Women’s Conference!

Last month we distributed food to a community of Muslim refugees that fled the fighting in north Sudan. We invited them to attend our one-day women’s conference at our church and more than 100 of them came.

This powerful women’s event served as a bridge of unity and understanding, where women from different walks of life came together to learn, share stories, and experience the message of Jesus’ love and hope. Our topic was “What does it mean to be a Proverbs 31 woman?” Missionaries Sarah, Suzy, Destinee and Laurie each taught a session, with breakout sessions in between. Over 600 women attended, and the day was filled with inspiring testimonies, heartfelt prayers, and moments of genuine connection.

Proverbs 31:29-31 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all! Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised. Reward her for all she has done.”

A New Ministry!

We’re delighted to share that we have started a new ministry. As we shared that we hosted our first women’s conference at the church. The day before this conference we did a food distribution specifically for refugee women who had fled the civil war in Sudan (north). We had many Arab women come for this food distribution and we invited them to the conference.

We were thrilled to have around 100 ladies join us. Our senior pastor’s wife told us that three of the women prayed to receive Christ. Throughout the conference we bonded with these ladies and sought ways to see how we could minister to them further. This is how we found out that the majority of them would like to learn English. We agreed to teach them English if they agreed to allow us to teach them the gospel and just like that, 84 women signed up! This is how our new ministry was birthed. We have begun our English classes and what’s even better is we have now had two occasions to share the gospel with these ladies, which is the key part of this ministry.

Men’s Conference!

This month we held a Men’s conference at CC Tonj!  We called it, “Every man is called to be a leader!”  We created topics to share among the Pastors and male leaders and divided the time.

The Conference was opened by our own Field Director, Albino Dut. The first session was from Pastor Mabior who spoke on “leading the Church”. The second session was by Pastor Santino Bak on “leading in the community”. The third session was done by Missionary Michael Herzinger on “a Faithful man”. The fourth session was led by Pastor Joseph Kuol and called “leading the family”. The final session was led by Missionary Ben Beard entitled “A Humble man”.

We had a very enjoyable fellowship with around 300 men from the church.  Communication about each topic was encouraged for 45 minutes afterwards during the breakout sessions and was animated and exciting. We are looking forward to seeing much fruit from this venture and we were bombarded with requests to do this every year.  Amen!

Leader’s Conference!

In South Sudan, a nation rich in culture and history but also scarred by conflict and division, the role of effective leadership cannot be overstated. This last month our national team of leaders gathered together in Wau, the second largest city in South Sudan. The purpose was to welcome Nathan into the team, revisit the vision of In Deed and Truth Ministries and to equip them with the mindset and faith necessary to lead with integrity, unity, and purpose.

Every sector of our ministry was represented by our Field Director, Medical Director, CHE manager, Bible School Director, CC Tonj Senior Pastor, Finance Director, Church Plant coordinator, Missionary Support Specialist, and Infrastructure coordinator. We also invited our missionaries, and new Executive Director as we focused on nurturing and empowering this next generation of South Sudanese leaders for our ministry.

They are the future and it is our heart to equip them with biblical principles that foster humility, resilience, and servant leadership, all essential for navigating the pressures and responsibilities, with the continuance and growth of IDAT long-term.

“Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19

Ongoing Food Distribution!

Our ministry, by God’s grace and with the support of faithful partners, has been actively involved in providing food to both the internally displaced people (IDP’s) within our region and the muslim  refugees from Khartoum. We believe this is a critical moment to live out our calling to be the hands and feet of Jesus to those in desperate need.

Our maternal waiting homes are full of IDP’s that ran away from the tribal fighting in Tonj East. One woman had seven children killed and her 8-year-old daughter came with her who was also shot but survived. Another mother we are caring for was running with her 2-month-old twins. Her 10-year-old daughter was carrying one twin and she was carrying the other. As they fled gunshots, the daughter and twin were both killed. These women came to Tonj town but have no shelter or food.

