I was so excited for July 9th to finally roll around…for two reasons: it was the day that Blaise left Indiana to begin the journey to Africa and it was South Sudan’s Independence Day!!
The entire Aid Sudan family had spent a LOT of time praying for southern Sudan prior to the referendum, during the referendum, and definitely after the referendum. No one knew for sure how things would go, especially because the north had been stirring up a great deal of trouble along the border; however, God clearly had His hand on their separation!
I stayed up Friday night until midnight, and then at 12:00 I ran into the livingroom and turned on the BBC News. I watched as the reporters captured screaming, ululating, crying South Sudanese in Juba celebrate the birth of the nation for which they had suffered so much. I, too, sat teary-eyed as their excitement and energy burst through the television set.
At 7:00am, Kerrie and I were back up and watching BBC again, as they broadcast the ceremony live from Juba, South Sudan’s new capital. We laughed at the Western reporters who kept talking about how late the officials were running (TIA), we questioned why the North’s president felt the need to attend the ceremony, and we cheered as the new nation was born.
That afternoon, we headed over to Kerry and Neltia’s for Aid Sudan’s small celebration. We had tried to find out where the Sudanese living in Kampala were celebrating, but it’s really hard to get solid information sometimes, especially when your only Sudanese connection (Daniel) was going to be in Juba! So, we had our own little cook-out and celebrated for the people we were there to serve. Neltia even made this fabulous cake!!
It was a bonus day, too, because it was also Kerrie’s birthday!!!
Happy birthday South Sudan and Kerrie!!
