Church of the Brethren Sudan Initiative

Well, this may be a day to remember. Or at least, I hope that it is, because I'd prefer to not repeat this too often, as paradigmatic for the African experience as it may be!!

We were up as usual in Torit, before 7:00am, and the ex-priests who were driving to Juba had others who wanted to ride and so could not take us. So we organized to get to where we would get the matatu (ubiquitous public minivan buses, usually small Toyotas that seat 14 in five cramped rows) to Juba... a public square that serves as the bus station. We did not want to be late, for the system here is that when one matatu fills up, it leaves... and the next one... and so if you arrive later in the day the risk is that you wait longer for more people to come to fill the transport before it will go.

But we could not find the guest house manager to pay our bill--or even get an accurate bill. We had asked the night before, asked that he add in breakfast and water for the next morning... but he never returned for us to pay him. So we ended up nearly an hour late--fortunately, Fr. Jacob gave us a lift the equivalent of about five blocks or so down, so we didn't have to lug our stuff through the dirty market area. But by now it was nearly 9:30a.m.

Rats... a matatu with just two spots left to Juba was filling up, to leave in 5 minutes. So we opted to stay together and wait for the next one.

After over two hours wait, there were only nine paying passangers, yet the driver refused to consider leaving without a full load. Other passengers were also growing impatient. Then another matatu driver volunteered to take us all with just nine... and there was a sudden shift, our bags and others passed from the rack on the top of the first matatu to the second, making sure that our payment to the first driver would go to the second, a request for additional payment for any suitcases (which we paid, just to get going), and off we went, just a bit after noon. Far later than we had hoped, but... but this is Africa.

At first the road was good... it is 160km from Torit to Juba (just 100 miles), and we were doing up to 80kph at stretches on the graded dirt road. It was so nice to be on the way, for we knew the road was worse in places, and although a Land Cruiser could make it in 2-1/2 hours, it would take a loaded matatu more like 3-1/2 hours.

Then we had a flat tire. We helped get the spare off the roof, the driver and helper changed it, and in about 10 minutes we were back on the road!

We passed rich countryside, several small villages. We picked up a mother and child at one; a soldier at another, so we were now full. The road got rough and bumpy, the driver twisting and turning to avoid the ruts and mudholes; after a couple hours we were feeling hot, thirsty, hungry, and like we had had enough bumps for the day, although we knew we were only about half way.

Then we got another flat tire. Since we had used the spare... we makeshifted, like it is necessity to do here.

We took both flat tires apart, running over the one with a good front tire to break the bead from the rim, then pounding the other side with a pole. The tubes were pulled out, and the inside of the tires checked. As we were near a small village in the mountains, we were able to get a pan of water, and used a bicycle pump to inflate the tubes to locate the holes. The matatu had a little bit of glue left in an old plastic water bottle, which we cut open to get to the glue, cut a square off an old inner tube for a patch, then roughed up both pieces, glued them, and put them together... praying they would hold. Getting the tire back on the rim is a more problematic, but with a lot of work and some pounding again, we got it, and inflated the tube to seat the bead.

During this time another matatu or two came by, checking in as they went. One had a bit of extra space... and Phil said that we had things under control, and so they went on. (Dang!) Louie made friends with some of the local people, and along with some other passengers waited in a little shade while the tires got repaired.

Again using the bicycle pump, we put the tire up to over 50 psi (rated 75 psi) and it held, so we put things back together, and scurried on our way, about an hour later.

Half an hour later, we pulled over to check when we saw the matatu that had some space over on the side... they had a flat also. The driver gave them his bicycle pump (we had misgivings when we saw that leave!), and took on a young mother and child, while the helper climbed onto the roof rack for the remaining 1-1/2 hour ride on very rough roads. (I guess it was really good that we hadn't switched matatus back before... yeah!)

We drew near to Juba, and were looking forward to finally getting in, and arranging to get to the Catholic guest house where we were to stay (having made arrangements a week and a half earlier while we were there)... and we had a third tire start to go low, on the left front. The helper came off the roof to consult... but we had few alternatives anymore, and so with the helper crammed into the front, we limped a few more kilometers into the outskirts of Juba, ultimately riding on the rim... and were prevented by the military from crossing the bridge across the Nile.

