On the Road Again

A letter from Nancy McGaughey serving in South Sudan

June 2015

“When you are in America, and you close your eyes, you will see this.  You will smile, you will remember us, and you will miss South Sudan.”—Emmanuel, IMA driver

On the road, in the boat, in helicopter, in the plane, by foot … the last several weeks I have been ‘on the road’ a lot!  I have been to Bor, Mingkaman, Panyagor, Poktop, Jiech, Akobo and Denjok, with many stops along the way.

First, and by far the most memorable, was a road trip to Bor, the capital of Jonglei State.  Getting to Bor was easy, the road was dry, fairly smooth, and even though we didn’t leave until afternoon, we were there by 6 pm.  The next morning I took a boat ride across the Nile to visit the reproductive health clinic at the settlement for displaced people in Mingkaman.  It was a great day to visit as they had conducted seven deliveries in the last 24 hours. The postpartum section of the tent was overflowing—and the midwives were very tired.

Full House (postpartum room after 7 deliveries)

Early the next morning we started the second leg of the trip—to Panyagor in Twic East County.  The road wasn’t as smooth as the one from Juba to Bor, or as dry.  We were to continue on to Poktop to visit John Dau Foundation clinic the following day.  People in Panyagor told us it wasn’t possible, but we decided to give it a try.  We were a convoy of two land cruisers.  I started out writing down who got stuck in the mud where, but soon lost count.  The only thing worse than getting stuck in the mud, is getting stuck and getting a flat tire at the same time.  Every time we got stuck, everyone would climb out of the two vehicles, discussing the best way for one to pull the other out.  Emmanuel, our driver, always told me, “You stay here and pray.”  Then, just before starting to pull or be pulled he would say, “Fasten your seat belt (it always was) and hold on.”  The calluses from holding on so tight are only now beginning to disappear from my hands.

Eleven hours later we pulled into the JDF compound in Poktop and I was greeted with “Mama Nancy, we didn’t think you would make it.”  A cup of hot tea (and later a shower), and we could discuss the work.  The next morning we started early to complete the work and get on the road before the rains started.  Yes, we still got stuck a few times on the way back, but not as much.  The road had dried some from the previous day, and our drivers had a better idea of which spots to avoid.  At one point Emmanuel was tired of the mud and just pulled off the road and we made our own road around the mud.  A wild ride, but we made it. We arrived in Panyagor around 2:30 p.m.  One vehicle and part of the staff stayed, and the rest of us decided to go on to Bor.

John Dau Foundation Staff in Poktop

We anticipated arriving there around 7 p.m.  But it was after 9 pm before we arrived.  It had rained; more rain resulted in more mud.  And we got stuck (only once, but we were really stuck).  A BIG truck had gone through a puddle, creating deep ruts.  But we couldn’t see that and it was our luck to land in the ruts.  We sat there, watching water rise higher and higher inside the vehicle.  We ended up with 8–10 inches of water INSIDE before the big truck came along, and after negotiating payment, agreed to pull us out.  As we sat in the water, I was able to get several nice photos of the children watching us. I returned to Juba with a new appreciation for what a land cruiser and a skillful driver can do.  And, with an increased admiration for those who live and work in these areas, often cut off during the rainy season but still remaining to serve their people.  The hardships they endure are only increased by the ongoing conflict.  We come in, with our ideas and suggestions of what should be done and how.  We stay a few days and return to our comfortable surroundings.  But they remain.  When I think of these people, I am reminded of Paul’s words to the people of Corinth, “You are an epistle of Christ…written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart”  (2 Corinthians 3:3).

And each of you are a letter of Christ—without you, your prayers and your financial support, I could not be here.  Thank you.

Please continue to uphold the people of this country in your prayers.  God bless you.
Nanc

The 2015 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 139