Learned a new trick today, If you wrap a wet sock around your water bottle the evaporation of the water in sock cools your water. No more drinking hot water. Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. This year I have learned to pull teeth did three more teeth Saturday, repair hernias and now I have learned how to cool water without a refrigerator.
People have asked me to tell them about the Dinkas and how they live. Dinkas are a proud people they fought many years to be free and have succeeded. They are the tallest darkest Africans. They live in grass huts many have cell phones and some have small motorcycles 100-160 cc. More have bikes and a few have cars but most walk long distances. Tonj is sorta urban. As there are many homes in area and cell phone towers and a market where you can buy some things.
Probably most folk have 2-3 sets of cloths and 1-2 pairs of sandals. Some have more and some have none as in all places there are have and have nots. Most people tend cattle and do subsistence farming.Cows are wealth and men try to amass a bunch of cows they do not tend to sell them but amass them like people keep money in the bank. When a great need for money arises they sell cows .
One of the biggest uses of cows is to buy a wife from the father. Daughters bring their dads cows but fathers like sons also for pride and I am sure protection. Families often help their sons get the cows to buy a bride. I am sure the females take pride in having a high bride price. Men in this society can have more then one wife. I believe each wife and her children tend to have their own hut and the husband visits his wives. Often wives view each other as sisters and the old wives must give their OK to a new wife being brought into the family. The older wives make the newer wives do more of the work which is their payback. Dinka women love to have babies and love their children. The infant mortality rate is about 50%only 50% of children reach age 5 years.Often we meet women who have had 8 pregnancies and only have one child.
Women have no sex during pregnancy and till child is weaned at about 2 years which is one reason men feel they need more then one wife. I am told only the mother tends to hold the babies but I do not know if this is true . When the mother with triplets comes in grandma and the mother’s sister each had one. I seem to be getting along well with the Dinkas I see smiling faces constantly. As in America the 16 year old female believes she knows everything. I sometimes laugh because the 16 year old with a baby thinks she knows everything about children.I have fun with the babies I see everyday when they are not sick I play with them. Sometimes I think mothers bring in the children just so I can confirm they are OK but we take care of a lot of sick kids and they scare me. I remember the first Christmas I was here the children would die of malaria and it would kill me and the parents would try to encourage me.
One thing is where ever you go people are people we all have emotions of love, hate, frustration , fear, jealousy, generosity etc. We all have good days and bad days and we all have a tendency to goof up. We all have to learn to forgive each others faults and leave rest in God’s hands. Tom
On 15th of March 2012, 10 members from Kingdom Assignment Sudan (KAS Charity) arrived in Tonj South Sudan via Charter Flight. After the initial “culture shock” and adjustment to the weather the team got to work on the main purposes for the visit. Firstly assisting IDAT staff in the running of the medical clinic and pharmacy, secondly furthering the progress of the medical clinic build in Malony village and lastly spending time teaching 13 pastors.
Dr. Michael stick arrived in Tonj on Friday January 20th and he has been doing surgeries here in Tonj. Many patients have come from far distances to book for surgeries mainly on hernia repairs. Major surgical cases must go to Wau Hospital which is 2-3 hours drive away. Dr Stick and our medical staff together with community health workers have prepared a surgical theater that is at the government hospital. The first surgery was performed on 24th January and was a hernia repair. There are so many people in this area that need hernia repair and since we didn’t have any clinic or hospital here in Tonj which does surgery these people are very happy to have Dr Stick with us.
After decades of conflict eased, In Deed and Truth Ministries began to disciple bush pastors in Tonj, South Sudan in 2009. As part of the vision the Lord gave Sabet, most of our support and care for these men of God is in developing their level of understanding of the bible and assisting them in Kingdom work.
Many supporters have helped us in watering those seeds through pastor sponsorship and volunteer teaching. We are now witnessing amazing results of this labor of love first hand. Last year one of the pastors planted a church in a village after a patient was touched by the Holy Spirit during a daily evangelism in our medical clinic. At the end of this year our first class of 13 pastors will graduate.