Staying with the People
On November 22nd of this year, I traveled with Clement to visit the Laarim community where I would spend the next 12 days. We left Torit in a 14 passenger van and arrived to Loryok about three and a half hours later. Loryok is small town on the main road between Torit and the Kenya border. Clement and I stayed at the compound in Loryok where his sister-in-law lived. There were others who stayed there and none of them spoke English. This helped push me a little harder to learn Laarim. To learn new words, I spent time with the children. I pointed to or drew different objects and the children would give me the names of them.
Clement's purpose in coming to the community from Juba was to do a community check after having completed a draft of the book of John in Laarim. The community check entailed meeting with youth, men, women, and elders throughout different populated areas of the territory. They would discuss or correct any questionable grammar or words used as Clement or a designated person would read aloud from the Laarim book of John. It was encouraging to see a decent turnout of youth, women, and elders during most of the readings.
One of the challenges that I experienced during my visit was frequent begging. Many times a day I would be asked by strangers or acquaintances for money or clothes. During our visits to different villages, I would be told time after time, "We are hungry," or asked "What did you bring?" One of the youth helping Clement with the community checks noticed that I was struggling to give appropriate responses to their questions. Very kindly he wrote down the questions that people were frequently asking me, and some appropriate responses that I could give.
On one of our days I was feeling the need to do some physical work outside. I found the grass cutter and spent the next few hours slashing weeds in the front and back of the compound. While I was at work a soldier approached me with a smile on his face. In Arabic he asked me about what I was doing. After some brief words, he gave me a five pound note (about $1.50) and told me to get a soda. Later that evening, a woman at the shop on the neighboring compound gave me a soda commenting that I was doing a good thing by slashing the weeds.
To Kimatong
We had arrived to Loryok on Tuesday and it was now Saturday and we were ready to head to Kimatong up in the northern part of the Laarim territory. We purchased our food for the journey and packed our belongings. We were planning to hire motorbikes. The price had increased from 30 to 50 pounds (about $14) due to the cost of petrol. I had wanted to walk the 20+ km distance, but Clement insisted that we should use bikes with all the items we were bringing up. He assured me that we would be able to make the return journey by foot since we would be leaving some items in the village. The two riders loaded our items on their bikes and we headed off. I was being taken by Lopul, a Laarim youth whom I had met a number of times before. After departing, there was a lot of stopping and starting along the way as the bike Clement was on had some problems and the load on Lopul's bike was not staying on properly. A few hours later we were at the guesthouse in Kimatong.
That same day, there happened to be a celebration with dancing that was to take place in one of the villages just outside of Kimatong. We walked there and found hundreds if not over a thousand Laarim gathered to attend the even. It was quite a sight to see everyone together, dressed colorfully, singing, and performing their traditional dances. Afterwards, I was taken to a compound where a group of men gathered. Some elders stood up and gave speeches and blessings. Songs were sung and sorghum beer was passed around in calabashes for all to drink.
The following morning we attended Sunday prayers held at the primary school building in Kimatong. There were about 60 children along with a few youth, adults, and elders sitting in the back. The children enthusiastically participated in the prayers and singing. Clement led the service and gave me the opportunity to share. I spoke about the meaning of grace. In the afternoon, Clement and I packed up our belongings and left Kimatong for the village of Loribok where we would stay for the following six nights. We reached the compound of Clement's sister Nathuru, where she stayed with her husband and children. I set up my tent in a nice little area in the back sectioned off by a little fence.
In the Village
The following morning we got started on making a simple latrine and bathing area. As soon as I started digging the hole for the latrine some of the youth came and decided to take over the work. Others started working on the bathing area. The women went out to gather materials as the young men did the digging and setting up. By mid afternoon, a decent latrine and bathing area were ready for us to use for our time there.
On that same day, Clement's relatives were celebrating the full payment of the dowry from one of their family members. A bull was killed and the meat roasted by the relatives of the bride. Meat was passed around, speeches were given, and the bride's family performed some rituals to bless the groom's relatives. As the meat was given out, I enjoyed some parts of the bull more than the others. But I tried a little of everything that was served to our group.
Our visit to the community also happened to coincide with a time that many people were suffering from illnesses in the community. In response to the problem, people from the community agreed to meet together for traditional prayers, hoping that God would end their affliction. I wanted to learn more about this practice so Clement and I went out to meet with those who were holding prayers. We found an area where about 40 women were gathered together. After greeting the group, a women who introduced herself as Teresa stood up and explained that they had gathered because many people were sick. She said that they believe God had put the disease in the ashes as they cooked their food causing the sickness. Teresa then explained that they would take ashes from burnt goat intestines and then throw them into a riverbed. After she shared, I was given the opportunity to speak. I greeted the women telling them that I had come to live with the Laarim people, to learn their language, and to befriend them. I also said that I would be coming to bring the word of God to their people. After I finished sharing, the group applauded and Clement and I continued on our way.
During the times that I was hanging around the compound and there was little to do, I would sit down to practice language with those around the home. Sometimes there would be children or youth around and other times I could try talking to the women. Despite my struggle to understand much of what was said, all seemed to enjoy asking me questions, answering mine, and saying a few new words for me to learn. Although I have only just penetrated the surface, I feel that a good foundation has been started through these times for developing relationships with these people.
I the village I met Pio, an elder. During my very first visit to the Laarim community with a group in September, Pio had welcomed us and offered a goat to be roasted and shared with everyone. Again this time, Pio gave up one of his goats to Clement and I. The next morning, the goat was killed. That afternoon we were given the entrails, and in the evening we had some very tasty lean pieces of roasted meat. As we visited with Pio, he informed Clement and I that his wife had an illness that was causing her to go paralyzed from the waist down. We later decided to make a visit and pray for her. After praying for her healing, I felt prompted to talk to Pio's wife about Jesus. Clement interpreted as I shared about Christ's work of conquering death and bringing true life. Despite trying to use simple terms that could be easily interpreted, I left feeling that Pio's wife did not understand what I was speaking about. After our visit, Clement checked with the clinic in Kimatong to see if a vehicle could come to get her and take her to the hospital. We were told that Pio's wife would first need to be seen at the clinic before a vehicle could be brought up. From her home the walk would take about 45 minutes to the clinic and it would certainly be possible to have her carried on a stretcher. Sadly, Pio's wife refused to be taken on foot believing that she would be killed by spirits along the way due to some concerns related to her marriage with Pio.
After spending six nights in the village of Loribok, we left on foot in the morning. As we went on our way, others whom we passed coming up from Loryok often looked at me with surprise. They could not understand why a westerner would want to walk the 20+ kilometer hike. It was sort of entertaining to see the look of surprise on their faces. It was even more interesting was when I would greet them in the Laarim language. Some would laugh while others, including young women, would back away in fear or shock. They would often chatter excitedly among themselves seeing for the first time, a white person using their language.
After some stops and places where we had to wait for others along the way, we arrived to Loryok six and a half hours later. I stayed that night in town. The following evening I was able to board a crowded cab of a large truck loaded with goats in the back. We reached Torit that night.
I thank the Lord for a successful journey which allowed me to learn a great deal about the Laarim people, meet with many in the community, and get a boost in learning the language.
How you can pray:
-Pray for me as I might be able to go back with Clement to spend Christmas and New Year's with the Laarim people. If we are able to go, we plan to have prayers in a several different areas of the Laarim territory.
