Traveling Beyond Mundri

Over the last few weeks we have ventured outside of the greater Mundri area to learn and see how God is at work in South Sudan. Rainy season is ending so the roads are drying out, but I was still VERY thankful for our tan Land Cruiser, the winch, and low 4-wheel drive.

This is another longer post that could have been three separate posts. Hopefully the mega post won't become a habit... I did divide this post into three sections by town, so hopefully that will help all of you who are reading. I hope you enjoy the details of our travels.

GARIA:

Our first trip was to Garia which is about 30 miles outside of Mundri town. It took us a little over two hours to reach this rural community.

One of the teachers from Mundri Secondary School called Suleman that I know well was our guide. Garia is his home place, and many of the people we met were his relatives.

Since I'm guessing you won't be able to make out the words in the compressed picture, the sign reads "Garia Medewe Farmers Group Association: Agricultural economic empowerment for Garia Medewe Boma Community for better livelihood improvement".

The people living in Garia have been blessed with incredibly fertile land. I was so encouraged by the things I saw and heard during our day in Garia. I was thankful for the warm welcome we received. I was also thankful for the friendships I have made during the two years I have been living in Mundri. I am thankful that my friends have been willing to take the time to tell us about their work and invite us into their families.

When we arrived after a long drive, we were served very fresh boiled cassava and hibiscus tea. Yum! We sat in a circle and went through the introductions, we prayed, and we listened as the men in this farmers group told us about the work they are doing and how it has impacted their families and the community.

To be a part of this farming group you must first agree to farm at least 4 feddans (close to 4 acres) individually to provide food for their family. The land farmed as a group is in addition to providing the basics for your family. The crops from this group farm will be sold and the profits can be used for community improvement, to provide food for community celebrations or funerals, to help a family who has suffered a tragedy, etc.

We also visited a privately owned farm in Garia where 2 square kilometers is being farmed. The community of Garia leased 25 square kilometers of fertile land to a business man. Part of their agreement includes the stipulation that this businessman will pay salaries for several teachers from Uganda for the local primary school. There is also a monetary part of the lease, but the community of Garia is using the resource that they have, fertile land, to improve education, health care, and other public goods. Another 25 square kilometer parcel is in the process of being leased with the condition than the businesswoman will pay the salary for a clinical officer for the health center.

The men shared that one of their biggest challenges is the road to Garia. We had just experienced that challenge ourselves. It is very hard for them to get their crops to market. Rather than waiting for the government to fix the road (which is in the plans, but South Sudan has A LOT of roads in need of improvement and with a brand new nation the process may be slow) or appealing to outside donors, this community has contacted other communities along the road and they have made plans to work together to improve the road themselves.

In Moru culture, if you are visitor, you do not typically bring a gift, but you leave with a gift to take home to your family. We left Garia with a bounty of pumpkins, cassava, and maize! We were truly thankful for the generous gifts.

I praise God for a great visit to Garia.

As for our own journey, we only got stuck in the mud once, which was amazing considering the condition of the roads to Garia. Caleb took this picture just before setting up the winch to pull us out.

KAJO-KEJI:

A few days later we started our 5 day journey to Kajo-Keji and Juba.

It took us about 11 hours to reach Kajo-Keji from Mundri. Let me tell you that the whole day spend in the Land Cruiser on very bad roads gives you quite a core workout as you are using all your stabilizing muscles to try and keep from banging your head against the side of the car.

We had to ford several rivers. I kept thinking of Oregon Trail. =) In the picture above you can see the man-made stone ford.

We came upon this refrigerated truck stuck in the mud. There were many moments when we came to stretch of road like this one and stopped lock the hubs for low 4 wheel drive then looked for the most recent tire tracks and make a choice...left or right... We choose left in this case and made it through with Michael's skillful driving.

The weather in Kajo-Keji was beautiful. There were mountains and it was cool. I even wore a light jacket in the mornings and evening.

We were welcomed by the Bishop of Kajo-Keji and the coordinator of the PAP (Participatory Awakening Process) Program which they call CCMP (Church Community Mobilization Process) in Kajo-Keji.

We got to meet many people whose lives and families were changed by the Bible based training which helps people to identify the God-given resources available to them and work for the development of their families and communities. The former Bishop of Kajo-Keji pictured above showed us his pineapple farm which he started after he participated in some of the trainings. He has been able to build a latrine on his compound and start building a permanent house made of concrete blocks with a tin roof from the profits of his pineapple farm and the other projects he has started as a result of the training.

We came to Kajo-Keji with Salah Reuben, the PAP (Participatory Awakening Process) Coordinator for Mundri. Salah has started these trainings in the Mundri Diocese. We traveled to Kajo-Keji to learn from communities where the program has been going on for over two years and has been very successful. Check out an old blog post about Salah and PAP if you want to hear more.

We also got to have some great conversations with the Bishop of Kajo-Keji and consult on some water projects he is planning. We met the principal of the local Bible College and learned about the church microfinance institution from the two men have been running the program.

I liked this picture of a pineapple just beginning to form, so I thought I would share it with you as well. We saw beautiful things in Kajo-Keji, enjoyed the cool weather, but most of all heard stories of God at work in the lives of men and women.

JUBA:

After two days in Kajo-Keji we continued to Juba to do some errands and have a few meetings. I can't even describe what it feels like the moment you transition from the dirt road where you have been tossed to and fro for the last 5 hours to the paved roads of Juba. The car is quiet, not by American standards since the diesel Land Cruiser is no hybrid, but after hearing the tools and luggage being bounced around for hours, it is a beautiful thing for your ears and muscles to have a break on the newly paved roads of a growing city.


South Sudan is getting its own country code for telephones (+211). Billboards around town show advertisements from companies proud to be operating in a new nation.

I was so thankful to have a tour of Juba University while we were visiting. Most of the students in my class at Mundri Secondary School hope to attend Juba University. Registration for next school year was happening while we got our tour, and I ran into several prospective students that I know from Mundri. A senior lecturer from the university who is Moru by tribe and is related to many of our friends graciously answered our questions and gave us a tour of the campus.

We ate great food in Juba overlooking the Nile river. Larissa and I took this roommate picture on the bank on the Nile. Yesterday I realized that I will be leaving Mundri in less than a month. I am sad to moving out of the house I have shared with Larissa for the last year and half.

Riding home to Mundri the car we pretty packed. We did some shopping in Juba for things you can't find in Mundri and got a lot of AMAZING produce. Mangoes were in season in Juba. We also got pineapples, green beans, zucchini, apples, and lots of other things we don't find often in Mundri. We also got three oscillating fans since ours died a few weeks ago and dry season is well on its way in Mundri.

On our way out of Juba, Michael checked prices for construction supplies now available more readily in Juba. Juba is growing.

It was a great 5 day trip across South Sudan. I am thankful for all your prayers.