360 bags of food (18 tons) were distributed to the refugee community that fled fighting in Khartoum.

Update on the Food Crisis!

South Sudan continues to grapple with a worsening food crisis, as the impact of tribal unrest, unpredictable weather patterns, and economic instability deepens. Over 7 million people, more than half the population, face severe food insecurity, with many areas still at risk of famine. Our town and the surrounding area have not received any aid from the World Food Program or other aid agencies and In Deed and Truth Ministries (IDAT) has been their only hope. As we share the food we share the truth, that we get our hope from Jesus.

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

A government representative in Tonj was very happy when he witnessed the relief food distribution to refugees from North Sudan. He announced to the town that only In Deed and Truth Ministries who are doing food distribution in Toni South and Mapel, while other Non-Government Organizations are doing nothing this year to help.

So far we have bought and delivered 120 tons of food, feeding 19,000 people! Even though these numbers sound impressive we are only giving enough food to prevent starvation. Please keep praying we have one month to go.

New Water Well Partnership!

Over the past 3 years, our IDAT team has facilitated 12 new water wells in our CHE villages. This has provided safe drinking water to thousands of people throughout Tonj who previously had been drinking contaminated surface water.

These wells have had a life-changing impact in each community, however, our team is already stretched to capacity planting churches, caring for the sick in our mission hospital, and establishing Community Health Evangelism (CHE), so we have not been able to keep up with the needs. This year we started a new water well partnership with another ministry in South Sudan called Every Village, which recently purchased a powerful drilling rig. IDAT conducted community surveys, identified CHE villages in desperate need of safe drinking water, held community meetings, and shared the gospel.

We also purchased the core materials required for the water wells such as hand pumps and pipes. The villages each raised $400 to contribute toward material costs, this provides ownership and investment in the need, breaking decades of unhealthy dependence. They also pay a subscription to the Every Village Well Maintenance Program to ensure the well continues operating effectively.

Every Village used their new rig to drill down to depths of 40-70m to reach underground aquafers of pristine water, and then installed the pipes, handpump and concrete pad to enable each of these villages to bring this pristine water into their homes.

We are grateful to Every Village for their partnership; and to each of you – our IDAT supporters whose donations have made these water wells possible. It is great when God’s people work together to bring His Kingdom!

Food Crisis Response!

We have had an incredible response to the food crisis appeal we sent out last month. Every year, South Sudan faces a severe food crisis between the months of June and October. Some years are worse than others. This year, In Deed And Truth Ministries have had people brought to our doorstep who have been found unconscious due to severe hunger.

As Mark 8:3 says, “If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from far away.”

This lady represents thousands of women and children currently in South Sudan. Desperate, afraid, helpless, without hope and food, slowly witnessing the deterioration of her child’s health and not being able to do anything about it. She is one of many we have been able to support, and we thank God they found us and we invite you to join us in praying for them

This heart-breaking image is one of many that moved us to put out a ‘call to action’ to fundraise for food distribution among our Community Health Evangelism (CHE) villages. It was reported that 70 of the 85 villages were in desperate need of food but since then we have 76 villages currently registered with us for food. That’s an estimated 12,000 people and over 75 tons of food. The estimated amount to raise was $150,000 goal and we had faith that God would provide above and beyond this amount. It is with great joy that I announce the total giving to be $193,093.14 at the time of writing this newsletter. Most of this was raised within three weeks of sharing the food crisis with our partners!! This ‘extra’ amount will easily enable us to feed all the extra villages, and help some of the 17,000 refugees currently in Tonj displaced from the civil war in North Sudan. God is so good!

“Great is God’s steadfast love towards us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!” Psalm 117:2

Suzy in Southern CA

My trip to Southern California was amazing. Thank you to everyone who hosted gatherings for me to share my testimony. I pray my story inspired and touched many hearts and especially those that might be struggling and needing hope. The Lord is faithful and never leaves us or forsakes us. Thank you for introducing new friends to In Deed and Truth Ministries. As our ministry has exploded in the last five years we have needed to expand our donor base. Thank you to everyone who gave so generously to our ministry during this trip. I am so blessed by the outpouring of love and support.

