Exploring Unity State - part 1

"Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Matthew 6:34

Indeed -- how true -- no sense in worrying about tomorrow -- just get through today!

 Leaving sufficiently early on Monday morning, our destination is Leer (L-air) town in Unity State. Unity State is Nuer country.  Not having had the opportunity of meeting many Nuer people, we were excited about going to Leer and meeting Mathew, one of the few Baptist pastors in South Sudan.

Mid-day we crossed the checkpoint into Unity state. (There are many checkpoints on the roads in South Sudan. You find them when you cross from one Payam (district) to another, from one county to another and from one state to another.) These checkpoints are manned by – well, we aren’t exactly sure who they are manned by; the men could be wearing army uniforms, security uniforms or no uniforms. The checkpoint itself is constructed with a stick on either side of the road and a string going across the road. Yes, only a string – but you’d better see and stop at that string or the next time you cross there will be trouble! Usually we slow down, they see who we are, drop the string and we creep through – unless, of course, they want something.  (No pictures can be taken at checkpoints.)

 At the Unity State border checkpoint we were stopped, asked where we were going, then obliged to take a Nuer woman with us, she was traveling to Leer as well.  This wasn’t a problem -- at least not yet.

  Our first difficulty came not too far down the road -- a 16-passenger bus broken down in the middle of the road.  This in itself is not a problem, we see it all the time; however, there is also a truck which became stuck in the mud while trying to pass the bus.  Now there is a problem.

There are seven trucks lined up on both sides of the road trying to get around. Actually they aren’t trying anymore – now they are camping because they can see the impossibility of moving. (Truck drivers always try to be prepared carrying with them some water, charcoal, a bit of food and a pot. Vehicles are always breaking down; there is no automobile assistance, the many lonely miles between towns where help might be found means the possibility of spending days at the side of the road.) 



As Jerry walks up ahead to see if we can get around, a teenage boy walks up to our vehicle and looking in says, “We have been stuck here for three days -- Oh it is too much! I am too tired! Is there space in your car for me?” Well, there wasn’t space and as Jerry returns the young man leaves. Yes, there is a way we might pass if we are careful and don’t get stuck as well. We have to try – if not, we must turn around, so off we go! Weaving in and out around the vehicles --being much smaller than the trucks, we make it with little difficulty. Praise the Lord.  

  Continuing our journey, not too far from our destination as the crow flies, we come upon a bigger challenge. There is a river flowing through the road! Not across the road, but THROUGH the road.  Evidently the field on the right side of the road had become flooded, so the local folks decided they would cut a path through the road and drain out the water. Not only is there water flowing but it has created a lot of mud and a deep trench on the other side. Once again there are trucks on either side waiting; quite possibly a road crew will come and fill in the trench and stop the flow of water, but that could take days. Clouds are building and the sky is looking very ominous.  There is already a vehicle stuck in the trench, so right now there is no way through, but people are working at pushing it out. There is another vehicle in front of us. He says if the one ahead gets out he will try.

Getting out of our car, we walk up as close as possible to the area to watch the activities. Along the way I notice an abundance of large tadpoles swimming in huge puddles at the sides of the road.  Hm! could this be dinner?  Naw – surely we will get through. 

The stuck vehicle is finally pushed out and the one in front of us starts across only to fall into the trench and become stuck in exactly the same place – oh dear! Things are not looking good.  

An empty truck pulls up beside us and men get out. I can see activity on the other side of the chasm, as men begin to unload huge fuel drums from a truck and float them across to our side to be loaded onto the empty truck – another sign -- we could be here a very long time!

The vehicle which was in front of us which is now stuck is being towed out of the chasm. Jerry forded the river with several other men, and with the use of our tow rope and everyone pushing the car is up and out. We have now made a good friend – the man driving this vehicle lives in Bentiu, the capital of Unity State. He is very thankful for our assistance.  Now it is our turn.

Returning to the car, we stop and pray, “Lord, grant us success. We need to cross this place. We need to get to Leer. Lord we have a lady in the car for whom we are now responsible – help us get across.”

Jerry starts the engine, puts the car in low 4-wheel drive, we hold on tight and off we go…  Well it was a tough go, but God granted us success – we made it across.  Shouts of approval and thumbs up were seen all around -- everyone there was pulling for us. After stopping a minute for celebration, we continue on.  We are to meet up with Mathew and three friends at the T junction – left goes to Bentiu and right goes to Leer.  It is getting late. A five hour trip has now gone into seven hours, but the end is in sight – or so we thought.

After picking up these men, we turn right at the junction and we are on the home stretch to Leer. We breathe a sigh of relief. 

Almost immediately we come upon a horrific place in the road with a big truck and a car both stuck like glue in the middle of it.

 “Oh I checked this place out on our way here, just go off the road through that field, no problem!”  Famous last words…  We became stuck almost immediately and nothing could get us out.

Darkness was beginning to fall and after several attempts to push our way out, a plan was formed. Two of the men from the church would spend the night in the vehicle to ensure its security. We would take our things, two backpacks and a small bag and trek to Leer with Mathew and the other man, Sudan.  It was about 7 miles.  Remember the lady traveling with us? We asked her if she would join us and walk to Leer but she refused – I guess she figure she would ride to Leer, if not today, then tomorrow.

By this time it was dark.  Good thing we had flashlights. African darkness is complete – almost a suffocating blackness – I can’t see my hand in front of my face kind of darkness – and the road was thick with mud. They called it loam soil, I don’t really know, but it was a slick clay – the kind potters use for throwing pottery on a wheel, and we were slipping and sliding all over the place, so it was very slow going.  

It had begun to rain about an hour into our trek when a pick-up truck appeared behind us. Surprising since we didn’t think anyone would be passing through the mess where we found ourselves stuck.  The truck stopped and blindly we piled into the bed of it joining several others already there. They allowed Debbie a place in the front, behind the cab, to hang on more securely.  We found ourselves being flung about quite violently, rain stinging our faces as we barreled through the blackness on our way toward Leer, the road being quite bad. Debbie reported later that she kept being hit in the side by some hard metal object. Thinking it was some part of the truck which could be avoided she looked over to find an AK47 slung over the shoulder of the man standing beside her. The butt of his rifle was hitting her as the truck jolted over the potholes.

While we were very thankful for the ride, we were also very thankful when the truck came to an abrupt stop and we climbed out.  We weren’t quite at our destination, but we were near. It took another 10 minutes or so and we arrived, a great muddy mess, at Mathew’s house.  We were not to know how bad the situation truly was until the next day…