Getting to the root of the problem

For every problem that a community faces, there is a solution. And to really solve the problem you need to deal with the roots of it. We used a tree to symbolize the problem – the trunk is the core problem, with roots being the causes of the problem, branches being behaviors that result from the problem, and the fruit as the consequences. For example, civil war in Sudan is a problem in our communities. The consequences that we see are displacement, destruction, insecurity, and death. The root causes include politics, inadequate resources, a culture of revenge, tribalism, etc. Unfortunately, many organizations that come to provide relief in South Sudan only deal with the consequences – the UN provides shelter for the displaced, others provide healing for the wounded, or support to rebuild what was destroyed. But how can we deal with the roots?

Elijah identifies parts of the tree as we talk about the tree as a symbol for our problems
(and yes, it was COLD in Nairobi!)

Last week I attended a training in Kenya on Community Health Evangelism (CHE), along with Elijah, one of the elders in an SSPEC congregation. CHE is a strategy for empowering communities to take ownership of addressing problems and improving their physical, social, and spiritual health. Real lasting transformation happens in the health of communities when the truth of the gospel is integrated with truths about physical health. But too often, community leaders are not taught how to work together to resolve their problems—they just wait for solutions to be brought to them from the outside. Those of us coming to help need to be careful that we are not imposing solutions that disempower people or prove harmful long-term.

One way to ‘vote’ on the priorities among all the problems in a community.

In our example of the ‘problem tree’ of civil war mentioned in the beginning, the corresponding ‘solution tree’ would be peace and stability. Peace comes from the roots of unity, equality, forgiveness, etc. Those roots are truths that we must understand and experienced in order to realize peace and stability. In the struggle with civil war, too often the lies at the root (tribalism, corrupt politics, revenge, etc.) are what flourishes in our societies and what we believe. This is a key part of CHE’s approach: integration of spiritual and physical truths to address the beliefs that contribute to problems in our societies. When we recognize Jesus as Lord and look to him as the source of truth, then we can see and deal with the lies at the roots of our problems.

We were pleased to meet a few other people from South Sudan at the training.
This is Margaret, president of the women for the Africa Inland Church.

For example, one lie common in African societies is the men are more important than women. Some behaviors and consequences of this belief are girls being left behind in education, a culture of accepting men beating their wives, and women not having a voice in their society. Today in South Sudan, girls are encouraged to go to school with money to support their school fees…but does that change the root belief? How can this problem really be resolved?

Presenting our plan for a ‘seed project’ to the group.

An illustration about a community that lived at the top of a mountain brings home the principles of Community Health Evangelism (CHE).  According to this illustration, the people living atop the mountain would go down the mountain to trade and work in surrounding villages. Many times, people fell on their way down the mountain and were seriously injured. One visitor to the community noticed this problem and generously provided an ambulance. The ambulance was parked at the bottom of the mountain, ready to take wounded people to the clinic 10 km away when they fell. The community was happy, and many people were healed. But after awhile the ambulance broke down. The community leaders went to the donor, and he agreed to fix the ambulance. But when it happened again, he got frustrated, and said he had no more money to give. Then a church leader came to visit, and said that the diocese would build a clinic at the bottom of the mountain. They built the clinic, provided staff, and treated many people, including those that fell on their way down the mountain. But after awhile the resources ran thin, and the church closed the clinic. The community is now back to the same place they started, with people continuing to hurt themselves and die as they try to go down the mountain. They did not know what to do, because they did not have the resources to run the clinic or repair the ambulance. Finally, the leaders came together to discuss what could be done. One wise man suggested that they could build a fence along the path down the moutain using some trees and rope. Everyone agreed, and they worked together to cut the trees and build the fence. They raised a little money for cement so that the poles could be secured in the ground. Now, people could safely go down the mountain. After a few years, some of the poles rotted and needed to be replaced. But the community knew that this was their fence, and it was not too difficult to work together to replace the rotted poles with new ones.

We are excited to consider how the church can holistically minister to the community through the CHE approach. Please pray with us for this new initiative, and for God to make the way clear as we continue to explore and lay groundwork in the next few months.

South Sudanese Hospitality

While in Uganda for vacation and R&R a couple of months ago, I stumbled upon an article in a travel magazine about Levison Wood, a British adventurer who walked almost the entire length of the Nile, a 4,000 mile journey along the longest river in the world beginning at the mouth in Rwanda and ending in the Mediterranean in Egypt (YouTube short video here).  While Levison’s journey was filled with misadventures, challenges and joys, one detail stands out to me.  Levison mentions the incredible hospitality and care he received in both South Sudan and Sudan.  In South Sudan, due to war, he was advised by the government military to divert his journey for his own safety.  In Sudan, a man walked forty miles with him and helped care for his camel.  Of all the countries he passed through, he spoke most highly of the hospitality in this corner of the world where we now live.      

Photo:  Levison Wood
Courtesy:  Associated Press/Ilya Gridneff at this linked article 

Hospitality is a core value in African cultures, a key feature which has drawn us back, time and time again.  While both visiting and living in Rwanda, I was so blessed by the care given to us during our visits and the efforts taken to see us off when we left.  While living in Rwanda, I was treated like one who truly belonged, like family.  In Congo, Kristi and I ate in countless homes and were treated like royalty.  We were welcomed with open arms by our wonderful host community.  Here in South Sudan, we have been blessed in similar fashion and always enjoy being in the homes of colleagues, friends and acquaintances. 

Making the journey out to the home of a student -
the last part by foot and it was quite muddy after a huge rain!  

