On the border of Sudan

 

Participants enjoying the workshop inside the church

Our reconciliation team conducted a Healing Hearts, Transforming Nations workshop last week in the town of Renk. Renk is in the far north corner of South Sudan, close to the border with Sudan and not far from Khartoum. Since the war erupted in Sudan in April 2023, people have been streaming across the border, and a camp of displaced people sprang up overnight. One friend who works in Renk estimates that there are still 5,000 people per day entering South Sudan near Renk, fleeing the ongoing conflict. There is now growing tension between the residents of Renk and these new refugees, as residents resent the relief that is being given to refugees when residents are also struggling.

After giving over our pain to God, the papers are burned

Pastor Peter Nyang serves as the senior pastor for the South Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church in Renk. He invited people from several different churches to the workshop, including that people from different tribes in South Sudan and Sudan. There were several pastors who attended the full workshop, and some of them affirmed that this workshop was exactly what they need. The facilitators said that one of the biggest challenges was accommodating the additional people who came to join the workshop the second and third day. We had planned for 50 participants, but by the third day more than 120 people attended.

Laying flowers on the ashes of the papers of pain that were burned

During the time of giving over our pain to Jesus on the cross, we invite people who have lost a loved one in war or were not able to be present for the funeral to commemorate that person. Participants are invited to lay a flower on the ashes of the papers that we have burned of our pain, and to take a moment to remember and honor that person. This opportunity was meaningful for those who had come from Sudan with their lives and families uprooted by war.

People come to lay flowers on the ashes as a sign of remembrance and hope

The time of standing in the gap and confession was also emotional and meaningful. Several people came to confess the harm that their group had done against others in the conflicts that have plagued this region for decades. One Sudanese pastor confessed humbly and specifically the discrimination that the Sudanese people have shown towards South Sudanese people, along with targeted killings. Many of the South Sudanese participants were visibly moved as they heard his confession and then came forward to express their forgiveness. Particularly in this time when tensions are high and localized conflicts between groups happen frequently, seeing this spirit of confession and forgiveness was a beautiful display of how God can break down walls and bring forgiveness.

One man confesses harms done and prejudice shown

by Sudanese people towards South Sudanese

At the end of the workshop, multiple pastors requested that our team return to train some of their people as facilitators of the Healing Hearts Transforming Nations workshop so that they can conduct workshops on their own. There are thousands of people who are temporary residents of Renk and are trying to cope with the emotional and physical challenges of their homes and livelihoods being destroyed. Training new facilitators is not a simple task, so please pray that God would guide our team and provide the human and financial resources for this need if it is the right thing to do.

On the radio in Juba

 

Our team discusses the process of developing radio programs

A small team of our facilitators has been busy this month creating and revising scripts for putting the healing and reconciliation teachings into radio programs. We have met for hours at a time in the shade of a tree at the SSPEC church offices, discussing how to communicate these important teachings in a way that will be attractive and understandable to listeners through the radio. We are trying to use some of the dramas from our workshops and adapt them for radio, along with the teachings and some testimonies. We have revised and reviewed our scripts repeatedly in both English and Arabic. Last week our first program aired live on the government radio station in Juba. We are grateful for a good start to this new initative!

When Michael, one person on our team, met with the radio station manager to present our idea for the program, the manager said, "this is exactly what our people need. If the government wanted to do what would really contribute to peace, this is the kind of thing that should be done." Another staff person at the radio is also an SSPEC church member, and he invited our team to use his program hour and to also have some time for people to call in live with questions. On this first program, they were surprised at the large number of callers at the end of the program and lamented that we only had a short time for questions.

Michael and Abdon at the radio station during the first program.

Creating and airing radio programs for a weekly program is a big undertaking, so please pray that God continues to guide and enable the process. We are hoping for a diverse team each week with the right skills ton communicate the message. We are also grateful for God's provision of some funding to get this started, and are trusting that God will continue to provide for the next 20 weeks or so of this series.

