Baking: Preparing the ingredients (Bakery update part 1)

Women of the prospective bakery praying before their first meeting after receiving support

Cookies: thinking of things that might sell

The women of the Sudan Interior Church had been praying for almost two years for this opportunity.  Life is not easy for some of these women.  Some of them have returned to South Sudan after the long civil war ended and the South got its independence.  Having come from the North after twenty years of war, they were forced to restart their lives in a foreign place. 

When the women prayed, they didn’t know how it would materialize but prayed in faith… and Faith answered.   A church in Canada named Faith Community decided to support them. 

This will be a relatively small project that we hope will have a big impact in the lives of those who will be working as well as in the church. 

The ladies met to start to plan and prepare their shop.  The storefront they want to rent will have to be cleared and cleaned.  Baking items for the business, ovens, and all the ingredients will have to be purchased and training will have to take place on how to bake popular items.

Lemon cake

Here, at the point where the project seems to have materialized, they go back to their starting point, prayer.  There are still hurdles ahead but the women are preparing the ground… or you could say preparing all the necessary ingredients. 

Fellowship in different circles

1st function

I have a riddle for you.  What entirely different functions was I able to attend with two different groups both taking place at 9 o'clock on Sunday September 15 which took place in both the years 2013 and 2006?  Give up?

2nd function

Our town is comprised of many different people from different tribal groups and countries.  In addition to the five main Southern Sudanese tribes represented here in town, there are countless tribes from the North as well as foreigners such as from the East African communities such as Uganda and Kenya as well as those from Ethiopia in addition to the communities from Asia, Europe and North America represented in various international organizations and the United Nations.  So what two functions did I attend fully at 9 o'clock, one in the year 2013 and the other in 2006 both taking place yesterday on September 15, 2013?  The answer is church services for a Southern Sudanese congregation and an Ethiopian congregation.  Confused?  Let me explain.  Southern Sudan follows the same calendar we use in North America as well as the same way of telling time.  9 o'clock therefore represents what we know as 9am.  Ethiopians use a different calendar system which includes 13 months a year.  So, they just recently celebrated New Years on Wednesday September 11.  The year: 2006.  Moreover, they tell time using a different system which assigns 7am as the first hour.  9 o'clock therefore represents what we know as 3pm.  This is how I was able to attend both functions.

Just shows the multitude of different cultures and perspectives that exists here and the privilege I have to interact with some of them.

Prayer for the Nation: Malakal Pastor's Fellowship

We mentioned in the last newsletter that urban work has been significantly different from what we have been used to in the rural areas.  One of the notable differences is the number of churches.  In rural areas there was usually the one church but here in Malakal town there are some thirty scattered around.  As a result of the multiplicity of churches there are a number of ways that collaborative work can take place.  One such initiative has been the Malakal Pastor’s Fellowship.  Their specific goal is to 1) pray for the nation; 2) fellowship and refresh one another and; 3) organize interdenominational events together.  The group was interested not in building their own “churches” but in working together ecumenically where possible.

A number of pastors from different churches met recently, hosted by the reformed church.  We were all encouraged by a Baptist pastor who  led us through a reading in Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians.  It reminded us that we have been given the work of reconciliation and that we are His ambassadors.  Also having been given an opportunity to share, I talked about humility.  That we are fundamentally all the same and that pastors do not occupy a higher position.  We are all saved by grace and grace alone that no one would boast in their own merit.

It has been a refreshment to be plugged into this group and to get to know others who are working in Malakal.  As tough times come, it is a comfort to know that there are others there that can encourage and spur us on in this journey.

The ministry of Presence: Just being there with a bag of kollo

resence? That’s just the opposite of absence isn’t it?  Really, what can you hope to achieve through presence alone?  But, you can relate.  Sometimes you come away from something and say to yourself, “it was good that I was there.”  In this culture where absence is felt palpably, presence conveys a powerful message. 

We live in a fairly busy part of town.  In the evenings, our street becomes alive with the sound of the gathering crowds.  After the sun goes down, people start to flock to the numerous restaurants and settle in for their evening meal.  Crowds gather for roasted beef kebabs, fried tilapia, Ethiopian food, tea and coffee.  Preparation for the day starts early for these restaurants.  One such restaurant is an Ethiopian restaurant, our neighbour.  At around 7am, almost without fail, women can be heard chopping onions and grinding down coffee beans with mortar.

