function xlaANM_zone_content_bc24ac(content){ document.getElementById("xlaANMzone_bc24ac").innerHTML=content; } var xlaANM_zone_page_bc24ac=1; function xlaANM_load_zone_bc24ac(){ xlaANM_zone_content_bc24ac(''); myurl = 'http://109.228.27.39/xlaabsolutenm.aspx?z=74&layer=bc24ac¤tpage=' + xlaANM_zone_page_bc24ac; var oScript = document.createElement("script"); oScript.src = myurl document.body.appendChild(oScript); } document.write("



Hello Everyone, <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

It\'s been a while now since\nI\'ve been in contact. I suppose after being more than 10 years here I think\npeople at home are weary of hearing too much of the comings and goings of life\nin South Sudan as not too much changes from year to year. However, this year\nthe Pope is coming on Friday to our Capital City - Juba for a 3 day visit. We\nare all going there to meet him. A Loreto Sr. from Bray has organised a 9 day\nPeace Pilgrimage to walk from here in Rumbek to Juba - a distance of nearly 300\nkm.  Even the Bishop who got shot in the legs 2 years ago is walking with\nthem. I am enclosing a short video link of their walk. I will attach some\nphotos of our own going Church,  farming and relief activities and 3\nstories of abandoned babies and how they were saved. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

 <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Blessings. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

 <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

John <\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n


<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>


Link to Fr John\'s update with images<\/a><\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>


<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

Link to \'The Walk\' video<\/span><\/a><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>


<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>


 <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Stories of Abandoned\nBabies from the orphanage here. <\/span><\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

The baby was thrown away by\nan unknown mother at Akuac, near Savanah Secondary school in Rumbek. The baby\nwas put in the Bush by its mother.  At around 8pm in the evening, \nsome people went to ease themselves in the Bush as they have no latrines at\nhome. So they wait until it is dark before going to the toilet. People did hear\na baby crying but they didn\'t pass any remarks on it until a young boy called\nSebit ran home and told his mother that there is a baby lying in the Bush. The\nboy said he didn\'t see any big person around,  just the tiny baby lying\nall by itself. The mother of Sebit rushed with Sebit to see where the baby was\nlying. She called two other people to go with her and got a long bamboo cane in\ncase it actually might be a baby of a lion or some other wild animal that had\ngiven birth in the Bush. When the reached the place , the other people said let\nus go back as it is dark and dangerous here but the mother of Sebit insisted on\ngoing to see where the sound of crying was coming from.  Another young man\nwas in the area and when he saw the woman moving the torch from side to side he\nasked if they had lost something.  The women said we hear the sound of a\nbaby crying. I also heard it said the young man.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

 Use your phone torch\nto help us said the women. The women were fearing to move closer to the sound\nof the crying,  so the man took the bamboo stick from the woman and went\ncloser to the sound of crying. When he saw something in the dirt , he proded it\nwith the  bamboo stick and relaized it was indeed a baby. The mother of\nSebit immediately picked up the naked baby and brought it to the police\nstation. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

The police registered the\nbaby and then brought it to the local government hospital. The baby girl had a\nswelling on one side of the head, it had been covered in dirt and flies. The\numbilical cord had not been well cut and was still bleeding,  so the\ndoctor stopped the bleeding and bound up the wound. The hospital called the\nMissionaries of Charity who came to collect the baby girl who was named Atheen\nas she was found in the evening.  The girl who is now 13 days old is being\ncared for by the Missionaries of Charity. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Two weeks ago a mother with\ntwins was having complications in delivery as she was still a very young girl.\nAlso , one of the babies had its leg on the other babies neck. So the doctor\ntold her that they would have to operate on her. She said better to save my\nchildren even if I have to die. But her husband refused to sign a document\nallowing the doctor to do the operation.  The woman was 4 days in labour\nand in great distress so some of the relatives called her brother to come and\nsign the document.  He came immediately and signed and the doctor\ndelivered the twins but the young woman died Immediately.  The twins - a\nboy and a girl were not in good condition but they are recovering slowly in the\nMissionaries of Charity compound , being looked after by their grandmother who\nhas a broken hand. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

3rd story . A young mother\nwas brought to the sisters compound many years ago just after giving\nbirth  to a  baby girl. For whatever reason, the mother abandoned the\nbaby the next day and fled the compound. She was never found again. The sisters\nraised the baby and The girl was named Nyalang after the Superior of the\nconvent . That girl child is now 14 years old and going to primary\nschool. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>
<\/p>

February 2022<\/span>


Greetings from Rumbek,  South Sudan.  I hope you are all enjoying coming out of Covid restrictions and weathering the storms that are battering Europe at present. We are all fine here but global warming is affecting us also here as our temperatures have dipped quite a bit- normally it is in the 40\'s but now it has dropped to the 20\'s- but I suppose we should be thankful for the cooler days and nights. I have sent you a few photos and stories of  some of our ongoing projects in the Mission and of our  education projects in South Sudan. The photos show school materials being loaded on our pickup, women gardening projects, getting the JCB up and running,  new water Borehole in one of our schools and the new school garden project etc.<\/div>

<\/div>
Read full update here...<\/a><\/span> (pdf\/8MB)<\/div>

<\/div>


Our nurse student in Uganda,  who came from a refugee camp - click the link below to see her story (youtube).<\/div>

<\/div>
https:\/\/youtube.com\/watch?v=57iiH6ZN1SA&feature=share<\/span><\/a> <\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div>
A Message of Gratitude...<\/span><\/div>

<\/div>
\"I hope everything is well with you by the Grace of God. Kindly find attached a thank-you note which my dad asked me to share with you. He could have done this by himself, but he has a challenge with a laptop and internet. I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the great work you have done and you are still doing in South Sudan especially on girl\'s education. May God continue to bless you<\/div>

<\/div>
Kind regards<\/div>

<\/div>
Hellena Rial Isaac\"<\/div>

<\/div>
Click here to read the thank you note.<\/a><\/span><\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div>
Deborah Ageer<\/span><\/div>
One of the students we have been supporting.  Her Graduation photograph included.<\/div>

<\/div>
Click here to read her story.<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div><\/p>

Fr John Skinnader - Back in South Sudan.<\/span>


November 2021<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

<\/div>
Hello everyone,<\/div>

<\/div>
On my way back to South Sudan I spent a month in Kenya visiting some of the projects that we Spiritans help to support there. I am enclosing a report I did for the Congregation on one of these centres - a truly wonderful place. <\/div>

<\/div>
Here in South Sudan we are blessed as there is no sign of the virus here anymore - I think this is due to the heat. I have enclosed a few more photos of our work here - which is going on well.   All is included in the below document.<\/div><\/div>

<\/div>
Update From Fr John - Including Photographs - Click to View.<\/a><\/span><\/div>

<\/div><\/p>


The world\'s youngest country, South Sudan, is marking its first decade in existence today, but while there will be official celebrations, it is a country deeply scarred by conflict and hunger.<\/div>

<\/div>
https:\/\/www.rte.ie\/news\/2021\/0708\/1233970-south-sudan-turns-ten\/<\/a> <\/div><\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div><\/p>



A link to an article sent by Fr John to day...<\/span>

<\/div>
https:\/\/angelusnews.com\/faith\/irish-missionary-in-south-sudan-says-her-task-is-to-empower-locals\/<\/a> <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

<\/div><\/p>

Greetings. Hope you are still surviving the long lockdown. Here, we are\nblessed in that the virus is only coming and going in stages. When we have cold\nspells – it seems to emerge from hibernation -  <\/span>otherwise it doesnt impinge on us too much  <\/span>- so we can move around freely without masks\nin brilliant sunshine - so we are the lucky ones. But as one of our Church\nmembers exclaimed when I was speaking about the virus – she said the only\nCorona we have to fear here in South Sudan is VIOLENCE<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Despite the lockdown of schools and churches closed we continue with\ndifferent ministries here. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE<\/a><\/div>

<\/div> <\/p>

Christmas 2020<\/span><\/div>
The latest update from Fr John in South Sudan.  <\/span>Click here to read the full document with images.<\/a><\/span><\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div> <\/p>

May 2020<\/span><\/div>

<\/div>
The latest update from Fr John in South Sudan.  Click here to read the full document with images.<\/a><\/span><\/div>

<\/div>

Fr John, May 2020 Update.<\/a><\/div> <\/p>

Hi Everyone,<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

It seems ages since I have written an update on life here\n– not sure if it is my own laziness or also the fact that I am also waiting for\nunusual events to happen here before writing something. Two quite amusing\nevents happened recently. One happened during the preaching in the Church by\nthe other priest from Tanzania who works with me in the parish.  <\/span>Last year , his brother died in  <\/span>a motorcycle accident in Tanzania. He was a\npassenger on the motorcycle. The man driving the motorcycle was drunk and was\ngoing too fast and hit a bump and lost control of the motorcycle. His passenger,\nFr. Nolasco’s brother was thrown off the motorcycle and badly injured. He died\nin hospital a few days later. The driver of the motorcycle was arrested but\nreleased shortly afterwards. He then went to the house of Fr. Noalsco’s brother\n-  <\/span>Cornelius – to offer sympathy to the\nfamily and to say how sorry he was for what had happened. He then joined the\nfamily in helping with the preparations for Cornelius funeral.  <\/span>Fr. Nolasco was telling this story in Church a\nfew Sundays ago as the theme was “ love your enemy -do go to those who hate\nyou”. He was using a translator as he doesnt know the local language very well.\nThe person who was translating for Fr. Nolasco , stopped, looked at Fr. Nolasco\nand said “ Are you serious”.  <\/span>“You mean\nthe man who was responsible for your brothers death was at the funeral and\nhelping the family”. “ if  <\/span>that had\nhappened  <\/span>here – he would have been\nkilled by the next day after the death of your brother”.  <\/span>Fr. Nolasco told him to continue with the\ntranslation and stop giving his commentary on the preaching !!! But Fr. Nolasco\nthen asked the Congregation if they agreed with the translator or did they\nappreciate what the family had done. All of them , except for one young\nstudent, agreed with the translator and said that the person who caused the\naccident and the death of Cornelius should have been killed right away .  <\/span>Revenge is very strong in this culture. The\nChristian understanding of forgiveness is very difficult for the tribe here\nthat we mainly work with. But in time things will change.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

The second story is about the leper community that is in\nour parish. Leprosy, especially in the past, has been a big challenge for the\npeople here. We have over 300 leper  <\/span>people in \n<\/span>this community. Many missing toes, fingers and parts of their\nfaces.  <\/span>I went there before Christmas to\narrange to bring them food to celebrate Christmas Day. They were delighted to\nbe getting food to celebrate Christmas as hunger was a big issue for them. I\nthen said to some of them that they should be making more efforts to grow their\nown food. One woman then showed me her hands and said “Fr. Many of us have no\nfingers to hold a spade”. Me being smart and thinking they didnt understand\nenglish I said “ Then use you heads”. Which the woman replied to me “ Fr. If we\nhad not been using our heads – we would not have survived up to now” – and a\nbig laugh out of her. Despite their great hardships – they have a great sense\nof humour. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

We have a new Unity Government in South Sudan – but it is\ndifficult to see how it can succeed as there are 5 vice presidents – we have\nour own Unionists and Nationalists here !! Despite all the different challenges\n, our work is going on  <\/span>fine . We have 3\nmain primary schools that we are concentrating on , plus food distribution\nprojects, parish training programs and supporting girls education.  <\/span>We really appreciate all the support we get to\ncontinue the Mission here. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

If Covid 19 doesnt hamper my travels plans I hope to see\nmany of you over the Summer months.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Blessings. <\/span>John.<\/span><\/span><\/p>


\"\"<\/div>

<\/div>
A man in the leprosy community with missing fingers<\/span><\/div>

<\/div>
\"\"<\/div>

<\/div>
Delivering food to the leprosy community with Mother Teresa sisters<\/span><\/div>

<\/div>
\"\"<\/div>

<\/div>
A leper woman with missing fingers <\/span><\/div>

<\/div>
\"\"<\/div>

<\/div>
Getting food loaded up for distribution to displaced families<\/span><\/div>

<\/div>
<\/p>


Greetings from Rumbek, South Sudan. All going on well with\nme here in the sunshine. I am sending you a nice Christmas photo of a mother\nand  her child - little Bakhita.  The photo on the right shows the\nchild with the Cleft Palate . Luckily we found that there was a group of\nAmerican doctors coming to the Capital to do Cleft Palate operations and we got\nthe child and her  mother to the hospital in time for the operation. The\n2nd photo shows the child with a big smile now after her operation. We thank\nall of you - for your continued support - which makes operations like this\npossible and radically changes the quality of lives here in South Sudan for children\nlike little Bakhita and others. <\/o:p><\/p>\n\n

Have a blessed festive season and a Happy Christmas and\nPeacefull New Year.<\/o:p><\/p>\n\n

John <\/p>


\"South<\/p>


\"South<\/p>


<\/p>


Greetings. I have not been in touch for sometime due to\nmy ongoing struggle to get my fractured ankle sorted out. Eventually I met the\nspecialist in the Mater hospital  who  is the expert  on bone\nfractures and breaks. And despite the fact that I am still limping,  \nI am happy to say that he gave me the all clear to return to South Sudan, so I\nwill leave on the 20th November for Juba.
\n
\nAs we work closely with the Loreto Sisters on girls education, I am sending you\nan essay that one of the students wrote about her experience of trying to get\nan education in South Sudan. It makes for interesting reading.
\n
\nI will write again before Christmas from Rumbek.
\n
\nBlessings
\n
\nJohn<\/span><\/p>\n\n


My name is Deborah\nAgeer Kok. I am 21 years old. I am currently studying at Kenya Methodist\nuniversity, pursuing Bachelor of business information technology, I am\nfinishing my second year.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

My life stories all the way from\nprimary school to high school<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n

I went to school in\n2006. I started in malou primary school, malou primary is in certain village\ncalled malou in Rumbek east. It was a new primary school where classes used to\nbe under the trees. Later on we moved to different village where I finished my\nprimary school. Dad took me to school and he was the one paying my school fees.\nMum was not happy with that idea of me going to school, she keeps stopping me\nfrom going to school.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

In 2008 my dad left\nthe country, he went to Khartoum and stayed there for few months in the\nmeanwhile my uncles and mom decided to take me to someone whose work is to\nremove teeth, he did removes some of my teeth as a part of the culture of which\nI was not supposed to do as a pupil. In the Dinka culture lower teeth and some\nupper teeth are removed.  <\/span>they threatened\nme to keep it secret from my dad when he returns. Three months’ later dad came\nback home, I avoided laughing in presence of my dad because if I laugh anyhow\ndad might have noticed that some of my teeth are removed, dad was a primary\nteacher, he never allows any of his relatives, children and his pupils to\nengage in cultural activities like teeth removal.  <\/span>If dad finds it out that some of my teeth are\nmissing it would bring a big fight in the family, so I stopped laughing in his\npresence until he gets used to how my teeth look with some gaps between them.\n12 years later mom did same thing to my younger sister, dad was very mad about\nit, he wanted to take that guy to court, that man that has removed my sister ‘s\nteeth, then dad gets to hear that mine were removed too, the whole story was\nnarrated to him about how it was kept secretly from him for 12 years, dad was\nshocked.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

In 2009 mom used to\nover worked me so that I do not attend all my classes, I used to miss 1- 2\nlessons and dad keeps convincing mom to allow me to study, by then I was in\nprimary five.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Early 2010 I was\npromoted to primary six. My uncles, mom, brother took me to cattle camp and\nthreated me not escape from cattle camp, I was taken without my father’s\nknowledge, more over I did not have powers to refused not to come along with\nthem. I stayed in cattle camp for 5 months until I managed to escaped to return\nhome to go back to school. I came late to school and dad was not happy about it\nthen he warned mom, uncles and brother not to take me to cattle camp again.\nAfter that mom stops thinking about taking me to cattle camp and came up with\ndifferent ideas of making me drop out of school. She doubles my duties so that\nI don’t have no time to revised my books and she stopped me from attending\nmorning lessons. All her intentions were to make me fail my exams so that she\nwill be giving excuses that her daughter is dull in school. All my teachers\nwere aware about this case, so my teachers used to come to our home to\nconvinced mom to allows me to go to school.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

In 2012 when I was in\nprimary eight, things get worse mom did not want me to go high school. I have\nfaced my challenges in primary eight. Mom can make me cook and washed dishes\nfor everyone in the family and cooking in the village is not easy thing you\nhave to collect firewood and fetch water from a distance. I used to cook and do\nall the necessary cleaning in order to waste my time so that I do not read for\nmy exams, it reaches to the point where she can wet my books so that I do not\nrevised for my exams. Then I used to borrow books from my friends to revised.\nIn my entire primary school, I used to be among the top five pupils that have\nperformance well. Then I did my exams for primary leaving certificate and I did\nwell, I managed to be the best girl in my school.  <\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

In 2013 I was done\nwith primary school and ready to go to high school. In January 2013 I went to\nLoreto girls secondary school for interview to joined form one, then I passed\nthe interview and started my high school in April 2013. I completed form one\nwithout any challenge. When I was in form two life was hard, dad used to give\nme less money for shopping, he can pay the school fees and shopping money was a\nproblem. I was not able to buy all my basic needs, I never had enough money to\nbuy simple basic needs. Every time when I return back from my holidays I will\ncome to school while crying and stress up, I can only come back with groundnuts\nand I will see other students with their boxes filled with their basic needs.\nThis thing disturbed me until my performances dropped, I was not performing\nwell like when I was in primary, one day I told my friend about how I don’t\nmanage to make some shopping, then she advices me to stop studying instead of\ncoming to school with nothing in my box then I can stay at home, I did not\nlisten to her advice I continued with my struggle until I reach form four, from\nthere I got a better friend, that friend used to encouraged me and can even\nmake for me some shopping. In 2016-2017 I did my form four exams and passed\nthem.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

In 2017 I went back\nto Loreto compound to do some internship, I served as a primary teacher at\nLoreto primary school and I was doing computer training as well. In December\n2017 a certain family came to our home to informed my family that they want\ntheir son to marry me and I was in Loreto where I do my internship. Then I was\ntick to come home to meet the guy because I have never met him before. So I\ncame home and met the guy where he told me his interest that he wants to marry\nme but I refused his proposal then I return back to Loreto.  <\/span>Few days later my uncles, grandfather, mom,\nbrother agreed with the boy’s family to arrange the marriage. The boy’s family\npaid the dowry, then my father refused to take those cows that were paid as the\ndowry. My uncles never gave up because force marriages are very common in my\ncommunity. In my community there is a say “marriage first love later”, young\ngirls are force to marry men they do not love and they are expected to love\nthem later. By then everyone in Loreto compound was going for holiday. My\nuncles, grandfather, brother and mom were glad that I would go home for holiday\nso that they can kidnap me and take me to the boy’s family. My dad knew that\nplan so he came to Loreto to talk to our principal Sr. oral, he requested Orla\nto allow me to stay in the compound so that my uncles won’t get me. Orla\nallowed me to stay until the cases of force marriage are settle. All the\nstudents and teachers went for the holiday then I remain with Sr. Orla for few\ndays in the compound.  <\/span>Sr. Orla was also\nleaving for holiday and father John Skinnader was coming to Loreto to spent his\nholiday in the Loreto compound.  <\/span>He came\nthen Orla told him about my force marriage case and she tells him to make sure\ngates are locked throughout and not allow anyone from my family to enter the\ngate apart from my dad. I stay in the compound with workers and father John. In\nthat time, I get to know father John, one day we discuss about my force\nmarriage case, he asked me why I don’t go to school instead of hiding in Loreto\ncompound, then I told him my dad cannot afford to take me to different country\nand I would be grateful to go different country and study where my uncles\ncannot easily find me  <\/span>and force me to marry,\nfather John made it to meet my dad then dad narrated how he struggled to pay my\nschool fees since primary school up to high school and he is not able to pay\nfor the university. The only option I have was to keep hiding in the Loreto\ncompound. John had pity on me and promised to support me, John also met my\nmother and talked to her, he told mom to allows me to study, he promised to\nsupport the family by providing food and get for me scholarship, mom was\nsomehow convinced to allow me to study.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

In 2018 when I\nfinished my internship in Loreto, <\/span>fr. <\/span>John got for me scholarship then I came to Nairobi to\nstudy. I am currently in the university and also free from force marriage\nthreats. Despite the fact that I have faced many challenges before I get the\nopportunity I have never give up, finally I have achieved some peace of <\/span>mind<\/span>. I will always be grateful for the opportunity to be <\/span>in\nschool.<\/span><\/p> <\/p>


Hi Everyone,<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Hope everyone had a good Summer\nand now it is back to school and work again. I am doing fine -  just had a\nbit of a mishap 3 weeks ago . I slipped in <\/span>mud and fractured a bone in my ankle. As there are no\nmedical facilities in Rumbek, where we work,  I had to come to Nairobi for\ntreatment. I got a good hospital and the young bone specialist that I was\nreferred to had studied in Ireland -so he looked after me very well. I just had\na caste put on and will be in it for 4 weeks. I was also diagnosed with having\nmalaria -so I am lying up now in our Spiritan house in Nairobi recovering from\nboth incidents. But I am feeling fine now and hope to return to South Sudan by\nthe weekend. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Work is going on well in Rumbek.\nWe are in the process of building a new primary school in an isolated part.of\nthe parish where they have had no school before. The community themselves had\nstarted to teach their children under trees - a bit like the hedge schools in\nIreland years ago. But now we are at roof level with 8 new classrooms. See\nphotos attached<\/a>. This is the main work we are engaged in at present with all\nthe other bits and pieces of running a parish in South Sudan. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

That is just a short update from\nmy \"patients\"  chair in Nairobi.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Thanks always for your prayers\nand support.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Blessings.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

John<\/span><\/p>


VIEW COMPLETE ARTICLE IN PDF FORMAT WITH PHOTOGRAPHS<\/a><\/p>



<\/div><\/p>



Trip to Sierra Leone<\/span>.  <\/span>John Skinnader. Spiritan.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

A few weeks ago I got the opportunity to return to Sierra\nLeone since I left there at the beginning of the conflict in 1990. I returned\nwith Fr. Noel O  <\/span>Meara’s organization\ncalled Nachestenlibe Weltweit (Love of Neighbour Worldwide) – a Spiritan German\norganisation set up mainly to support Spiritans and other Spiritan contacts\nworking as missionaries in overseas development situations. I was originally\nworking in Koidu – Kono District . I had been there for nearly 10 years and had\nwitnessed the continued slide of Sierra Leone into poverty, corruption and\neventually conflict during my years in Kono. For this reason, during my time as\na missionary in Kono , I moved away from development works to put more focus on\nJustice and Peace works. We had begun quite well in helping to\nconscientize  <\/span>the people around these\nissues, many Muslims joined us in our organization , but alas the war halted\nour efforts...<\/o:p><\/p>READ FULL DOCUMENT WITH PICTURES BY CLICKING THIS LINK<\/a>


<\/div>

Some photos from\nthe mudslide that buried over a 1000 people recently in Freetown. Sierra Leone - CLICK LINK BELOW.<\/span><\/p>

\nhttps:\/\/boards.wetransfer.com\/board\/sbzhc38639r1n759h20190602144725\/latest?token=c830a7f3-48ff-4db9-b00c-6a64d82a7c20<\/a><\/o:p><\/p>

Women and children\nwho survived the Ebola epidemic and are now rebuilding their lives in Sierra\nLeone<\/span> <\/span>- CLICK LINK BELOW.<\/span><\/p>

\nhttps:\/\/boards.wetransfer.com\/board\/sao387cl6xzdheg0b20190604074231\/latest?token=019eeaf2-070f-4913-8d61-a8089fb709be<\/a><\/o:p><\/p>


