A Miracle of Peace in Tonj!

For the past two years, we have been crying out to God for deliverance from the violence sweeping four regions of Tonj. Cattle raiding, tribal tensions, revenge killings, and theft have brought fear to countless families. Thousands have fled to Tonj Town seeking safety, and even our missionaries and staff have sometimes taken refuge on the mission compound.

Our 42 churches have responded by increasing prayer meetings and focusing their sermons and devotions on prayer and peace. Recently, our pastors partnered with local chiefs to try a new approach: peace conferences where communities gather to address conflict and hear the biblical message of forgiveness.

What happened next was nothing short of amazing!

Manyang Ngok has long been one of the most difficult communities for our ministry to reach. Repeated attempts to establish Community Health Evangelism (CHE) programs and plant churches were prevented by insecurity.

At a recent peace conference in August, local chiefs announced that those involved in criminal activities who genuinely chose peace would be offered forgiveness. In response, twenty thieves and cattle raiders publicly came forward!

These men confessed their wrongdoing and declared they no longer wanted to steal or harm others. They explained that their actions were driven by revenge for family members who had been killed. But they had begun to recognize that this endless cycle of violence and retaliation threatened the future of their entire tribe.

In a powerful public act, they removed the charms they had purchased from witchdoctors and threw them into a fire. Our pastors helped them remove the charms, then shared the hope, peace, and forgiveness found ONLY in Jesus Christ, who said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” John 14:6

And then something even more extraordinary happened!

We were scheduled to hold our Calvary Men’s Conference in June, but because of the insecurity caused by these cattle raiders, we had to cancel. We were deeply disappointed but rescheduled for mid-September trusting the security situation to be better. Well, during the August peace talks, our pastors invited these same men to attend the Men’s Conference in September.

Guess what? They ALL came!

Sowing Seeds of Faith!

The parable of the sower in Mark 4 paints a powerful picture of what God is doing in South Sudan. During our September visit to Tonj, Zeke and I witnessed the IDAT team faithfully sowing the Word of God at our Kingdom Leaders Men’s Conference, hosted by Calvary Church Tonj.

Our team worked tirelessly to spread the invitation, visiting churches throughout town, inviting local government and military leaders, and personally reaching out to surrounding villages. We prayed and prepared, but the response exceeded our expectations. More than 1,200 men gathered, setting aside their Saturday to hear the Word of God.

The celebration included slaughtering cows and goats, lively traditional dancing, and four speakers (including Zeke) who challenged the men to understand what it means to truly follow Christ, lead as a Godly man and leader. The day’s most moving moment came during missionary Ben’s passionate presentation of the Gospel. Many men raised their hands and came forward for prayer, committing themselves to follow Jesus Christ. The cattle raiders, not only attended this event, but they received Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and asked to be baptized as a public declaration of their commitment to follow Him!

Cattle Raider gets baptized

What a privilege to witness the seeds of the Gospel being planted in so many hearts. God’s timing for this conference was perfect and the very men that caused the insecurity, that caused the delay, were the ones that attended and got saved! Please pray for these men as they begin their new lives in Christ.

Urgent Need:

Tarps to Shelter Homeless Families.

While in Tonj, Zeke and I visited some Internally Displaced People living under trees. It was devastating to witness pregnant mothers and toddlers living with no food or shelter. I sent an email asking people to pray about buying ONE tarp costing $20 to help a family in need. Please go to our website if you feel led to help.