Dear friends and family back in California!
What a blessed time it has been so far!
This is Ameer (pronounced A-mare) or Emily as you know me.
I have been sick, as you know, for the past 4-ish days. I am still not feeling one hundred percent but that is just because I have a sore throat and cough.
Today has been a packed and exciting day!
First off I led devotion about our conduct and how it reflects our character. Then, in devotion, because mum (Josephine) has been sick and unable to lead worship, we sang in Dinka with the other workers on the compound. It was truly blessed!
Then, we all went off to our various duties.
Dad (Leo) went to work on the solar system in an attempt to get it in a state of usability.
David went to work on mechanical and technical issues with the other Sudanese and Kenyan men.
Kristi, Kristina, and Natasha went to work in the Medical Clinic with John Paul and Sheena.
And finally, I went to work in the Pharmacy with Peter.
It was a reasonably slow day in the Clinic so Kristina came to help me with some cleaning and sorting in the Pharmacy. We have a Stock Check on Saturday for the Pharmacy so we needed to do some organizing and also because it was pretty dusty and dirty and messy in there.
Lunch was chickpea soup with the delicious Tonj Bread.
We all then went back to our duties and then the women gathered for the 3:00 women’s study on 1 Peter with Suzy. I wanted to rest so I went to read but the children, Agum, Hannah, and Jedidiah, found a way to distract me. Soon, the orphan girl named Achol came over and wanted to play as well.
It was a great time of fellowship and I learned some more Dinka words.
God is so good to bring us here to Sudan!
He continually shows me that although we may go through many trials and hardships, it is all for our spiritual growth and that we may trust and lean on God more.
Thank you for all your prayers and please pray not only for us but for all these beautiful Sudanese people.
In His Great Love,
Ameer
Natasha’s Blog!
Team
Words cannot trying express how faithful the Lord is, especially to this team, and today has been no exception.
This morning I (Natasha, a.k.a Ajak) did devotion about what the Lord has done in my life and how He saved me. During devotion Achol showed up and joined in, she`x the orphan girl from the clinic last night, who had run away from her abusive Aunt. She was all smiles, and I believe that for the first time she really experiencing love.
Kristi, Kristina and I worked in the Clinic with the medical staff, and today, under Suzi’s leadership worked on creating a more efficient way to work. When I was sitting in with John Paul (the doctor here) I was given the opportunity to talk to a young lady called Mary about Jesus, and that He loves her so much. She told me that she knows Jesus, that she was baptized as a little girl. John Paul helped me, and encouraged her to really know Him, and that He is calling her to a relationship with Him. We invited her to come to church on Sunday, and we prayed. Kristina also was just shining the love of Jesus through her gentle and friendly work with the wound care children. Kristi has been a complete blessing to the Medical Clinic, using her organizing skills to serve alongside. We’ve had many fun/silly times together, and I have lost count of how many times we have been laughed at by the Sudanese for our misunderstanding etc. I have really enjoyed working with these wonderful women and the staff there, I have learnt so much.
Today the boys and Stacie were doing a lot of physical labor, cleaning out the storage room. Dad (Leo) has been very busy since the Pastors left, fixing all sorts of mishaps around the compound; he is soon going to be moving the fridges into the storage room. Please keep the guys in your prayers specifically, that they wouldn’t get injured and would have the wisdom to fix all the problems here.
Emily is feeling a bit better today but unfortunately last night she was suffering from Malerone side effects, and we were up with her last night. Coming back from the clinic today I was informed the Mum (Josephine) was sick, and throwing up, please keep her in your prayers. She has been such a blessing to the People here in Tonj, through her music, her wisdom and encouragement.
Today dinner was a huge treat to everyone here; it was rice and chicken peanut sauce. We eat so well here, very blessed by the kitchen staff. Who would ever imagine that we would eat as well as we do here in Africa. For desert we had jell-o, and Stacie and I are certain that it was raisin flavor (perhaps not). Either way, we are so blessed.
Well I m off to bed now, praying that I will finally get a full night, it has been so hot her at night.
Signing off, In the Faithfulness of Jesus
Ajak
Sunday Service
Sunday Church in Sabet & Suzy’s Compound
Hello from Tonj. We are so blessed and humbled to be here. To be alongside those who have given up their lives to follow Jesus is so exciting.
