It’s been seven months since I arrived in South Sudan. To be completely honest my last blog post was titled It’s Been Six Months, but it sat blank in Microsoft Word for a month, so you’re left with an extra month of events. Many things have changed over the months, and yet many things have stayed the same. My duties started as a teacher and webmaster, and have evolved into stints as a summer camp leader, football player/coach/referee, parish assistant, computer specialist, nurse, sacristan, and now a big new position (read on). Community members and visitors have come and gone. The weather has changed from rainy to extreme heat, and back to rainy again. Clothes are dirty and stained. But overall, my mission is still the same.
One of the big reasons I have not written lately is because of my big news. About a month and a half ago I was asked to be the Head of the Computer Department at the Vocational Training Centre (similar to a technical college in the US) on our compound that is opening next week. It’s no coincidence that was the last time I blogged. To say thing have been busy is an understatement. I have been organizing the computer lab and doing administrative work in preparation for the school year. In addition to being at VTC from 8-5, the prenovices had exams three weeks ago, so during that time I created and graded the exams. Starting Monday, I will begin teaching classes in basic computer operations, Word, Excel, etc, and my prenovitiate teaching responsibilities now belong to Luke.
Though I have been very busy at the VTC, I have really enjoyed my time there. It is so amazing to have prospective students come in and tell me how excited they are for the opportunity to learn a skill and advance their life. However, there have been plenty of heartbreaking stories. Many have no birth certificate or identification, and have no idea when they were born or how old they are. The vast majority has school certificates from Uganda or Kenya, often from refugee camps. Still others don’t have the money to pay for the school fees, which is only about $100 USD for the entire year. It is a constant, and much need reminder of where the country and people have been in the past, and where they hope to be in the future. It has been very difficult to find the balance between being compassionate with them and their situation, and upholding the same standards of admission for everyone.
The new and exciting is gone for the most part, and I have really settled into the daily routine. Things that once were part of being in a new culture have turned into difficulties and frustrations. But no matter how challenging some of the days are, each day there is a moment where I am filled with pure joy and from the children, whether it is from a smile or a shout from across the grounds. I am always reminded of the reason I came – to “Find Christ In the Face of a Child.”
I will hopefully do another mailbag in the near future, and maybe it will push me to write something sooner. Some upcoming questions to be answered include: What is your favorite food over there? & In many areas of poverty you see many homeless dogs running around. Are there a lot there? What other animals roam the streets?
One of the big reasons I have not written lately is because of my big news. About a month and a half ago I was asked to be the Head of the Computer Department at the Vocational Training Centre (similar to a technical college in the US) on our compound that is opening next week. It’s no coincidence that was the last time I blogged. To say thing have been busy is an understatement. I have been organizing the computer lab and doing administrative work in preparation for the school year. In addition to being at VTC from 8-5, the prenovices had exams three weeks ago, so during that time I created and graded the exams. Starting Monday, I will begin teaching classes in basic computer operations, Word, Excel, etc, and my prenovitiate teaching responsibilities now belong to Luke.
Though I have been very busy at the VTC, I have really enjoyed my time there. It is so amazing to have prospective students come in and tell me how excited they are for the opportunity to learn a skill and advance their life. However, there have been plenty of heartbreaking stories. Many have no birth certificate or identification, and have no idea when they were born or how old they are. The vast majority has school certificates from Uganda or Kenya, often from refugee camps. Still others don’t have the money to pay for the school fees, which is only about $100 USD for the entire year. It is a constant, and much need reminder of where the country and people have been in the past, and where they hope to be in the future. It has been very difficult to find the balance between being compassionate with them and their situation, and upholding the same standards of admission for everyone.
The new and exciting is gone for the most part, and I have really settled into the daily routine. Things that once were part of being in a new culture have turned into difficulties and frustrations. But no matter how challenging some of the days are, each day there is a moment where I am filled with pure joy and from the children, whether it is from a smile or a shout from across the grounds. I am always reminded of the reason I came – to “Find Christ In the Face of a Child.”
I will hopefully do another mailbag in the near future, and maybe it will push me to write something sooner. Some upcoming questions to be answered include: What is your favorite food over there? & In many areas of poverty you see many homeless dogs running around. Are there a lot there? What other animals roam the streets?
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