Welcome Guest Blogger ~ DiAnn Mills

DiAnn Mills does some of the most intensive research of any author I know. We sat down at the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference last May and chatted about this book and her trip to the Sudan. I asked her to tell us about it.

Experiencing Sudan

Excitement with a twinge of apprehension settled in my spirit as the plane from Kenya eased onto the runway of Juba, the southern capital of Sudan. I glanced out the window to a mass of rolling dust and desolation and an airport that more closely resembled a metal warehouse, except for the camouflaged-clad soldiers with MK7s slung over their shoulders.

This was the site of my research for When the Nile Runs Red.

I took a deep breath. What have I gotten myself into? Lord, this is going to be an adventure I’ll never forget.

Someone said “TIA.” This is Africa. I smiled and tugged on the straps of my back pack, more for security than a need to adjust its position. My little Bible was inside and about to be covered in Sudan dust.

Several moments later, after soldiers had gone through my baggage, and I was on my way to the ACROSS compound, an interdenominational, international Christian organization. I was thankful to be staying within the walls of a compound, knowing that otherwise I’d be crammed into a tent along the Nile River. I didn’t want to think of the possibility of encountering two-legged or four-legged predators. Taking in every bit of my surroundings, I realized the days ahead of me would stay in my heart forever.

What I saw, heard, tasted, smelled, touched, and intuitively sensed would place the reader in the heart of Sudan - right where I wanted the reader to be. On this research/mission trip, I planned to take pages of notes, snap photos, and conduct personal interviews with the people I met. More importantly, I wanted them to know that Jesus loved them, and I would take their plight back to the States so others would know firsthand about their critical needs. The burden of the job ahead settled like a heavy yoke on my shoulders. Could I do the job entrusted to me?

The sights moved me, sometimes to almost tears. I saw poverty that I will never forget: women drawing water from the Nile and using it without the benefit of boiling it, a lack of sanitation, and thin bodies. I saw a mixture of hope and pain in the eyes of the Sudanese, children at play, and colorful African clothing. A weathered sign indicated an Islamic children’s hospital where before the war ended, boy babies never left the building alive. I saw more goats than I ever wanted to see again.

I heard children laughing and the pop of a gun firing at night. I heard praise and worship to God and witnessed frustration in the voices of those who wanted more for their country. I heard government officials talk of their commitment to southern Sudan and their faith in God. I asked questions and listened to stories of survival and dedication.

I smelled a city with little sanitation, and I longed for them to embrace fragrant flowers and the sweet scent of true freedom. I witnessed men and women pounding goat dung into the ground of their “church” so they could hold services.

I tasted the dust and dirt and noted the Sudanese diet of ugali (cornmeal), vegetables, goat, and fish. Malaria was a part of life, and cholera broke out in the more poverty stricken areas.

People touched me with their joy and their sorrow. I once heard someone say: talk to me and I will get to know you; touch me and I am forever changed. For me, this meant brushing my finger across the vegetation, petting an animal, or embracing someone different from myself. The power of touch pulled me outside of my comfort zone and into the world of the Sudanese. Sometimes it was difficult, but it was never without reward. Instead of my ministering to them, I was blessed beyond imagination.

True research meant giving of myself to benefit others. Sudan will always be a part of my heart, and I look forward to a return trip. I challenge you to step out of your comfort zone and beyond the page to ensure your manuscript receives the research it deserves. Experience your story – and lift your readers above their world into an unforgettable story. And you, like me, will be forever changed.

To view a promo clip of When the Nile Runs Red, click here