Saturday morning started with the Pastors preparing to return home for semester break. Some of the pastors had been away from their families for 4 months, as they immersed themselves in the study of His word. To see them dressed in their best clothes, proudly wearing their Pastor Collars and their crosses was delightful. Emily has been quite unwell, and a number of the pastors prayed over her, and she gingerly made her way to say Oh-ga-be-Yuk (goodbye), and to see their smiles as they came and wanted to see how she was and get their photos taken with her, was so lovely. And then they piled into the Landcruiser, 14 grown men, plus the driver, to head off on an all day drive. It was truly humbling their commitment to the call God has placed on their lives.
Then we had a Sabbath. It has been go-go-go since we arrived in Africa, so some time with the Lord was truly a blessing. Being a 24/7 medical clinic, of course there was some interruption. We were also as a team able to come together and spend some much needed time of prayer.
As we prepared for another outreach, since one of the Landcruisers was off on Pastor transport duties, we had to send some guys to set up the PA, projector, screen and DVD player, and then come back to pick the rest of us up and take us there. But of course, this being Africa, we needed to be flexible. On the way we came across a large group of people around an elderly lady on the ground. She had been knocked over by a man on a bicycle. So we loaded her into the back of the Landcruiser, took her to the clinic, and then finally got to the site for the outreach. Turns out she had a dislocated hip, and the medical officer, John Paul is still deciding the best course of action. By the time we got to the outreach, numbers were continuing to increase, and by the time Josephine began some worship over 300 people were there. Many prayed to receive Jesus, and then sat to watch the Jesus Film. By the end of the night over 500 people came out.
Sunday there is a church service held in the compound. It was a blessed time with a wonderful time of worship and digging into the word. We looked at Acts 20:17-35 and were reminded to stay focused on Jesus and committed to the call he places on each of our lives, and to share Him with ALL we meet. It was a great opportunity after service to fellowship and pray with a number from the local community.
Then after service we were in for a very special treat. One of the Sudanese women, Elizabeth, who works in the compound, invited us to visit her house. This is a great honor. After a brief walk we were ushered into her house, a round Sudanese grass roofed mud and straw hut about10 foot in diameter. And it was amazing. It was so cool. It was well into the upper 90’s outside, and yet in the hut would have been at least15 degrees cooler. She fed us Kissera bread (made from sorghum) and a beef stew thing which we ate with our hands. Elizabeth did not eat with us, which is the Sudanese way, but after she came in and shared some of her pain with us, and so we were able to pray for her and over her. After this, another 2 woman invited us to their houses, and then into another house as well. It was a very full, but blessed time.
Kristina’s Blog!
Chibaak friends & family! I pray you are experiencing fullness of joy in Jesus this week! He is beautiful and awesome, and He only does wondrous things! This is Ajok (a.k.a. Kristina), and I am so excited to share with you what God is doing. I’ll begin by explaining my new Dinka name. Every Dinka man and woman is named after a cow that best “resembles” them. You see, cows are extremely significant in this culture. They are used to pay for brides, a sign of wealth/status, and also can be the source of contention and tribal conflict. Our first day in Tonj, our whole team was renamed by the pastors from the discipleship school. I have no idea how they decided so quickly and so unanimously on which cow to name us after, but it was quite entertaining:) Ajok is a cow that is black from the shoulders up and white on the bottom. Like i said, I don’t understand the rationale, but I love it just the same:)
It’s hard to believe that it has already been a week since we left San Diego for the far reaching plains of Sudan. We have been in Tonj now for five days, each day full from sunrise to sunset; yet somehow one never feels rushed or anxious despite there being much to do. The cadence of this culture is far from Southern California’s frantic pace, and it is lovely. Every morning begins with breakfast and group devotions before we go our separate ways. I was blessed to share my testimony and a word of encouragement with the pastors, team, and staff this morning. Today marked the last day of the semester for the pastors, and they will begin their journey home (some several days away) to their families and churches. I had the blessing of sharing my testimony and a word of encouragement with the pastors and staff this morning. They have been diligent in presenting themselves as workmen who do not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Tim. 2:14), and I exhorted them to cling to Jesus, who alone holds the words of eternal life (John 6)! These men are heading onto the battle field once more, so please pray that their ministries will bear fruit as they teach the truth of God’s word! The pastors have really enjoyed Leo and David teaching them this week; they are hungry for a deeper understanding of Scripture and excited to be fed the “meat” of the Word!
