I am back in South Sudan now and feeling fine. After we finished our Dinka language course at the beginning of October, I headed to Nairobi, Kenya for two weeks for some rest and relaxation and some medical check-ups. I found out that the minor illness I was experiencing was Hepatitis E (sounds worse than it actually is). It is not chronic like other forms of Hepatitis and Praise God I had already started recovering from it before I even went to Nairobi and now I have some medication that should help eliminate it completely.
My time in Nairobi was very refreshing. I am thankful that I was able to go on safari and see some of God's amazing creation and spend some quality time with some veteran missionaries which was very encouraging.
Pray for Laura as she is still in Nairobi awaiting medical clearance to come back. Laura and I are planning to teach an English course at the Youth Union in Rumbek and lead a drama team in which we facilitate performances of Bible stories for the community. So please pray for us as we get things started and work out lots of details. Pray that we will be faithful in these two avenues to proclaim the excellencies of our Lord Jesus the Christ.
We are asking God to raise up 12 Dinka men to work with Whitney and Jennifer (two of my colleagues) as they travel to schools, cattle camps, and military groups throughout Southern Sudan to teach about HIV/AIDS and expose the disease as one of Satan's tools used to steal, kill and destroy.
Please join us in praying for these Sudanese partners; pray that God would put the desire in their hearts to proclaim His truth.
We are still praying for a teammate to come work alongside Andres, so continue to lift that up. Pray for his ministry mentoring young men that are leading a small group of believers in worship and Bible study.
grace and peace to you, Jamie
Greetings from Southern Sudan!
We were prevented from going to language school today, so I thought I would take this opportunity to send out an update. Today the SPLA (Sudan Peoples Liberation Army) decided to have a surprise disarmament in Rumbek to remove any guns possessed by civilians. It was a surprise so that people would not have time to hide their weapons far out in the woods. So this morning as we were getting ready for language school, troops lined the roads and people were instructed to stay home so they could search for weapons. They didn't search our home; I guess they trust us not to have weapons. I've been told that the Southern Sudanese government brought in troops from a rival tribe (the Nuer) to remove arms from the people in Rumbek who are primarily of the Dinka tribe. Their logic in this was that there would be less of a chance that Nuer military personnel would allow any Dinka civilians to keep weapons (due to lack of family and friendship ties). However, this has caused tension, and some soldiers have taken more than a few unethical freedoms in their search for arms, so pray for the situation especially as nightfall draws closer. Pray that people here will come to know Christ, the Righteous Judge and the Author of peace.
As for me, I find comfort from Psalm 27: "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?... Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me, even then will I be confident."
On a lighter note, one highlight from the month of August was that we were able to attend a menstruation celebration. Rites of passage into adulthood are very important in the culture here. The parents of the girl who was coming of marriageable age hosted the celebration for family and friends. There were speeches given by her father and uncles, a feast prepared by all the women, and lots of singing and dancing. Pray that many Dinka people will have cause to sing and dance in joy over God's great salvation provided in Christ.
Praise God we journeywomen have found a language tutor! We see her everyday on our way to language school and when she found out we were learning to speak Dinka, she was very eager to help us learn. She voluntarily practiced with us everyday on our way home and she speaks some English. She is very patient with us and is not afraid to correct us. Her name is Rose; she is an answer to our prayers and we are an answer to hers also. Rose has no husband, is lame in both her legs, and is trying to support her one living daughter by sending her to school. It is rare in Dinkaland for a parent to value their daughter's education so highly. Rose often depends on relatives and friends to help support her family, but she is grateful to have a job of her own for a while as our tutor. We are excited that after our language class ends in three weeks, we can continue to go deeper into the language with Rose a few days during the week and grow better equipped to understand what is on the hearts and minds of the people here.
Praise God we have been granted permission to use the Rumbek Youth Union; pray that it becomes a place where God's glory is made known and disciples grow in the love, fear and knowledge of our Lord. Continue to pray for Whitney and Jennifer as they are persistently developing an HIV/AIDS education program which incorporates God's redemptive plan. Pray for Sudanese helpers to come alongside them in this endeavor.
Three of the five journeymen have had worms or some sort of parasite, so pray for grace and strength for recovery. God has used these trials to give us more compassion for the people around us who face these diseases and worse, more frequently and with less medical treatments at their disposal.
There are some pictures and videos from the menstruation celebration, a church service, and other snapshots of life on the blogs. Pray for the local Sudanese Christian leaders and small groups of believers as they grow in their walks with Christ. Please continue to pray for a Godly male teammate to come work alongside Andres.
Thank you for your prayers!
Grace and peace to you.