<\/p><\/div>


<\/div> <\/div> <\/p>


We Are The Church. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

As we prepare to celebrate St. Patrick\'s Day - St Patrick\nwho was a missionary to Ireland - I am forwarding to you An email from my Australian\nfriend -Bro Bill who works with Solidarity for South Sudan in Juba:<\/span><\/p>\n\n

\"Fr<\/span><\/p>

(Bro Bill) -As I write, the Pope has called together\nalmost 200 Church leaders to consider what he calls ‘the scourge of child abuse\nby clerics’. Yes, child abuse requires strong action but sometimes media attention\nto this ‘scourge’ seems to me to be out of all proportion to the Church I know and\nthe service it delivers. That child abuse should have no place in the Church goes\nwithout saying and it an obvious necessity to develop preventative protocols and\nprocedures; but it is wrong to judge any profession by its worst aberrations as\nmany in the media seem to do.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

 <\/span>Recently, I\nwas at the table with three other seventy-five year old Solidarity members. I have\nbeen in South Sudan for nearly ten years but I found myself thinking that I may\nbe the oldest of this group but I am the ‘baby missionary’ among them. We were celebrating\nthe birthday of Maryknoll priest, Fr Tom Tiscornia, from the USA. He has spent most\nof his life in various African missions and is fluent in both Arabic and Swahili,\nthe most widely-spoken languages in this part of the world. Another Solidarity member\nfrom the US, Sr Annette St Armour IHM, a catechetical expert, has just completed\nfive years in South Sudan after more than 30 years as a missionary in South Africa.\nThe third member of this group of seventy-five year olds, Sr Barbara Paleczny SSND,\nis from Canada. She has two Doctorates, has written many books and leads In-service\nteacher training programmes as well as training others to give trauma healing workshops.\nShe has been here more than ten years but has also worked in South American missions\nas well as other places where her many talents can be utilised. Me, I cook and coordinate:\nI am good at getting others to work! I assert that we, and many others, are the\nreal Church. There are almost five hundred missionaries in South Sudan coming from\nmany different countries welcomed by the people who appreciate the services we deliver\nand the gospel message that we bring.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

 <\/span>Among our Solidarity\nmembers, Sr Dorothy Dickson from New Zealand is an RNDM Sister who has also spent\nmore than 30 years in some of the most remote place places in Africa. She learned\nto communicate in French and Arabic as the situation required. Her fellow RNDM Sister\nfrom NZ, Margaret Scott, has been the principal of our Solidarity Teacher Training\nCollege in Yambio since it began. Before that she was a missionary to the aboriginal\npeople in the Kimberly region of Australia. Two other RNDM Sisters, Josephine Murugi\nfrom Kenya and Rosa Le Thi Bong from Vietnam, have also been here in South Sudan\nfor more than ten years. They are the Church. Years ago, I knew their congregations\nas one running the schools, Sacred Heart Oakleigh in Melbourne, Australia, and Sacred\nHeart Girls School in New Plymouth NZ. They no longer do so, having handed those\nschools on to well qualified lay persons, but they are making a vital contribution\nhere in South Sudan - and in many other places.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

\"Fr<\/span><\/p>

Here, in South\nSudan, I know many Edmund Rice Christian Brothers. They were very strong in Australia\nbut made the courageous decision to move out of the leadership of most of their\nAustralian schools and open communities and ministries in Africa. They now have\na significant young group of African Brothers developing the African missions the\nmissionaries started. The Church is very much alive in Africa. The Irish province\nof the Loreto Sisters opened a secondary boarding school in Rumbek ten years ago.\nIt has now grown to cater for 300 girl boarders. They also run a primary school\nfor approximately 600 boys and girls. My own congregation, the De La Salle Christian\nBrothers, began a secondary school for boys last year with 26 boys in Senior One.\nAll completed Senior One and by the end of the year all but three were taller than\nme! News of good education spreads. Eight days ago on enrolment day, there were\nmore than 400 applicants for 100 places in Loreto and 182 for 40 places at La Salle\nSecondary. These schools would not exist were it not the for the zeal of the Religious\ncongregations. Nor would they exist without the generous support of donors in distant\ncountries. This is the Church fulfilling its mission. It is good to be part of it.\n– Br Bill<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Happy St. Patrick\'s Day.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

 <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

John<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>



<\/p>


Hi Everyone.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Greetings\nagain and belated Happy New Year to you all. We had very good Christmas celebrations\nhere in Rumbek South Sudan and now the new school year has begun in February. The\nSouth Sudanese are melting with the heat wave that we are experiencing here at present\n-41 degrees and above most days.
\nYesterday I gave a lift to a woman who waved me down for a lift. I was coming out\nof Loreto School. The woman introduced herself as Deborah and was working with Plan\nInternational as a midwife. I asked her if she was married. She said yes and had\n3 children. I said you look very young to have 3 children. She said she was forced\nby her family to marry at 15 years of age. I asked her -at least is he a good man.\nShe retorted quickly - There is no such thing as a good man !!!
\nMany young girls are forced into early marriage so that the families can get cows\nas a dowry to then let the girls brother have cows for him to marry. It is a very\nsad situation and one that we hope that with evangelization and education things\ncan change -especially for young girls here.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

I normally\nhave to travel to Loreto, 7 km away to get access to the internet but now we are\nin the process of getting our own internet installed. It is expensive though - costs\n3000 euros for the equipment and then 300 euros every month after that. Anyway,\nI flew to Juba last week to get the equipment. What a flight or fright I had. The\nplane was overbooked and some passengers were forced to sit on the aisle of the\nplane , on their hand luggage. None of us had seat belts. The flight was an hour\nlong. I comforted myself with the fact that if the plane went down I would still\nhope to go up !!!! <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

I hope\nto include a few photos with this email but I am not sure if I can send them as\nthe internet is very weak here - but I will try. One is of the little girl who had\na big growth on her back and we were able to send to Uganda for an operation to\nremove the growth. Thank God is is recovering well after the operation. Another\nis of a little girl whom the mother brought to us for Baptism but she has a cleft\npallet condition. We hope to be able to send her also for an operation.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Anyway,\ndon\'t feel too sorry for me here as I am enjoying my 41 degrees heat. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Blessings<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

John<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>



<\/div>
\"Fr<\/div>

<\/div>
Little  Bakhita\nwho was brought for Baptism and has a cleft pallet.  <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>


<\/div>
\"Fr<\/div>

<\/div>
Martha as she was\npreparing  to fly for her operation. <\/span><\/div>
 <\/span><\/div>

<\/div> <\/p>

Hi Everyone,<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Greetings\nonce again from Rumbek, South Sudan where we are enjoying beautiful heat of more\nthan 35 degrees most days !!! Certainly better than the winter chills !! At this\ntime here we are preparing for our annual Youth Congress where young people from\naround the Diocese come together for 3 days to celebrate together and prepare for\nChristmas. Some parishes are not able to send youth as it there is still too much\ninsecurity on the roads for them to travel but for those who do come - it is an\nopportunity to prepare spiritually for Christmas and also have dramas, sports and\ncultural events to entertain them. This year , a 1000 young people will gather here\nin Rumbek for the youth congress.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Today I will drink tea:<\/span><\/span> This was the response from\nAbraham – who is confined to a wheelchair (see photo attached) – when he was told\nthat the parish were distributing food last week. Ordinary food items have become\nso expensive that people cannot even afford to have sugar in their tea – so when\nAbraham heard that we would be distributing sugar as well as maize flour, beans\nand cooking oil – to the most vulnerable people in the community - he knew that\nhe would have sugar to make tea. Here, people find it very difficult to take tea\nwithout sugar !! They would struggle on Lough Derg !!! In all – 180 vulnerable people\ngot food items.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

The Killing of Fr. Victor:\n<\/span><\/span>We were all very saddened\nand shocked by the death of one of our Jesuit colleagues working here in Rumbek.\nHe was a Kenyan Jesuit who had studied in Ireland and done his PHD in London on\nEducation. He was the Principal of our Teacher Training College in the Diocese.\nAn armed gang had come to rob his place and he challenged them and they shot him\ndead. He was a wonderfull human being with a big hearty laugh. He is sadly missed\nby all of us. RIP.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

New Solar Water Pump<\/span><\/span>: On a happier note we were\nvery happy to get our solar water system up and running and to have running water\nin the house. As well as having water in the house, we have water now to make a\nvegetables garden and to supply water to the school children who are adjacent to\nour new parish house. It is indeed a happy Christmas present for all of us here.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

All of\nthe above good things would not have been possible without the generous support\nthat we continue to receive from you all for the work of evangelisation in South\nSudan. It is indeed a great blessing to have such great support and I thank you\nmost sincerely for it. May the Good Lord enrich your lives with his strength and\nPeace at this festive time of Christmas.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Have\na blessed Christmas.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

John<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>
<\/p>

Hi Everyone,<\/o:p><\/p>\n\n

Greetings once again from South Sudan. I am happy to say that I have arrived\nsafely back to Rumbek and had a great reception from the people here. I am the\nonly European in Rumbek at present, so my presence here is a sign that the\noutside world and the Universal Church has not forgotten the people of South\nSudan. That is one of the reasons that they are so happy to see me back among\nthem. As one of the South Sudanese bishops said recently \" When the\nmissionaries leave, the people loose heart\". So I am very happy and\ncontent to be back in the parish here. We have moved into our new renovated\nhouse which is without water or light yet -  but over the next few weeks\nwe will get it sorted out. The house we have renovated was built by the British\nin 1948 at a time that they built a secondary school in Rumbek . It was built\nas a chaplaincy house for the priests to look after the students in the\nsecondary school but no priests have ever lived in it up to now. It was used by\ngovernment officials for offices etc. Now, the government here have handed it\nback to the Catholic Church and myself and Fr. Nolasco from Tanzania are here\nto open a new parish also. Interestingly enough, the first teachers in the\nsecondary school in the 1950\'s were nearly all from Northern Ireland -so the\nlink continues somewhat.<\/o:p><\/p>\n\n

Our cook is from Uganda. She was telling us that when she gave birth to her\nfirst child, her and her husband were very happy. When she gave birth again ,\nshe had twins and at the 3rd birth -she had triplets !! The husband ran away as\nhe thought she was a witch !!! That was 14 years ago and has not come back\nsince. Such is life on the African continent. <\/o:p><\/p>\n\n

As I said, I am very happy to be back in South Sudan and will post more\nupdates later. Thanks for all the love and support from everyone during my time\nin St. Michaels and St. Mary\'s Lisbellaw. <\/o:p><\/p>\n\n

Blessings. <\/o:p><\/p>\n\n

John<\/o:p><\/p>
<\/p>

Hi Everyone,<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Easter\ngreetings from South Sudan. Life is becoming more and more eccentric here !! Yesterday,\nas I was driving through Rumbek, a police officer pointed at me to stop. As they\nhave not been paid in months, they normally stop us for any small infringement and\nlook for money from us but I felt I had done any infringement. Anyway, he strolled\nover and pointed to my sunglasses. I said, yes -sunglasses - what about them. He\nsaid they are too dark to be driving with !!!!! Temperature was 38 degrees and the\nsun was bouncing off the road -but he wouldn\'t listen to me and I had to give him\na few Bob to drive on. Such is life here at present. I am attaching a document that\nI got from my good friend in Juba -Bill Firman. He is in charge of an organization\ncalled Solidarity for South Sudan and he has some interesting reflections on life\nhere also.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Have\na blessed Easter everyone.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

John<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

JUBA-BILL FIRMAN DOCUMENT - Click to Download<\/a><\/span><\/p><\/p>

Hi Everyone, <\/span>
\n
\nGreetings from South Sudan. Hope you are all enjoying the challenges of life there\nwith frost and snow. No such worries here - as we are coming into the hot season\nwith up to 40 degrees of heat most days.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

I am\nsettling into my new parish in Rumbek. Originally, the Church was built a chaplaincy\nto Rumbek Secondary school, The secondary school was built by the British during\ntheir time of colonization in Sudan. A house was built for the Priests but no priests\nhave ever lived in it. It has been occupied , for the past many years, by teachers\nfor the secondary school and if we can get other suitable accommodation for these\nteachers, then I will renovate the house and move in. Presently, I am living in\na hostel of the Diocese, which is basic - but fine.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

The strange story of the toilets<\/span><\/span>:<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

In the\nparish, I have taken responsibility for 2 primary schools - a 600 pupils primary\nschool -started 6 years ago and an \"all girls” primary school – which was established\nlast year. I was shocked to find that there are no toilets for the students in either\nof the schools, so I am working on getting temporary toilets built for both schools.\nThe reason they give - why no toilets were built at the schools - is that the children\ndo not have breakfast before leaving home and they don\'t get lunch in school -so\nthey didn\'t need toilets !!! However, now through a Scottish organization called\n- Mary\'s Meals, children get lunch - so they need toilets !!!<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Life\ncontinues to be very challangeing here for all of us missionaries as the economy\nis in bits and \" home comforts \" are very few - but still the people ,\nand especially the youth , continue to look to the Church for hope and inspiration\nfor a better future – so we will continue to journey with them as long as we are\nphysically and mentally able to do so. Thank you for your continued prayers and\nsupport.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Blessings.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

John <\/o:p><\/span><\/p> <\/p>

Hi Everyone.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Christmas Greetings from Rumbek – I moved to here a\nfew days ago as I have been asked to open a new parish in the town of Rumbek. I\noriginally worked in the minor seminary near to here, up to last year,  before going to help the Franciscans in Juba\nin the UN camps. I left Juba last Thursday \nand yesterday, the  Franciscan\nhouse that I had been living in  was\nrobbed by armed men – 2 of the students were wounded and the Italian priests\nthere were held at gun point as the armed men stole laptops, money etc from the\nhouse. I had only just left the house a few days ago to come to Rumbek -so a\nlucky escape for me. The Franciscans in the house are quite traumatized by it\nall. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

“Wrapped in swadling clothes”<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Here, in Rumbek there has also been a lot of\nviolence and unrest. Two days ago I brought a young girl and her mother to our\nmission  hospital  5 hours from Rumbek. The young girl of 12\nyears of age has a tumour growing on her spinal cord and a hole in her foot\n-probably from leprosy. When gun men attacked their village , two weeks ago,\neveryone ran off to hide in the bush and to escape to safer areas. However, the\nmother realised her daughter would not be able to escape on foot from the\nvillage and if she left her there, she would be eaten by the hyenas - so the\nmother went back and collected her daughter and carried her to the safety of\nthe Loreto sisters -which was roughly 6 kilometres distance from the village. I\nthen took the daughter, wrapped in swaddling clothes ( as the mother is dirt\npoor and had no proper clothes to put on her daughter) - to the Mission\nhospital escorted by heavily armed troops as the road was dangerous. Such is\nthe chaos of life here at present – definitely no sign of the peace of  Christmas here yet.   <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

“Pigeons for Christmas”<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

I was very happy a few weeks ago  to visit the largest refugee camp in the\nworld for South Sudanese people in \nNorthern Uganda. There I met up with Noeleen Loughran from Emyvale -who\nis doing  a very fine work of treating\npeople in the camps who are  suffering\nmainly from malaria, typhoid, scabies etc. Definitely, a great work of mercy\nbeing done by Noeleen at this time. In the camp , I was told, some  people were fattening up pigeons for to eat\non Christmas Day – there is a few fellows around Enniskillen  and \nLisbellaw that I know that  it\nwould taken quite a few pigeons to fill them up on Christmas Day !!!!<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Wishing all our readers of  St. Michael\'s Website  a very blessed Christmas and a Happy New\nYear.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n\n

In Peace.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\nJohn <\/span><\/p>

Greetings once again from South Sudan – happy to be back here after a\nsuccessful few weeks of  collecting  the “small change boxes” around\nmy home area of Monaghan . Once again – I am very grateful to everyone\n for the continued support to our mission work  here from people far\nand wide. .<\/p>\n\n

I had 98 Baptisms in the UN camp last Saturday – it was very well organised\nindeed and an uplifting occasion for the people in the camps - as the\nconditions there continue to detioritae . . I am forwarding to you an article\nwritten by a brother Bill whom we work with quite closely here. Bill is in his\n70’s and from Australia.  He also mentions in his article   Sr.\nOrla – a  Loreto Sister from Bray -  who was recently awarded a\nHumanitarian Prize in Ireland  for her work with girls education in South\nSudan.  She was interviewed on the Six One news.<\/p>\n\n

Will be in touch again before Christmas.<\/p>\n\n

Blessings.<\/p>\n\n

John<\/o:p><\/p>


<\/p>

My\nbed in South Sudan is rather simple: a foam rubber mattress with fitted sheet\nand a matching burgundy pillow on a wooden slat bed frame. Only very rarely do\nI use a top sheet to cover myself and I don’t possess a doona, duvet, quilt or\nblanket - whatever you like to call it. I have decided mosquitoes don\'t like\nme. In eight years I have not had malaria. Al hamdu lilah! I don’t use a\nmosquito net – there is more breeze without one. Nor do I criticise those who\nneed and use one. I have my own small en-suite bathroom. What more does one\nneed?  I like my small bedroom. I sleep well even with the disco blasting\nin the hotel behind us. Whereas it once was quiet every night, trade is obviously\npicking up on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. We no longer have silent\nweekends interrupted only by the regular loud, Muslim call to prayer from the\nmosque. I am now skilled at tuning out – call it a survival skill.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

 <\/span>But I did not come here to sleep. There is a\nreason, a mission. What more does one need?<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

 <\/span>Br Bill <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>


\n180. A Reason to Rise<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

 My\ngreat friend and mentor, Br Damien Harvey, used to say: ‘A man has to have a\nreason to get up in the morning’<\/span>. He was reflecting on the Brothers’ way of\nlife. I am sure he would be equally comfortable with the more general\nstatement: ‘Every person needs a reason to rise in the morning’<\/span>, to get\nout of bed and start the day with optimism. The reason may simply be that you\nhave something you really like to do that you are anticipating, eg an outing,\ngoing to a concert or for a meal with friends. The reason may also be one of\ndeeper motivation that you really believe in what you are doing and are\nprepared to face whatever confronts you to achieve your goal.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

The\nGerman philosopher, <\/span>Friedrich Nietzsche, who published\nextensively in the 1870s and 1880s, offered many criticisms of traditional\nmorality and religion. I am no expert on this very complex thinker whose views,\nas I understand them, often conflict with my own, but he was a master of\nthought provoking aphorisms. <\/span>One fanciful one was,  ‘<\/span>And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who\ncould not hear the music.’ <\/span>As a metaphor, that rings true to me. Too often we only see half\nthe picture and make misjudgments based on our limited insights. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

 <\/span>I have often observed the incredible efforts\nmade by highly motivated students who want to succeed and once again, a\nNietzsche aphorism comes to mind: ‘He who has a why to live for can bear\nwith almost any how’. <\/span>It is amazing how much can be achieved and how long\nand hard we can work if we really are focused on a clear goal. <\/span>Yes,\nthere are often problems, obstacles, distractions along the way and we can make\nthe mistake of focusing on those rather than our goal. But again Nietzsche\ninsightfully observes: ‘That which does not kill us makes us stronger.’<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

 <\/span>Which brings me to the situation in South\nSudan. Too many have been killed or driven from their homes, hundreds of\nthousands too many. But we cannot bring back those who have been so unjustly\nand mercilessly killed. What we must do primarily is to focus on those who are\nstill able to dance. In 2005, the published statistic for South Sudan is that\nonly 23% of children ever got to attend primary school at some stage – not\nfinish just attend long enough to be registered. Only 35% of those were girls.\nSo only 8% of girls ever went to school. By independence in 2011, the\npercentage had risen sharply to 46% of children going to school. Good progress\nbut still the majority of children were not going to school. But let us think\nabout the 8 per cent. It takes 12 years to complete primary and secondary. 12\nyears added on to 2005 takes us to 2017. So every young woman undertaking\ntertiary studies now was lucky enough to be in that 8% who were attending\nprimary before 2005 – or they were educated outside the country in refugee\ncamps such as Kakuma.  This week, 14 women and 18 men will graduate as\nregistered nurses or midwives, after three years of full-time study in residence\nat our Catholic Health Training Institute in Wau. That is quite a select\nachievement.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

Last week I observed 240 secondary school\ngirls at assembly at the Loreto school in Rumbek. Many are older than their\npeers in other countries but there they are – already graduates of primary\nschool and most will go on to complete their secondary education. With good\nteaching, all of last year’s Loreto ‘Senior Fours’ passed well. A new\nbetter-educated generation is emerging. Opportunity now exists that did not exist\n12 years ago.  The odd student finds it hard to get out of bed in the\nmorning but most are highly motivated. So are the teachers, many of whom are\nliving away from their own families, to give a good education to the girls\nboarding at Loreto. It is highly motivating to be making a difference, again\nquoting Brother Damien, ‘to be making a contribution.’<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

Let the dance go\non!                                                                                                          \n- Br Bill <\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/p>

 <\/span><\/p> <\/p>


Greetings . I am now back in\nIreland. I was supposed to be travelling to Sierra Leone with  the German\norganisation that I am presently connected to . However  we had to cancel\nthe trip as the father of the Group  Leader  - Dorothea, died\nsuddenly last week. i will now be in Ireland for the month of October. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

I am sending you a story of a\ngirl whom we came across some months ago. She is now in one of the UN camps and\ngoing to school there.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

I hope you all had a good Summer<\/span><\/p>\n\n

blessings.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

john <\/span><\/p>


DOWNLOAD AND READ...<\/a><\/span>
<\/p>





Hi everyone,<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Greetings. We had a\nvery nice day celebrating African Child Day in the UN camps on last Saturday.\nIn the school that we are supporting there are over 700 displaced children and\nthey marched carrying banners and singing songs in praise of education.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

\"South<\/span><\/p>\n\n

We are starting this\nweek to give computer courses to some of the older boys and girls\nfrom the camp so that they will have some skills for life when they are able to\nleave the camps. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

\"South<\/span><\/p>

We are also\ncontinuing with food distribution to villages and people who are most in need. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

\"South<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Thank you all for\nyour continued prayers and support.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

John<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>


<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>


<\/div><\/p>


\"Biscuits<\/div>

Sending you two\nphotos of some of the children who came with the choir from the UN camps\nto sing in the Parish Church on Sunday – over a hundred of them came. <\/span><\/p>

\"Biscuits<\/span><\/p>

Afterwards we gave them juice and biscuits and for some of them it would have\nbeen the first time in 4 years that they had got juice. They were delighted\nwith themselves. <\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

John <\/o:p><\/span><\/p><\/div><\/p>


From: <\/span>John skinnader <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Subject: John skinnader back in South Sudan.<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Date: <\/span>20 March 2017 18:56:04 GMT<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Hi\nEveryone.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Greetings\nonce again from South Sudan. I am now in Juba, the capital of south\nSudan.  I   am staying with a Franciscan from Italy - Federico\n-on the outskirts of Juba. He was one of 4 Franciscans who came here 5 years\nago to open up a new mission in Juba- but 3 have already left due to the\ndifficult working conditions in South Sudan at present and especially\nafter  the outbreak of violence in July of last year. Hopefully, I will be\nthe \"old dog for the hard road\" !!! I have been asked to assist him\nas he has a very large area to cover and his parish has over 38000 displaced\npeople in it.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

My\nwork will be primarily in the U.N. camps, which are part of the parish here. As\nI said there are roughly 38000 in the camps, mainly from the Nuer ethnic group,\nseeking safe shelter from the violence all around them. The work , I think ,\nwill consist of pastoral and humanitarian assistance to them. Still getting my\npapers processed for working in these U.N. camps.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

We\nhad food distribution in the parish a few days ago by a Turkish aid\norganization -so everyone is chipping in. The situation here where I am is not\ntoo bad famine wise- but Very bad further up North and in the interior of the\ncountry.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Hope\nto head up into the interior of the country on Thursday. We have 3 Spiritans\nthere so I want to assess the situation that they are in.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

