Meeting God in Rumbek

Fun in September and October!!!

2009-11-10T00:18:00.000-08:00

It’s been quite some time since the last newsletter, but September and October were filled with blessings!
The first two weeks of September were spent in Nairobi doing some work there (i.e. fixing computers, chillin’ with friends, etc). That time was pretty neat, but the big praises for that month were that Jermaine finished up language school and that my supervisor Mark’s knee surgery went well! Thanks for all who have been praying for both of those things. If you could please continue to pray that Mark’s knee keeps healing as the months go by and that Jermaine keeps progressing in his language studies even though the class is over (we all have a tendency to put it on the “back burner” haha).
In October we were blessed by having a group of 3 guys, Richard, Zach, and Peter, come out here and do some ministry. It was so awesome to see the doors that were opened through their bible stories and sports ministry in the local town of Abinajok. Abinajok is a small town that is outside of Rumbek where we attend church. We pray the bible stories told there thrive among all the animistic practices of the area. We continue to pray that the work done by those three volunteers makes the Gospel known to more people in the area of Abinajok. Also continue to pray for a possible Baptism in that church within the next week or so. They have already started to dig the hole for the Baptism!!!
Last but not least we Praise the Lord that our road trip from Kapoeta to Rumbek went smoothly. The Lord made the 740 Km trip go smooth and seem shorter than it really was. It was amazing to see different tribes and territories of Southern Sudan as we passed on our way to Rumbek. Please pray for all the other tribes, families, and peoples of Southern Sudan. That they would come to know the saving grace found in Jesus Christ. Making that trip helped me realize how many people may still be unreached by the saving message of Jesus Christ. Pray that people rise up to take the message to these other tribes and peoples.

Please pray for the following as well:
 Lewis family working with the Taposa in the areas surrounding Kapoeta. That their language studies and “settling in” time is blessed.
 HIV/AIDS work for the CAP Sudan project
 Laura and Jamie’s “cloth project”, that it may reach the girls of the schools and other areas with the message of Jesus Christ
 The Dinka would have soft hearts and continue to turn to Christ as their one and only savior

Thanks again to everyone who continues to pray for the Dinka, the work, and progress of those spreading the Gospel in Southern Sudan. Your prayers are definitely having an impact!

July/August 2009

2009-08-20T21:42:00.001-07:00

Cattle Camp and Akot:

July and the beginning of August were such a blessing. There are two girls on the team, Whitney and Jennifer, using bible stories and cultural stories to teach the Dinka people about the effects and dangers of AIDs. At the end of July there was a volunteer team that came in and I had the privilege of going with them to a cattle camp to help out. It was such a blessing watching the reaction and change of heart of some of the cattle camp people! God’s word has such a redemptive power and it was very real in that cattle camp. It was a slightly tough at first because the young cattle camp men (aged between 16 and 30) were acting a bit “macho” and trying to get into the tents and supplies we had. What amazed me was how God totally gave us the grace to survive the week long adventure and more awesome was how God really spoke to the Dinka cattle keepers through the two men who came out to volunteer. Please continue to pray for peace among the Dinka as the cattle camps are still full of Dinka who will steal cattle, fight with spears and other weapons, and start tribal clashes. Also continue to pray for the hearts of the Dinka of cattle camp “Kaguet”, that the stories from the bible that were told there would pierce their hearts and turn them to a saving grace only found in Jesus Christ.

God also blessed me with the chance to travel down to Akot (a village about 40 mins away) with Jennifer and her parents. Her father was asked by Mark to teach a 3 day pastor’s training session on “Purity and Holiness”. It was amazing to see the pastor’s hearts moved by the stories of from God’s word! There were stories of Jacob working 14 years for his wife, Amnon and Tamar, Jesus’ teaching about clean and unclean from Matthew 15, and more. The pastors really engaged the stories and asked many questions to gain understanding of the passages. Jennifer’s father did a fantastic job of both telling the bible stories and answering questions about them. Please pray that the pastors of Akot and Rumbek who attended the training will continue to seek a holy and pure life before God. Also that even though the scriptures taught might be culturally difficult to follow, that the Dinka pastors would lead the way in showing what a life devoted to Christ looks like.

Thank you all for your prayers and support! God Bless!

April May June...

2009-07-02T05:27:00.000-07:00

April, May, June

So it’s been a long time since my last update and a lot of awesomeness has been happening in Southern Sudan!

In the month of April I was blessed with a chance to go on a trip with a man named Billy. On this excursion that lasted about a week, we got to see and experience some cool places. One day that stood out was when we were able to visit an elementary school that the military was hosting. It was really neat to see children so eager to learn come for the surrounding villages to this military base. Please pray that these children will succeed in this school that the military is hosting. Also pray for Billy who is helping educate the military officials in English and incorporating bible stories with his teaching. Also for his safety as he makes the 8 hour drives to and from the military base he is focusing on.

During the month of May our team focused on fixing up the youth center in town. Thanks to the contribution from Pathways Community Church we were able to paint, build a sand-pit volleyball court, fix cosmetic issues inside the youth center, and many other little repairs. The picture shows a few of the repairs we were able to do. Our hope is that when we finally have our grand opening (tentatively July 19th) that youth will come to “hang-out” at the youth center, in the process learning about how they can have a relationship with Christ. Please pray that the grand opening at the youth center brings out new relationships with Dinka youth. Also pray that God will guide us in what programs to offer at the youth center to draw to come “hang-out”.

Other things to pray for are the team’s health, that the Dinka would cease fighting and find a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the AIDS/CAP Sudan project is fruitful, and that the girls’ project for “young women” be fruitful.

