Plane Crash

This morning I was blown away by what happened. So much went on, it's hard to remember all the details. Shortly after breakfast, we were getting ready for church when all of a sudden a bunch of cars and people come rushing into the compound. By the time I was able to get over there, I had to push through people to get into the clinic. There were lots of military people with guns everywhere. I saw Sabet and he told me that a lady had been hit by a plane. I entered the room and saw Dennis, John-Paul, Sheena and Sabet trying to resuscitate her. They worked on her for about fifteen minutes before calling it. There was nothing that could be done. Her injuries were too severe. She probably had major internal injuries. The doctors could tell all her ribs were broken as well as her sternum and shoulder blades. It was so hard standing there, pleading with God to work a miracle. Even after they stopped, I prayed that God would bring her back. She was young and had so much life to live. Unfortunately, it was not God's will that she survive. It's hard to accept, but I am not going to question God's sovereignty. As He asked Job, "Did you form the earth? Do you cause the sun to rise and set?" It's not my place. Even if she had lived, I don't know how she could have gotten the treatment she would have needed. My heart broke as I watched Dennis, John-Paul and Sheena wash the dirt off the woman so she would be presentable to her family.

After she died all of a sudden military people and civilians flooded the clinic. They all wanted to have a look at her. I just wanted them to leave, but I guess that is the Sudanese culture. Within a few minutes, the military men and cars left. Then the mother came in and we had to tell her the news. We were told that she had one small child that she left behind. The mother was very stoic and did not cry. Later the husband arrived and we had to tell him what happened. He kept asking me “calas?” (Finished?) I kept telling him yes, she was gone. He was crushed. People kept coming into the room and looking at her in the midst of this man's sorrow. We were getting so upset. This was not a show. Sheena finally started yelling ”no, go leave,” and shooed them away. Later another round of military cars came. They looked around and left again. It was so bizarre. The governor was there, along with the commissioner, the health commissioner, traffic commissioner as well as other government officials. The plane that hit her was bringing soldiers in preparation for the president's visit at a peace summit in Tonj. We later found out that the woman, Aquach, did not run across the airstrip when the plane was coming (as we had previously been told). Instead, the plane overshot the runway and crashed. It ended up on the other side of the road. This apparently was where she was killed. No one else was hurt.

There was so much more that happened, but the flury of activity has left my mind hazy. It was a crazy, sad morning. A couple hours later, her body was taken back to her house.

After church, we went on another picnic. It was Sheena's last one before leaving on Wednesday. We had a really nice, relaxing time. It was a blessing to destress after such a hard morning. On our way home, we went by the airstrip to see the plane that had crashed. There were lots of soldiers around it. They came over and yelled at us for taking pictures. Right by the airstrip is the home of Aquach. We could see them digging her grave so we stopped by to give our condolences. Her body was laid out in the home and a few of us went in to pray for the family.

It's hard to get used to the ups and downs of life here. There is so much sadness. Fortunately God provides joyful moments as well to get us through the day. Here is a picture of the plane that crashed as well as a few pictures from the picnic: