chaos, laughter...what else?

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 2^nd 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.