Another Day in Sudan

This is a long story but the gist of it is that there have been many challenges these past few days but God is helping us each step of the way. Satan loves to stop our work out here and can complicate, frustrate and irritate us very quickly.

A truck we hired (10 Ton Lorry) was involved in an accident on Monday. We hired this truck because several other vehicles are down and needed this truck for several weeks work. The driver (Henry) was coming back from Kupera (about an hour and a half away) with a load of supplies and a drunk guy on a bicycle collided with the truck. The driver then stopped to see if he could help. A group gather and beat the driver, stole his money (we had just paid him earlier that day), phone and took his documents. He was then taken to the Yei police station where they called for us to come take him to the hospital. Andrew, Matt B. and I went and got him, took him to a clinic where a doctor gave him some pain meds and such. He was then taken back at our compound and rested. He was badly bruised and shaken up but other wise fine. Henry is from Kenya, and seems to be really great Christian man.

Around 8am the next day I headed out with Allison (interpreter/office assistant) and about 8 police officers to see the scene of the accident and bring the truck back. We arrived around 10am and the ‘investigation’ began. After some measuring and questioning we were ready to drive back with both vehicles. But of course the key to the truck was missing. So we drove to the next town so that the police could use their cell phone and try and track down the key. After going back and forth a few times, they just decided to try and hot wire the truck. They did eventually get it to turn over but alas it did not start. So I called back to base to have our 20 ton come and pull it back. (this was around 11:30). It then turns out that the key for the truck was given to a local guy who was just showing up. He gave the key to his brother (so we went to find him), turns out he gave the key to the brother of the injured man and they were both now in Yei (of course they were)!

Switching to the 20 ton - Just on the out skirts of Yei, the 20 ton stopped along the side of the road for some water before coming out. While stopped there, a motorcycle passed by and hit the back of the truck, breaking a mirror. The driver demanded that we pay for the mirror and anything else that might be wrong. So Matt B. (an expat working with us) joined the 20 ton crew at the police station, while I with the rest of the police, waited hoping it would come. After quite of bit of discussion, Matt was asked to pay $100 reckless driving fine and $100 to fix the mirror. Of course this was all bogus as our vehicle was clearly off the road and stopped but at that point it looked like we were going to need to pay something. Anyway Matt goes outside where my ‘friend’ John (head traffic police man) is sitting. Aloro (our driver) recounts the story and John decides he needs to see the place of the incident.

Well while this is going on, the other traffic police and I decide to head back to Yei, thinking we will see the 20 ton any minute and do not need to stay there. On our way we met Maurice (our engineer), who is headed in that direction, who relates the story of the 20 ton above. Maurice agrees to pick up the most important thing out of the 10 ton, a gen/weld, and then continue on his way. So, I arrive back in Yei just as John and Matt are ready to head off to the other incident. I wait behind and they head down the road with the truck I was driving. After helping the traffic police fix their 35mm camera, Matt arrived back saying the matter was settled. I asked how much we needed to pay, and he said zero!

The way is was settle is a bit strange. Matt and John arrived at the scene looking at the incident, John speaking to the driver of the motorcycle and a few others. Nothing was really said at the scene to Matt. On the way back to the police station (mind you this is only about a ¼ mile) a boy was in the middle of the road with his bicycle acting very strange. John (remember he is the main traffic police guy), jumps out and slaps the boy across the mouth making him bleed. He then throws the boy and his bicycle into the back of our truck and tells Aloro to head to the police station. On arriving there, John says that the matter with us is dropped and then turns his attention to the boy. Needless to say, a very very strange outcome but we all get out of there as quickly as we can to avoid any second thoughts. So we all head back for lunch to try to come up with a new plan as the 10 ton is still out there.

Later that day, I was trying to finish some paper work and ask Matt B. to go back the police station and work on getting the 10 ton back to Yei. He ends up spending 2 hours getting yelled at by John (similar to my first experience with him) and eventually I am called to assist. The room (traffic police office) is very tense as I arrive, every one is a bit upset and the police are not happy. Imagine a 10x10 room with around 10 people in there all angry about something. After listening to some long comments about how horrible we are, I basically agree to their terms of providing care for the injured man even if the accident was not our drivers fault. Believe when I say it is very difficult to sit there and have some one tell lies about you. John loves his power, and if you humble yourself to him he is okay but he can snap in a minute and make your life miserable. Anyway we got out of there around 6pm and were glad to have that behind us.

Around 9:30 that night, I was told that the guy on the bicycled passed away. We were asked to send drivers to go and get the 10 ton immediately as the family may destroy it but luckily the police had already sent some one before we got there. This was good as that meant we did not have to drive at night or put our staff in harms way.

This morning the traffic police and 4 relatives of the family came here to the base to discuss the funeral arrangements. You may think this is strange but for us, like it or not, we will always have some amount of responsibility, whether the incident was our fault or not.

After several hours of discussion and a couple of calls to our Nairobi office an arrangement was agreed upon. It is not saying we were at fault but since we are an outside organization we are expected to pay. I did everything I possibility could to get us a ‘fair’ deal on the matter and to up hold the name of SP. And at this point I think we are in good standing with both the police and with the family.

The hearing date is September 27th. The driver will remain in custody until that date. He is now in the prison which is somewhat nicer then the holding cell. I spoke with him today and he seems to be doing fine.

For the truck, it is now back at the police station in Yei. All of the materials in the truck have been off loaded and are now in our possession.

There has been no issue with the family. I think they were accepting of the funeral arrangements and I left them on good terms. So security wise I think we are fine but we are still trying to be a bit more diligent.

There may have been better solutions but I have done what I could. Please continue to pray for wisdom and safety. If you don’t think this is a spiritual battle, then you are crazy.

If you have made it all the way through this story I congratulate you. If you were able to follow it then I think you should come out here work with us!

A few prayer requests:

• For Henry, the driver, who is in police custody. Jail is not an easy place to be.
• For the court hearing on the 27th.
• For the family of the man killed as they mourn the loss of a loved one
• For me and the team here as we try and work through these difficult issues
• For safety as we move about the country. This could have happened to any of us and with the amount of traveling we do it will most likely happen again