A\nlocal plane that we often use crashed today killing everyone on board, not sure\nyet if there were any church personnel on it.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Will\nkeep you updated on the situation here.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Blessings.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

John<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n


From: <\/span>john skinnader<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Subject: John . More updates on the plane crash.<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Date: <\/span>20 March 2017 19:26:56 GMT<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Hi.
\n
\nJust following on my last email, the news coming through from the plane crash\nearlier today, is that there are no deaths reported, which is great news for\nall of us here.
\n
\nThanks.
\n
\nJohn<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n


From: <\/span>John skinnader <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Subject: John in the UN camps in Juba - South Sudan<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Date: <\/span>19 April 2017 19:35:50 GMT+1<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Hi\nEveryone,<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Easter\nseason greetings from Juba -South Sudan. We had very nice easter celebrations\nin our parish and also in the UN camps for  displaced people which is part\nof our parish in Juba. On Good Friday I led the Way of the Cross around the\ncamps, in 43 degres heat , and people really participated very well in it. On\nEaster Sunday morning we had Mass in one of the makeshift chapels erected by\nthe people themseves in the camps. The Paschal Candle is a symbol for them of\nChrist’s Light and Hope in this difficult time of their history. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

Blessings.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

 <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

John <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

\"South<\/span><\/p>\n\n


From: <\/span>John skinnader <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Subject: Fr. John - Juba<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Date: <\/span>26 April 2017 19:31:17 GMT+1<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

A\nyoung girl, decorated with baloons in her hair, caries up the Gospel in the UN\ncamp,, Easter Sunday morning.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

john<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

\"South<\/span><\/p>\n\n


From: <\/span>John skinnader<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Subject: John again - another photo<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Date: <\/span>3 May 2017 18:50:19 GMT+1<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

A\nchild in the UN camp – Easter Sunday morning.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n\"South
\n<\/span>\n\n


From:<\/span><\/a> John skinnader
\nSent:<\/span> 03 May 2017 19:47<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Hi\neveryone,<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

(\nI sent this about a week ago but not sure if it got through to you. John )<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Easter\nseason gretings from South Sudan. We had very good Easter celebrations here in\nJuba – South Sudan. Easter Sunday morning I was in the UN camps for Mass with\nthe displaced people who are being given protection by the UN . It was most\nimpresive how they decorated themselves and made the most of a very difficult\nsituation that they find themselves in. The young girl bringing up a copy of\nthe gospel had baloons tied in her hair as decoration !. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

As\na Church , we hope that the Paschal Candle can symbolise Jesus’s  Light\nand Hope for the people of South Sudan at this very difficult time in their\nhistory.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n\n

Blessings.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n\n

John<\/span><\/p>

\"South<\/span><\/p>

<\/span><\/p>


<\/p>

Hi everyone,<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Greetings from a very hot\nSouth Sudan, I am not complaining as I prefer the heat to the cold.
\nEverything going on quite ok here - but I have been under a  bit of\npressure recently, from some local authorities,  for helping a father to\nget his daughter into a boarding school. The girl is one of 21 children and the\nonly one going to secondary school. Bright girl. The father had a meeting with\nme and a  Fr Boniface (also Spiritan) to say that if she continued to go\nto school in her own area, he would be forced to give her to the local\ngovernment official in marriage as her brothers needed cows for their own\nmarriages. So, we agreed to get a boarding school for her, which took us a long\ntime to get. Now, we are being accused, by some people (who have an\nagenda),  of kidnapping her !!! Hard to win here , but we hope the issue\nis more or less resolved now.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Attaching a story about a\ngirl who has been forced into marriage. It gives some insight as to how\ndifficult it can be for girls in this culture.
\n------------
\nFEATURE: FORCED TO MARRY UNDERAGE GIRL TELLS HER STORY<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

31 October 2016 – (www.sudantribune.com<\/a> - October 30,\n2016) - A girl, less than 16 years old, from South Sudan’s Jonglei state, said\nshe nearly died during labour about two months ago because of her young age and\nphysical inability to mother her child. Achol Akim Garang said she was forced\nby her brothers to marry an old man after the latter paid 34 heads of cattle\nand about 40,000 South Sudanese pounds (SSP) nearly two years ago.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

What aggravated her worries\nmost was the unexpected loss of her husband just a month before she gave birth\nto her first child. The little girl, born to a poor family, was in primary\nthree when she was told not to go to school again by her brothers who feared\nshe might copy bad habits due to peer groups’ influence at school and western\n\"education poison\" as brothers put it. All these happened after her\nfather died when the crisis of 2013 started.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

\"My father was a village\nchief, and he loved me a lot. He encouraged me to study. After his death,\nthings changed. I was forced to marry a man I never wanted, because he was not\nof my age, and again I was not mature enough to mother the child,\"\nexplained the young girl as tears rolled down her face.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Her brothers arranged the\nmarriage at age 14 without her consent, even without putting the mother into\npicture, she recalled.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

\"By then I was still 14\nyears old. I could not do things that other mature girls do, because I was\nstill weak. But they forced me to marry the man simply because they wanted\ncattle to pay as dowries for their wives,\" Achol lamented.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

\"Six months later I was\npregnant, and had a lot of problems. I thought I was going to die. Sometimes I\ncouldn’t sleep at night because of the trouble my brothers had caused to me.\nThe baby was too heavy for me to carry in the womb, but God helped me,\"\nshe said.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

While at home with her\nmother, she was advised about things contrary to traditions.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

\"I was told not to eat\nfood that would let me grow fat, because the child was going to gain more\nweight, which would result in labour complication during the child birth,” she\nsaid.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Achol also tried to avoid\nnutritious and energy giving food or any vitamins, but her condition\ndeteriorated as she completely became weaker and weaker week after week.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

She further recalled that she\nwas not allowed to see doctors for prenatal care, adding that during her last\ntrimester, she was unable to stand on her own and tears could drop voluntarily\nfrom her weakened eyes even when she was not crying. She remained indoor for\nmost of the day.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

\"One evening, I was on\nlabour, but I did not know. I thought something was burning up in me. I stood\nup, sat down, but there was no better way to resist the pain. I cried for help.\nMy mother came and held me down,\" explained Achol.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

She said she was in hard\nlabour for three days before the child was born during which she could hardly\ndrink water or eat food due the unbearable pain.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

“I was abusing every man that\npasses nearby,\" she narrated, adding, but \"Then finally the child was\nborn. I did not wake up for hours because I was exhausted, and bleeding was\nserious. This time, I could hear people’s voices like birds, and nobody was\nclear in my sight, I was blind.\"<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

She cautioned that the\nexperience she went through was horrific for a child like her, further\nrevealing that she was married at almost the same time with her age mate, but\nshe has never conceived till now.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Paramount chief, Alier Aluong\ndeclined to talk about customary laws when contacted by Sudan Tribune.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

\"We have no authority to\ntell someone not to marry underage. If the girl respects her parents to get\nmarried before the age of 18 years, we don’t interfere,\" said paramount\nchief Alier.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Per South Sudan’s\nTransitional Constitution, a person is a child when he or she has not reached\nthe age of 18 years. Any marriage that involves a child of below 18 years of\nage is considered an offense, and is punishable by law.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Sources from Jonglei state\nministry of education said such underage forced marriages are common in the\ncommunities, but no one has been punished for committing such an offense as the\nsociety seems to condone it.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

---------------<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Until next month.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Blessings<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

John<\/o:p><\/span><\/p> <\/p>

Latest\nemail from Fr John in South Sudan.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Sending\nyou this article on South Sudan. It is not copyright. Hoping to head back there\nin 2 weeks time.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Have\na good Summer.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

John<\/span>
\n
\n
\n
\n<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

THERE IS GOOD NEWS IN SOUTH SUDAN<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

30 July 2016 – (Bill Firman) - Go back a few centuries or\neven, in some cases, a few decades. Italy was not a united country but independent\nand warring states; America had a civil war in which negro enslavement was a significant\nissue; France had a bloody revolution pitting the people against the aristocracy;\nSouth Africa was governed with apartheid divisions; peace between Protestant and\nCatholic in Northern Ireland seemed an unattainable goal; and so the list goes on.\nSouth Sudan is the world’s newest nation, one of the least educated with the poorest\nhealth services and lowest standards of living. It has endured years of conflict\nand division; but there is hope. Other countries have been forged out of tangled\nconflicts and ethnic divisions. Why not South Sudan? Hope will spring from the next\ngeneration of citizens whom we must ensure are better educated.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

At present, I am visiting our Solidarity Teacher Training\n(STTC) in Yambio, South Sudan. This place really is a good news story! The 111 students\nare studying to be primary school teachers. They begin the day with a joyful gathering\nto pray for peace. There is a real mix of ethnicity. There are students from 14\ndifferent groups including 20 Dinka, 20 Zande, 8 Nuer, 12 Lango, 5 Balanda and 33\nfrom the Nuba Mountains region (21 of whom are Tira). The tutors are also from different\ncountries and congregations. There are two Irish Sisters, members of different congregations,\nand likewise two from the USA. There is also a male, lay volunteer from the USA.\nThere are three Brothers from three different congregations – one each from Nigeria,\nGhana and Uganda. The Principal, Sr Margaret Scott, is from New Zealand. Another\nSister, from yet another congregation, is from India. I am visiting – from a fourth,\ndifferent congregation of Brothers and, yes, from yet another country, Australia.\nCan there be unity with such diversity?<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Edmund Burke once wrote: ‘Example is the school of mankind\nand they will learn at no other?<\/span>’ So what are the student teachers here learning?\nHere are some of the comments from members of the class that will graduate at the\nend of this year. I believe our STTC is creating really good news.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n\n

‘I would be grateful to work at STTC Yambio because\nI like the way Solidarity people live with one another – in peace as brothers and\nsisters’<\/span> - Paul Osman<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n\n

‘I have gained knowledge and skills on how to\nhandle children myself as teacher. I have also gained confidence in myself in whatever\nthing I am doing’<\/span> – Bashir Juma<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n\n

‘I have learned how to keep peace within the community\nwe are living in, seeing the example from the staff of Solidarity. All the time\nthey are happy and love all the students.’<\/span> - Kujiha Kawo<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n\n

‘It is all about people. My most valuable experiences\nweren’t academic. They were all about people – social skills, respect, self-worth\nand empathy’.<\/span> - Gabriel Nyany<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n\n

Yes, it is all about the people, many of whom have suffered\nso much in their country. The people must come to view themselves as South Sudanese\ntogether rather than as ethnic rivals or competitors. Other students from the class\nsoon to graduate wrote:<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

‘My country is a war-torn country and people think\nthere is no hope for the country but when I came to Solidarity, I came to know people\nfrom many tribes and nationalities and we lived in peace and harmony. That is one\nof the greatest achievement I have got from Solidarity. I have learned the different\napproaches to teaching and the qualities of a good teacher.’<\/span> – John\nGor<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n\n

‘All people in Solidarity always live together\nin peace and harmony, loving people and agents of change. That is why I want to\njoin Solidarity, to be the agent of change in the country.’ <\/span>- Ngaluku<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n\n

Our STTC graduates will be agents of change for the better.\nThe living example of Solidarity tutors, not only their delivery of knowledge and\nskills, is bringing good news to South Sudan.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

- Br Bill<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n\n

WELCOME TO JUBA AFTER TWO YEARS AWAY FROM HOME<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

30 July 2016 – (By Phillip Andruga – www.combonisouthsudan.org<\/a>) - As many\nof us know and might have experienced, coming home after living in another country\nis a joyful experience which sometimes it is very difficult to describe or put in\nwords. It was what I was feeling when coming back from Italy to South Sudan after\nmy two years of studies in Rome. Knowing that reaching home I am going to have a\ngreat time with my family members and friends whom I have missed for so long.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Arriving at Juba international airport, I had a strange feeling\nas if something was missing but I had no idea what it could be. Although, I know\nthat my country is going through difficult political and economic crisis. Nonetheless,\nI eventually came face to face with the starling reality that my country is actually\nundergoing serious problems. And I really felt moved by the situation during my\nbrief conversion with the taxi driver who drove me up from the airport to our provincial\nhouse.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

On our way the taxi driver told me: “welcome to Juba, and\nwhere are you coming from”? I said, I am coming from Italy and I have been out for\ntwo years. He said again: “welcome home, but Juba is not as you have left two years\nago, the country has spiraled into an economic free-fall characterized by food and\nfuel price which have skyrocketed and an ever rising cost of living. Trade and local\nmarkets have been disrupted and food stocks are almost exhausted”.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

And he went on saying: “You know, ‘Abuna’ (Arabic word for\npriest), most people here rely on subsistence agriculture based on crop production\nand cattle for basic survival. But now most of them have been forced to flee their\nhomes and they have lost their means of feeding their families because they were\nforced to abandon their farms and livestock and living now in the UN camps within\nthe country or some have fled to the neighboring countries”. Eventually, we arrived\nat the provincial house and I thanked him for the sharing and he went his way.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

It was a pity that my planned month holidays with my family\nwas cut short to be only one week spent in a situation similar to a ‘house arrest’.\nThis was because, since I arrived in Juba, almost for four days we could not get\nout of our compound due to the conflict which erupted in juba on 7th July 2016.\nIn those days I could feel the situation of hopelessness, thoughts of anger, frustration\nand human limitation. To make the matter worst, nobody knows and can tell what is\ngoing on and what is actually going to happen in the next hour. The only answer\nwhich I got was the sound of gunfire and the gunships helicopters flying over us.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Sharing with two friends who came to visit and say bye to\nme before I could leave for Nairobi, I could feel the sense of hopelessness and\nfrustration in their eyes. They don’t know where the situation is leading them and\nwhat their future would be like. One of them told me: “Father, I really don’t consider\nand feel I am part of this nation because I don’t feel my rights are respected as\nSouth Sudanese and what I could see is darkness and shuttered future before me”.\nAnd this actually led me to reflect and ask myself, what is the real solution for\nthe conflict and lasting peace in South Sudan?<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

A report by the Enough Project, which was published in October\n1, 2014, stated that: “The path to a lasting peace in South Sudan will require addressing\nnot just the immediate challenges presented by the current conflict, but those that\nexisted long before independence was achieved”. These include corruption, political\nparty reform, and inter-communal violence. As a result of misuse of public funds\nand corruption by some individuals in the system, the Government of South Sudan\nfailed to invest in public infrastructure, education and health care.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Consequently, it means the young South Sudanese have few opportunities\nand uncertain future. And to make the matter worse, a big number of uneducated teenage\nboys and girls are vulnerable to recruitment and used by the politicians for their\nown ambitions.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

I believe, since the current conflict was sparked by a power\nstruggle and greedy of some individuals within the system, a genuine reform within\nthe Government institutions is vital and should be the primary task of the Transitional\nGovernment of National Unity. Not only that. In order to achieve a lasting peace\nin the country, the altitudes of revenge and violence between communities should\nbe resolved through dialogue and reconciling the parties in the conflict.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

I hope, and it is my prayer too, that the politicians and\nall citizens of South Sudan may take these powerful words of El Salvador’s martyred\nBishop Oscar Romero seriously and put them into practice for achieving lasting peace\nin the country: “Peace is not the product of terror or fear. Peace is not the silence\nof cemeteries. Peace is not the silent result of violent repression. Peace is the\ngenerous, tranquil contribution of all the good of all. Peace is dynamism. Peace\nis generosity. It is right and it is duty.”<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Fr. Phillip Andruga, mccj<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

http:\/\/www.combonisouthsudan.org\/index.php\/1545-welcome-to-juba-after-two-years-away-from-home<\/a><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n\n

(The contents of these articles do not reflect\nmy views. Their sources are always cited)<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

 <\/span><\/p><\/p>

POPE\'S ENVOY IN SOUTH SUDAN IN PURSUIT OF PEACE-BUILDING<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

22 July\n2016 – (Vatican Radio - www.news.va<\/span><\/a> – 21\/07\/2016) - Pope\nFrancis has sent a special envoy to South Sudan to urge for an end to violence in\nthe country and to help establish dialogue and trust between the warring parties.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Cardinal\nPeter Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, travelled\nto the capital Juba this week to give support to the Archbishop and to meet with\nthe country’s leaders.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

He carried\nwith him a letter from the Pope for President Salva Kiir and one for Vice President\nRiek Machar who are historic enemies and represent the different ethnic groups.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

For almost\na year, South Sudan has been trying to emerge from a civil war caused by political\nrivalry between the Vice President and the President. Violent clashes across the\ncity have left tens of thousands of people dead since December 2013 and a recent\nflare-up of fighting has caused more casualties, scores of displaced people and\na serious humanitarian crisis.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Although\na cease-fire is currently in effect in Juba, the threat of more violence continues\nto loom large.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Vatican\nRadio’s Linda Bordoni asked Cardinal Turkson to illustrate the current situation\nand talk about the Church’s effort to push forward a peaceful process.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Cardinal\nPeter Turkson says he arrived in Juba last Sunday early enough to celebrate Mass\nwith the faithful, the Archbishop, the priests and the religious.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

“To put\nit mildly: the situation is tough” he says.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

He says\nthe violence which flared on the 5th anniversary of the country’s independence recurs\nintermittently between the warring forces causing a lot of deaths.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

And,\nhe explained, it is also very hard on the civilian population who flee the violence\nto save their lives leaving their homes to be looted, occupied or destroyed.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

“A lot\nof the women and children and even boys have sought refuge in Churches and in schools\n– and that is where they live – and the priests and brothers and nuns try to take\ncare of them as best as they can” he says.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

But Turkson\nsays the situation is desperate and security levels are low.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

He says\nthe authorities he has met with have promised to do their best to put a programme\nof reform on course towards elections in 2018.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Turkson\nexplains that the process has been derailed by recent events but the President maintains\nthe course can be resumed.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

“We brought\nthem the greetings of the Pope, his solidarity, two letters he had addressed to\nthe President and to the Vice President – the two protagonists of the conflict”\nhe says.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

The Cardinal\nsays his own effort was “to try to get them to come together at some point, to see\nif we could facilitate a reconciliation, to help them build some trust and confidence\nin each other”.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Turkson\nalso speaks of the urgent need for help and says he has already contacted Cor Unum\nin Rome to see what assistance can be organized in terms of medication.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

He explains\nthat the displaced population is living in the open and in classrooms and are victims\nof mosquito bites so there is malaria, dysentery, “there’s even talk about cholera\nin some areas”.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

“So there’s\na need for medication and there’s a need for food supplies” he says.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Cardinal\nTurkson concludes expressing his hope that upon his return to Rome later this week\nit will be possible to send some concrete aid back to the archbishop “as a help\nfrom the side of the Holy See”.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

http:\/\/www.news.va\/en\/news\/popes-envoy-in-south-sudan-in-pursuit-of-peace-bui<\/span><\/a><\/o:p><\/span><\/p> <\/p>

THE HIDDEN POOR<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

20 June\n2016 – (By Bill Firman – www.combonisouthsudan.org<\/span><\/a>)\n- Last week, Information Minister, Michael Makuei Lueth, in a televised statement\non the state-owned South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation publicly admitted that the\ngovernment is broken and has no money to pay for both public and civil servants.\nHe called on the civil servants, who have not been paid for three months, ‘to remain\npatient as the government tries to find a way to get money’, but added that they\nwill not be able to get paid for their past arrears. The flow-on effects of such\nunpaid salaries are potentially devastating.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

One article,\nin late May, reported as follows: Authorities in Western Lakes, one of the proposed\n28 states, have arrested at least four health workers who reportedly demanded to\nbe paid for their work. Salaries for most health workers have not been paid for\nthree months. Veronica Cinduol, a nurse at Rumbek teaching hospital said on Saturday\nthey decided go on strike after four of their colleagues had been arrested by the\nauthorities after demanding to be paid their salaries. “Instead of listening to\nour complaint, the authorities decided to arrest four of our colleagues yesterday,\nwhich is not a way to address such a matter. Our demand is for the authorities to\npay us three months’ salaries, make increment in our pay, and give us all our allowances.\nThis is all we are asking,\" she said.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

University\nprofessors at five public universities and sixty-one doctors at Juba Teaching Hospital\nin the capital, Juba, are also on strike over nonpayment of salaries for the last\nthree months. In fact, Juba Teaching Hospital had no power for several weeks as\nthere was no money to buy generator fuel. The days of ‘town power’ in Juba seem\nto have ended. We have had none since Independence Day, July 9th, 2015.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Those\nwho do get paid have seen their purchasing power greatly eroded. One report yesterday\nasserts: The United States (US) dollar has further strengthened against the South\nSudanese pound (SSP) this week in the ongoing deterioration of the country’s economy…\nMultiple sources and residents in a series of sample of interviews on Friday found\nthat 1 US dollar traded at 50SSP at the black market compared to 35SSP to $1 at\nthe Central Bank… Following the formation of the unity government, the two leaders\n– president Kiir and first vice president, Riek Machar, promised to work together\nto address the economic hardship. Their promise, however, never yielded any fruit\nas there is slow progress in the implementation of the peace deal, including economic\nreforms. The international community is reluctant to release money that can be injected\ninto the country’s economy, citing lack of political will by the peace partners\nto implement the urgently needed security and economic sector reforms.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

The National\nMinister of Education publicly complained recently that he is paid ‘only SSP10,000\nper month’. Considering many workers do not get paid even SSP2,000 per month, the\nMinister receives a relatively high salary; but SSP10,000 is now worth only $200\nwhereas 12 months ago the dollar equivalent of his salary was $2,000 per month.\nThe average person paid SSP2,000 is expected to live on just $40 per month. One\napple (or one orange) now costs SSP20. Many families here have 5 or 6 children.\nSuch a family has to live off the equivalent of 100 apples a month but would have\nnothing left to buy clothes, pay school fees, or matahtu (small bus) fares. Obviously,\nan apple is a luxury and the people rely more on flour, at SSP 80 for a 2 kg bag,\nand similar products. But it is barely a subsistence existence.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

The real\nconsequence of the economic situation is that many people are hungry, even if they\nare lucky enough to have some income. Many who are unpaid, or poorly paid, such\nas soldiers and police have guns. So violence is escalating and the decline of law\nand order is an increasing issue in South Sudan. Most South Sudanese could not even\nthink of paying for a passport or travelling to another country. They are the hidden\npoor who will never be refugees. They have too little even to contemplate fleeing\nelsewhere, unless they can stumble over a nearby border. They hang on with admirable\nresilience and simplicity, hoping for better times.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

I can\nunderstand the reluctance of other countries to give more to South Sudan when its\nmajor budget expenditure is on the military; but the poor here are powerless and\nsuffering greatly as a consequence of the continuing economic collapse. As the Catholic\nBishops have said in their recent statement: ‘We thank the international community\nfor the support they have provided and humbly ask them to continue to provide services\nand relief to the poorest of the poor.’<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

- Br\nBill<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

http:\/\/www.combonisouthsudan.org\/index.php\/1528-the-hidden-poor<\/span><\/a><\/o:p><\/span><\/p><\/p>

Hi everyone,<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Hope everyone had a good Easter. Here, everything went\non well. As usual, we had large crowds of young people at all the services over\nHoly Week and celebrated Easter in vibrant singing style. Not that the people have\nmuch to sing about – very high prices and shortage of normal market goods has made\nlife extremely difficult for most people in South Sudan. But they never protest\nagainst their government as they have been used to hunger and hardship during the\nwar years and sort of accept that this is the norm for them. Also, as they are only\na young nation – they do not want to be seen as criticizing their government that\nbrought them independence.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Our minor seminary\/youth training center has opened\nthis year with 46 young men – with all the old ones returning and 10 new ones. Many\nothers wanted to join but we don’t have space for them. They also see it as a way\nof escaping the hunger that they would experience if they were with their families\nat this time. They are all fine young men and generally speaking are easy to get\nalong with and no disciplinary problems.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

