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Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I plead with you to stand in the gap for Sudan. I have just received word that our chaplains in the Nuba Mountains, 50 men who ride for Jesus in our camel corps, have continued to bravely defend the faith. About two weeks ago a church was overrun. This particular church has been literally burnt to the ground by the Mujahedeen (Islamic terrorists who kill anyone who is not a radical Muslim) in the past. The chaplains have stood with the persecuted believers and even managed to force the government of the North to rebuild the ruins (using the international community’s established channels to protect human rights). When the church was attacked again it was deliberate. You see, all the chaplains were gathered in a city center awaiting the chance to be flown to our base for the Refresher Course. The army sent for Jaber Tutu, our head chaplain in the Nuba’s, to rush to the scene to prevent any killings of Christians. I learned that just as the Mujahedeen are known to be willing to pay any price for their faith – so too the chaplains have been given a name meaning, “They are the Fearless Christians of the Army.” These men are known to be willing to lay down their lives for the gospel, to protect the innocent, and to defend the weak and God is using them to protect our brothers and sisters suffering horrible persecution.
Furthermore, Wes and I have always desired to expand FRM/FRMA’s programs to this area. We established a small base back in 2008, but we have the desire to do much more. We have been planning a trip to refresh and re-equip the chaplains in November. I learned today the chaplains anticipate war will break out at that time due to the upcoming election. Per the terms of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the SPLA and the GoS, several areas were labeled “Marginalized.” These areas were not included in the boundaries of the North or South. As such, before the referendum allowing the people of the South to decide by vote to unify or secede, these “marginalized areas,” MUST be given a chance to vote which boundary they belong too. That vote has not yet happened. According to our chaplains, rumors are flying that the vote will take place at the expected time of the refresher. The chaplains said, “We don’t care about our incentive or supplies, we care about the ministry. To ask you to come when the danger is so high is too expensive for us, we need you to be there for us. We will gladly wait until God opens another time for you to come safely. Pray for us!”
My heart is broken for these people who have already suffered so much AND they have been discipling 30 men from Darfur for class eight in our Chaplains Training Program. I am working now to try and get flights to get these 30 men to our base for the school. Please pray! Wes and I are asking you to pray fervently for the following things:
· Pray Jaber and the chaplains with him will be protected from all evil.
· Pray the enemy will be stopped dead in his tracks from harming any other Christians
· Pray for the elections, rumored to be held in November 2010, to be peaceful.
· Pray the regions of Southern Kourdufan (Nuba Mountains), Darfur, Blue Nile, Abiyei, and all other marginalized areas will be free from the tyranny of the North FOREVER!
· Pray for us to get flights for all 30 of the chaplain candidates.
· Pray we can arrange a refresher course for these men BEFORE the election.
· Pray God continues to give Wes vision for ministering to this nation no matter how intense the fighting becomes
· Pray for the women and children of these marginalized areas, my heart’s desire is to go and live among them, to serve them and show them Christ’s great love for them. Please ask God to open a way!
Agape,
Vicky
FRM/FRMA South Sudan
Tags: Sudan
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We staggered off the train in Nairobi today at nearly noon… it took longer than expected and bumped harder than we remembered. That’s Africa… it moves slower that the US… they say “American’s keep time and Kenyans keep sheep” in other words… the clock isn’t very important to them. Anything within a few hours is on time… so we arrived “on time” in Nairobi but nearly missed our appointment at the Nairobi Islam Conf. While Daniel Messiah started over and taught the same sessions on understanding Islam… the team was assigned Home Visits. We broke up into 3 teams and a translator and guide and made our way into the slum to bring food and encouragement to the needy church members. It is such a blessing to do this… although in such contradictory conditions. Each home is so small and screams poverty… it’s sound is almost deafening to western eyes and senses… but joy and the presence of God always overpowers it. It is hard to explain how full of joy you are when we emerge from a humble “Room-house” in this deplorable slum… only God could make this happen. I’m reminded that some of life’s greatest gifts often come in a plain paper wrapping. The other emotion we feel is jealousy, how can they have such joy without technology and toys? The one word answer is Jesus, his name is just as sweet there as any place I have ever been.
Pastor Gary
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Day two of the Conference on Islam picked up with Daniel sharing on the Quran and it’s problems. We all learned a lot and felt better equipped to share with a Muslim friend or encounter in just about any setting. That was a perfect prelude to our afternoon highlight… we had been invited to the largest Mosque in Mombasa for a friendly exchange with the lead Imam. I have to admit, we are a little tense going in, they ushered us into a large fellowship hall style room and gave a very friendly welcome. But it became quickly obvious that they were hoping to convert us… and though they were friendly, they opened with a prayer to Allah in Arabic (Daniel speaks fluent Arabic) when translated “allah give us victory over the infidels” which was not what he told us it meant. We asked questions about some of the major problems with Islam and the Quran, their faces couldn’t hide their surprise. Especially when Daniel quoted the Quran in Arabic… you should have seen them squirm and bold-faced lie around the questions. Modern day Islam has been packaged for western consumption… but the Quran is clear in it’s bold teachings about Infidels, women and a host of contradictions that have produced many tragic events around the world. It became a lively exchange, one that I must admit I was glad when it was over. We kept looking over our shoulders in case we were being followed… but the traffic in Mombasa would have made that impossible anyway… funny how we were grateful for crazy traffic.
