South Sudan is located in the Sahel region of northeastern Africa. The countries that border it are Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, and Sudan. South Sudan is the world's newest nation. They gained their independence from Sudan on July 9, 2011, just six months ago. It is a country that has been devastated by civil war the past 30+ years. Many of the people in what is now South Sudan have placed their faith in Christianity and wanted freedom from the extremist Muslim Arab North. Many families have been ripped apart because of the violence. Literally, millions of children are orphaned in Sudan and South Sudan because their parents have died due to war, disease, or famine. It's a country that has endured more pain and suffering than most of us can imagine.
I met Jennie in Washington D.C. on December 16th. We stayed at a couples house who Jennie attended college with. That night we had our last American meal at a Mexican restaurant (how ironic, I guess that's not really American haha) and then we drove around the National Mall, looking at all the monuments lit at night. After playing "Tourist" for a couple hours, we went back to their house and got ready for bed. That night there were definitely butterflies in my stomach. I was nervous about going to Africa, especially South Sudan. I knew violence was still prevalent throughout both countries, and I knew rebel groups were still creating problems in South Sudan. I was also aware of the danger of disease. Before going on the trip I had to get vaccinated for many diseases, including Yellow Fever. I also received a 37 page packet warning me of the dangers of traveling to this area. While I was getting ready for bed, I saw a framed scapbook page hanging on the wall of the room I was staying in. The guy we were staying with had been to West Africa a few years before and the pictures in the frame were from his trip. Along with the pictures was the Bible verse, Joshua 1:9, which reads, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." Reading this brought me so much confirmation and comfort; knowing God was going to be with me the whole way. What God calls you to do, He equips you to do.
The next morning we woke up and went to Washington Dulles International Airport. As we stood in line at the check-in counter butterflies started fluttering in my stomach again. I was dressed in a red hoodie with black sweat pants. All the Sudanese people around us were dressed up in their finest clothing, including the very tall Sudanese diplomats dressed up in their suits and ties. It began to cross my mind that I was about to enter a culture that was completely different than anything I was used to. We made our way to the terminal and found a place to sit down. The thought went through my mind, "Well, there's no turning back now." We boarded the plane and I found my seat next to two Americans headed to Malawi for Christmas break. They were two college students who were very experienced travelers. As we talked, they asked where I was headed. I told them where and why I was traveling. They were so excited to hear I was going to South Sudan. They told me they would love to visit there at some point. This got me excited and relieved the butterflies I was feeling. What God calls you to do, He equips you to do.
We arrived in Juba, South Sudan the next day after catching a connecting flight in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The good news was we arrived safely in Juba, the bad news was our five bags did not. Because a lot of people were returning home to South Sudan for the holidays and bringing lots of Christmas gifts, Ethiopian Airlines got way behind on delivering bags to South Sudan. While I sat outside the airport trying to grasp the fact that I was in a third-world country with only my Bible, a few snacks, credentials, one change of clothes, and my vitamins and malaria medication, my cousin was busy trying to see when we could expect our bags and trying to find someone who would give us a decent exchange rate. When she returned, I asked her when the Ethiopian Airlines airport administrator thought our bags would arrive. She said they were expected to arrive in 2-4 days. Typically, this would make me a bit worried (okay, a lot worried), but at this point I felt the power of prayer and realized God was in control and would provide for our needs. If I wasn't 100% sure that God called me to go on this mission trip, I would have bought a ticket for America right then. What God calls you to do, He equips you to do.
We spent a couple days in Juba at a women's drop-in shelter called Confident Children Out of Conflict. It's a center that provides girls 18 and under a safe place to hang out during the day since the streets can be dangerous. For those two days in Juba I wore the set of clothes I packed in my carry-on backpack. Wearing the same thing two consecutive days, especially in Africa, is not the most clean thing to do. The whole city is very dusty and dirty, so it doesn't take long for clothes to be covered in dirt. I also didn't have any of my toiletries, so being clean at this point wasn't really an option. If you know me well, you know I like to be very clean. I often take two showers a day and always wash my hands before I eat. Wearing the same nasty clothes for two days could have given me a bad attitude, but I was able to relax and trust that God was in control. I fully know the reason I was able to relax and not worry was because there were so many people back home praying for Jennie and me. What God calls you to do, He equips you to do.
