The days seem to be getting longer, not with the length of time we see the sun but the length of day we are engaged with the house community and, or, the refugees. Today started with waking early at 5 AM in a house with no electricity, no hot water for a shower and no chance to re-charge my electronics-clearly a first world problem. After morning prayer and breakfast we made the first of five trips for the day to the Jungle.
We stopped at the church where they asked for the gas that we promised to get for them, then off to where the Sudanese live in the camp. In both cases we were looking for translators who would allow Sr. Sheena and I to make more helpful visits to hospitalized refugees. While looking for one of the Sudanese, we asked others which tent belonged to Bakree but first, chairs were brought and coffee served with enough sugar to stand the spoon up. They would not eat their breakfast until we had our fill.
Bakree’s name was called out and soon we were invited into his tent. Shoes off at the door is the custom. This son of teachers who has studied in the university agreed to translate for us after completion of the theatre workshop he was enjoying that week courtesy of Secour Catholique. He also agreed to join us for dinner.
In what was our third trip to the camp we delivered the promised fuel and went to pick someone up at the PASS triage unit in the Jungle (there is also one at the hospital) where refugees are cleared for a trip to the hospital. We were to pick up one friend, but there was a line of folks waiting for a lift to the hospital. One of them had a doctor’s appointment in 15 minutes and it is at least a ten minute ride to the hospital. We loaded the van to its legal capacity and took off. Sheena and I made follow up visits with the refugees I had met on Tuesday. It was now early afternoon.
After returning to the house, Br. Johannes and I took a long “easy walk” to get some yogurt requested by the dinner cook, and for a phone for me. I have been the ” on call driver” without a working phone. There was another trip to the Jungle to bring our friend back to the PASS unit before guests began arriving for dinner.
And what a dinner! We had about 8 Sudanese for dinner and a few others as well as the 15 of us for a meal prepared by Abdullah who lives in the house. We had a wonderful philosophical discussion of the causes of inequality in the world initiated and led by Bakree who translated English to Arabic and vice versa.
The discussion and the meal that followed deserve its own post. Of course we prayed, Muslims and Christians together before the meal.
Every night this week has been an adventure for dinner. Monday’s gathering of the 14 of us at the table pales in comparison to the numbers, the fun and the sense of coming together shared each of the following nights.
Then we made our final trip of they day to the Jungle with its requisite inspection by from 2-10 armed police officers before we can enter. We have to put the signs in the window or don our Secour Catholic vests, stop, turn off the engine, present a letter saying I am authorized to drive the van and present my identity papers. The van is then inspected, plates compared to whatever database they use before we are allowed to proceed. You would think that after 5 trips in 1 day they would recognize us, but each time, the officers are different.
I only hope that at some moment the officers will realize what treasures they protect.
It was nearly 11 PM when Sheena and I returned to our rooms, exhausted but uplifted after another amazing day.