First Impressions: Friday, 13 June 2008: the Reality of Life in Sudan

I continue to try to absorb what reality is like here, especially for those who live in Sudan. Several people I have spoken with have lost parents and siblings, and have become responsible for their younger brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews. One young Ugandan man lost three brothers, and is helping to support 11 nephews and nieces. Another lost his father, and is helping his mother and younger sister.

Samuel from Uganda who's helping to raise 11 nieces and nephews

Yesterday, through a contact from Honduras, I was able to enter the compound of the UN peace-keeping forces not far from where I'm staying on the outskirts of town. We were hoping they would lend us a forklift to place a large metal container on blocks, but unfortunately that piece of equipment is not kept here locally. It is amazing to see how much depends on the UN, foreign aid and NGOs here. The diocese has loaned parcels of land to several of them, and so on one side of us is Caritas Switzerland, and on the other side is Catholic Relief Services. Down the road is Norwegian Church Aid, right next to the Lutheran World Federation.

I met with the bishop again briefly yesterday, and he described some of the atrocities experienced during the war. There is a two-week workshop taking place right now at the diocesan center downtown on trauma counseling, being given by some Kenyans from Nairobi. Hopefully it will help contribute to the healing that needs to take place here.

In a few minutes I will walk downtown where I hope to be able to visit the prison. Tomorrow I'm supposed to visit the village where the fighting took place last week, and which was - tragically - burned to the ground by the army in retaliation for the death of the soldiers that took place. I've learned a little more about what took place there, which I hope to share with you after the trip. On Sunday I'm scheduled to celebrate and preach at the Mass in English downtown.