Jamie
Prayer Requests - August 5, 2008
DINKA OF SOUTHERN SUDAN
"Be careful not to say this phrase or it will lead to fighting." This is a common warning given to new missionaries in Southern Sudan by their Dinka language teacher. It has become a bit of a joke among them, because some phrases seem so innocent and even silly to their American ears. But there is an element of danger rooted in the stories and history that lie behind each phrase; stories that bring shame to one's tribe or clan. The Dinka people take great pride in their tribe and clan as well as in their reputation as individuals; they are always prepared to fight to defend their honor. Even at a young age of 13, after receiving tribal scars as a rite of passage into adulthood, the young men are expected to beat the younger boys. Pray for the Dinka people that they would understand that all honor and glory belongs to the one true God. Pray that God would soften and humble their hearts to see Christ's glory and receive His mercy.
DINKA OF SOUTHERN SUDAN
"Why do you talk like a man who has been cut in half by a hippo?" This is the literal translation in English of a Dinka expression used to convey that someone is talking nonsense. Among the Dinka people, it is believed that if you are cut in half by a hippo and your top half is in the water, you will still be able to talk for a while before you die (though you will not make much sense.) The Dinka culture is full of stories. For instance, did you know that the dog was the animal which brought fire to the ancestors of the Dinka people? Before they had fire, they cooked by sunlight. In such a story-driven culture, pray that God's Spirit will move in hearts to illuminate the truth found in the stories of the Bible. Pray that many Dinka people will experience God transforming power through hearing the "sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ." (2 Timothy 3:15, ESV)
DINKA OF SOUTHERN SUDAN
Timidity was the expression seen on the face of a young Dinka pastor as he began to address the new church. Pray for local pastors that they would be dependent on God's Spirit and have confidence in God's ability to use them to proclaim His good news to those living in hopelessness. "Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant." (2 Corinthians 3:5-6, ESV). Pray that they would take comfort from the apostle Paul's experience: "When I came to you, brothers, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." (1 Corinthians 2:1-5, ESV). Pray that the gospel be clearly proclaimed among the Dinka people bringing many to faith by the power of God.
HIV/ AIDS
There was a time not long ago in Southern Sudan when cases of HIV/AIDS were rare. If someone tested positive, it was almost guaranteed that they or their spouse were either in the military or a traveling merchant. But now as prostitution is on the rise, many people are settling in Southern Sudan from neighboring countries, and the deceiver is convincing people that sexual immorality is acceptable, cases of HIV/AIDS are rapidly increasing. Pray for God's continued direction in the beginning stages of the HIV/AIDS education program in Southern Sudan as missionaries seek to teach Godly decision making and God's plan for redemption.
"Take care lest you forget the Lord your God… who brought you water out of the flinty rock."
This might seem like a strange passage with which to begin an email, but as I was reading Deuteronomy 8 and God's command for us to REMEMBER what He has done, I was reminded how amazing it is that God provides and answers our prayers in ways that we don't expect of Him, like bringing water out of a flinty rock.
In the midst of studying the Dinka language and as we build relationships with many Dinka people on our walks to and from language school, my team and I have had many amazing opportunities to share personal testimonies, brag on God's goodness, share His gospel, answer spiritual questions, and genuinely take part in the lives of other people working here in South Sudan (with the UN and other non-governmental organizations) from all over the world: India, Pakistan, the Nederland, Australia, Germany, Italy, England, Kenya and the list goes on! So I praise God for these unexpected opportunities and your help through prayer.
One of my teammates, Josh, had some medical problems and decided to take another position in Kenya in order to be closer to medical facilities, so please pray for him and his new adjustment. Please join us in praying for a new ministry partner for my teammate Andres, so that he will not be the only guy here with the four of us girls.
I have included some pictures of the path we daily walk (and sometimes bike) to language school and also pictures of Dinka friends who we stop and try to converse with along the path. Some of the girls you'll see taught Jennifer and I a dance one day, and I don't think they or I had laughed that hard in a long time; we couldn't quite perform the way they do. It was definitely entertaining. Everyday is an adventure. The rainy season has begun. Laura and I have both fallen off our bikes into mud puddles on separate occasions, once because a cow decided to change direction and step in front of me, but thankfully I didn't hit the cow and we were able get up and smile, laugh, and be more grateful for our evening shower.
Pray for Whitney and Jennifer as they develop an HIV/AIDS education program incorporating God's redemptive plan. Pray for Laura, Andres and I as we talk to local leaders and seek permission to use an existing facility for youth called "The Rumbek Youth Union" which is currently not in use, but becoming overgrown by "the bush" as the locals would say.
2 Corinthians 1:11 "You must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many."
Recap Prayer points: A godly male teammate to join Andres. That God will enable the seeds that have been planted to take root globally. Our friends along the path. HIV/AIDS and Youth programs Good health and peace of mind so we can concern ourselves with the welfare of people here and the interests of Christ. (like Timothy in Philippians 2:20-22)
Please email me if there are things you would like me to pray about. Thank you to all who have sent cards and packages, and to all who keep those without email updated! Grace and peace to you all.
Jamie
