My Southern Sudan Journey Reflection

In South Sudan I was there both as a teacher and a student- hopefully the former took place almost as often as the later- which was everyday. Being a teacher in Nzara has especially changed my life, as I have had the opportunity to teach, work and live side-by-side the villagers of Nzara. I have been able to endure living in immense poverty and survive with the same struggles and challenges as the Zande people and sometimes provide solutions or ways around living with such hardly bearable conditions.

Being a teacher in South Sudan has been a unique and rewarding experience in and of itself. My teaching escapade has been unique in the sense that I have not been a typical teacher, but rather a constant teacher. Whether it be a planned and structured teaching I have performed in the schools, or an organized activity I have taught the youth or even a spontaneous lesson under the stars, the limitless variety of lessons has been instrumental for me in learning more about the life-style and culture of Zande tribe.

I feel that my time was very very well spent as I learned more than I ever imagined about the people of South Sudan that were about to become free. I learned more than I ever imagined about a proud Zande tribe of 1000 years in age who's kingdom was the last to fall in 1905 with the murder of their King Gbudue during the colonization era. The separation by European imposed boarders resulting in Sudan, The Democratic Republic of Congo and the Central African Republic, and now results in the new nation of the Republic of South Sudan. Being a teacher/student at the start of this new nation has been monumental in my growth and development and has given me an awareness of the world that I never had prior to my South Sudan journey. Of equal importance and maybe of more importance I learned more about myself than I ever knew.

From living 18 years of my life, and receiving my education from schools in America, I have grasped the belief of what an ideal life is, by growing up in a family where we did not have to worry about food, water or shelter. Also by attending schools with fantastic reputations and educational systems that provide their students with resources to ensure their success, I had been naïve to the outside world. Since coming to South Sudan never have I appreciated life in America more, especially as I teach. Seeing the lack of resources, the impoverished environment and the dilapidated structures students are taught in is very depressing. In conversation with a local he said in the tribal language of PaZande, “I don't know why my son goes to school. If he stayed at home our family could make more money from our garden.” That being said, it isn't far off the spectrum to draw the conclusion that students seemingly have life stacked against them, as firstly they have no transportation of getting to school other than walking and often times the distances they travel are quite far. Then factoring in when the students reach school they are, more likely than not, taught by untrained teachers and that in and of itself is quite a disadvantage. Then the culminating factor is that the students have no resources such as text books, internet access or educated parents to help enhance their educational studies. As I reflect on these contemplations I feel a large amount of sympathy for the students who are victims of a post-war era, and within my teachings I have made an effort to extend every opportunity possible for my students to seek extra help. Because of the effort to go the extra mile, so to speak, I know my students have enjoyed every teaching I have performed in Nzara, South Sudan.

In correspondence with my father H. Milton Cole he shared a bit from the play Equus by Peter Shaffer. “On an ultimate scene I cannot know what I do in this place- yet I do ultimate things. Essentially I cannot know what I do- yet I do essential things.” I recalled that prior to my departure in May 2011, as I visited The South Sudan Mission in Washington D.C and being told by Enoch Deng, Chief Information Officer, “George you will be a part of history.” Also in recent conversations with Bishop Samuel, my teacher, my mentor, my colleague, my African father said, “George you came to Africa as an America lad, you will return to America as an African- American man!”

Ex-Iowan In Middle Of Civil War

A University of Northern Iowa student from West Des Moines is scrambling to escape South Sudan on a United Nations flight this week as a fight over oil supplies threatens to re-ignite a dormant civil war.

Other Iowans with relatives in the fledgling nation, formed last July, also are worried about loved ones there as arch rival Sudan drops bombs from warplanes and the African Union demands new talks.

George Cole-Duvall, 19, hopes to head home either today or Saturday, said his father, the Rev. Milton Cole of West Des Moines. “The anxiety is very heightened,” Cole said.

Cole-Duvall, a 2011 graduate of Valley High School, has been in South Sudan for nearly a year, working on his political science studies through the University of Northern Iowa.

Last summer, he performed South Sudan’s new national anthem on his trumpet in Freedom Square as the country was born after decades of civil war. Now, after months of living in a mud hut with no electricity, he’s trying to get out before full-scale war erupts. As of early this week, George was safe and in a quiet area, Cole said.