Lastly, in June I was able to visit my family and friends back home. Just wanted to say thanks to all who I was able to see and hang out with during my time home. San Diegans are one-of-a-kind! :)

Thanks to everyone for the prayers and support.

March

2009-04-03T01:19:00.001-07:00

Malek & Mayen:

After coming back from a 2 week R & R in Nairobi, March was a slow start but full of blessings! The first blessing came about two weeks into the month, mid-March. I was in the last few lessons of TRT training at Abinajok when an older man decided to sit in on the training session that day. I realized quickly that it must have taken some humility on the part of the older man to sit and listen to a “boy” probably 40 – 50 years younger than he. What stunned me is what he said after I had finished with the training for that day. In front of all the guys I’ve been teaching he proceeded to tell me that God is working in that place. He notices that we (2 of the girls on the team, myself, and Jermaine) go to a church in the middle of the “bush” and that God is working through all of us; that what we are speaking is truth and that even if the Dinka are not helping themselves, God is helping them through his servants. I was blown away by the fact this older man told us this! It was such a blessing to hear this older man’s words and his faith in God. It really reminded me of John 13:35 “By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you love one another”. This man had noticed the love within our team! Pray for the people of Abinajok, that God would continue to penetrate their hearts and draw them to faith in Jesus Christ. Pray that the church there shows love to all the people in the area and that this overflow of love leads to a noticeable change in the area.

The month just kept getting better after that experience! 3 pastors came from the US and we went with them to a few villages up north of us (Malek and Mayen) for a total of 3 days. We were all able to story in a total of 3 villages and were very happy with the reception of the Gospel message in those villages. The pictures show a few of the children in those villages and the 3 amazing translators we had who are also pastors. They taught the kids songs related to the bible. It was a joy to watch! Pray for Malek, Mayen, Amuk, and Aliet villages. Pray that God penetrates the hearts of the leaders and people to follow Jesus Christ as Lord and not the other gods/totems of the area.

Thank you all for your prayers and support. The Dinka people in Rumbek and the surrounding villages are responding to the Gospel and that is truly an answer to prayer. Keep it up prayer warriors! God Bless!

February :)

2009-03-01T09:12:00.000-08:00

The month was an adventure from beginning to end! The first week found myself, Cathy, and a couple who will be working out of Juba (capital city of Southern Sudan), driving two vehicles from Northern Kenya across to Sudan. What an amazing trip! The scenery was amazing and I was praising God so much for allowing me to see more of Southern Sudan! When we reached the city of Kapoeta we were met with a very friendly people group, the Toposa people. They are similar in many ways to the Dinka but have more Kenyan influence due to their location. The picture below of myself infront of a GIANT termite mound (it was seriously like 25 feet!), shows some of the landscape of Toposa-land and the potential home of the Lewis family. There is a new family, the Lewis’s, coming to live and serve among the Toposa in the middle of the year, Pray that they are used by the Lord and that their transition from the States to Sudan is smooth. Also pray for the couple living in Juba who will be handling logistics for us cRaZy kids in Southern Sudan! Pray that they stay healthy and encouraged being in such a dark and dirty city (literally trash everywhere!).

The remainder of the month I headed down for some R and R in Nairobi, Kenya. I spent a lot of time with God and just admiring the work he has been doing through our team and others in Southern Sudan! Two of the girls on the team are really doing awesome with an English course they started teaching the Dinka ladies and the two other ladies on the team are getting stuff ready for a few potential teams coming from the States to serve with AIDS curriculum! Pray for both the English course and the AIDS work in Southern Sudan, that they may reach young and old with the Gospel through these different ministries. Pray also for the newly appointed members of the youth council who will be working with us on restoring and reviving the youth center in Rumbek! The next few months will be filled with potential bible studies, courses, and relationship building activities at the youth center. Pray that through it all we glorify God and that his name is known among the Dinka youth!

I would like to add a few other prayer items: Pray that the young men at the Abinajok church keep learning more about Christ and bible stories during the TRT sessions. Pray that more people are burdened by the Lord to come out and serve the people of Southern Sudan through various ministries.

Thanks to all of you who pray for the work in Southern Sudan.

January...

2009-02-01T05:53:00.001-08:00

January:

What an amazing month! From start to finish it was filled with so many blessings. The first week of the month had our Sudan 6…yup we are back up to 6 thanks to your prayers and God’s answer to prayer with our new teammate Jermaine…where was I?...Oh ya…had our Sudan 6, Mark and Cathy, and a volunteer team from the U.S. (The Dawson Team) out in a nearby village, Akot, constructing a Pastor’s Training Center. This team’s dedication in resources, time, and money was a huge encouragement to all of us. Each member on the team had a special gift that contributed to the team as a whole and helped both in the construction of the building as well as spreading God’s word through Bible storying. It was amazing to see God work through this volunteer team and I am still so grateful to the Lord that I was able to help along with my teammates. Pray that the Pastor’s center is used to spread the Word, lead people to Christ, and help more Dinka become stronger in their faith.

The month didn’t end there, Jermaine has been initiated by being part of a major project his first week. He has been adapting well and learning the language with great speed and accuracy. Pray that Jermaine continues to learn language and find the ministry that God has him out here to be a part of. Also pray that he continues to transition from “life in America” to “life in Sudan”.

The two weeks in the middle of the month were busy but also filled with great moments. The highlight has been the TRT (Training for Rural Trainers) with the young men at a church in a local village, Abinajok. The amount of guys attending the training varies from week to week but there is a good core of 3 – 4 guys who come and learn all the bible stories. These past two weeks have really been awesome because I have started to incorporate personal testimonies with the training sessions. At first I was skeptical and wondered, “How can my stories from life in America relate to a rural culture?” Despite this thought I shared and to my surprise God used the testimonies I gave to relate some things from the Bible to these young men’s lives. There is this awesome joy that wells up inside with God does the unexpected, it is so hard to express sometimes, so sometimes I just laugh and look up admiring and standing in awe. Pray that these young men keep coming to learn more bible stories. Also pray that they continue to tell their friends and family about the saving grace found in Jesus Christ.