The morning of August 28th, however, I was awoken by the sounds of wailing shortly past 6am.  It was clear that there had been a death.  When the wailing had subsided at around 9am I headed over.  As I made my way to the door, they said “We’re closed today.” I said that I was just coming as a neighbour.  I greeted the men and asked what had happened.  The husband of one of the women working at the restaurant had passed away in Ethiopia.  I was then ushered into a small room where two women sat on the floor.   Beds were arranged around the perimeter of the room where the men sat quietly.  I took a seat and sat there in silence as the men quietly passed around a plate of roasted beans.  Coffee and water followed all in perfect silence.  I must have sat there for ten minutes before it occurred to me that we had a bag of kollo in the house.  The Ethiopia equivalent of trail mix, kollo is a snack of roasted barley and peanuts mixed with Ethiopian spices.  It happens to be one of my favourite snacks.  This particular bag was brought over from a friend in Ethiopia who had sent it to Nairobi, Kenya.  We then carried it up with us to South Sudan.  It seemed though that God had sent it up for this specific purpose.  I gestured silently that I would be right back, went home and brought back the bag of kollo.  One of the women preparing food in the back opened the bag and started to serve the mourners.  Again I sat in silence for another ten minutes.  A man who worked at the restaurant with whom I usually placed my orders for food then turned to me and said one solitary word: “pray.” “Ok, let’s pray,” was my reply.  Despite the language barrier there was still a quiet “hmm” of acknowledgement when I uttered the word “Jesus.”

The next day I went over, and did a little more of an introduction.  They had mentioned that they could hear me playing guitar in the morning for devotions.  After asking if they would like me to play guitar I went home and got the guitar and brought it back to play for them.  I played a number of songs and asked about their own songs of worship.  They sang a number of songs as the coffee and kollo came out to be served.  Though the mourning process continues for the widow, the atmosphere was markedly different with lighter banter (all in Amharic) going on.  Really, what more could you ask for than spending time together just being present and sharing a bowl of kollo.  Through it all, a simple truth was hammered home to me: all relationships start with presence.  Whether it’s in simple silence or singing together, it’s all just part of the ministry of presence.

A Living Flag

South Sudan’s flag has many colours, each which represents something either in the country’s geography or history.  The flag is an emblem of where the country has been and what it aspires to.  BLACK, is for the colour of the people of South Sudan.  WHITE is for the peace.  RED is for the struggle and the blood of martyrs.  BLUE is for the river Nile which gives life to the land.  GREEN is for the land rich in resources. YELLOW is for the unity of the states which make up the country.  In some ways, for me, a flag is an idea which is sometimes hard to access and impersonal...  I can’t quite put a face to it.  So I’ve decided that this would be my new mental flag of South Sudan. 

BLACK, is for the people of this land, each a soul that is loved by God.  WHITE is for the clouds which lift our eyes towards heaven, our true home.  BLUE is for the rain which represents the grace of God which waters the soil and gives life.  RED is for the sunset which tells us we are in the end times and that the Lord is coming back soon.  GREEN is for the grass which is resilient even after the scorching dry season: it immediately springs forth after the first rains.  YELLOW is for the sun which pours its warmth and light over the whole land, reminding us of the Son who is over this whole land.

Next time I step outside, I want these vivid colours to remind me of all these truths.  Every day we are beholding the living flag;  the living reality of this country with its history and all its aspirations.  I want to be able to see the colours of this living flag and see them as a testimony of His continuing work in this country.

The Gift of Music: Rediscovering an old gift

Another worship leader looking at the new set of strings given to him in South Sudan courtesy of World Music Mission

Coming back from France to Nairobi, I looked forward to being there on a Sunday.  Because we lived in Kenya for three years we got fairly involved in the church in Nairobi.  It has been, on many occasions, a lifeline for me.  I’m coming to discover that the gift of music and arts is something that is much more important to me than I had thought in the past.  It’s been interesting to me to have these moments of self discovery when I thought I knew myself so well.

So, this Sunday, I joined again the worship team at church.  This particular week, a good number of the music team were down on a missions trip in Rwanda on the eve of the 20th year since the genocides.  A pianist was called in from Eldoret, an 8 hour bus ride away from Nairobi, who agreed to come and help out.  Coincidentally, he had also spent time in South Sudan but that’s another story.  We played through the English and Swahili songs and I could really feel my spirit being lifted. 

When a psych evaluation was done on me a number of years back as I was joining the mission, I was told that music was probably an important part of my life.  I’ve not forgotten it but I’m now coming to appreciate those words more and more.  When I think about sharing music with people and allowing them to worship God through it… I feel uplifted. 