Graduation for Nile Theological College (December 14, 2024)

Joy overflowing! Truly, joy overflowing! Blessing upon blessing it was to celebrate four batches of graduating classes of Nile Theological College (NTC) today in Juba, South Sudan. “Alif mobruk” (one thousand congratulations) to NTC for pulling off such a remarkable event. 

I love my students, and I could feel their love in return. The highlight was greeting students and their families in person after the ceremony, hugging, taking pictures together, reconnecting and sharing memories. When I told Daniel, one of our graduates, that Kristi and I will miss them as we will be transitioning from South Sudan, he said to me, “South Sudan will not miss you, Ustaz Bob Rice. We will come find you!” Enjoy the various photos from the day below...

Celebrating after the ceremony with NTC graduates

Professor Julia A. Duany, Commissioner of Public Service Board, describes the marks needed for good leadership: integrity, servant heart, humility, desire to help others, good communication, positive, decisive, accountable, adaptable (flexible), and passionate.

Our friend Rev. Peter Yien (Academic Dean of NTC) is rightfully celebrated!

A packed out house in Nyakuron West, Juba

Rev. Dr. Malakal (Principal of NTC) congratulates graduates

Graduates! 

Changkuoth hits his stride with diploma in one hand and his son in the other

Standing with graduate Changkuoth Kulang Luak who finished at the top of his class. I have appreciated Changkuoth's helpful engagement in the classes I have taught. He is an outstanding student, one who appreciates and values his Nuer people and culture , finding ways to live out the Christian faith as a member of his community, thoughtfully and prophetically.

NTC graduate and friend Daniel Alek shares from God's Word, reading from 2 Chronicles 29: 10 - 13

Mama Sarah captures our hearts in worship! This dear, blessed woman exemplifies the spirit of NTC like no other (literally, like no other)

Simon's Support Team

The four of us sat together in a circle at a small outdoor seating area which serves tea, just behind and adjacent to the military hospital. We were together for one reason: Simon Akol. A few months previous, one of us had found Simon living on the street near where we live, having seen the terrible wound on his leg caused by a bacterial infection called “Necrotizing fasciitis.” This infection is aptly known as “flesh eating disease” in that it kills parts of the body’s soft tissue and it spreads rapidly. Simon’s wound began just under his knee and extended down to his foot, just above Simon’s toes. Skin and soft tissue had been eaten away across major sections of his leg; it was a terrible sight to see.

One day when Simon’s wound was being treated by the Street Children Ministry (SCM), a young man came up to us. Looking at Simon’s wound, he audibly and publicly exclaimed, “He is finished!” (meaning, he will die!) I understood the young man’s sentiment. That is exactly what I thought when I first saw Simons’ wound. However, in that tender and significant moment, I responded gently but firmly to the young man, “We do not know.” Simon was sitting there under my arms, wincing in pain, having his wound cleaned for the second time; though his English is limited, Simon heard this exchange. I can only wonder what he was thinking.

Simon Akol is from Gogrial in Bahr Al Ghazal State. His father died and his mother left Simon and his younger sister when Simon was only seven years old. His mother had joined the Sudanese army and left for Darfur. Simon and his sister went to live with their mother’s sister, but Simon was forced to leave after a disagreement. Girls, apparently, have it a bit easier as bride wealth remains a hope and promise for their family. For boys and young men, their lot is different. Placed in vulnerable family situations, they are often left to fend for themselves and find their own way. Having to abandon any hopes for education, they ply the streets selling sundry items or perform menial work in the kitchens of small make-shift restaurants, doing work which others are unwilling to do. Simon decided to join a group of youth to come to Juba to see if they could improve their lot. Simon worked for a foreign merchant for a while, but then he was afflicted by this wound.

