Happy Hols in South Africa
By Lindsay
The pattern of work with Medair (as with a number of organisations working in developing countries) is 9 weeks on, 1 week off. These breaks are known as R&R (rest and recuperation), and we tacked on a week of annual leave so that we could have a longer time away. Normally, people start their R&R in Nairobi where Medair has a Team House which is free to staff, and a good gateway to fly to other places. But due to elections in August, we were advised to look elsewhere, so Steve came up with a mega-road-trip in South Africa, all in Suzy our (rental) Suzuki!
Visiting Kruger was a really good experience - there are so many elephants! It's actually a problem, because the park is meant to hold 7,500 elephants and they currently have 21,000. But for the uneducated wildlife spotter, it made for an eventful drive every time we left camp. Steve managed to spot a male lion wandering by a river quite a long way away, which was as close as we got to lions. Cats were our low point - we saw an African wild cat fairly close, but otherwise, were left wanting more felines. But the bread-and-butter zebra, giraffe, hippo, antelope etc. were abundant and so lovely. It was fantastic to be among such amazing creatures.
We went for a very scenic (and completely exhausting) walk near Blyde River Canyon with wonderful views, and Steve tackled the hilariously titled Sheba's Breast in Eswatini, both of which helped mitigate against the masses of food we ate. Juba has a good range of restaurants with surprisingly diverse menu options, but it is still a treat on holiday to eat whatever you like! One highlight was visiting a Cultural Village in Eswatini (former Swaziland) where homes have been rebuilt in traditional style, and a guide explains what home and family life has been like for hundreds of years. Lots of wives... and the grandmother is the absolute boss!
I felt genuinely delighted to be away from South Sudan for the first week and a half, and then (thankfully), started feeling positive about coming back. In the first hotel we stayed in, I felt tearful taking a really good, hot shower in clean water - it's funny what you appreciate! The trip was brilliant for processing how life has changed in the last few months, and realising what is hard about it (quite a lot), and how much of a huge honour it is to be doing what we are doing. For both of us, the brief honeymoon period is over, and the reality is that we are living and working in a difficult context with limited 'successes', but I know whole-heartedly that this opportunity is a gift from God to use us and shape us.
Coming back to Juba, I'm focusing on the privilege that God has given me with colleagues working as cleaners, cooks, guards and the Base Assistant. It is special to be working so closely with local Juba-residents, learning a spattering of Juba Arabic and hearing their joys and troubles. Although part of me wants to see how Medair is working on the front line, I get to build longer-term relationships here. And I have been given the task of collating the monthly prayer report from the field locations which has given me a good excuse to beg for good news stories from across the country - it's so inspiring and helps fill the gap!
As ever, do stay in touch, it is lovely to hear from you. Signing off with a giraffe:
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