It was five days at a funeral, but a lifetime worth of lessons, encouragement, and love. - part 3 of 4

The more I get to know people in Mundri, the more I come to realize how people are related and how families work. Five of my good friends in Mundri are all cousins, including Alex. So not only did I get to spend time with Alex, but four of my other good friends were there as well.

As other men were digging the grave, I helped dig holes in an effort to construct the wood pole and tarp shelter to provide shade from the hot Sudanese sun. I greeted the guests and generally tried to help Alex and his family with anything I could do. This was the first time that I have ever been at a home in Mundri during the first day of the burial preparations. I have attended many final prayers on the last day of a burial ceremony, and I have been present on the actual day of burying the body, but I have never been present for all four or five days of mourning.

The first night of the four day ceremony everyone at the compound sang traditional songs as people played the traditional drums. Small fires were burning all around the compound as some of the elders tried to sleep, but in general almost everyone stayed awake the entire night and sang. I tried to sleep, but it was generally a futile effort as I may have slept one or two hours at most, but it was a wonderful night of relating with Sudanese, sitting around the fire with other men, hearing traditional songs and wails of morning until the dawn of day.

On the second day more people came as the body was to be lowered into the ground. Early in the morning men went to the forest and cut wood logs that were to be used inside the tomb and gathered rocks to place over the grave. Around 10 am as the crowd started to gather and swell, the prayers began. Women wailed and men observed. The body was wrapped in white cloth and lowered into the tomb. The body was then wrapped in black plastic tarp once inside the grave. The men then placed wood logs over top, then packed in clay made from dirt and water, then finally filled the hole with the remaining dirt to form a mound above the ground. More prayers were said and then the actual burial was over.

Days two and three of the burial involved lots of preparations for the final prayers to be held on the fourth day. The final prayers are often the largest part of the burial ceremonies and traditionally involve a meal of meat – usually beef. Alex told me that it doesn’t matter how the rest of the ceremony went, the main part that people care about and will remember is the final prayers and the quality and quantity of food served.

The highlight for me, and the most surprising moment of the four-day ceremony, happened on the third night. From 10 pm until 7 am there was an all-out, literally non-stop dance party!!! Alex hired a ‘band’ that included a keyboard player and ten others that rotated singing and dancing. The band brought their own generator, sound system, and a few lights. The blasted all of Mundri with non-stop Christian music! I think at one point there was well over 1,000 people there – mostly teens and young adults. Alex does not live very far from the main part of Mundri town, so whenever people heard the music they quickly came and most stayed all night! Friends told me the next day that the music could be clearly heard from over 3 miles away! I believe it – it was so loud!!! Even 20 or so of the soldiers and police that were patrolling the streets at night came to observe and provide crowd control. They announced that if any fighting was to occur the offenders would be dealt with immediately – so the night went peacefully on, blasting music, people everywhere, non-stop-shake-your-whole-body dancing! It was awesome! I was so tired from the previous few days, so my dancing was minimal, but I truly enjoyed the event.