The next morning would be our ½ day off… we made our way to a local beach and relaxed at a beach resort until 2pm. We all took a dip in the Indian ocean and had lunch before making our way back to the train station and the 12 hour return ride to Nairobi.
Pastor Gary
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Mombasa is Hawaii-like, a humid tropical 80 degrees or so, but it’s still very Africa with crowded potholed streets and 3rd world conditions. Honestly, the poverty grinds on you, as an American you have a “we can fix this attitude” but here it’s real hard to get your head around slums that number more than a million residents. Bottom line- we can’t fix this… and we aren’t here to fix it anyway, we are here to share the message of salvation from this world through Jesus Christ. One thing is true, Africans aren’t fooled by promises of heaven on earth as we can be in the U.S., here it is graphically obvious this world isn’t heaven.
Our conference started this morning at Jesus Evangelical Baptist Church with most of the local Pastors in attendance. After a rousing worship time (with a worship leader who could not sing in key, really… it was awful, even the piano player was trying to find the key she shrieked in) Daniel Messiah among other speakers were there to share what Muslims teach and how to effectively reach them. Daniel had them rolling in the aisles with his thick Egyptian accent and funny stories of his imprisonment in Egypt (which when you think of it – wasn’t funny for him when he was there). He did a masterful job of teaching the basics of Islam so that the believers can better communicate Jesus to the locals.
When we returned to the guest house, we had to cross the local ocean channel by ferry (3/4 mile wide), the only way to our accommodations. Three boats ferry cars, trucks, motorcycles, bikes and hundreds of people on foot to the other side 24 hours a day. We arrive at 6 pm, the height of rush hour, which takes on new meaning… no rush hour in San Diego or LA even comes close to this--- trust me. We were part of a sea of people in a waiting area with close to a thousand people or more. As they prepared to load the ferry… the crowd of foot passengers broke loose like a flood and we got swept with them to the waters edge and were literally carried with the tide onto the already OVERLOADED ferry amid sick cheers from the people. It was like the “Running of the Bulls in Italy” or the wildabeast migration complete with water but with people running like beasts! It was like being in a Mosh pit at a concert you didn’t pay for and music you didn’t like. We got separated into groups of 2 or three in the flow… the ferry limped across the channel, and we all had images seen on CNN with Ferry boats capsizing in our minds. Well, we did make it--- gratefully, but we made other arrangements for our next 2 days of necessary crossings to remove any repeat scenarios!
Pastor Gary
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We leave for Mombasa in the evening so we made use of the morning to visit with Zaccias and Doreen who started SODA School ( Supporting Orphans & Destitute Academy). They had the team over for breakfast and to share the story that is SODA. Here is the short version: As a young married couple Zac & Doreen were involved in local politics. African politics can be dangerous they explained, so the opponent and his party (of thugs) had her abducted, beaten and were preparing to kill her and throw her under a train bridge. Through a series of miracles due to Zac’s prayer and Doreen’s courage she was released accidently by one of the abductors just around the corner from her own home! She recovered but it set them on a course to really serve God and their people. They started a school with 20 kids and it has blossomed into a significant force for God of 383 kids, a goodly portion of which are orphans. It’s been said – you measure greatness by what it takes to stop someone. If that is true- we had the privilege of meeting two great people.
It’s 7pm and we are on the Train to Mombasa… it’s like going back in a time warp into a 1950’s black and white movie.
This train is old, rusty and it defies logic how it still runs, in fact we are bit skeptical it’ll make the 12 hour overnight ride to Mombasa. We are all checked into our sleeper cars, 4 to room with two sets of bunk beds. And we rambled, rock and rolled down the tracks out of Nairobi through some of the wild areas of Kenya. We were told this is the actual train line that was made famous around 1900 when it was the scene of the famous lion attacks at Tsavo. Two male lions attacked the railway workers and killed over 130 people before they were stopped. Their lions skins hang in a British museum. The Movie “The Ghost and Darkness “ chronicle the incidents. It goes without saying, between the Lion story and the bumpy ride with numerous stops along the way… we didn’t sleep much. We arrived in Mombasa, alive, red eyed and grateful at around 10 am.
Pastor Gary
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