Thank you all so much for the prayers and support. I know the Lord is doing some awesome work with the Sudan 6 in Southern Sudan. Pray for the work of Whitney and Jennifer as they seek volunteer teams to help them teach about AIDS/HIV prevention in cattle camps, schools, and other venues. Pray for Laura and Jamie as they hang out with women and lead an English course that could lead to relationships and good conversations about Jesus Christ.

Long Time...

2008-11-02T06:06:00.001-08:00

It's been a long time since my last post. Here is my latest newsletter, if you could like to be on the e-mail list to receive it just e-mail me and let me know.

Nairobi, Malindi, and the Youth Center:

This month was filled with amazing moments from God! The first two weeks of this month were spent relaxing and reenergizing in Nairobi and a little town on the coast called Malindi. It was an amazing week with just God and I on my little week vacation to Malindi. I was able to visit a Swahili speaking church there along with seeing the beach for the first time since January, it was awesome seeing God’s amazing creation again!

When I got back from Malindi our team met for a weekend of prayer, the Southern Sudan Prayer Retreat. One of the days of the retreat was spent fasting, praying, and just spending some alone time with God. He kept reaffirming the reason I am here and really let me feel a peace about all that He is doing with the Dinka of Southern Sudan. Even though at times selfishness and pride creep into my life when living among the Dinka, the Holy Spirit really convicted me to keep on loving them as God loves them. I was reminded of how much Christ showed his love for me on that cross!

On the 15^th I returned to Rumbek where I prayed for a few days about the direction I should go with the Youth Center in town. I met with the head of the Youth Union and was encouraged greatly as we teamed up with his co-workers and students to clean up the youth center as best we could with the resources we had. It is really coming along and the grass is even cut! Please be in prayer to where God will lead the Hangin’ Out team in how to use the Youth Center as a way to build relationships with the youth here in Rumbek.

Prayer:

v Pray for the fighting among the Dinka to end. There have been a few deaths due to tribal fighting, pray for peace among the losses of the families involved.

v Pray that our witness among the people in our compound is a reflection of a life devoted to Christ. Let them see a difference in us as we see them day to day.

v Pray for team unity among our team of 5. We are also still looking for a guy to come out and partner with me in the “Hangin’ Out” job, be in prayer for the guy God is preparing.

v Pray that the TRT (Training for Rural Trainers) bible study that I started at Sunday’s Church will be fruitful and yield a few Godly men as leaders among the youth.

Akot x3

2008-09-28T00:25:00.000-07:00

These past two weeks (didn't do an update last week, I'm a slacker) have been really busy, especially with going to Akot 3 times (Saturday, Wednesday, and Friday). It was a great experience to get to go to Akot so many times. The Saturday trip was more of a relaxing trip to just show a guest who came out the sights and sounds of cattle camp, Akot, including the Mustard Seed clinic/hospital and the Baptist compound. The Wednesday trip was a trip to go meet a gathering of churches in the area for fellowship and food (mmmmm beans and rice are so much better in the bush). The Friday trip was just to survey the Baptist compound and show another guest the hospital and compound. Even though the road to Akot is 1 hour and 20 mins of bumps/ruts, it is always a joy meeting the local pastors of the area. I would continue to pray that the churches in Akot, and the churches here in Rumbek grow in strength and devotion to the Lord. The short few months I've been attending the bush church Sunday leads, has helped me learn that a church who shows love among its members, Christ centered love, will always attract non-believers. Southern Sudan is such a dark place, that any small light that shines will always been seen.

Pray for the pastors, Sunday, Isaac, Abraham, Shadarach, and the others around the area. Pray that they do not get distracted with the day to day struggles. Also pray for our supervisors Mark and Cathy, that they may be sustained during this next month of meetings and travel. Pray for unity within our team and with our team among the local friends we have made so far.

Thanks for your continued prayer support.

Cattle Camp

2008-09-14T05:15:00.000-07:00

This week we were privliged to go to a cattle camp. It was a great experience, stepping in feces, urine, and seeing the living conditions of the people! As I walked through the camp I saw a different side to the Dinka, life in cattle camp. Here are a few pictures:

Please pray for the Dinka's physical and spiritual needs. Living in a cattle camp is not the healthiest or most spirit-filled environment. Thanks for your continued prayers.

Bush Church Part 2

2008-09-07T08:23:00.000-07:00

So I realize it might be difficult to visualize what I mean when I say "I got to church in the bush, under a Lulu tree". Maybe you have pictures of people with spears hiding in bushes as we walk past their huts and village. Or maybe you visualize a savanna of wildlife teeming with lions, elephants, gazelle, and other "African" animals as we make our way toward the drums of church in the early morning hours. Have no fear I have made a video of what it is like to travel to church in the bush...check it out:

1 Samuel 28

2008-08-31T06:16:00.000-07:00

This week was great! Since last Sunday, when I felt a yearning to be more involved with a church here in Rumbek, I've been trying to decide what story to tell. Today was the moment of truth. I had been preparing to tell the story of Saul and the Witch of Endor (not Endor like in Star Wars). It was my first time to tell a bible story by myself in a Dinka church service. It was not as intimidating as I thought. If you go read the story and understand that the Dinka's lifestyle is surrounded by witchcraft and spiritual things, it will make sense why my supervisor suggested I tell this story.

