7:55am.
After bathing, breakfast and our family devotions, I kiss Kristi and am out the door. Going down the two flights of stairs I again offer myself to God. Lord, bless this day. Hitting the bottom stairwell Deng greets me in Dinka Aweil, “Invual?” “Anvual” I reply shaking his hand and smiling at him as I now leave our building into the thin, cool morning air where I greet young Lual from Aweil, shaking his hand. I then shake that of two others, Emmanuel, a guard, and a man I don’t know who adjusts his cigarette butt so he can greet me as I continue my way to Unity Drive. “Ah, mosalat” (public transport), I exclaim silently as each full rickshaw passes by. A bus stops but fills before I can enter. Just then a rickshaw stops…empty! I climb in and, surprisingly, off goes the driver not waiting for another. As we cruise along the driver greets fellow rickshaw drivers with his hand stretched out; they are like a small fraternity, looking out for each other. Getting off at “mushtefa talimi” (the teaching hospital), I give the driver a little extra for his work and because of our almsgiving during Lent. From here I walk. At the “sinia” (roundabout), I notice soldiers stationed at each corner and in the middle. “Hmmm….that is not normal,” I mutter to myself. I wonder if the president or someone else important will pass through. I slow at my prayer mound, not stopping, as usual, due to the presence of soldiers.
8:20am.
I arrive at the college a few minutes late for devotions. Students who are late, like me, sit in a neat line up against the “rackuba” classroom.* Having grabbed two chairs from the main office, I plant one ahead and one down next to Thon Mobil, one of my students who offers to usher me inside, but I gently refuse. Sitting, then standing next to Thon, I join in the chorus of Arabic worship. The worship leader this morning is Adam Mohamed Adam. Adam is a former Imam** in the Islamic faith. In 2003, when it was discovered that he was clandestinely going to church at night, he was thrown into prison. His life was in danger and he was only saved when someone miraculously got him out of prison and put him on a plane for Egypt. He then joined the liberation movement in Southern Sudan. Later, in the field, God spoke to him and told him to put down his gun and go serve in the church. Adam complied. Adam fully embraced Jesus in 2016 and now is one of our students! Our preacher this morning is Philip Thon Nyok, who, in his words, “struggled with all my comrades who were in the bush since 1983 until 2005.” Philip joined the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) when he was only fourteen, a child soldier. Philip thanks God because since 1988 he was taken to church by his parents and he has not forgotten his faith, today studying and preparing for God’s service at Nile Theological College (NTC). This morning he preaches from 1 John 3: 19, 20. He gives a rather long introduction about John, the author, then shares that though our hearts may condemn us at times, God is greater than our hearts and loves us. He summarizes the message of John in this short epistle, “God is love,” “God is a Spirit.”
As Philip preaches, I enjoy watching the puffy clouds in the sky with the large round tree in the foreground, one of the benefits of sitting outside (and being late!). Five planes pass near overhead during our short time together, a small Red Cross plane, the Missionary Aviation Fellowship twelve seater, then three other small humanitarian vessels, each plane off on some venture of helping those in need.
8:50am.
This is one of my favorite moments of the week. After the offering and final prayer, the preacher and conductor exit the rackuba and we move in procession to greet each of them and then stand to greet everyone else as they pass through, forming a line that grows with each handshake. I love looking into the faces of my students, shaking their hands, and singing as we begin our day and our week together. I enter the rackuba and prepare for class.
*A rackuba is a simple structure made from locally made and found material, mostly wood and some iron sheeting for the roof. We currently have two rackabas, one serving as the large classroom, the other as a study hall.
**Imam is a title for a Muslim religious leader or the officiating priest at a Mosque.
After bathing, breakfast and our family devotions, I kiss Kristi and am out the door. Going down the two flights of stairs I again offer myself to God. Lord, bless this day. Hitting the bottom stairwell Deng greets me in Dinka Aweil, “Invual?” “Anvual” I reply shaking his hand and smiling at him as I now leave our building into the thin, cool morning air where I greet young Lual from Aweil, shaking his hand. I then shake that of two others, Emmanuel, a guard, and a man I don’t know who adjusts his cigarette butt so he can greet me as I continue my way to Unity Drive. “Ah, mosalat” (public transport), I exclaim silently as each full rickshaw passes by. A bus stops but fills before I can enter. Just then a rickshaw stops…empty! I climb in and, surprisingly, off goes the driver not waiting for another. As we cruise along the driver greets fellow rickshaw drivers with his hand stretched out; they are like a small fraternity, looking out for each other. Getting off at “mushtefa talimi” (the teaching hospital), I give the driver a little extra for his work and because of our almsgiving during Lent. From here I walk. At the “sinia” (roundabout), I notice soldiers stationed at each corner and in the middle. “Hmmm….that is not normal,” I mutter to myself. I wonder if the president or someone else important will pass through. I slow at my prayer mound, not stopping, as usual, due to the presence of soldiers.
8:20am.
I arrive at the college a few minutes late for devotions. Students who are late, like me, sit in a neat line up against the “rackuba” classroom.* Having grabbed two chairs from the main office, I plant one ahead and one down next to Thon Mobil, one of my students who offers to usher me inside, but I gently refuse. Sitting, then standing next to Thon, I join in the chorus of Arabic worship. The worship leader this morning is Adam Mohamed Adam. Adam is a former Imam** in the Islamic faith. In 2003, when it was discovered that he was clandestinely going to church at night, he was thrown into prison. His life was in danger and he was only saved when someone miraculously got him out of prison and put him on a plane for Egypt. He then joined the liberation movement in Southern Sudan. Later, in the field, God spoke to him and told him to put down his gun and go serve in the church. Adam complied. Adam fully embraced Jesus in 2016 and now is one of our students! Our preacher this morning is Philip Thon Nyok, who, in his words, “struggled with all my comrades who were in the bush since 1983 until 2005.” Philip joined the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) when he was only fourteen, a child soldier. Philip thanks God because since 1988 he was taken to church by his parents and he has not forgotten his faith, today studying and preparing for God’s service at Nile Theological College (NTC). This morning he preaches from 1 John 3: 19, 20. He gives a rather long introduction about John, the author, then shares that though our hearts may condemn us at times, God is greater than our hearts and loves us. He summarizes the message of John in this short epistle, “God is love,” “God is a Spirit.”
As Philip preaches, I enjoy watching the puffy clouds in the sky with the large round tree in the foreground, one of the benefits of sitting outside (and being late!). Five planes pass near overhead during our short time together, a small Red Cross plane, the Missionary Aviation Fellowship twelve seater, then three other small humanitarian vessels, each plane off on some venture of helping those in need.
8:50am.
This is one of my favorite moments of the week. After the offering and final prayer, the preacher and conductor exit the rackuba and we move in procession to greet each of them and then stand to greet everyone else as they pass through, forming a line that grows with each handshake. I love looking into the faces of my students, shaking their hands, and singing as we begin our day and our week together. I enter the rackuba and prepare for class.
*A rackuba is a simple structure made from locally made and found material, mostly wood and some iron sheeting for the roof. We currently have two rackabas, one serving as the large classroom, the other as a study hall.
**Imam is a title for a Muslim religious leader or the officiating priest at a Mosque.
Here are a few images to give you a visual of some of the descriptions above...
Bob getting into rickshaw
Our "rackuba" classroom, students entering
Students greetings each other after Wednesday Chapel
