Container Blessings!

Every other year we have filled a container with supplies for our mission hospital, CHE program, churches, compound and missionaries in South Sudan. I say ‘we’ because it really has been a team effort from passionate ministry partners, wanting to invest eternally in something worthwhile. Some of us get to be ‘hands on’ in the field but for many of you that is not possible and helping us fill and send this container to Africa was a way for you to participate in the work the Lord is doing in Tonj.

We asked for help and you guys gave joyfully and generously to this Kingdom need. From bibles to baby blankets, funds to buy medical equipment, new solar for the compound, chairs and benches for the growing church, it is an amazing gift of love, poured out from obedient hearts towards our loving Savior. We are blessed beyond measure and I am confident He will reward each one of you in abundance for the help you have given us.

Every chair will be diligently prayed over for the people who might sit on it each Sunday in church. Every baby blanket will be prayed over that it reaches the right family in need. Every bible will be prayed over that it will fall into the hands of someone that will open it and read the life changing words. It’s exciting to receive these gifts but more so to see how the Lord will use them to launch new projects, and new hearts, and new ministry opportunities for growth and change.

And thank you for covering this container in prayer. It left USA a little later than we planned in early March, risking being caught up in the rainy season if there were any delay. It arrived on time in Mombasa port in Kenya. It cleared the customs and moved through Uganda to the South Sudan border. We had exemption papers filed which saved us $$$’s on import duty. In fact, the container sailed seamlessly to South Sudan and I mentioned to a friend how unusual that was!! There’s ALWAYS warfare when shipping a container for the Lord. After all, it’s full of blessings that will be used to further HIS Kingdom. This container was no exception, the very next day the battle began. The driver stopped moving and the transporter wanted more money, refusing to take the container another step!! We convinced him to go to Juba but after that, regardless of the negotiations, they flatly refused to drive to Tonj. It’s important in these moments of ‘crisis’ to remember the battle belongs to the Lord and we need to ask Him for help when the situation is overwhelming. Truthfully, we didn’t know what to do as we had paid the USA Broker in full. So we cried out to the Lord and He heard our cry.

“O our God, won’t you stop them? We are powerless against this mighty army that is about to attack us. We do not know what to do, but we are looking to You for help.”
2 Chronicles 20:12

After being stuck one week in Juba, the broker agreed to cover the cost of moving the container to another truck and paying for it to go to Tonj. Our field director, Albino Dut stayed with the container for the entire ordeal and arranged for a crane to lift it and for a second transporter and security to take it to Tonj. Praising Him for His faithfulness to answer our cry for help and safely delivering our container from USA to South Sudan!

Sudan Conflict!

The conflict between two generals in Sudan has escalated to critical levels, creating a lot of fear in the East African region and  causing more than 150,000 South Sudanese to flee the capital of Khartoum in the North. North and South Sudan were one and the same country until 2011, but many South Sudanese continue to live in the North due to South Sudan’s instability, which has seen two civil wars breakout in the past 12 years.  Evacuations out of Khartoum have been chaotic, with no food or water for days.

The concern now is how will South Sudan cope with this influx of people crossing the border when 75% of the country is also dependent on humanitarian aid. The rainy season will only make this situation more difficult for those evacuating to keep moving and for organizations to reach them with adequate aid.  South Sudan’s own peace agreement is fragile and with an election planned for 2024, we are praying this conflict in the North will be resolved quickly. If it continues it will have a serious impact on civilian lives from both North and South Sudan and a devastating economic impact on the South.

Please pray for peace in the North to be restored and all neighboring countries to Sudan to assist the best way they can. Pray that God will give IDAT wisdom and resources to support those returning from the conflict areas to Tonj. Pray for South Sudan as we head into another season of food shortage and flooding.