Now what?

The driver got a lift into town to see if he could find transport. The rest of us waited there by the disabled matatu, just conversing (with those of us who spoke English)... when Julius (another rider and new friend, as we were bonded by the events of the day, and a nurse with World Federation) saw someone he knew, a co-worker of his wife's! Richard, a civil engineer, was there evaluating the ruined bridge span, and offered to get his Land Cruiser to take us the rest of the way to the guest house, along with Julius and his brother Emelio (who, in conversation, we found out was one of the "lost boys" trying to get to the States), to where they were going.

We got to Palica, the Catholic guest house... and could not find anyone on duty except the typical gate guards. By now it was 6:45p, so we quickly checked the internet for messages--found out that we had to be at the airport before 8:00 tomorrow morning (groan) for our UN flight to Malakal, and that we had no confirmed arrangements for any contacts or arrangements for when we arrive in Malakal--but nothing else urgent... and so I (Enten) stayed behind to work on email, replying to messages and starting this blog, while Phil and Louie went to get food and something to drink.

8:00pm or so, Phil came back with a bitter lemon (a soda here that I really like) and some fried chicken and chips (fries) and greens. They had just gotten food, so he brought my share (thanks, Phil!). He then went back to eat with Louie while I drank and started eating. The guest house hostess then arrived about 8:15pm, as someone had gotten a message to her that "an important visitor" was waiting for her (I'm glad that they said important this time, because Rose said that she would not have come tonight otherwise, because she had forgotten that we had made reservations!), the guards helped me shift all the luggage, and I took the rest of my food and joined Phil and Louie by about 8:30pm.

Phil is really good at talking with others, and he ran into someone else staying near here who remembered Phil and Louie from a decade ago in Nimule... and Tom offered to pick us and drive us to the airport at 7:30 tomorrow morning... what a blessing! It is a bright spot, and reminds us that God does indeed provide.

We ask for prayers for our arrival in Malakal tomorrow as well. While we have been trying, and the Sudan Council of Churches office in Nairobi has been trying to make contacts with church leaders there, no one has been able to get through. With no one there expecting us, and no arrangements for food or lodging, we will be landing at the airstrip with no transport and no one to contact. It will be a test of our ability to make connections and find resources in a place where they may be few services, and so we are going ahead on faith.

It is after 10:00pm, and so time to wrap up, but a few more reflections first.

Phil especially was struck that the roads seemed secure, and no one was the least bit worried about landmines on this journey, but it was sobering as when we arrived in the outskirts of Juba there is a large red and white sign warning drivers leaving Juba to stay on the road to stay safe, in order to avoid landmines. Across the way was a UN compound that was the de-mining group. It brought home how awful a weapon landmines are, "the war without a general." There are likely areas around Juba that still have mines, and taking them out is such a difficult task. That civilians are the ones most likely to be killed or maimed just makes it all the worse.

We also neglected to share about the small accident yesterday. While returning from Katire in the hired vehicle, the driver ran directly into a stump in the road... I've never stopped so instantly! Phil was afraid that he may have lost a tooth or two at first, as his upper jaw and nose slammed into the metal brace in the minivan, and bumped his leg. Louie bruised a shoulder. I escaped relatively unscathed, with only a banged knee. But today we are okay, and hardly have thought about it much again until now, as we feel our aches from today's ride in addition to those... such recedes into the general ethos of trips like these.

We were glad for the opportunity this morning to completely catch up with our reporting and collating of information during the two hours that we were waiting for the matatu to fill up to go to Juba. We will be bringing home all this data, but we are again struck by how welcome and wanted people coming from the Church of the Brethren are and will be. There is so much energy toward developing (re-developing) here, and we would be very welcome partners.

Time to wrap up, and send this out... tomorrow is coming early. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers, and your interest in reading this (and keep spreading the word!).

Love,
Louie, Phil, and Enten
Sudan Initiative Assessment Team (the A-Team)