The four of us have become “a team” of support for Simon. Achuil currently leads SCM. He and his colleagues and the children of the children’s home visit Simon every day at the military hospital, giving Simon money for breakfast and bringing him food for dinner from their home each day. Daniel Aleek is a student at Nile Theological College (NTC). Daniel has become a friend to me; he is from the same area as Simon. Daniel has served as a valuable source of encouragement and spiritual support to Simon. If Simon decides to return to his home region, Daniel will connect him with one of the churches which Daniel helped to start in that area. Juma is our trusted rickshaw driver. Juma has been involved in the care process from the beginning, helping with transportation needs, but also directly asking Simon questions about his situation so that we can better understand how to help. Lastly, I have been involved (with Kristi’s support) with initial wound care visits, visiting Simon at the hospital, and helping with medical needs. Interestingly, government hospitals in South Sudan do not have medical supplies. Thus, it behooves the family of the patient to buy all of the wound care dressings, antibiotics, and other medical supplies for treating the patient. As long as these items are provided, the hospital can accept to continue caring for the patient with a minimal charge for the hospital bed.

Simon has been in good spirits during our last two visits. Juba took him to the market to find some green sandals which he likes very much, and we found some crutches to help with mobility. Kristi also connected with a local Christian organization which donated an audio Bible in the Dinka language for Simon. We are now working with Simon to understand his hopes for the future. Simon is twenty years old; it seems that he would like to return to his home region. He hopes that we can help him with income generation. Two ideas he has expressed are buying a motorcycle so that he can be a “boda driver” (motorcycle taxi). His other idea is to start a charging station for cell phones. His schooling was interrupted at the level of primary six; thus far, it seems that he would prefer to work than return to school.

Please pray with us for Simon. He has become a younger brother to us. Regarding the ‘team’ mentioned above, Simon is the center of our team, demonstrating a courageous spirit, a commitment to healing, and exhibiting hope for his future. May our good Lord bless Simon. May the return and blessing which Simon brings to his family far extend the payment of cows his family would receive as “bride price” for a girl. May it be so!

Simon Support Team: Achuil (front), Bob,
Simon Akol, Daniel Aleek, Juma

Abigail's confession

I love the story of Abigail rescuing her family in 1 Samuel 25. A servant warns Abigail that her husband Nabal has insulted David and refused to share food with him, and that David and his 600 men might be coming to attack them. Abigail acts quickly and secretly, gathering all the food she can find in the house to send to David. She accompanies the donkey loaded with food and meets David and his men on the road as they are coming towards her home, ready to attack. Abigail kneels down on the road and apologizes for her husband’s insults, even saying “count this wrong against me”. She asks David to forgive them and accept her gift of food as a peace offering. David is moved by her confession and does forgive, even thanking her for stopping him from murder and this act of vengeance.

Students at the Bible School take the opportunity

to confess the wrongs of their people

I have told the story many times in our workshops as an example of identificational confession. Abigail confesses the wrong done by her husband and asks forgiveness on behalf of her family. In our trauma healing class at the SSPEC Bible School a few weeks ago, we taught about identificational confession and then invited people to ask the Holy Spirit if there was some wrong done by a group that they are part of that they could ask forgiveness of like Abigail did. One man stood and confessed that some members of his tribe have attacked and killed members of another tribe in South Sudan and have contributed to ongoing conflict. Another student who is from the other tribe stood up and said that he had gone many years without seeing his brother. On the day when he was finally going to travel to see his brother, he learned that the brother had been killed by people from the other tribe. He was heartbroken and angry for a long time. Gradually, God showed him that he could let go of the hate and anger in his heart, and he began to forgive. Hearing the confession from a fellow student and the acknowledgement of pain and wounding was helpful to him in continuing the process of forgiving.

Preaching in a church in Juba

On Sunday I preached in a small congregation in Juba using this story of Abigail. As I told the story, I could see that the women in particular were impressed by Abigail’s actions to rescue her family from David’s attack. Like Abigail, Jesus stood in the gap for us, identifying with sinful humanity and dying the death of a criminal even though he himself had not sinned. Jesus’ death means that we can be forgiven and be reconciled to God. As Paul describes Jesus’ actions and attitude in Philippians 2:3-8, we are called to have the same attitude as Jesus, to look more for the interests of others than our own. As much as we try, I don’t think that will ever become natural or easy. But in gratitude for what Jesus has done for us and out of love for people around us, are there ways that we can identify with those who have offended and done wrong, confessing wrongs that have been done and asking forgiveness from those who have been wounded?