We had a bad accident with 14 of the students just\nafter Easter. As we were going out to collect firewood, the steel cage on the back\nof the pickup broke and all the students fell off the back of the pickup. One was\nseriously injured with a fractured skull. We brought him to local hospital where\nthey were able to stablise his condition and now he is out of danger. However, we\nhad a big battle on our hands to keep him in the hospital as the family of the boy\nwanted to take him out of the hospital and get him treated with a traditional medicine\nman. The traditional man would open the head with a sharp instrument, without giving\nany anaesthetic to the boy , and push the fractured bone back into place - the say\nthe more pain there is the better it is for the boy who would then heal quickly\n!! obviously we and the hospital authorities resisted this way of treatment and\nnow the boy is slowly recovering in hospital.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

One of the reasons that the cage on the mission pickup\nbroke off , was because it had been taken by the army during the war years and a\nsub machine gun mounted on it. When the mission got it back after the war, it took\noff the gun and welded the cage back onto the back of the pickup. Over the years\nthe welding got rusted and finally snapped when the boys leaned too heavily on it.\nThank God the boy is recovering - as if he had died , the family would try to kill\nthe driver of the pickup in an act of revenge – the driver was me !!!<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

I will be home in May for my niece’s wedding in June\n– so see many of you then. Since coming back to here last august – I have not had\none day off as there is simply no where to go to get a break – it is the same for\nall of us here as missionaries – the only place to get a rest or break from work\nis to fly out of the country – that is why we try to get home at least once a year\n– to keep our sanity !!! or at least what is left of it !!<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

So, C u in June.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Blessings.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

John<\/o:p><\/span><\/p> <\/p>

Greetings once again from Mapuordit –\nSouth Sudan. My updates are fewer this year due mainly to poor internet connections\nand also there is so little happening in terms of progress in the country due to\nthe collapse of the economy here. It is difficult to write when there is so little\n“Good News” to write about - but at least our minor seminary\/youth centre has opened\nagain for the New school Year, with 48 students - representing every parish in the\nDiocese of Rumbek. Most of the students were very eager to return to the seminary\nin order to get their “3 meals a day “ - as most of them were surviving on 1 meal\na day at home. Economy is in pieces here – the South Sudan Pound is now 30 to the\ndollar –last year it was around 6-7 ssp to the dollar – how people are surviving\nis beyond me as wages have not been increased to go with inflation.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

One of our students – called Joseph Majack\n– walked from his home town of Romic for 3 days, with his cow, to come to the seminary\nin Mapuordit. On the way, he sold the cow to pay for his seminary and school fees\n– some students do make a big sacrifice to come to here. Most of them really have\nto struggle to get the money needed to pay the fees of the seminary and the school\nbut when they are accepted into the minor seminary - they have 3 meals a day, solar\nlighting for study and a safe and secure environment to stay in. Even though they\nhave to make big efforts to get their fees, the money given is only a tenth of what\nis needed to run the minor seminary\/youth centre.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

I came across a very interesting washing\nmachine in a garage in Rumbek last week. The garage mechanic I had come across and\nold washing machine that had been throw out -probably by UN people. He took it to\nthe garage and fitted up the drum of the washing machine to an old bicycle. Now,\nwhen he needs washing done – he throws his clothes into the washing machine and\nby the use of pedal power – turns the drum and washes his clothes. I got a picture\nof it – so I hope I will be able to send it to the blog.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

We have a heat wave here at present –\neven the south Sudanese are complaining of the heat. When I challenged one of them\non day about complaining about the heat as they are born in Africa – he said to\nme – you are born in Ireland – and you complain about the cold !!. Hopefully Spring\nis bring the hint of good weather to you all there and wishing every one a very\nBlessed Easter.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Till next update.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

John<\/o:p><\/span><\/p><\/p>

Josephine Bakitha Minor Seminary – Report for 2015<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Owner of the\nProject and Author<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Fr John Skinnader\nCSSp. Rector<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

St. Josephine\nBakhita Minor Seminary, Mapuordit<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Diocese of\nRumbek \/ South Sudan<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

c\/o Bethany\nHouse, P.O. Box 21102, 00505 Nairobi, Kenya<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

john.skinnader@gmail.com<\/span><\/a>,\n+211 921 19 88 29<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>


<\/span><\/p>

DOWNLOAD ORIGINAL DOCUMENT BY CLICKING HERE<\/a><\/span><\/p>


<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Project Summary<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Transforming\nMapourdit Seminary into a center of excellence in education, leadership training\nand skills for life, is a three year project starting 2015 until 2017. It aims at\nproviding good quality education for the Seminarians so that they are in better\nposition to serve the communities in their calling as priestly or civil leaders..\nThe same project will also be a tool to empower the seminarians to acquire “skills\nfor life”.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Activities\nto be done include:<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

1.           \n<\/span><\/span>replacement of solar batteries, and also some basic knowledge on how to use\nand operate the solar system<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

2.           \n<\/span><\/span>computer training for 4th year seminarians ,<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

3.           \n<\/span><\/span>buying of food for the seminarians to supplement the food produced on the\nfarm,<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

4.           \n<\/span><\/span>buying of a car for the Spiritans running the seminary, driving lessons for\nthe 4th year seminarians,<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

5.           \n<\/span><\/span>cover running costs and wages for the staff, monitoring and evaluation.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Introduction.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

This year\nhas been a very good year in the seminary from the point of view of the quality\nof the seminarians that we have been privileged to have here. They have been industrious,\nhard working and deeply committed to their studies and in carrying out the discipline\nof the seminary. It has not been an easy year for them in relation to the secondary\nschool - teachers have been very unsettled and unfocused - due to the current economic\ncrisis which has made their salaries virtually useless. Inflation has gone into\nthe 100% - with a bag of beans – normally their staple diet – going from 300 pounds\na bag to 1200 pounds a bag. The school has been disrupted on a number of occasions\nwith several strikes but through it all the seminarians have held their peace and\ncontinued to study as best they could.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

We began the\nyear with 48 seminarians but due to the high insecurity around Rumbek and Mapuordit\n– some students felt too insecure to travel back to the school after the last holiday\nbreak. Presently we are down to a total of 45 students as we lost 3 during the year.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

However, we\nhave 5 students who were not able to pay the seminary fees but are very good young\nmen from Agrangrial and living near to the seminary in a mission” tekul” - so we\nhelp them with lunch on a regular basis and also they join the Form 4 when extra\ncoaching classes are organized for them.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Background information on the Project for St. Josephine\nBakitha Minor Seminary.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Because of\nthe 50 year war with the Arab North and now with the on going civil conflict – there\ncontinues to very few good quality secondary schools in all of South Sudan. The\nDiocese of Rumbek established a secondary school in Mapuordit – an isolated area\nin the heart of the jungle of Lake States. Here, students could come to school in\na relatively safe environment and benefit from the surrounding backup facilities\n–such as the mission hospital and pastoral center. When the war with the Arab North\n\/Karthoum finished , the Diocese decided to move the minor seminary from Kitale\nin Kenya to Mapuordit. Here, students who were showing the best leadership potential\nin their different parishes around the Diocese of Rumbek (roughly the size of Switzerland)\ncould come to - and get a good secondary school education – plus other extra curriculum\nactivities such as computer training, driving lessons and leadership training courses.\nPresently there are 45 students –from all parishes of the Diocese - in the Minor\nSeminary<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

South Sudan Update:<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

The civil\nwar in South Sudan continues to drain the country of all its resources and hyper\ninflation has now made life very difficult for all people – including foreigners\nto live in South Sudan. A more worrying aspect of life in Lake States – where the\nMinor Seminary is located - is that now Dinka are fighting Dinka – so it is not\nreally safe to travel to and from Rumbek – the main shopping and banking town for\nus . Some months ago – a young Comboni Congolese priest – Fr. Placido -who was returning\nfrom Rumbek in the hospital car – was caught up in an ambush and got seriously wounded\nin his back. He is presently recovering in Nairobi – after having a bullet removed\nfrom his back. His shooting also affected our work in the seminary as he was replacing\nTerry Quinn of Australia in teaching the seminarians computer skills.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Report on activities:<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Objectives<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Main objective<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

That Mapuordit\nMinor Seminary becomes a “Centre of Excellence” in the Diocese of Rumbek in education,\nleadership training and skills for life, in a safe and secure environment by December\n2017.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Specific objectives<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

1.           \n<\/span><\/span><\/span>The seminary has a better studying environment that can facilitate the academic\nexcellence for 53 seminarians by 2015.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n

As you will\nsee from the report below, we were able to purchase the solar batteries so that\nthe seminarians have a 24 hour lighting system now in their dormitories and in the\nlibrary for to enhance their studies at night. The minor seminarians continue to\ntake 1st, 2nd and 34d positions in most of the mid term and end of the year exams.\nWe also employed some teachers to give coaching classes to the Form 4 students as\nthe teachers in the secondary school were not attending classes on a regular basis.\nForm 4 students also learned the basic computer skills and most of them have also\nlearned how to drive a car – so they are the envy of all the other students in and\naround mapuordit.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Also as a\nminor seminary, the students have shown a maturity in their prayer level and a growing\nawareness of what it means to be a priest and leader in the Catholic Church. Not\nonce have I had to chastise any of them for being late for Church services or failing\nto carry out the duties assigned to them in the church. They have faithfully attended\nchoir practice of a Saturday and also participated fully in the devotional practice\nof saying the rosary in different houses around mapuordit during the month of October.\nI am hoping that many of them will eventually opt to go to the Major seminary.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

2.           \n<\/span><\/span><\/span>53 seminarians have access to food for three years to promote improved academic\nperformance.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n

We were able\nto secure all the food necessary for the smooth running of the seminary for the\nyear 2015. The food was originally to be bought from a local trader here in Mapuordit\nbut he was not able to guarantee us all the quantities or all the items we needed\n–so we gave a contract to the trader we had used before in Rumbek – paid him in\ndollars and he transported all the food to Mapuordit for us. It was very fortunate\nthat we bought all our food in at the same time as by the middle of the year – the\nsouth Sudanese pound had devalued seriously against the dollar and made everything\n4-5 times more expensive in the market. Also many items became scarce – which would\nhave put the seminary in a precarious position if we had not received the money\nfrom our donors at the appropriate time. For this we thank them.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Our farm and garden –<\/span> enabled us to grow all our own vegetables and this\nhas been of great benefit to the health of the students and their ability to study\nwell. We have not spent much money on health issues this year – due mainly to the\nhigh nutrient intake. Our resident horticulturist is also training our young seminarians\nin growing vegetables such as sumaweaki, pumpkins, tomatoes, koudra, sweet potatoes,\netc and the planting of fruit trees.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

This year\nwe have had a very good supply of groundnuts from the farm and also a reasonable\nreturn on the green peas that we planted. We also planted “cowpeas” but they will\nnot be harvested until next year.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

No Economic Independence:<\/span> one of the big issues for South Sudan is that they\nhave achieved political independence but not economic independence. Nearly all food\nitems are purchased from the neighboring countries . This might be OK in a developed\ncountry where the country is selling enough items to be able to purchase the things\nthat they need in the country from other countries but in a country like South Sudan\n–where there is very little food produced locally to sell and gain hard currency\nfrom neighboring countries – it means that food is constantly scarce and people\nare at the mercy of the exchange rate of the dollar.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Even in the\nseminary – we are embarrassed that we are not able to produce more food to satisfy\nour own food needs. The farm is too small for major crop production – like maize\nor beans . It is only able to produce enough maize , or the local peas , to keep\nus going for about 3 weeks. We can grow enough groundnuts to keep the seminary supplied\nfor the whole year – but nobody can live on groundnuts alone !! . To grow maize\non an industrial scale would take a very high investment from our donors - but even\nthen would it be a success ? This year – for example – if we had had a very big\nharvest – there would not have been fuel to harvest it or to move it from the farm\nto our new store in the seminary. Even the Jesuits, who have invested hundred’s\nof thousands dollars in a very large farm outside of Rumbek – have not been able\nto decide what are the best crops to grow here in South Sudan – beside groundnuts\n– which grow very well here. To even get the seeds needed to grow things on a large\nscale – is still a major challenge for all farming institutions here in South Sudan\n– but we will continue to experiment and try to improve our food production in the\nseminary.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

3. Improved transportation system for the seminary by\nJuly 2015.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Due to the\nproblems of roads flooded, high insecurity and shortage of diesel fuel – the new\ncar has still not arrived in Mapuordit. We believe that by this time it is being\ntransported to Mombasa\/kenya – so we hope that it will reach to Juba early in the\nnew year. Meanwhile we have been managing with the old seminary car – which has\ncost us a lot to maintain and also the old Comboni pickup which we used to give\ndriving lessons to the students.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

4. 4th year seminarian have skills in computer literacy,\noperating and maintaining solar system driving and maintaining a car.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Terry Quinn –from Australia – gave the seminarians lessons\nin computer training<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Computer Classes( Terry Quinn)<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n

During the\n2015 school year I taught computers to the minor seminarians and the Form 3 and\nForm 4 students in Mapuordit. The course was focused on providing the students with\nan understanding of computer software and hardware. The computers used where desktops\nand the software was Windows base using Microsoft and Open Office. They also develop\ntheir typing skills by using Broderbund software. Students were encouraged to develop\nan understanding of how to operate a computer and how to use a variety of computer\nsoftware programs. Students were given self-pace tasks where they could work individually\nof collaboratively.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Topics Covered:<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Computer components<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Start and\nshutdown a computer<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Open and save\na document<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Edit a document<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Insert a table\ninto a document<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Insert page\nand title borders<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Insert Clip\nArt<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Insert WordArt<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Insert and\nedit photos<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Develop a\nspreadsheet using Excel<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

At the beginning\nof the course the students understanding and knowledge of computers varied. Some\nhad never turned on a computer while others were competent at typing and using Windows\nand Microsoft. It was rewarding to see the improvement in all students. The cooperation\nand collaboration amongst them was pleasing with the competent students willing\nto assist and help other.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

I feel that\nall seminarians have gained a sound understanding of computers and with practice\nand computer access some will accelerate at a rapid pace. If this training opportunity\nwas not given, a lot of capable students would not have been able to develop their\ncomputer knowledge.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

In the evening\ntime – Form 4 students continued their practice on the computers by using the computers\nof the seminary in the Pastoral centre. Fr.Placidio assisted them –until he was\nunfortunately caught in an ambush near to Mapuordit and had to be airlifted to a\nhospital in Nairobi. However, by this stage all of Form 4’s were quite proficient\nin using computers.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Solar System:<\/span> New batteries were purchased for the solar system in\norder for the students to have 24 hour light. With the new batteries -we were able\nto change the system from an inverter system AC - to having direct current –DC.\nThis enabled the students to have control over the lightening system themselves\nand to put on the light when they were ready for studying in the evening or in the\nmornings. The students have acted responsibly with the use of this system. Also,\nthe students assisted in the whole re-wiring of the seminary and how to install\nthe DC system. They have gained knowledge in the use of the AC and DC systems of\npower.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

As I said\nin a previous report – I have noticed a change in the students since they began\nto watch the South Sudan News and the BBC “Focus on Africa News “ in the evenings-\nthanks to the solar power in the seminary. They now realize that the world is larger\nand greater than what they just experience in their own little corner of South Sudan\nand they have become less demanding and probably less insular in their thinking\nalso.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Learning to drive:<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n

All Form 4\nstudents got an opportunity to learn how to drive but due to the shortage of fuel\nin the country and the new seminary car still not here, only 3 out of the 7 – of\nthis year Form 4’s - have enough knowledge of driving to be able to qualify for\ntheir driving lessons. We will continue teaching them in January as the Form 4 exams\nwill probably be not until march 2016. They will then be brought to Rumbek for their\ndriving tests.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

However, 2\nfrom last years Form 4’s – got their driving licences in February 2015 and are now\ndriving around Juba . One Santino Mawan joined the Comboni Congregation and is now\nstudying in Juba. Angelo Deng John is also in Juba at the major seminary. Both of\nthem have really benefited from their time in the minor seminary in Mapuordit and\nhave taken full advantage of the opportunities presented to them. They are also\nvery efficient in the use of computers. Others have also benefited from last year’s\nForm 4 – but not to them same extent as these two. Santino in his own words “ Hi <\/span>fr. John,<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Thanks for the greetings from Mapuordit. I am very fine\nbut missing Mapuordit a lot. We are doing our Catechesis; that is English course,\nspirituality, introduction to philosophy and other courses.
\nI really appreciate your effort Fr. John. Since I came to Juba here, I have been\ndriving more than twenty times in the city among many vehicles and the traffic complications.\nI had never been stopped one day by traffic police. It was quite difficult in the\nfirst week when I started but now I am perfect if I continue to remain prudent when\ndriving.
\nOtherwise I thank you a lot Abuna, greet my brothers for me.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Best wishes to you and the Form Fourth of this year.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Santino M. Guor
\nJuba South Sudan
\n
\n<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

This year\nForm 4 have many excellent students and all of them should do well in their final\nexams.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

5.           \n<\/span><\/span>Seminarians are aware of gender sensitive issues after\nthree years of project implementation.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Gender sensitive awareness<\/span>:<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

For the first\ntime in the life of the seminary , we tried to highlight the issue of gender sensitivity\namongst the seminarians. We did this by having two debates between the minor seminarians\nand some of the school girls from the girls centre run by the sisters in Mapuordit.\nThe first debate went smoothly as the boys and girls only had to pick a topic at\nrandom from a selection of topics given to them and stand before everyone and speak\nfor two minutes to the topic.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

The second\ndebate was much more contentious and I actually found it quite disturbing as the\nattitude of the seminarians to gender equality was still very culturally conditioned\nand many wrong assumptions put forward. The issue debated was<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

“ An uneducated girl is better than an educated girl\n”.<\/span><\/span> I made the\nmistake of just having 4 girls debating the issue against 4 of the minor seminarians\n- with the whole of the minor seminary behind the boys. For the girls it was like\nDaniel in the lion’s den ! The boys absolutely tore the girls asunder and many of\nthe boys jumping to their feet during the debate to reinforce points against girls\neducation. I challenged them afterwards about this – but they said that they did\nnot believe what they were proposing but that it was just part of the debating.\nHowever, the vehemence with which they spoke against the subject – meant that deep\ndown – they have highly ingrained attitudes against the equality of women.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

During Comboni\nday celebration – the seminarians and the girls put on a drama about forced marriage\nin South Sudan society. This was well acted and brought out the forces that are\nin play when a girl wants to go to school – especially secondary school<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

6.           \n<\/span><\/span>The seminary covers running costs and meets demand and\nservices required for three years.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

This year\nnearly all the seminarians paid the full amount to cover the running costs in the\nseminary. They did most of the maintenance that needed to be done in the seminary\nand planted , weeded and harvested the groundnuts, green peas and the vegetables.\nThey also collected all the fire wood needed for cooking.<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Monitoring and evaluation:<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Fr. John Matiang\n– the Diocesan Coordinator came to the seminary twice during the year to evaluate\nthe running of the seminary. He had no recommendations to give other than reflect\non the challenges to run the seminary at this time in Mapuordit – with the insecurity\nof travel, lack of goods in the local market and the problems with the Comboni secondary\nschool that the seminarians attend.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Fr. John Malou\nalso came to the seminary on a number of occasions –from Bunagog – and was very\npleased with the overall state of affairs in the minor seminary.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Recommendations and conclusions:<\/o:p><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n

We have been\nblessed this year in the seminary that there has been no major incidents of indiscipline\nor of students behaving in a bad with – wither within or outside of the community.\nIn fact, during the trouble in the school – when students and teachers were in conflict\nwith each other – the government representative who was sent to deal with the chaos\n– commented that he wished that the other students would follow the example of the\nminor seminarians and behave in a responsible and mature way when issues arose in\nthe school. He said he admired the way that they could leave the school when trouble\nstarted and return to the minor seminary without antagonizing other students or\nteachers on their way home. The principal of the school also commented many times\non the maturity of the minor seminarians – in and out of school.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

The biggest\nissue facing the minor seminary in the next few months is the whole future of the\nComboni Secondary school beside us. On a number of occasions during the year – teachers\nhave gone on strike as their wages have lost roughly 75% of their value over this\nyear 2015. There was no mid term exams because teachers refused to monitor them.\nThe principal is leaving at the end of this year to go for further studies and all\nteachers contracts have been terminated – pending a review of their commitment,\nwork and attitude to their teaching profession. The “raison de etre” of the minor\nseminary in Mapuordit is precisely that the Comboni Secondary School offered one\nof the best teaching environments in the country – sadly this is no longer the case\nand the seminary should not reopen until the status and the quality offered by the\nschool is assured.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Many of our\nstudents now come from faraway places such as Waarap, Romic, Mari Lou, Bunagog.\nThey were not able to return home during mid term breaks as the costs and the insecurity\non the way – made it a perilous journey indeed. Many I fear will not be able to\nreturn as the costs of fees and travel will be in the thousand of pounds – tough\ntime indeed in South Sudan .<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Our budget\nfor 2016 – has lost 10.000 dollars – due to the poor exchange rate between the euro\nand the dollar – this will affect some of the activities in the seminary or the\nquality of the food given to the seminarians.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Conclusion:<\/span><\/span> Mapuordit Minor Seminary – in essence is a very good\nproject and it has been great accompanying the seminarians this year as they grow\nin learning, maturity and wisdom. It is also a great way for the different clans\nto live together in peace and get to know each other. Whether it can survive in\na rapidly detiorating social, political and economic situation – remains to be seen.\nI hope it can.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Fr. John Skinnader<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Rector – Minor\nSeminary.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p> <\/p>

Hi Everyone,<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Christmas Greetings from South Sudan..\nI have not been able to keep up with emails , and my blog, as I have been quite\noccupied here to keep everything ticking over in quite a challenging situation.\nInsecurity, fighting , high prices and lack of fuel has made life very difficult\nfor most people in South Sudan . We had to close the school early due to teachers\nbecoming very disgruntled over their salaries and then it was a challenge to find\nfuel to get them home. I eventually found enough fuel to take the students back\nto their respective places but my car was stopped by bandits on one of the roads\nand all the students robbed of money and other items. I was not driving at the time.\nAt least I have all the students at their homes now and I can follow up on all correspondence\nthat is in the pipeline.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

My Mum is quite low at present – so I\ncould end up at home for Christmas yet !! - but I hope not as I really enjoy the\nquiet time and Christmas around here. Though this year it will be tough on the people\nas we have not seen the people hungry like they are now. Goods are scarce, prices\nare high and the fighting means that there can be no progress in the country when\nthis is happening. Not even sure if we will be able to open the minor seminary \/youth\ncentre next year as the fighting in different areas makes it very dangerous for\nstudents to travel to our place of Mapuordit. But I am in fine and in really good\nform – feel very at home here now.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Just a quick update for the Christmas.\nMy full report on this year’s activities I will send for the New Year.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Wishing everyone every blessing at this\nfestive time of the year.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Blessings and Happy Christmas to one\nand all.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

John<\/o:p><\/span><\/p><\/p>

Greetings and happy New Year. Forwarding\nan email that we got this morning (see below). Sisters attacked in a convent in\nSouth Sudan - outside of the capital Juba. An American sister – in her 60’s was\nraped – a Sr. Margaret – Irish (late 60’s also) – whom I know quite well – beaten.\nEveryone traumatized by these events.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

But we had a very good Christmas here\n– very large crowds at all the Masses – 80% of the people at the Masses were in\ntheir 20’s . Hopefully 2016 will bring some peace and Harmony to south sudan.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Hope you all had a great Christmas.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Happy New year to one and all.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

