Back in Sudan!

I'm back in Sudan! It feels good to be back! It even rained this morning!!!

The past three months have been full of transition and change. I left Sudan on January 4, just a few days before the referendum. I arrived in Uganda and spent two weeks with my Ugandan friends and former WHM co-workers, Lamech and Geofrey. These two men are close to my age and have always been willing to lend some encouragement, support, and laughter to my life. It was a joy to reconnect with them and their families. I was also able to spend time with my Goddaughter, Geofrey’s child, Arinda Abigail.

Next I was off to Bundibugyo. A place I have visited and lived many times over the past six years. I am familiar with the people and the pace of life there, but it is never an easy place. I slipped back into work at the local Nyahuka Health center, greeting friends and former co-workers. Unfortunately, the level of care there has declined significantly over the past year, as staff members often miss their shifts and drug supplies are minimal. I also, along with several Ugandan friends, invested a lot of time and energy trying to improve the aging mission house I occupied. I’ve never thought of myself as a handy man, but creativity and small, manageable tasks are something I enjoy.

Now I am back in Sudan. Over the past three months I’ve sent hundreds of text messages and made numerous phone calls to friends in Sudan. They in turn have been texting and calling me as well! It has been GREAT to see them again! They have welcomed me with dancing, shouting, rejoicing, and lots of free food and soda! Almost everyone has commented on how big I have become while away in Uganda! (This is usually a complement, as they mean 'stronger' looking, but I know I have gained a lot weight in Uganda! I already miss the iced lattes from Kampala and the sweets from my informal coffee shop in Bundibugyo!)

I will be the only person from the World Harvest Mission team in Sudan for the next two months. The rest of my teammates are in America, with my team leaders planning to return in mid-June. Until then, I will be the sole representative for WHM. I’ve already built significant relationships with Sudanese, and my language skills have improved greatly in the past year, so I am not fearful of diving back into life here. But I will need the support, prayers, and encouragement of friends from afar as cross-cultural stresses are always present, and it helps to process life situations and visible suffering with people from a similar cultural upbringing.

I'll keep you posted on life in Sudan...

-SJW