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Life is full of mysteries. After these past six months of the insurgency in South Sudan, I do wonder sometimes what tomorrow holds for me. I narrowly escaped death, hiding in the bush for nine days with my wife Yom, nine month old son Thon, my 90 year old father, extended family and 200 other children, women and men with the bullets and bombs going off around us. We had to drink infested unclean water, sleep on rough ground without any mosquito nets, and had barely any food. It was horrific and unimaginable that something like this could happen with South Sudan becoming independent in 2011.
As this senseless war intensified, we ran out of medicine for our critically ill baby and had nothing but tears of helplessness to support him with. Carol and Rich Rinehart, co-founders of Project Education South Sudan (PESS) managed to send us a one-way ticket to Juba South Sudan through email. I was able to print out the evacuation ticket to Kenya while struggling in the Juba Medical Complex hospital to get medical attention for our critically ill son. When we arrived in Nairobi, Kenya at Geirut Children's Hospital, my son was severely ill and dehydrated. He could not open his eyes. Dehydration paralyzed all the veins and nerves on his body, making it impossible for doctors to locate veins for 6 hours. Finally a vein was found! After 7 days in the hospital, our son was released and PESS accommodated us at a hotel for one month while Carol and I arranged a temporary apartment for me and my family. I thank God for all of the peace loving people who opened their hearts to support us through the tough times during the evacuation and through our son's life-death ordeal. The Rinehart family is number one. Yom and I will always keep you in our hearts.
Moving forward after Bor destruction
On April 3, 2014, I returned to Bor. The town was gone. The destruction done in Bor by the rebel forces loyal to Riek Machar, was worse than I could have ever imagined. Even as a Lost Boy, I did not experience so much death and destruction. It did not seem possible that this could occur after South Sudan became an independent country in 2011. I cried and my motherland cried too. The disabled elderly people were killed, and women were raped. All the cows, goats and sheep were either killed, destroyed or taken.
My gate to my compound was broken and I was welcomed with a filthy smell and an oily mark on the ground. As I approached the gate, a bypasser told me to be careful.
"There were five dead bodies at your gate couple week ago" he said. "Is it why this place smells filthy?" I asked him. He nodded his head. Documents, papers, and loose clothes were flying about within the corrugated iron sheet fence. The PESS office had been destroyed.
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Encouraging Message
PESS continues to break through barriers to bring hope to the people in the midst of the recent massacre. During my recent visit to Bor and Juba, I was able to locate 7 of the 14 former Ayak Anguei Girls sponsored by She's The First organization! The girls came seeking me and PESS out from IDP and refugee camps to help get them back to school at Malek Academy Secondary School, temporarily relocated for safety in Juba, South Sudan. The girls along with their parents and guardians are thrilled and thankful to PESS and She's the First for their commitment to continue their educational support until graduation.
Currently, people are returning to Bor in massive numbers before the heavy rain season takes its toll on the sod and bushes. The Jonglei State caretaker governor is on alert encouraging farmers to return to their residential areas to cultivate and prevent the massive famine predicted.
To all the PESS' donors, volunteers, Board of Directors, supporters and peace loving American people: It's time to break the silence and begin the new chapter in life. I am determined to forget all of the lost items, the killings and looting and move forward with new beginnings and thoughts. I humbly and kindly encourage all of you to stand with me and PESS's Board of Directors with your continued support for the children and people of South Sudan. I'm grateful and thankful to our heavenly Father for His merciful kindness that protected and spared the lives of my family, relatives, and the community members we work with in Bor County, Jonglei State.
As we are heading to the end of summer and approaching the fall season, I encourage all of you peace loving people all over the world to continue praying for all your displaced, homeless, hungry sisters and brothers.
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