In South Sudan, there are 64 tribes and languages. Some tribes are large and spread out and some are smaller. Some tribes have contributed more to conflict and attacks against other groups. But there is no group that has not done wrong. When we are willing to acknowledge the wrongs done by our group, we are leaning in to the humility that Jesus calls us to, we are seeking the good of others before our own.

"To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you,

leaving you and example, that you should follow in his steps."

1 Peter 2:21

Team teaching in Juba

 

JEBS students

We are squeezed into a room that barely has space for the 15 students. The class meets in the evenings, as the sun is going down and the mosquitos are coming out. Each Thursday evening, we are impressed and encouraged by the students who make the sacrifice to come after work from distant parts of town to study the Bible and be trained to participate in God’s work in their communities. And each week, we come away feeling grateful for the animated discussions as the students engage on difficult topics.

One student shares collective losses experienced by his community

Since August, Bob and I have been team-teaching a class with two colleagues on trauma healing and well-being at the Juba Evangelical Bible School (JEBS), which was started this year by the South Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church. We are using most of the content of the Healing Hearts, Transforming Nations (HHTN) workshop, but adapting it for a once-per-week course.

Bob teaching

One week we discussed how we do not always receive love from our families in the ways that we need it, and how that lack of love can wound us or hinder us from experiencing God’s love later in life. Yagub, who was teaching that session, shared his own story of how he was forced to work and support his siblings as a child when his mother died and his father went into depression. Several people shared personal experiences of conflict within their families, and their hope for forgiveness or healing. One person shared how his father had refused to send his sister for medical treatment when she was sick as a child. Now, many years later, the father was sick and was looking to his children for support. The son expressed how he wanted to refuse as a way of avenging his sister, but he was asking God to help him to forgive his father and help him. It was a meaningful time of experiencing God’s love and forgiveness in the midst of our own brokenness and the pain in our families.

Discussion outside about some of the signs of trauma

Just as in the workshop, we often use dramas to illustrate a point, which prompts lots of discussion and reflection. We are grateful for a committed team of teachers and for the opportunity to share this valuable teaching with the students. Please pray for the students at JEBS to experience God’s healing and love through this class. We look forward to a great finish over the next month.

An exercise to remind us of the role of the church.

As Jesus said, "you are the light of the world."

A glimpse of HHTN in South Sudan

 I compiled a short video (7 minutes) to give an overview of the Healing Hearts, Transforming Nations workshop and what it looks like here in South Sudan. 

I would love to hear your feedback or questions about the video! You can use the comments or send me a message.

“We Feel Seen”

As I am halfway through writing my dissertation, it is helpful to hear the thoughts and advice of those who have gone before me on this journey. I recently sat together with Dr. Joshua Settles of the Akrofi-Christaller Institute of Theology, Mission and Culture (ACI) in Akropong, Ghana. Dr. Settles reinforced the notion that I am writing to two audiences: the committee at Stellenbosch University in the faculty of theology, and the peoples of South Sudan. As I have thought about our conversation over the last several weeks, I realize that by default I must be cognizant of the needs and interests of the committee; I also recognize that the peoples of South Sudan are the audience I value the most. On that note, Dr. Settles asked the salient question, “Will the peoples of South Sudan see themselves in your work?”

Recently I had the opportunity to sit with Reverend David Dach and Evangelist John Odhong, my two research assistants, both of whom have accompanied me on this research journey over the last three years. A few months ago I gave them each a hard copy of my first case study. I had shared my first case study with a few others, including my supervisor. Yet somehow, I felt the most nervous about the response and feedback of David and John as they represent the peoples of South Sudan. As they shared their reflections, it was clear that they had read my work, even multiple times. I am humbled by what they shared with me…

David and John and I together reviewing our work
(Nile River in background) 

David and John described how they feel seen in my writing. They not only named several key concepts and themes from the case related to the religious heritage of their peoples and the relationship between the missionaries and the South Sudanese peoples, they took those ideas and elaborated and expanded upon them. It seems that my writing took them to important places in their own thinking and reflections on the history of the Gospel being brought to their peoples over the last one hundred and twenty years. One important example is the missionary practice of giving those persons baptized a “Christian name.” David suggested that the missionaries gave South Sudanese converts names like James and David because their African names were too difficult to pronounce. He then asks the question, “Why were [we South Sudanese] not baptized with [our] family name instead of names like John, Peter, and Anna?”

