difficult. dark. unfair. LIFE simple. light. just.

This is this spectrum of life. My goal is to embrace my position within the spectrum and revel in life!



Monday, September 20, 2010

Greetings from Sudan!

Hey! I am currently in Yei using the internet at the Danish Refugee Council. I am returning to the Village Wadupe this afternoon. There will be a meeting with the village, a feast and celebration! Groundbreaking for the school will begin tomorrow! I miss you all back in the states, see you soon enough, and thanks for reading!
I stepped off the plane in Uganda and walked through the airport, realizing my thoughts were much different than last year, when I cautiously crept through the same building not knowing what lied beyond the dim lights of the exit. This time I was experienced. I knew we would catch a taxi and enter complete darkness, save the headlights that stretched out in front of us. I knew we would pass many villages and the shore of Lake Victoria on our way to Kampala. I knew we would zoom past slower vehicles, nearly hitting oncoming traffic, the driver beeping them out of our way. I knew the night would end with us at a hotel that would not have an indoor pool, HBO or toilet seats. I felt relaxed as I slept and I knew the next two days would be spent traveling by bus up into Southern Sudan. I knew the ride would be hot, bumpy, dusty and exhausting. I knew the officials at the border and at least one checkpoint would give us a hard time because we were white. I knew the roads in Sudan would change from bumpy pavement to mud and potholes for the rest of the journey to Wadupe. I knew the people of Wadupe would greet us with smiling faces and be nothing but hospitable. There were no surprises and my expectations were met.
After resting and greeting the people for a few hours I inflated the soccer ball that I brought for the kids. We played for over an hour. I eventually stopped to catch my breath and get some water. I drank a huge bottle of water and after finishing it I used the cap to balance the wobbly table and carelessly tossed the bottle to the side. A little girl named Sunday quickly came over and took the cap from underneath the table leg and grabbed the bottle as well. I smiled at her and told her she could have the bottle. After resting a bit longer and explaining to everyone were "Big Thomas" was, I decided to walk to the well and wash myself off before dinner. Luckily a few kids were playing at the well, so they could pump the water while I rinsed off. A small girl named Mary pumped the water for me while I washed my arms off. I stuck my legs under the flow of the water and all of the dirt washed down into my shoes. I was too tired to take my shoes off and clean my feet so I thanked Mary and headed back towards the compound. As I turned to leave, Sunday called my name. I spun around and she was holding the water bottle which I had intended to throw away. She extended towards me, full of water as a sort of offering. I smiled and said, "No thank you, you can keep it." She looked towards the sky over her left shoulder searching for words, after not finding any, she followed behind me. She pulled on my shirt tail and kept repeating my name as we walked. I made it back to the compound stopping just before the garden. Monday still called my name. I turned around to ask her what she wanted. As I began to speak she dropped to her knees and with one hand around my ankle, she used the other to loosen my shoe. As I began to realize what was happening, a myraid of thoughts raced through my mind. Monday poured the cool water slowly down the back of my ankle and scrubbed my bare left foot clean with her hands. As she moved to my other foot, she looked up at me and smiled. I tried to say thank you but my words were choked, inaudible. She placed my feet back in my shoes, grabbed the empty bottle, got to her feet and ran off. Immediately, I recounted what had occured to Billy and Stan. I stared at the grass ceiling of our house that first night in Wadupe and realized that a twelve-year-old girl had taught me love and humility. At God's feet now lie my expectations.


Sunday with her brother Condition


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