am overwhelmed with grief for Athon  and the life she never lived, for her mother and countless other mothers here who will repeat the same mistakes and know the same unfathomable suffering. I continue to look to God and be comforted by Him knowing all things are in His mighty hands and control even when I don't understand.

Random stuff

I just have a few things to share today to keep you updated and in the know so to speak.  The tower was completed late Saturday afternoon.  Today, the Diguna team are making finishing touches with a lightening rod and a warning light for pilots.

The photo on the right was taken late Friday so just imagine another 6 elements above this. I couldn't get it all in the frame when it was finished without it being just a speck that you  couldn't even see. When you are out there in the bright sun and pointing the camera skywards it's hard to see what's up there.

This is the much talked about Hangman. There was one hold your breath type moment with this piece of equipment. Thank you God for watching out for the two guys up there on the tower for so long each day in the hot sun.

Now this is where it gets random!
There are 3 huge, overladen mango trees on the compound that I keep eyeing. Actually I'm not the only one. I noticed many of the small children yesterday after church swatting at the mangos with long sticks to make them fall off. They finally got the better of me today and I picked one. Still not quite ripe but tasty none the less.

Tonj Tower

What a thrill it's been for me these past few days watching the radio tower go up on the In Deed and Truth compound. This is a long awaited and much prayed for event. A team of five men from a German company called Diguna which is based in Kenya arrived on Wednesday to set about this task. They are all knowledgeable and experienced in doing this work.

Since this is the first time I have had the opportunity to witness this process I'll do my best to explain how it goes according to my limited knowledge.

                      Phase One ?


It would be easier and less wordy if I said this is the first phase but that would be incorrect.  A cement foundation or base as it's called was built before the team arrived to erect the tower. From that base sections are added. Actually the correct term is an element. There are 23 elements in total. When finished the total height of the tower will be 69 meters or 226 feet.

Now how do you get these elements one on top of the other at such heights?

The elements

Have you ever played a game called Hangman? I used to play it as a little kid. As I think about the concept of it, what a terrible game to teach children. Anyway back to my point. A tool called a Hangman is used to pull the elements up. It's hard to see out there in the blazing sun but hopefully you can see the element being raised.  The almost finished building at the base of the tower will be the transmitter room plus the place where the generator is housed.

What you see here is only the partial picture of what is happening.  Let's broaden the lens and see what's going on at the perimeters.

Here are two brave guys that are harnessed on up the tower. They secure each element as it comes up. They use certain signals and whistles from their buddies on the ground to get their attention and be in sync.


As you can see there are a number of cables or in this case guide wires coming out from the tower. There are 21 of these in all. Let's see where these lead to.

These guys are securing cables I am told there are 6 of these total.  They are also built into a cement base.

I have to back up a minute to explain what Daniel, a German guy, is doing here. When the Hangman is pulling the element up ropes act in a counter fashion allowing it to go upward. A team of guys are pulling the ropes on the ground.

Hope that makes sense. If you look closely at this photo you can see the tip of a house on the outer corner. This is where I am staying. I am very close to the action so I can actually look out the window and see how things are going.

I am not the only one checking out what is going on. You can only imagine what the local people are wondering. Last evening there must have been about 50 people gathered around. Everyone is asking when they will be able to hear the radio. Excitement is building in the community.

After a glance out the window a few minutes ago I see them continuing on up.  Only 6 elements to go!

It's like a staircase to heaven :-)


         Final phase to come.

From fear to freedom

Not really sure I can even express all that's in my heart for this blog but I want to give it a go now so I don't forget any details.
Feb 28th started out much as any other day. I was taking care of people who came in for dressing changes and just before lunch, Dennis, one of the medical staff asked if I would take over caring for a 5 month old baby that needed to be watched closely. Baby Anyar, had been very dehydrated and was in shock initially suffering from possible pneumonia and amebic dysentry. I gave some IV medications and kept an eye on him out on the back porch. After I had seen all my patients for dressings I went out with the translator to ask a few questions of the mother. There was a man sitting there also who I assumed was the dad but later found out was the baby's uncle.

I asked if I could pray for the baby. They said yes, and I did. The uncle asked if I prayed because the child  was suffering? I said yes, that's partly the reason, but that we all needed prayer and pointed to each of us.

I went to lunch and do some other things but felt drawn back to them. I asked Isaac who is a translator and part of the clinical staff if he had time to translate for me. He was happy to help. We started a conversation that lasted quite a while. Apparently the child had been sick for about 10 days. They had gone to another clinic quite some distance away and were given medicines. After 3 days the medicine did not seem to have made any difference. A family member said if it hasn't helped then they should go to the witch doctor.

I know that all of you reading this in various parts of the world, outside of Africa, think this is very strange. For those who have many questions about this I would love to talk with you some time face to face about it. Let me just say, it is very, very real. They ended up going to two witch doctors. The first one asked to be paid 50 Sudanese pounds. This is a huge amount for most people. This witch doctor said the baby had gases in it's belly, and rubbed oil all over him to remove the gases! It didn't help. The 2nd witch doctor wanted a bull, goat and chicken for payment. This was a big problem because when the mother of the child got married her uncle was supposed to pay with a bull, goat and chicken but never did. The witch doctor stated the baby won't get well without the payment. Fortunately they then brought baby Anyar to the clinic.

I asked them if they knew God to whom I had prayed earlier. They did not know about God at all. We talked about God, his son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It was a long conversation that I can't go into here but it was very obvious that God had set this appointment for us to meet together this day.

In the end the brother and sister prayed with us to ask God's forgiveness for their wrong doings, accepting that Jesus paid the price for their sins. and invited Him into their lives. I explained that this was a free gift, no money, no bulls, goats or chickens for their healing.
They will never again go to, or trust in the witch doctor.

The power of the witch doctor pales in comparison to the power of the One who made heaven and earth and rules over all his creation.

 As I walked away a little later I couldn't stop the tears. God's mercy, love and grace are amazing gifts. He has given me the privilege of being among these people who need Him so desperately and allowing me to tell the story that so dramatically changes lives.

After getting the baby settled in the observation area for the night, Isaac, helped me do an interview with the man that will be broadcast later on the radio. I am praying that many who hear his story will believe also.

Mom and baby stayed the night while the uncle went to the market to buy some food for his sister before he left. He came back with 4 mangos. The patient's family provides food for them.

I thought to myself, what we would buy if we had to supply a loved one with food? It is certainly different here. She was happily chewing away on them when I left for the evening.

In the meantime Anyar was getting IV fluids, IV antibiotics and Oral Rehydration salts via a syringe. He seemed to be perking up by later in the afternoon.

This morning when the staff made rounds on the patients in observation I walked over to the bed where Anyar was laying. He actually reached out for me. This is highly unusual due to his age and the fact that most Sudanese babies scream at the sight of "kawaja" ( white people) Even with his little, bare bottom I couldn't resist picking him for a hug. I will not soon forget this family.

Sorry this is so ridiculously long but I didn't want to leave anything out.