07.21.2010 Part II: Falling in Love with Sudan

Evening of Day Five.

As our tires hit the black cotton soil and the crumbled red clay dirt, and we bumped and rumbled down the airstrip in Nasir, I had only one thought, “I am HERE!!!!” A fairly large crowd had gathered to greet us, or at least to get a glimpse of the kawaja that would be staying in Nasir.  As we climbed down out of our Cessna, I was surprisingly nervous…not about our stay in Nasir, or the security of Sudan, or about traveler’s sickness, or any of the things I thought I would be nervous about…but I was nervous that I wasn’t good enough to serve the Sudanese.  It was a very humbling experience to have flown halfway around the globe to land in the small village of Nasir, and to be wondering if I would do and say the right things, if I would be able to communicate my love for them, if I would be able to communicate God’s love for them, if they would accept me and love me back.

Then we began our mile walk from the airstrip to the Aid Sudan compound, straight through the heart of the village, and all of my fears vanished.

Snapshot of our Evening:
-Landed and disembarked from the Cessna, and could not wipe the smile off of my face
-Watched Andrew record a quick video for MAF explaining Aid Sudan’s mission in Nasir
-Began walking to our compound…about a mile…I’m pretty sure our compound was about a mile from everything in Nasir, so we got a lot of great exercise!
-Watched our plane take off…did not feel even slightly like I thought I would (i.e. abandoned)
-Began photographing the children of Southern Sudan
-Shook a LOT of hands
-Used hand sanitizer
-Arrived at the compound, unpacked-ish, made our beds, and hung our mosquito nets 
-Walked into the thriving suk (market) of Nasir and back
-Ate my first meal of rice and beans…and actually LIKED it!
-Shared my devotional of Romans 12: 9-16 (about pure and humble love) with the team
-Went to bed…with the hut door wide open and the wonderfully cool Sudanese breeze blowing in all night

My Initial Thoughts/Reactions to Sudan:
-The world is only as big as wherever you are…so Nasir, Sudan did not feel big and scary.  I felt an amazing sense of comfort and security as we walked through the village.
-My initial fears of somehow failing were quickly erased as I made contact with the Sudanese in their village, shook their hands, took their pictures, and felt completely accepted and loved…though I definitely felt like a novelty.
-I found it highly amusing that as we walked through the village, we could hear all of the kids shouting and chanting, “Kawaja, kawaja!”
-Like the Grinch, my heart grew 3 sizes as I fell more in love with the Sudanese that evening.  Unlike the Grinch, my heart for the Sudanese was already big!
-I did not feel an overwhelming sense of sadness or pity about their living condition like I thought I would.  There is so much joy and life that thrives there that you cannot help but to be joyful alongside them. 
-Mud hut living is really the best!
-I didn’t feel homesick because I felt at home.

And of course, what would my first night in Sudan be without pictures (sora)?!

Andrew’s quick interview with the MAF pilot…

Some of the crowd of people who came to welcome us to Nasir…

My first, but definitely not last, picture of these children who live just beyond our compound.  The girl in the pink has to be one of the sweetest girls I’ve ever met! I was sad that I couldn’t pack her into my backpack and bring her home!

Who taught these kids Jackie Chan kick-punch moves?

Oh, they’re immulating cattle horns??? I definitely filled the role of ignorant kawaja (white person)! Cattle are very important to the Nuer people, as they are used to buy goods, pay doweries, and to feed people at big celebrations.  The children like to throw their cattle horns up for pictures…

A hut in the process of being built.  I was later told that it is not nearly as simple as one would initially think…

My bed and mosquito net.  Yes, those are super cute polka dot sheets!

The ladies’ hut…

Home Sweet Home.

This is what Sudan is all about…holding hands and shaking babies! I mean, well, you know what I mean…

Hellooooo…are you kidding me with those eyes?? Cutest little boy!

Again with the eyes! This girl was on our compound a few times, and I couldn’t resist getting her picture.  She was so shy, and every time I snapped a shot, she would giggle at me.  She truly embodied the gentle, sensitive spirit of the Sudanese people…

After quickly setting up our huts, we walked into the market of Nasir.  I was really blown away by all of the sights, the bustle of the market, the friendliness of the people, and how frequently we heard children shout, “Kawaja!”

I’m amazed by the talent these women have…I would drop everything that I tried to carry on my head!

The children request a sora…so I happily oblige!

Jerry cans=heavy.  Sudanese women=ah-MAZ-ing!

No cars, trains, taxis, or buses, so a donkey and a cart works pretty well!

Did I mention that the jerry cans are heavy?

These boys enjoy a fun game of yit.  Mandy and I later learned how to play, but that’s a whole other story!

I’m telling you, these Sudanese kids are posers!! I absolutely LOVED their eagerness to have their pictures taken.  *Edited* There was so much joy and life in these kids that I was blown away.  I had expected to feel tragically overwhelmed by grief at their poverty, hunger, and sickness.  I instead experienced something altogether different…hope and love for children who are finding joy where most would feel only suffering.

I am not trying to say that many people in Sudan aren’t hungry, and I’m definitely not saying that Sudan doesn’t need development in areas of education, healthcare, and clean water, but I really want to express how quickly I learned that we in America tend to feel sorry for ourselves over really silly things.  Their life is difficult in some aspects, but it is also filled with joy and that is something that a lot of documentaries about Africa won’t tell you.  I did have some very humbling moments later in the trip, and I will tell you about them, but for now I want you to understand that I did experience much, much more joy than sadness!!

An invigorating game of kura.  Andrew, Mandy, and I later played a game of soccer with the Sudanese kiddos…but here we just enjoyed watching them play…

Spices and peppers and candies, oh my! The market (which I wasn’t really allowed to take many pictures at) was busy and colorful and sold some very interesting things…

I will leave you with this.  I don’t know why, but seeing these cans all over the place was really hard for me.  I don’t know if it was because they are a reminder of a painful war that ended only five years ago, they have USA stamped on the sides, or they are now used as students’ chairs in the schools, but I couldn’t get over the remnants of America’s contribution to the war effort/relief…

Highs:
-Meeting and greeting the amazingly sweet, resilient, joyful Sudanese children
-Moving into our mud hut.  I loved everything about that hut!
-Bathing in a corrugated metal stall underneath the open sky…with only a jerry can, basin, and cup
-Falling asleep to the sounds of drumming and singing in Nuer
-Learning my first Nuer words

Lessons God Taught Me:
-Simpler is better.  You do not need a fancy house, a nice car (or any car), technology, or any other stuff/clutter to be happy.  You need God, family, and your basic needs met.  Mud hut living is beautiful because it is simple and unpretentious.  It meets a need.
-Pity should never be your first emotion when encountering a different culture.  To Americans, the lifestyle of the Sudanese looks hard and unforgiving.  To the Sudanese, this is the only life they have ever known, and they live it every day giving thanks to God for what He has provided.  How many of us would be thankful for one meal a day and mud hut accommodations? No, I don’t think we should pity them…if anything, they should pity us for being slaves to our jobs, our phones, our toys, and our schedules.
-Love truly crosses all boundaries, and it is especially rich and powerful when you are loving in the name of Jesus.