What I wanted them to get was that when their children get sick but God doesn't heal them right away, or maybe even at all, it does not make it right to go see the witch doctor. We don't know what would have happened had Saul persisted in pray and petition to God about the incoming Philistines. But we do know that God does not always answer prayer right away, so being persistant with prayer is always better than going to see the witch doctor. It got me thinking though, how many times do we persist with prayer when God doesn't give us every little thing we ask for? I know I always want things to happen or see results for my actions, but God has a different perspective. I would challenge you as I challenge myself to be more persistent with prayer and seeking God rather than seeking earthly cures to spiritual problems and daily struggles. Live with a heavenly perspective has a new meaning to me when I look at it through the eyes of a Dinka.

This Week in Rumbek...

2008-08-24T05:49:00.000-07:00

This week seemed to go by quickly. The days just blended together, with language learning, practicing language, riding to and from school, and conversing with many people both on the way to language school and around the compound.

Earlier in the week we were invited to a celebration at my teacher's home. It is hard to describe what we saw but it was a blast! Here are some pictures and just pray for these people, God keeps prompting me to pray more and more for the Dinka here:

Lots of food for the festivities!

My teacher:

All the guests:

I ask that you continue to pray for the Dinka and that their tribal differences be left in the past and they look forward to a life abiding in Christ rather than AK-47s and fighting. Also that we keep studying the language as we are nearing the last 5 weeks of language school.

"Let them praise your great and awesome name -- he is holy" Psalm 99:3

Bush Church

2008-08-17T11:36:00.000-07:00

So today our supervisor wanted to take us to a church out in the bush. A few of us went with him and was it ever an adventure. We rode in the car with one translator ( a really good friend) and the pastor of another church that is near our supervisor's house. We left early because we were told that it started at 8am, we should have known better than to think stuff around here starts on time haha. Anyway, so we drove down a dirt road, until we came to the edge of what looked like a trail. One of the sudanese guys said, that is the road...so we proceeded. As we drove through we could barely see where we were going until we came to a clearing that had a broken water pump, then we proceeded even further into unknown and unseen trails. Eventually we came to a bigger clearing that the first and found ourselves a spot to park. As we were walking around the area that was filled with sorghum, plants, trees, and birds chirping, we found a lulu tree. Under that tree were what looked like benches and we firgured this was the church...no one was there yet. One of the sudanese went to find the man (the pastor) who told us that it started at 8am. Eventually the young men with drums showed up and started to play, and within a few minutes people started to show up. It looked grim at first but what happened next was such a glimmer of hope that it really, really helped me to realize why we are called to be out here.

Our supervisor was asked to give a story (that is how they do most church, the pastor tells stories to the sudanese, because most cannot read but they can memorize biblical stories). So he started with a story out of Genesis 18, the one about the 3 visitors who came and told Abraham and Sara they were to have a child, even at their old age. Before he could start that story though, our supervisor asked if anyone knew who Abraham was. A young man who had been playing the drums during worship responded with the correct answer. Then he was asked who Abraham's son was, Isaac, then who was his son, Jacob, then whose son that was, Joseph, then how many sons he had, 12. It was such a blessing to see such a young man who could go off and fight in war (as the Dinka know very well), or get an education and find a good paying job, this young man stays near his home village and studies the word! What an awesome encouragement today was...Praise the Lord :)

The Termite Mound!

2008-08-03T06:47:00.000-07:00

Brackenhurst was a wonderful retreat with a lot of good worship time as well as this awesome pastor from a church in Texas. It was a really challenging time both spiritually and physically (It was so cold! haha). Much of the past two weeks after that week at Brackenhurst has been spent trying to learn the Dinka language. It has been both a culture and language learning experience. But before I describe some of the stories they have told us in language school, let me just show you what I found when I returned to my room from Nairobi:

Yes that is right, a group of termites had made a small termite mound under my bed. Apparently they were trying to reach the wood frame of my bed. At first I thought of how funny it was that these termites, as small as they were, could build such a structure. Then I got to thinking, that Satan works like that in our lives and more importantly those who are spiritually dead, those without Christ. The sin in our lives seems small, we might be doing the "right" thing according to the world, but in reality we are just avoiding the consequence we all face for our sin, death. If we are not on constant guard from sin, we can let it build up a small structure and if we leave it long enough it can build a fortress in our lives. I do not understand all the spiritual darkness in this place yet, but I sure can feel that it is there. It is not something you can seen or even taste, but it is something you know is there. If I wasn't a Christian I would think things were peachy, but as it is, I feel a burden to tell these people about Christ. I see where they are headed if they continue to live a life apart from Christ. Keep praying that our witness here in Southern Sudan would impact the lives of both the UN people on our compound and the Dinka people we meet. Thanks for all your prayers!
Also a lot of my thoughts the past couple of weeks has been due to reading Isaiah 40, specifically verse 8, check it out and tell me what you think, peace!

Language School or How Not to Start a Dinka Fight 101

2008-07-12T20:12:00.000-07:00

This week was the first full week of language school. Classes were from 9am - 11am and 5pm - 7pm everyday. The morning session was taught by a man who has been raised Dinka and is trying to teach us the proper way to speak in the Dinka language (essentially it's linguistics). In the afternoons we are with a LARGE Dinka man who works for the government during the day. He teaches us the grammer and basics of the language. All in all it is a well rounded class with both learning about the Dinka language as well as the Dinka culture.

Every day this week we end up getting on the topic of fighting. Most of the words we are taught in the morning part of the class have to be explained in their context. If you call someone a baboon for example, be prepared to fight. If you ask someone "What do you want" with the wrong tone, be prepared to fight. If you trick someone into making themselves look "dumb", especially in public, be prepared for a fight. I think you get the picture. There is always alot of hostility in anything you say, so our instructor helps us in how to communicate and not start fights. :)

On another note, they have like a million words for the different colors of cows and they even specify between male color and female colored cows, but they don't have a color for purple. Go figure haha.

