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Five Talents President and CEO Craig Cole, along with Board Member Jim Oakes, are visiting the Five Talents program in Sudan from May 29 to June 5. While there is limited internet accesss, I'll (Kelli) be posting updates from Craig as they are available.
Sunday, May 30
Wau, Sudan
Jim and I just finished two services. A Morning Prayer service in English that started at 8 and ended a little after 9 a.m. At about 10 a.m., the Dinka service started. It was Holy Communion.
Jim preached about leadership at the English service using Joshua and the battle of Jericho as his example. He also used Winston Churchill and his speech about never giving up as his ending.
I preached about the story of the Five Talents at the Dinka service. The Rev. Thomas Anei, who visited with us in the U.S. last November, was my interpreter.
One of the highlights from the Dinka service was the children’s choir. Beautiful smiles combined with beautiful voices made for a wonderful interlude between the readings and the sermon. An interlude that lasted 20 minutes or more with drums keeping it lively as well. What was fascinating was that several of the people in the congregation pulled out their digital cameras and their cell phones to take photos of their children singing. One person even recorded the entire performance using a camera installed on his laptop. It was as if I had never left home! There is a dichotomy here that is now happening all over the world. Technology is helping countries develop. However, at the same time, cell phones and internet access (as there is in this hotel) is becoming more integrated into society, there are still people driving donkey-driven carts and people living in mud huts with straw roofs. In fact, we saw one woman in Juba, who had a business that had a simple piece of wood with about 16 holes in it that had electric outlets. The outlets were then connected to a car battery. Half of the electric outlets were occupied by cell phone batteries being charged! This was her business!
I do have to admit that as I reflect on the smiles of the children, I wonder are their smiles a sign of normality returning to a war-torn land? Is it a sign of hope that their lives will be better than the horror their parents went through?
The future of South Sudan is still uncertain and there is a referendum in November in which the country can vote to become separate: two Sudans: One in the North and One in the South. There are rumors of war coming if the South votes to separate. But, for now, at this very moment, the conflict and uneasiness that is a shadow across this land, is forgotten. The children are dancing and smiling!
Tomorrow we will start our business planning class in the morning and leadership class in the afternoon.
Craig Cole
Sunday, May 30
Wau, Sudan
Jim and I just finished two services. A Morning Prayer service in English that started at 8 and ended a little after 9 a.m. At about 10 a.m., the Dinka service started. It was Holy Communion.
Jim preached about leadership at the English service using Joshua and the battle of Jericho as his example. He also used Winston Churchill and his speech about never giving up as his ending.
I preached about the story of the Five Talents at the Dinka service. The Rev. Thomas Anei, who visited with us in the U.S. last November, was my interpreter.
One of the highlights from the Dinka service was the children’s choir. Beautiful smiles combined with beautiful voices made for a wonderful interlude between the readings and the sermon. An interlude that lasted 20 minutes or more with drums keeping it lively as well. What was fascinating was that several of the people in the congregation pulled out their digital cameras and their cell phones to take photos of their children singing. One person even recorded the entire performance using a camera installed on his laptop. It was as if I had never left home! There is a dichotomy here that is now happening all over the world. Technology is helping countries develop. However, at the same time, cell phones and internet access (as there is in this hotel) is becoming more integrated into society, there are still people driving donkey-driven carts and people living in mud huts with straw roofs. In fact, we saw one woman in Juba, who had a business that had a simple piece of wood with about 16 holes in it that had electric outlets. The outlets were then connected to a car battery. Half of the electric outlets were occupied by cell phone batteries being charged! This was her business!I do have to admit that as I reflect on the smiles of the children, I wonder are their smiles a sign of normality returning to a war-torn land? Is it a sign of hope that their lives will be better than the horror their parents went through?
The future of South Sudan is still uncertain and there is a referendum in November in which the country can vote to become separate: two Sudans: One in the North and One in the South. There are rumors of war coming if the South votes to separate. But, for now, at this very moment, the conflict and uneasiness that is a shadow across this land, is forgotten. The children are dancing and smiling!
Tomorrow we will start our business planning class in the morning and leadership class in the afternoon.
Craig Cole
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