- Women waiting to vote in Boma market.
Election: In April 2010, Sudan held its first democratic election in 24 years. The elections were an important step in the 2005 Comprehension Peace Agreement (CPA), which ended the war between the North and South, a war lasting over 20 years.
Efforts towards “civic education” were carried out in certain regions to prepare citizens, many whom are illiterate, to vote. The pastor of our church in Nairobi led workshops in Southern Sudan, organized by the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), to support the election. As April 11th approached, we all wondered how the process would unfold.
Due to claims of fraud, several opposition parties decided to boycott the election before it began. We were all grateful, however, that the elections were peaceful. Other positive aspects to the election include the fact that large numbers of women showed up to vote and many ran for local government and legislative positions (UNMIS media report).
My Sudanese colleagues participated in the event with a mixture of emotions. One co-worker, wh
o lived in a refugee camp in Uganda during the war, said, “I have voted for the first time in my life. When we were in Uganda we used to see people voting, but we had no choice. Now, we are voting… Voting is very important. It is a right. As a citizen you have to vote. Since we were born, nothing was done like that, but today we were able to vote.”
The next big step for this country is a referendum set for January, 2011. At that time, an election will determine if the country divides into two, North and South, or remains united as the Republic of Sudan.
Easter: When I arrived in Boma, I was told that the Presbyterian Church there does not celebrate Easter Sunday according to the church calendar. They celebrate Christmas each December, but there is not an annual Easter Service. So, I do not know if April 4, 2010 was their first designated “Easter” service, but I do know that it was my first time to preach on a Resurrection Sunday.
A week beforehand, one of the pastors said to me, making an effort to use English, “You preach Sunday.” I was honored by the invitation, and also nervous. Easter Sunday fell on the once a month, “Unity Prayer” day in Boma, which meant the service would be held in the open air market and four congregations would gather to worship together.
The morning of April 4th was beautiful. The strong wind that pushed through the trees reminded me of the power of our invisible God, who was very present to me that morning. By God’s grace, I preached, and the service filled the market with singing and dancing. Under the shelter of the large outstretched branches, uplifted by the music of the young people in Boma, the wonder of God exhibited in the empty tomb seemed miraculously real. (To see a short video of the Easter service click:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfYF385VCf0 )
- Youth Choir on Easter Sunday
Posted on May 19th, 2010 by Nancy
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