David describes how things have changed. Serving as a pastor with the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan, David recently baptized his young daughter with her Nuer name, “Nyanath,” which means “girl of the people.” David contends that God does not object to this name; he also suggests that this habit of baptizing people in their local names should have been the habit of missionaries from the beginning. “To give African converts ‘Christian names’ (names in English, French, Italian, Portuguese, German), says David, “was an imposition of the Western missionaries.”

On a different note, both David and John appreciated the tremendous sacrifices the missionaries made coming to Greater Upper Nile, South Sudan. Some of the missionaries lost children to disease and some lost their mental and emotional well-being due to intense challenges, suffering, and deaths of loved ones. Yet, David and John enumerated the value of missionaries coming to live and stay in Africa as both sides welcomed one another as their own, sharing burdens and helping one another in various ways. They also emphasized the unique and special friendship between the two central figures of the case study, Pastor Moses Kuac Nyoat, the local Nuer agent of mission, and missionary Eleanor Vandevort, known to the Nuer as Nyarial.

The story of the friendship between Pastor Moses Kuac Nyoat
and Missionary Eleanor Vandevort is told in this book (link here)

More could be said from our time together reviewing my first case study, but in sum, I am grateful that my writing thus far has enabled those whom I am writing about and representing to “feel seen,” and thus feel empowered. It is also an important affirmation that I am on the right track with my research. In many ways, the core of my study is to help African Christians appreciate their “African-ness” and to stand with confidence as together we proclaim our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ to a broken world filled with cynicism and despair. To God be the glory.

The impact of inflation

In the last few months prices in South Sudan have increased dramatically. One of the big reasons for the inflation is because the currency, the South Sudanese Pound (SSP), is declining rapidly.  Oil, the primary export, has decreased production because a rupture in the pipeline cannot be repaired while there is active war in Sudan. Nearly all food is imported from outside of South Sudan, so US dollars are used in the purchase and import of goods and fuel from other countries. Therefore, as the currency declines, local prices go up accordingly. It is a complex mix of factors that most people cannot do anything about.

Bundles of South Sudanese Pounds. Each bundle is worth about $25

We have one friend who teaches in a private secondary school. He is paid 150,000 SSP per month by the school. In January of this year, that was worth about $150. Now it is worth less than $40. Even in January, that was barely enough to buy food for his family, and he worked other jobs to supplement. Because of the struggle to make ends meet, he sent his wife and kids to Uganda where living expenses were cheaper. Now, with the currency decline, he has almost nothing to send them.

Prices for food and goods have increased dramatically in the local currency because of the exchange rate. One liter of fuel cost about 1200 SSP in January, and now costs about 4500 SSP.  One kilo of beans was 5,000 SSP a few months ago and now is 15,000 SSP. Another friend sells charcoal and basic food items at a stand in the market. She lamented the high price of cooking oil now, and fears that her customers will not be able to pay the increased price. One shop-owner selling grocery items said he estimates that his sales have fallen by half in the last couple of months because people are cutting back on the meals they eat – some going from two meals a day down to one.

The small-scale entrepreneurs are affected the most because their prices do not increase at the same rate. The price for a cup of tea on the street or a bag of peanuts has not increased at the same rate as imported goods. This means that the profit margin of the sellers decreases, and the profit they earn does not buy as much as it used to. Last week I stopped to see our friend Mary in her tea-shop. Usually her place has several customers, but that day it was empty. When I commented that it seemed unusually quiet, she said “Because people don’t have money. They stop drinking tea when there is no money.”

