Introduction

So I have been here in South Sudan for a little over two weeks and it has mostly been a whirlwind of meeting new people, having to memorize their names, figuring out where to be and when every single day, trying to understand their English and learn a little bit of Arabic. Thus far, this is what my every day schedule looks like:

7:00 - 7:30: Morning Mass

7:30 - 8:00: Breakfast

8:00 - 3:30: Secondary School

5:00 - 6:30: Oratory/Youth Center

6:30 - 7:00: Rosary

7:30 - 8:00: Evening Prayer

8:00 - 9:00: Dinner

I am primarily working at the secondary school, which is the same as high school in America. However, the students here range anywhere from 15 to 25 years old. They are all children who have been greatly affected by the war that has been going on in Sudan for years now. Many of them were born during the war and only know that war kind of mentality since the country has rarely been in peace during their lives. For many, either one or both of their parents died in the war. Still, they come to school and having that willingness to learn. A lot of what I have been doing is administrative work at the school, which was not was I had originally had in mind when I came here. I only teach a couple of math and chemistry classes a week but hopefully that workload will increase as time goes on here. 

I am also responsible for the youth center. A large part of the Salesian charism is the oratory. Essentially, it is a place where kids and come and play and just be kids. On the compound, there is a soccer field, volleyball court and basketball courts, so every single day, I take out the balls for all the respective sports and just play with the kids that come. 

It has been a challenge figuring everything out, and I am still in that process, but I feel like very soon I can be completely comfortable here. The people here are so welcoming and open. They are some of the nicest people I have ever met and are willing to give anything for us, even if they do not have much to begin with. It is a beautiful thing that I have realized here and something that will help make this place home faster.