When we started our missionary journey in 1999 I remember asking God, “Are you sure Lord? There’s so many people better qualified than us! What can you do with the likes of us?” Despite our obvious imperfections and shortcomings, He did not disqualify us but instead made us into a vessel He could use. He removed all traces of self-will and slowly transformed us. As I ponder this thought I am mostly amused because I know this has been a flesh battle every day to ‘die to self’. Instead of His cup running over I have lamented to have the cup taken away on many occasions!! I remember a fellow missionary telling me, “A missionary’s life is not their own, it belongs to God.” And this truth is helping us more than ever as we face great loss to our family and long stretches away from each other.

But, let me return to ‘present day’. Sabet is in Africa tending to his mother’s needs as she spends her last days on this earth. There is much to do to care for her; the cancer in her esophagus has spread to her lymph nodes and lungs. She knows her Savior and we are so grateful for His mercy and peace. In South Sudan, she cares for 14 grandchildren, and so there are plans to make so she can have peace about their future without ‘Hububba’. Pray for Sabet as he leads his dad, uncle, two brothers, two sister, nieces and nephews through this difficult time.

Mosquito Mania!

Malaria season is upon us and that means overwhelming numbers of mothers and babies attending our clinic.

This photo taken in August of the medical clinic with mother’s waiting outside after their babies have seen the doctor, is an all too familiar sight. As an ‘outpatient’ facility with limited beds, we can only admit a few serious cases per day. The remaining patients wait it out on the ‘porch’ under the watchful eyes of our Community Health Workers. They begin treatment as we monitor their condition and try to reduce the high fevers and prevent convulsions. As I recall from my previous years of serving, I can remember the fear the mum’s have, and the peace I would have and share with them that Jesus is in control. Just having one person desire that peace was the highlight of my day. Malaria has devastating effects on under five year olds, it is running rampant through our villages and accounting for 85% of the cases in our clinic.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” – Romans 15:13

• Pray for God’s Will to be done for Mama Sabet and her family.
• Pray for Sabet as he ministers to his family.
• Pray for peace for South Sudan.
• Pray for Agum’s citizenship.

The story of STS in Malony

Simply the Story (STS) continues to be a powerful evangelism tool for the IDAT pastors who go from village to village holding two day workshops and teaching the Bible stories. Recently they held a workshop in the village of Malony. Despite the physical hunger lingering throughout South Sudan, the pastors reported there is also a hunger for God’s word. This is so exciting to us as this village has resisted the gospel in the past. After we planted a church there in 2012 many abandoned their traditional beliefs, stopped going to the witchdoctor and started to follow Christ.

Our pastors are very encouraged by what they see happening in this church, the brothers and sisters heart for the Lord, their appreciation for what God has done in their lives and the welcome they gave our pastors. It is evident God’s word is bringing change and transforming lives. God is healing the sick through prayer and bringing peace to this village. Earlier in the year the clan fighting was so bad and brought many casualties upon families. The church responded in prayer and the Lord gave peace to their land. More and more ‘God stories’ are being told and passed around, it is so awesome to witness this fruit after years of preparing the soil, planting and water seeds. Yes!!! God is so faithful.

The greatest thing for us to remember is that, HE chose us, not the other way around. And in choosing us, HE created us for HIS purpose and plan, not for our own goals and ambitions. Why is this truth so difficult to trust in? We can understand it but walking in it, taking steps of daily faith, are much harder to do. “Not my will by Thy will be done.” For our family, that means being in the USA while we wait on the Lord for Agum’s citizenship. Surely HE must have another plan when immigration did not receive our last filing. Yes you heard it right, our March filing was not received and this has set us back another 3 months!?? Can our Lord really have a plan and purpose in this delay?

“In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

The overwhelming disappointment and feeling of defeat was met with quiet stillness from our Lord. WAIT, is all we have heard… just wait.

Part of my daily time with the Lord is spent ‘Practicing being in His Presence” as Brother Lawrence and Frank Laubach experienced. Moment by moment devotion and trust. I want to have that intimacy and oneness with my Savior that just doesn’t come automatically. Waiting and seeking Him and not my will has been a growing and yet awesome discipline. Our confidence is in His timing, His plan, His purpose, His will. Thank you Jesus we can find rest and peace in you. When none of it makes sense, it really doesn’t matter because You hold all the jigsaw pieces of our life and You have the perfect and completed picture in Your Hands. Thank you for the opportunity you give our family every day to trust You more and grow in our faith, and be used by You to make a difference in this world.

Changed Lives, Change Lives!