One of the blessings for me personally was being asked by Horizon Church Women’s Ministry to be the speaker at their annual Christmas Tea. This event will be on December 8^th and 9^th. Please let me know if you would be interested in attending.

As I focus more on fundraising and making new connections stateside, I ask you to pray for me and for the Lord to open doors of new opportunities for me to share. If your church does not currently support IDAT, please pray about making that introduction for us. This is one of the ways you can help support our ministry.

Food Crisis – Call to Action!

We have a dire situation in South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation is facing an unprecedented famine crisis. More than half the country is in desperate need of food. In our area of Tonj, 70 of our 85 CHE villages are at risk of starvation. One of the most pressing concerns is that the main harvest is not until October. This extended period without adequate food supplies places immense pressure on already scarce resources. Communities are struggling to make their dwindling food supplies last, leading to increased malnutrition. One mother shared that she was rationing her food and feeding her children one meal every three days. Her greatest burden was watching her children crying from hunger and not giving in to those cries. The scale of the crisis is overwhelming, but despite the challenges, In Deed and Truth Ministries is committed to getting involved and helping in any way we can.

How You Can Help

1. Donate: Financial contributions are the most effective way to support our relief effort.
2. Raise Awareness: Spread the word about the famine in South Sudan. Use social media, small groups, and your churches to rally support.
3. Start your own Fundraiser: Run/walk; auction artwork and crafts; benefit concert; bake sale; cook-off; car wash; garage sale. These are just a few ideas to get you thinking.

Every contribution counts in the fight against this famine. There is enough food in the world that no person should be starving in 2024. Together, we can help the people of Tonj through this crisis so that a family never has to face the horrors of starvation.

For more information and to donate please visit our website.

“By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” 1 John 3:16-18

Fistula Patients!

Since 2021 IDAT has been partnering with the Barbara May Foundation to send ladies for maternal fistula repair. A maternal fistula occurs when a woman has had complications during labor. It is most prevalent in the villages and communities without maternity services. The most common occurrence is when a woman has been laboring for days and is unable to deliver successfully. Not only do they eventually give birth to a stillborn, but the damage caused by the delivery leaves the women incontinent and unable to control their bowel or urinary movements. More often than not women are then shamed for this and ostracized from their families and communities. In some cases, women are forced to be locked away from the outside world and only provided one meal a day.

Last month, we were pleased to send seven women to have their fistula repaired. One of these women was only 17 years old and had developed a fistula in February after complications during labor in the village. Another had a complete 4th-degree perineal tear 10 years ago that never fully healed. She had been living with pain and leaking ever since. Two months ago, she gave birth to twins which resulted in rupturing her tear completely.  We pour the love of Jesus on these women, making it a priority to share the gospel with them and pray for them before they leave for surgery. When they return, they are completely transformed, full of hope, ready to become ambassadors to help more women with fistula, and best of all they have returned singing God’s praises for the healing He had brought to their lives!

We thank God for this partnership and invite you to join with us as we pray for these women and the many more who are living with this condition.

Suzy in Southern CA

I’m excited to announce that I will be in San Diego and Orange County at the end of the month, from July 17^th to 31^st, and would love the opportunity to catch up with you. I look forward to reconnecting and sharing stories of all the amazing things the Lord is doing in South Sudan. I’ll be in Rancho Santa Fe attending the Horizon Church mission weekend on the 27^th/28^th, look for the In Deed and Truth Ministries table in the courtyard. If you can come it would be wonderful to see you there. If not, let’s make some time to get together and share a coffee or a meal. As our ministry continues to grow, I am in need of making new connections. Please pray and see how the Lord might use you to help me with that.