Five Days At A Funeral - part 1

It was five days at a funeral, but a lifetime worth of lessons, encouragement, and love.

I spent much of Christmas day with my friend Alex Boya and his family. Alex is a 22 year-old, highly motivated individual that has become a very good friend to me. His mother died in 1996, and he owns a small shop selling mixed goods in town. He has built his own house, on his own land given to him by his father who lives 30 miles away, and he also provides food and shelter for his aunt, several cousins, and friends. He is the sole male figure-head of his compound.

Alex developed his entrepreneurship skills while still a young buy. When he was 8 or 9 years old he started selling bubble gum, a few round, colored pieces at a time. Over a few years he was able to save enough money to buy a calf. He raised the calf until it became a full grown cow, which he was able to sell off and make enough profit to allow him to buy a very small shop in town. He also worked hard in the garden throughout his childhood and teen years and made some small profit by selling the vegetables he grew.

He originally sold a few items in his shop, such as sugar, salt, and oil. Eventually he raised enough money to buy more goods and now sells a variety of things from his small store. Over time he saved up enough money to build a very nice mud home. Though it is mud, he has a tin roof as compared to the local grass thatch, and his home is spacious enough to make two rooms. He has an artistic talent and creative spirit, and has managed to transform his home into a beautiful place – complete with hand painted designs on the wall, hanging curtains, and two nice chairs he brought from Juba. His home is my favorite in all of Mundri!

Christmas was a joyous celebration, full of feasting and visiting. I started out at Alex’s home, then visited two other homes throughout the day before I ended back at Alex’s home that night. I had a premier showing of Shrek that night on my computer to all of Alex’s family and the slew of neighbors that joined after the video began. It was awesome -about 30 Africans and me watching Shrek underneath an exceptionally clear and starry sky! The video finished late, and because of recent curfew laws Alex and his family invited me to spend the night so I would not have to travel home and fear running into military personnel and police patrolling the streets. I gladly accepted the invitation and generosity.

Alex’s home is small by American standards, but very nice by Sudanese, and beds are very few, so as usual in my African adventures, I ended up sharing a small single bed with Alex that night. I have grown very accustomed to sharing small spaces with Africans – via public transport or sleepovers. Though I slept poorly that night, Christmas was a wonderful celebration of Jesus, life, and friendship. It was truly one of the best Christmas’s I have ever had, regardless of location.

Two days later, on December 27 I again visited Alex and his family. Another great time of sitting with people, trying to expand my meager language skills, laughter, and too much food! This time I showed Chronicles of Narnia on my computer as even more people crowded around my computer. Again, because of curfew rules I spent the night...