Mundri Visit

Will and Justin had the opportunity to return to Mundri for a couple days last week. The primary purpose of the trip was to deliver much needed seeds to the community and to see friends/ assess the damage to town and our compound. They were so grateful to see friends, but it was a really difficult visit emotionally.

It is one thing to hear about war, and even to see pictures, but seeing the aftermath of devastation due to war first-hand is really hard to take in- especially when it effected people you have come to love. As always, however, Will and Justin said that our friends seemed hopeful overall and continued to say, "Rabunna Fi (God is here). They have not lost hope that God is with them and can bring peace to their land. For this, we are extremely grateful (and humbled).

Although I was not able to go into Mundri with the men, I sent in a small gift for two friends. One of my friends sent back a letter and a huge bag of Mundri mangos. She said in the letter to think of her when I eat the mangos and picture us sitting under her mango tree together (something we would do on a weekly basis). Mangos from Mundri are the absolute best! The are not too juicy and not stringy. They are extra sweet and have a great texture. They are also some of the only food people in Mundri have been eating, since they are plentiful right now and most people have a mango tree on their compound. This gift was so special to me. I continue to be amazed and overwhelmed by the generosity of Moru people.

Here are a few before and after pictures from Mundri.

Our bedroom before

Our bedroom after the looting

Our kitchen before

Kitchen after

Living room before

Living room after

As you can see from the pictures above, EVERYTHING was taken. When the guys went in last August, there were still a few things in the houses. However, this time, even the outlet covers were stolen. We have been told that the first looting could have been from soldiers, and then after that it was probably from local people from town. The houses were open at that point and people were extremely desperate. We understand why it happened, it's just hard to see all of your things missing.

An outlet that was completely removed from our house

One of the hardest things for Will to see while he was in Mundri was the difference in how town looked. He said a large majority of the shops were empty and there were many less people and items in the market than before. 

Mundri Market before

This is taken from a different angle, but this is the market after

War is so hard to understand. It is extremely difficult to be faced with the realities of what one human is capable of doing to another human.  Our hearts are so heavy for Mundri and the people there. However, we are confident that even though we cannot be in Mundri full-time and even though many things look drastically different and scarce, God is there. He has been there from the beginning and He will continue to remain there. We are confident that the story is not over and that there is still hope.

Some of you may remember our plead for prayers during the big fighting last May. We told you that our good friend's wife, Linda, was in labor in the midst of having to be in the bush due to fighting. Many of you prayed fervently for Linda and for the baby. We are so happy to report that both Linda and their baby girl are doing well! Thank you for your prayers for this amazing family. We're so grateful for God's protection over them during such a scary time!

Please continue to keep Mundri, South Sudan and the Moru people in your prayers. Their resilience is amazing! Please pray God would continue to give their hearts hope and provide for their very felt needs. Thank you for loving the people of South Sudan along-side us!