Back in Torit

I flew from Nairobi to Juba on Monday, October 12. There was a little suspense the night before because I couldn't reach anyone in Torit by phone to let them know I was coming and needed a ride. I finally got through to Willie Kamau, who works in the communications office. He was actually in Juba for a workshop and made the necessary arrangements for me to get picked up. Thanks Willie! (He reads the blog.)

I'm now in the midst of the major psychological reorientation and physiological adjustment to life in Sudan. Don't get me wrong; I'm very happy to be back! But it's still a significant shift in gears. There was some adjustment to arriving in Nairobi. There are some things commonly found in the US that just aren't available there. There can be minor inconveniences, like the internet going down or power outages. But Nairobi is a modern city with a very agreeable climate - a gentle transition from the US. Sudan is in a different category all together.

The first thing that hits you, literally, is the heat when you disembark from the plane in Juba. It's like opening an oven door. The day I arrived, though, was beautiful, blue-skied and green - they've been getting rain west of Torit - but still really hot. I was touched by the deference of the customs officials, who let me through with all my boxes and bags without question when I told them I was serving with the Diocese of Torit. One of the officials was a Catholic who often attends Mass in Torit Town. Similarly, the two luggage attendants who helped me move everything to the curb - obviously men struggling to make a living - refused a small offering because I was a priest. "God will bless me for helping you," one of them said.

Iga, one of the drivers for the diocese, picked me up in the bishop's vehicle. Another moment when I knew I was back in Sudan came when we began to run into pond-size potholes/puddles in the middle of the very rough road. Along the way we saw signs of three over turned tractor trailers, several vehicles stuck in the mud and a few flat tires; we were able to help repair at least one of those.

I arrived in Torit in time to celebrate Mass with the youth group, for whom the bishop has been celebrating Mass on Monday evenings since my departure. It was great to see Dennis (the Ugandan lay missionary) and the other core members of the group. Later in the evening as I was unpacking and sorting I received a surprise visit from Tom Purekal, a young man whom I knew as a volunteer serving at an orphanage on the north coast of Honduras several years ago, and who now works for Catholic Relief Services and was just assigned to South Sudan a couple of months ago.

The next day I met and got caught up with Dennis on all the happenings with the youth group. We checked out the new construction on Mercy House (see photos below) and managed to get the electricity from the town generator reconnected (it had been cut off several weeks ago). In the evening, Bishop Akio returned from his visit to the Imagong-Ikotos area. We were able to chat briefly and I will meet with him more formally in a few days. We made tentative plans for targeted hunger relief efforts in the coming weeks for four of the hardest hit communities using the donations I received for that purpose.

Below are photos of the new construction on Mercy House. It is about two-thirds roofed, with reinforced brick supports above the structural walls and new wooden rafters in between. Much of the outside of the house has been plastered with cement.