One of the last lessons we just went through in class had a very interesting word, the word "deep". This word means to lay a snare or to try and trap someone. The way the instructor explained it is that the Dinka lay a trap of mesh wire with leaves for camouflage in the forest, then they scare the animal they wish to catch into it. The same word can also mean to purposely put something in someone's way so they falter. Does this word sound familiar?? I was thinking it is exactly what the sinful nature and Satan does in our lives. He is the deceiver and father of lies. He encompasses all that is the word "deep". I was reflecting on how I can show God's love to a people group who have only known war their whole life. I came to the conclusion that it has to start with my walk with God. When I see the "deep" layed down in the path of my life, either by my own selfish ambitions or by Satan, I have to watch out and seek God's counsel rather than my own. More than that, those who do not yet know Jesus as their Lord and Savior need to be warned about the "deep" in their own lives.

Prayer: Pray that our team stays close and shows the Dinka what it means to be followers of Christ by our love for one another. Pray for the upcoming week as we prepare for a big annual meeting with a lot of other missionaries, that we accomplish everything we set out to accomplish. The Dinka's hearts would be softened so they will find a saving grace in Christ and not their AK-47.

Thanks for all your prayers and support as our team serves the Dinka in Southern Sudan.

And Language School Starts...

2008-07-06T03:49:00.002-07:00

There was a build-up this week toward Thursday and Friday. Anticipation had been building since we arrived to the day we would all begin language school. In African fashion, we showed up and the class started at least a half hour late, but whose counting right? Haha. Then only one of the two teachers showed up, but at least we got our books so we could start studying with the community. It has been fun taking my book with simple phrases to the guards around our compound and practicing language with them. I also engage youth when I can with the little language I have learned thus far. They even gave us a Dinka (Rec) bible that I used today in church to follow along with the readings. All in all it has been a great week.

Prayer: Pray for our language school this week and that the girls have a safe flight on Thursday when they go back to Nairobi and for me on my Saturday flight out to Nairobi. We will be going to a big meeting with a lot of peeps. Pray that God gives direction to the people leading the meetings and ears to listen for us in the audience. Continue to pray for our witness on our compound, as we walk/ride to and from language school, and during language school. Thanks for all of you that have been praying, it really does help out here. :)

A Normal Week ... or was it?

2008-06-29T22:09:00.000-07:00

Most of the week was "normal" by Rumbek standards. We only heard gunshots once, well 3 times in succession, but I only count that as one. Saw more clothed people than people without clothing. Had some awesome quiet times with God. Mark killed 3 snakes on his compound. And there was a good rain last night to cool down the weather. All in all it was a good week.

I must say the highlight, or rather highlights, were the two times I got to talk to people about Christ. The first was at a dinner session on our compound with an Australian man who shares a passion for surfing! It was neat to see how interested he was in what I had to say, we all know I speak gibberish most of the time, or wannabe jokes haha. To have someone intrigued in God's story for man was amazing to witness! Keep praying he comes to know Jesus as his Lord and Savior.

The other instance was with my language tutor Paul. He is a Dinka guy who was going to school in Kenya but ended up in Rumbek while on a trip to visit his relatives. He has agreed to help Josh and I out with our language training. On one of these language session he brought up a lot about how Christ can be God and man at the same time, who and where God is, and a lot of other great questions. I would say, keep praying for him to realize who God truely is.

There is a difference in world view between us "westerners" and people of Africa. We need to be brought into spiritual conversations by various means, friends, family, church, etc. With the African community, they are already attuned to the "spiritual" and realize that the spiritual world is alive. They encounter spiritual warfare and demons a lot of times throughout their lives. In both world views though, the African community and us, need Jesus Christ. We may need help reaching an understanding of the spiritual world and the African's may need assistance in knowing who the true God is, but in reality, we all need help from God to understand who he is and how Jesus Christ died for our sins. Pray this would be a reality for both us and the African community and eventually the world!

Thanks for all your prayers.

The Calm After the Storm

2008-06-22T06:16:00.000-07:00

The Sports Camp volunteer group from Colorado left on Tuesday and it has been a calm few days in Rumbek. This week Joshua and I started to meet with our language tutor. We met on Wednesday and Friday and will continue a 3 a week/1-2 hour session even through language school. If you could pray for our time out in the market with our language tutor as well as our witness while we wander the town of Rumbek. Much of the town could use prayer in so many ways. Just the other day we saw a man get arrested by approximately 20 military men and the man was thrown in the back of a truck. We also saw a lot of drunk people stumbling in the streets. Many of the shops have many people with saddened, hungry, and lost faces. Shop after shop you see a sea of faces with the unexpressed question of whether they will live to see tomorrow. Keep praying for those in Rumbek, the Dinka of southern Sudan as fighting increases in many areas.

On another note we got beds for 1/2 our group (the other 3 beds should be ready tomorrow). It is nice to not have to sleep on the ground but at the same time it isn't as bad as it sounds :) I have no idea why but James 5:16 kept popping up this week. Especially the part about confessing sins and how the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. The Dinka could use all the prayer they can get from all who are willing to pray for them. I have this sidebar on my laptop and I was telling a friend of mine that everytime the pictures of the Dinka or people back home pop up, it helps me remember that I need to pray unceasingly! The picture that always pops up in my mind is this one:

Prayers: The Kenyans where we live become interested in a small bible study, the Dinka would lose their "fighter" mindset and accept Christ, God would challenge our team everyday with a burden for the Dinka, the hearts of the youth would soften so maybe we could start a bible study with a few of them, and unity within our team of 6.

Thanks for all your prayers.

