Suzy in South Sudan!

After an amazing first month back in the field, it is a reminder that God is in control and moving mightily through In Deed and Truth (IDAT) here in Tonj and all the surrounding villages.

We celebrated our pastors graduation and we are now sponsoring 25 pastors from 17 IDAT church plants!!

One pastor that really impressed me was Ps. John Madut Agaar from a village called Machar. Machar is known as the center for witchcraft and if you go there, you will encounter many idols and shrines, along with witchdoctors and spearmasters. John has a very powerful ‘Saul to Paul’ testimony. Before becoming a Christian, he was a ringleader of fighting, cattle raiding and tribal violence. His father was a spearmaster and he was set to inherit that role. It came to the point where his family feared he would be killed and asked him to not go out and fight anymore. Around the same time, he was invited by our CC Maloney Ps. Kharlo to come to church. In church, he experienced peace like never before and after a few weeks gave his life to Christ. His life completely changed, and he went from being an angry and harsh person to being gentle and caring. His family were upset that he started going to church and that he chose to walk away from witchcraft. His father has 4 wives and the half-siblings turned against him and started persecuting the IDAT church plants in that area. John eventually became Ps. Kharlo’s assistant pastor. As word got out that John was a changed man, more people started to come to church and more villages were asking for a church to be planted in their area. Some of the people of Machar also asked for that. Machar means ‘darkness’ and John boldly stepped out in faith to go to Machar and pastor the church there. He is well known in the area as the son of a spearmaster. In the beginning so many curses and spells were cast on him and the church. John said he is the right man for that church as he fully understands all warfare against him and what the battle entails. His weapons of choice are no longer an AK47 but prayer and the Word of God! Pray for John’s protection. Check out our pastors page at: https://pastors.indeedandtruth.org/

The IDAT Ward!

During the rainy season we experience higher patient numbers due to malaria and right now the ward is well and truly overflowing. It has 26 physical beds but often more than one patient is allocated to them as mothers receive care alongside their newborn babies.

This month we also had multiple sets of twins arrive! Our veranda has become an overflow ward and we shuffle patients making sure the critical, smallest, and sickest children are placed in beds where they can be closely monitored. We have eight premature babies in the ward as of writing this newsletter (our smallest weighing just 930g) so all four incubators are also occupied! Our team works tirelessly around the clock caring for each and every patient, demonstrating God’s love, and providing a place of hope for the most vulnerable in our community. We are now praying about adding a second ward.

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” – 1 Peter 2:9

CHE Testimony!

This is the family of John Akot with his wife Susanna Angong from the village of Teakic near Tonj. Two months ago they gave their lives to Christ when CHE volunteers, Martha Them & Marko Maputo, visited and shared Jesus’s teaching from the sermon on the mount about trusting God and refusing to worry.

Since that time John has experienced a new peace in his heart and has let go of some addictions he was struggling with. We never get tired of these stories of God transforming our community – one family at a time!