Simon's Support Team

The four of us sat together in a circle at a small outdoor seating area which serves tea, just behind and adjacent to the military hospital. We were together for one reason: Simon Akol. A few months previous, one of us had found Simon living on the street near where we live, having seen the terrible wound on his leg caused by a bacterial infection called “Necrotizing fasciitis.” This infection is aptly known as “flesh eating disease” in that it kills parts of the body’s soft tissue and it spreads rapidly. Simon’s wound began just under his knee and extended down to his foot, just above Simon’s toes. Skin and soft tissue had been eaten away across major sections of his leg; it was a terrible sight to see.

One day when Simon’s wound was being treated by the Street Children Ministry (SCM), a young man came up to us. Looking at Simon’s wound, he audibly and publicly exclaimed, “He is finished!” (meaning, he will die!) I understood the young man’s sentiment. That is exactly what I thought when I first saw Simons’ wound. However, in that tender and significant moment, I responded gently but firmly to the young man, “We do not know.” Simon was sitting there under my arms, wincing in pain, having his wound cleaned for the second time; though his English is limited, Simon heard this exchange. I can only wonder what he was thinking.

Simon Akol is from Gogrial in Bahr Al Ghazal State. His father died and his mother left Simon and his younger sister when Simon was only seven years old. His mother had joined the Sudanese army and left for Darfur. Simon and his sister went to live with their mother’s sister, but Simon was forced to leave after a disagreement. Girls, apparently, have it a bit easier as bride wealth remains a hope and promise for their family. For boys and young men, their lot is different. Placed in vulnerable family situations, they are often left to fend for themselves and find their own way. Having to abandon any hopes for education, they ply the streets selling sundry items or perform menial work in the kitchens of small make-shift restaurants, doing work which others are unwilling to do. Simon decided to join a group of youth to come to Juba to see if they could improve their lot. Simon worked for a foreign merchant for a while, but then he was afflicted by this wound.

The four of us have become “a team” of support for Simon. Achuil currently leads SCM. He and his colleagues and the children of the children’s home visit Simon every day at the military hospital, giving Simon money for breakfast and bringing him food for dinner from their home each day. Daniel Aleek is a student at Nile Theological College (NTC). Daniel has become a friend to me; he is from the same area as Simon. Daniel has served as a valuable source of encouragement and spiritual support to Simon. If Simon decides to return to his home region, Daniel will connect him with one of the churches which Daniel helped to start in that area. Juma is our trusted rickshaw driver. Juma has been involved in the care process from the beginning, helping with transportation needs, but also directly asking Simon questions about his situation so that we can better understand how to help. Lastly, I have been involved (with Kristi’s support) with initial wound care visits, visiting Simon at the hospital, and helping with medical needs. Interestingly, government hospitals in South Sudan do not have medical supplies. Thus, it behooves the family of the patient to buy all of the wound care dressings, antibiotics, and other medical supplies for treating the patient. As long as these items are provided, the hospital can accept to continue caring for the patient with a minimal charge for the hospital bed.

Simon has been in good spirits during our last two visits. Juba took him to the market to find some green sandals which he likes very much, and we found some crutches to help with mobility. Kristi also connected with a local Christian organization which donated an audio Bible in the Dinka language for Simon. We are now working with Simon to understand his hopes for the future. Simon is twenty years old; it seems that he would like to return to his home region. He hopes that we can help him with income generation. Two ideas he has expressed are buying a motorcycle so that he can be a “boda driver” (motorcycle taxi). His other idea is to start a charging station for cell phones. His schooling was interrupted at the level of primary six; thus far, it seems that he would prefer to work than return to school.

Please pray with us for Simon. He has become a younger brother to us. Regarding the ‘team’ mentioned above, Simon is the center of our team, demonstrating a courageous spirit, a commitment to healing, and exhibiting hope for his future. May our good Lord bless Simon. May the return and blessing which Simon brings to his family far extend the payment of cows his family would receive as “bride price” for a girl. May it be so!

Simon Support Team: Achuil (front), Bob,
Simon Akol, Daniel Aleek, Juma

Abigail's confession

I love the story of Abigail rescuing her family in 1 Samuel 25. A servant warns Abigail that her husband Nabal has insulted David and refused to share food with him, and that David and his 600 men might be coming to attack them. Abigail acts quickly and secretly, gathering all the food she can find in the house to send to David. She accompanies the donkey loaded with food and meets David and his men on the road as they are coming towards her home, ready to attack. Abigail kneels down on the road and apologizes for her husband’s insults, even saying “count this wrong against me”. She asks David to forgive them and accept her gift of food as a peace offering. David is moved by her confession and does forgive, even thanking her for stopping him from murder and this act of vengeance.

Students at the Bible School take the opportunity

to confess the wrongs of their people

I have told the story many times in our workshops as an example of identificational confession. Abigail confesses the wrong done by her husband and asks forgiveness on behalf of her family. In our trauma healing class at the SSPEC Bible School a few weeks ago, we taught about identificational confession and then invited people to ask the Holy Spirit if there was some wrong done by a group that they are part of that they could ask forgiveness of like Abigail did. One man stood and confessed that some members of his tribe have attacked and killed members of another tribe in South Sudan and have contributed to ongoing conflict. Another student who is from the other tribe stood up and said that he had gone many years without seeing his brother. On the day when he was finally going to travel to see his brother, he learned that the brother had been killed by people from the other tribe. He was heartbroken and angry for a long time. Gradually, God showed him that he could let go of the hate and anger in his heart, and he began to forgive. Hearing the confession from a fellow student and the acknowledgement of pain and wounding was helpful to him in continuing the process of forgiving.

