 |
| Cows and huts--so typically Dinka |
 |
| Literacy teacher (right) helping class member |
 |
| Literacy class women poring over their primers |
 |
| Splash of colour amid dry-season browns and grays |
 |
| Teenage neighbour with leg sore I'm treating |
March 27, 2014
Random Shots from the Past Week
March 20, 2014
The Team, March 2014 Version
The most notable recent change to our team is the addition of a Kenyan member,
Joseph Njuguna. At the end of the month, Joseph will become the director of our radio station, Weer Bei FM. We are thrilled to have him with us, not only because he adds a very welcome third nationality to the team, and because he is African, but because he has a amazing wealth of experience in all aspects of radio. He is just the right person to move the radio station along in the process of becoming fully run by the national staff.
Left to right: Me, Faris Family, Scott, Ward Family (with James in back of them), Joseph, Laurie
March 13, 2014
School Yard Play
My days are very full right now, with not much time for taking pictures or preparing blog posts. So I'll post a few more pictures I took at the Cush Christian School "de-worming" day two weeks ago.
On Fridays, classroom time ends earlier than on the other days so that the kids can have a longer time to play than during the short breaks between class periods. The jump ropes and soccer balls are brought out, and the kids have a great time.
If there's no second person to hold the rope, the window frame will do!
The boys and girls play soccer separately. Above is the boys' game. They play barefoot, in addition to stripping off any cumbersome clothes (see pile below). They use broken cement blocks as goal posts.
The girls' game was quick-paced and they were very enthusiastic and obviously enjoyed it very much.
On Fridays, classroom time ends earlier than on the other days so that the kids can have a longer time to play than during the short breaks between class periods. The jump ropes and soccer balls are brought out, and the kids have a great time.
If there's no second person to hold the rope, the window frame will do!
The boys and girls play soccer separately. Above is the boys' game. They play barefoot, in addition to stripping off any cumbersome clothes (see pile below). They use broken cement blocks as goal posts.
The girls' game was quick-paced and they were very enthusiastic and obviously enjoyed it very much.
 |
| Goalkeeper taking her role seriously |
March 1, 2014
Deworming Day
Yesterday an activity took place that involved two of my team's ministry areas: Christian education and health. Three women from the Parot Church Health Group did some teaching on intestinal worms (a common problem here) at Cush Christian School and then gave de-worming medicine to the students.
The three health group ladies are at the front on the left. They took turns with the teaching, which covered topics like what intestinal worms are like, how we get them, the effects they have on our bodies and how can we prevent getting them.
After the teaching kids came in groups to get their hands washed (on the right), then went on to get the worm pills (on the left).
The three health group ladies are at the front on the left. They took turns with the teaching, which covered topics like what intestinal worms are like, how we get them, the effects they have on our bodies and how can we prevent getting them.
After the teaching kids came in groups to get their hands washed (on the right), then went on to get the worm pills (on the left).
February 14, 2014
Dinka "Family" Names
Early last year I wrote a post about Dinka women's names. Today I want to talk about "family" names, also known as surnames and last names. The Dinka system for this is quite different from the system most of us in Western countries use. It's actually more similar to the biblical system.
Children are referred to by a first name and then by the first name of their father, and sometimes also that of their grandfather and even their great-grandfather (in cases where identity or family lineage really needs to be confirmed). There are no names that are exclusively "first names" or exclusively "surnames." Any male name can be both.
For example, this is the pastor of our village church, Alou (pronounced "allo"). His father's name was Kuur, so he is called Alou Kuur. His grandfather's name was also Kuur, so a more complete name for Alou is Alou Kuur Kuur.
Alou named his first son, Kuur. His son is called Kuur Alou. When needed, his grandfather's name can also be specified: Kuur Alou Kuur. And to go back a little further, Kuur Alou Kuur Kuur.
Alou has a daughter named Alek. She is known as Alek Alou. Or Alek Alou Kuur. Or Alek Alou Kuur Kuur.
Alou just had a second son and he named him Alou after himself. So he will be known as Alou Alou. Or Alou Alou Kuur. Or Alou Alou Kuur Kuur.
Lots of names in Dinka rhyme, and this can lead to some combinations that are delightful to the ear.
For example, the boy on the far right is Mayol, his father's given name is Bol, so he is known as Mayol Bol.
One of our pastors is named Hol Hol. If he named a son Bol, the son would be Bol Hol Hol.
The boy in the middle of the picture is Teng Kuur. And the boy on the left in the picture is Kuur Deng. As you may have picked up on by now, Kuur is a very common man's name among the Dinka where I live. Teng and Deng are also very common. There are many men and boys named either Teng Deng or Deng Teng.
