The Future of IDAT

Last year we announced our desire to train a Medical Doctor to run the IDAT Hospital and lead the medical team as the Medical Director. We rejoice that the Lord heard our cry and Gabriel Gojoh has been in medical school for the past 8 months. Our ministry has invested in our own medical staff over the last 9 years so they can fill the primary roles needed in our hospital. Gabriel started with IDAT in 2010 as a Community Health Worker and was trained on the job. He loves helping people and we chose him to receive a scholarship back in 2013, where he studied Clinical Medicine and graduated top of his class as a Clinical Officer in 2016. It has been a joy to watch him grow spiritually and take on leadership roles and responsibilities. As the hospital grows. so does the need to raise up the next generation of medical professionals to continue to walk out the vision the LORD has given us.

This is a huge seven-year commitment for Gabriel, who is away from his family, living in a foreign land and not earning an income that has previously helped his younger siblings go to school. Would you remember Gabriel in prayer, write him in your prayer journal and share his story with your prayer groups. Gabriel said, “he is grateful to God for this opportunity and is doing well.”

The Fruit is Sweet

All over Tonj you will find 40 year old mango trees. They’re huge and during the months of March and April there is plenty of fruit to enjoy. The IDAT compound has 4 large trees, two of which are not publicly accessible. Sure enough the mangoes on the other trees are stripped quickly, while they are still green. On the other two trees though, we let the mangoes ripen until they are yellow, juicy and sweet. It’s definitely worth the wait!!

In today’s culture of instant everything, we have a hard time waiting for the fruit in our life, families, ministries, to ripen. The book of Galatians in the New Testament of the bible, the Apostle Paul encourages us to “not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” This verse has become a theme for IDAT in 2022. It has taken years of hard work, sacrifice, planting seeds, watering those seeds and waiting for the harvest. Now in 2022 we are enjoying the spiritual fruit and like the mangoes, it was worth the wait. Our CHE program continues to expand, in the first quarter of this year we added more centers making a total of 38 and we hope to add another 19 by December. Our hospital faithfully serves 50,000 pregnant mothers and infants each year. We have multiplied ourselves with 35 pastors now on the team and being trained for effective service. We now have 29 church plants and it continues to grow!! If you’re going through a tough season don’t be discouraged, in God’s perfect timing it will be worth the wait!

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!”   Psalm 34:8-9

Suzy and Jed’s Easter Trip

What a joy to be back with the team in Tonj. And what a journey to get there. First flight was cancelled forcing a 5-hour drive. COVID test came back late forcing another change to rebook everything by 24 hours. One night sleeping on the airport floor! Finally got the negative test only to be told it was past the date allowed for the arrival. Managed to persuade them to board us and then the uncertainty of the next 4 flights and wondering if they would refuse us at any point! In the middle of the chaos the Lord reminded me, He is in control, TRUST ME, He said. Relax, and let me be God!! So grateful for the peace that came over us and thankful we made it along with the oxygen concentrator, CPAP, oximeter, medical uniforms, baby blankets and student tablets we were carrying! Sitting on the cold, hard airport floor in Atlanta I thought about the hundreds of refugees I’ve worked with over the past 20 years and how horrific their journeys were to get to safety. I passed the time praying for the millions of Ukrainians whose lives took an unexpected turn and are now facing their own journey of uncertainty. Suddenly, my ‘travel’ crisis just didn’t feel like a crisis anymore!

This trip is for the purpose of dedicating the new main church plant, CC Tonj on Easter Sunday and to welcome two missionaries with Intensive Care Ministries who are coming specifically to train our pastors. Battlefield, warfare, obstacles, YES!! “For the battle is not ours, but God’s.”