First Arrival!

Thank you for praying for our truck coming from Kenya and our container coming from Missouri, USA. The one from Kenya arrived safely with a year’s supply of medicine! God’s timing and provision was perfect as our stores were literally bare and we were contemplating having to send patients away. Thankfully that didn’t happen and we are now fully stocked with malaria tests and treatment before the busy rainy season sets in.

These trucks are literally our lifeline and at the time of writing this, our container from the USA had made it to South Sudan and was in Juba. It should be arriving in Tonj in the next few days.  This container is carrying supplementary food for our team for one year, refrigeration, solar equipment, and all the ‘surplus’ things our family acquired while stateside. The kids are excited to get their ‘stuff’ after six months. I made them pack nearly all their belongings in the container so it will feel a bit like Christmas! A HUGE thank you to everyone who helped purchase items from our Amazon ‘wish list’ before our departure. We can’t wait to send an update out of all the treats we are enjoying. We have amazingly generous supporters who extended their giving to include some essential items for the Macleod family and their baby.

Baby Macleod Arrival!

Thank you so much for covering Jono and Destinee in prayer over the last few months. Their ‘high risk’ pregnancy caused an unexpected and sudden change of plans to go to New Zealand for the birth. We are happy to say the newest member of the IDAT team arrived safely on May 8th!

We are all so excited at the birth of their third daughter, Shiloh (peace in Hebrew) Athiei (grace in Dinka) Macleod (‘epic awesomeness’ in Scottish) and we can’t wait to meet her in June! That’s right, Lord willing, they are planning to head back to South Sudan when the baby is a month old.

Another Arrival!

Another timely arrival and answer to prayer is our new vehicle. Thank you! We exceeded our goal and in just 2 weeks raised $30,627 to purchase this critically needed car. We know this vehicle will provide safety for our team, the ability to continue with CHE and medical outreaches in remote villages, enable us to purchase essential supplies from Wau (70 miles on dirt roads) and most importantly be used to serve the Lord and further the Kingdom of God in South Sudan. We are so grateful and cannot thank you enough for supporting this urgent need.

Heavenly Arrival!

Santino Mayen was the chief of the village of Bobi, one of our CHE villages. He was also a brother in the Lord. During the recent tribal fighting between Luos and Dinkas his village was attacked and he was shot and killed. This has been a devastating loss for the community but we are all thankful he knew Jesus as his Savior.

“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” – Psalm 116:15

On a CHE visit to Bobi in February, this picture was taken of Santino praying and laying hands on one his villagers. Please continue to pray for Bobi, Santino’s wife Angelina, and the many people whose homes were looted in Bobi during that fighting. So many people lost their food supply. Over the next few weeks we will attempt to go there and assist them.

Kujs on Mission!

We are a traveling family! It is our calling and it requires a lot from us, especially from the kids. It’s important to us to not just drag the kids around but to teach them about this world and the part our family plays in the lives of the people we serve. We constantly remind ‘our three’ how blessed we are to be in this position!! Our recent travels took us to the beautiful neighboring country of Kenya; our goal was to fill a truck of medicine and get it on the road before the end of March. But the work aspect of this trip could not dampen the excitement and anticipation to spend a week at the coast… dipping our toes in the warm Indian Ocean and dreaming of delicious seafood. The kids were ecstatic of course and worked hard to get all school work done so they could truly relax.

It’s critical we have these ‘fun’ moments together to alleviate the stresses of living in South Sudan. There’s so much joy to be experienced in this amazing continent, and ‘our three’ have experienced the outstanding beauty and the overwhelming despair. Perhaps they understand this world better than most?  They’ve certainly seen more than most their age.  But can anyone really understand why girls, instead of going to school, spend hours every day carrying heavy jerrycans of water for their family? Why children die from malaria when it’s preventable and treatable? Why mother’s die in child birth? Why people go to bed hungry? I’m so thankful for children who see their simple lives as privileged and choose to live it with compassion, love, courage, hope and thankfulness. Hannah, Agum and Jed are very much a part of our family’s calling.

As we enter this Easter season it is a reminder of the hope we have in Jesus and part of our calling is to share that hope with those around us. We always tell our children, “God can use anyone and He is using YOU!”

“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” – Philippians 2:13

South Sudan Famine!

You’ve probably seen in the news that parts of South Sudan have been experiencing a famine. This has mostly been due to war and drought. This is the first time since 2011 that famine has been declared. We’ve been seeing quite a few malnourished children in our clinic and we’re now helping to provide a service to monitor and feed these precious ones.

Prayer Request!

We have two trucks on their way to us through Kenya and Uganda. We need prayer for safe passage and favor at the borders. They are carrying food and medicine for the entire year. The light rains have already started and will become heavier, so we want to avoid any delays. There are so many unstable areas right now that road travel can be quite unsafe. Please continue to pray for our teams safety as well. Our area has experienced some tribal conflicts.

Kujs in Kenya!

