Back in Tonj

Zeke and I are back in South Sudan! After five flights and two full days of travel, we finally arrived in Tonj. Despite the long journey, from the moment we landed, we hit the ground running and headed straight to the new ward for the opening ceremony.

It was an honor to officially open and dedicate the new pediatric ward. Standing in that space, praying and celebrating all God has done, reminded us that every mile traveled is worth it for the lives being touched and transformed. It is incredible to witness all that God is doing through His people here in Tonj.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

This trip marks 27 years since my first trip to South Sudan in February 1999. I could never have imagined back then all the Lord had planned for Tonj and my role in His plan.  And what a joy to share this with Zeke, now officially retired, as he is stepping into this new and exciting season of life and ministry with great expectation and a heart ready to serve in full-time missions.

This year, we still have three more trips scheduled: June, September, and November. If you feel led to join us on one of these trips, we would love to hear from you. We are praying for people who want to share in the vision God has placed on our hearts and walk alongside us in this work and to see His faithfulness firsthand on display.

New Ward

Our new pediatric ward is officially opened! We are filled with gratitude to African Mission Healthcare (AMH), a longtime partner of IDAT, who came alongside us and shared in our vision and need for a new pediatric ward.  So glad that Lewis and Kenneth could represent AMH and attend the new ward dedication service. This long-awaited expansion marks a major step forward at Noah’s Place Mission Hospital, in how we care for mothers, newborns, and children in the Tonj community.

Previously, maternity, pediatric, and neonatal patients shared the same space, increasing the risk of cross-infection and limiting our ability to provide specialized care. With the opening of this new ward, each patient group now has a dedicated area, improving safety, reducing length of hospital stays, and ultimately lowering mortality rates.

Our inpatient capacity has grown from 31 beds to 50 beds. This increase allows us to serve more families with greater dignity, compassion, and medical excellence. Each year, we witness lives transformed as people encounter not only physical healing, but also the hope of the Gospel.

Pastor’s Training in Kenya

In 2022, In Deed and Truth Ministries launched the Tonj Bible Institute (TBI) with a vision to equip local leaders for effective ministry and church planting. Since then, we have been partnering with Intensive Care Ministries (ICM) to offer a Certificate in Church Planting and a Diploma in Biblical Studies. Alongside these programs, we have intentionally been training four individuals from IDAT to become future teachers who can sustain and multiply this work.

This month, our four trainee teachers traveled to Kenya for the fourth of five intensive training sessions. The team included our Senior Pastor Mabior Bona Bol of CC Tonj, William Majok TBI Director, and IDAT missionaries Michael Herzinger and Benjamin Beard. During this intensive, they received in-depth instruction in preaching skills, the prophetic books, the poetry books, and a verse-by-verse study of the book of Revelation.

Their final intensive session will take place in April. We praise God for the faithful support and partnership of ICM in helping us train our pastors and now these teachers, who will, in turn, raise up pastors to lead our rapidly growing church plant program. This investment in leadership is laying a strong biblical foundation for the future of the Church in Tonj and beyond.