John<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Very bad news at STTC in Yambio<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Tonight Sr Margaret Sheehan rang just\nafter 11pm to say they had been robbed at gunpoint by about 4 intruders, speaking\nAzande but in military uniform. They took some money, computers and phones plus\ntwo vehicles. The worst aspect is that St Pat Johannsen was raped. One of the watchmen\nwas beaten but there were no deaths. I have contacted the Bishop and three priests\nfrom the nearby seminary have visited the four Sisters in Yambio. Only Pat was violated.
\n
\nMy computer power adaptor died last night - so I am using my ipad. I do not have\nthe number of Pat\'s congregational leader. Janet can you pass on our deep regret.\nThe Bishop said he would try to get Pat flown to Juba tomorrow. He is very concerned.
\n
\nWe shall assess the situation further tomorrow. 3 members of the Yambio community\nare actually here in Juba tonight including Sr Margaret Scott.
\n
\n<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p><\/p>

Hi Everyone,<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

The Joy in a Pot of Jam !!<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Greetings once again from South Sudan.\nI have been back now a few weeks – trying to get things sorted out after the shooting\nof the local priest here in the parish. Thank God he is recovering well in Nairobi\n(Kenya) after having a bullet removed from his back. It is doubtful whether he will\never return to here again.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Thanks so much to everyone for the tremendous\nresponse to the “Small Change Mission Boxes” collection –which yielded over 9000\npounds – an incredible support to our mission here. I really appreciate this support\nfrom St. Michael’s \/Enniskillen and St.Mary’s \/ Lisbellaw.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

All our mission are really struggling\nto keep afloat at this time of writing to you. There is no diesel or fuel in the\ncountry – so we are using up our final reserves to move around and get some shopping\ndone. But because of the shortage of fuel – shops are nearly empty. I was so happy\nthe other day to find some jam and coffee in a shop that I never expected to find\nthem in – the joy of getting a pot of jam !!! Prices have rocketed and so food items\n- wherever they can be found – prices have gone through the roof - but I suppose\nthat with most houses here having thatched roofs – to go through them is not too\ndifficult !!! Meaning – people are used to managing in very difficult circumstances.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

There are so many good people here that\nwe would like to support them as long as we can and journey with them in solidarity\n– but if the situation gets much worse in regards to the daily violence all around\nus and the lack of basic food items – then most foreigners will have to pull out\nof the country – including most missionaries as we don’t know how to survive on\nroots and leaves. !<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Will keep you updated and once again\nThanks to Mgr. Peter and all the priests in the Parish and all of you for supporting\nso generously our much needed presence as Church and Missionaries in South Sudan.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p><\/p>



Strange facts about life in South Sudan.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n


<\/span><\/p>

Greetings once again from mapuordit – south sudan. It seems ages since\nI have written something for the blog –but that is due to the fact that I had to\ngo twice to the capital –Juba –for meetings .The first meeting was to see what can\nwe as Church personnel do to be with the people as the present economic and political\nsituation becomes more difficult and the other was on vocation awareness.. One of\nthe things that did emerge from the first meeting ,that I attended , was that we\nare all struggling to keep afloat here !!! – with ethnic conflict all around us\nand the economy in free fall – difficult to keep things ticking over here. But the\nweek in Juba –along the Nile was very relaxing and did me the world of good – so\nwe are still fine and in good health –no complaints really.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

At the meeting we had in Juba about the state of South Sudan – a former\nworker in the Ministry of Defence give us some interesting facts on South Sudan<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Ø    \n<\/span><\/span>There are 40 million cows In South Sudan (human population around 16\nmillion) – but they contribute little or nothing to the economy as people rarely\nsell them or kill them for meat. They are just a status symbol and used for bride\nprices. In fact many south Sudanese buy their meat from the neighbouring country\nof Uganda. The cows don’t give milk as there is not enough grazing for them all\nand many children are malnourished because they don’t get milk !!!. tined milk is\nalso bought from Uganda and Kenya.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Ø    \n<\/span><\/span>There are only two ways to get more cows – through marriage or through\nstealing them – which has led to violence in many parts of the country.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Ø    \n<\/span><\/span>If it is acceptable to steal cows then – it is seen as acceptable for\ngovernment personnel to steal public money etc. robbery is on the increase here.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Ø    \n<\/span><\/span>85% of the population is engaged in looking after these cows – but don’t\nget paid for this work – hence no income for the country.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Ø    \n<\/span><\/span>Illiteracy is very high (73%) and many youth will grow old without an\neducation.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Ø    \n<\/span><\/span>Those who are educated are not creating jobs in the economy as they\nare employed by aid organisations working in the country.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Ø    \n<\/span><\/span>The present government believe that their role was to gain independence\nfor South Sudan – which they did and now they are not sure what their role is as\nthey have no experience in democracy or running a country – hence the present economic\nwoes.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Ø    \n<\/span><\/span>One is a youth in South Sudan up to the age of 45 –or when one is initiated\ninto the clan !!!<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

So, I am still a young fella here . till next time. <\/span><\/p>


<\/span><\/p>

Blessings. John<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>


<\/span><\/p>


<\/p>

‘I was surprised that fighting broke out but I didn’t give much thought\nto it because I was all the way in Uror and assumed it would end in a few days.’<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

‘I then heard about the killings in Okobo and realised that this was\nworse than we thought. I am a business man in Uror county, Jonglei state. It is\na Nuer area and I felt that I might be in danger. I was the only Dinka doing business\nand living there, and people knew me.’<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

‘I talked to my friend Malakan and decided it would be best if I got\nout of sight in case anything happened. He was not in that much danger because he\nis a Nuer. We have known each other for two years after we did business together.’<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

‘Malakan told me that I should hide in his house for the time being.\nI didn’t go back to my house or worry about the profit I was going to make. I listened\nto him and went straight to his house.’<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

‘While I was there people came knocking on the door asking Malakan where\nI was. He told them that I had left and was no longer near the area. Clearly they\ndid not believe him because they kept coming back and asking the same questions.\nLuck for me they did not storm into the house looking for me out of respect for\nMalakan. He even told his wife and children not to tell anyone that I was in his\nhouse and told them to lie in case anyone asked where I was.’<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

‘I was very grateful for what Malakan was doing to keep me alive but\none thing worried me. What would happen if the men looking for me got tired of listening\nto and believing Malakan? They would storm in to the house. This was the worst scenario\nbecause Malakan and his family would be hurt or worse, killed, because of me. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

I know my friend very well and although he is strong, they were more\nand they would overpower and kill him. I was afraid that he was risking too much\nand did not want him to dies because of me. I voiced my concern to him and he said,\n‘I would rather fight and die for you than stand by and watch them take and kill\nyou.’<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

‘On the sixth day, Malakan came and told me that they had looted my\nhouse and property and I had lost all the sorghum I was going to sell. He also said\nthat he was getting worried because the men intensified their searches and were\nlurking around the windows, listening to his conversations and also surveilling\nhis house at night. We discussed it and came to the conclusion that it was only\na matter of time before they spotted me and then everything would end. Not only\nmy life, but Malakan and his family would be in danger too. I could not risk his\nlife and his family anymore. I had to leave. Malakan insisted on coming with me\nto ensure my safety.’<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

‘That night, I said goodbye and thank you to his family and Malakan\nand I snuck out of his house at 9 pm. We walked for 13 hours straight from Uror\nto Duk. Malakan did not leave my side until we were close to Duk, an area populated\nwith Dinka. We stopped and I thanked him for saving my life. I could not thank him\nenough. He began his journey back home.’<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

‘I have not spoken to him yet, but I know that he is alright.’<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

‘I am alive only because of him.’<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

‘I would rather fight and die for you than stand by and watch them take\nand kill you.’<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>


<\/span><\/p><\/p>



Name<\/span>: Nyabil Riel | Age<\/span>: 23 | Location<\/span>: Mingkaman, Awerial – Lakes State\n| Origin<\/span>: Pathiau, Jonglei state <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

On 16 December, 2013 my neighbour, Mabior Anyieth, a Dinka, came to\nmy house and yelled at me saying ‘please, get up let’s run’. He did not have to\nask where I was from, he knew I was a Nuer. I lived in Acdier, in Bor, and most\nof my neighbours and friends were Dinka. There were not many people from my Nuer\ntribe in my neighborhood.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

My neighbours and I all ran together for our lives. We didn’t know what\nwas happening but knew that we had to run, hide and stay safe. When we got to Payueng,\neverybody hid in their own bush. We were there for eight days. Mabior and I helped\neach other while there – there was no food or water so we had to find ways to survive.\nBy the eighth day, most of the people we were hiding with had left for Mingkaman.\nMabior too left when he found the means. I could not yet leave because it cost 100\nSouth Sudan Pounds to cross, which I could not afford. I was suddenly alone in the\nbush with my two children.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

I was walking along the river trying to get some help. I knew I had\nto cross to the other side to keep my family safe. I then came across a man called\nGarang Riak. I don’t know why I approached him but I did – what could I lose from\nasking for some help?<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

‘I have no money and need to get to the other side. I have been left\nhere alone with my children. Please help me with some money to cross and I will\ngive it back to you when all of this is over’ I said.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

To my surprise, Garang reached into his pocket and gave me enough money\nto cross to Mingkaman.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

‘You don’t have to return the money I’m giving you now, he said. Gunshots\ndon’t know the difference between a Dinka and Nuer person. They kill whatever is\nin their path. You’re alive and so is your family. Cross to the other side and settle\nthis debt when all this is over and you are able to.’<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

All I said was thank you because I was overwhelmed and tired.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

We got on the boat and crossed to safety at Mingkaman. I found the nearest\navailable tree and settled there with my family. Everyone here knows that I am a\nNuer woman. We all fled the same violence, even though they are Dinka. No one has\nsaid anything bad to me or looked at me the wrong way. I make tea, sell it and people\ndrink it regardless of where I’m from. We’re all here in the same circumstance and\nhave to stick together to survive.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

‘To those people fighting, there is a difference between the Dinka and\nthe Nuer. To normal people like me, there is no difference. I hope one day everyone\nfeels the same.’<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>


<\/span><\/p>


<\/p>


Greetings everyone. Below is a report written by our regional Superior\n– Fr. Martin Keane on his trip to South Sudan with our Irish Superior General –\nJohn Fogarty – gives a good insight to our life and work here.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

Blessings.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

John<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>



Our trip to South Sudan<\/span><\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

On Monday 19th January\n2015 Frs. John Fogarty, Superior General; Joseph Shio, General Councillor and corresponded\nfor Easter Africa; John Skinnader, Co-ordinator of the South Sudan Spiritan Group;\nBoniface Muena on his way to work in South Sudan and Martin Keane left Nairobi for\na one-week visit to South Sudan. We arrived at Juba the same day and over-night\nthere. On 20th January we took a World Food Programme (WFP) Flight to Rumbek, the\ndiocese in which the Spiritans are working.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

The Spiritans work in\ntwo specific areas of this vast diocese: Wulu and Mapourdit. The distances are enormous\nbetween our two Missions with very poor road conditions. There are no tarmac roads\nonly murram whose condition for many parts is poor. This makes travel difficult\nand tiring. The climate is hot and dry. The temperatures were 41\/42 Celsius the\nweek we were there.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

On Wednesday morning\nwe left for Mapourdit. The Mission here is mostly run by the Comboni Missionaries\nwho also run a very good hospital. Our involvement in Mapourdit is largely by way\nof running the Minor Seminary of the Diocese. John Skinnader is the Rector at the\nrequest of the Diocesan Administration. But we have planned to open a pastoral centre\n(outstation) at Tundwell, half way between Rumbek and Mapourdit. The population\nof the people there is very big perhaps in their thousands! They are mostly unevangelized\nbut very open to Christianity. During the two day visit to Mapourdit we inspected\nthe whole area which suffers a great deal of violence. Guns are readily available\nand are used accordingly! It is partly hangover from being in a war situation for\nthe past 21 years but also cattle rustling between various clans.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

John Skinnader runs a\ngood seminary of about 60 boys some of whom choose to become priests. The others\nare prepared for good leadership when they rejoin their communities. There are enormous\nopportunities for evangelization which is only disturbed by insecurity and the vast\ndistances to be covered.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

On Friday 23rd January\nwe left Mapourdit in the early morning destined to visit Wulu. Wulu was our first\ncommunity in Rumbek Diocese opened in May 2012. On the way our group visited a fast\ndeveloping outstation called Naktamanga, part of Wulu parish where Fr. Nolasco Mushi\nlabours. Fr. Nolasco is planning to build a school in answer to the request and\nneeds of the local people. In general there are few if any schools and many children\nwho need and desire education as a way out of poverty which is so rampant. Our group\nspent the night with the Spiritan community.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

On Saturday 24th January\nwe had a meeting of the entire group which consisted of Frs. John Fogarty, Joseph\nShio, John Skinnader, Peter Kiarie (who is the parish priest of Wulu Parish), Nolasco\nMushi, Boniface Muema and Martin Keane. We discussed many matters pertaining to\nthe life and Mission of our group in South Sudan. Everything is very expensive as\nis travel despite South Sudan possessing the oil wells. But the crude oil goes to\nKhartoum for refining! The Spiritan group lives a very simple life and has often\nto go without some of the basic needs.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

On Sunday 25th January\nthe group experienced a very lively liturgy at the parish community Mass in Wulu.\nJohn Fogarty preached the homily which was translated into the local language by\nthe parish catechist. John encouraged the people not to get discouraged during these\nhard trying times and not to give up hope of a better future.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

South Sudan has a population\nof over 9 million people many of whom are Christians or favourable to Christianity.\nThe nation being only 3 years new and suffering from a civil war within itself is\nstill trying to recover from the original 21 year’s war with the North. Generations\nhave only seen violence.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

Needless to say with\nthe situation as it is there are many displaced peoples and the situation is not\ngetting any better! The Archbishop of Juba once told us: “The people and the Church\nare tired”. South Sudan needs a great deal of help, spiritual and material to help\nbuild up their war torn lives.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

With fraternal good wishes.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<\/p>

Martin.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>


<\/span><\/p>


<\/p>


Greetings once again from south Sudan. Of course it was a tragic Christmas\nfor all of us as we continued with the Mc Aree family to search for their beloved\nson Kieran. Along with the Irish Loretto sisters, and others here in south Sudan,\nwe continue to pray that Kieran will be returned to his family.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

After returning from Ireland in January, I was in Kenya for 10 days helping\nto moderate our Kenyan Spiritan Chapter – which is a meeting of all the Kenyan Spiritans\nthat takes place every 6 years to decide policy and elect new leaders for the next\n6 years. it went well. A Kenyan – Fr. John Mbinda was elected as Provincial Superior\nfor the Kenya Province – the first Kenyan to be elected as Provincial since the\nIrish arrived in Kenya over 100 years ago - a good sign of progress for the Congregation\nin Kenya. After the Chapter in Kenya – our Superior General from Rome – a Dublin\nman – came on a visit to south Sudan . It was a great boost to us here – he reckons\nit is the toughest and the most expensive mission to run in the whole Congregation\nbut very much in line with the aims and the objectives of what we are about as a\nCongregation.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

The level of violence continues to be high in the country but at least it\nis not directed against us. One of our cars from the education office was held up\nat gun point last week and all the teacher’s salaries for our mission secondary\nschool here in Mapuordit was stolen from the driver. Even though a peace agreement\nhas been signed between the government and the rebel group – most people believe\nthat it is not going to make any difference on the ground and now famine stalks\nthe land.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Thanks to all you were able to come to the Parish Centre on the 6th January\nand collect one of the “small change to bring about Change” boxes for south SUDAN.\nI plan to be home again in September and to collect those boxes – that are full\nor nearly full by that time. . If you have a full box before then –it can be dropped\ninto the parish office in Enniskillen during office hours. Thanks to Msgr Peter\nO Reilly and the priests, parishoners of Enniskillen and Lisbellaw for this great\nsupport to our mission work in South Sudan.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Till next time. In prayerful solidarity with the Mc Aree family.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

John<\/o:p><\/span><\/p><\/p>

My work in education in South Sudan: <\/span><\/span>John Skinnader<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Because\nof the 50 year war with the Arab North\nand now the on going civil conflict\n– there are very few good quality secondary schools in all of South\nSudan. The Diocese of Rumbek therefore opened up a secondary school in\nMapuordit – an isolated area in the heart of the jungle of Lake States. Here,\nstudents could come to school in a safe\nenvironment and benefit from the surrounding backup facilities –such as the\nmission hospital and pastoral center. When the war with the Arab north finished\n, the Diocese also opened a Minor Seminary \/ Youth Hostel in Mapuordit – where\nthe students who were showing the best leadership potential in the different\nparishes around the Diocese of Rumbek (roughly the size of Switzerland) could\ncome to and get a good secondary school education – plus other extra curriculum\nactivities such as computer training, driving lessons ( most of the students\nare in their late 20’s) and leadership training courses. Presently there are 53\nstudents –from all parishes of the Diocese - in what is known as the Minor\nSeminary \/Youth Hostel - and I am the rector for this center.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

South Sudan Update:<\/span><\/p>\n\n

This\nyear has been quite a challenging year for South Sudan has the country was\nripped apart by the military coup that took place a few days just before\nChristmas 2013. The coup took place in Juba but the fighting then erupted in\nthe Eastern part of the country in Jongeli, Unity and Upper Nile States as\nthese are the areas where the two main ethnic groups – the Dinka and Nuer live\nside by side. Hundreds of people lost their lives in the fighting and hundreds\nof thousands more were displaced. As stated above - the fighting is between to\ndifferent ethnic groups = the Dinka and the Nuer – traditional enemies for\ncenturies but now rivals as to who should have the government power in the new\nSouth Sudan. The Dinka tribe are more larger numerically –so even though\nelections had been planned for 2015 – the Nuer know that it is unlikely that\nthey would get into power as voting would follow ethnic lines.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Solar lighting for studying.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Providing\nadequate lightening facilities at night for students to study and power for\ncomputers was one of the challenges that I faced when I took over the Minor\nseminary two years ago. An old diesel generator that had originally came from\nKenya and that was being used when fuel was available , gave up its ghost about\na year ago. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

I was able to purchase 4 large solar panels\nand 4 batteries( we are also waiting for\n4 deep cycle solar batteries to come from Nairobi), new inverter, bulbs and\nwire for the wiring of the dormitories and the library. We were also able to\nbuy a new television – flat screen – so that the students could watch each\nevening their own local South Sudan news, the BBC news and the news on Africa – called Focus on\nAfrica- also from the BBC. I can see already the benefits of their watching the\ninternational news as they now see that the world is larger than their own\nvision of it and that life just doesn’t revolve around what happens in South\nSudan. Before we got the television – I\nhad asked the students who Bill Gates was – none had ever heard of him. There\nare no newspapers in South Sudan outside of the Capital Juba and no radio\nstations –so people and students get no news – now thanks to the new batteries\nand the television – at least they are getting a better focus on the world. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

We\nare also able to do a certain amount of computer training with the students\nalso as we have the new inverter to recharge the batteries of the laptops. So,\nlittle by little we are helping our students here get connected with the modern\nworld. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

<\/span><\/p>\n\n

<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Food for the\nseminarians.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Providing\ngood nourishing food is quite a challenge here in South Sudan as most of the\nfood has to be imported from other neighbouring countries. It is still a\nmystery to me as to why most people prefer to purchase food from outside rather\nthan grow their own food. A lot of it has to do with the fact that the Dinka\nare pastoralists and have tended to rely on their cattle for all their food\nneeds. Now that the war is over, they still , it seems, to prefer to sell some\nof their cows, goats or sheep and to buy the maize flour, beans and lentils\nfrom Uganda or Kenya. This means that we to in the seminary are tied into this\nexpectation of getting the imported food for the students as there is no\nalternative in the local market and the ground in the seminary is not really\nsuitable for growing maize or lentils. We have started to grow a lot of our own\npeas – which is a substitute for lentils but to grow the imported beans that\nthey eat on a regular basis has eluded me so far.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

We\nhowever have been lucky to find a local trader in the market of Mapuordit who\ntravels regularly now to Uganda and imports the food items that we need from\nKampala. This saves us a lot of wear and tare on the car and the anxiety of\ntransporting food during the rainy season. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

However,\nnear to the end of the rainy season this year – all roads were cut off by the\nunusually high fall of rain which meant that there was no fuel or food getting\nthrough to Lakes State and many other areas in South Sudan. Some food items\nthat were available – beans – tripled in price. It really was a big challenge\nto keep the seminary functioning as there was no rice, sugar, salt, milk,\nlentils etc in the towns or market places. Luckily for us the farm project had\nproduced nearly enough green peas to replace the lentils and the students were\nable to manage with local grown sorghum, groundnuts and the vegetables from the garden to\nmaintain themselves until new supplies could be found. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

Oven\nProject for the Minor seminary.<\/span><\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n\n

Providing\na reasonably good breakfast for the 53 students in the minor\nseminary was also one of the issues to meet me when I took over the running\nof the minor seminary\/youth hostel two\nyears ago. Students were only having dried biscuits for breakfast most mornings\n– sometimes they did not have anything to eat. Also, other students from the\nsurrounding area and especially the girls who walked up to 5 km to come to\nschool – would come into the their centre or the seminary looking for something to eat before class. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

Building a bread oven:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n

I\ntherefore decided to build a bread oven. There was a Ugandan contractor working\nin the hospital who was willing to come\nin his free time ,and at the weekends, to build the bread oven. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

He\ngave us a list of the items that needed to be purchased to build the oven. The\nmost difficult thing to get are the fire bricks – because they needed to be\nbrought from Uganda – which we were unable to do due to the outbreak of the\ncivil war. So we had to purchase ordinary bricks from Rumbek – 3 hours away\nover very bad road -but they did the job needed to build the oven. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

A\nsite near to the kitchen for the students was chosen and the foundation laid.\nLake States is also known as the land of no stones – so we also had to go quite\na distance to find stones for the foundation – nothing is ever easy in South\nSudan. Eventually the foundation was put in and the oven was built over a\nperiod of two months. An inner wall was built with the bricks and then an outer\nwall. A steel oven was especially made in Rumbek –with an upper and lower part\n– for the wood and then for the bread to be baked. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

The\nwomen who cook the meals for the students –were trained over a period of a few\ndays how to use the oven to bake good quality bread. The results have been very\ngood and everyone –especially myself – are very happy with the quality of the\nbread . Also I am able to bake muesli for myself in the oven which gives a\nwholesome breakfast start to the day.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Farm Project:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n

The\nfarming this year has been done mainly by the students themselves – except for\nthe ploughing as it has to be by outsiders. However, the students did all the\nsowing of the seed , the weeding and the harvesting. There was a certain amount\nof grumbling took place at the weeding and harvesting time as the students were\nobjecting to having to spend so much time weeding and harvesting as they said\nthat it interfered with their studies. But I insisted that they do it all –\nthat I would let the crops rot in the ground rather than pay outsiders for work\nthat they were more than capable of doing. Eventually, they organized\nthemselves into different units and gradually got the work done. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

This\nyear were concentrated on growing groundnuts and green peas only on the farm - as\nlast year the sorghum did not give a good yield on the sandy soil of the\nseminary farm. The green peas gave quite a good yield and has saved us during\nthe ends of the rains as the roads were all cut off and no food getting through\nto Rumbek or the market of Mapuordit. It was a great blessing to have the green\npeas and the students like eating them. The groundnuts will be enough for the\nfirst 6 months of next year academic year. The students like the ground nut\npaste mixed with vegetables and dry fish.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

