South Sudan Travel Diary - Day 9

My last post from the trip to Sudan itself. I'm sure I'll have at least one other post with more wrap-up kind of thoughts....

DAY 9

My current latitude is 0.15 degrees (Entebbe/Kampala is very close to the equator). We're landing our MAF plane as I speak (didn't get to ride upfront - this time it's a different pilot named Achim - it's apparently against the rule, and a previous passenger nearly crashed the plane once, when they panicked and grabbed/yanked the yoke, just as Achim was touching down)

Here ends the series - thanks for sticking with me. I figured you'd like the as-it-happens reporting, even if it came with all my personal feelings/commentary. I'm going to try and make some edited blog posts with pictures (dradersindeutschland.blogspot.com)

I had one last muddy "shower" this morning, but I'm already coated in red dust.

I said goodbye to the large cockroaches and lizards in the latrine (and gave away the rest of my toilet paper to Lloyd since I won't need that where I'm going).

We gave away Bruce's rooster (which he received from a pastor who knew him, as a wedding present) to a couple that's getting married next week.

My favourite Sudanese dish that I will miss the most is a fresh peanut butter, tomato and onion salad, served with deep-fried flatbread. No one got sick at all on this visit, praise the Lord.

My main biblical association with Sudan is Nehemiah, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem's wall. We read and discussed that a lot, given Sudan's destruction and the current rebuilding.

Through the night and early this morning, we had many meetings, many speeches, lots of breast-beating, interventions, prayer and complicated discussion that was over our head. Enoka called a bunch of the revival centre leaders from around the area to come to deal with the issues that had surfaced. Overall, unfortunately, David characterized the whole ordeal as a "dialogue of the deaf" (I say ordeal because we were very tired, it was freaking hot/sticky, and everyone's speech was long. And translated). Enoka and the Revival leadership couldn't understand the problems with the type of control they are exerting on the "young" members of the water team (they are all 20-35, with multiple kids each). Enoka and the elders all said that anyone could come to them to make a complaint, and they would fire Enoka if necessary, but unfortunately, they are just off-base. (Ie. The team members know that Enoka will never be fired, and that's not what they want anyway. They just want the ability to run day-to-day operations for the water project as respected, capable individuals, which they are).

Our time ended with many apologies for having to witness their internal problems. Much thanking of the donors for their ideas and advice. Godfrey was quite conciliatory in his speech, saying nice things about the leadership and Enoka. But afterwards, I asked him what changed - and he said, oh nothing has changed. But the situation was becoming worse, so I'm just saying what everyone wants me to say (out of respect for us). In the end, Godfrey is sticking it out a bit more with the team.

We visited the UN (who will discuss buying our water in 2 weeks at a meeting of all the NGOs in the area). We also visited DRC (Danish refugee council) and they are coming by to inspect the bottling first. If bottling water becomes a "pull" instead of a "push", then maybe there's a chance. It felt good to get out of there (our plane decided to come at 2pm, instead of 10am). My negative feelings are tempered by the 24hours of diplomacy/discussions (both formal and informal). It feels like leadership training is desperately needed to help people work together. I spent a bunch of time one-on-one with the various team members, who were speaking to me quite freely now (not really to anyone else though). I've included an email from Josh below which I thought was quite insightful - please read past the end of my email to see it.

Lots of love to all!

Marc

---

From: Josh MacFadyen
To: Marc Drader
Sent: Tue Nov 25 07:30:31 2008
Subject: Re: Day 8 - crisis in leadership

Yum, fresh peanut butter :)

Thanks for writing so carefully about this. It actually helps bring reality and humanity to my own 'out of body' experience, lived vicariously through yours! :) I was as shocked as you when I read this, only it's a lot more personal for you after working so hard there this week.

It's probably a very important side of Sudan to see. Part of the attraction of 'missionary' or relief work for Westerners is that one gets to invest in simple solutions for real problems in an environment where our work will be appreciated more than anywhere else in the world. But what you had to experience today is reminder to me that these folks are just as human and just as complex as anyone else, and likely more complex given the poverty, war, and spiritual oppression they've had to endure all their lives.

Some of us need to (and should) believe that life is somehow simpler there and that a short term missions trip with IT will have guranteed results for the local people. But it seems the ones who really change their lives on those missions trips are the missionaries; the ones who really do the blessing are the local people. And in that way, diverting the year's all-inclusive-resort monies to a missions trip is entirely beneficial.

The other missionaries (and I include you guys here) should be very aware that even a lifetime of service or the relief efforts of an entire church/NGO can only change or help a community so much. Sometimes these monumental efforts are partially or even completely reversed during their lives or shortly after they end. It's not surprising. Imagine trying to do something as simple as convincing/teaching your neighbourhood to compost, or encouraging a congregation to pray, and then compare that to convincing/teaching an impoverished, polluted, war-torn community to actually do something difficult (like leadership) with their limited resources. Seeing as though we are quite human; it should be considered a miracle when it works. Only God can change our hearts. We plant, someone else waters, but he does the growing.

Every minute you spent in Sudan will have temporal and eternal benefit. God will bring the increase, and will not let his Word return to him void. I hope this is encouraging and doesn't sound moralizing; you know way more about this than I do. I'm just coming to terms with my own sense of mission and relief, again, vicariously though you.

Safely home now,

Josh

P.S. Cameron says "Maaaarc! I got trains for Christmas."