By Ted Miyaki

I have been a week in Tonj. The days accelerate and what seemed like a long time to be here is already almost passed. Probably because the days are so full – even the “down” days.

One of the main reasons for my coming was the pastors’ graduation from the Bible School. What a celebration of God’s faithfulness and a lifting up of Jesus’ name! Local and regional officials from churches and government came. How nice to be greeted by the deputy governor “in the name of Jesus Christ”! I was particularly touched when he describe how the ministry has helped Tonj…he was nearly in tears.

The pastors are a remarkable bunch. All 1st generation believers from pagan backgrounds (one was groomed by family to become a witch doctor). Most were saved during the war as it scattered men in the army to far regions where they received the Gospel and in turn brought it back home or to wherever they were assigned. Many of them were made pastors and leaders with no Bibles, no training, and some with only second grade education. One said he used to just tell the church amusing stories since he knew nothing of the Word of God.

So their appreciation for three years of going through the entire Bible was incredible. Part of the length was due to the fact that all had to learn English so they could read the Old Testament (no OT in local language). Their grasp of the centrality of the Bible in Christian faith and practice is remarkable. In meetings with the pastors, they kept thanking and thanking IDAT, their teachers and the supporters back in the US. You would have thought they had been given a million dollars – in their minds probably more than that.

More than what they learned about Scripture, I was impressed and inspired by their testimonies of how the Word of God and the school changed their LIVES. One, a former soldier, said he was a fighter (he was as big as Michael Jordan) always “boxing” people. He was his own god – now Jesus is his God and he is a lover. Another testified how much he loves his wife now and he wants to help other Sudanese men love their wives – that was pretty sweet coming from a guy who was at least 6′ 4″!

They are SO eager to go out (some have already planted churches in outlaying villages) to teach, preach and disciple. I was honored to be able to pray with and for them, to send them out in Jesus name.

I was especially humbled to meet the main teachers over the 3 years, servant-teachers, a missionary couple who have served in foreign fields for almost 40 years. They love the pastors like their own sons, and they endured so much to graduate them (35 started, 13 finished). Theirs was truly a labor of love. They have inscribed letters of Christ on the hearts of these men. The pastors could not stop thanking Joe and Nancy. May God richly bless them as they must move on from Tonj.