God Grew Tired of Us
John Bul Dau
“Time slows when your life is in danger. Every second takes a minute to pass, and even the smallest event gets chiseled into memory” (95).
God Grew Tired of Us is John Bul Dau’s moving memoir of the many chiseled memories that comprised his journey from war-stricken Sudan, to Syracuse, New York. The story begins in 1987, when John is 13 years old. The army had already taken over the government, and South Sudan was undergoing many bombings. John is from the Dinka tribe and lived in Duk Payuel, a town in South Sudan that was harboring many refugees. In August of 1987, the town was bombed, and John fled his tent to follow a man he believed to be his father. The man was not his father at all, but a neighbor named Abraham. The two men started their journey together, heading East to Ethiopia. Between the heat, lack of food, and looming threat of attack, the journey was very dangerous. At one point, John thought: “Today will be the day I die...Then God did a good thing. He led us to water” (72). This is a perfect example of John’s unfailing Christian faith. No matter how desperate the situation, he continued to ask God for assistance, and truly believed He would help him.
By the end of 1987, John and Abraham had arrived at the Pinyudu Refugee camp in Ethiopia. While there, John was put in charge of 1200 and when Cholera struck, “ministered to the sick” (77). It was there that John first saw white men in the form of UN workers. John stayed at this camp for 2 years, but when unrest began in the Ethiopian government, he and many other refugees were forced to cross the Gilo River to Pochala, a safer Ethiopian camp with 80,000 refugees. John eventually made it to Kakuma in northwest Kenya. This was a happy time for him, and he insists that he “...was sure [the Lord] must have a plan for [him] to do something good with [his] life...all [he] could do was prepare [himself] for whatever God sent [his] way. To do that, [he] knew [he] had to embrace [his] new mother and father: the classroom and the book.” (131). John was 18 years old when he started 1st grade, but worked very hard an eventually received a high school degree. While pursuing his education, John became very interested in moving to America. After many tests, he was accepted in May of 2001 and in August of 2001, moved to Syracuse, New York. Upon leaving for America, “[John’s] pockets were completely empty; [He] did not even have a dime. [He] used [his] last money to buy the cassettes and make small gifts to [his] friends...” (173). John continued to work very hard in America and eventually learned to drive, received a college education from Syracuse University, and met his wife, Martha. He was also able to reconnect with his sister, brother, mother, and father after many years apart. John now directs the John Dau Sudan Foundation, which helps give medicine and education to those still in Sudan.
I really enjoyed this memoir, and at the risk of sounding cliche, found it very moving. The theme of hope and perseverance, was present throughout the entire story. John tells his story in a very authentic manner - not oversimplifying and praising God the whole way. I had to continually remind myself that this was someone’s real story and that there are hundreds of thousands of stories like his that will never be told. I’m thankful that this book opened my eyes to a part of the world where hatred his very real, but faith still survives. I would love to teach this novel in a co-taught History/English class because it offers literary themes and historical fact. Though the title suggests that God gave up on the Sudanese people, John’s story reminds the reader that this loving God was there all along. As John himself says: “They call me a Lost Boy, but let me assure you, God has found me” (7).
God Grew Tired of Us is John Bul Dau’s moving memoir of the many chiseled memories that comprised his journey from war-stricken Sudan, to Syracuse, New York. The story begins in 1987, when John is 13 years old. The army had already taken over the government, and South Sudan was undergoing many bombings. John is from the Dinka tribe and lived in Duk Payuel, a town in South Sudan that was harboring many refugees. In August of 1987, the town was bombed, and John fled his tent to follow a man he believed to be his father. The man was not his father at all, but a neighbor named Abraham. The two men started their journey together, heading East to Ethiopia. Between the heat, lack of food, and looming threat of attack, the journey was very dangerous. At one point, John thought: “Today will be the day I die...Then God did a good thing. He led us to water” (72). This is a perfect example of John’s unfailing Christian faith. No matter how desperate the situation, he continued to ask God for assistance, and truly believed He would help him.
By the end of 1987, John and Abraham had arrived at the Pinyudu Refugee camp in Ethiopia. While there, John was put in charge of 1200 and when Cholera struck, “ministered to the sick” (77). It was there that John first saw white men in the form of UN workers. John stayed at this camp for 2 years, but when unrest began in the Ethiopian government, he and many other refugees were forced to cross the Gilo River to Pochala, a safer Ethiopian camp with 80,000 refugees. John eventually made it to Kakuma in northwest Kenya. This was a happy time for him, and he insists that he “...was sure [the Lord] must have a plan for [him] to do something good with [his] life...all [he] could do was prepare [himself] for whatever God sent [his] way. To do that, [he] knew [he] had to embrace [his] new mother and father: the classroom and the book.” (131). John was 18 years old when he started 1st grade, but worked very hard an eventually received a high school degree. While pursuing his education, John became very interested in moving to America. After many tests, he was accepted in May of 2001 and in August of 2001, moved to Syracuse, New York. Upon leaving for America, “[John’s] pockets were completely empty; [He] did not even have a dime. [He] used [his] last money to buy the cassettes and make small gifts to [his] friends...” (173). John continued to work very hard in America and eventually learned to drive, received a college education from Syracuse University, and met his wife, Martha. He was also able to reconnect with his sister, brother, mother, and father after many years apart. John now directs the John Dau Sudan Foundation, which helps give medicine and education to those still in Sudan.
I really enjoyed this memoir, and at the risk of sounding cliche, found it very moving. The theme of hope and perseverance, was present throughout the entire story. John tells his story in a very authentic manner - not oversimplifying and praising God the whole way. I had to continually remind myself that this was someone’s real story and that there are hundreds of thousands of stories like his that will never be told. I’m thankful that this book opened my eyes to a part of the world where hatred his very real, but faith still survives. I would love to teach this novel in a co-taught History/English class because it offers literary themes and historical fact. Though the title suggests that God gave up on the Sudanese people, John’s story reminds the reader that this loving God was there all along. As John himself says: “They call me a Lost Boy, but let me assure you, God has found me” (7).