Since school has let out for a couple of weeks, life has slowed down considerably here in Ikotos. Last week, Meghan and I had a visit from our short term coordinator from Kampala. We got to show her the beautiful sites around Ikotos, a visit to the empty school, and a quick tour of the ever so abundant market (where you can buy onions, garlic, salt, a kind of bullion cube, some biscuit cookies, and currently peanuts...not much else!). We also tried to show her how hard life is in rural Sudan by taking her to the bore hole for water (and making her pump for it!), and showing her our outdoor bathhouse and latrine. But of course we had to take her to the best resturant in town where you can get tasty beans with fresh bread made that day. (The only other option on the meau is some tough, grissly, fatty meat...I strongly recommend the beans over the meat even though for the Sudanese consider the meat a speciality.)
After relaxing in Ikotos for a couple days, we all then flew to Torit (a town about 50 km away) for the AIM Sudan retreat. Not only was it great to get some fresh fruits and vegetables, but we also had the pleasure of taking a shower with running water!
At the retreat we had sessions talking about the AIM mission statement for Southern Sudan. That is, we aim to know Christ and help lead others into a vibrant relationship with Him by modeling this in our own lives. Different missionaries took turns talking in each session and afterwards we spent sometime in small groups praying. This was a good time to meet all the missionaries AIM has in Sudan. Not only are there abundant short termers but there is also a pretty large TIMO group (which is an AIM short-term group that comes out for two years and often times the group members end up staying permenantely in the people group they came to). But Sudan is not an easy country to minister in, so there really aren't too many long term missionaries. However, I was surprised by how many Germans were serving with AIM, so I scraped alittle rust off of by German speaking!
Although it was nice to have food, fun, and fellowship, Torit is over run by flies and mosquitos and is hotter than Ikotos so after all is said and done, I am happy I am living in Ikotos! (Literally, the flies were like one of the Ten Plagues!) The rest of the month I am just sitting tight until school starts again in May.
Prayer Requests
1. Pray for the "canceled census" as it resumed this week and workers are traveling to various villages to count the people. Pray that the late census time will not push back the start of school too much.
2. Pray for Jordan and Andrea Scotland who are long-term missionaries in Ikotos, but are traveling back to Canada this week for the birth of their second baby.
3. Pray for Meghan and I as we will be the only two ''Khawajas" left in Ikotos.
4. Pray for me as I am taking the initiative to continue building on some relationships through all the time I have now to visit people since school is not in session.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Sudan, Such a Complex Country...
I ended my blog last time talking about some additional responsibilities I would have to be taking on at the school because of a nation wide census taking place this month on the 14th. However, we just heard after church today, that the census has now be cancelled from the government in Khartom! This could have some pretty serious implications for the Southerners in Sudan, which as of right now, we are all just waiting to see what happens. Please pray that the country still remains at peace, and the peace treaty that was signed a couple years back still remains in tact! I am learning more and more about Sudan everyday and complexities that this country in wound up in given its heavy history of war and fighting. This cancellation of the census is not too far from what has happened before in Sudan. In 1989, The Islamic North had agreed to sign a peace treaty in Sudan where they would not force Sudan to become an Islamic state; however, a couple days before the two sides were to sign the treaty, the Islamic president was overthrown by a more radical Islamic activists who would not give up the idea of an Islamic Sudan. Consequently, the country errupted into war again and the saga continued. I would recommend the book "Emma's War" about a British aid-worker who married SPLA commander Riek Machar if anyone wants to know more about Sudan's history.
Yet, one very positive thing about the government of Sudan is that one of the pastors at the AIC (Africa Inland Church) has been elected to be the Ikotos country commissioner for the SPLA (the political party for Southern Sudan and also the rebel army that liberated the South from the North). This man has an amazing testimony of endurance through the war years and is immensly respected by the community. But God must have him in this position at such a time as this to be atleast one man of integrity and godliness in the Sudanese government.
