Leaning Into Peace

Hope all is well and things going great. Appreciate your notes and in time will respond personally.

We are doing amazingly well—everybody healthy and taking things in stride. We’ve learned that the “bombs” dropping on our tin roof are only mangoes! And, with expert advice we all know have about 3 different ways to go at eating them! Albert, you would be proud of us! I’ve always avoided mangoes because I never could slice them well. No longer!!!

On Wednesday we went out to Amuru—not time to walk through the camps and we hadn’t arranged to walk through buildings, but it was a great opportunity to see it overall. The land is more beautiful than I remembered, the people very, very poor and what’s tremendously hopeful is that there is a new town building up as this is a new government district. The town has one beautiful building complete—administration—and a health center, water dept. etc. in process. This is all in stark contrast to the huts around. The current pastor has looked at some 30 acres of land that will be available to the church for a new church or other development.

From what I can read and see, about half the population of the various camps have returned home to try to rebuild villages. Some fear rides just below the surface as the people have lived so long with this war. The bishops and priests here are trying to encourage the people as they feel that the potential for all to be well is much higher than for anything to turn around again. In our Trauma work Team Africa did last summer we had the story about a woman who had run out of any food and then put on a pot of stones to boil for her hungry children as she went out in the bush to see if she couldn’t find something. Leaning into peace is more productive than waiting for war.

We have also visited Lacor Hospital which I appreciate much more this round. Toured it in 2004 and the stark contrast to our hospitals was so overwhelming that I didn’t see anything else. Earlier in the week we went to Barogal to see the child mothers and look at the progress on the clinic our CSJ’s are building. We were late so we missed most of the child mothers but will see them Tuesday if not Monday when we go to Plumpy’nut. The clinic is coming along.

We now have a driver! This really helps us feel like we can start managing ourselves a little. His name is Olanya George and he’s very pleasant. He actually did the driving to Amuru [with Fr. Santo] and since, he’s taken us to town and various places. Amuru took about 1 and ½ hours but I think it’s only about 30 miles. The first third or so is on the Juba Road which is terrible because of all the lorries that go to the Sudan [just keep rutting the road] but the last 2/3 rd’s isn’t so bad.

Electricity went out today but came on again this evening. Most of the pieces and parts of our little cottage are now functioning pretty well. Staff here are really nice and quite skilled.

We have our own post office box now—think it’s 409—don’t have the key yet as they still had to change the lock. Will confirm later. We have done a little banking business and are treated very well. Actually, privileged, but right now it’s extremely helpful.

We might take a little trip to Murchison Falls next week before Fr. Santo leaves so that Monica and Pat Haire will have a chance to see it.

Monica is concentrating on St. Jude’s Orphanage; Pat H. on Mary Immaculate School where she will start some group sessions Sat. The rest of us are still feeling our way for the work of the next two months.

Thanks so much for your prayers and know that you are remembered in ours.

Love,Marion