Old Soldiers Never Die - The Work of Billy White
February 29 2008
“Old
Soldiers Never Die…”
The Work of Billy White
by Linnie Weeks
It’s been a very long time since General Douglas McArthur spoke that well remembered phrase “Old Soldiers never die, they just fade away." Much of the world may have never heard this famous quote, but it came to mind as I was flying several months ago with missionary Billy White on a fast paced, five-day round-robin journey across much of southern Sudan.
We departed Nairobi in a Cessna Caravan as the sun was coming up, just me and Billy and a ton of books: Bible-based literary materials headed for Sudan. After a quick refueling stop in Lokichoggio, a town on the Kenya-Sudan border, we pressed on to the planned destinations.
Billy is a man in a hurry. He has a sense of urgency about his task that I’m convinced has been a lifelong trait. He’s a man who gets things done – tenacious, persistent, and purposeful – like a soldier on a mission. Billy is unique, even for a missionary. He's uniquely experienced for the work God has called him to do in southern Sudan. He spent a career as a US Army Special Forces Officer – one of those Green Berets of lore and legend. Their motto, “de oppresso liber” means “To free the oppressed”. It is a motto that transfers well to his new career on the mission field. God has given Billy a burden to reach the soldiers of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) – to reach them for Christ.
This rebel army fought for 20 years against the oppression of the Arab North and won a tenuous freedom for the people of the south. During the war, these young men of the SPLA were robbed of all opportunity to receive an education of even the most basic kind. Ninety percent are illiterate by virtue of their circumstances. These are the men Billy feels called to. They are a scary looking bunch – posing with brandished weapons: AK-47’s, RPG’s, SA-7’s and other such acronyms in the vocabulary of global news correspondents.
Billy is using Bible-based literacy materials written in the native Dinka language in order to teach these men to read God’s word. It is an accelerated curriculum intended for adult literacy. Those with a hunger to learn can achieve a fourth grade reading level in just one year – sufficient to read and comprehend God’s Word for themselves.
Both the size and desolation of southern Sudan make reaching so many soldiers a huge task. You might wonder what one man can do? Billy’s creative approach to what he considers a “window of opportunity” in the current, yet precarious peace is essential. In his words, “We may only have a couple of years to reach these men. The risk of resumption of the civil war is high, especially as the 2009 referendum vote called for by the peace agreement approaches." Billy says God gave him a vision for how to go about his task.
How does he do it? Billy’s military background, and his humble servant attitude, have enabled him to make allies of many senior SPLA commanders who are Christians. They want their men to learn to read. They want them to be able to read in their tribal tongue, not in the mandatory Arabic as in the former education system. So these commanders have given Billy some of their best men to be trained as teachers. To accomplish this, Billy has recruited and funded Sudanese literacy teachers to “train the trainers”. These Christian men tutor the SPLA trainers to teach literacy and other subjects. Billy provides all the printed materials and classroom aids such as white boards. The SPLA commanders provide classrooms and allow the men to attend classes during the day – A brilliant plan of action, but not for the faint of heart.
Billy White is a man of steely resolve, even though he's well into his seventies. His tireless effort, fervent prayers, and ability to live a spartan lifestyle make him equal to the task. He sleeps in a tent at the medical mission in Akot. He's up early and down late, eats beans and rice for weeks on end, and spends his resources on printing materials. He flies in the wet season and drives in the dry season – all over Sudan's vast landscape – to shepherd his team and distribute the essential training materials.
On this particular trip we were flying since it was in the heart of the rainy season. South Sudan is divided into east and west, and north and south by an immense swamp known as the Sud. It is a one-and-a-half hour flight from Billy’s base in Akot, Sudan to Malakal. The same trip is a 16-hour drive during the dry season – impossible during the wet. We flew from airstrip to airstrip, SPLA camp to SPLA camp to accomplish his mission. It took an effort on my part just to keep up with Billy during this week of travel – refueling at muddy airstrips, moving 400 pound fuel drums to the plane, and pumping them over the wing into the tanks by hand. Billy never lost his drive, his enthusiasm, his sense of mission. That’s Billy’s secret. He’s on a “Mission from God," and like any professional soldier, all else comes second to the mission. Personal comfort, safety, a warm cot, a hot shower, a decent meal – none of these matter until the mission is complete. The famous quip about "old soldiers" only partially captures the resolve of Billy's persona. For he even refuses to "fade away" until his work is done.