I am also finding meaning in other people using the gift of music to bless others.  A friend in South Sudan that Claire and I have both known for many years was once given a guitar in the Ethiopian refugee camp 17 years ago.  He has since used it in his community to lead others in song.  The whereabouts of that particular guitar is in question since he had to leave it in the latest flight from bombings in his home area (the guitar seen above belongs to a Bible school where he is finishing his studies).  I had a chance recently to bring up strings that were gifted to him from a visiting US team.  Being a part of helping him to continue using his gift is becoming more and more meaningful for me.

Tohru at a wedding in July in France
helping with the service

In Malakal, on Sundays as a team we were often asked to ‘share’ a song during the morning service.  In these multi-tribal churches each tribe presents a song in the morning service (see the Koma tribe sharing here).  It’s an opportunity to share songs in a style in the midst of other vastly different forms of musical worship.  It’s a chance to be mutually edified.

As I get back to Malakal, I’m looking forward to continuing to use music in creative ways in service to Him.  I hope to take some time weekly to serve in the Malakal hospital, if administration there would allow, to play for the patients: something that I had done before in other parts of the country.  Would you pray for that and possibly other opportunities to use this gift?  Let me know what you think too.  Your comments are valued.

It came in a dream

Showing his scar

Before a single bomb fell in his village in 2011, Peter (nor real name) had a dream that bombers were coming.  Incredulous, his neighbours did not believe him but he decided to move.  The bombings came soon after.  A cement building nearby was struck and started a bush fire that spread throughout the area.  

God, in His grace had warned one of His children of the impending disaster.  There have been many miraculous stories of His grace in terrible situations.

Peter now is studying theological education and hopes to graduate soon.  Though the future in many ways is still uncertain for him, our Father will likely continue to whisper into his ears directives for him to follow.

Will we also have the courage to hear His still small voice and obey when we hear it?  Though the subsequent running in the bush from continuous bombings has left him a visible scar on his shin, it also serves as a reminder to me of God's mercy in sending His word ahead of time to His children.

Life and death at work

(May 28, 2013)
I don’t understand how life can be at work in us if death is at work in you.  How can the two work together?  Grief and sadness took over and it was hard to see “life” for the “death” that seemed omnipresent.

Phillip was the principal of Gideon Theological College (GTC).  This college was named after Gideon Adwok, who was killed on the Nile river in the mid 1964 for being part of the church.  This Bible college started from very humble beginnings.  After the end of the civil war, the college moved from Khartoum to where it currently resides in  Melut, Upper Nile state.  There it struggled for a long time understaffed and underfunded.  Phillip, despite the many challenges, chose to stay on even when the government came calling and offering a better salary and greater status but his heart had always been in training young men and women in the Word.  He brought the best of ecumenical work, intertribal cooperation and had a wonderful heart of service.  One student said of him, with tears, “he took me in without any references.  He didn’t know what kind of person I was but he accepted me.”  His unexpected death came, therefore, as a huge shock to the faculty, students and his family and friends.

The day summed up: the pain of tears
and the victory of the cross

The service was held in his home village of Dangji, some 4 hour drive from the college.  A combination of speeches from those who knew him as well as songs of worship characterised the service.  As each song began, the air was filled with both praises and wailing.  How could both mourning and praising coexist together?  How could both “life” and “death” be at work in the same place?

As I took one step back from the service I noticed the two trees: one full of leaves and the other sparsely covered.  One looked like “life” while the other, in comparison, looked “dead.”

Then, our gaze slowly started to shift from the created to the Creator.  This God that we all serve is the God who created all things and who by His great   love for us sent us His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins while we were yet sinners (Rom 5:6-11).  This God that we serve tamed the rough waters when they seemed too much for us (Mark 4:35-41).  This God that we serve also bids us die to self so that we would live for Him (Gal 2:19-20).

In fact, we are already dead.  We have crucified the old self and our life is not our own.  We are the works of His hands, we are beloved of God, we are His servants.

Pastor Andrew lifting the mourners to praise

So it seems to be with the funeral.  On that Tuesday afternoon, both death and life were at work and the result was praise to God.  There was intense pain but also victory.  Through the ephemeral nature of man, somehow, the eternal nature of God seemed to be cemented.  This brought us faith, hope and “life.”

But there is greater news yet.  Even the tree that looks quite dead in comparison to the “live” one is indeed not dead.  Even so, those who have fallen asleep will rise again.  Ultimately, life prevails and death is defeated.  This is the hope of our life: that we live with Him eternally.  When we see Him face to face, oh, what a day that will be!

A Praying Church

Options seem limited when you’re faced with war.  Almost 20 years in refugee camps through the 80s, return to Sudan in 2006 after the war only to be displaced again 5 short years later in resumed fighting in Blue Nile state.  What can you do in such a situation?

