San Diego for South Sudan!

Last month, we had the incredible opportunity to travel to San Diego to raise support for our ministry serving in South Sudan. It was an honor to attend the mission weekend of Suzy’s sending church, Horizon Church in Rancho Santa Fe, and connect with ministry partners and new supporters. We shared stories from the field of transformation, faith, and evangelism, as well as how our ministry is impacting thousands through medical care and CHE, bringing hope amidst great challenges and ongoing insecurities.

The heart of the trip was connecting with people who believe in the vision and are eager to join the team and support the incredible work the Lord is doing in Tonj. One of the blessings was receiving a check from children attending Vacation Bible School at Horizon! Such a joy to witness these little kids collecting money for missions.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this trip possible by hosting us and providing a car. We are grateful San Diego, for standing with us. Together, we are making a difference!

As I am new to this specific networking and fundraising role, I am asking for your help. It doesn’t matter what state you live in, I’d love to come and share with your church or you can host a fundraising evening/event. Please prayerfully consider introducing me and IDAT to your church, the more people praying and partnering with us the more villages we can reach with the gospel.

Beard Family Back in Tonj!

On May 6, the Beard family joyously arrived in Tonj for their 2025 ministry service. Sadly, within weeks, tribal conflicts and cattle raids swept through the town, creating insecurity and fear in every home. After just four weeks, the Beards were evacuated to Kenya, leaving Tonj with heavy hearts.

God faithfully redeemed their time in Kenya, where they made some important connections and completed Community Health Evangelism (CHE) TOT 1 & 2 training. In his new role as Operations Director, Ben strengthened existing IDAT relationships, formed new missionary partnerships, visited two significant mission hospitals and preached in churches. What the enemy intended for harm, God used for good.

Four weeks ago, a new governor in Tonj began peace efforts, with a mass disarmament and began engaging with communities in conflict. Stability quickly improved, allowing the Beard family to return. Their joy in reuniting with the community was great, but the season also revealed the spiritual battle behind the unrest.

The IDAT leadership team was burdened by the disruption to our ministry and the gospel being shared, and so prayer became our strongest weapon of warfare! We called on missionaries, partner churches, and believers in Tonj to intercede daily for peace. Hallelujah,  peace has been restored and the Beards are back! Please continue to join us in praying for our communities as they recover from this unrest.

Hope in a Time of Hunger!

In Tonj, a mother’s hardest decision isn’t what to cook—it’s how she will ration her food (if she has food) and when her children will eat, today or tomorrow?

Recent tribal fighting, cattle raids, and insecurity in our area have created a food crisis, with thousands of families facing hunger and rationing food. Just because we don’t see it firsthand doesn’t mean it’s not happening. The problem feels overwhelming to us but it’s not to the Lord Jesus. From Genesis to Revelation, scripture reveals God’s deep love and concern for the poor, and He calls His people to open their hands and hearts to defend their cause and to treat acts of kindness toward them as service to Him.

In Deed and Truth Ministries (IDAT) is committed to helping in any way we can by responding with urgently needed food relief. We have already begun food distributions to reach widows, orphans, and displaced families. We invite you to get involved and help us reach more people in need.

“Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will repay him for his deed.” Proverbs 19:17

Through prayer, partnership, and perseverance, we believe both physical and spiritual hunger can be met in South Sudan.

Supporting Tonj Amid Crisis!

The ongoing cattle raids and retaliatory attacks in Tonj, South Sudan, have escalated insecurity. Our missionaries were evacuated to Kenya, where I was able to travel and reunite with them, offering encouragement and spiritual support as they navigate this difficult season. It was great to visit Samaritan’s Purse and Calvary Chapel Eldoret, as well as other missionary partners.

Despite the unrest, our trip was fruitful; we still delivered the supplies for Tonj to the missionaries and met with African Mission Healthcare, who sponsor many of our medical students.

Please join us in praying for peace in Tonj, protection for our missionaries and national team, and strength for the community as we trust God’s guidance and timing for their return to the field.

Mid-Year Praise Report

In the first half of 2025, In Deed And Truth ministered to 21,730 children and mothers through Noah’s Place Mission Hospital, sharing Jesus’ love via healthcare and Gospel preaching. The effective prevention through CHE (Community Health Evangelism) and medical outreaches has created a slight dip in pediatric inpatient and outpatient visits.  Our maternity department has increased deliveries, and we also experienced an increase in neonatal care, and outreaches, maintaining overall activity levels. We thank God for these opportunities to serve and share. Testimony: The Tonj Triplets – In South Sudan, triplets are more common than the global average, and Noah’s Place Mission Hospital recently welcomed a set. Cholok, a mother, began labor early one morning but continued her chores. By 7 p.m., while showering, she realized a baby was coming. Unable to reach the hospital on foot, our ambulance quickly brought her to our maternity ward. By 8 p.m, Cholok safely delivered 3 healthy babies with our skilled staff’s help.

