In Memory of Yien

Back in May, we discovered that our compound had been looted. As far as we knew, all of our workers were okay. It wasn’t until a few weeks later that we received news that our night guard, Yien, had passed away. His passing had nothing to do with the fighting in Nasir. We were told he went to sleep one night and never woke up.  Even now, as I think about it, it’s still hard to believe he’s gone. I keep expecting him to wander onto our compound in Gambella much like many other of our workers from Nasir have.

Yien--on the left

After Yien’s passing, we learned a little more about him. He had been the first Every Village “volunteer” in Nasir to manage the Hai Majak water well. Over time his position evolved and he became a paid security guard, and a good one at that.

Here are a few of my fondest memories of Yien.

Yien was a feisty little man, as most Nuer are. Every morning, as I sat on my front porch drinking my coffee, he was the first person to walk up the narrow path by our house and let out a good hearty “malE kE runwang” or good morning. Yien always had a smile on his face, and he had the best laugh.

Some mornings, I would look over at the well to see Yien in his over-sized white sports coat directing the ladies at the well. We joked that it looked like he was a maestro directing an orchestra as he was very animated in pointing, ushering and moving the ladies along in an organized fashion.

Our first week in Nasir was slightly terrifying, especially at night, for we were not aware of the security situation. The first few nights, we were awakened by the crunch of footsteps outside the house and a light reflecting off the roof. Laura would call out asking who was there. Every time, we heard the same heavy Nuer accent of Yien as he answered “security guard”.

We had a safari tent on the compound for a while that was used as a guard station, and Yien would sleep in it. One night, there was a HUGE windstorm. When we came out in the morning we discovered that the safari tent had blown across the field with Yen inside it! Yien didn’t speak English, but his acting abilities were top notch so he acted out his flying adventure. (he was okay—just some bruises--- and we all got a good laugh out of the whole situation)

Safari tent after it rolled across the field

One night, a basin was stolen from the outdoor bathing area. Yien spent the entire day investigating. That evening, he returned with an eye witness in tow. He knew who took the basin and Yien wanted justice. As custom in South Sudan, we had to pay for the police to arrest the thief.

Another time, some of our chickens escaped. We hadn’t seen them in a few days, so we just counted our losses. But then, Yien came strutting through the gate with the lost chickens. I still have no idea how he found them.

Every so often while living in Nasir, we would be out a little after dark. O man, Yien was not happy about this. He would meet us at the gate shaking his head and pointing at his watch. He really was concerned about our safety.

As I reflect on the life of Yien, even though I only knew him a short time, my heart is full of fond memories but also filled with some sadness. I am reminded of the fleetingness of human life, as well as the urgency of the Gospel. Even now, as I say good bye to friends who travel back and forth between refugee camps, I always do it as though it may be the last time we meet.