I know a family of three brothers whose father's name was Kuur: Deng Kuur, Teng Kuur and Kuur Kuur. Deng Kuur has a son named Teng--Teng Deng for short, Teng Deng Kuur for long. Deng Kuur also has a son named Kuur--Kuur Deng, or Kuur Deng Kuur. Teng Kuur has a son named Kuur--Kuur Teng, or Kuur Teng Kuur. (Are you getting confused?)
The fact that there are so many similar names in our area makes it rather interesting for things like classes at school. At Cush Christian School, there are several students, both boys and girls, with the same given name and father's name. For example, one class has nine girls with the first name Abuk, and a few also have the same father's name, Garang. So the different Abuk Garang's have to be distinguished by their grandfather's names.
To close, I also know a little boy named Makuach Makuach Makuach. :-)
Children are referred to by a first name and then by the first name of their father, and sometimes also that of their grandfather and even their great-grandfather (in cases where identity or family lineage really needs to be confirmed). There are no names that are exclusively "first names" or exclusively "surnames." Any male name can be both.
For example, this is the pastor of our village church, Alou (pronounced "allo"). His father's name was Kuur, so he is called Alou Kuur. His grandfather's name was also Kuur, so a more complete name for Alou is Alou Kuur Kuur.
Alou named his first son, Kuur. His son is called Kuur Alou. When needed, his grandfather's name can also be specified: Kuur Alou Kuur. And to go back a little further, Kuur Alou Kuur Kuur.
Alou has a daughter named Alek. She is known as Alek Alou. Or Alek Alou Kuur. Or Alek Alou Kuur Kuur.
Alou just had a second son and he named him Alou after himself. So he will be known as Alou Alou. Or Alou Alou Kuur. Or Alou Alou Kuur Kuur.
For example, the boy on the far right is Mayol, his father's given name is Bol, so he is known as Mayol Bol.
One of our pastors is named Hol Hol. If he named a son Bol, the son would be Bol Hol Hol.
The boy in the middle of the picture is Teng Kuur. And the boy on the left in the picture is Kuur Deng. As you may have picked up on by now, Kuur is a very common man's name among the Dinka where I live. Teng and Deng are also very common. There are many men and boys named either Teng Deng or Deng Teng.
I know a family of three brothers whose father's name was Kuur: Deng Kuur, Teng Kuur and Kuur Kuur. Deng Kuur has a son named Teng--Teng Deng for short, Teng Deng Kuur for long. Deng Kuur also has a son named Kuur--Kuur Deng, or Kuur Deng Kuur. Teng Kuur has a son named Kuur--Kuur Teng, or Kuur Teng Kuur. (Are you getting confused?)
The fact that there are so many similar names in our area makes it rather interesting for things like classes at school. At Cush Christian School, there are several students, both boys and girls, with the same given name and father's name. For example, one class has nine girls with the first name Abuk, and a few also have the same father's name, Garang. So the different Abuk Garang's have to be distinguished by their grandfather's names.
To close, I also know a little boy named Makuach Makuach Makuach. :-)
February 8, 2014
R.I.P. Bullet
My last teammates to be away arrived back three days ago, and that very evening their dog Bullet was bitten by a puff adder (a deadly venomous snake). Bullet attacked the snake to protect his master Daniel, who was walking towards the snake. We all loved Bullet, a handsome, smart, friendly (to the right people!), dutiful German Shepherd, and we were so sad to see suffer through the effects of the bite. By the next morning, he had died.
 |
| Bullet |
 |
| Filling in Bullet's grave |
February 6, 2014
Back in SS
As you may have noticed, it was rather quiet on this blog last month. I was in Kenya with some of my teammates waiting until we got the okay to return to South Sudan, then doing all the things necessary before returning (visas, shopping, packing, etc.). We are so saddened by the conflicts and suffering in many parts of the country since mid-December, but very grateful that the situation in our state has remained calm throughout this time.
I flew back from Kenya two days ago on a Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) charter with my teammate Julie and her three children and my teammate Laurie. Here are some pix of our arrival at a small airstrip in a town near our village.
I flew back from Kenya two days ago on a Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) charter with my teammate Julie and her three children and my teammate Laurie. Here are some pix of our arrival at a small airstrip in a town near our village.
 |
| The arrival of a plane always attracts a crowd |
 |
| Unloading |
 |
| Teammate James attaching a new wheelchair cycle for one of our Dinka friends |
 |
| Teammate Vince talking to MAF pilot Jane, a Kenyan, the only woman pilot with MAF Kenya |
 |
| Just enough room for Laurie and me in the back of the truck! |
 |
| Ward family all together in the front seat, after being apart for almost three weeks |
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)