Billy, I salute you and may God bless your work.
The Work of Billy White
by Linnie Weeks
It’s been a very long time since General Douglas McArthur spoke that well remembered phrase “Old Soldiers never die, they just fade away." Much of the world may have never heard this famous quote, but it came to mind as I was flying several months ago with missionary Billy White on a fast paced, five-day round-robin journey across much of southern Sudan.
We departed Nairobi in a Cessna Caravan as the sun was coming up, just me and Billy and a ton of books: Bible-based literary materials headed for Sudan. After a quick refueling stop in Lokichoggio, a town on the Kenya-Sudan border, we pressed on to the planned destinations.
Billy is a man in a hurry. He has a sense of urgency about his task that I’m convinced has been a lifelong trait. He’s a man who gets things done – tenacious, persistent, and purposeful – like a soldier on a mission. Billy is unique, even for a missionary. He's uniquely experienced for the work God has called him to do in southern Sudan. He spent a career as a US Army Special Forces Officer – one of those Green Berets of lore and legend. Their motto, “de oppresso liber” means “To free the oppressed”. It is a motto that transfers well to his new career on the mission field. God has given Billy a burden to reach the soldiers of the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) – to reach them for Christ.
This rebel army fought for 20 years against the oppression of the Arab North and won a tenuous freedom for the people of the south. During the war, these young men of the SPLA were robbed of all opportunity to receive an education of even the most basic kind. Ninety percent are illiterate by virtue of their circumstances. These are the men Billy feels called to. They are a scary looking bunch – posing with brandished weapons: AK-47’s, RPG’s, SA-7’s and other such acronyms in the vocabulary of global news correspondents.
Billy is using Bible-based literacy materials written in the native Dinka language in order to teach these men to read God’s word. It is an accelerated curriculum intended for adult literacy. Those with a hunger to learn can achieve a fourth grade reading level in just one year – sufficient to read and comprehend God’s Word for themselves.
Both the size and desolation of southern Sudan make reaching so many soldiers a huge task. You might wonder what one man can do? Billy’s creative approach to what he considers a “window of opportunity” in the current, yet precarious peace is essential. In his words, “We may only have a couple of years to reach these men. The risk of resumption of the civil war is high, especially as the 2009 referendum vote called for by the peace agreement approaches." Billy says God gave him a vision for how to go about his task.
How does he do it? Billy’s military background, and his humble servant attitude, have enabled him to make allies of many senior SPLA commanders who are Christians. They want their men to learn to read. They want them to be able to read in their tribal tongue, not in the mandatory Arabic as in the former education system. So these commanders have given Billy some of their best men to be trained as teachers. To accomplish this, Billy has recruited and funded Sudanese literacy teachers to “train the trainers”. These Christian men tutor the SPLA trainers to teach literacy and other subjects. Billy provides all the printed materials and classroom aids such as white boards. The SPLA commanders provide classrooms and allow the men to attend classes during the day – A brilliant plan of action, but not for the faint of heart.
Billy White is a man of steely resolve, even though he's well into his seventies. His tireless effort, fervent prayers, and ability to live a spartan lifestyle make him equal to the task. He sleeps in a tent at the medical mission in Akot. He's up early and down late, eats beans and rice for weeks on end, and spends his resources on printing materials. He flies in the wet season and drives in the dry season – all over Sudan's vast landscape – to shepherd his team and distribute the essential training materials.
On this particular trip we were flying since it was in the heart of the rainy season. South Sudan is divided into east and west, and north and south by an immense swamp known as the Sud. It is a one-and-a-half hour flight from Billy’s base in Akot, Sudan to Malakal. The same trip is a 16-hour drive during the dry season – impossible during the wet. We flew from airstrip to airstrip, SPLA camp to SPLA camp to accomplish his mission. It took an effort on my part just to keep up with Billy during this week of travel – refueling at muddy airstrips, moving 400 pound fuel drums to the plane, and pumping them over the wing into the tanks by hand. Billy never lost his drive, his enthusiasm, his sense of mission. That’s Billy’s secret. He’s on a “Mission from God," and like any professional soldier, all else comes second to the mission. Personal comfort, safety, a warm cot, a hot shower, a decent meal – none of these matter until the mission is complete. The famous quip about "old soldiers" only partially captures the resolve of Billy's persona. For he even refuses to "fade away" until his work is done.
Billy, I salute you and may God bless your work.