Wounded in Battle

Soon after returning to Gambella, we were informed that there had been more fighting in Nasir. Some of the wounded of the White Army (rebel army) had been brought to the Gambella hospital for treatment.

Here, and in a good portion of Africa, if you go to the hospital all that is provided in regard to accommodations is a place to lie—if you’re lucky you may get a bed with a mattress, but nothing else. Your family is responsible for providing linens, food, and taking care of you---keeping you clean, aiding you in using the facilities, etc.

Since the wounded were not from Gambella, many of them had no family here to take care of them. We soon found out that many of the local churches had banded together to raise money for food, and the women of the church were cooking for the wounded. Each day, many of our friends would go together to the hospital to visit the men. This was so encouraging to see the local church reaching out to care for those in need.

One of these days, Jared, Laura and I went along with them. When we arrived at the hospital, we were taken through three wards, two of which were previously tuberculosis wards that had been converted to accommodate the wounded. All three wards were packed full of those wounded in the fighting. There was also a surgical ward nearby that was very active.

The rooms were damp, dirty, poorly lit, and there was no privacy. A musty odor filled through the room as a result of the stench of human excrement, soiled linens, and a leaky roof.

Seeing the degree of some of the wounds was a lot to take in: men wincing in pain as they gasped to take their next breath; those with freshly amputated limbs; some were so weak that they could barely move; family and friends sitting by the unconscious, waiting anxiously for the moment when they would awake. 

As I looked around I realized that some of these men were really just boys no older than 15.

Before coming here, I had just heard stories of fighting. Seeing this glimpse of the effects of the war really hit me hard. This fighting is real. People are dying. Families are being torn apart.

My heart is so burdened for the South Sudanese people. Many of them I now consider my family. I pray a lasting peace comes soon. 

A Whistle or a Chicken?

One afternoon, I went to visit a friend’s house. Ben, the middle Pierce child, decided to go with me. After visiting for a while, we left and went to the thuk mitot (or small market) to grab a few things. Ben is a super hard worker and is always looking for ways to earn money. When he earns money, he then of course has to find a way to spend it.

As we walked through the thuk mitot, I could tell Ben was on the lookout for something. When I asked him what it was, he simply told me he had some money and wanted to buy something fun….maybe a whistle.

We stopped at many different shops, and finally found a whistle. As Ben was weighing his color options, a boy walked up to make a purchase, and I noticed that he was holding a rooster. I jokingly made a comment about Ben buying the rooster. However, Ben did not see this as a joke; his eyes immediately lit up and he enthusiastically said that was a great idea. As we began to negotiate a price with the boy, I remembered how noisy our roosters were in Nasir and also that roosters don’t only crow in the morning, but all day long. I didn’t want to give him the okay to buy the rooster without asking his parents, so we asked the boy to follow us home to get an answer.

Unfortunately for Ben (and fortunately for the rest of us who like sleep), when we arrived home Jared and Keisha said no to the rooster. However, they did say that he could buy a chicken since they are not as loud.  Arrangements were made with the boy to bring back a chicken. A few days later the boy showed up with Ben’s chicken tucked under his arm.

I am sad to report that his chicken only stayed with us one day before flying over the fence and getting lost….No worries though, the Pierce kids now have a mama goat, Nana Montana and her baby,  Himalayas. I’m sure the two of them will bring about many more stories!