let's be social!
As the plane circled above Nasir and prepared for our landing, I had butterflies in my stomach. Being away from Nasir over the last year was hard, and coming back was truly like coming home. I had spent hours and hours praying for God to care for and protect my brothers and sisters of Nasir and South Sudan over the last year, and especially praying hard for the referendum and subsequent independence day. Being back in Nasir felt right in every fiber of my being…this love for the South Sudanese is definitely from God and it has become so powerful in my life.
As the plane rumbled to a stop on the simple dirt runway, I scanned the crowd for familiar faces. Quickly, I spotted Buay, and I was so excited that I nearly forgot to unbuckle my seatbelt before trying to rush off the plane. On the ground, I greeted Buay with handshakes and a hug, and then I quickly went about greeting the other people who had gathered to watch the khawaja unload from the plane. It was so good to be back among the people of Nasir, and though I was tired, I could not have been happier. Nancy commented as we carried luggage from the plane to a shady spot under a tree that I fit right in there in Nasir and I seemed so at home. Was it that obvious?
Snapshot of Day One:
-Touch down and meet n’ greet on the airstrip
-Walk to commissioner’s office
-Walk to Aid Sudan compound…where it was in shocking disrepair
-Most incredible reunion with my friends from our compound
-Unpack and set up mosquito nets, bedding, etc.
-Talk, laugh, hug, and photograph my Sudanese friends
-Walk back into town to try again to meet with the commissioner
-Run home in a torrential downpour
-First meal of rice and beans!
Pictures!!
The Republic of South Sudan was only THREE DAYS OLD when we landed in Nasir! The flag flies proudly…
Buay poses atop the commissioner’s car as he helps load our luggage to be driven back to our compound…
Little game of kura underway…
Nasir is developing quickly! On our flight over the village, we could see where they have widened paths for future streets…in a grid! Instead of random placement of homes, they are now in blocks, and many people have constructed brand new huts. The new trend is also to have a painted door and clay hut topper to match…
Hello cuteness…
Highs:
-The most incredibly warm welcome I got when I returned to the compound this year. The ladies gave me HUGE hugs and said over and over, “Cassan-d-ra, you came back!” SO GOOD!!!
-Walking through Nasir and seeing the many developments that have been made. It gives me hope for a better tomorrow in South Sudan.
-Running through the rain, doubled over laughing all the way from Nasir town to our compound.
-Being with Blaise.
-Sleeping in a mud hut…love it!
Lows:
-Ummmm…absolutely nothing got me down that day!
I will have Day Two up soon!
AMAZING!!