She expressed deep gratitude, saying the ministry’s support made this safe delivery possible. We praise God for His grace in Cholok’s story.

Redemption Through Faith!

John Magar, a respected witchdoctor in Tonj North, visited Noah’s Place Mission Hospital seeking help for a sick family member. During the outpatient process, he reached the pastor’s station, where a chaplain shared the Gospel. Touched by the message, John and his wife surrendered their lives to Jesus. News of their decision reached Tonj East, sparking family disapproval. Undeterred, John attended In Deed And Truth’s daily staff devotions to deepen his faith.

The hospital’s chaplains stood by him, even traveling to Tonj North to help him burn his witchcraft charms, ensuring no return to his past. John’s faith continued to grow in his village, and he has now become a great evangelist. He says, “I want to find all of the people that used to use my witchcraft services so that I can share the Gospel with them and lead them to Jesus.” We praise the Lord for these awesome testimonies of how the Lord is using our hospital for physical and spiritual healing, bringing hope to a lost world.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

Meet Michael!

We are thrilled to announce that Michael Herzinger has joined our ministry team in South Sudan as a dedicated missionary and trainer of our pastors at the Tonj Bible Institute.

Michael has been attending the diploma training through Intensive Care Ministries (ICM) so that he can lead the program for IDAT going forward. With a heart for equipping church leaders, Michael brings a wealth of experience in theological education and pastoral mentorship. His passion for fostering spiritual growth and empowering local pastors aligns perfectly with our mission to strengthen the Church in South Sudan.

Michael will focus on equipping our 48 national pastors with deeper biblical knowledge, effective preaching skills, and strong leadership to serve the 42 IDAT church plants and communities. His commitment to cross-cultural ministry will help build a strong foundation for the Gospel’s impact. We are excited to see how God will use Michael’s gifts to inspire and uplift our pastoral network, fostering hope and transformation across South Sudan. Join us in welcoming Michael to this vital role! Please prayerfully consider supporting Michael or Tonj Bible Institute, with a monthly recurring donation.

“And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” – 2 Timothy 2:2

Happy Healthy Homes!

As well as health education, evangelism, and community development projects, another pillar of Community Health Evangelism (CHE) is the ‘Happy Healthy Homes’ initiative. We encourage each of the 10,000 homes we are helping to try and establish 17 key health and spiritual practices within their home. For example, tippy taps utilize local resources to create a home handwashing station, which reduces the spread of infectious diseases.

Improved fireplaces more than halve the firewood mothers need to collect for cooking, as well as eliminating the risk of children being burnt by open fires. Sleeping under treated mosquito nets dramatically reduces rates of malaria, which is the number one killer of children in South Sudan. Vegetable gardens help families broaden the range of essential nutrients in their diet, which is vital for the health of children and pregnant or breastfeeding mothers.

And family prayer times and joining a bible listening group help foster unity and spiritual growth. Please continue to pray for wisdom and safety for our 6,000 Community Health Evangelists as they face insecurities, with rains beginning, and they cycle over muddy tracks to take the gospel to these remote and unreached villages.

State of Emergency!

We are currently experiencing insecurity in our villages from cattle raids and retaliatory attacks, particularly in the Tonj area.  President Salva Kiir has declared a six-month state of emergency in our state.  There is a curfew in place. Despite the deployment of military forces, their ability to curb violence has been limited. Fighting and insecurity have driven significant displacement, with thousands now living without shelter, food, or water.

IDAT made the difficult decision to evacuate the Beard Family to Kenya, and Zeke and I have switched to travel to Kenya instead of South Sudan and will meet them and Michael in Nairobi. Pray for safe travel, strength, and unity as our team reconnects, peace and protection for our staff in Tonj, and effective intervention to curb violence and support displaced families.

Missionaries Return Safely!

The heightened security concerns in South Sudan delayed Ben and Sarah Beard from returning as planned, but it did enable them to travel with Suzy around Australia. As IDAT is a beneficiary of the Sandy Running Festival and Bright Futures for several years, it was awesome to participate in the 5k this year!

South Sudan continues to be an unstable nation, so it was a wonderful opportunity to pray together in person and seek the Lord for their safe entry and God’s timing for going back to Tonj. We are happy to announce the Lord answered that prayer quickly and they were only delayed by 2 weeks. We are blessed to welcome back the Beard Family to serve with us for another term in Tonj. Please join us in praying for them and their three children, Jonah (12), Seth (10) and Ryelle (7).