The\nbiggest success farming wise has been the vegetable plots organized by the\nhorticulturist and the students themselves. This year we had a plentifull\nsupply of green vegetables from the beginning of the rainy season – somwaki,\ncabbages, koudra, tomatoes, egg plants, peppers. Not only was there enough green vegetables for the students but we also supplied\nvegetables to the Sisters, Comboni Brothers and Fathers and some the teachers\nin the Comboni secondary school. This also helps to build up good relationships\nbetween the seminary and the other institutions in Mapuordit. We hope that by\nnext year we will have a new irrigation system in place for watering the\nvegetables – that we will have a fresh vegetable supply all year round. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

Sporting Activities:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Sport\nis an important part of all young peoples development .we have in the seminary\na strong football group, a volley ball group and a Roney <\/a><\/span>[J1]<\/a><\/span>(named after the late\nRonan Kerr) running group. During the year, I was able to purchase football\nboots for the soccer team and running shoes for the runners. They were more\nthan delighted to receive them as most of them\nwere playing and running in their\nbare feet. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

Pastoral\nActivities:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Students\nare encouraged to keep up their pastoral activities which they had been doing\nin their respective parishes before coming to the minor seminary. Many of the\nstudents get the chance to go out to the outstations of a Sunday with the 2\nyoung Comboni missionaries who work here in the parish and with myself. The\nstudents enjoy this experience of going out and meeting new and varied groups\nof peoples. They also help to organize the Rosary activities during the month\nof October. Each day – the rosary is prayed at a different compound around the\nvillage of Mapuordit – many people come and pray the rosary together as a\ncommunity at this time. The seminarians also help the parish to prepare the\nyoung people for confirmation and the other sacraments also. This year nearly\n200 people were confirmed in the Church of Mapuordit.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Driving\nLessons:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n

We\ndecided that it would be good that the 4th<\/sup> year students in the\nminor seminary should get the chance to learn how to drive and to take care of\nvehicles. Two of the minor seminary students – Angelo Deng John and Santino\nWawan eventually got enough driving lessons to be able to get their driving licenses.\nThis was a big plus for the seminary and boosted the self confidence of the\nstudents enormously. Unfortunately due to the poor condition of the pickup we\nwere using for the driving lessons and the onset of the rainy season – only\nthese two got enough lessons to get their licenses. We will continue next year\nwith the driving lessons.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Challenges:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Overall,\nthis has been quiet a successful year in the seminary – despite the long rainy\nseason, the insecurity problems all around us and the anxiety of having enough\nfood to keep the seminary functioning. There was only one case of serious\nindiscipline from the seminarians –when one seminarian –who had been dismissed\nfrom the seminary returned with a AK47 machine gun to take revenge on those whom he blamed for\nhis dismissal. Thank God, the issue was dealt with peacefully by the other\nseminarians and the boy returned to his home place of Yirol. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

Conclusion:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n\n

Most\nof the seminarians we have in Mapuordit are good young men with a keen interest\nin getting a good education and contributing to the building up the new South\nSudan. It is good to be able to give them\nthis chance in a relatively well organized and healthy environment to do this.\nWe look forward to the future with confidence. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

I\nwish to Thank the people\nof Truagh, Emyvale, Eniskillen\nand Lisbellaw, Ronan Kerr Fund and many others who have made this work –for\nstudent education and leadership training – possible in South Sudan. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

Merry\nChristmas to one and All. <\/span><\/p>\n\n

<\/span><\/p>\n\n

John\nSkinnader- Rector.<\/span><\/p>


<\/p>


July 2014 - Update<\/span><\/h3>

<\/span><\/div>
I am sure everyone is on their summer holidays - so  a short update from myself from south sudan.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
We have had a  lot of celebrations this month . Sr. Mary Batchelor – 85 years young - a sister of the congregation who runs the school here – is returning to Australia after 18 years as being principal of the secondary school in Mapuordit. She came to South Sudan when she retired from teaching in Australia and took on the role of Principal of the secondary school in Mapuordit. She is a very strong, gracefull lady and there was a tremendous send off from the whole community in Mapuordit two weeks ago for her. During the war with the Arab North she and the other sisters were put in a jungle prison for a few weeks for teaching Christianity to the people. She took it in her stride and went back immediately to running the school when she was released. Her presence will be missed around here but as one of the local chiefs said in his farewell speech for her “ Mary-ness will remain in this place”<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
We also had the diaconate ordination of a young Congolese Comboni student who has spent the last year with us here doing pastoral ministry in the parish. We had a very vibrant liturgy and festive meal after the ordination – two large bulls were slaughtered for the occasion. He is joined in the parish by a young priest from Togo – which shows the changing face of mission – all the new missionaries are from other African countries who are able to send missionaries- now that the Church is strong in their own countries. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Mustn’t forget the World Cup – a television was set up in the parish hall and we were able to see many of the matches –when the signal wasn’t disturbed by the heavy thunder and lightning that is part of the rainy season here. All in all – a very enjoyable few weeks. Till later. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
john<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div><\/p>


<\/span><\/h4>

Hi Everyone,<\/span><\/h4>

<\/span><\/div>
Was at a wedding last week – my first in South Sudan. I was the official driver for the groom – who was the local government representative in my place –Mapuordit.  Only two cars at the wedding !! I collected the groom from his house – he came out in his brand new suit along with his best men. We then drove to the brides house. A lot of singing and dancing around the house. The groom and best men went into the brides house – actually it was just a round mud hut with thatch on it. They were inside for about half an hour . Next thing a goat was being brought to the hut – its throat was slit and it lay dying on the doorstep. Next thing the groom was coming out of the hut , carrying his bride in his arms and stepping over the dying goat ( the same boy was a bit of a “buck” himself !!! ). The bride was dressed in an immaculate white dress with a long flowing veil. I was thinking – watch out for the white dress – it will get splattered with blood from the dying goat stretched out in front of the hut. Nobody was able to explain to me really why the goat had to be killed and the groom had to carry his new bride over the dying goat – something to do with luck !!! Bridesmaids were also dressed in long flowing purples dresses – just like a wedding in Ireland except that the biggest difference was that this was the grooms 4th marriage – he was marrying his 4th wife and the other 3 wives were at the wedding also !!! <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
We got into the car – bride in the front – stuck between me as   the driver and the groom – in her long flowing wedding gown. I said to the groom – where next . He said to the Church . I said – which Church . He says – to the Catholic Church . That took me back a bit – didn’t think that it would have been theologically correct to be seen bringing a man, marrying his 4th wife, for a blessing to the Catholic church. Anyway, he was the big government official so I drove him to our Church. Luckily enough the Church was locked – so I said to him – where next – he said – to the Protestant Church . Got to the Protestant Church – Pastor was there waiting for us – Everyone out of the car and the jeep – into to the Church for a 15 min blessing and then back into the cars and into the village where were drove around for about 20 mins blowing the horns of the two cars and people out shouting and dancing. Oh I forgot, we also had two men on motor bikes – riding shotgun – literally – as one of them had an AK 47 and would let off rounds of  ammunition now and again and scare the living day lights out of me as it was always close to the drivers side of the car. At one stage the driver of the motor bike  drove in front of  my car, lost control of the motor bike and he  and the other guy with the AK 47 fell just in front of the bumper of the car – close call as the guy with the gun could have been ready to let off a hail of bullets just as the driver lost control of the motorbike on the dirt road. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Anyway, we got back to the grooms house – place packed with people - I got out of the car – bride and groom, bridesmaids still inside. Next there was this fighting and shoving all around the car. Women pulling the heads off each other. I said – what’s up now. One man said to me – don’t worry Father – this is all part of our tradition – bride and groom are not allowed to get out of the car until the grooms family pay money to the brides family. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
After about 10 mins of this drama – the equivalent of 100 euro was paid over and the bride and groom alighted with smiles from the car. A small open tent had been erected for the bride, groom and immediate family – which they entered and waited for to eat the cow that had been slaughtered for the occasion and maybe also the goat that had died at the front door of the brides house !!!! Such was my first wedding in South Sudan. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Have a great Summer everyone and more news later.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

<\/div> <\/p>

Hi everyone,<\/span><\/h4>
The kidnapping of the 200 Nigerian girls puts into sharp focus the struggle of many girls in Africa to get an education.  Here in south Sudan it is no different-especially among the Dina tribe where I am working. Human Rights watch has brought out recently a report on girls education in South Sudan – It is called “This old man can feed us , you will marry him”.  The first chapter begins with the story of Atong G, 16 years old, forced to marry a 50 year old man. In her own words “I did not know him before . I did not love him . I told my family , “I don’t want this man”. My people said , “this old man can feed us, you will marry him”. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Akech B . loved to study and dreamed of becoming a nurse . But when she was 14 , her uncle who was raising her, told her that he was told old for school. He forced her to leave school and told her that she had to marry a man who Akech described as old, grey haired, and married to another woman who had several children. Akech begged her uncle to allow her to continue her education . He refused “ Girls are born so that people can eat. All I want is to get my dowry, “ he told her. The man paid 75 cows for Akech , which signified that the marriage had taken place . She tried to resist , but her male cousins beat her severely, accused her of dishonouring then family, and forced her to go to the man’s house. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Akech fled and hid with a friend. Her uncle found her and took hereto prison , where he told officials that she had run away from her husband and needed to be taught a lesson. They imprisoned her for a night. When her cousins came they beat her so badly that she could hardly walk. Then they took her back to her husband. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
After that, Akech felt that she had no choice , but to stay.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
That is a story from Human Rights Watch- This old man can feed us , you will marry  him.  ( Child and forced Marriage in South sudan).<\/span><\/div>
I recently encountered a similar case in our own area here.  Elizabeth Akum – which is her real name – was born in the refugee camp in Kakuma in Kenya but went with her mother when she was 3 years old to live in Nariobi. Her mother worked hard for her to go to school and she finished primary school at 17 years of age. When she was ready to go to Secondary School her father who lives in South sudan told her that she must come home to South Sudan and see her own country for the first time. She came with her mother. When she arrived to Rumbek in South Sudan her father told her that her education days are over – he had arranged for her to marry a man who was willing to give 100 cows for her. Elizabeth is a very religious girl – a born again Christian and went to her PASTOR so that he would plead with her father to let her continue with her schooling. The pastor got his whole Church to pray for her and to meet her father. Eventually with the backing of the mother – the father relented and allowed her to go to secondary school. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Through a series of events – she ended up coming to the school here in Mapuordit. When I went to collect her and her mother to bring her to the school from Rumbek – her uncle refused to let her get into the car – he said we want her to marry as we need the cows that the man would give for her. I had other students in the car, Elizabeth told us to take her bag and her and the mother would talk  to the uncle and hopefully follow us in a few days time. After 3 days she arrived with her mother to begin her schooling in Mapuordit. That is the shortened version of a long saga that she had to go through. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Now there are 18 girls staying in very basic mud huts near to the secondary school here. We are working with the Sisters here to improve their living conditions and to give them better opportunities for study. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
If my network is strong enough I would hope to be able to send photos of Elizabeth and the other girls within the next few weeks.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Till later then.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Blessings.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
John<\/span><\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div><\/p>


Hi Everyone,<\/span><\/h4>
Belated Easter greetings to one and all. We had nice Easter celebrations here – despite the ongoing violence in the country. Our Parish priest here – an Italian Comboni priest  in his 70’s – was robbed at gun point as he made his way back from the Palm Sunday celebrations in the village that he had gone to. He was on his motor bike – so he was happy that they only took his mobile phone and some cash and left him with the motor bike. He is not a stranger to violence as he lived through the Arab war here and was put in jail for some time by the Muslim Arab extremists who controlled this country for centuries until independence 3 years ago.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
I came across a very nice poem called “The Voice of the African Child”<\/span> by Eva Gitonga Mwang which I would like to share with you now..<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

It is a new day<\/span><\/div>
Birds cheer at the meal on the morning dew<\/span><\/div>
I escort my fathers herd to the field<\/span><\/div>
My legs numb at the chilly morning<\/span><\/div>
At the road side<\/span><\/div>
A bus passes by <\/span><\/div>
Brightly colored, with happy noisy children inside<\/span><\/div>
I hear they go to school and are taught in a foreign language<\/span><\/div>
They must be lucky<\/span><\/div>
They were born lucky<\/span><\/div>
I smile as they peer out  at me like a tourist attraction at a young herder<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Its now the time that the cows usually go home.<\/span><\/div>
Mice play along the way<\/span><\/div>
Birds singing at the setting sun whose orange beautiful rays shy off to hiding<\/span><\/div>
I gaze at the reflection in the clouds and wonder if life could have been different<\/span><\/div>
I wonder if my fate was written in the stars and how could it have felt in a classroom<\/span><\/div>
Or in a big city , as a doctor, where the city knows no night fall<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
It is a new day<\/span><\/div>
The cock crows<\/span><\/div>
It is time to milk the goats and make breakfast<\/span><\/div>
Feed the younger ones and tend the garden<\/span><\/div>
No woman should be lazy<\/span><\/div>
Only the men should wake up late<\/span><\/div>
As they spend too long with the brew  and the village gossip<\/span><\/div>
Soon it will be time for me to be a woman<\/span><\/div>
It will be time to face the knife and be married off<\/span><\/div>
If lucky, I could be a 3 rd wife, the only friend i knew was a 6th .<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
It’s been a good day<\/span><\/div>
Have tended 12 by 20 steps of the garden<\/span><\/div>
I have plenty of yams in my basket<\/span><\/div>
It is time for the hens  to enter their house<\/span><\/div>
It is time to go to the homestead and put all in order<\/span><\/div>
The men will soon be through with their brewed beer<\/span><\/div>
And return to discipline a straying wife or child<\/span><\/div>
And they will eat and sleep <\/span><\/div>
I gaze at the setting sun on the horizon and wonder what lies there beyond<\/span><\/div>
I wonder if life could be different for a girl like me<\/span><\/div>
To be like the female politician who came to beg for votes<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Sadness and indifference in my heart<\/span><\/div>
I remember mama who passed on as she delivered her last born<\/span><\/div>
I look at my stepmother and wonder if she ever had dreams<\/span><\/div>
Other than be a 5th wife to a drunken husband<\/span><\/div>
I glare at my siblings and wish I’d make a difference, maybe take them to school<\/span><\/div>
I wonder why my candle does not light<\/span><\/div>
Why no one has bothered to ignite it<\/span><\/div>
I turn and head home<\/span><\/div>
Tomorrow is another day.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
************<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Our internet has been down for the past two weeks – so until we can get it repaired – communication will be patchy at best with the outside world.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Blessings.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
John<\/span><\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div><\/p>


April 2014<\/span><\/div><\/span>

Hi everyone,<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Just a quick note to say that I arrived back safely in my home here in Mapuordit-south Sudan. I had come to Ireland to officiate at the wedding of Cathair Kerr brother to Ronan Kerr –it was a great occasion all round in Donegal as his new wife Ciara comes from Donegal . I had quite a dramatic welcome back into the tension that exists in the country as the seminarians were all locked into the minor  seminary and were in hiding from violent groups around the area. They were frightened because a colonel in the army – who came from this area had been shot dead by another soldier from the main town of Rumbek. The family of the dead colonel had decided that  rather than going to the main town of  Rumbek to take revenge for the killing of the colonel -they would kill some of the seminarians instead in the seminary who originated from Rumbek . So I found the seminarians all in a state of fear -but after  we had meetings with the chiefs and the elders of the area – calm was restored and the minor seminary is now going on well. However, clan violence continues to dominate the area –students have been banned from playing football or volleyball as fighting broke out at a youth  match last week - but we hope that with the coming of the rainy season – it will literally cool them down for a while!!!<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Sorry that I was not able to visit many people when I was at home but maybe you saw some of the articles in the Irish Catholic and other catholic media about our work here in south Sudan. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
More news later when I get myself back into the swing of things here.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Blessings.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
John<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/p>

Hi Everyone, <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
I am happy to say that this year I am enjoying life very much here – despite the continuous violence all around us - last year was really quite a struggle to get settled into this new and quite daunting environment but this year - so far - Thank God it has gone very well. Quite Busy with a lot of little projects at present. Decided to build a small brick oven rather than investing in more solar ovens as they don’t work very well during the rainy season. Also putting in a new solar system for the students here . Thank God we have Ugandan and Kenyan people here who are good on building and on solar systems – otherwise we would not have anything - as the South Sudanese are still not qualified in any professional areas.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
I am delighted to say that 3 of our primary school girls from Mapuordit have just qualified to go to the prestigious Loreto secondary boarding school in Rumbek -see attached photo of Mary, Sarah and Hellena arriving at Loreto school.(Here people dont smile for photos). It is only the second time that girls from this area have gone there. Usually the parents just marry off the girls when they finish primary school and sometimes the girls can also be kidnapped in Loreto by relatives and forced into marriages. We are hoping that these girls will do well in Loreto.<\/span><\/div>
Schools still haven’t opened here yet after the Christmas break - not sure why the govt are refusing to open them – probably has something to do with the conflict and no money to pay teachers. Loreto is private – all teachers are from Uganda and Kenya.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
I will be coming to Ireland on the 9th March to celebrate the wedding Mass of Cathair Kerr (brother of the late Ronan Kerr) and to attend some Congregational meetings as regards the ongoing situation in South Sudan. I will be in Ireland for about two weeks before returning to South Sudan. Maybe see some of you around within those two weeks.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Many Blessings.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
John<\/span><\/div>

<\/div>


<\/div>
\"Exam<\/div>

<\/div>


<\/div>

<\/div>
\"Mary,<\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div><\/p>

Life can take on funny twists and turns here in South Sudan. <\/span><\/h4>
A few days ago I was out walking near to the Loreto compound in Rumbek – I am on a weeks  retreat here  and at the same time celebrating Mass for all the sisters and teachers who are in Loreto at a Teacher Training Program – over 80 teachers from around the Diocese are here.  Anyway, I was walking along when  a young man pulls up beside me on his – what in Ireland we would term - “ a grandfather bicycle”.  He gets off his bicycle and stops to talk to me – he is armed up to the hilt. He has an AK47 slung over his shoulder and a switch blade in his hand.  He greets me and I say to him “ Are you expecting trouble – you are heavily armed”.  Well he says – you know it is not safe for us around this area .  I said I know that.  Actually , he says, I am just back from Australia. I thought to myself – you kidding me. What part were you in – I asked him to test him. Sydney – came the reply. I then I picked up the Australian accent. I have been there for the past 8 years he says . Went to school there and did a degree in accountancy. So what brings you back here – I ask. Looking for a wife he says. My father and myself are looking for wives. My mother is too old for my Father now – he says - and he needs a newer model – says he with a big laugh !! Just a matter of getting the cows to pay the dowry he says. We talk a bit more and then off he goes on his old rickety bicycle and his AK47 on his back with the  bullets glistening in the sun. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
There is a chief near to us in Mapuordit – who has 82 wives – hard to get a word out of him when one meets him - as he always looks exhausted !!!! – but it is true – 82 wives he has. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
On the way down to Rumbek – we were stopped at an army check point. They wanted us to give some soldiers a lift to the next town. I said sure hop in. The soldier at the barricade calls over to the other soldiers – Father is going to give us a lift – come on quickly. One of the soldiers who is far away – gets up quickly and comes running – heavily armed  and a big smile on his face. Next thing – as he gets near to our car - he trips and falls – his AK 47 goes sprawling in front of him and grenades bouncing all over the ground. It was like a scene from Dad’s Army – except that it could have been a fatal accident – we had nervous laughs in the car – but such is life here at the present – Friendly people  – good feelings  for the mission here and danger  - all mixed together.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Till next time - Blessings<\/span><\/div>

<\/div> <\/p>

Hi Everyone.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Hope very one had a great Christmas. I had a very good Christmas myself despite all that is going on here.  I was surprised at the big turn out for Midnight Mass and Christmas Day Mass here in Rumbek. Normally I should have been helping out at the Masses in my own area of Mapuordit but the Jesuits made an appeal to me to help them to cover some of their Masses in the main town of Rumbek - as some of their priests had to leave because they were affilitated to NGO’s and for insurance purposes they were forced to leave the country. I felt humbled  being with the people at this tragic time for them, their heart felt prayers for peace and their condemnation of the ethnic killings – with “not in my name”.  Some Comboni sisters and the Mill Hill Missionaries in a place called Malakael had to spend Christmas Day lying on the floor or hiding in the toilets  as there was a lot of fighting and bombing going on around them. They were pinned down for 4 days but today has been quieter so they are hoping to get out of the situation soon.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
However, we are in a relatively secure area. We live and work with the Dinka people and we are in a purely Dinka area. The real problem is where the Dinka and Nuer are mixed – that is where the ethnic cleansing is going on. The Nuer who live mainly in the North East want to have that area for themselves and the Dinka are killing any Nuer in other parts of the country. All the oil is in Nuer country and the Dinka run the government !! To put in the context of Northern Ireland – all the violence so far has been around Derry, Belfast and Dublin. We live say in Monaghan – so it is on our borders but so far not affecting us too much. Just some Nuer soldiers killed near to us a few days ago.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
I stayed with the 3 Irish Loretto Sisters for Christmas Day and we had a great meal together. Next day I went to visit the two Spiritans in another part of the country and brought one to the main airport  here where he flew out  from this morning to go on home leave. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
We are hoping that the diplomatic efforts going on at present will bring some resolution to this very tragic situation for the South Sudanese people. As one Irish friend pointed out to me – Ireland also went through a period of civil war when it got its independence.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Thanks to everyone for their prayers and support. Will reply to you individually in the weeks to come.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Many Blessings.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
John<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div><\/p>

Hi everyone,<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Sending a few photos of the floods across some of the roads we are struggling with at present - hemmed in and not getting out much - but all is well with me and the world. First photo is of a truck and van caught in the floods, the other is myself driving through it.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
More update next week.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Blessings.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
John<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>


<\/div>
\"Fr<\/div>

<\/div>


<\/div>
\"Fr<\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div><\/p>

\n

South Sudan: Writing up the \n
<\/span><\/p>\n

World\'s Newest Country<\/span><\/p>\n

By Sophie \nand Max Lovell-Hoare

<\/span><\/p>

Source:<\/span> http:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/travel\/activityandadventure\/10385302\/South-Sudan-writing-up-the-worlds-newest-country.html<\/a><\/span><\/p>
The descent towards Nyat’s \nairstrip filled me with dread, as only plummeting rather too speedily towards \nthe earth in a glorified tin can can do. The Cessna 182 grumbled and bounced \nalarmingly in the turbulence before dropping out of the sky onto a sunbaked \nlanding strip that, to the untrained eye, looked almost exactly the same as \nevery other stretch of more-or-less-cleared land in the vicinity. The pilot \ngrinned with what we took to be relief, his sweat-soaked shirt caused as much by \nstress as heat, and we all toppled out of the plane, swatting at the swarm of \nflies that are as constant as your shadow. A long-horned bull eyeballed us \nsceptically as we dragged our bags to the waiting jeep, and the small boy \nsupposedly guarding him stared equally hard before running off screaming into \nthe scrub. We don’t usually have such an extreme effect on the \nlocals.

There are off-the-beaten-track destinations, and then there is \nSouth Sudan. The world’s newest country may have caught the headlines when it \ngained independence from the Republic of Sudan in July 2011, but few foreigners, \nsave Christian missionaries and a more recent influx of Chinese oil workers, \nhave actually ever set foot here. It’s not unusual to be the first \'khawaja\' (a \ncolloquial Sudanese term for white foreigners) in town, and so however you \ntravel within the country, you get used to feeling like it’s you that is the \ntourist attraction.

When we talk about South Sudan as a tourist \ndestination, it invariably meets with raised eye-brows. Those who could probably \nlocate it on a map associate it with nothing more than decades of civil war and \npolitical upheaval; for the rest it is just a black hole somewhere in Africa. It \nis this lack of awareness that is the first stumbling block for the country’s \nnascent tourism industry: you can’t sell wildlife safaris in a park no-one’s \nheard of, nor expect package tourists to jump at the opportunity to visit a \ncountry they assume (incorrectly, as it happens) must be on the Foreign Office’s \nblacklist.

