Skaneateles becomes 'sister' of South Sudan village - Auburn Citizen

A relationship between the village of Skaneateles and a South Sudan village that has existed for years is now formalized.

The Skaneateles Village Board of Trustees recently agreed to a proposal presented by the Rev. Dr. Craig Lindsey to create a sister-village relationship with the village of Duk Payuel, Duk County, Jonglei State of South Sudan. This village is the location of the Duk Lost Boys Clinic started and supported by people with connections to Skaneateles. The clinic celebrated its fifth anniversary of opening its doors this year.

In preparation for appearing before the village board at the end of November, Lindsey, of the First Presbyterian Church, drafted a letter detailing the long history local residents have with the people of Duk Payuel.

"We'll be involved with this for years to come," Lindsey said. "This similarly substantiates and endorses all the work that so many in the village have done, not just in the Presbyterian Church, but at St. Mary's and St. James Episcopal Church, as well."

The Rev. Peter Major, of St. Mary's of the Lake Church, served as a missionary to South Sudan, and later, St. James and First Presbyterian churches sponsored refugees, called lost boys and girls, from the civil war in Sudan beginning in 2001.

Mayor Marty Hubbard praised Lindsey's letter as eloquent as it that detailed the years of history between the two villages.

"You ought to hear my sermons," Lindsey responding, causing laughter to erupt.

The board unanimously approved accepting the relationship. Trustees Mary Sennett and Sue Jones said solidifying the connection to the village in the young nation was a wonderful idea.

"I think we'd be foolish to say no," Jones said.

The timing of the decision nearly coincides with a visiting from American eye surgeons from the Moran Eye Center and University of Utah to perform cataract and trachoma surgeries. Skaneateles resident Dr. Barb Connor is one of the people on route this week to work with the other doctors to restore people' sight if possible.

Hubbard said the village could draft a letter on officials Skaneateles letterhead to send over in response to the village's new sister-village.