As a person who has been overseas before, I can definitely say that Juba, Sudan, is not among the nicest places I have ever lived.

Although my heart thrives on the challenges that come with understanding a new culture, language, people, and discovering ways to serve, teach, and love, working in South Sudan is often difficult.

At the end of 2007, I was working at Samaritan’s Purse international headquarters in Boone, North Carolina, when one of our regional directors offered me a position in Juba. I stared blankly at him. Where was Juba? I had never heard of it.

Juba is a big city with no recognizable infrastructure. Its population is a mixture of Sudanese tribes, people from bordering countries, and a host of international expatriates, which makes this place very different from the traditional one-tribe village. Trash piles line the streets, and there are no latrines or a sewage system. The only source of water is a dirty mixture of silt and sand pumped in from the Nile.

When the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was signed in 2005, ending 20 years of civil war, Sudan’s borders were opened and non-governmental organizations were allowed to work within the country more freely. Most of these NGOs ended up in Juba, since Juba is also known as the capital of South Sudan. President Salva Kiir resides here, and it is the place where most of the governmental activity occurs.

It has become an NGO metropolis of sorts, which also makes Juba a risky place to live. People working for NGOs are often targeted for money. But it’s also a place where everyone talks about meeting the needs of South Sudan. It’s no paradise, but God is present and He has a plan for this place. I get to watch it unfold.

Juba and Samaritan’s Purse have afforded me the opportunity to go into Sudanese communities and listen to individual stories, hear the hurts, and try to meet the needs. There are always a variety of needs: clean water and food, education, medical treatment, employment opportunities, and many others. It drives me crazy sometimes because there is so much need everywhere, and one person can only do so much. So I leave it up to God; He knows the need. And each day, I walk down whatever sandy path God chooses to show me.