April 28, 2005
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I just got back from a trip into Sudan to a place in Western Upper
Nile called Leer. I had 77 emails in this mail box on my return.
It seems like everyone wants to have a meeting that I should attend,
which is frustrating.
The trip to Leer was good. It was also hot (more than 120 degrees
Fahrenheit in the shade) and the flies were worse than the heat.
I stayed at the Medecins Sans Frontiere (or Doctors Without Borders,
or MSF) compound directly behind the hospital and beside a PCOS
(Presbyterian Church of Sudan) church built in 1932. The church
in Leer is strong! Let me give you an example that made me proud
to be a part of PCOS and Presbyterian Relief and Redevelopment
Agency (PRDA).
The World Food Programme made a food drop intended for patients
in the MSF hospital. It was enough to last for three months. The
program coordinator for MSF/H (Doctors Without Borders/Holland)
is a Dutch woman named Karla. She was trying to get SRRC (Sudan
Relief and Rehabilitation Commission, which is the development
arm of the rebel movement, its main civil authority) to organize
the community to bring the food sacks from the drop zone to the
hospital. Some of the sacks were brought back and then the effort
just stopped. Karla was frustrated and the SRRC secretary and
other civil authorities just made excuses. The staff closed the
hospital except to keep an eye on the patients so they could go
themselves with the Sudanese national staff to bring the food
back. There was well over five tons about two miles from the hospital
that needed to be moved, and it had to be carried on people’s
backs. They have no vehicles. Each sack is 50 kilograms(110 pounds).
I mentioned the problem to the Reverend George Riak Kuirthio,
pastor of the Leer church, on Saturday. He said he would ask the
congregation to help.
After the worship service on Sunday, everyone left the church
and went to the drop zone. They moved every last sack to the MSF
storage in less than three hours. It brought tears to my eyes!
The MSF staff were so grateful. It was a wonderful witness to
the people in the Leer community, to the SRRC, to other local
leaders, and to the MSF/Holland staff. It was also an example
of the church at work. The MSF expatriate staff is all European.
I don’t think they’ve ever thought about attending
the PCOS church in Leer, and they may not even have attended churches
in their home countries in ages. But they asked me if I thought
it would be okay if they went to the worship service the following
Sunday. I know the main purpose is to thank the congregation for
moving the five tons of food to the hospital, but I can’t
help thinking that they might have been moved themselves.
Here in the Sudan, our brother and sister Presbyterians are making
a difference. We see an opportunity to make the best of the peace
agreement signed in January. But we also see problem areas like
Akobo. This is the town that has headquartered the southern segment
of the PCOS and where the PRDA has a small facility.
For me, these areas and their conflicts are the most crucial
issues we face. Both the PRDA and the PCOS leadership feel the
same way. The Reverend James Makuei Chol, PRDA Director, the Reverend
Peter Makuac, the moderator in Loki, and I have spent a lot of
time talking about our next steps. A peace conference is scheduled
for May 10, and will last about a week. It will include parties
from all sides of these local conflicts—militia commanders,
church and community leaders alike. It will also be expensive.
Most of the participants will have to be flown in, fed, and housed.
The total cost for the peace conference is about $100,000. Presently,
we have about half that.
Following the peace conference, I want to spend a month or so
in Akobo. Rev. James agrees that it would be beneficial. We just
had a discussion this morning about how my time should be spent
and the Akobo peace process was at the top of his list.
In His grip,
Joe Dyer |
