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More Dead and Wounded….Please Keep Praying.

Hand Grenade Kills More Children!
 
Continue to Pray…
 

 

 

Right after sending the last update, Sabet called to say the remaining victims finally came to the clinic.  The story of what happened yesterday is now unfolding and it appears a hand grenade was actually thrown into the camp as well as shots being fired.  Many people were killed and even more are still out there injured.  Photo 1, 2 and 3 shows Machar Chol, around 1 year.  He was shot in the back, which also injured part of the face.  His mother and sister were both killed.  Three other of his siblings were shot or wounded from the blast (photo 4).  Our medical team and other staff are working around the clock, please pray for them and for Sabet, for their strength and safety. 
 
Pray for Stacie, she slept at the hospital last night as they were contemplating possibly doing Matoch’s surgery right away.  I know she must now be exhausted having little sleep in the past 48 hours. 
 
My kids are doing OK with all the sudden rush and change,  They continue to amaze me and have been such troopers through this.  They understand why we left and have peace. 

 

 
In Christ, 

 

Suzy Kuj
Ministry, Uncategorized

Baby Hannah!

Dorothy and Thon, two of our clinic workers, are the proud new parents of a little girl!  She was born this morning, the 21st, which is also their son’s 2nd birthday.  Dorothy and Thon named her Hannah Achol.  This morning when Suzy told her Hannah that Dorothy was in labor, Hannah said she was going to pray for a girl.  She got what she asked for and more!  They named their baby after Hannah Kuj because both Hannahs were born on Sunday, Sunday’s child is full of Grace and Hannah means “full of Grace” and they weighed the exact same (4kg), so it’s fitting they have the same name.  Hannahs first baby to be named after her.  We praise the Lord for a healthy and safe delivery.

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Pray for Safety in Tonj

Pray for Safety in Tonj February 20, 2010

We need your prayers please.  This afternoon at lunch, we heard a series of gunshots very close to the compound. It lasted several hours causing us to retreat inside our rooms, and World Vision staff to also seek refuge inside our compound.  The only threat to any of us was possibly getting hit by a stray bullet so we kept down and waited for it to pass.  The problem was between police and civilians as they tried to steal back weapons seized in last year’s disarmament.  The police were firing warning shots to scare the crowds of people trying to break into a police storage room.  They want the guns to retaliate a recent cattle raid from a nearby town.  This type of cattle raiding insecurity is becoming more frequent throughout South Sudan.
 
In the midst of the chaos and confusion of people running, the UN feeding tent located outside our compound took a hit as people took advantage of the situation and tried to grab food.  Hence more shooting. 
 
One young man, Karbino, was hit by a stray bullet and brought to our clinic, resulting in masses of people wanting to follow him inside, but we locked the gate because of the shooting and so they started jumping our fence!  He is in serious need of prayer as the bullet entered though his back.   During this time, Sabet stayed with our medical staff in the clinic and had the opportunity to share his faith with Karbino.  Sabet asked him to pray in his heart as he was not able to speak, he was bleeding from the mouth and Karbino acknowledged he prayed for salvation.  Our vehicle, being used more and more as an ambulance, was transformed as we hooked Karbino to an IV and made him as comfortable as possible with 2 mattresses and then drove him 75 miles to a hospital in Wau. When we arrived there we were told he will need to go to Khartoum for further medical help.  Pray for a way for his family to take him there as it is a flight away not a drive. 
 
We just arrived back from Kenya yesterday and it feels like the enemy will do anything to discourage us being here.  We are 2 months away from a general election and 1 year from the referendum to decide the future of South Sudan. Pray for the people of Sudan, that they would know our Lord and how much He loves them, His amazing grace and gift of salvation.  Pray for wisdom for us as we minister to the people here especially in this time of crisis.  The Lord has called us to be here and He has called you to support us being here, so we are now asking you to fulfill  that calling by praying for us today and our safety.
 
Trusting in Him,
 

“As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. 2 Samual 22:31

Sabet & Suzy

 
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Leo’s Blog!

What another interesting couple of days. Yesterday began with the usual morning devotion, which a recovering from illness Josephine was able to again lead worship. I was blessed to being able to share from Luke 23. After that it was into the day. Kristi, Kristina and Natasha made their way back to the clinic, Josephine and Emily made their way to the pharmacy, Dave helping with construction, and I was continuing sorting out the solar.

It has been so blessed seeing how the body of Christ is supposed to work. We each have our areas God has called us to serve in. And God is teaching each of us in different ways.

There is an increase in birth issues recently. Yesterday there was a lady out front of the clinic who had miscarried at 5 months, and many other miscarriages, and there have been a number of still births. It is hard to imagine the pain in this community, a community that is a combination of traditional tribal life and trying to move into the western way of life, and not succeeding in either. The need for a personal relationship with Jesus is so evident here, but of course, it is no different anywhere in the world.