After devotions, I have been heading to the clinic every day along with Kristi & Natasha. The clinic is really quite amazing. People walk for miles, sometimes days, to reach the clinic, and then may wait all day to be seen. Most are young moms with sick babies, others are school boys with tropical ulcers on their legs, some are pregnant mommas, and countless others are in various stages of malaria. Over the last few days I have been rotating between the four different areas of the clinic. The school boys I mentioned line up on a bench each morning for daily wound care. I have fallen in love with these sweet boys with their big smiles and laughter as I greet them in Dinka and review each of their names: Abraham, Marco, Angelo, and Yosef ( I can’t remember the others right now). Their wounds look so painful, yet they grit their teeth and bravely endure us cleaning and repacking the dressing. I look forward to seeing them, and I wish I could talk and joke freely with them!
In the prenatal room, I have been assisting with examining mommas, who although are around the same age as me, are pregnant with their 5th, 6th, or 7th baby!!! The women here are married as young as 13 and begin having children right away. Most are one of several wives and are considered more like property than a companion. They are the hard laborers of the family, working all day, often to be beaten by intoxicated husbands at the end of the day. Sudanese women have a high suicide rate… I desperately want them to know they are valued and precious in God’s sight, and they are loved with an everlasting love! Please pray for these women to know the love of Jesus as we minister to them.
I will end this blog with the Scripture, “the Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” I witnessed this very vividly today. Our first patient was a young mother who delivered a stillborn baby in the middle of the night and arrived with the baby wrapped in a dirty blanket. We tended to her physical needs and Suzy was able to pray with and console this broken hearted woman. I praise God for the comfort of knowing her baby is with Jesus, but my heart hurts for her pain and sorrow. Pray that she will call out to the Healer and Comforter and find rest in knowing Him! As the day proceeded, I spend time in the exam room with John Paul, the clinical health officer, who treats his patients with much compassion and dignity (as well as humor!). A woman named Susannah came to the clinic today. I can’t really explain how it began, but John Paul opened up the conversation to talking about the Lord. He asked me to continue, and as I shared the gospel with her, you could literally see a transformation taking place in her. At one point she smiled, threw her head back, and clapped her hands. She was hearing the best news of her life for the first time–that she was loved, forgiven, and could have a relationship with the Son of God. She told us she walked two days to the clinic, but hearing about Jesus made all of the struggle in her journey go away. She said she wanted to be close to God but didn’t know the way! I shared Scripture with her, encouraged her, and asked if she wanted to invite Jesus into her heart. She was so eager and gripped my hand tightly as we prayed. My heart is overwhelmed with joy for Susannah. Her faith is real and tangible and beautiful. Please pray that she would be rooted and grounded in her walk with God. She doesn’t read or write, so pray that God’s Word would be inscribed on her heart as she hears His promises spoken to her!
I wish you a beautiful day as you walk with the Lover of your soul! The generator will be turning off any moment, so good night dear friends and my beloved family. The frogs and bugs say hello as well–they are my faithful companions tonight:) Be ready in season and out of season and preach the gospel with all boldness and faith!
Love,
Kristina
Dave’s Blog!
God is so very gooooood. Wow has he been working mightily in Sudan. Today was just yet another amazing day. It started off super early as I woke up at 5 to get some extra time with the Lord and to prepare for the final day of teaching with the local pastors. This is a picture we all took today as we celebrated God.
Its not that hard to wake up early here as the roosters, howling dogs, cows and many critters are faithful to wake you.
The Holy Spirit spoke powerfully through Kristina as she led devotions this morning. She had some amazing words from scripture to encourage the pastors.
I have been so blessed to be here and see what God is doing with these wonderful pastors. They are such and inspiration as they seek the Lord so diligently. The Holy Spirit is working powerfully in us all as we listen intensely to His words. They call me teacher however I call them teacher as I have learned so much from there diligence in the Word. They are so hungry and thirsty for Him. It definitely humbles me as I have taken for granted all the wonderful teaching and learning opportunities in America. We have so many resources. But here in Sudan they are starving to be taught the word as there are limited options to learn. This is the main reason why I chose to come here is because God has put on my heart the importance of discipleship. As I have experienced over the last year, being immersed in the Word is so very essential to our relationship with the Lord. This is why teachers of the Word are so very powerful. It is a gift from God to help us grow and know Him better. I am so very thankful for the time spent at HSE and to my teachers who have sacrificed so much to help me grow. I was truly blessed to have the time at HSE to learn so much.
