On Sunday, we follow Michael and Judith to the local church
they attend. The congregation of 50 is a mix of South-Sudanese and
international NGO staff. Some of the faces are familiar, from the Bible study I
attended on the first evening in Juba. The sermon was challenging; hearing it
was challenging too – I had taken a seat next to the air-conditioning unit
which was working overtime to cool the room. I wasn’t about to turn it down
though.
The distance between the MAF compound and the church is
short enough to walk, allowing us to experience Juba at street level. Were it
not for the masses of discarded plastic water bottles that proliferate every
empty space, the city could have a certain charm. The roads are also dominated
by vehicles that are either registered as belonging to international NGOs or
the United Nations. While these remain the major presence on the streets, they
indirectly reflect South Sudan’s underdeveloped status.
In the afternoon, I finally get a chance to justify packing
my swimming shorts and take a dip in the pool that has been set-up on the MAF
compound. The contrast from the searing heat is extremely welcome. Michael and
Judith join me soon after and collectively we reflect on the fact that we are
relaxing in a pool in one of the poorest countries of the world. It doesn’t
seem right. And yet, it doesn’t seem right that Michael is an experienced pilot
whose thousands of hours’ flying time could land him a very well paid job
elsewhere, yet he volunteers his services in one of the poorest countries in
the world. If an occasional chance to escape the heat by relaxing in a pool
means Michael and Judith are willing to stay with the MAF team longer, then
countless lives in South Sudan will directly benefit.
In the evening they invite me over to watch a documentary
about South Sudan’s ‘Lost Boys’ who fled the country to escape the violence
that was engulfing their homes during the war for independence. Scattered
around the world, the plight of this group is a powerful reminder that South
Sudan is one of the countries in the world most in need of prayer.
