Seeking God's Peace in Africa

The good pictures are by Micah Albert who was on this trip with us.

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your prayers—I am safely back from Sudan, and one week later I am working on my fourth draft of this letter…. But how to explain Sudan?

I stood on top of the wreckage of a MIG 23 fighter jet that had been shot down during Sudan’s decades-long civil war. As I surveyed the craft now mutilated as if the object of continual vengeance of every Sudanese boy who walks by, I couldn’t help marveling at the tremendous human effort that went into this machine. I don’t know the details, but I can assume that hundreds of engineers, scientists, and researchers, plus millions of dollars went into building a machine that was designed to kill. Tremendous cost and human effort went into a machine used to shoot Dinka tribesmen, women and children, to drop bombs on villages, hospitals and schools…

During our time in Sudan we heard a lot of stories. Everyone has their own war story from a 22 year conflict that began in 1983 when the Arab-controlled government of Sudan imposed Muslim Sharia Law on the African, Christian South. When the regional southern government was dissolved, several rebel groups began fighting for an independent Sudan. The result was a war of modern weapons being used against African villagers. Elizabeth tells her story of walking with three friends when they decided to rest. Elizabeth decided to leave them briefly to see her uncle. Minutes later Antinov bombers arrived, and while she hid in a hole, her friends died on the open Bor plains. Abraham is a “Lost Boy” who ran from the bombs in the middle of the night. He told of his journey on foot, at night, to Ethiopia hundreds of miles away, only to be attacked in the refugee camp by armored vehicles and driven back into the Sudanese conflict.

So it is into this country that ELI is trying to bring empowerment. We chartered a small plane to bring us in, that was forced to land on an unintended airstrip due to bad weather. No matter, we were warmly welcomed anyway, by people who were not expecting us, and whom we had never met. Shortly after they gave us tea and prepared places for us to sleep, Stephen Reech, the Sudanese ELI director arrived with a flatbed truck to take us “home.” We said our goodbye’s to our new friends, and then spent the next couple hours bumping along a dirt road past innumerable homesteads of returning refugees. Their houses are grass thatched with short 3 foot mud walls. Also in the compound is a luak, a giant grass house made to shelter their cows, the main livelihood of the Dinka Tribe.

The ELI compound has three projects right now, all at various points of construction. First, is an agricultural training center (incomplete) being built to empower people through growing food. This is a difficult task as the Sudanese have not enjoyed enough stability to cultivate for over 20 years. Second, is a home for orphans (one building has walls and roof, not finished). The third is an elementary school—which was my primary interest, and my reason for coming. It is nothing but a roof so far, but it is well-attended by over 120 kids in grade 1-4. Obviously, in a country without infrastructure, education is only recently available, so there are very few children in the upper grades. On the day we counted we found 80 in 1^st grade, 26 in 2^nd, 12 in 3^rd, and 5 in 4^th. There are 100 more students enrolled but not present, as they are off caring for the cattle. The students sit in the dirt under the roof of their wall-less school learning numbers, letters, and reading off of the blackboard.

In these conditions I was amazed by the dedication of the teachers—4 high school graduates who all completed their studies in refugee camps outside of Sudan. I spent time talking with them, providing some teacher training, and also teaching in the school. The thermometer read over 120 F when I completed teaching a lesson on factors to 4^th grade by dividing piles of rocks in the sand. I was amazed by their desire for education.

I visited 2 other schools during my time in Sudan, and found the conditions the same: unfinished, unfurnished schools, packed to capacity. One school had 70 1^st graders in a classroom, and another 70 outside under a tree. The day before I left I was able to go into Bor town with Kiptoo, a Kenyan nurse (Jen’s supervisor at the clinic) where we bought 10 boards—the first furniture for this school.

I could go on and on about Sudan. Maybe if I ever get around to updating my blog I’ll tell about the 2 snakes we killed, the quart of fresh-from-the-cow unpasteurized milk I drank, of swimming with the herds boys in a water hole full of dung and littered with animal carcasses, or of visiting a man in the hospital with an AK-47 bullet wound to the head.

But Sudan was not about adventure, it was about people. I had great hope when I saw my 4^th graders performing well on their math using gravel. I felt hopeless in the Bor hospital looking at toddlers whose arms were thinner than 2 of my fingers, whose legs were thinner than 3 of my fingers, but whose eyes were as big as my own daughter’s. I loved the life and energy of the machine-gun-toting men who wanted me to photograph them with their weapons and their tall longhorned cattle, but I was sad to know that their guns also testify that peace has not come to Sudan as the Darfur genocide rages.

It’s a lot to write, it’s a lot to read. I won’t be offended if some of you want to be taken off the mailing list by now…

Sudan was incredibly different, yet when I worshiped in a packed church in a foreign language I felt right at home.

It has made me think about some things differently: What’s more valuable: a MIG 23 fighter jet or a 4^th grade education? So as ELI explores its goals in Sudan, please pray for God’s wisdom. Please also pray (or act) about the bloodshed that goes on in Darfur.

I will quit there. Thanks again for your prayers. Jen and the girls did fine while I was gone too. I’m sorry I don’t have any pictures right now—1 gig. of my Sudan pictures were lost when my unfaithful camera failed again (unfortunately right before I met the local government minister and his convoy of new Toyota’s and his entourage of armed body-guards.)

God Bless,

Davis

I’ll write more about other stuff soon J

Dear Friends and Family,

I am writing from Kipkaren instead of Southern Sudan. I was supposed to take a chartered flight early on Wednesday morning, but one of the team members got violently sick, and so the flight has been delayed to leave on Friday.

This has been an added bonus of time to spend with my girls. Tovah is making tremendous philosophical arguments about what she is doing (like feeding Elami crayons) and Elami is learning to crawl and cutting new teeth.

They both did well on our dusty, bumpy, sweaty trip over dirt roads to Pokot for Easter. We went with my parents and two mutual supporters to worship in the church my father nurtured from 1982-1998, and where I grew up. We were pleased to see that the church is thriving independently and entirely with local leadership. It has become a force for justice, peace, and education in the area. Its amazing to see Pokot live out their faith in situations of severe poverty, tribal wars, and the pressures of the modern world.

Many things are the same there—a lifestyle based mainly on cattle (drinking big mugs of milk for breakfast, lunch, and supper), mud walled, grass thatched huts, carrying water from the river to the home for washing or cooking over a small wood fire, etc…. Many things are different—the herdsman carry cell phones and AK-47s and every week a lorry (huge truck) comes in from the outside world to buy livestock and to supply bottled beer—increasing the problems with alcoholism so many in this tribe struggle with.

It is neat to see the church functioning in a healthy way here. It is not cloistering itself and withdrawing from the community, but engaging it—working against alcoholism, becoming a forum for peace-talks after last year’s deadly tribal battles, visiting the outcasts, and defying the witchcraft and curses that bind so many with fear. Perhaps they can send some missionaries to us in the USA!

The whole trip went well, and we are praising God for our vehicle that carried us so safely! We were glad we had put seats in the back so that we could carry some people back from Pokot who needed medical attention. And we also enjoyed breaking up the trip with a stop to enjoy the beauty of Lake Bagoria—a salty lake fed by hot mineral springs and geysers inhabited by thousands of migratory flamingos, and plenty of wildlife.

Back at Kipkaren we are eagerly awaiting the electricity that will make refrigeration possible, and enjoying the internet connection that makes emails (and picture attachments) possible. School is out until the 23^rd, so Jen and I have enjoyed more time together which we have spent visiting and getting to know others. Yesterday one of the house parents (for 24 AIDS orphans) asked me to take him fishing in the pouring rain. We stood on the bank for over an hour, but only caught one tiny (1.5 inches) fish—but the fellowship was invaluable.

Jen gave the message at staff fellowship yesterday, and used the story of the fiery furnace found in Daniel to illustrate how we need to trust God when things look grim and how God walks with us in our trials. She used the example of her HIV needlestick scare, and how God gave her peace (a peace that really amazed me, and which I did not quite have.)

So, we are well, and thankful to God to be here, and thankful to you who have sent us, and supported us, and prayed for us.