Another encouraging aspect of this past week happened at a workshop I periodically got to attent with Meghan for the Peace and Reconcilation Commission in South Sudan. After reading so much about Sudan's history and learning about the tradegies in the country, it was so encouraging and uplifting to meet people who cared about peace in Sudan and also forgiveness so that the country can move on and continue building. And that is one thing about Sudan, it is a growing and learning country right now that needs men and women of character and godliness to help it develop into all its potential - for there is alot of potential in this country!
The first term at the AIC Luther Secondary School also ended on Friday after a pretty rough last couple weeks. Between the shortage of teachers who had left for the census, the lack of funds to get enough of the exams photocopied for the students to take, and since the exams arrived late from Uganda (where they had to be sent to get them photocopied), it was decided to wait till the start of the second term to administer the final exams. So hopefully, when school opens on the 5th of May, all the students will show up for the exams and the teachers will be here to administer them so that the second term does not become shorten like the first term was.
In the meantime, while I have off from school, Meghan and I will be receiving a visit from our short term coordinator in Kampala. She will also be heading with us to Torit for a Sudan Team conference next weekend for all the AIM Sudan Missionaries. I am looking forward to going to Torit as it is a bigger town with more food variety and also running water for showers! I am also anticipating getting to meet other missionaries in Sudan and hear about their experiences and ministries.
Prayer Requests:
1. Praise God for the godly man He has put in a position of leadership in Ikotos country and pray for him in his great responsibility.
2. Pray for Sudan, that this cancellation of the census will not lead to more fighting in the country. Even though so much blood has been spilt in Sudan, this is ultimately God's country, so pray that goodness will finally reign.
3. Pray for me and some of the discouragements I have faced at the school. It indeed as been a learning process for me, and pray that I will learn to understand the issues from the "Sudanese perspective" and not my own.
4. Praise God that one teacher has been removed from the school who has caused alot of corruption and misleadings, and continue to pray for a Godly replacement.
Yet, one very positive thing about the government of Sudan is that one of the pastors at the AIC (Africa Inland Church) has been elected to be the Ikotos country commissioner for the SPLA (the political party for Southern Sudan and also the rebel army that liberated the South from the North). This man has an amazing testimony of endurance through the war years and is immensly respected by the community. But God must have him in this position at such a time as this to be atleast one man of integrity and godliness in the Sudanese government.
Another encouraging aspect of this past week happened at a workshop I periodically got to attent with Meghan for the Peace and Reconcilation Commission in South Sudan. After reading so much about Sudan's history and learning about the tradegies in the country, it was so encouraging and uplifting to meet people who cared about peace in Sudan and also forgiveness so that the country can move on and continue building. And that is one thing about Sudan, it is a growing and learning country right now that needs men and women of character and godliness to help it develop into all its potential - for there is alot of potential in this country!
The first term at the AIC Luther Secondary School also ended on Friday after a pretty rough last couple weeks. Between the shortage of teachers who had left for the census, the lack of funds to get enough of the exams photocopied for the students to take, and since the exams arrived late from Uganda (where they had to be sent to get them photocopied), it was decided to wait till the start of the second term to administer the final exams. So hopefully, when school opens on the 5th of May, all the students will show up for the exams and the teachers will be here to administer them so that the second term does not become shorten like the first term was.
In the meantime, while I have off from school, Meghan and I will be receiving a visit from our short term coordinator in Kampala. She will also be heading with us to Torit for a Sudan Team conference next weekend for all the AIM Sudan Missionaries. I am looking forward to going to Torit as it is a bigger town with more food variety and also running water for showers! I am also anticipating getting to meet other missionaries in Sudan and hear about their experiences and ministries.
Prayer Requests:
1. Praise God for the godly man He has put in a position of leadership in Ikotos country and pray for him in his great responsibility.
2. Pray for Sudan, that this cancellation of the census will not lead to more fighting in the country. Even though so much blood has been spilt in Sudan, this is ultimately God's country, so pray that goodness will finally reign.
3. Pray for me and some of the discouragements I have faced at the school. It indeed as been a learning process for me, and pray that I will learn to understand the issues from the "Sudanese perspective" and not my own.
4. Praise God that one teacher has been removed from the school who has caused alot of corruption and misleadings, and continue to pray for a Godly replacement.
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