East Africa Day 17 (Mon May 30): Sudan, all of the time.

I finished the first half of “They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky” before falling asleep last night. The book tells the true stories of three of the Lost Boys of Sudan, beginning from when they were little boys living with their parents in South Sudan, and continuing on into their efforts to escape the invasion of the south by the government forces from the north. Last night as I slept, I walked those paths myself. I woke up this morning, got onto the internet on my netbook thanks to Wa (oh, yes more internet problems – this time, my modem doesn’t want to let me add more air time and my modem SIM card won’t allow anyone to “top it up” by inserting it into a cell phone), and checked the news about Sudan. Signed a petition addressed to President Obama, asking him to take a stronger stand against the northern government’s invasion of the south. Women and children fleeing from their villages on foot. The UN, NGO’s and missionaries have moved out of the Abyei town, at the heart of the conflict. I’m back to the book again tonight, hoping to finish it so that I can start another book about the Lost Boys, “What is the What”. Yes, I’m one of those Americans reading about Africa in Africa, wishing that I could do more than read about what has alreadyhappened, and what is taking place as I write this tonight.

On a much lighter note, Ruth who manages the kitchen came into the office this afternoon to meet with Wa. I loved her t-shirt, and fortunately had my camera on my desk! I took this one specifically for Julie Lawson and Laurens Kraal.