A Family Furlough!

We have now been stateside for more than a month and adjusted quite well to the very different lifestyle here than we are used to in South Sudan.

Our greatest joy has been catching up with friends and churches after five years. The opportunity to share our ministry work and needs has been incredible and we are looking forward to more doors opening in churches and bible studies.

Our kids have also had a chance to share their mission experience with the Awana kids from Suzy’s home church, Horizon North County. Hannah (12) talked about her ‘field trips’ being spent in the medical clinic praying for children with wounds and learning to take blood pressure. She has quite a few unique medical experiences from seeing a cataract surgery and actually being present during a birth last year. Agum (10) shared about our Sunday school and how we invite kids to church and play ‘Kids Games’ with them. Jedidiah (9) shared how he has his own spear and bow and arrow. He loves fishing with his Dad and has slaughtered a chicken and goat (with some help).

The Road Trip!

By the time to receive this newsletter we will have started our road trip. We will be leaving from Indio, CA to Phoenix AZ, Las Cruces NM then Austin TX. We’ll pass through Houston TX, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama before arriving in Panama City Florida on March 13th. If you live in any of those areas we would love to see you. Our kids are so excited about the trip and we would just ask you to pray for us as we attempt to home-school on the road.

Tonj Update!

As a small ministry we are still very involved in the daily needs of the compound despite being so far away from South Sudan. Following the recent political upheaval, Sabet is monitoring the security situation daily. The capital Juba has reopened but firmly enforced government restrictions has now caused us not to be able to easily pass our medial supplies through Juba. Please pray we can find a solution to this before supplies diminish completely.

With the limited professional staff on the team Dr. Tom has been unusually busier than normal. He recognizes the fruit we are now experiencing from having spent hours training nationals to be skilled and competent Community Health Workers (CHW) who can support him and the two Kenyan nurses. Together they make a great team that brings glory to the Lord Jesus. As well as translating the CHW’s provide essential medical support and are learning the importance of including Jesus in everything they do. Many confidently pray for patients. Please keep the Tonj team in your prayers.

Calvary Chapel Distinctives!

Pastor Kibe is a Kenyan sent out from Calvary Chapel Nairobi to serve alongside us in Tonj. He is covering for Sabet while we are on furlough. One of his goals for this year was to go through this book by Pastor Chuck Smith called Calvary Chapel Distinctives. It teaches the call to the ministry, church government, the rapture of the church and the priority of studying the Word of God.

It is going really well with great discussions on how it fits into the African culture.

“Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD” – Psalm 127:3

Conflict in South Sudan!

It has now been more than a month since fighting broke out against rival tribes in the capital of South Sudan. What started in the army barracks quickly spilled onto the streets, creating fear, panic and confusion among civilians. UN, embassies and NGOs all reacted pulling their expat staff from field operations and asking non essential personnel to leave immediately.

Having lived and served in Warrap State of South Sudan for 6 years during the last civil war, we are all too familiar with the aftermath this kind of conflict has on the innocent people who want nothing more than a peaceful existence. They have paid the high price of war with the lives of their loved ones and children. This past 8 years of peace has given some stability and we have seen an increase in missionaries moving into South Sudan. Our hearts are deeply saddened and burdened for the future of our beloved country.

This last week we sent a small team back to Tonj to reopen the medical clinic. We do have about three months medical supplies but the government clinic is out of medicine so our clinic is the only stocked pharmacy at this point. Getting our team back to Tonj took them from Kenya to North Uganda and then a flight to South Sudan to avoid the conflict areas. They arrived safely and ready to serve. As a small team supporting the community health workers and people of Tonj, they really need your prayers. I know they will get overwhelmed by the enormous needs that are escalating every day. Here are some specific prayer requests concerning the fighting and effects on South Sudan:

• Pray for a peaceful, sustainable solution to come quickly to all parties involved in this conflict.
• Pray for the civilians, especially those who have been displaced.
• Pray for wisdom for our team on the ground that they would be both blessing and encouragement to the people of Tonj.
• Famine is likely following the devastating floods of the rainy season and now the displacement of people. Pray food supplies would be given in abundance over the next few months.
• Pray for safety for our team and wisdom for the leadership as we direct the ministry and make decisions that effect lives.

Furlough and Road Trip!

Our family is two weeks into our home assignment (furlough) and excited to see how the Lord will use this time stateside to benefit both our ministry and our family. The mission conference was a fabulous time of spiritual feeding, encouragement and meeting many new people. We do have a schedule for our time here and would love to invite you to help us share our story and ministry with churches, home groups, men and women’s studies and any person you feel would be touched. If you would be interested in hosting a small gathering, possibly for brunch or coffee and dessert at your home and giving us a platform to share we would be most grateful for that chance and would love for you to contact us.

We plan to be in the following areas/States in February, March and April: San Diego, Orange County, Indio, Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Arizona,
New Mexico, Dallas, Houston, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Panama City, Florida. We are praying about visiting friends in Tennessee, Kentucky, and North Carolina as well as Northern California sometime in May. As we will be driving we do have a lot of flexibility and we are open to the Lord’s plan and direction. We also need to keep up with home-school and would appreciate your prayers for the kids as we travel and make plans for.

“Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.”
– Psalm 27:3

Christmas Greetings from the African continent! As many of you are now aware, our family was given a visa for Agum to travel to the USA and we will be at the Calvary Chapel Missions Conference in Murrieta, CA starting January 6th. We are so exctied to have this opportunity as a family to see everyone!

What We Want For Christmas?

Christmas is coming fast and in this part of the world it is hard to know that Christmas is in full swing in so many other places. There are no frills and celebrations, lights, trees, gifts, food and for some even homes. Our family feels so fortunate to have the opportunity to serve the wonderful people of Tonj in South Sudan who are less fortunate, especially during this season. To bless others is truly a wonderful feeling and thanks to many of you we get to be a part of that firsthand every day. What we want for Christmas is to be able to serve this community for another year by providing transformational training workshops and medical care throughout 2014. Please pray for us as a family and ministry as we take a much needed break that it would not have a negative impact on those we serve.

A gift for Christmas!

To bring a smile and more importantly hope to someone else is priceless. In Deed and Truth Ministries is committed to the people of Tonj, South Sudan and we would like to give you the opportunity to be generous towards the Kingdom work. Our goal is to raise $250,000 to keep our clinic operating for another year. You can visit our website to donate. To help you know how your generous donation would be used here are some thoughts for Christmas shopping this year.

1. $10 provides a treated mosquito net to prevent malaria.

2. $25 provides a child under 5 with full immunization.

3. $50 provides for one Community Health Evangelist to attend training.

4. $100 provides for a Community Health Worker to serve the community for one month.

5. $150 a month provides a chaplain to cover our clinic 24 hours a day.

There are numerous other needs to keep our clinic in service and every gift, no matter the size is much appreciated.

Our family wishes you a wonderful Christmas as you celebrate the greatest Gift ever given, the birth of our Savior Jesus.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6