CHE Expansion!

April was an awesome month for our CHE team! We completed a total of five CHE conferences, attended by over 3,000 of our CHE volunteers, along with community leaders. Hundreds of people dedicated their lives to Christ during the conferences, and our volunteer CHE’s were encouraged and inspired by teaching, preaching, testimonies, worship, and of course, feasting! One of our challenges is that we cannot keep up with the volume of requests we are receiving for CHE from chiefs and community leaders, who are desperate for us to teach their community about Jesus, health, and community development. Most people in these villages have never heard the gospel before. In response, we have just finished training four new CHE trainers.

Each of these trainers will be overseeing five new CHE villages, which allows us to take the good news of Christ, alongside health education and community development, into 20 more villages. Please pray for these trainers as they launch CHE in new villages. We currently have over 100 villages on our waiting list.

If you would like to help us spread the gospel into these villages through CHE, we would be extremely grateful. It costs about $2,000 to run the CHE program in a village.

The New Ward!

We are excited to share that construction is underway for our new neonatal ward. This forthcoming facility will allow us to move neonates out of our pediatric ward, reducing the risk of cross-infection and freeing up much-needed space for our pediatric patients who require long-term care in a safe and nurturing environment.

Once completed, the ward will feature modern medical equipment and a skilled team of healthcare professionals, aiming to reduce infant and child mortality rates and provide hope to families across the region. We are committed to improving maternal and child health outcomes and look forward to bringing this transformative project to life for South Sudan’s communities in the Tonj South region.

“Through wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; By knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches.” Proverbs 24:3-4

Pray for South Sudan!

As Easter approaches, a time of renewal and hope, South Sudan teeters on the brink of civil war, threatening to unravel years of fragile peace. Recent escalations between government forces and opposition groups have heightened tensions, displacing thousands and deepening an already dire humanitarian crisis. The South Sudan Council of Churches has warned of catastrophic consequences if violence resumes, offering to mediate talks.

Amid this unrest, we’ve made the difficult decision to cancel our upcoming pastor diploma class, prioritizing the safety of the 25 participants and missionaries that teach the class. Additionally, our missionaries, eager to return and serve, must delay their journey until stability improves.

This setback weighs heavily, but our commitment to supporting South Sudan’s people remains unwavering. We recently had all our pastors together for a weekend of encouragement and training. They are planning a mass baptism in Tonj on Easter Sunday and I would ask you to pray as some of the villages are far and experiencing tribal clashes.

Easter reminds us of the power of peace and reconciliation—values desperately needed now. We ask for your prayers for South Sudan, for wisdom among its leaders, and for a swift resolution that allows it’s citizens and our ministry to thrive in peace. Together, let’s hold fast to hope, trusting that even in these uncertain times, light can break through the darkness.

Pray for CHE!

Last week we had the first of our CHE conferences for 2025. It was hosted by the village of Waralel for 15 surrounding villages, and over 1,000 of our CHE volunteers joined us for a day of teaching, testimonies, worship, prayer, feasting and dancing. Pastor Mabior, the Senior Pastor of CC Tonj, shared a powerful message about the Kingdom of God, with 57 community members making decisions to dedicate their lives to Christ.

Local chiefs expressed their deep gratitude to IDAT for the CHE Program for bringing peace, unity, health and hope to their villages. Please join us in praying for God’s blessing over the upcoming conferences in the regions of Majook, Mapel, Manyiel and Palal, especially in light of the civil unrest.

In addition, South Sudan is grappling with a severe cholera outbreak, with over 40,000 cases and 799 deaths reported across nine states at the beginning of April. Flooding, conflict, and a strained health system exacerbate the crisis. In our state of Warrap over 25 people have died from cholera and with the ongoing conflict, the situation will continue to worsen.

In light of the insecurity and illness plaguing South Sudan, offers comfort:

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

This verse reminds us that amid conflict, displacement, and cholera, there is a source of hope and resilience for those enduring these hardships.

Pray for Suzy!

Please keep me in your prayers as I juggle my new role as Director of Fundraising and Missions, based now in Florida and traveling a few times a year to South Sudan. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to travel for free to Australia, raising awareness and funds for In Deed and Truth Ministries. I met with old and new ministry partners, shared updates about our mission, and participated in a fun run to support South Sudan’s ongoing needs.

Pray for my continued strength after this trip, open doors for more fruitful connections and God’s favor as I serve this ministry wholeheartedly!