..... cfr sudan mission: First Impressions: Friday, 5 June 2008: Discoveries

The entire small city of Torit is powered by a common generator, and many of the compounds are powered by their own smaller generators. There is no national power grid in Southern Sudan. Similarly, there is no municipal water supply or sewage system, there are only wells (individual and public) and latrines. Speaking of satellites, it's interesting to note that the satellite dishes are pointed almost horizontally toward the north; that's how far south we are here. The stars are amazingly clear and numerous at night, and you can see them all the way down to the horizon. The Big Dipper almost scrapes the northern horizon, and I'm not sure the North Star is even visible.

The manual pump well at the Bishop's residence

Yesterday afternoon I decided to go for a walk around the ruins of the old cathedral. It was damaged beyond repair by the shock of a bomb that fell (but did not explode) just behind it, and by explosives detonated by the northern army in its front pillars.

Exterior of Torit Cathedral

Interior of Torit Cathedral

I went into the cathedral and was surprised to find a mentally ill, almost completely unclothed young man of about 18, covered with dust and lying on the steps into the sanctuary. I wasn't able to do much for him except give him a few articles of clothing and some power bars I had with me, which I'm not sure he even ate because they probably didn't taste very good to him. The combined effect of seeing the cathedral church in such a terrible condition, and of seeing the living temple of God, the body of that young man, so badly scarred with lesions was disturbing.

Mentally ill young man in sanctuary of cathedral

I continued my walk down a path behind the cathedral as the afternoon got late and I'm not sure whether I felt like I was in a dream or a movie. The low sun shed it's golden light on all the tropical foliage in the descending lowlands that stretch out for miles before coming to the mountains that encircle them in the distance. Exotic birds were singing in the background, while exotic insects crawled on the ground. I passed several tiny villages of round grass huts called tukuls, women carrying firewood, men hoeing the fields and finally came to a mango tree patch through which a wide stream ran, in which a few people were swimming after the heat of the day.

Village behind the Cathedral on the way to the river

The river which passes through Torit

Earlier in the day I felt I was in a different kind of movie as I exchanged money in the Nile Savings Bank downtown. Everyone was on their lunchbreak outside when we arrived, but they opened back up when they saw us. I was treated to professional wrestling with Arabic subtitles, apparently being broadcast out of Kuwait, while I was waiting. The 2003 bill I exchanged received 5% less Sudanese pounds that the 2006 bill I exchanged. I'm not sure why, but they obviously prefer newer bills.

Nile Savings Bank, downtown Torit

That movie resumed with dinner in the evening at which one of the dishes consisted of what might be called antloaf or termite burger. White ants/termites from nearby mounds are caught as they swarm around the lights at night, seasoned, boiled, mashed and served (I'm not joking). Although I was told the dish was very tasty, I politely declined. Perhaps I'll be able to muster the gumption to try it before I leave. I did share with the other folks at the dinner table that there are people whom I know in the US who would freak out about something like that. I have concluded that there are some people who just wouldn't do well here.

This morning I met with a local Sudanese priest who's organizing the Church's children's activities in Torit. His personal story is incredibly painful. Because of the war he had to study in the north in Khartum and was not able to keep in touch with his family. On the day the seminary was beginning the celebration of the Jubilee Year 2000 he received a letter from his sister telling him that both his parents and his brother had died since he had left home. His father and brother died in incidents related to the war, and his mother - who had suffered from leprosy - died from the trauma of losing her husband and son. I was at a total loss as to how to respond. Later in the afternoon I was able to be with him for the daily activities that the Holy Childhood association sponsors on the ample grounds surrounding the parish church in the center of town. I should mention that the church itself (distinct from the old cathedral near which I'm staying) was also badly damaged during the war. It has no roof, and the congregation sits outside under the trees and some provisional roof structures for Mass. I saw children in kindergarten receiving classes in the open-roofed structure, huddling near the walls for shade. On the grounds of this church, every afternoon Monday to Friday from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. about 250 children and another 50 adults gather to practice for the choir or African dance or altar serving or to play soccer or gather as scouts. It was amazing to see so much going on all at the same time! At the end of the activity the German missionary, Daniel, whom I had met on the flight from Nairobi, tracked me down and invited me to lunch tomorrow with his fellow missionary, Toby.