Jade is back after a really great trip to Sudan!
The people of Sudan always amaze us with their ability to laugh and rejoice in the midst of tremendous hardship and suffering. All our problems seem so small in comparison to what the people of Southern Sudan have gone through...these amazing people continually challenge us to rethink our "priorities," and help us gain a new perspective on life.
We wanted to share some impressions and pictures of Jade's time in Sudan below...
Jade in Nyamlel, Sudan
View from the air. "Deep in the bush" is a good description for much of Southern Sudan. It is one of the most neglected areas on earth. There is no electricity, running water, or paved roads in almost all of the South- an area the approximate size of the Eastern part of the US . There are few schools, barely any healthcare facilities, and few people with formal education. They have been plagued by war and persecution for over 20 years, yet they continue on with a courage and dignity that is humbling.
The team
Hungarian medical team who arrived in response to the Meningitis outbreak in the area, which killed over 300 people in just 4 weeks.
One of the students at the school
Girl's dorm under construction
Students sitting and quietly listening
Students getting loose
Jade leading the morning exercises
Can Jade bend that low anymore?
I think he hurt something!
Students marching to the next program
Juggling
Baptism in the river.
Baptism view from water
Church celebration with children
My tent
Flying out--just about the only way to get in and out of this area of Sudan is on a chartered flight from Kenya.-----------
Stepping off the airplane in Nyamlel, Sudan, I was met with a blast of hot, dusty air. Immediately, I knew I was back in Sudan. The temperature was actually milder than what I thought it would be. The dust was thick; clouding the air. Many memories flooded my mind, although three years had come and gone since I had left Southern Sudan.
After the plane had landed on the dusty and isolated Nyamlel airstrip and we had disembarked the plane, we were taken to the New Lives Ministry (a ministry supported by Make Way Partners) compound to set up our tents in which we would live for the next week or so. After setting up our tents, we drove to Marial Bai, a nearby village, that continued to be plagued with a meningitis outbreak that had begun a few weeks prior to our arrival. As we entered the small clinic housed in an old dilapidated school building, we heard crying and wailing, evidence that someone had just died. Meningitis had struck again!
During the previous three weeks over 300 people had died in the area. The expressions we saw on the faces of the Sudanese people was a striking reminder of the great chasm between those of us who “have” and those who “do not have.” The lack of basic medical care, vaccines, good nutritional food and geographical isolation left them vulnerable to hunger and disease. I wondered, How many more of these people would have to die before the “international community” noticed? How many more had to die before vaccines would be sent into this region of Southern Sudan along with medical personnel to administer the vaccines? These were the questions that swept like a flood through my mind. Yes, all these questions and more questions as well as the environment reminded me that I was indeed back in Southern Sudan.
I was a member of a team of ten who went to Nyamlel to encourage the 400 orphans at the New Lives Ministry School. Vaccines arrived after the team’s arrival and all the children, women and staff at the New Lives compound and in the surrounding area were vaccinated.
Our ministry to the orphans was a Vacation Bible School type program. The children were very eager to learn the stories from the Bible. They were filled with laughter and excitement as we taught them. We were blessed to work with the children and the teachers at the school.
It was a special experience for me to be back in Southern Sudan because the Sudanese people are special to Shelah and me. Looking into the eyes of many of these people, one does not see a sense of fear, helplessness, or apathy. Instead, they have a look of fierce determination and courage. This is what I remember about Southern Sudan-- not so much the place, but the remarkable people. With a smile on their faces and a ready, strong handshake they are always ready to press on and endure the uncertainty of the present and the future.
My trip back into Southern Sudan was well worth my time and cost because once again, I was able to work hand in hand with Sudanese adults and children.
After the plane had landed on the dusty and isolated Nyamlel airstrip and we had disembarked the plane, we were taken to the New Lives Ministry (a ministry supported by Make Way Partners) compound to set up our tents in which we would live for the next week or so. After setting up our tents, we drove to Marial Bai, a nearby village, that continued to be plagued with a meningitis outbreak that had begun a few weeks prior to our arrival. As we entered the small clinic housed in an old dilapidated school building, we heard crying and wailing, evidence that someone had just died. Meningitis had struck again!
During the previous three weeks over 300 people had died in the area. The expressions we saw on the faces of the Sudanese people was a striking reminder of the great chasm between those of us who “have” and those who “do not have.” The lack of basic medical care, vaccines, good nutritional food and geographical isolation left them vulnerable to hunger and disease. I wondered, How many more of these people would have to die before the “international community” noticed? How many more had to die before vaccines would be sent into this region of Southern Sudan along with medical personnel to administer the vaccines? These were the questions that swept like a flood through my mind. Yes, all these questions and more questions as well as the environment reminded me that I was indeed back in Southern Sudan.
I was a member of a team of ten who went to Nyamlel to encourage the 400 orphans at the New Lives Ministry School. Vaccines arrived after the team’s arrival and all the children, women and staff at the New Lives compound and in the surrounding area were vaccinated.
Our ministry to the orphans was a Vacation Bible School type program. The children were very eager to learn the stories from the Bible. They were filled with laughter and excitement as we taught them. We were blessed to work with the children and the teachers at the school.
It was a special experience for me to be back in Southern Sudan because the Sudanese people are special to Shelah and me. Looking into the eyes of many of these people, one does not see a sense of fear, helplessness, or apathy. Instead, they have a look of fierce determination and courage. This is what I remember about Southern Sudan-- not so much the place, but the remarkable people. With a smile on their faces and a ready, strong handshake they are always ready to press on and endure the uncertainty of the present and the future.
My trip back into Southern Sudan was well worth my time and cost because once again, I was able to work hand in hand with Sudanese adults and children.