That night we were blessed with the opportunity to minister at a nearby Leper colony. It was truly special. We had some worship, a short address based on the story of Peter and Cornelius, measuring the Leper’s feet for shoes, and distributing basic food items, and of course, followed by the Jesus film. It was a great night.

And as we returned to the compound, the was a message that a lady was delivering twins, and was in trouble. Kristi, Sheena and Kristina went to serve. Unfortunately only one of the twins survived, a girl, but that joy of life was very special.

Today Sabet, Natasha, Kristina and I went to Wau with the express need to by some cable for wiring up the Solar Panels, and also to re-wire the houses. Wau is some 60 miles west of Tonj along the roughest, most pot-holed road I have ever been on. Three hours of weaving and dodging holes, got us to Wau, and we found everything shut because of a Muslim holiday which commemorates the anniversary of Abraham offering his son Ishmael up as a sacrifice. Sound familiar? How the devil loves to manipulate and cause confusion. Another one of the devil’s tactics is to take what God gives. In a land where there is such need, and only limited resources, the Cellular phone companies have erected so many billboards promoting their products, and every 5th shop seems to sell Cell phones. It is so sad. We were not able to buy any cable, but we did get to fix a flat tire, give someone a lift back to Tonj, and see a land that really needs a work of the spirit, and many faithful harvesters.

Tonight it was decided to have a movie night, but just as things were getting organized, a lady came in in labor. Kristina, Sheena and Josephine were off to serve. But I’m afraid you will need to check back in tomorrow and see how it turned out.

God is so amazing. He is so faithful. And His ways are not our ways, and His timing is not our timing. We are all growing so much. We are all aware time is drawing to an end, but it has been amazing time so far. God is Good.

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Happy Thanksgiving!

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Chibaak!  Happy Thanksgiving!
Aluel (Kristi) here.  We are still having busy days from morning to night, and thankfully it was slightly cooler today (92).  Kristina, Natasha and I are working daily in the medical clinic alongside the staff here.  They have been very helpful showing us how their system works, and interpreting for us.  Since we are into our second week, we have developed a camaraderie working together which makes ours difficult days and situations such a joy.  We have helped with some of the organization of medical supplies, (I know, you’re surprised), but there is still a whole storeroom of supplies awaiting.  Yesterday, as I was talking to Peter the pharmacist, I was leaning on the dutch door counter to the pharmacy with a lovely Sudanese woman next to me, when she began pointing to my arm and asking Peter questions.  I thought perhaps she was remarking about my watch; I asked Peter what she was saying…She wanted to know if my skin keeps looking like this even in the ‘dry season’ which is the hot dry summer.  We all laughed as I answered “yes, always this white”, it never gets the same expresso black as these beautiful people.”  
This morning I shared my story in the devotion time, and I am thankful for God’s faithfulness and peace as I have never shared this in front of so many before.  “Blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence.”  Jer 17:7.  You are not going to believe this, but unbeknownst to us, Suzy arranged for a Thanksgiving turkey to come in on the plane with us last week!  Yep, she had to order one from Kenya!  Well, the actual day on which to celebrate Thanksgiving in Tonj Sudan is determined by the thawing of the turkey, what with solar fridges and such…so today was the day!  This was the first time they have ever done this here, and what an incredible day of many hands working together to do the work on the compound, in the medical clinic, and preparing and cooking all at the same time.  Amazingly, it was completely stress free, making a Thanksgiving dinner for 24 out here in the middle of Africa.  The lovely sharing of how to pull together a Thanksgiving was a great joining of all ages and experiences; some have made many a thanksgiving dinner, some have eaten plenty but never been able to be part of the preparations, some used their family recipes, and even new recipes from the internet.  The  excitement and joy was felt by all throughout the day as we reported the progress of the turkey.  We had a 22 lb turkey, stuffing made from Tonj bread, sweet potato casserole complete with marshmellos on top, mashed potatoes, green beans, julienned carrots, gravy and pumpkin pie from fresh pumpkins here.  It was completely surreal yet natural to be doing things in the clinic that I’d best not mention in detail, and wander over to take the turkey out of the oven to baste it with a giant syringe from the clinic (a CLEAN one, I promise).  Since the oven is sitting outside next to a shed, it was quite handy.  We also used the charcoal oven to bake the pies and stuffing.  It was a joyful day of giving thanks, ending with a devotion around the campfire, worship, and everyone sharing specific things they are thankful for over the past year.  We then had communion together after Dave and Leo shared; what a blessed time.  As I looked around at our gathering, I realized there were only six Americans there, and many others from Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Australia, England; what an amazing gathering of brothers and sisters in Christ.  How many times will we ever have a Thanksgiving like this?  Bless you all for your day of Thanksgiving, may you also remember what you are most thankful for!