“He’s in good spirits,” his father said. “He’s not ready to leave” because the work has been enriching, he added. Cole-Duvall was getting ready to leave and could not be reached for comment

The Philadelphia-area native adopted by the West Des Moines family has lived for nearly a year in Nzara with the Right Rev. Samuel Peni, a family friend. Peni attended Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque and now heads an Episcopal diocese in South Sudan.

Conditions are primitive. An outdoor latrine features a hole in the ground. Showers come from a water bucket. He cooks on an open fire.

As part of his UNI work, Cole-Duvall has met with elected officials, raised money for food, bicycles, scholarships and supplies, and learned the local language.

He isn’t the only Iowan following the situation.

Pastor Simon Bilim Yiech of Sudanese Mission Lutheran Church in Des Moines said he spoke to a relative in South Sudan via telephone on Wednesday afternoon. All was well.

But the citizens of South Sudan — including his mother, brother and sister — fear they won’t be able to fight off the Sudanese forces.

“One of my cousins is in the front-line fighting,” said Yiech, a native of the country. “He said, ‘We are looking at them, and they are looking at us, but we are not fighting. But they are dropping the bombs.’ ”

The fighting is over South Sudan’s control of oil fields, and the money that comes with them, Yiech said. He doesn’t expect the conflict to let up soon.

“A lot of villagers don’t have a gun,” said Yiech. “They are afraid. They know that if north comes, they will do the same as in ’83,” when a second civil war erupted.

But it appears unlikely the new nation will unravel even before it’s first anniversary, Yiech said.

“The government in the south has said, ‘No, we will not leave our country, Yiech said. “But they wonder if they have the power to fight the north. I have family there. I am worried.”

So is Esther Mabior, 19, who is studying prelaw at Des Moines Area Community College in Des Moines. She grew up in Ethiopia, but considers South Sudan her homeland because her parents, now also living in Des Moines, are from there. Mabior, a graduate of Lincoln High School who has lived in Des Moines six years, still has aunts and uncles living in South Sudan.

“I was talking to my uncle,” Mabior said. “He said everything is fine, but there is fear around the town. You never know what can happen. They don’t have peace of mind is the problem now.”

In Mabior’s view, the nations would stop fighting if Sudan’s leader, President Omar al-Bashir, left office. al-Bashir has suggested he doesn’t want to talk to South Sudan except with “guns and bullets.”

I Need To Think About The Grade...

I decided that I would like to approach the University of Northern Iowa about the possibility of studying abroad in the about to emerge country of South Sudan. There was a quick and ready response after an hour conversation with Dr. Cornish and Dr. Meredith. I wished that they had responded as readily with a plan of action, proposed courses of study and an advisor. I learned the answers to many of the questions only after being here for 6 months. If I were to take nothing else away from this experience, as my Father says, “Mary and I sent a boy from America to South Sudan, and the people of that country will send an African American man back to the U.S. Of A.”

One of the highlights was a teaching Bishop Peni asked me to do for a clergy conference. He posed this to me as he had recalled that my Father knew the Rev. Marc Nikkei in seminary in New York. While only a few of those that were to gather knew of “Father Marc”, they all knew of him. Marc was an American that spent some 20 years plus in Africa while they would say that, “Father Marc was a great man... a great America... a great Christian..” Many knew of him while fewer had met him.

I started off by introducing myself and noting that my awareness of the world and also my faith had been enhanced by living amongst the Zande people. I thanked all gathered for being my teacher, most especially The Rt. Rev. Samuel Peni. I told the gathered clergy and church leaders that I never knew Father Marc but my Father went to The General Theological Seminary in New York City. My Father, the Rev. Canon H. Milton Cole knew Marc. They had living quarter that were beside each other, and thus were good friends.

I suggested that we start our learning together with a prayer that Marc left. Everyone agreed that this was the best way to begin. I had read the prayer in English and then translated it into Zande. The local tongue, that I was able to learn after a 2 months of 2 hour training Mon- Sat. I was able to procure the English version from my Father. The prayer follows.

Lord Our God, we your children have accepted your punishment because we have sin against you many times and we have forgotten your ways. When you have driven us out from the Country to the countryside for seventeen years wandering the bush, you have done this to us that we may learn more of your ways and your truths because you love us.

Lord in you mercy!

In the bush you have kept is save from been kill from Arabs and Anyanya, we were in between those armies.

Lord in you mercy!

From the rain and from the sickness. No house for your people to live in, no medicine for the sick people. We are leaning under big trees. But you have ket us safe from all the difficult situations.

Lord in your mercy!

You have protected us from the wild animals and snakes and all kind of dangerous things in the bush. Even you have sent animals to become refugees in their home in the forest!

