Africa, to me, is full of contradiction. I’ll speak for South
Sudan and Uganda; that’s what I know. It’s a place where chaos and tranquility
exist all at once. A place that carries, deeply embedded, some of the greatest
pain known to the human experience, but at the same time, some of the most
extravagant beauty. A place wrought with challenges and obstacles that make you
feel like digging yourself a hole in the ground or pulling your hair out, but
at the same time, laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of it all. A place where
countless problems arise that seem insurmountable, and then…breakthrough! A
place where you meet such coldness and cruelty, and such hospitality and
kindness. I think anyone who comes for an extended amount of time is greatly
transformed on this South Sudanese soil.
In April, we helped care for a woman who had been gravely
traumatized by experiences of extreme abuse. She hardly spoke, except to
exclaim and rant when she was agitated, and would not tell us her name. We
affectionately called her “April.” She was mentally unstable, and we searched
for a way for her to receive medical and psychological care. It was quite an
ordeal. She would wander around the compound, trying to escape, stealing kids’
clothes and shoes, and would become agitated when intervened with. We had to
pursue her, wrestle her down when she struggled, fend off her punches and
kicks, and desperately try to show love and compassion upon this person who was
beyond difficult. – chaos
Among the clothing
“April” stole was a missionary’s shirt, another missionary’s sandals, and an
11-year old boy’s t-shirt. (She attempted to walk off with a laundry basket
full of clothes but was gently apprehended, the clothing recovered). The boy approached
me, so gently one day, with no anger or offense, and said, “Rina, that woman
has taken my t-shirt. Can I have another one?” – beauty. I laughed sympathetically and said, “Sure.” I later saw
“April” wearing the confiscated t-shirt; it was yellow and read “I HAVE ISSUES”
across the front. I laughed hysterically and said to myself, “Yup, lady, you
do.” – laughter
We contacted everyone we could think of regarding
“April’s” case – the UNHCR, government officials. We held meetings for hours,
racking our brains for solutions. Finally, there was a light. Through a series
of connections made, I was put in touch with an agency in Uganda which could
transition her to a rehabilitation center. After some arrangements, two escapes
on her part, and a road trip involving spitting and peeing in the car and
“April” attempting to jump out and pull the driver out of his seat, we finally
got her to the agency. – challenges,
breakthrough, and a whole lot ‘a laughter
The 2 times “April”
escaped, our head pastor and staff supervisor, who was overseeing this whole
case, was absolutely brilliant. He worked tirelessly to find “April”. When she
was spotted once at a lodge, he went straight down and waited for 4 hours for
her to turn up again. He went into town every day for hours one week, just
driving around searching for her. I was touched by his compassion for this
woman. Where most people just saw her as a crazy lady who's a burden, to be
cast off and run off, he worked vigorously to help her. He kept saying that God
really has a plan for her life because He has gotten so many people involved in
her situation. I think he just really felt God's love for her and felt Him
calling us to run after the 1 lost sheep. – beauty
The night before
“April” was found (after her 2nd escape), we had a terrible storm.
No one in Yei had ever seen a storm like this. It was just normal rain at first,
but then, for half an hour, it turned into a hurricane. The wind and rain were
so strong that it blew off the roof of one of the kids' houses and sent it
flying across the compound, almost blew off another roof, and knocked down the
massive coconut tree that stands in the middle of the compound. Amazingly, this
happened in the middle of the night, so none of the children were harmed. If it
had happened mid-day, when kids roam around the compound, someone could have
died. – Jesus, purely
South Sudan
keeps me on my toes. When I think I’ve seen it all, I often find I am mistaken.
The appearance of new challenges, new craziness, is unpleasant at times,
but it always makes for a great story, and certainly a great laugh.