A few years ago, South Sudan introduced a new one thousand SSP note. It was a larger bill than the others with more color and added security features. At the time it came out, it was worth nearly $5. Now it is worth about 25 cents. The one thousand note bill is still the largest bill in South Sudan. I realized that we can no longer carry the money to go out for dinner in a pocket, and we hope that this devaluation does not continue at this terrifying pace.

Please join us in praying that God hears the cries of his people here – for an end to war in Sudan, for peace and provision for people in South Sudan.

Testimonies of transformation

Whew! May was a very busy month, conducting two Healing Hearts Transforming Nations (HHTN) workshops in Juba along with a training of facilitators. But in the midst of the long days and exhaustion, I was so grateful for the gift of working with a talented and passionate group of people among our facilitators and trainers. And above all, I was grateful for the privilege of seeing people experience healing, revelation, and forgiveness. Only the Holy Spirit can do that work, and it is humbling that we get to be part of "setting the stage" for people to experience a fresh encounter with God.

An international organization included HHTN as one of the components of a multi-faceted peacebuilding approach in three counties of South Sudan and they asked us to train some of their staff to facilitate the HHTN workshop. Their staff are already well-trained and experienced, so we wondered how well they would ‘engage themselves’ in the workshop. It was encouraging to hear them reflect afterwards “We are helping people in the communities to find healing, but we did not realize that we also need healing ourselves.” Another one also said “On the first day I was skeptical of this workshop, wondering if it would make any difference. But then I realized the truth that this is what we need.”

An illustration of salt dissolving in water as we

discuss what it means to be the "salt of the earth"

One group prepares their lessons to teach.

As part of the training of facilitators, we organize ‘practicum workshops’, where the new facilitators can put into practice what they have learned and be able to teach and facilitate with their coaches giving feedback afterwards. Two local SSPEC churches who had been requesting the HHTN workshop hosted these practicum workshops. In each location, the number of people who came grew each day as people heard about the meaningful teaching and how God was working. Many of the people who attended have come from Sudan in the last year due to the war there, and this was a good opportunity for them to be able to process some of that trauma and find healing.

A ministry time in one of the practicum workshops -

praying and showing love to people as they face

wounds or a lack of love from their families.

Giving over pain to Jesus during

one of the practicum workshops

I was humbled and amazed by the diversity of testimonies we heard from participants in those workshops. We praise God for bringing healing and reconciliation in a variety of ways, and hope that you will join us in praising God for the ways that He showed love to people and brought transformation this week. Here are a few of the ways that God worked:

• A man shared that he had not spoken to his brother for more than 30 years because of conflict between them. The man said “my brother did not have much problem with me. It was I who was filled with anger and hatred towards him and refused to meet him. But now God has healed me from my pain and I want to reconcile with my brother.”
• A man who had not been able to sleep said he finally slept and felt peace after the cross workshop
• A mother went home and told her children that she loved them. They asked “What happened to you? You have not talked to us like this before. Somethings has changed in you.” She also told her husband that she loved him. He asked “Where is this change coming from? If it is coming from the church, we should all be going to church.”
• An older woman called her pastor and said “I have been going to the church all these years, but now I realize that I was not really a Christian. But through the teachings this week Jesus has really entered my life and I feel like a new person.”
• A man confessed that he was one of the militia who killed people in Unity State in 2013. They were trained and taught to kill every person they found except for those who were inside the church. He killed people inside of a mosque and in some government buildings. He felt terrible about it now, and was asking for forgiveness.

"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their tresspasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us."

2 Corinthians 5:18-19

Pastor Idris & the Wedding of His Daughter

When Pastor Idris Nyalos Kida invited Kristi and I to the wedding of his daughter, along with a special invitation to a family luncheon the week before the wedding, I was thrilled! Pastor Idris is the center of my third case study of my PhD research, so any chance to spend time with him is a wonderful opportunity.

