Exploring Unity State - part 4

 Leer (LAIR) Town and Adok (ah-DOCK)

Leer , essentially a small town,
has no electricity or running water – actually neither does Rumbek.       

There are no banks, no real restaurants or coffee houses.
There are no fuel stations -- well, actually here is Peace in the Land fuel station.  The hose is used to syphon the fuel into your vehicle. 

But in spite of everything they DON’T have, the people of Leer, at least everyone we met, had a ready smile and a warm handshake.

We wondered at the lack of permanent structures. There are few block/brick buildings in Leer and those are of recent construction.  We found the answer to our wonderings as we returned and continued researching. It seems the town of Leer was burned down during the continuing conflict in Sudan – not   once but three times in 1998.

Mathew and Sudan showed us the port area of Adok. About 30 minute drive from Leer, the port of Adok is the only transportation option during the rains when the road is out. People and goods come down the Nile on these small boats  docking here to unload, they then travel by pick-up, donkey or foot to Leer.

In the early years, before fleeing to Kenya, Mathew lived here.  His father was a merchant buying goods off  of the boats and reselling them in town. 

While at the port we took an opportunity to sit down with Mathew and Sudan, have some tea, and talk about the area and Mathew’s early life.  As he told his story  and we saw God's hand orchestrating his life, Romans 8:28 came to mind;  "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

God works, even through hardship, war, fleeing your home to another country -- this is Mathew's testimony -- not of what he endured, but the fact that God worked in his life to bring him to salvation and a life of service to Him.  Glory to God!

Pray for Mathew, Sudan, John, Kele and the other Christian young men as they live out their lives for the glory of God.  Pray that their faith would be strong and that their lives would be a witness to other Nuer of God's goodness and faithfulness.