Sports Camp Rumbek Style!

2008-06-15T04:52:00.000-07:00

So this past week a volunteer group from Colorado came out to do a sports camp. All six of us journeymen helped and it was a blast. We had various school around town come to a central location (a cement basketball court, an oasis in the middle of dirt) and did 3 session per school. Each session lasted approx. 1 hour and consisted of either bible stories, sportsmanship, or basketball/volleyball. Of course most of the kids wanted to just play sports, but the point of the volunteer group coming out was to teach them about Jesus and that the bible can relate to them. Most the students were primary school students, but that meant their ages could range from 10 years up to about 18. We did have one secondary school on Friday which was fairly successful (they thought they didn't need a translator, so our translators felt a bit bad). Other than that it was a very successful sports camp.

My job was to assist Christine and Joshua with the sportsmanship part of the program. At the beginning I just led a game called "Human-knot". It was funny watching the kids try to get out of the human knot. On Thursday and Friday I relieved Josh of his duty as leader of the sportsmanship talk. I basically went through James 1:19 and broke it down. Telling then they could apply quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry to both their personal life as well as their sports life. I cannot take credit for the outline, Joshua made the outline I just followed it. It was very fun to teach these kids.

The whole week can be summed up with this verse: "And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me." Matthew 18:5

Oh and here is a small video I made (sorry about the size, It's hard to get big videos uploaded here).

Move Day!

2008-05-31T04:56:00.000-07:00

So today our group (minus Joshua) moved into our semi-permanent homes. We spent the last few days since we arrived back in Rumbek getting stuff ready for our housing situation. We are very delighted God has answered ours and your prayers to help us find some housing. It is a weird feeling that my first move away from home into my own place was in a foreign land, not at all a familiar place, yet. Thanks so much for all your prayers, they have helped sustain us on the field thus far and we are all ready out here to get a jump start on our ministries before we start language school in July. A few prayer requests would be: That we find the urgency and need to learn the language so we can be more effective in our witness to the Dinka people, that we would find "people of peace" who will aid us in reaching the lostness in the community, our team would stay healthy and strong, enduring everything that God has planned for us, the volunteer team that comes June 7th would have a great impact on the Dinka with their sports ministry, and that we would all rely on God to sustain us day after day.

As an aside, if you didn't get my newsletter or would like to be added to receive my newsletter, send me an email at mog476@gmail.com Thanks again for all your prayers!

40/40...in 30 days

2008-05-24T03:42:00.001-07:00

So I am sitting here in Nairobi after just completing the 40/40 training that all CESA people do before they start their ministries. 40/40 was a 30 day program broken up into 3 parts: An urban part, rural part, and a relaxing 4 days in a resort. Overall the program was very beneficial in understanding how to approach the African culture anywhere in Africa. I must admit that a lot of the urban assignments did not apply to us in Sudan too much, but the parts where we met the chief in the rural part of the program were very beneficial. We also met the various rural ministry leaders (i.e. minister of health, minister of education, etc.). It was a great experience and to do it with all the folks I had made friendships with at FPO made the 40/40 experience so much better. People got sick, overheated, and exhausted, but the main focus was on learning as much about the African culture in 30 days as possible in order to further the gospel in our specific assignments. I am sorry about the lack of pictures, but my camera battery died on the way to 40/40 and i forgot to bring my battery charger....oops haha.
I also learned so much about my relationship with God and how it is going to be so so necessary to make a valiant effort in keeping my quiet time with God a priority. I journaled everyday and it was so awesome spending time with God in the mornings as the sun was coming up. I pray for all you that read this blog and for those who will be reached by God through our ministry in Sudan. Thanks for all your prayers and I hope to write more stuff here soon :)

Zambia

2008-05-04T07:37:00.000-07:00

I've been in Zambia for almost 2 weeks at this 40/40 training. It's been good. The first part of the training is over, the rural part is about to begin. These next two weeks our team (the Sudan-6) and the rest of the 40/40 people will need your prayers. We will be doing "bush" training, which just means that we will be living out in tents instead of in the city. This first part of the 40/40 training has been great in getting to know how Africa works on an urban setting, but I have been itching to get out into the tent/bush setting. Its kind of ironic they took us out of Sudan, which is basically all rural and tent/hut like, just to train us how to live in the bush... Anyway its been fun but at the same time my time with God has been great. He has really been showing me a lot of similarities and differences in the way they do church and basic life in Africa. Anyway, if you want to see more and stuff I'll try and get some pictures posted when i'm not in an internet cafe and have some time. For now just email or what not if you want, peace out.

The Past Two Weeks

2008-04-22T13:00:00.000-07:00

So this thing hasn't been updated in a long while. It's been pretty hectic with getting to Nairobi and finding no one at the airport to pick us up because our previous flight was canceled to being in the bush for the past week of my two week excursion in Sudan. God has been so alive already. He has helped me understand more and more why He offered His saving grace that day back in high school. On the flight over here to Nairobi (I'm currently in transition to training in Zambia), I was pondering how awesome, mighty, and majestic His grace is. I would never have been here if it wasn't for God's intervention in my life. Its such an overwhelming Joy. Anyway, for the past week the Sudan 6 and a volunteer team from Texas went to the "bush" to tell bible stories to the natives. Basically think of the poorest poor and put them out in the middle of nowhere with cattle and some beans and rice. I will try and update more but for now keep praying that God keeps Satan away, we already had much spiritual warfare just in two weeks of being in Sudan, you can just imagine what 2 years will be bring. Pray for unity among the Sudan 6, our supervisors, the volunteer teams that are coming out, against demons and spiritual battles, and that the local people would come to know Jesus in a personal way. They say they are Christians, but they act the same as many Christian-Americans act, just American.