Lord hear our cry!

You have shut the mouths of small children not to cry when the armies are near to the place where their parent are hiding, because you are the God who take care of little babies.

Lord in your mercy!

People in the bush were expecting death when will they die!these seventeen years are the years of thanksgiving to you. O God, because people were very close to you in prayers day and night. You have made us ti learn a great deal about you.

Lord in your mercy!

With our own eyes, with our own ears, we have seen your power, and you have open our ears to hear your voice.

Lord in you mercy!

Every morning we offer you prayer of thanksgiving because you have protected us during the night. Every evening we offer you payers of thanksgiving because you have protected us during the daytime.

Lord in your mercy!

No division at all, people were united a one body under your umbrella that we are one, we called ourselves Southerner, and we have one color. You have united those who took refugees in the neighboring countries. They call themselves Sudanese. No division at all!

Lord in your mercy!

You have ended the war in this country an you have brought the peace to us by your mercy O lord. Only your power we were defeated not at all. But you have made the Addis Ababa agreement to us, by your mighty hand you brought us together as the Father of many children does when there is any misunderstanding between them.

Lord in your mercy!

Through our repentance and by your mercy you brought us back home from different places where we hid, Lord in you mercy!

We are now forgetting the past. And we are now cleaning our weak power by bringing many confusions and many misunderstanding among us.

Lord in your mercy!

No unity among us, we begin to divide now O Lord! We pray you Oh! Father to not let it happen at all. We are one, make us not divide lest we will come weak. Lord in your mercy!

Bring peace among us and let us not forget your ways and let us not forget the Addis Ababa Agreement.

Lord in your mercy!

We remember our brothers in Bor and protect them from the war in that area and bring peace among us Lord!

Lord in your mercy!

Then I began to teach and converse about “Father Marc.” The point of my teaching/conversations are listed below.

• Marc was born in California- 1950
• His family were mennonites,
  • A religion that began in Europe and has always been involved in peace.
• He trained as a artist
• As a young man he spent two periods of 9 months in Africa
• Place 1, Zaire (what is now present day Democratic Republic of Congo) with his sister and brother-in-law who were missionaries.
• Place 2, 9 months in Nigeria
• Father Marc studied at Fuller Seminary in California. He became very interested in theology and mission work.
• In 1982 he “converted to Anglicanism.”
• His Mennonite commitment to peace and reconciliation never left him.
• After a year in Sudan Marc returned to the United States to study at the General Theological Seminary in New York City.
  • This is where he and my Father met.
• Before returning to Sudan Marc told people about Bishop Gwynne college in Mundri, in hopes of prayers and support.
• Marc became “Deacon Marc” in the Untied States.
• He then returned to Sudan and was Priested in the Chapel at Bishop Gwynne college in 1987
• Later that year he was abducted from Mundri by The Sudanese's People liberation Army.
• After his release he was not able to live in Sudan and moved to Kenya.
• Father Marc was loved by the people of Sudan.
• Since adopting the culture and traditions of the Dinka, he was often times refereed to as “White Dinka”.
• Marc taught liturgy & worship, and four courses on doctrine, creation, salvation, God and Incarnation, and Christian Initiation and Growth
• Father Marc found through his time in Sudan a greater awareness of God in his life through identifying with the lives and struggles of others.
  • Their struggles became his strengths
• Many knew that Father Marc left Sudan as a sick missionary
  • though they didn't know the nature of his death.
• Father Marc was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 1998.
• He then sent the last years of this life writing and working when he could for the benefit of the people of Sudan.

I invited those gathered to ask questions- not that I was an expert- but I knew more about the topic than those gathered. (aged 25- 78)

Teaching on Day ll of Workshop

I began the gathering with a prayer- a briefer one than the one of yesterday! Then, asked those gathered to state what they remembered from my teachings from the previous day. As a group their memory served them well.

Collectively as a group, I asked the leaders of various parishes to state what they thought an outstanding church leader to be, and as they brain-stormed these answers, I gave Bishop Samuel paper and asked for him to be the recorder. The wisdom of the group filled 8 pages of newsprint. There were no right or wrong answers, all were welcomed.

When lunch approached, the leaders dispersed to get a plate of food and came to sit in groups of 7 -8 and continued talking about the previous conversations. This time, in Zande and within their group.

When we came back to gather a person from each group gave a brief report of their lunchtime conversations. Once again we took notes on newsprint. The comments used the last 2 pages of newsprint! Upon the conclusion of this exercise I invited the gathered leaders to ask questions.