Today was a special day for us in the home of a student and his family.  As our friend, Rev. Paul Hensley, wraps up his time here after teaching a three week intensive at Nile Theological College (NTC), a celebration to honor him was hosted by Rev. Santino Odong, the principal, and other faculty, staff and students this last week.  During that splendid affair with speeches, songs and food, Joseph Tubo Apar, one of our students, approached me and invited Paul, Kristi and I for a special gathering on Saturday featuring the local food of their Chollo (Shilluk) tribe.  The inspiration for this idea came when a couple of the students, Joseph and John Ohdong Mayik, learned that Paul would be leaving; they said to themselves, “Ah, we must do something!  We don’t have much here, and we cannot treat them as we would in our home region of Upper Nile, but we must host them and bless them before Paul leaves.”  Thus the impetus for a grand afternoon together, eating Akelo which is a staple for their people, a greens dish called Lōm, and fish.  This sumptuous meal was topped off by sliced guava and tea with ginger.  

John Ohdong Mayik serves us the famous Akelo -
a staple of the Chollo (Shilluk) people

All three students shared kind words of appreciation with us and we were introduced to each member of the family.  Before leaving, we expressed our gratitude and Paul prayed a blessing over the family and the home; we then snapped some photos together outside.  In good African fashion, they escorted us to the bus park and said goodbye as our bus took off, having already that day paid some of our bus fares and asking us to be sure to call them to let them know we had arrived home safely. 

Students John and Daniel (left, back) with members of John's family
also a close friend to John, pictured with Paul and Kristi 

Ahhhh, what a wonderful way to spend a Saturday afternoon!  We are grateful for South Sudanese hospitality and the opportunity to enter into the homes and lives of our students here, students who are becoming so very dear to us.  May God bless Joseph, John, Daniel, and John’s family for their invitation and their gracious welcome and care for us.  “Allah kwes kalis!”  (God is so very good!).              

Visit to the camp

It was only seven-thirty in the morning as our motorcycle taxis navigated the puddles on the muddy road that led to the big camp at the edge of town. As we came over the hill, the expanse of white tents came into view, which stretched as far as we could see. Later, one of the pastors would ask, half-joking, “Do you see our white city? This is our Jerusalem!” This was POC3 (Protection of Civilians Camp 3), for South Sudanese people displaced from their homes. We had come on this Sunday morning to join them for church.

The strong voices of the youth belted out their song in such an arresting way, and made me wish I could understand the Nuer language that they were singing. The pastor whispered to us that they were singing about their suffering, and asking whether it was because of their sin, or the sin of Adam or their ancestors that the suffering had come. Another youth choir followed, singing a song of lament about the suffering in South Sudan. “We are all scattered;” they sang, “we listen for sounds of peace, but there are none.” A third choir of youth sang later, about Jesus being our light in the midst of the darkness. It was evident that all of the congregation enjoyed the choirs and resonated with their songs. One woman, in particular, danced up and down the aisles during the songs, while holding high a small wooden cross.

A short clip of the first youth choir - an impressive group!

Bob preached from Lamentations 5, which describes the suffering of Israel as they are in exile. This chapter describes several specific aspects of Israel’s suffering that are true for the South Sudanese, thousands of years later. Homes being taken by foreigners, women raped, even going to gather firewood for cooking at the risk of their lives, This, of course, is why the Bible speaks to us today – because just as the suffering is the same, God’s power and promises are also the same today. Bob reminded us of reasons for hope that we find in the midst of the suffering described in Lamentations: That God invites us to express our laments, and He hears us; that God grieves with us in our suffering; and that God has the final word (and not any of the governments or leaders that appear to hold people’s fate in their hands). As Bob finished his sermon, one woman sitting near the pupit solemnly came to shake Bob’s hand. Several others followed, wanting to express appreciation, even as the service continued.

Bob preaching while Pastor Peter translates into Nuer

After the service, we followed Pastor Peter and several elders, winding our way through the narrow paths between tents to reach the pastor’s tent. Pastor Peter built the home himself, using sticks for a frame that is covered with the UN-issued white tarp. They brought in several bowls of food, meat broth, fish, kisra (a thin dough/bread like Ethiopian injira), and kop (a small grain a little like rice). It felt like an extravagant gift of food, especially as we discussed the challenges that many of these people have endured. We learned that the pastor’s wife left him in the midst of her trauma of losing a child in childbirth. An older woman, who is an elder in the church, has no family because all of her children and close family have died in the conflict.

Pastor Peter, sitting on the bed in his home in the camp;
a woman elder of the church is to his left.

Yet, in the midst of the long period of dispalcement and suffering, these faithful people persevere. The church hosts Good Shepherd Primary School in its building – 2000 students study in clusters around the large sanctuary, without any barriers to block the noise or teaching of the class next to them. Several of the members serve as voluntary teachers, wanting their children to get some education. Pastor Peter has lobbied to try to get a separate building for the school, but has not yet found the funds and permissions.

The women’s section of the church – you can see a blackboard
on the wall that is used for the primary school.

As we prepared to leave, Pastor Peter expressed his appreciation to us for coming to worship with them. He said that our presence is a tangible reminder that they are not forgotten. We know that many of you far away are interceding for South Sudan, advocating for peace, and even contributing to efforts like education in the midst of the displacement. It is our privilege, in being present in South Sudan, to represent and communicate the concern and prayers of many of you. So, of course, we felt that Pastor Peter deserved our appreciation even more, for inspiring us with the faith and perseverance of these Christians, who gather to worship and seek God together in the midst of suffering.