A lot has happened since my last post, and you would think that it would give me lots to write about, which on one hand it does, but on the other hand it has meant that I have been super busy. Two weeks ago I got back from my R&R in Kenya where I was able to spend some time with my parents and cousins which was great fun. We went go-carting for my birthday and tried to crash each other into the tire walls. I was also able to go up to Rift Valley Academy, my former high school, where I spent a few days hanging out with two of my former classmates who are on staff as well as with some former teachers. It was good to go back and see how much has changed and to realize how much I have changed since my time there. It was also nice to spend some time in the pottery room working on some coffee mugs, which is something I really enjoy doing.
When I got back here there was a lot of work waiting for me. Angelo, our program manager, went to the states as I came back from Kenya which left me in charge. We are currently finishing up a building project at the hospital while also trying to start one at a school in town. At the same time we are also running our usual projects around town. A few days after I got back I had to travel north for an important government meeting as well as to purchase some supplies for our compound. When I returned our school had its closing ceremony which I needed to attend so that I could give a speech on behalf of our organization. The next day I was invited to give another speech at a neighboring school that was also closing. As you may have guessed, Sudanese love speeches.
The second speech day was also Thanksgiving. We were able to get a turkey from Kenya and I am quite proud to say that I successfully figured out how to cook it in our small gas oven. We had a few guests over to celebrate, and in spite of the speech giving, we were able to take most of the day off. I celebrated by taking a nap in the 100 degree heat in my hammock on the porch. I would have willingly shared some of my heat with many of you farther north suffering in the cold!
Last Friday brought about some big changes to our compound. I traveled south to our farm project and as I was returning I noticed a large column of smoke in the distance. It seemed to be coming from the direction of our compound and I thought that perhaps it was the hill behind our compound burning, because it still had a lot of dry grass on it. A few minutes later I received a frantic call from one of my colleagues urging me to get back to our compound as it was on fire. I rushed back as fast as the bumpy road would allow and arrived to see smoke rising from all corners of our compound. I ran past our burning fence and arrived in time to watch one of our tukols finish burning to the ground. I walked around a bit dazed for a few minutes and utterly overwhelmed; almost all of our fence was burned down, we had lost two tukols, three latrines, two storerooms and we had many fuel drums that burned for hours. We fought out the remaining fire on the fences as it traveled near to the tukols but stayed far from the fuel storeroom as it went up in a blaze of Av-gas, Diesel, Petrol and Jet-A One. At one point a cylinder of Acetylene, which is used for gas welding, exploded causing quite a stir among those of us watching.
As a team, my colleagues and I gathered to give thanks to our King that no one was injured. The fire had come with a fierce wind that was essentially unstoppable and in so many ways it was a miracle that no one was injured. We do not understand why things like this happen but we do know that God is in control. Throughout this ordeal it has been amazing to revel in the grace God has given me in dealing with this situation. He has given me strength and wisdom when I have needed them and provided patience and the will to persevere.
Below you’ll find some pictures of the fire. Most of them are from colleagues (David Bock and Sammy Muraya) who were able to get pictures before our compound was on fire and during the attempts to put it out. The pictures from the day after the fire are mine.
The fire came from the north-west and went up the hill next to us.
Pushed by a strong wind it also approached our compound.
Once the fence was on fire, the wind carried the fire toward our storerooms.
It also carried it toward our tukols. Mine is the one in the middle of these burning fences.
The wind pushed the fire from one fence to another. (All our fences were made of grass.)
The wind pushed the fire from one of the fences onto our doctor's tukol.
I had been visiting our farm and arrived quite overwhelmed.
We had a several barrels of fuel that caught fire. Not to mention many empty barrels of Jet-A One.
We lost several quad-bikes in the fire.
We gathered to give thanks that no one was hurt.
This was our fuel storeroom.
Quadbike
Latrine
Looking at the hill.
Gaurd Tukol.
Generator/Welder
Looking at our compound from the burned hill.
The fence.
Blown up Acetylene tank.
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