1 Corinthians 13

2008-03-16T19:59:00.000-07:00

Haven't had much time to post but if you would like to follow what I am doing you can read 1 Cor. 13 and read some sermons by Jonathan Edwards, Found Here. It has been awesome to be in the presence of my Creator everyday. Praying for all of you that read this :) 2.5 weeks, YAY!

Patience

2008-02-25T19:24:00.000-08:00

Psalm 27:14 "Wait for the Lord, be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord"

That has been my verse and prayer this last week. I have been busy with a lot of stuff here and at the same time there are things that can still bug me. It is not necessarily a bad thing its just that I'm learning that being patience with God's timing on certain things helps a lot. And I just want to thank everyone who has been praying. This time here is just as important as being out on the mission field in Africa. I am learning a lot about myself and God. He is just amazing!

PS: keep praying I'm patient. And I have been praying for everyone back home. Thanks again everyone.

And I had Red Robin the other night, very good! :)

Jeremiah 29

2008-02-17T05:37:00.000-08:00

I just want to say thanks so much for pointing me to this verse (You know who you are). Chapter 29 of Jeremiah is a letter to the exiles that God had flee from Babylon. I sometimes think that if God doesn't work in a week or even in a month that my prayers or desires will not be answered. Then I was directed to this letter to the exiles, and saw what God told them to do:

This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. [b] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile." Jer. 29:10-14

He had them wait SEVENTY years! That is such a long time. The life span of an average person is about that. It kind of put me in my place to not tell God how fast to act, especially in respect to prayers. Verse 11 is probably the most encouraging of all the verses listed above because it shows us how much God loves us and knows the plans he has for us. So it becomes a faith issue in trusting God's timing for things will be the right and perfect timing.

Snow!

2008-02-14T16:21:00.000-08:00

"My Favorite Word!!!"

Joshua 1:10-18
God promised the people their land across the Jordan, but He first had them prepare. They had to be prepared for what they were going to face. Who knows what would have happened if they didn't listen to God again (they had already spent 40 years in the desert). I believe the same can apply for us. When He leads us into new things that will lead to His glory we must be ready. For example, I cannot go be a missionary if I do not prepare and know in advance what actually works in an area. Hearing from all the older missionaries, both failures and praises, we all are learning where we can start on a good note in furthering God's church around the world.

Boldy And Without Hinderance

2008-02-13T17:45:00.000-08:00

Here is just a fun video, after 4 tries the guy I'm going with to Sudan made a backwards half court shot that I managed to capture on video:

For the verse today, it was Acts 28:28-31. Specifically verse 29 is awesome. It almost describes what I'm doing for the next two years. Also encouraging is that the message is for "Gentiles" who "will listen". The Dinka people of Sudan will listen even when God puts the smallest desire to hear the Gospel in them. The last verse is like icing on the cake, even though icing and cake are gross haha, but you get the analogy. "Boldy and without hinderance he preached...". I pray I can do that while I am with the Dinka people. If you don't know much about the Dinka, look them up, they are some cool people. :) God Bless

Finish The Race

2008-02-12T13:20:00.000-08:00

"Preach the word" - At anytime. This part of 2Tim 4:1-8 reminds me a lot of the passage in Mark 11 where Jesus curses the fig tree. The fig tree was not bearing fruit. We should always try to bear fruit by preaching the word both "in season and out of season" and in the process to "correct, rebuke, and encourage" others. Then verses 5-8 charges us to finish the race strong. I started this call to be a missionary and now must finish. Finishing a race is so much more important than the start. If you start great but never finish, what was the point?

If you have any prayer requests shoot me an e-mail at mog476@gmail.com. I have been praying for everyone I know and putting all you in a prayer list.

House Church

2008-02-10T12:44:00.000-08:00

God is so Amazing!!!

Today was so much fun. We got introduced to "House Church". Basically what we all do at college group but with all ages. (and a lot smaller, about 2 small families and 3 guys). We read out of Isaiah 6, focusing on how the Holiness of God can lead us to think we are so guilty and sinful, but that God is faithful to forgive us of sin and purify us from our guilt. I got to thinking that a lot of times if it isn't fear that keeps us from obeying God it is guilt of our sin. We choose to lay in that muck of guilt and do not realize we are free from it if we are a new creation in Christ. It was also so cool to hear the testimony of the other people in the group and learn how they came to realize they needed to listen to that calling to become missionaries.

" 19Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. 22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings." 1COR. 9:19-23

This is the verse I was focusing on during my quiet time and felt I needed to share something about. I was thinking to myself that we are free men, just as 19 states, but that we shouldn't always be doing everything we want. They only way we can win some people to Christ is to learn to be servants to others. This even means when we feel like it is an absurd rule. Here is an example that my devotional gave me. Billy Graham was just going from place to place preaching the word as he does when a lady about his age wanted a picture with him. So they posed for the picture with him hugging her. Then some newspapers and people started to question his faith to his wife. To us it might sound absurd but some people just think that way. Well Mr. Graham decided he would not touch anyone except his family, especially his pictures. This also seems like an extreme measure, but as the 1COR passage states, we are free but we must become all things to all people. As a personal application I decided that I would do the same or even be more "reserved" if needed on the mission field. The reason being that people may not view our "typical" actions as typical in another country or even in pictures we might send over here. So to conclude, I think it is necessary to give up certain things we think are ok or even ok with a lot of people if it will witness to others or even bring them to Christ. After all we are here to glorify God and not ourselves. This is a habit I will have to work hard at because as you know I try and be as free as possible sometimes. Thanks again for your prayers and hope i can hear from you soon.

By the way, I setup a Skype account with the name "andres-jimenez" if anyone wanted to chat or video chat. Also my aim is mog4767 which I have been on regularly lately.