We expected the family luncheon to be a simple affair at the home of Pastor Idris and his wife Mary. When we arrived at the petrol station near his home, Idris gathered us up into his vehicle and drove us to the event. When we approached the area of his home and I saw the tents outside, I knew that the event was much bigger than what we had anticipated, but it also felt very South Sudanese. As we stepped down from Idris’ Landcruiser, we were met by Pastor Zechariah who directed us to a protocol person who directed us to another protocol person who seated us near the front. As elder family members and dignitaries arrived, the women ululated and the joy was palpable; we ourselves were greeted with this same joyful response. A young man and a young woman emceed the outdoor event, which was punctuated by traditional dancing led by the family of the groom-to-be, who are of the Acholi tribe. I joined in the dancing, and it was clear that connecting with one’s cultural roots during these occasions brings great pride and joy for the gathered families and community.

The formal occasion did not last long; we were all directed to various local homes where we would eat the special meal. Kristi and I joined a pastor couple and another pastor, all of whom serve the largest Pentecostal church in Juba and who would officiate the wedding the following week. We had a grand time connecting and enjoying the festivities together. Looking after our every need, Pastor Idris took us out from an inner room to an outdoor area where the air was cool and we could feel more comfortable.

At these types of events, one always feels extra special when the host spends time with you. Pastor Idris came and sat with the five of us; we enjoyed hearing stories from the other guests of the many and varied men and women whom Pastor Idris had led to Christ and discipled over the course of three decades and more. One story highlighted a man who had come to faith through the ministry of Pastor Idris, but who had turned away from God and had turned back to alcohol after his wife died. While driving his motorcycle from Torit to Juba, this man heard an audible voice repeatedly saying to him, “If it was not for Idris, you would not be here,” meaning, if not for Idris’ influence in your life, you would not be alive. The man, his name Martin Elijah, was shaken to the core. He immediately turned his life back to God. Today, he plants and leads churches among the Lotuko people of Eastern Equatoria State in South Sudan.

Sitting outside with Pastor Idris and other guests

Many other fascinating stories were told that evening as we sat outside of the home of Idris and enjoyed the joy of the occasion. I did not realize it during the event, but the groom-to-be and bride-to-be were not present. The following week we would see them in all of their matrimonial glory. On that day at Juba Christian Center (JCC), while others were going forward to offer well-wishes to the bride and groom, I seized the opportunity to go forward, bend down, place my left arm over my right arm (a gesture of respect), and offer my hand in congratulations to Pastor Idris Nyalos Kida on this great occasion, the wedding of his daughter, Hannah Idris Nyalos.

Bride and Groom 

Bride and Groom and their families ~ 
Pastor Idris in front row, left, tall, wearing beige suit

Sunday worship in Yuai

In March our healing and reconciliation team conducted a workshop in the rural village of Yuai. On Sunday after the workshop, we worshipped with the congregation there, and I want to share a few pictures and descriptions of the congregation here.

Early Sunday morning, we followed the narrow dirt path through the village towards the site where the South Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church (SSPEC) meets. The roof of the church had been destroyed in the flooding some time ago, so while they worked to replace it they were worshipping outside. There are not many large trees in Yuai, so they met at 7am while the sun was still low to maximize the shade. Mats were spread on the ground for people to sit and they were nearly full with people when we arrived. A large choir of youth and children sat on one side, and the women’s choir on the other side.

Gathered for worship on Sunday morning

There was an air of excitement at the service because of all the visitors. Pastor John Tut, who started these congregations before going to Juba to study at Nile Theological College, was part of our team. He was eager to reconnect with church members after two years of being away. There were also members of sister congregations in other villages who had come for the workshop and were there at worship that day. And then there was our team of 4 facilitators who came from Juba to conduct the workshop. The congregations in Yuai had felt isolated and forgotten as they suffered attacks by a neighboring community and floods that caused repeated displacement to other areas. Now, they expressed how grateful they were to be remembered.

I appreciated the exuberant worship and the sincere prayers. Several people from those who were visiting took their turn greeting or sharing a word of encouragement. One man from a distant village, Elder Thomas, had sold his own cows to support the building of three different churches over the years. But this day he lamented that he was old now and because of the war he had no more cows to give. But he testified of God’s faithfulness and his joy in serving the Lord.