Two days later we received our bags. The next morning we traveled to a Children's Village/orphanage in Yei, South Sudan. It was a 100 mile trip from Juba to Yei that took 6 hours and 35 minutes. The dirt roads are incredibly bad and the 15 passenger van loaded with 18 people was not moving very quickly due to all the luggage placed on top of the van. At one of the stops, my cousin informed me that the lady in front of her was vomiting. Once again, if you know me well, you know I don't handle vomit very well. Naturally, when we started moving again, I would glance over to see if she was sick. It was one of those moments when you put your hands over your eyes, but you peak through the gaps between your fingers to see if it's true. As we kept traveling, the bumpy roads continued to upset the women's stomach, and she continued to get sick. Once again, a calming peace came over me and I was able to relax. What God calls you to do, He equips you to do.
We spent five, great days in Yei. It was amazing hanging out with all the kids! There are about 120 kids at the Children's Village. Every kid just wants to be held and loved. I was blessed to meet some incredible people who encouraged me in my walk with Christ, and taught me some great truths about God's word. We celebrated Christmas day by having all the kids open gifts, and then we had church. After church we had Christmas day lunch! Christmas day lunch was a huge treat. We had rice, cabbage, fries, goat, lamb, intestines, and goat hair that had accidentally fallen into the meat while it was being prepared. While I was eating Christmas day lunch, a child had fallen off a bench and began crying hysterically. The child had eaten a little too much and couldn't catch his breath, so he started vomiting about fifteen feet from where I was sitting. One of the older guys at the village tended to the child. I looked at the child, looked at my food, and started eating the rest of my Christmas day lunch. What God calls you to do, He equips you to do.
The next day we left the Children's village and went back to Juba. As we were leaving the bus park a lady a couple rows in front of us started feeling sick. We pulled over and she got a couple bags from someone on the street. We left Yei and began the bumpy trip back to Juba. The lady was sick for at least half the trip. Once again, I felt the calming peace of prayer come over me and I was able to relax. What God calls you to do, He equips you to do.
Some of the other situations where I felt the power of prayer and God's hand upon me...
1. Having a peace during the whole trip knowing God is in control
2. Processing all the poverty in the region
3. Never getting sick from the water or food
4. Having a great attitude about some of the inconveniences that come with being in a third-world country i.e. bucket baths and latrines
5. Not running into any problems with the authorities i.e. extra and unnecessary visa charges
6. Not worrying about safety, and many other situations
In this blog I know I focused on some of the things that didn't go according to my plan. I want to be clear that this trip was amazing! The reason I pointed out some of the difficulties was because I wanted to make the point that God provides for our every need, especially when He calls us to tasks that stretch our faith. I knew without a doubt God was calling me to go on this trip. One of the things that He taught me was that no matter where I go, He is always with me. When obeying God's call, He will provide for every need that may arise. He may put you in situations that require you to lean on Him more than you usually would, but that's the point. Everything He does is designed to bring us into a deeper relationship with Him. There is NO WAY I would have made it nine days in South Sudan without God strengthening me the whole time. I have never felt the power of prayer like I did on this trip. When situations came up that would typically put me in a bad mood, the Holy Spirit gave me a great attitude about it, and strengthened me to press on.
I want to encourage any of you who may feel God's call to do something that seems impossible, or more than you think you can bear. If God is calling you to a certain task, do not ignore it. There is something incredible He wants to do through you, and probably something He wants to reveal to you, all designed to bring you into a deeper relationship with Him. What God calls you to do, He equips you to do.