I followed the previous exercise with an invitation for people to write on a provided piece of paper ways in which they can become a more outstanding leader in the church. The leaders of the church were not asked to share their personal plans. I then read a prayer that Father Marc had sent my Father.

Let us give thanks: Let us give thanks to the Lord in the day of devastation:

Let us give thanks in the day of contentment.

Jesus has bound the world round with the pure light of the Word of his Father.

When we unite our hearts and beseech the Lord. And have hope then the bad spirit has no power.

God has not forgotten us.

Evil is departing and holiness is advancing;

this is the transformation which throws the earth into convulsions.

We closed our 2 day workshop with a Eucharist. The service was from the 1620 English Prayerbook, strange to my ears in many ways, however, not dwelling on that, I asked Bishop Peni to include the following hymn into the service, and that I'd like for us to sing the first and last verse. He did.

“Father Our Lord in Heaven”

Father of our lord in Heaven

Visit us for we are worried in our hearts

We are without faith, O Lord; try to visit us all.

We are all worried; the hardships of this world are upon us.

The sin of the world has cut us away from your path.

We are left alone, we are left, we are left, we are left.

Father of our Lord, who is able to help,

Allow us to sit at your right hand.

Your truth I have heard, O Lord.

Release us from sin for we are falling in the fire.

The sin of this world has divided us and thrown us into the fire, I Lord.

We are burning, we are dying. We are burning. We are burning, we are burning.

That evening I found myself conversing with Bishop Samuel in regards to the 2 day workshop. I asked him what were his thought, on my teaching. I was looking more for feedback then accolades. He replied, “it's not only what I thought but what the conference participants thought as well. And well all thought you did a great job” first of all, they appreciated my ability to teach in Zande as well as English, and that because I was switching between languages that kept them even more engaged as they have a high desire to continue strengthening their English. He also stated that he had over a dozen people come up to him and revealing that they had learned a lot from the gathering. Bishop Samuel indicated that the pastors who were present will take most of what they learned and incorporate it into their sermons. Then he said, “Now George, I will give you my assessment..I award you the grade of A+, and do you realize that when I studied in Yambio and Juba in South Sudan and Nairobi, Kenya along with Wart burg, Iowa I never received an A+! So what do you think of that?” I humbly replied, “I need to think about it.”

A Lesson That Worked

Refreshed and ready to begin another day of teaching, I made my way to the Nzara Secondary School, where 20 Senior ll students were awaiting their Mathematics teacher. Me. I had been previously asked by the headmaster of Nzara Secondary School to assist the students of Senior ll by teaching them basic algebra, and how to solve basic algebraic equations. As the students are gearing up for their upcoming examination in March, the headmaster's request of me was one I welcomed.

When I arrived in the classroom I was pleased to see all the students had given me their undivided attention. They were all seated, pens and paper out on their desks and ready to learn. Without waisting any time I posed a question to the class, and wanted to get a reading on how well the material I will be teaching today will go over. I asked, “have any of you been introduced to algebra, or know anything about solving algebraic expression?” As expected, the class remain silent, whether they were apprehensive to answering the question, or unsure of the answer I was looking for was not revealed. Thus, not dwelling on it I simply took note of the shyness of the class. I thought, “well if this is the way it's going to be, these students will not learn very much.”

I started off with notes for the class to take, defining algebraic terms and concepts the students will/need to learn. Then I moved into introducing basic algebraic expressions. Stating, let “m” represent 1 mango, than, I wrote a equation of the board. Hoping to get the class moving and thinking in the right direction.

Evaluate this expression: m + m + 2m =?

That simple equation was to serve as the ice-breaker and allow the students begin thinking mathematically. Upon the first algebraic question posed to the class the students were quite, reserved and shy. I realized that if I wanted to have a productive class session that I would have to call on individuals to solve or participate in solving the equation at hand, and not rely on the students volunteering the answers. That would get us no where. I called on a student that were looking inquisitively at the board, and he unconfidently announced the answer.c 4m, 4 mangos. The fact that he had gotten the correct answer was a step in the right direction and a model for his peers.

From personal experience I know that learning a seemingly foreign concept is quite challenging. And for these students learning new and challenging ideas in, what may be their second or third language must be a challenge in and of itself. For that reason I knew standing in the front of the class giving a lecture will ultimately not provide the students with the knowledge I wanted them to have.