Elder Thomas shares a word of greeting. He walked for

several hours from his village to reach the church.

It was wonderful to see Pastor John Tut’s care for the members and the generous gifts that he brought to them. With his own money he bought four Bibles in the Nuer languages to give to the churches (one Bible for a whole congregation to share). During the service on Sunday morning he presented the women with several pieces of purple cloth. This is the ‘uniform’ of the women of the church and an identifier that they are part of this church. All women in Nuer culture traditionally wear a cloth in this way, called a lawa. 

Pastor John Tut (center, in white) with some
womenleaders in their new purple clothes (lawas)

At the end of the service, Pastor John also presented the three congregations represented with several large bags of clothes and shoes, donated by an organization in Juba. We were grateful that God provided room on the flight for this extra cargo to reach Yuai, since it is very remote and getting goods there is not easy. It was encouraging to see Pastor John’s care and hopes for the people of Yuai, like a father caring for his children.

The children's Sunday school met after the service inside the shell of their building.

Pray for this congregation, as they seek to be a faithful witness to the love of Christ in a community where there has been much suffering. They are working on re-thatching the roof of their church, but have hopes to build a more permanent structure along with a school. Rev. John Tut finishes his studies in Juba this year and looks forward to returning to Yuai next year, with a vision for discipling people and reaching to more remote villages.

Pouring Water on New Plants

This time of year, Uror county is dry and brown, with small scattered trees. Cows have been taken some distance away from the towns to find grass and water. The dry season is nearly over, so people are preparing their fields for when the rains come. But there is pervasive fear and struggle for hope, because of the fear of being attacked in rural areas. The people of Uror have suffered numerous attacks in recent years by some from a neighboring tribe who steal cattle, kidnap women and children, and sometimes kill people. Many have been displaced in the attacks, even after they were recovering from the war and devastation of 2013.

The central town of Yuai as we are landing on the airstrip

A bore-hole for getting water requires hours of waiting in line

A beautifully decorated tukul (house)

This is the community we stepped into last week to conduct a Healing Hearts Transforming Nations workshop. I was glad that God provided a good team of mature church leaders who have strong connections in Uror County and real love and concern for people there. We were accompanied by Rev. John Tut, who started the churches in Uror county but is now in Juba in his final year of getting his degree at NTC.

Our team as we left Yuai.

A group of about 8 people walked for 3 hours from their village to attend the workshop. Another group of about 6 people came from the further village of Pieri, about a 5 hour walk away. And within Yuai, the central town where we were based, we had participants from 6 different churches.  

Participants in the workshop

A drama to demonstrate the unity within the Trinity

One of the highlights for me was the experience gained for 2 of our new facilitators. Rev. Michael Char was trained in 2022 as a facilitator, but because he lived in a remote area he did not have a team to work with to conduct workshops. This was a good opportunity for him to return to the area where he was born and to get some practice in teaching. Rev. Yagub was just trained last year and has helped to facilitate one workshop in Juba. They both worked hard to master the content and the dramas and they were encouraged as they saw people grasping these important truths about God’s love and power to heal our hearts.

Michael and Yagub perform a drama about forgiveness

Nailing our pain to the cross

Knowing the deep loss and pain that participants had experienced, it was moving to see them nailing their papers to the cross, representing giving over that pain to God. We stood together in a circle and watched the papers burn, singing and praying our thanks to God for shouldering those burdens from us. The following morning, a few people shared that they had been able to sleep peacefully for the first time in years, or that their heart finally felt at peace. "My soul finds rest in God alone, my salvation comes from Him." I love seeing Psalm 62 come to life!

Blessing each group in the final celebration

As our team debriefed after the workshop, one person said that this workshop was like "pouring water on new plants". It was important for growth, but would require more water and time to truly see the change and the growth. Please pray for the people of Yuai, that God's Spirit continues to bring healing and peace. 

Sunset over Yuai from the stream at the edge of town

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28