South Sudan is unlikely to become a mass tourism destination \nany time soon, but it’s precisely the lack of other tourists that makes it so \nattractive. Journeys by road are back-breakingly rough, and in the rainy season \noften impossible, but you’re amply rewarded not only with a sense of achievement \nat having reached your destination, but the incomparable pleasure of having it \nto yourself. The possibility of being the only tourist in a reserve is \nunimaginable in Kenya or Tanzania, but in South Sudan it’s more often than not \nthe reality.

We sailed across the Nile to Opekoloe Island early one \nmorning, the tiny boat scattering river birds as it crept through the still-cool \nwaters. Somewhere in the shallows a crocodile was lurking, though it kept a \nhealthy distance, and a family of hippos wallowed near the bank, taking their \nfirst dip of the day. There was a cacophony of noises as creatures approached \nthe river to feed and to fight: male baboons hooted and screeched to show us who \nwas boss; vibrantly coloured Red Bishops and Little Bee-eaters filled the air \nwith their squawks and tweets; and from the long, dry grass came the constant, \nexcitable rasping of hundreds of horny crickets. A family of elephants, the \nremarkable survivors of years of unrestrained poaching and conflict, calmly \nlumbered towards us, as unconcerned by our presence as we were transfixed by \ntheirs. Nowhere else we have travelled requires quite as much perseverance and \ntolerance of physical hardship, but nowhere else has offered quite the same \ncombination of natural wonders and solitude.

Writing South Sudan was \nnever going to be easy. The absence of historically settled communities has led \nto a shortage of man-made sites, while civil war and underdevelopment have \nhampered academic research that might have enhanced understanding of the area’s \nhistory, anthropology and even botany. This guide, therefore, is our starting \npoint in understanding South Sudan. It’s an invitation to you to travel to the \nworld’s newest country, to explore it, and to discover and ultimately share with \nothers what for now is still largely unknown.

Sophie and Max Lovell-Hoare \nare the authors of Bradt\'s \'South Sudan\', the first mainstream guidebook to the \nworld\'s newest country, which was published this month.

Five of our \nhighlights
<\/span>
Boma National Park<\/span>
The largest reserve in Africa \nhas a seasonal wildlife migration that rivals even that of the Serengeti. We \nwatched awe-struck as well over a million antelope sprinted east in the spring, \nand elephants,
giraffes and hippopotamuses followed on in their \nwake.

Jonglei Canal<\/span>
The Jonglei Canal was one of the largest \nirrigation projects ever envisaged: 25 million cubic metres of water carried the \ndistance from London to Paris. Each digger was larger than the Channel Tunnel’s \nboring machines, and the canal was two-thirds complete when civil war broke out \nin 1983. Bees have now colonised the bucket-wheel excavator, and a leopard lives \nin the pilot’s cabin, making for a surreal, somewhat apocalyptic \nscene.

Bor Wrestling<\/span>
South Sudan’s tribes pride themselves on \nprowess in the wrestling ring, and as the sport takes its first tentative steps \nfrom traditional rivalry to professional sport, you can join in the action each \nweekend at Bor’s Freedom Square. Like us, you can expect to be pulled into the \nring and to end up face down in the dust: defeat is inevitable, so just laugh \nand enjoy it.

Dinka Cattle Camps
<\/span>Cattle are central to South \nSudan’s herding communities, and their possession denotes not only wealth and \nprestige but is also central to the marriage contract. We visited herds in \nJonglei up to a thousand strong, tended by young boys who take them to \npasture.

The Nile
<\/span>Our visions of the Nile typically come from \nEgypt; in South Sudan, it’s a different beast entirely. White water winds down \nfrom the hills and through lush, jade-green surroundings before splitting a \nthousand ways into the marshy wetlands of the Sudd, where fisherman and diverse \nbirdlife thrive.<\/span>

--
\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
Fr. Don Bosco Ochieng \nOnyalla,<\/span>
<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n
Coordinator,<\/span> Catholic News Agency for Africa \n(CANAA<\/span>),
<\/span><\/span><\/div><\/span><\/span><\/div>C\/o \nAMECEA Secretariat, Gitanga Road,
<\/span><\/span><\/div>P.O. Box 21191, 00505, Nairobi \n(Kenya).
<\/span><\/span><\/div>Email<\/span>: canaa.coordinator@gmail.com<\/a>
<\/span><\/span><\/div>Personal<\/span>:
dbonline2005@gmail.com<\/a>
<\/span><\/span><\/div>Mobiles<\/span>: 254733877750 or \n+254712349777
<\/span><\/span><\/div>FB<\/span>:
http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/dbonline2005<\/a>
<\/span><\/span><\/div>Blog<\/span>:
http:\/\/fatherdb.blogspot.com<\/a><\/span><\/span>
<\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

<\/div><\/div><\/p>



Greetings once again from Mapuordit. With the rainy season here, life is relatively quiet  and travelling is very limited due to the state of the roads. Also very  poor internet connection for effective communication with the outside world.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
However we did celebrate this week the 20th anniversary for the secondary school in Mapuordit and the handing over of the role of the Principal to a South Sudan man.  He is a very good and upright man. However, he has only a  few months of a teaching course  behind him for to qualify for this post after finishing his secondary school studies, and now he is the Principal of the secondary school. Education Is very basic here yet In all its forms. The assistant principal has not even completed his secondary school studies !!!! They replace Sr.Philippa, from Australia, who is returning there for health reasons.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
During the month of October, the Church here has a very nice tradition of praying the rosary as a group in different places around Mapuordit. The Fathers, sisters,  catechist s, church members, gather in designated compounds each evening at 6  pm to pray the rosary. The compounds are chosen according to what may have happened to that family during the year  e.g. loss of a loved one or child having been baptized from the family being visited. It is very nice sitting outside praying the rosary in this way, for part of it they sing the mysteries of the rosary.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
The only other thing of note is that a snake got into my hen house and killed one of my hens and some of the chicks. It escaped before we could kill it. Then students then burned some rubber in the hen house because they say that the smell of burnt rubber will keep the snake s away - we wait and see. Anyway I am delighted to be having eggs for breakfast and plenty of vegetables for lunch because of the rains.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Rains finish here in two weeks time , so more news and action after that.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Blessings.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Fr. John<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

<\/div><\/p>


Greetings once again from Mapuordit. <\/span><\/h3>

<\/span><\/div>
I arrived here a few days ago via Ethiopia. Found everything and everyone in good form and happy to see me back here. The rains have been a blessing for the farmers and the crops are very good this year. However, they have played havoc with the roads and it was quite a nightmare journey getting back to my home base of Mapuordit but made it through the washed away roads and now working with the students to bring in the harvest of green peas, groundnuts, maize and sorghum(local food that resembles barley). <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
I was surprised to find that our cook had lost all her hair – she said that someone had “clenched their teeth at her” meaning that they cursed her –which is very common here. She is in the process of paying a witch doctor to have the curse removed. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
It was great meeting so many again in Enniskillen and Lisbelaw. Thank You all for your prayers and great generosity to our Mission and Development work here.<\/span> Will keep you updated on how we are utilising the money and how life is progressing here. Internet is very iffy at present due to the poor weather conditions – so may not be able to keep you updated on a regular basis for the present. This will last for the next month or so. <\/span><\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div> <\/p>



Hi Everyone, this week I am sending you what I think are interesting reflections from Fr.Des O Connell OMI on Mission and Ireland for the future. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

POST-MODERNITY offers GOSPEL MOMENTS<\/span><\/h3>
- moments of opportunity for Mission, because it tends to question these aspects of Modernity.(Des O Connell OMI)<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
· The myth of unending progress.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
· The omnipotence of human reason.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
· The practice of disconnected individualism.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
· The exploitation and destruction of nature .<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
· The absence of memory, roots and tradition.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
· The measurement of progress quantitatively. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
· The growing gap between rich and poor.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
· The disconnection of freedom from responsibility.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
· The ability of technology to solve human problems.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
· The equation of democracy with anchorless liberalism.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
· The growing dehumanization of life in favour of profit. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
· Absence of the spiritual and transcendent.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

<\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Positively:<\/span> A new sense of self and hopefulness, touching the hungers of the heart with more honesty, humility and authenticity.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Negatively: <\/span>Deeper isolation, fragmentation and narcissism making life a game with choices that are merely aesthetic and provisional. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

IRELAND THAT WAS<\/span><\/h3>
Past\/present were close and the future very far away.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
All authority was less questioned and obedience sacralized.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Political and religious authority mostly spoke with one voice. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Structures, social pressure and teaching controlled people.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Nationalism and Catholicism were almost identified.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Foreign travel and contact were rare.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Education was a mostly passive and a pipeline process. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Parents controlled most information received by children. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Church ownership and control of significant institutions. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Church had (direct and indirect) influence on the media.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Religious publications were popular.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
The Church could censor books and journals.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Political leaders were mostly believing Catholics. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Religious symbols were common and recognized. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Churches had unquestioned status and privileges.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Catholicism was a heritage held on to through persecution. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Faith was almost identified with religious behaviour.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
The bishops and priests were accepted wisdom figures. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
\'Vocations\' were respected and encouraged.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Obedience was sacralised and theology was frozen.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

Possible new emphases for more creative ministry<\/span><\/h4>
1. The good news in the present tense.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
2. A more authentic experience of God.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
3. Identification with the crucified Christ.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
4. Time for personal reflection and prayer.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
5. Supportive communities of explicit faith.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
6. Involvement with the marginalized.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
7. Human and Christian witness to hope and joy.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
8. Calling and supporting lay ministry.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
9. Continuing adult Christian education<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
10. A rediscovery of the anima and of symbolism.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

<\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

<\/div><\/p>

This past few weeks we have had an additional 17 seminarians with us in Mapuordit -the minor seminary. They are 17 students who have been waiting for the past 2 years to go to Nairobi to begin Philosophy studies for the Diocesan priesthood. Due to lack of finance in the diocese -up to now the Diocese has not been able to send them there. However a generous benefactor in Italy has given the Diocesan Administrator -50.000 euro to send 10 of the students to Nairobi to begin their philosophical studies. It costs 5000 dollars to keep students in Nairobi for one year -expensive. So, we have been trying to choose 10 out of  the 17 who applied to go -not the easiest task in the world to do - as we have only met here for a few weeks. However, we did eventually choose 10 -with the \" X factor\"  !!! and they will be going to begin their philosophical studies in Nairobi in August.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
The surge in vocations here is quite similar to Ireland in the 50\'s. In Europe people were coming out from two world wars -so there was a great sense of hope and optimism all around - becoming a priest or sister was seen as building on that hope and optimism -it was a positive thing to do. Here, people are emerging gradually from more than half a century of conflict and the youth are turning to the Church for hope and direction in the new South Sudan. As in Ireland in the 50\'s onwards, priesthood had a high social status -as it still has everywhere in Africa. It becomes a status symbol to have a priest in the family and community. Unemployment is another reason for so many wanting to be priests here -so little job opportunities for the youth -priesthood is a good option. So, it can be quite difficult to discern who has a genuine vocation and who are those who are trying to gain entrance for the wrong reasons and like we have witnessed over the past few years in Ireland -wreck havoc in the Church and society - by failing to live up to the teachings of Christ. As St. John outlines in his Gospel -Chapter 10 -I am the gate -he who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and robber. If we knew how to better understand scripture -we could see that Jesus warned that people would enter the Church for all the wrong reasons and eventually bring disgrace and shame on the Church He founded and loves.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
So, we have to be very discerning as to whom we choose to go forward for Philosophy here and elsewhere.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
As I said last week - rains have started here - great blessing for the farmers  but a nightmare for drivers as the roads are becoming quagmires -more on this next week.<\/span><\/div> <\/p>




<\/span><\/div>
Baking Bread in the Solar Oven<\/span><\/div>

<\/div>
\"South<\/div>

<\/div>


<\/span><\/div>
Fr. John - cooking \"spuds\" with solar energy<\/span><\/div>

<\/div>
\"South<\/div>

<\/div>

Ploughing with oxen in Mapuordit<\/span><\/p>

South Sudan-showing the young fellas how it \nshould be done!!! <\/span><\/p><\/div>

\"South<\/div>

<\/div>

Sr. Mary at 85 years of age preparing high protein biscuits for the lepers <\/span><\/p>

 and the blind who come to the convent on a Friday morning in Mapuordit.<\/span><\/p><\/div>

\"South<\/div>

<\/div>

I will never complain again about the Derrylinn Road!!! <\/span><\/p><\/div>

\"South<\/div>

<\/div>


<\/div>
\"South<\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div><\/p>

<\/div>

<\/div>

Hi Everyone,<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
It is holiday time here in South Sudan-schools take a 3 week break at this time-so I am having  a few days rest at the Loretto sisters convent in Rumbek. The sisters are 4 in number- Sr.Orla from Dublin, Sr.Kathleen from Donegal, Sr.Maria from Gibraltar and Sr. Rose from Kenya and they leave here tomorrow to go abroad for a short holiday themselves.  The Sisters  run one of the finest girls secondary schools in all of South Sudan under very difficult circumstances. They have invested over 3 million euros in building the school complex that  they have today-see enclosed photos-  and have 126  secondary school girls- over 100 of them as boarders.  It is quite a challenge to feed and look after the girls  as all the food has to be imported from the neighbouring countries of Kenya and Uganda but now the sisters have invested heavily in a large farm to grow some of the food that  they need. Very few girls go to secondary school here as families fear that they will loose the bride price-which is normally 200 cows  - if their daughters get educated and fly the roost!! Cows are still more important here than women. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Even when they are educated and carrying around their mobile phones - girls are still caught in traditional binds in South Sudan.  Recently, Sr.Orla got a parcel -sent from Nairobi  - for one of the girls in the boarding school  and as she opened it in Sr.Orla\'s presence , it was clothes and jewellry from a man who wanted this particular  girl to be his wife . Sr Orla asked the girl if she wanted to marry  this man the girl said it is really not my choice but my parents choice. She then told sr.orla that there were 3 men looking to marry her and it would eventually be her mother who would make the decision for her. The man also sends gifts to the mother  to win her over and the mother will then put pressure on her daughter to marry the man who gives the most gifts to her - the mother !!!She also told Sr.Orla that the man in Nairobi was already married and she didn\'t mind becoming the second wife as she could boss the first wife who was not educated. The girls also expect to be beaten by their husbands as it is a sign of love and affection in Dinka culture !!!! If he doesn\'t beat her then it means that he doesn\'t really love her - hopefully in time the Gospel of true love will win the minds and hearts of the people here also as they are a really a very wonderful people with some very harsh traits. As pope Francis pointed out-the Church is not an NGO ( an aid organisation) - but a means of helping people to discover the depth of true love in Jesus Christ-that is fundamentally our mission here in South Sudan.  <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Rains have started- will soon be farming myself- more news later.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>


<\/div>
\"Girls<\/div>

<\/div>
1. Loretto school girls waiting in their school hall<\/span><\/div>

<\/div>


<\/div>
\"Girls<\/div>

<\/div>
2. Sr Kathleen from Donegal- marching with some of the sec school girls. New school buildings in the background<\/span><\/div>

<\/div>


<\/div>
\"Girls<\/div>

<\/div>
3. Sr Orla -the principal -speaking to some of her students in one of the new classrooms<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

<\/div> <\/p>

Hi Everyone,<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Sharing a few photos of people who make our church here  extra special. Here we have a photo of  Mary who lost all her fingers because of leprosy. There are quite a lot  of leprosy patients in this part of South Sudan. Originally people shunned them  but now through the work of the Church, and other Christian organisations , they are fully integrated into the society-everyone feels comfortable shaking hands with leprosy people and giving people like Mary the sign of peace at Mass.   Mary  is a very jolly character and always has her prayer of the faithful every Sunday-praising the goodness and wonder of God. Here she is leaving the Church this Sunday after the 10.30 am Mass - which finished shortly after midday- no quick Masses here!!! <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
\"Father<\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
On the left of this picture we have David Mc Chaul-who is blind. He is sitting beside  other blind people at the Sunday Mass. How David got blindness is quite an extraordinary story -verified by everyone who I asked in connection with David\'s story. As a young man he was out milking the cows one evening at dusk. It was nearly dark and he felt something like a tap on the shoulder. When he turned around-it was a hiyena  and it made a swipe at his face with its paw and took out Davids eyes in a single movement. It seems there is a small type of hiyena that just goes for the eyes and others while they are sleeping have also lost their sight this way. David at Mass blows on a bugle-something like a hunts mans horn-which he lets rip around the Church when he thinks things are becoming too quite at the Mass-for visitors it is quite an amazing thing to hear in the Church but of course for the locals it is something that they have integrated into their own understanding of the Mass now. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

<\/div>
\"Fr<\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Our newly ordained priest celebrating Mass in the Church in Mapuordit-we had a week of celebrations for Fr. John here as he is the first priest to be ordained from this area and came here as a refugee with his family many years ago. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

<\/div>
\"Fr<\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
A young glum face at Mass!!! <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
\"Fr<\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Here we have a photo of Emma ( in blue)  and some other visitors who came on behalf of the organisation  - Mary\'s Meals -to Mapuordit . They hope to begin to give a meal to the school children in Mapuordit and the surrounding schools in the near future-which will be great for all the kids. Here they are meeting some of the women responsible for the running of  programs in the parish.  <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
\"Fr<\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

<\/div><\/p>



<\/div>
\"Solar<\/div>

<\/div>


<\/span><\/div>
Sending photos of  the first bread baked in our new solar oven.  The money for the solar ovens was given by the family and friends of Frank Carney after a fund raising event in Enniskillen. Frank had been a great baker himself and died suddenly over a year ago now. The solar ovens are being bought in his memory. We hope to buy more to eventually do most of our baking and cooking with solar energy.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>


<\/div>
\"Solar<\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div>
<\/div><\/p>


\"Leaves\"<\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
The children collecting the leaves in the photo - came to me on Holy Thursday - to get permission from me to collect leaves from plants in our fields around the seminary. As the dry season is coming to an end-so is food becoming scarce-so people use traditional  leaves to make soup for themselves.  The government is trying to get people to do more agriculture now that the war is over and also we in Mapuordit hope to lead the way with a big farming project this year.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

<\/div> <\/p>




<\/div>
\"Carrying<\/div>

<\/div>

A husband and wife coming to the mission to sell earthern ware pots. These pots  help to keep water cool in the very hot season as we have no fridge in the mission yet. . They walked 3 hours to get to the mission-the woman carried the pots-3 of them all of the way.The husband is a chief.  I asked the chief , with the help of the translator, what did he do. He said he  just carried his stick and kept her in chat while they walked along- tough life being a chief here!!!<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

<\/div><\/p>



<\/div>
\"Ordination\"<\/div><\/div>

<\/div>

Last Sunday was a joyous occasion for us as we had the first ordination ever  from this area. His name is John Malou- a great guy.  He  came to Mapuordit as a refugee with his Mum and  Dad many years ago. He went to school here and then they all left for Khartoum -so that John could go to the senior seminary there. When South Sudan got its independence - he and the mother returned  to their homeland but because of the war - they had no home to return to -so his mum lives for the time being in a UN refugee camp . A very frail woman but she was so proud of her son at the ordination. John\'s father died a few years ago. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
He was ordained on Palm Sunday - because we dont have a Bishop for the Diocese here-so we had to avail of a Bishop from the neighbouring Diocese. Fr. John will be working with me in the minor seminary after he has a holiday .<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Wishing all in St.Michael\'s and St.Mary\'s a very blessed Easter.<\/span><\/div><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

<\/div><\/p>


\"Running\"<\/div><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

I hope you all had a blessed Easter. On Easter Saturday here - students from Mapuordit organised a run to coincide with a run being done by the family and friends of Ronan Kerr in the Omagh Half Marathon to raise funds for projects in South Sudan.  Well done to all from N.Ireland and  South Sudan. The students here took it very seriously and one or two of them had nose bleeds after the run as they had run it very fast and had not practiced for it  before hand. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Didn\'t run any myself as I pulled a muscle in my back on Good Friday. I was trying to smoke out some bees from around our water tap - as one had stung me the day before - but as I tried to collect dry grass to burn them out I pulled a muscle in my back-so the bees got me twice!!  Moving a bit better today. Thank God I was not the main celebrant for any of the Masses-as we had a visiting Comboni priest with us who was saying goodbye to the people as he had worked in this parish for over 30 years. The Stations of the Cross on Good Friday was done through the town here -the more we walked the more people we gathered. It was amusing to see people who were gambling and playing cards in the market square-stand up, bless themselves in reverence, prayed the station with the priest , and then went back to their cards and gambling as we marched on to the next station!!!. <\/span><\/div>
On Holy Thursday-the priest invited everyone in  the Church to get their feet washed-of course everyone wanted to get such a blessing  -we spent a good half hour washing all sizes of dusty feet!!!  -no such thing as having your feet washed here before coming to Church!!! It was so hot the children were drinking the water brought in for the washing of the feet. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Holy Saturday night and Easter Sunday morning was a festival of  Easter joy - with much singing and beating of drums.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Blessings.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
John <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

<\/div> <\/p>


<\/div>
\"John<\/div>

<\/div>


<\/span><\/div>
A Sudanese young fella said to me the other day \" It\'s too hot  Fr.John - i am melting with the heat \"\". I said what are you complaining about -you were born in Africa. He said \" You were born in Ireland and still complain about the cold -so what\'s the difference !! point taken. February and March are the hottest months of the year here -most people sleep outside at this time but i wouldnt have the courage to do so. One of the Slovakian female doctors was telling me a few days ago that she was having supper on Sunday night and found her leg getting itchy. When she looked down - a small snake was crawling up her leg. She jumped with fright and it fell off - so who would want to sleep out with so many night creatures around !!! <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Quite busy getting the new group of students settled in, purchasing food, buying fire wood, setting up routines and programs for the students, teaching some religious education programs in the secondary school and handling minor crises in the compound. Last religious education lesson I was telling the students that there are many young people in Europe who dont believe in God at all anymore. They laughed at me and said that couldnt be possible-everybody believes in God they said - how could anyone not believe in God they challenged me. It is just such a normal part of life here to believe in God.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
 Also started work on renovating an old room and purchasing 5 laptops from Nairobi \/Kenya ( thanks mainly to the fund raising efforts of St. Fancheas Sec School last year) to get students started on learning to use the computer. The students themselves are desperate to learn how to use a computer - and in this day and age they will get nowhere with their lives if they cannot use a computer. Because of a satellite link in the village -the students can name every player in the Premiership - yet all of them cant use a computer or other social media. It is a strange situation that they find themselves in. But gradually , through school and other education programs they will begin to find their way in the modern world. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
That\'s my ramblings for this week -till next week or later . <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Bye.  John<\/span><\/div><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

<\/div><\/p>

Greetings to one and all.<\/span> I am now rector for the minor seminary in Mapuordit-presently we have 50 students with us. They stay in the seminary and go to secondary school in the Comboni Secondary school run by Australian sisters. Above is a photo of the students having a meeting with a deacon who is also helping me until his ordination at Easter time. The Catholic Church in South Sudan is packed with young people-mostly in their 20-30 age group. Older Christians went to the Protestant Church.  <\/span>


<\/span><\/div>
The Catholic Church here is seen as being modern and progressive-offering education and development opportunities to a population that is mostly young people.  We are hoping in the near future to help these young students to learn computer skills, critical analysis of their own society and the skills needed for effective leadership in  south Sudan today - all within a Christian-Catholic ethos. <\/span>