After we wrapped up the note taking and class examples I provided, I wanted to begin a more hands-on approach in helping the students strengthen their grasp of algebra. I did this by dividing the students in to 5 groups of 4, with 10 questions per group for them to collectively to solve. As the students got into their respective groups I put each groups designated questions on the black board. Each group had its own set of questions to prevent the convenient and inconspicuous, “what did you get for number 1” scenarios.

Examples of the algebraic expressions the students were to solve are as following:

Group 1             Group 2          Group 3            Group 4                 Group 5

z + z =?              2g + g =?        3d + 2d =?        7m + 5m =?           b + b =?

2n + 2n =?         8g + 3g =?      8m + 5m =?      6n + 2n =?             7b + 8b =?

3m – m - 2m =? 20h – 10g =?  9n – 7n =?         3x – x =?               12m – 8m =?

10m – m =?       5z – 2m =?      15m – 8m =?    11m – 11m =?        9n – 4n =?

4m × 4m =?       6m × 10m =?  7d × 9d =?        10n × 3n =?            15m × 4m =?

10n × 10m = ?   n × n =?          6m × 4m =?      5d × 3d =?              13n × n =?

1z ÷ 1z =?         20z ÷ 2z =?     25n ÷ 5n =?      10m ÷ 5m =?          30x ÷ 2x =?

24z ÷ 4z =?       6n ÷ 2n =?       n ÷ n =?            30n ÷ 6n =?           15n ÷ 3n =?

20m ÷ 5m =?    (5m – 2m)²=?   16x ÷ 4x – x =? (10d × 2d)²=?       14b – 7b + 5b =?

(4m²) – (2m²) =? 28n ÷ 7n =     (12m)²=?           18m + 9m -m =?   (8n ÷ 2n)²

As the students were working in their groups, I went to each group consecutively and, provide assistance and reassurance as they attempted these algebraic expressions. My hope was, as I allowed these small groups to carry on, students who had acquired a basic understanding of concepts of algebra I was teaching would help other students who were still in a confused state understand this new material. To my surprise this is exactly what transpired. Amongst the chitter chatter, off topic and different language communication taking place, there were those students working diligently within their groups acting as leader. Showing the other students the way in which to go about solving the expression, and helping the others make sense of it. I was very happy to see this taking place.

Walking around and assisting the students was my role as they engaged this group activity. As I went from group to group the students addressed me as “master, or teacher”. I did not think much on having an official title, other than “George”, because as I surveyed the students, I came to realize. I am no older than they are, yet I am here teaching them information I learned at a younger age. I quickly gave thanks for my being educated in the United States, because without that, I would not be here, and I would not be sharing information with these students. Needless I, of course, decided to dwell on those thoughts later, because now I am teaching.

As class was soon drawling to a close. I had one student from each group come up to the black board and write in their answers. As each group came up and did so, I lead the class in assessing the expression to see whether the anticipated answer was correct or not. In the event that the answer was incorrect, I then demonstrated the expression on the board while giving other similar examples to ensure the student's understood. With each ensuing group representative that came up to put their groups answers on the black board the students became more and more comfortable announcing whether or not the designated groups answer to the corresponding expression was correct or not. This showed me that not only were the students slowly emerging from the apprehensive and shy states they demonstrated at the beginning of class, and becoming more and more comfortable with my teaching methods and myself overall as their teacher, but ultimately it showed me that the students were now, in fact, getting a firm grasp on the information before them.

When class came to a close, I assigned the students home work, similar to the work they did in their small groups. Once each student copied down the homework they were free to leave. What I did not expect happened next. As each student was exiting the classroom they came up to me and shook my hand saying, “thank you for the lesson of today. It was good, and it helped me.” I was overjoyed that each student was now walking away from the classroom smarter then they were upon their arrival, and I was grateful for that. Those actions really showed me that one person can really make a difference in someones life, and today I have made a difference in 20 student's lives and broadened their educational awareness, which was both an honor and privilege to have done.

Reflections on what went well in todays teaching:

The students displayed a firm understanding of the material taught. Some students also demonstrated great leadership as they helped their peers make sense of this new material. I thought todays lesson went tremendously well, with an outstanding results that the students are now at at the point where newer and more intellectually challenging material can be introduced to them. Again, I felt relieved on progression of the lesson. My initial fear was that, because the students had not been exposed to algebraic expression before it my not make any sense to them as to why there are variables in their math problems. However, the students were able to grasp the concepts and the lesson went well.