Pray for peace

This afternoon at lunch, we heard gunshots. It has been two hours since the first gunshot and as I type this I am still hearing them. Two things are going on. 1. World Vision was handing out food and a mob broke out. They are handing out food by villages, but some people didn't want to wait or didn't think they got enough so they swarmed the World Vision workers. The police arrived and started shooting in the air. The World Vision distribution center is very close to our compound so we saw people running away after the guns were fired. The World Vision workers came to our compound for safety. 2. A couple days ago, there was a cattle raid. The government is trying to remove guns from villages and cattle camps. So the local village whose cows were raided did not have guns to protect themselves. Today they attempted to break into the army's store to steal guns so they can retaliate against those who took their cows. So some of the gunshots were between the young men and the army.

To add to the chaos, a young man who had been shot was brought to the clinic. The bullet went through his chest and out his back. John-Paul fears there is internal bleeding/organ damage so they are referring him to Wau. When the young man was brought in, a mob of people rushed into the compound. They weren't related to him, but they just wanted to gawk at him. We probably had 150 people crowding the clinic just to get a glimpse of the victim. People were even breaking down the fence to get in. Our guard tried to get them out, but every time he opened the gate to let them out, more flooded in.

With all that being said, I am not scared. I feel very safe in the compound. The anger and the fighting are not directed at us. The only danger comes from being shot by a stray bullet or getting caught up in a mob. Right now I am typing this sitting on the floor in Sabet and Suzy's house. We are all hunkered down until the shooting stops.

Please pray for peace in Tonj. If the situation became too dangerous, we would be evacuated out. I don't think it will reach that point. Again, I am not fearful. Well, a couple gunshots that were really close made me jump! However, I am more scared for the people outside of the compound who are close to the fighting. Innocent people are usually the victims. I am also worried for Jane, our new cook. How scary must it be for her. It's her first day in Sudan and she is surrounded by gunshots.

I'm not writing this so you will be worried about me. I am fine. Please don't be scared. Just pray that peace will come soon.