Please continue praying for this trip to Sudan—for safety in planes and trucks and among rebels, that I will be able to learn and identify ways we can empower the Sudanese, and that I will bear God’s blessing of peace and love to those I meet.

Pray for Jen, home for the longest stretch yet with two feisty babies, and for her continued work to learn Swahili.

Praise God that we have been healthy, that this car works great for us, and for this time to slow our pace and work on relationships more.

Thank you again for your love,

God Bless,

Davis for the Davis family

Dear Family and Friends,

It’s been a long time—too long since we have written; Please know that we are still grateful for your prayers and partnership in our ministry, and that we remember you in our prayers, especially those of you that have written to us asking us to pray.

We are all well. Stomachs seem settled and even baby noses need less wiping. Currently we are enjoying a more relaxing time. I (Davis) finished teaching on the 23^rd, and the kids are all off for break for three weeks. My 4^th grade math class had the highest scores in the school, while my 5^th grade English class had the lowest—I think this may be causing some concern about my ability to speak English J.

Following the end of school Jen and I went up to Nairobi for a couple days to relax and to enjoy the extensive networks of Kenyan bureaucracy through our visit to the immigration office to do our fingerprints and register as Kenyan residents. We are grateful to have good Kenyan leaders to guide us through this process efficiently, although we fear that Tovah and Elami’s interference may have caused extensive delays to the whole Kenyan immigration system—imagine trying to do fingerprints with a two year old and a 9 month old adding mango fingerprints to every visible government document.

After Nairobi and some time with several of my high school friends, we went to Kijabe for a couple of days were I had attended 9 years of boarding school. We visited my cousin and his wife who are currently teachers there. We also stayed in a cottage by lake Naivasha for one night were we tried to maintain high spirits despite the downpour, the papyrus reed walls, the bedroom window that opened into the bathroom, and the pile of junk that had been covered with a sofa cover to be used as a couch. Many good memories were formed however, and after several hours of fishing I was able to pull a reluctant bass from the lake. The fish weighed five pounds, making the excursion worthwhile for me, although I can’t speak for anyone else J

Our car carried us very safely along the treacherous roads, albeit rather slowly. It is double-cab Mitsubishi pickup with a cargo capacity of about 1.5 tons—all this is powered by a four cylinder, 2 liter carbureted engine, which reminds us how grossly over-powered most American cars are, but still makes us reminisce wistfully of the days were we could travel over 50 mph. Our car is already a benefit to our community. I have fitted it with benches and seatbelts to safely carry 11 people, so it is the new “school bus” capable of transporting the entire teaching staff. It has already started serving others, borrowed 9 minutes after its arrival here. Thank you for your gifts that have provided this vehicle that blesses not only us, but many others.

When we returned to Kipkaren we were surprised to see tremendous changes. First off, our campus had been equipped with satellite internet connect while we gone, so we will not have to go into town to send and receive emails anymore!!! Furthermore, the Kenya Power and Lighting seem to be delivering on their promise to deliver electricity to the school and campus!!! We are already excited for the day we will have refrigeration, and be able to keep milk overnight!

This weekend is Easter weekend, and we are looking forward to making a trip up to Pokot (the remote area where I grew up) with my parents and four of our mutual supporters to celebrate in my home church. It has been 10 years since I lived there, 7 years since Jen and I were “married” there (in a second service), and two years since we were there last. So we are looking forward to this homecoming, and they are looking forward to seeing my kids which are proof to them that the little white kid they watched grow up has finally become a man.

We will try to send an update when we return, but in the meantime we ask for your prayers for safety on Kenya’s dangerous roads, for the health of our girls, and that we will be a blessing and encouragement to my childhood friends and their families. Also, you can start praying about my trip to Sudan. I will be going to Southern Sudan April 11^th-16^th to visit the ELI projects there and especially to assess the school there, to learn about it, and hopefully to lend some help; more on this later, but we ask for your prayers for this to be a fruitful trip, and for Jen and the girls while I am gone.

That is the news from Kipkaren. Thank you, thank you for your thoughts, prayers, and gifts. We are so blessed that you have equipped us to empower others and to be the caring hands of Jesus among the sick and the poor.

May God bless you as richly,

Davis for the Davis Family