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MISSION TO SUDAN
Day 1

Its Wednesday 8th may 2008; a hot humid day to be in the great riftvalley.The mission car has some gitters and we have to change both rear springs for the journey ahead is going to be a rough one snaking through kericho, eldoret onwards to kitale where we will retire for the night

I am privileged to be traveling with two of the most seasoned missionaries in Kenya or should I say Africa….hmmh.this will be quite an experience….I think to myself as the mechanic tightens the last bolt on the wheel…..

Its 4.30pm and judging by the state of the road ahead, the earliest we can get in kitale is 10pm and true to the state of the road, we get to kitale at 11pm[okey,the 10pm target was pushing it a little far-I should say.

I drag my worn-out muscles in bed after a shower and hope to rise early for the next part of the journey. Its 12.07pm, good night.

Day 2 s

After breakfast and running some errands, we leave for kakuma from kitale at 10am.

The road is dreadfully tiring to say the least if not agonizing. The semblance of a road is purely designed for the wear and tear of a vehicle. The 296 km stretch to lodwar is long and rough and to say the least, and not secure.

We give a lift to a local pokot man who narrates the challenges of water and transport in the area.

We arrive in lodwar at around 6.30pm and take a break before we embark on the final leg for today’s journey which takes us to kakuma. We arrive here at around 9.40pm

We chat along at missionary Wilson’s home then we retire to bed at around 11 after

Day 3

It’s a very hot Friday morning at kakuma and the night was a sweaty one with temperatures going as high as 30 degrees celcius.At some point in history, the refugee camp here was one of the largest with about 200,000 people.

The breakfast at Wilson’s is delightful and we take a while to share our missionary experiences at a point which Wilson shares of his intention to start a vocational training for the local turkana people. Currently he is helping in drilling of water wells with Nehemiah construction ministries as they show the Jesus film translated in turkana to the locals.
Thereafter we take to the road again heading to lokichogio, the border town before we enter Sudan.

At the border point, we have to await a convoy of cars for security reasons before we cross into southern Sudan. The no-man’s land in-between is occupied by a people called the ‘truposa’ who kill at will to express their dissatisfaction at what they term ‘non recognition’.

The border experience is a tiring experience for the road traveler and is a sure test of patience and courtesy. Today in particular, it was a test of faith. At one point we were turning back to Kenya after running out of resources-monetary speaking. The entry fees are exorbitant and unnecessary and the immigration officials lacking in people skills. In the end, we had to part with 12k instead of 17k.The reprieve came after much consultations and common sense approach open talking.

I’m increasingly being tested of my faith and stretched to a maximum on my patience being reminded that missionary field work requires a heart-so self sacrificial at times it looks like stupidity to the commoner. Missions do indeed need God himself, yet in my opinion, every day gives less and less missionaries.

Today my faith was tested; our faith was tested and stretched and I can only hope and pray Almighty God found us faithful.
The rest of the road to kapueta is less rough though not tarmacked and we get here at around 5pm and report straight to the police with whom we have a slow exchange because of partial language barrier. Finally, we are through with them after we meet with the local missionary for Elim Pentecostal church, pastor Alphayo whom after pleasantries we give the rice, maize meal and bibles for his assembly

We then go to the wells water campsite to take a shower, have some dinner and retire to sleep before we meet the local pastor again tomorrow for a last talk and the we will be off back to Kenya….today will be an early one. Its 10.46pm. I’m in Sudan; southern Sudan to be precise in a town about 250km north of Kenya and I am loving this mission experience. Usiku mwema: good night.

DAY 4

After a good night’s rest, we wake up in the morning to meet up with pastor Alphayo.
Pastor Alphayo runs a primary school and a feeding programme for the children at the school with the support of the world food programme and the government of southern Sudan.

He takes us round the school which has to make do with tents and tree shade to cater for the ever growing number of school children.

After sharing ideas and talking for a while, we leave for Kenya because our time here is up. We have gathered enough information for planning and making a second trip probably in the course of the year.

We get to lokichogio and have some lunch before we head on to missionary Wilson’s place in Kakuma for the night. Tomorrow is Sunday, the final day for this mission before we start up for home on Monday morning at around 4.00am.

This has indeed been an eventful mission and the information gathered will definitely guide in strategic planning and logistics for the years to come.

Posted by Africamissions on 2008-07-23 05:09:46 | Rating: