Learning from the people of South Sudan

It's hard to describe how it looks here.  The dirt is really reddish orange and dust is omnipresent.  We woke up this morning (Friday, Feb. 6) to women sweeping the dirt "floor" outside the Bishop's house, outside our tukels, etc.  The road that runs between the cathedral and the bishop's house/our tukels is a main road (the only road I guess) and so trucks go through noisily and, in their wakes are clouds of orange dust.  Right now, they are carrying teak, which grows here in profusion and is being harvested for shipment everywhere around the world.  Trucks do not come through often because this place is truly remote.  Most shopping occurs in Yambio. When we go to Yambio later in the week, I will try hard to get some photos.

A real roof (as distinguished from the thatched roofs of the tukels) is corrugated tin or other metal.  I'm trying to imagine what it sounds like when it rains.  A real roof is a mark of wealth here.  We are here in the dry season, but things must be a mess in the rainy season because mud would be everywhere.  I wonder how/if the MAF or other planes can fly here on these dirt airstrips if there is mud everywhere.  Maybe they just don't.  I'll have to ask the bishop.

We spent the day at the equivalent of the Diocesan Convention.  I have copious notes on what was discussed and how they conduct business.  These folks are much more open than we are about facing conflicts and speaking their minds.  In my experience, they are not hampered by Robert's Rules of Order, which I believe can be a real detriment to honest conversation.  Thank goodness for Indaba!

In some ways, the issues they deal with here in the church are the same as the ones we deal with:  How do we minister well to youth?  Funds needed for repairs of the Cathedral.  But others are very different.  The bishop wants to make sure that all clergy have their marriages blessed in the church.  This is a big issue here, as is training for clergy wives.  

After the final session of the afternoon, we gathered with the Bishop on the front porch of his house and presented the stoles to the people who are to be ordained at the service on Sunday morning.  There were so many stoles!!  We also had some clergy shirts, some collars and some altar linens.  There were new stoles for the archdeacons and people were so wonderfully appreciative for everything!  For all those who donated these items, many, many grateful thanks.  We were very lucky to be the ones who got to deliver them.

Dark here is DARK.  It really is full dark by 7:30 pm.  There are 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark, so if you get up early (like 6:30 a.m. maybe), it is really still dark outside. They don't turn on the internet until the sun has been up for a while to power the solar cells, so I never know when what I write will leave here and get to you.  Morning prayer begins here usually at 7:30 a.m., but during these days of the Diocesan Standing Committee meeting, not until 8 a.m.  There is coffee available at the Bishop's house before we walk across the road to the cathedral.

We are very grateful for the prayers and well-wishes for us travelers.  Please keep the people of Nzara in your hearts and prayers as well.  They are so faith-filled and up-to-the-brim with humor and kindness.  We might well all take a lesson from them in our approach to life! — Jeanie Smith