Reflection Time

2008-02-08T20:24:00.000-08:00

Today was CRAZY awesome! Today was basically a Reflection time. We were supposed to go out for 3 hours of the day and reflect on what, why, and other things about us being here and what God wants us to learn. It took me 1 hour and 15 mins to be able to recieve what God was gonna show me. (Thanks in advance to Neal for this illustration) It reminds me a lot of surfing. 90% of your time is spent paddling or waiting for a wave. It is just the process of surfing. The other 10% is spent riding the wave. That is exactly how it felt today. I sat in my room worship with an Ipod for a little over an hour. Then I took my camera, my Bible, and God along a walk...here are some pictures of how it went...

That passage in Jeramiah 2:19 is what God put on my heart today. While I was sitting there reading I realized this past year I was doing exactly what it was saying (which isn't a good thing). I did at some points reflect a "christian" appearance but I know at other times my heart was totally outta whack. What is even crazier is that we had a recap time after this reflection time. Almost everyone (thats like 200 of us) shared what God had put on our hearts. The conclusion I took from it is that none of us are worthy for this calling of doing what we are doing, but we all want to. All I could keep singing today was that Hillsong United song "All I Need is You Lord". That is truely all we need in life and I really came to that realization. Out in the field the only thing that will keep us out of sin and in God's favor is our devotional time with Him. It is like any relationship.

Then he brought me to Hebrews 10:19-end. The verse that stuck out most is 39.
"But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved."
We should always be acting in this manner. When God tells us to do something we should not back down because He is with us. I don't really know how much more I can explain but just read the verses and let God talk to you, haha! At this point I am falling in love with God and realizing the more I rely on Him the more amazing I view Him.

I do want to leave you with a funny verse I found. It isn't the gangster one I love quoting but it comes out of Jeramiah chapter 2. It is in the middle of a list of how people can recieve Gods gracious gift but do their own thing...

Jeremiah

2008-02-07T17:37:00.000-08:00

So I was trying to think of something profound to type here or even maybe some encouragement, but all I kept thinking of is the verse Heather pointed me to on the comment of my last blog entry. I realized that is exactly how I have been feeling recently. It is this all encompassing burning for God and to serve the people of Pathways, the surrounding area and all the people I will encounter in Africa!!! It is indescribable as Chris Tomlin puts it. (remember passion LA 08....so amazing!) Anyway the bible verse that I want to point to is Jeramiah chapter 1. There is so much of God speaking directly to Jeramiah and at times it feels as if He is saying the same thing to me. Read it and I think you might understand. Verse 5 shows us that He knew us before we were even thought of by anyone on earth. That is amazing! I do not understand how that is possible but it is awesome to think that God views us in this way. On top of that He allowed His son to die for us even when we were still sinners. He knew we would still screw up and that we still will. I do not want to sound like because I'm a serving Him and His people in Africa that I am in anyway immune to sin or can just deflect it. I realize that I need to work on those struggles more than ever before. As the passage goes on, Jeramiah starts to whine but God both, in my opinion, comforting and still has some humor. He tells him that he must go to whoever he tells him to go to. Its like BAM!!!! buddy welcome to reality, you have to serve me and do what I say. I feel like that is what he was telling me before I came here and is still telling me. I know sometimes I argue with God and do not listen and yes I usually pay for that. (sometimes I look back at those moments and just laugh). Enough of me rambling, I would like to hear anymore insight on the passage. Thanks again for your prayers and I hope my e-mail reached you guys and gals. As is said in Hot Rod, "Stay Sweet!" haha!

"They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD." Great last verse for the chapter...I just had to add that and a *THUMBS UP!!* haha

Calm Before the Storm!

2008-02-06T20:31:00.000-08:00

This sunset was the calm before the storm, in two ways. There is this nasty storm outside as I type this; the wind is howling. So in that way that picture shows how awesomely(is that even a word haha) God can paint something in the sky. Also its the calm before the storm as this missionary conference starts! The one thing that God has set on my heart since I stepped foot here is not only a heart for the Dinka people of Africa, but for everyone out in Santee and even extended that to San Diego. I do not know how to explain it nor do I understand how it all fits inside of me, but God does and I am trusting that. What I do know is its like when you fall in love with something you created or the way someone reacts to a gift you have given them. Those feelings are kinda close to how I am feeling about all you back at Pathways and all the youth (lost and saved) in that area. Thanks again for all your prayers and if I get any clue on how to explain this passion for everyone out there in San Diego I will post it. For now you'll have to settle for this picture and this verse:

"When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus."

Ya I feel like that a lot :) "unschooled, ordinary"

Safe and Ready

2008-02-05T17:33:00.000-08:00

So I arrived yesterday on a good note. When I landed in Richmond, VA I thought I was going to have to take the boring Groome bus to the ILC (International Learning Center), but as I was picking up my baggage I saw my small group leader from the 3 day conference I had come to in April of 2007. We greeted each other and he offered to give me a lift along with his family (who will be attending the conference and soon be off to their own destinations). We had a great ride to the ILC because on the way we stopped for food at TGI Fridays, it was really an awesome God thing (He knows how to welcome a new missionary haha!) Needless to say it has been a good trip so far and today I just relaxed and prepared through prayer (and a few fun activities) for tomorrow, which will start the 7 week training period. Keep me in your prayers and thanks so much for all your prayers. I will keep updating this regularly with how God is working and maybe even a few pictures.
Cya around! :)

So It Starts

2008-01-31T10:02:00.003-08:00

So the going away party went well, the pictures speak for themselves, (YAY for thumbs up!):

(brotherly love haha!)

I will update more as I get closer to leaving for Africa (April 5th). I can't wait!!!