One by one, they prayed quietly.  Without show and pomp or with a preacher’s inflections.  They prayed just loud enough for a person sitting in front of them to hear.  As though the person they were talking to was a whisper’s distance away.  They were intimate conversations.

SIM’s motto has always been ‘By prayer’ but we have sure learned what it is to pray and seek the Lord from our brothers and sisters from Sudan.

What is prayer?  Is it ‘giving up’ or a ‘last ditch effort?’  Is it throwing up our hands in despair and giving in?  Or is it more than that: is it an intimate conversation with our loving Father?  Is it lowly man talking to Almighty God who knows all things and orchestrates all things?  Prayer displays not only trust in God but a deep love for brother and sister.  Only after visiting with the church did we come to know that they were praying for us by name during our time in Ktm when we were being kicked out.  Is this ‘giving up’ or is it love for their brothers and trust in God?

Oh, Lord, help us to have a faith that endures and that acknowledges you as infinitely aware, infinitely wise and infinitely involved in all that is happening in your world.  Help us to pray and seek you because we love you and love our brothers and sisters.

(March 2013)

From our past to our future: the continuing work of training Gospel ministers

Joshua with his family in 1982

Yoel with his family in 2013

Since 1969, when man first landed a man on the moon, Joshua has been a Christian.   Two friends shared with him the message when he was sick and he believed.  Since then, he has served the Lord in the church.  In the 80s when the opportunity came, he studied at Gideon Theological College (GTC) after which he served faithfully in the Chali church in Blue Nile state in Sudan.  War came back into his area in 2011 and Joshua and his family fled to neighboring South Sudan.  In the fighting Joshua lost a son and ultimately his own life after succumbing to chronic illness while in the refugee camp.  An ending like this would have you question the legacy.  It would  have you wonder about the fate of the church.

From among the believers in the Chali church, Yoel had been chosen to study in the very same GTC where his predecessor pastor Joshua studied.  Today, he represents part of the hope of the continuing work GTC has in training ministers of the church.

Even now, there are opportunities to sponsor students during their 4 year studies.

Short study before class

For more information on how to provide scholarships for students, contact the academic dean at

gtc@securenym.net

When words fail: Bitter sweet reunion with the Uduks

When there are no words, a hug is best understood.  What words could you use to express how you feel about their short 5 years back in Sudan after being refugees for over 20 years only to find themselves as refugees again in South Sudan?  What words could you use to describe how you feel seeing someone you haven’t seen for over 3 years?  What words could you use to express the joy of finding friends in a sea of people in camps?  What words could you use to express back what you feel when you see their eyes welling up with tears?  It’s best just to let your heart be understood in silence.

Visiting Rebecca

When they caught sight of one another they dropped everything and ran to one another.  Rebecca and Claire have been the best of friends for almost 14 years.  As they locked in a long hug other women followed and took turns embracing one another.  The older women, much more quiet, started welling up with tears and could be seen quietly wiping them away.  This is a holy moment where God is present.  Where friends you didn’t know whether you’d see again suddenly appear before you.  This is a holy moment.

(March 2013)

Light unto my path: Dedication of the Shilluk Bible

"We are here to dedicate ourselves to God, not His Word to us.” Opening words of the message preached to us by pastor Peter of the Sudan Interior Church on the dedication of the newly printed Shilluk Bible.  It is the culmination of the translation work of both Old and New Testaments after a long 20 year translation process.

A thousand people crowded the stadium in Upper Nile’s capital, Malakal to witness and take part in this historic event.  Choirs from different Shilluk churches massed together to celebrate each wearing lawas (traditional shawl worn over one shoulder) representing their church colours.  As the day wore on, what was a tidily organized grouping of colour coded choirs became a rainbow of worship.  Choirs from different churches mixed together in jubilation.

We are celebrating God’s Word coming down to us.  But this must surely require a response.  Pastor Peter’s words circle back and compel us to take a stand about ourselves.  It is, as he says, more to do with our own position with regard to His Word than the pages itself.  It is a reminder that we must dedicate ourselves to Him.  The Word came and dwelt with us and demands our all.  Will we take this opportunity to evaluate our standing with Him and dedicate ourselves to His service?  The Word of God is not only our light but it is a light unto our path.  This path of actually following after Him.

Praise the Lord that with this new Bible many more will have a chance to say “yes, I too dedicate myself to You!”  May His name be praised for the great things He has done.

(April 13, 2013)

Shilluk Bible dedication

http://youtu.be/785vnzCDo28

Shilluk Bible dedication celebration

http://youtu.be/nq_FjyPsU4w