<\/div>


<\/div><\/div><\/p>

Just checked the thermometer today-45 degrees - can\'t do much work in it!!! But it\'s better than the cold.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
All going grand here-had my first day teaching religion in the secondary school- students very quiet and obedient-long may it last. Only a few girls in the class - one came late-I asked her why are you so late- she said I came from Arghan- I couldn\'t believe it - as that village is over 2 hours away from us in Mapuordit-she walked the whole way - got up at 5 am. Poor kid she seemed exhausted-will have to see if there is anyway of helping them to get to school in an easier way.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
One of the electrician\'s here - Charles - is from Kenya. He works in the local hospital maintaining their solar and electrical system. Two weeks ago - He installed an x-ray machine in the hospital. I asked him to help me to fix an old generator in the compound - so that the students would have light to study with at night. He is very efficient and gifted with his hands. He willingly obliged. When I went to pay him -he didnt want to take anything. He said that the mission in Kenya had helped him and his mother when his father walked out on them. The Church paid his school fees and helped him to train then as an electrician -I owe everything to the Church he says - nice to hear such a positive story of  how one young man benefited from the Catholic Church\'s sponsorship program. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Check the galleries for new images.<\/span><\/div>

<\/div>


<\/div>

<\/div><\/p>


<\/span><\/div>


<\/div>
\"Broken<\/div><\/div>

<\/div>

One of the great mysteries of life here is how can people survive for so long without rain. I am now here 3 months and we only had a heavy shower of rain the first week I arrived here -since then -nothing !!!<\/span> Women carry water all day long from the boreholes scattered around the area. Where there are no boreholes -they can walk for two hours to find water -rest for 30 mins -and then walk back again carrying their gerry cans of water for two hours on their heads. Amazing resilience.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Last week I sent a photo of the car with the wheel twisted off it -the ball joint had broken on it . The only mechanics here are from Kenya. They are here to make money -so they try to charge high prices for any work they do on our cars - the South Sudanese have not been trained in any technical skills like mechanics, carpentry, plumbing etc. Great need for technical schools all over the country. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
There has been quite a bit of violence and unrest over the past few weeks -inter tribal conflicts -we were confined to our compound last week for two days as their was a lot of unrest in the area and up to 30 people died from the violence.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
I am now in my new residence of Mapuordit - in charge of the minor seminary for the Diocese of Rumbek. I came here by a truck that I had hired for the day to bring food for the seminarians. I have spent the last few days cleaning and painting the place -it was in pretty poor shape when I got here. So, I have left behind my mud hut that has been my home for the past 3 months and I am now in a \"normal house\" again. Looking forward to getting running water in the house - but for the time being - so I continue with my bucket showers but Thank God I have solar lighting in the house. Students return to the seminary on the 10 th February -that is when the new school year begins -looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead -we are expecting 60 students this year -will let you know how it all works out. Tomorrow I have to take the seminary car to a garage in Rumbek to get the gearbox changed. The gear box was damaged when the then rector of the seminary -Fr. Mark - had to pull an army truck out of a mud hole at the end of the last rainy season -doesnt rain but it pours !!!  -  but Oh for a bit of rain now !!!<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

<\/div><\/p>



Sunday I attended the ordination to the Diaconate of one of the young men from the seminary here - he is from the Dinka tribe and his name is John Dang Beny. The Bishop who did the ordination is also a Sudanese - nearly at retirement age. He is one of the priests who was left behind when all the missionaries were expelled from Sudan in the 60\'s and have carried the Church through the war years. In the homily he spoke very lovingly of his father , who initially was very angry that his son wanted to become a priest as he would have to give up his cows -which are the main sign of wealth for the Dinka - his wives to be and his children. In the Dinka culture -if you done marry and have children -then you never become a man. It was only when his father was on his death bed that he the father acknowledged to his son -who was now a Bishop - the greatness of the life he had chosen to serve God. <\/div>

<\/div>
The Dinka also have quite strange burial customs. If you die of hunger -you are not buried - as they say that if you bury someone who has died from hunger -the hunger will rise up again and attack others.  Also soldiers in war are not buried - they are left for the hyenas to eat them. Sometimes very traditional families will leave their dead relatives in the forest to be eaten by the hyenas. The elders check on how long it takes for the henyas to come and eat the body -if he is eaten quickly -it is a sign that they have gone quickly to the heavens - if it is a few days -then it is not looking so good for the after life !!!<\/div>

<\/div>
This week also I went to Nairobi \/Kenya for two days to get my crown tooth put back in - which had fallen out the day before Christmas. I also had meetings with the Diocesan financial administrator for Rumbek to collect money for the opening of the junior seminary - banking system is still being set up in South Sudan  All administrative offices for the dioceses in South Sudan are in Nairobi -3 hours flight from here. Up to now there are hardly any offices or meeting rooms in parishes or dioceses in South Sudan - nearly all meetings take place outdoors -under the trees. I was nervous carrying the sum of money that I had on me back from Nairobi but a sister that I was sitting beside on the plane told me that she was given a plastic bag one time in Nairobi with a hundred thousand dollars in it to give to the late Bishop of Rumbek to pay for building materials , teachers and workers in his Diocese!! You wouldnt want the bottom to fall out of it as you were going through immigration !!! She said that the Bishop was nervously pacing up and down at the airport when she arrived -any wonder !!<\/div>

<\/div>
Should be in my new place of work - Mapuordit - by this time next week.  More news then.<\/span><\/div><\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div><\/p>


<\/div>

For my update today.<\/span>  I am sending you an email that I just got from an American friend of mine whom I met in Ethiopia as we were trying to set up a water project in Ethiopia. He has interesting reflections on his work in Africa and especially his last paragraph on South Sudan.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Nothing really exciting otherwise to report from here except that the steering rack feel from the pickup as I was returning to Wulu last Monday. Roads here shake the guts out of all vehicles. Luckily I was able to limp into Rumbek and got a garage to re-bolt the rack. I had to sit on the back of a motor bike  of the garage man -going around the town - trying to find a place that would have old  spare parts for the pickup. There are no shops here selling new parts. Eventually we found the right parts and got the pickup back on the road again.<\/span><\/div>

<\/div>

Ethiopia: <\/h3>
Yes our experience was frustrating but that happens.Since then I have developed four projects in Ethiopia: a water project in Teclo Godjam which is doing just fine. I worked with Rotarians from Addis one of whom is the former head of Ethiopian Airlines and he had some political clout.<\/div>

<\/div>
I have three other extremely large projects in the Debre Marcos area. An orphanage I developed with a friend where we are housing 80 teen aged female orphans aged 14\/15. We have created an educational academy. The girls attend the local high school but we have an intensive education program in house with tutors etc.I also set up the first computer lab in the area. We are really working on these girls so that we they will all go to university and we will take care of all their expenses for the 4 years of college.  The issues behind this project are the chronic female sexual abuse in this part of Amhara and the selling off of orphans for slaves (many are taken into the Sudan) and the incredible drop out rate of girls from university after just one year 86%. I simply believe that we cannot change a culture of abuse etc it can only change from within so these women will have to do it once they are educated.<\/div>

<\/div>
A second project I have started is a commercial egg producing farm.  I will be operational in February and all of the profits will support our girls academy. Within two years it will be completely self sustaining..........so maybe we will go and start a similar project somewhere else?<\/div>

<\/div>
I have great support from the US Ambassador in Addis. I met with him and asked him for some money!  He said that our project is unique in Ethiopia and that the US did a study on young women last year, confirming many of my findings. The US will put some money out eventually. He introduced me to the Director of USAID and we will get some $$$$$$ from them so that we can do some structural upgrades in the academy.<\/div>

<\/div>
I think making inroads into the government has helped me considerably.  I made friends with the Ethiopian Ambassador in Los Angeles working through the Ethiopian community. I was then introduced to the Federal Attache and Consul for American Affairs in Addis. He in turn helped me meet other senior government officials: Minister for Economic Development, Minister of Education etc. They seem to like and support what I am doing.<\/div>

<\/div>
In addition I am working with the Minister of Education, the President of Gondar University and a small NGO here in the Bay Area, to develop a Technical Center at the university. It would specialize in 3D technology used in the digital preservation of antiquities but also in aircraft design, architecture, commercial construction etc. I have got the Boeing aircraft corporation to sponsor this for five years but there are a couple of other corporations also quite interested.  <\/div>

<\/div>
As you can see I am busy in Ethiopia and go out there at least every three months.<\/div>

<\/div>
In terms of water projects: after our disappointment in Goloberando, I switched my efforts to Burkina Faso and have been working there for the past couple of years. My millionaire connection was PO\'d with me so will not give me any funds. However I have other sources and we have been drilling water wells in the northern Sahel, a very remote area where there is little water. I visit them twice a year and am taking some potential \'funders\' out there again in March. <\/div>

<\/div>
I retired as President of my Healthcare Corp so that I could focus on my other business and humanitarian projects. I travel all over the world providing Consulting, Monitoring and Evaluation and trouble shooting on the projects. The nice things is that I can please myself whether I do it or not.  Have just returned from Guatemala and before that was in Mexico and South Korea. I routinely get asked to go to the Sudan by USAID, Save the Children and others, but have always declined. The press it receives in the US is not good and in general I consider the area not to be safe and very unstable.  I would love to have a firsthand report from you. I usually go through Khartoum on my way to and from Addis so would make a side trip to visit you if you can convince me!!  I have read so much over the years re the Sudan, met many, many people who have tried to work there including some religious and their remarks are consistent in stating that the place is just too chaotic to achieve very much.<\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div>
<\/div><\/p>

Over the Christmas period , and for the New\nYear , our Church has been packed to over flowing with people coming for Mass.\nNo empty seats at the front, children sitting quietly and respectfully around\nthe altar steps, young people singing at the top of their voices and playing\nvaried musical instruments  - the  young vibrant Church of South Sudan - a\nblessed place to be indeed.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

I had a funny incident with the police the\nday after Christmas when I was leaving the Kenyan priest-Fr.Sospeter - to the\nairport. When we came to the small roundabout in Rumbek town - I asked\nSospeter-\"do I go left or right \" for the airport. He couldn\'t hear\nme clearly-so I slowed to a crawl.  Next\nI heard the sharp shrill of a policeman\'s whistle . I knew it was for me - so I\npulled over. The policeman came over and asked me for my driving license.\nLuckily I had my new South Sudan driving license on me. He said to me \"\nYou are driving  -shaky shaky\" ! I\nsaid to Fr. Sospeter- what does he mean -\"shaky-shaky\" .  Fr. Sospeter tells me it is because you are\ndriving with too much hesitation. I said sorry to the police man - but he tells\nme to get out of the car. I got out of the pickup and he takes me by the hand\nto one side and said \"What about my lunch\". I said \"Sorry  - the Catholic Church doesn\'t do free\nlunches. Ok-  \"So-what can you do\nfor me Father\".  I told him \"\nNext time i see you in a pub-I will buy you a drink\" . \"Ok Father\n\" -he says with a big smile and lets me go on my way. Such is life on the\nAfrican continent.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Wishing all on emyvale.net a very happy and\nfulfilled New Year.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n\n

John<\/o:p><\/span><\/p><\/p>

Christmas turned out to be a great occasion\nhere afterall. . Even though there were no Christmas lights any where in the\nvillage , no decorations ,no carols being sung, no crib in the Church (as these\ntraditions have all been lost during the war years here),  still the people came out in big numbers,\nplayed the drums and sang with all their hearts to celebrate  the birth of Christ.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

We got a surprise at the beginning of\nmidnight Mass when an army truck pulled up outside the Church and heavily armed\ntroops jumped out and surrounded the small mud Church that we were ready to\ncelebrate Mass in.  Seemingly the govt\ngave orders that all Churches were to have security for Christmas. See photo of\nmyself and one of the soldiers after Mass. It made us feel very important\nindeed!<\/span><\/p>\n\n

After Mass on Christmas Day- Fr.Nolasco\ndistributed biscuits and juice to the children as a treat for Christmas-they\nwere deligted to get 4 biscuits each. Then we headed into Rumbek to go to the\nUN hotel where we had a big Christmas dinner of small portions of turkey,some\nham but plenty of roast chicken, garlic potatoes and something I haven\'t head\nsince coming ;here over two months ago - dessert(chocolate cake and fruits of\nevery kind) -needless to say I  \"\nstuffed\" myself. All in all - a great Christmas here in South Sudan. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p> <\/p>

For the past week I have been staying with the Comboni priests and brothers in a place called Mapuordit. It\'s the place I will be moving to next month to take on the role of  director for the Junior Seminary there. It is two and a half hours drive from Wulu - the place I originally started off in. Mapuordit means black and white cow . It got this name from the fact that the people and the missionaries had to flee into the forest in the early nineties to escape the waring Arab soldiers from the North of Sudan. The people who fled into the forest -with the missionaries - were the Dinka tribe whose lives revolve around their cows. Hence they named the place where they settled as the cow that is black (themselves) and white ( the missionaries who are white. ).<\/div>

<\/div>
Gradually a whole network has built up around the people who have been displaced - a hospital run by the Comboni missionaries, a primary and secondary school run by Australian sisters and now a junior seminary which I have been asked to take over the running of. Last year there was 60 students in the junior seminary. I\'m looking forward to the challenge of  working n this totally new situation for me. I believe that I will be the first Irish person to live and work in this area. More on all of this when I go there by the middle of January as the new school year only begins in Febrauray.<\/div>

<\/div>
Many blessings to all for the festive season of Christmas.<\/span><\/div><\/p>

For full details click on the link below


<\/div>
http:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/world\/africa\/thousands-flee-south-sudan-clashes-and-seek-un-refuge-8427522.html<\/a><\/div><\/p>


<\/div>
As I said before for the past week I have been staying with the Comboni Congregation in Mapuordit. It is the place I will be coming to work in in Febrauray.  Mapuordit means - Black and White Cow . It got this name because when the Arab fighters from the North - attacked the people in the towns of South Sudan - the people fled to the interior of the forest-along with the white missionaries who were also in the country at that time. The people who fled with the missionaries are the Dinka tribe and their lives revolve around their cows. Since they came to this new area with the white missionaries - they decided to name the area - the Black and White Cow people - which in their own language is translated as - Mapuordit. This was in 1993 - and gradually a whole life system has grown around the compound-with a hospital,  primary and secondary school, junior seminary, bore holes for water, small shops etc. It remains a very isolated place but a safe place to be for missionaries and the people. As I said before - for the Dinka - their lives revolves around their cows. A potential husband has to pay between  60 to 200 cows to the brides family to get married. If you murder someone - you pay the victims family - 61 cows. If you commit adultery-the fine is 7 cows - to be given to the injured party! <\/div>

<\/div>
I believe that I am the first Irish person to be coming to live and work in this area.<\/div>

<\/div>
I go back to Wulu on Tuesday and will be there for the Christmas. Still no sign of  Christmas here but I am told that by next week people will be celebrating it. So until next week then. <\/div>

<\/div>
God Bless. John<\/span><\/div>

<\/div>
P.S. - Don\'t forget to check the newly added images.<\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div> <\/p>


<\/div>
My Update this week is on how the new country of South Sudan is coping with being independent from  North Sudan. It is taken from an email sent to us here in South Sudan from the  Guardian African Network. Written by a Simon Allison.<\/span><\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div>
A new country isn’t a new toy. It isn’t a new computer that you unwrap from its box, all shiny modern and clean . You don’t plug it into the wall ,switch it on and live happily ever after.  A new country means quite the opposite:  it means that something, somewhere has gone very badly wrong. A new country is a damaged country , a broken country, a country that is starting again from scratch.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
To call it a country stretches the definition somewhat.  The government has barely any money. Its authority spreads only as far as it can enforce it (which isn’t far at all, especially during the rainy season when most roads are impassable. Borders, especially with Sudan , remains hazy and ill defined. <\/span>But it has a flag, an anthem, a president and even a place in the United Nations General Assembly.  Rumour has it that when the South Sudan delegation arrived in New York , panicked UN staffers had to rush out and buy chairs in order to squeeze them into the Assembly.  After their long struggle against the Arab Sudanese regime in Khartoum , the rebels have become the governors.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Their seat , the centre of their limited authority is Juba, South Sudan’s capital and commercial hub.  Its a basic , low rise town of cheap buildings and high walls, the paint cracking under the relentless heat. The city provides no electricity whatever.  Generators are the order of the day. Each watt must be produced with the aid of loud, smoky motors and expensive diesel. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Now that an agreement has been reached with Sudan to export oil again – this should help to revive the stagnant economy. First on the agenda is to build infrastructure, especially electricity. An official from the ministry finance said: without electricity –a man who has cows –has just cows.  If he has electricity – a man who has cows can make ice cream – and everybody likes ice cream . The second priority is developing agriculture.  South Sudan is a vast, sprawling country, most of which is in the lush, fertile Nile valley. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Managed properly, South Sudan could be the bread basket of east Africa. But it needs strong government to implement good development strategies. At present the government, like the country is finding its feet.  Bureaucracy and red tape are a nightmare and petty corruption is rife. As I said before : a new country is not a new toy.  It is damaged goods, and a lot of time and blood and sweat will go into repairing the ruptures of South Sudan’s history.<\/span><\/div>

<\/div>


<\/div>
That is a synopsis of the article I got on the new South Sudan – it helps to give you a background to the challenges facing the Church in helping the people build a new and vibrant South Sudan.<\/div>

<\/div>
That’s it for this week. Will write about Christmas here next week.<\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div>

<\/div> <\/p>


<\/div>
Life goes on calmly here. Yesterday the UN were distributing food to the population of Wulu as food continues to be very scarce for the population as a whole. The Jur people continue to re-adjust to life after decades of war. They are learning how to plant and cultivate crops - because traditionallythe people here - the Jur people - were hunters and gathers in the forest. <\/span><\/div>

<\/div>
We Spiritans are kept active with language learning  and  learning to celebrate Mass in the Dinka language- the language of the largest tribe in South Sudan and which traditionally  is the languageof the enemy of the Jur people. The Jur don\'t have a written language and up to now they dont have the Mass or  any of the sacraments written in their languageand  so wehave to use the Dinka language for the celebration of the Mass. <\/div>

<\/div>
Yesterday night I went into the village to watch Man United play West Ham at 11pm - we are  3 hours ahead of Europe here. One enterprising man has brought satellite tv to the village -it is the only tv in the whole area.  He has set up the tv in a bamboo shed with different types of makeshift chairs for sitting on. His small generator constantly breaks down during the match. As the satellite iscoming from South Africa- different  matches are shown on different stations. The owner shows 20 mins of one match-Arsenal vs Fulham- then switches over to Spurs vs Liverpool for the next 20 mins and then to Man U vs West Ham.  One irate Liverpool supporter gets up and pulls out the socket from the wall when the station is changed to the Man U game - as he wanted more than the allotted 20mins to seeing his team play - typical Liverpool supporter!! It takes 10 mins before order is restoredand we can celebrate Man U beating West Ham. I stroll home by 1pm with a contented smile- carefully shining my light on the road so that there are no snakes, scorpions or Liverpool supporters blocking my way.! <\/div>

<\/div>
More next week .<\/span><\/div>

<\/div>
John<\/span><\/div>

<\/div><\/p>

Greetings once again from my warm surroundings in Wulu, South Sudan.<\/span> This week we had a visitor from Kenya: the Spiritan coordinating our mission project in South Sudan- Fr. Martin Keane. We had a lot of meetings together to look at the challenges of setting up a new mission for the first time. Also the Diocese have asked us to take over the junior seminary which is in a place called Maupaurdit. It is a place in the interior of the forest where the people traditionally fled to - to escape the bombings during the war and to flee from the northern arabic soldiers. We visited the place - 3 hours drive from Wulu over a terrible road. It has a hospital which is mainly run by volunteer nurses and doctors from Italy and  Poland. It also has a secondary school run by sisters from Australia.  It looks like I will be going there in February to reopen the seminary and use it also as a Youth Training Centre. More news on this later.<\/div>

<\/div>
Two interesting bits of information from here. There is a prison just across the road from us in Wulu. Because there is no food to feed the prisoners , they are let out every morning at 6 am to go look for food for themselves and they have to be back in the prison by 6 pm. Some came to Fr. Sospeter to help him in his garden and he gave them food during the day. Here- there is no place to run to or to hide.<\/div>

<\/div>
A neighbour man died and there was a lot of wailing during the night for him. The high pitched crying is to inform the gods that someone has died and to open the pearly gates for him or her and also to drive away the bad spirits that might come and steal his spirit away. The period of mourning will depend on how useful the person was to the family. If they were a good bread winner-mourning can last for a week- if they were not much addition to the family- a bit of a of waster -  mourning lasts only a few hours.!<\/div>

<\/div>
More news next week. Blessings. Fr. John<\/span><\/div><\/p>

Greetings from Wulu – Sudan. I am not able to reply immediately to emails as I normally have to drive to the nearest town to us here Rumbek and get a wireless connection for the Internet at the UN hotel in Rumbek. It is only 45 mins drive from us here over a fairly decent dirt road. Sometimes I can tether my tablet\/laptop to the mobile phone and send emails that way - but it doesn’t always work and is prone to sending virus to those receiving my emails. <\/span><\/div>
 <\/span><\/div>
Settling in fine to my new life and environment here. As I said before it is a very basic structure that I am sleeping in – made of mud and bamboo canes but with a little adjustment and reinforcing with wire netting to keep snakes and scorpions at bay – it is now secure and comfortable to work and sleep in. Of course the house lizards continue to run around the walls both day and night - but they are like having pets in the house in Africa. <\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
Frs. Nolasco, Sospeter and myself continue to get on very well together and face up to the challenges of mission life here. We have Mass and morning prayer together in a store of the new house as we don’t have any other room for to convert into a small chapel yet. After prayer we have breakfast which normally consists of baked pancakes(chapattis) and tined tuna fish – which is certainly very filling and can keep us going for the whole morning. We have to buy all our drinking water as the borehole on the compound is gushing out a very brownish water – not safe for drinking but OK for washing and washing clothes. After breakfast the rest of the day consists in avoiding as much as possible the intense heat and scrounging around for what we need to live on. Nothing is easily available here so we have to go shopping into Rumbek to get the basics of what we need. All food items come from Uganda or Kenya and it can up to 3 days or  3 weeks for some of the items to arrive in the shops here. Sospeter has started his own garden and already we are harvesting some cabbage and small tomatoes. Too hot here to grow potatoes etc – all of these are imported from Uganda or Kenya which makes them quite expensive to buy. The local people live on a type of barley maize called sorgum – which is made into a purple porridge like substance – definitely a required taste !!! There is no fruit of any kind here – so that is something else we have to work on to plant some fruit trees.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
In the evenings we walk around the area – visiting neighbouring compounds. Despite the language barrier – people are very welcoming a friendly to us. We have about a 100 coming to Mass of a Sunday but there are no records of any baptisms, confirmations or marriages in the parish – something else we have to tighten up on to get the parish on a solid footing.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
I have never been in a place that is so quiet in the evenings . Once it gets dark – not a sound to be heard. Normally in Africa there is the sound of people calling to one another or children dancing under the light of the stars but not here – total darkness and silence. It must have to do with the fact that the past few generations have had to be quiet because of the war and hiding from the enemy – hopefully this will change now that peace and independence has come to South Sudan. We bought a small generator ourselves this week to have some light in the evenings and to charge up our phones. We are hoping to have solar energy installed in the near future .<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
There is also no Post Office in this whole region – so don’t be expecting any Christmas cards this year !!<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>
As I have no guarantee that I will be able to email this – I will finish for now and hope for the best. Despite the many challenges of the new mission here there is no other place i would rather be in this world at this time. I love being back on mission and espically a frontier mission situation like this. Thanks to all of you who have made this possible for me and continue to do so.<\/span><\/div>

<\/span><\/div>

Many Blessings.<\/span><\/h4>

<\/span><\/div>
John<\/span><\/div>

<\/div> <\/p>
<\/div><\/div>");