Preaching in a church in Juba

On Sunday I preached in a small congregation in Juba using this story of Abigail. As I told the story, I could see that the women in particular were impressed by Abigail’s actions to rescue her family from David’s attack. Like Abigail, Jesus stood in the gap for us, identifying with sinful humanity and dying the death of a criminal even though he himself had not sinned. Jesus’ death means that we can be forgiven and be reconciled to God. As Paul describes Jesus’ actions and attitude in Philippians 2:3-8, we are called to have the same attitude as Jesus, to look more for the interests of others than our own. As much as we try, I don’t think that will ever become natural or easy. But in gratitude for what Jesus has done for us and out of love for people around us, are there ways that we can identify with those who have offended and done wrong, confessing wrongs that have been done and asking forgiveness from those who have been wounded?

In South Sudan, there are 64 tribes and languages. Some tribes are large and spread out and some are smaller. Some tribes have contributed more to conflict and attacks against other groups. But there is no group that has not done wrong. When we are willing to acknowledge the wrongs done by our group, we are leaning in to the humility that Jesus calls us to, we are seeking the good of others before our own.

"To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you,

leaving you and example, that you should follow in his steps."

1 Peter 2:21

Team teaching in Juba

 

JEBS students

We are squeezed into a room that barely has space for the 15 students. The class meets in the evenings, as the sun is going down and the mosquitos are coming out. Each Thursday evening, we are impressed and encouraged by the students who make the sacrifice to come after work from distant parts of town to study the Bible and be trained to participate in God’s work in their communities. And each week, we come away feeling grateful for the animated discussions as the students engage on difficult topics.

One student shares collective losses experienced by his community

Since August, Bob and I have been team-teaching a class with two colleagues on trauma healing and well-being at the Juba Evangelical Bible School (JEBS), which was started this year by the South Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church. We are using most of the content of the Healing Hearts, Transforming Nations (HHTN) workshop, but adapting it for a once-per-week course.

Bob teaching

One week we discussed how we do not always receive love from our families in the ways that we need it, and how that lack of love can wound us or hinder us from experiencing God’s love later in life. Yagub, who was teaching that session, shared his own story of how he was forced to work and support his siblings as a child when his mother died and his father went into depression. Several people shared personal experiences of conflict within their families, and their hope for forgiveness or healing. One person shared how his father had refused to send his sister for medical treatment when she was sick as a child. Now, many years later, the father was sick and was looking to his children for support. The son expressed how he wanted to refuse as a way of avenging his sister, but he was asking God to help him to forgive his father and help him. It was a meaningful time of experiencing God’s love and forgiveness in the midst of our own brokenness and the pain in our families.

Discussion outside about some of the signs of trauma

Just as in the workshop, we often use dramas to illustrate a point, which prompts lots of discussion and reflection. We are grateful for a committed team of teachers and for the opportunity to share this valuable teaching with the students. Please pray for the students at JEBS to experience God’s healing and love through this class. We look forward to a great finish over the next month.

An exercise to remind us of the role of the church.

As Jesus said, "you are the light of the world."

Vacation in Kenya

In September we spent 2 weeks on vacation in Kenya. It was a special treat to have two family members come to join us for a fun and refreshing time touring some of Western Kenya.

Kakamega Forest was a highlight! We were awed by the tall trees that are hundreds of years old and the great diversity of species in the rainforest – more than 500 kinds of butterflies, more than 400 species of birds, and a few hundred kinds of bees. Bees! Waking up before dawn to hike up a hill to see the sunrise was an even more magnificent view than I anticipated – the mist settled among the tops of the trees, the mountains in the distance and the sky turning vibrant colors. God’s glory in creation was on full display. 

Watching the sun rise over the forest

This flower is commonly called 'touch-me-not', becuase the

pods make a surprising explosion when you touch them!

Bob climbed inside the hollowed out cavern of a tree
that was swallowed up by the strangler fig vine.

Then we had one night in Kisumu on the shore of Lake Victoria before driving down to the Masai Mara National Park. We were amazed the thousands of animals that we saw, including vast herds of wildebeest and zebra who were at the tail end of their great migration.

A herd of wildebeest

The bateleur eagle, a new and impressive bird for us

In the safari van

The lilac-breasted roller, always a delight to see

And then we stopped briefly at Lake Naivasha to experience yet another eco-system and terrain before returning to the big city. We bicycled through Hells Gate National Park, stopping to see the giraffes, antelope, buffalo, and rock hyraxes along the road. Then we hiked down into a gorge, amazed to see the water seeping through the walls all the way from Lake Naivasha a few miles away.  

Biking along the dramatic cliffs

A narrow part of the gorge. Watch out for flash floods!

We are grateful for this time to explore the diverse ecosystems of this neighboring country to us, and amazed at the abundance of species of plants and animals that exist that we knew nothing about. It was refreshing and encouraging to experience this with people we love and also to meet some wonderful people along the way, who introduced us to the beauty of the culture and nature of Kenya. 

A glimpse of HHTN in South Sudan

 I compiled a short video (7 minutes) to give an overview of the Healing Hearts, Transforming Nations workshop and what it looks like here in South Sudan. 

I would love to hear your feedback or questions about the video! You can use the comments or send me a message.