We believe as we invest in people for eternity and their lives are changed, they share their experiences with others whose lives are then changed. Take Peter Malok, a South Sudanese community health worker, who has been working with our ministry for over 5 years. He gave his life to Christ and despite pressure to follow culture and tradition, lived his life by his Christian faith. He was spiritually taught as well as medically trained. Last year we were able to send him, along with 3 others, for Clinical Officer medical training in Kenya. This has not been an easy road and he still has 2 years to go but he can see how much his life has changed over the past 5 years and how God has used Peter’s story to encourage others.

When the students returned to Tonj during their summer break, our entire IDAT team took a day off to celebrate their return and reconnect with them. In the midst of the desperation and despair in South Sudan, these young men are a beacon of hope, joy and excitement. Peter shared his testimony with our current medical team and talked about how God is alive and answers his prayers. God is raising up a new generation for South Sudan, changing their lives and equipping them so they can invest back into their own community and change lives for eternity. We are so proud of them.

Santina’s Story

Santina is a young mother who attends our church, Calvary Chapel Tonj. Every Saturday she joins a women’s group from the church and visits homes in the community, sharing the gospel. For Santina to earn a living in a small town like Tonj can be very challenging, especially if she wants to continue to set aside time for her family’s needs and serve the Lord. Every day in the clinic we have over 100 women and children waiting to see a doctor. We gave Santina the opportunity to sell tea to the waiting patients at our clinic. Santina has embraced this opportunity as a gift from God, doing something she loves and turning it into a ministry. She listens to these women, prays for them, encourages them and tells them about Jesus. It is amazing to watch Santina selflessly pour out her life for others, spending time with those that have been admitted and caring for the carers of the patients, often mothers of little ones afraid their child might die. As a mother herself she can understand and minister in a way that our pastors and chaplains cannot achieve.

Please pray for Santina, for our family, our team in Tonj and for our medical students in Kenya.

The ‘holding’ pattern continues stateside as we await news on Agum’s citizenship. Any day we should receive instructions on the next step to take. Sabet returned from East Africa after 4 weeks away and our family, now reunited, are trusting His perfect timing and learning much through the process. It is never about us and our plans, it is about dying to our right, will and desires to allow Him to use this for His glory. Can we really put Christ in us ‘on hold’? We feel desperate to go back and yet our desperation needs to be for Jesus and Him alone. We have come to that place of living moment by moment and praying “May your will be done not ours, give us today whatever it is we need and use us Lord, no matter where we are, for your purpose.”

Security

The situation in South Sudan continues to deteriorate. With no peace in sight the nation is sinking fast. July 9th marks the country’s 4th anniversary but also marks 18 months of fighting. So far more than 2 million people are displaced and over 4 million face food insecurity, which no doubt will not evoke a spirit of celebrating their freedom this year. Sabet receives daily reports of rebel activity and shootings, most of which don’t affect our area directly but have caused trucks not to pass with fuel, food and supplies.

A Home for our Missionaries

Despite all of these challenges we are happy to announce the safe arrival of container # 2 with the Macleods prefab home. This home is going to make their service long term more comfortable and safer for their children. Bryan (Destinee’s dad) and Richard will work putting together the home before they head back to New Zealand in August.

Despair vs. Hope

It is never easy to see little ones suffering and parents desperate to save them. Our greatest joy comes when we see Jesus in the midst of these hopeless situations. Our newest team member, Josephat, is a clinical officer from Kenya. He shared this story with us about 11-day old baby Atem. When the parents arrived at our clinic with the child you could see fear and desperation in their faces. Atem was severely sick with meningitis and by all means should not survive. He was not feeding and was weak. We told the parents we have hope in Jesus Christ and we would not give up praying every day for the child.to be healed. Our pastors also visited the parents and talked to them about Jesus. On the fourth day Atem started nursing and very soon he regained strength. After 16 days in our clinic he was completely healed and discharged. The next day the parents came back to our compound looking for Pastor Santino. They wanted to know more about this Jesus who healed their son!

“That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting that there is none besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other; I form the light & create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things.” – Isaiah 45:6-7

Praises: We thank Jesus for Agum and Jed and their decision to be baptized.

Sabet and Pastor Rob (Eastgate) baptizing Agum and Jed in the Gulf of Mexico

Praises: For the healing of the Macleod children after weeks of diarrhea.

Praises: For Sabet’s trip and safety while traveling.

Praises: For the safe arrival of the Macleod container.

Prayer: For the insecurity of South Sudan and its future peace.

Prayer: For Agum’s citizenship case.

Prayer: Protection, health and safety of our team as they rotate in and out of Kenya for rest.

Just over a week ago Sabet returned to East Africa and once again we found our family separated by miles of land and ocean. Time seems to stand still when we count the days until we are reunited. It got me thinking about the many years during the war, when I was pregnant, that we spent weeks apart. The Lord would always comfort me then and He is comforting me now. “Wait on me, I see you and all you are going through. Just trust ME.” Oh how I want to finish this race with honor and strength. So here I am, waiting…in ‘rainy’ Florida!