Once a year, before the rains start in April, we truck thousands of dollars of medicine from Nairobi to Tonj. Along with the medicine we purchase some food items, gas bottles and other supplies we can’t get in South Sudan. It is that time of year again where we need to truck our yearly supplies, so our family is escaping the 105°F heat of Tonj and spending a few weeks tackling the hustle and bustle of East Africa’s largest city, Nairobi. With a trip like this comes a few ‘luxuries’ like ice-cream, cool breezes, cheap pedicures and fast internet!! Our goal is to fill the truck in the few weeks we’re here and then head back to South Sudan where we’ll await for its arrival. When we go back the temperature will be getting into the 115°F range so please pray for us as we adjust back to this unforgiving climate.

In addition to this truck from Kenya we are also waiting on a container that was sent from Missouri on February 9th through Friends in Action. It contains our ‘surplus life’ from spending extra time stateside. It also has a new solar fridge and freezer for the compound, lots of food and other ‘fun’ things to soften the hard edges of our lives in South Sudan. Please pray for that container. It is expected in Mombasa port around April 4th and Lord willing, will arrive in Tonj a few weeks later.

Calvary Chapel Tonj!

We have a great problem…God is moving in Tonj and we have outgrown our existing church! The school building normally used can’t accommodate us anymore and we are now meeting outside under a large mango tree. This works for now but in two months the rains will start and we will face a different dilemma.

Most of the church growth is coming directly from the patients that visit our clinic and live in Tonj. Our ministry treats every person that enters our gates as a special appointment from God. They are prayed for and counseled before leaving to go back to their villages. Many give their lives to Christ and there is a hunger for God’s Word among these new believers. Last month we purchased 3 acres of land to build a permanent church.  The elders of the church have been praying and fasting for favor as land in Tonj is now so hard to get directly in the town.  God faithfully answered our cry and gave us above and beyond what we asked or thought possible, 3 acres in a high populated residential area!! The entire church is fired up and eager to move. Please join us in asking God’s continued favor as we take the next steps.

“Out of them shall come songs of thanksgiving, and the voices of those who celebrate. I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will make them honored, and they shall not be small. Their children shall be as they were of old, and their congregation shall be established before me, and I will punish all who oppress them. Their prince shall be one of themselves; their ruler shall come out from their midst; I will make him draw near, and he shall approach me, for who would dare of himself to approach me? declares the Lord. And you shall be my people, and I will be your God.” – Jeremiah 30:19-22

CHE!

This past few months we’ve had the awesome privilege of training the committees in the three CHE villages we are currently working in. We posted a lot of fun pics and videos from the training on the @idatsudan Instagram account. During training we’re always looking for those ‘champions’ that stand out from the crowd and show initiative.

Meet Rosa, she is one of those champions. She’s from Warrak village and is on the CHE committee there.   Inspired by CHE training she started a bible study in her home using a solar powered audio bible. She had 11 people join the study, and all of them have made decisions to follow Jesus through hearing the word of God. Imagine the multiplication factor when all the CHEs in all our villages are setting up bible studies like Rosa has!

Kuj Family Outreach!

This year has started out great for our family. It’s almost as if we never left! We are nicely settled into our new home. The kids are doing well with school. Sabet is busy with the church and Suzy is busy with CHE. Every Thursday is our ‘family outreach day’. Our entire family goes to a nearby village for outreach, sometimes medical and sometimes just playing games but always sharing the gospel.

So far we have combined these outreach days with CHE training in our three CHE villages. Another highlight has been going to the ward and praying with inpatients. The common factor for most of them is they have already been to the witchcraft and because it didn’t work they came to us. We start by telling them we believe Jesus brought them to us for physical and spiritual healing. We also encourage removal of charms. We have three chaplains counseling patients. Most patients are completely open to hearing the gospel. Knowing where they are from and if there is a church in their village helps us plan our outreaches and where to show the Jesus film. Every patient is prayed for by a chaplain. I love this because we are saturating them in the truth and Jesus said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Baptism!

You might remember we sent an above ground pool in one of our containers a couple of years ago. This has been an amazing blessing when the afternoon temperatures soar into the 100’s°F. From water aerobics to kids play dates and now BAPTISM! Yes, we did our first baptism in the pool.

This is Mary Wutchok. When we were doing our ward rounds she asked about being baptized. I love the joy that radiated from her as she rose out of the water. She is one of Dr. Destinee’s patients and was having malaria while pregnant. After her baptism, we sent her back to her village with an audio, solar powered, New Testament bible in Dinka.

These audio devices also hold bible stories and teachings. They cost $35 to purchase. With high illiteracy in the villages, please join us in praying that we can provide 1,000 audio bibles for distribution during our outreaches. Email us if you would like to help.

CHE!

Suzy has been working alongside Dr. Jono in the CHE (Community Health Evangelism) villages. This last month we have been focused on helping our CHE villages choose their committees. These committees will oversee the CHE’s in their villages and hold them accountable. It’s therefore really important the committee members are committed and fully understand the concepts of CHE. In January, we completed the first of four trainings in Warrak, Bobi and Guaria villages. We used role play to teach the importance of the community identifying the needs and under God’s direction, becoming self-reliant in development to avoid dependency on NGO’s. They learnt it takes a community working together to have a strong and successful CHE program. NO to witchcraft and YES to Jesus. As we shared spiritual truths one man asked Jesus to be his Savior. The entire CHE committee laid hands on him for protection in the decision he made to follow Jesus.

Now we are in need of individuals who love Jesus, like people and want a life changing experience to prayerfully consider a one year internship with IDAT’s CHE program.