Most of the pastors come from far away. There hunger for the Word brings them long distances to learn. Some over a hundred miles and no they don’t have cars….. Some will stay here at the training center while in school and then go back to their families for break. They are away from their family for months at a time.
Today was the final day of school before break and it was a joyous yet sad day as I have grown attached to many of them. They are all so very pleasant and kind. They are so genuine and loving. We embrace in hugs daily and our souls have become intertwined. They are so beautiful and amazing. I thank God for the ability to meet and grow closer to Him with these amazing men of God. These are my friends, my fellow warriors and my eternal brothers. I hope to see them again soon.
One of the pastors lost a child today due to a miscarriage so we have been in prayer for Him. If any of you read this please pray for Judea and his wife Rebecca.
Leo has been doing most of the teaching as God has truly blessed Him with this gift. The students were so very happy to have such an amazing teacher of the Word. I learn from him daily as the Lord speaks powerfully through Him in teaching. I see how tired he is every night as He spends so much time preparing and loving these young pastors. He gives all he has to pour into the pastors. They could not stop asking questions as Leo was able to answer them all. He has been a wonderful gift from God to us all. They will miss him dearly.
We had two miracles happen today. A woman in the clinic and a male friend of Sabets came to receive Jesus. There eternal life started today and it is beautiful. We rejoiced as we have 2 new brothers and sisters in the kingdom. God worked through Kristina to touch the heart of the lady in the clinic. She is writing a blog tonight as well so I will share about Sabets friend.
I walked into the kitchen and Sabets friend Richard was there. We had met him the previous day at the market. Sabet and Suzy had been sharing with him and bam the Holy Spirit guided him into the truth. He prayed intensely to God and received Jesus that very moment. He stayed for lunch and we had the opportunity to fellowship. Richard is a wonderful man. He is actually from Sudan and moved to Australia 11 years ago and is now back to get married. Funny to meet a Sudanese man with Australian accent. He is from Tonj and his dad is a politician locally here. We had some awesome talks about the Lord and His truth about marriage and relationships. It was so amazing. The Holy Spirit was just pouring into Richard. We also talked about money and read some scriptures on what God holds valuable. We had some amazing fellowship as the Lord worked powerfully. He is going to bring his fiancé to church on Sunday.
I learned some interesting things about the culture here. Apparently when you get married you give the father of the bride a certain number of cows. This is not to buy the woman but to show gratitude to the father for raising such an amazing daughter. Richard must give 150 cows which cost about $500 each. Wow that’s an expensive gift.
The culture here is wonderful and I have enjoyed the beauty of it. There is however some disturbing stuff such as multiple wives being very common here as well as the witchdoctors and many false gods. But that is why we are here. To share the truth of the love of God. His Word will not return void.
We had a few people go down with stomach illness today. Emily was in bed all day as last night she became ill. Please keep her in your prayers as she recovers. Mark one of the brothers here has also been feeling sick along with Suzy. We ended up canceling our outreach tonight in order to rest up.
We all have been working so hard throughout the day and then in the evening going for outreaches into the villages. The outreaches are another amazing story but I will let another teammate share as I will not do them justice in describing how amazing they have been. I mean they are absolutely wild.
Today has been a wonderful day of prayer as I have been praying with many of the pastors and with my teammates. The worship has been absolutely amazing as the Lord has spoken powerfully through Josephine. We begin the day with devotions, prayer and worship. What a blessing to begin every day in such a way. I feel like I am back at HSE…..
I am getting tired so I will wrap up this novel with a few words. I have truly enjoyed every minute of this trip. There has been many spiritual attacks but the preparation in prayer and all your prayer back home has extinguished all the fiery darts. I feel at home here and definitely could live here. The people are amazing and so loving. Suzy and Sabet are so very wonderful as the light of the Lord shines so bright through them both. I have learned so much from them and am so thankful to the Lord that I am here and able to serve them. This trip is a gift from God to grow closer to Him by pouring out His love on the wonderful Sudanese people. God is so faithful and will never disappoint. Thank you Father for this wonderful opportunity to serve, praise and give you glory.