Rain…Good or Bad?

We are beginning our 6 month rainy season in Tonj. You can almost hear the land cry out with relief after months of the sun scorching every bit of life from the dirt. As the torrential downpours begin pockets of grass spring into action washing over the brown landscape with vibrant greens and splashes of color. Rain is such a precious commodity in Africa. With the rain comes busyness, as the woman attend to the gardens while men enjoy free ‘catches’ from the river and their cattle feast on fresh grass.

What a respite from the intense heat, even coolness follows a downpour. Frogs, frogs and more frogs all blurting out their own song and rhythm joined by the relentless drumming as they celebrate the first rains, pounding into the early morning hours.

The spectacular thundery theatre in the afternoon sky tells me I’m deep in the African basin where rain causes havoc and sometimes even tragedy for the local South Sudanese. Tonj is well known for its extensive flooding, impassable roads, disease infested swamps and rampant malaria.

Flash bolts of lightning claim lives every year. Many believe the witchdoctors tales and pay for the curse of that lightning that would strike against the one who has wronged them.

I always know my insignificance and God’s mighty power and authority in the midst of such a storm. Don’t fear the storm but the ONE who is Creator and in control of the storm. The one who calms the storm with a spoken word.

Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!” But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” – Matthew 8:25-27

As the rains are just getting under way, we wonder what this rainy season will bring to In Deed and Truth? Will there be flooding? Loss of gardens and famine? High numbers of infant deaths in the clinic from malaria? Food and fuel shortages due to trucks not getting through on the roads? Death of those we know and love? Tragic misconceptions of witchcraft and Jesus… Who has the real Power?

We can only pray in anticipation of what the Lord has in store and how we might be used to bring calm in the storm.

Praises: For our wonderful team of medical professionals and staff serving the South Sudanese around the clock and countering fear with hope and truth.

Praises: For the safe arrival of our visitors. Dr. Destinee’s father Bryan and his friend Richard are helping the Macleods to construct a home for their family.

Prayer: For the deteriorating security situation and for wisdom in decision making as it effects our team on the ground.

Prayer: One truck arrived but we have three remaining, two inside South Sudan and one in Nairobi.

Prayer: We should get news about the next step in Agum’s case before this month ends.

Prayer: For the health and safety of our team, especially the little Macleod kids who have both been sick with diarrhea for several weeks.

Prayer: For the good and the bad that comes with the rain.

2015 International Wholistic Missions Conference!

Many of you know we use CHE programs in our ministry in South Sudan. The Community Health Evangelism (CHE) Network team facilitated this amazing conference which brought together partners and individuals, practicing or interested in CHE, from around the globe. Suzy and I were privileged to attend and spend a week with like-minded missionaries who share the same focus and vision for Christ centered community development.

It was so encouraging to hear testimonies of God moving through the effort of CHE around the world. This is true and real sustainable ministry that transforms lives. It starts with us as we change our approach to missions and ministry and pass that onto our team and the nationals serving alongside us, eventually reaching into the depths of the villages to a community level through CHE’s.

We are convinced that equipping and encouraging the nationals towards ownership and multiplying the truths and lessons they learn, we will witness a change of heart and explosion of church plants and believers across South Sudan.

Our conference week started out with a two day training and vision seminar which for us was a refresher in CHE. This program focused on discipleship and evangelism alongside equipping entire villages to identify issues and mobilize resources to achieve sustainable change and transform lives.

At the three day conference we had access to over 64 conference workshops and numerous resource exhibits, we listened to amazing keynote speakers share their experience of transformational development work and we networked and met many amazing people. The conference was called “The Whole Church on Mission”.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” – Romans 12:1-2

Samaritan’s Purse!

Samaritan’s Purse contacted us a few months ago to ask if we might have cleft palate patients in need of surgery. They are offering an amazing opportunity to be flown to Juba and then returned to Tonj after the surgery. So Dr. Jono and Dr. Destinee from our clinic have both been registering patients and this week our first patients went to Juba. Please pray for these people as they face many ‘firsts’ this week, like flying and surgery.

The Story of Machiek!

Dr. Jono shared this story with us about one of his patients. “Machiek was born near Tonj five months ago with a cleft lip. Machiek is the local name for ‘creature’, because children here with cleft lip are total outcasts. This week Machiek underwent surgical repair of his lip with our partners SP in Juba – when the mother returned and stepped off the plane this morning you could not wipe the grin off her face, she was so excited! Most of the 30 patients and caregivers who traveled to Juba accepted Jesus as Savior when the chaplains shared the good news of Christ. Now these children will no longer be seen as ‘creatures’ by their communities. But even more important than their new physical identity is their new found spiritual identity, as they discover that they are precious children of the most high God!