Lessons from a Picnic

We took the Altar Servers and Daughters of Mary on a picnic, and had a great time.  But more than being just a few laughs, it taught me important things as well.

Raising the Next Generation

In the weeks preceding the picnic, the kids were told to bring 5 pounds each ($1.25).  Some paid outright, but most said that they couldn’t afford it (the abject poverty here is very real).  Many brought 2 or 3 pounds and promised to try to come up with the rest soon.  The money was used to buy their food.  At the end of the day, those who gave nothing were not allowed to come on the picnic, while kids that gave even a single pound were welcomed.

Lesson:  The Salesians are here to build up the kids so that the kids can build themselves up.  But we are not here to encourage an attitude of entitlement.  The kids need to learn the value of contributing towards the betterment of their own lives, and this was one way to help teach them that.  They got a strong sense of pride knowing that they provided for themselves on their special day (no need to disclose how much the Salesians added).  It’s really important for South Sudan as a new developing country to raise a generation that does not rely on charity.  On the other hand, it was devastatingly heartbreaking to know that a couple of deserving kids were left out of all the fun because of money.

Prayerful Living

In the midst of all the hustle and bustle of the afternoon, I came across Grace sitting alone in the nearby church, eyes closed, praying.

Lesson: This was the perfect example of the Christian virtue of possessing peace (even amidst chaos/excitement), something I struggle with a great deal.  Following the directive to “be still and know that I am God,” (Psalm 46) is not exactly at the top of my list of spiritual skills.  I need to be reminded to slow down and take time to simply sit with and in God.  Providentially, I am often blessed with striking examples of this kind of holiness in action; it seems to come naturally to both Dan and Grace (my mission partners), who embody the spirits of prayer and gratitude.  There is a strong humility and a special piety in the way they live their lives.  I must take note.

Find Life’s Purpose – Check

As I was soaking up the happiness of the kids playing all around me, I was joined by Anthony who disapprovingly wanted to know why I was sitting alone.  We sat talking about God’s blessings, His perfect Plan, and why it’s sometimes hard to see both of those things.  We also discussed the idea of being “in church” anywhere/everywhere through an attitude of praise and constant awareness of God’s presence.

Lesson: Through that conversation with him, the deepest desire of my heart was clarified.  I live to share my faith with others, and through that, to help other people grow closer to their Creator.  All the other things – teaching, coaching, playing, praying –are divinely beautiful pieces of my life, but the reason my heart beats is to have conversations like that.  Above all else, I want to be a trusted advisor and friend, one whose explanations elicit more questions (deeper questions) about God and push people forward on their spiritual journeys.

Salesian Preventive System

During lunch, one boy (Thomas) stood up and threw a bone at a girl, hard.  Apparently she’d tossed one his way first, and a fight almost erupted.  I sat them back down and left it at that.  A couple of days later during games, I took Thomas aside to talk to him about what happened.  I asked him if he knew the story about Jesus telling us to “turn the other cheek” (he did).  Then we discussed what forgiveness means, why it’s hard, and how we can foster it in difficult day-to-day situations.

Lesson:  It is the Salesian way to not scold in public but instead approach a child when he’s rational and speak with him instead of at him.  Don Bosco’s philosophy is built on loving kindness.  What a gift to be learning how to employ that this year!  The Holy Spirit was definitely present during our conversation.  And what a gift it is to be able to talk to an attentive/responsive kid about Jesus through examples from his own life!  Through that experience, I learned about the importance of caring enough to follow up with someone on the little things.

Happy Birthday, South Sudan

July 9^th was Independence Day for South Sudan.  The country turned a whopping 2 years old!  Here are a few of my thoughts on the celebration.

1. All of the adults’ speeches were in Arabic (with a spattering of tribal languages), while the children’s performances were strictly English.  Even the 4 year olds spoke confidently into the microphone in their newly-learned language.  What does this indicate?  Progress and commitment to the next generation.  All the schools in South Sudan operate in English, which is inarguably the language of business and arguably the language of global unity.  Parents who do not speak any English encourage their kids to rise through its mastery, and educators take seriously the difficult task of teaching fluency to students who have no reinforcement outside school.  The next generation will be significantly better off because of these efforts.

2. Certain values are universally embedded in the people here.  One small boy gave a speech that stressed the need for South Sudan to have “peace, love, and trust” above all things and for the people to always stand in community with one another.  He was lauded by all subsequent speakers, who expanded upon his words.  What beautiful values to be nationally bonding!  As the speakers all spoke of God’s love for South Sudan, I wondered to myself if the strong societal focus on faith has anything to do with these particular values being chosen above others.

3. There was a strong focus on peace/war, which is a big fat “duh” considering the freshness of their struggle for independence and the current conflicts still going on between Sudan and South Sudan.  It blows my mind how real this holiday is for them.  They’ve only been a country for two years!  They fought hard for decades to be able to celebrate an independence day.  For them, independence means (finally!) peace.  One school performed a song which reminded us that their “fathers all died in the war for independence,” their “mothers all died” and their “sisters and brothers all died in the war for independence,” and I’m sure that’s entirely true for many of the students singing.  Though I thought it was a devastatingly sad song, all the people cheered loudly.  I’m used to peace, so I only heard “death”; they’re so used to war, they only heard “independence”.

4. One sad indication that I am living in a post-war third-world country was a comment in a speech made by a high-ranking leader of the army.  Referencing a petrol (gasoline) robbery a few days before, his message to the thieves was “You steal our petrol, we steal your life.  When we catch you, you are finished.”  He then sarcastically referenced the NGOs’ and international organizations’ ridiculous “talk of ‘human rights’” which he promised “South Sudan will not give into.”

5. One (fairly drunk) army soldier got onstage and lip-synced a song while several other (quite drunk) soldiers took turns dancing around him.  While I laughed at them, the people I was sitting with cheered and said, “they fought hard for this.  They should be celebrating!”  It seemed indeed that the celebration was mainly for the military, or at least 90% of the seated guests were military.  Their comments and my surroundings made me think again about the sacrifices made by these men, and I promptly closed my mouth.

All-in-all, it was a very thought-provoking day for me as an outsider and as a person desperately trying to understand the inside track here.  God Bless South Sudan.

Talking to the kids about S. Sudan at morning mass.

A pre-school performing a dance

The little boy who gave the
speech on S. Sudan values.