Typhoid ain't much craic!

The title says it all really...

Unfortunately my last week in South Sudan didn't really go to plan. Instead of lots of good byes, fun, and packing at leisurely pace, it was fever, chills, headaches, nausea, dizziness, aches, and bed rest!

Despite the vaccine (which I now know is only 98% effective anyway) I managed to catch what appears to be typhoid and malaria simultaneously. No point doing things by halves!

But after malaria meds, 10 days of antibiotics, lots of sleep, and being 3.5kg lighter, I'm feeling a lot better.

It is times like these where I realise just what an amazing wife I have. Not only did Sarah manage to look after me, but also pack up all our stuff, and still be working in the clinic until our last day in Doro.

We are now back in Nairobi. It's much nicer to be recovering here with nice food, a comfy bed, and a nice cool 20C. Next week we go on SIM's annual retreat in the Rift Valley with the rest of the team before going on a wee holiday ourselves, returning to Scotland on 29th May.

I shall try and blog some coherent reflections of our time in South Sudan, but at present my brain's still a bit of mush!

P

p.s. Sarah sees it as her job to fatten me up now, so we're going to an 'all you can eat' meat place tonight. we'll see if I can eat 3kg of meat to balance the books!

Church in Mabaan

 The last few weeks have given me much more of a insight into Mabaan church. Or rather it has shown me how little we understand about the church here. While SIM and other mission organisations have been in and out of Mabaan county since the 1930s, it seems we still don’t have a great grasp on how to disciple people and support the church.

We know how to impose our traditions and structures no problem. For example each church has a pastor, evangelist, and elders. However I have never seen one of the ‘evangelists’ tell anyone about Jesus. The churches are full of little traditions that are identical to church back home in the UK.  It is amazing that in only 2 generations, the church has become so religious, but yet lacking so much depth.

Even church leaders here have very little understanding of concepts like prayer, the Holy Spirit, or grace to name a few. Things that we take for granted in outr churches at home. I realised one Sunday when I was preaching, “I have no idea if anyone is understanding anything I am saying right now”.

Like many parts of Africa, Mabaan county has been evangelized frequently, but no one has taken the time and effort to disciple the church leaders, let alone the rest of the churches. How can the churches be expected to be changing their communities when they don’t even understand why they have hope and good news in the first place!

Thankfully there is hope. There are some young men and women who are hungry to learn more about Jesus and how to live for Him. And there are some folk from SIM twho understand that in order to change the communities here, people are going to have to invest time and energy to learn Mabaan, to invest their lives in the men, women and children of this place, and to pray that the Holy Spirit’s transforming power will continue to work in people’s lives.

Thankfully God hasn’t given up on His church anywhere just yet!

P

Above: Brick building or under a tree. Doesn't matter as long as Jesus is there!

An adventurous weekend

 Thought I’d tell you about a wee adventure I had last weekend.

Vicky and Christiane were keen to go to a village called Liang to find some old leprosy patients and see what the church was doing there. This village is across the Yabus river which is only passable by vehicle for 2 or 3 months a year. No one from SIM had been there since 2006, and we had no idea what to expect, but I was keen for the adventure!

We picked up two church leaders on this side of the river who would act as translators and guides, and who has arranged our accommodation.

Rather than bore you with all the details, here’s a few highlights.

The river crossing

Although the river was completely dry this was still a bit of a challenge. I had the fun of putting the Hilux in 4x4 and trying to negotiate the rather steep banks covered in sand and mud. Felt a bit bad making the 2 church leaders get out and push in their suits at one point! Unfortunately the photo doesn’t do the angles justice.

Seatbelts

When was the last time you thought about putting on your seatbelt? This was the first time either Samuel or John had ever used them. It was like something from the ‘Two Ronnies” trying to get them clicked in. It involved me hugging/ tickling/ manhandling this man the age of my father. You probably had to be there.

Leprosy

We found an old man who had received leprosy treatment from SIM back in the 70s at a leper colony. The most fascinating part of the discussion with him was what his expectations were of us, because of the handouts he had received in the past. It has certainly made me think a lot about the harm as well as good that NGO’s and missionary organisations can create in places like this. This elderly man’s feet had been horribly disabled by the effects of leprosy.

B&B

This was the most humbling and exciting part of the weekend. When it was time to turn in for the evening, we were taken to this small cluster of mud tukuls where Cela and Lydia lived. As we sat down for the obligatory juice, tea and coffee, two of the men pulled 2 string beds out of the tukuls and then headed off into the bush. They returned back 30mins later with 2 more beds. Not only had they sacrificed their own beds for us, they had taken their neighbours only beds for us too! It became apparent that we would be sleeping under the stars. No time for a change into jammies, or a brush of the teeth as all of a sudden our hosts just lay down on the floor and that was that! As I lay on my string bed that was 3 inches too short I could not get over how willing these people are to sacrifice their best for us. A rather restless night was interspersed with pigs bumping under the bed, goats tugging at my blanket, and the previous late nights coffee doing it’s best to keep me awake. Below: Cela and Lydia, and our sleeping arrangements.

It was so humbling to see the gratitude these people had for us coming across the river to spend time with them. The icing on the cake was when they slaughtered a pig for our lunch. This in a culture when pigs are only eaten at Christmas and weddings. There is real potential in Liang to further build relationship with the local church, and help the community. But on this particular trip, I certainly gained more than I gave.

P

Things you don't see at home

Every now and then it strikes you that you are in Africa. Here are 10 things I’ve seen in the last few days that have reminded me that we are certainly not in the UK

1) A goat up a tree

2)   A group of old men drinking home-made wine from a bucket

3)   A man carrying a severed goats head by the ear

4)   A pile of 5 massive mangos for 75p

5)   A man telling me how a rat had been nibbling on his toes as he slept (He hadn’t noticed because of his leprosy)

6)   A goat with a cough

7)   A 10yr old girl carrying 20l water on her head

8)  A pet monkey tied to a tree in a refugee camp

9)   A man my age with 10 children

10)  A goat riding a bicycle

P

p.s. I may have used artistic license with number 10. The goat may have been on the back of the bicycle.

Things you don't see at home

Every now and then it strikes you that you are in Africa. Here are 10 things I’ve seen in the last few days that have reminded me that we are certainly not in the UK

11) A goat up a tree

22)   A group of old men drinking home-made wine from a bucket

33)   A man carrying a severed goats head by the ear

44)   A pile of 5 massive mangos for 75p

55)   A man telling me how a rat had been nibbling on his toes as he slept (He hadn’t noticed because of his leprosy)

66)   A goat with a cough

77)   An 10yr old girl carrying 20l water on her head

88)  A pet monkey tied to a tree in a refugee camp

99)   A man my age with 10 children

110)  A goat riding a bicycle

P

p.s. I may have used artistic license with number 10. The goat may have been on the back of the bicycle.

Things you don't see at home

Every now and then it strikes you that you are in Africa. Here are 10 things I’ve seen in the last few days that have reminded me that we are certainly not in the UK

11) A goat up a tree

22)   A group of old men drinking home-made wine from a bucket

33)   A man carrying a severed goats head by the ear

44)   A pile of 5 massive mangos for 75p

55)   A man telling me how a rat had been nibbling on his toes as he slept (He hadn’t noticed because of his leprosy)

66)   A goat with a cough

77)   An 10yr old girl carrying 20l water on her head

88)  A pet monkey tied to a tree in a refugee camp

99)   A man my age with 10 children

110)  A goat riding a bicycle

P

p.s. I may have used artistic license with number 10. The goat may have been on the back of the bicycle.