Wieu Wieu Kol Bak

You may remember the man in Juba hospital who had shot himself and missed, blowing his own face to bits. I encountered him when I visited Susan for the first time back in December. The awful aspect of his face blown to bits could not fail to grab anyone's attention,
But it was the torment I saw in his eyes which upset me. It was unlike anything I had ever seen. It haunted me. I was terrified, shocked and moved by such raw suffering.
Along with Joel's teacher, Carolyn, I visited him in Ward 5 twice more. I then decided that in the interests of protecting my family's health, it was better for me NOT to go back. The risks of exposing not only myself but my children to infection seemed too high. In fact, it worried me so much that I spent a sleepless night feeling panic-stricken.

However, since posting his story on my blog, several people have been praying for that man. And God has been answering those prayers and sending people to show that man that grace extends to everyone- including those who have committed crimes too awful to contemplate.
Carolyn and another MAF staff member, Rob, decided to keep up the hospital visits, 3 times a week, bringing him food, a Bible, clothes, soap, water.
They found out more information. His name is Wieu Wieu Kol Bak. He is only 28 years old (I had thought much older, but suffering can cause the eyes to look older). He was a policeman before his crime.
This is probably my final update on this subject. Wieu Wieu is now making a good recovery and will soon be taken from hospital to prison. He is HIV positive. But he now has a new peace. If he continues along this new path he seems to have found, reading his Bible and finding a new way forward with his faith. who knows how he might use his days to show God's power of compassion, grace and forgiveness to those he meets in prison? So if you are a person who prays, please keep up the prayers for this to happen!

I asked Carolyn to write this next part of the blog. as she can give a first-hand account of what has been happening. I hope Carolyn's words will encourage you as you read. So I now hand over to Carolyn...

GUEST BLOG, written by Carolyn Henderson

"The great abyss that used to dominate this mans face has now shrunk to a mere slit that I imagine any tailor with a disinfected needle could easily stitch up, and as for the scowl of despair, it has completely vanished to be replaced by a face of peace, contentment, and dare I even say joy and hope, despite all that is going on in this soul's life.
As we visit him week after week he constantly greets us with happy grunts and a "smile" of gratefulness for our gifts proving the work that only our God can do.  Visiting him has not become a burden but a joy and pleasure I am going to miss.  Every time I enter the filthy ward that has been his home since mid December I have been filled with the fear that I would find him gone, leaving me without a chance to say goodbye, for no one stays in a hospital forever.
Fortunately he has been given a few days notice that he will be transported to a military hospital (prison?) across town.  Though that might mean the end of our visits, Rob, a man who also visits him, just "happens" to have the cell number of the chaplain there.
  The whole experience has made me all the more happy to be in South Sudan and aware of how amazing God is.  He used a very horrible situation, the incident with Susan, to alert us to an even worse situation and make an eternal difference there."

"Here is the latest picture update. These pictures are at least a week old and the hole by his nose and the one under his chin is even smaller now."