Bryce met a young lady named Erin Trieb who was a photo journalist who traveled with us for a while. She was kind enough to allow us to use her pictures for this video. Thanks Erin!
I now have a much greater appreciation for the fact that Southern Sudan is one of the poorest, most needy countries in the world. There was nothing along the dirt road from Yei to Juba except occasional grass huts. I am told there are no paved roads anywhere in Southern Sudan. There are none in Juba, the capital. The only electricity to be found anywhere is run by gas powered generators—not even as nice as the generator we had for emergencies like the ice storm a few years ago.
As we approached Juba, we started passing piles of garbage, some of it burning, all along the road side. I guess the city dump. The dust from the dirt roads is caked on everything. Juba is a “more developed” city in that there are some walled buildings (all singe story) instead of only grass huts and “tukils” (small cement walled houses with grass roofs) and there are more cars/trucks. But with the big city comes the dirt and filth, the flies, the garbage. It is not a pretty city. A branch of the Nile River (White Nile) flows by it. Our accommodations were by the White Nile. We were told that we stayed at the nicest accommodations to be found anywhere in Juba. The thick, green canvas army tents were laid out in an orderly fashion. Bryce and I were in tent #15; Mike and David in tent #29. We were charged $100 per tent which included dinner and breakfast. We had power to run the fan inside the tent. That helped a little. There were also single shower “stalls” for every 10 tents or so. I had the best shower of my life. Of course, if given the choice of that shower in the United States, I would definitely pass. But after a week of no showers and a day of driving in the dust and sweat of Juba (which is a good 10-15 degrees hotter than Yei), that shower was awesome. I had a little plastic shower curtain to provide some privacy. Above the shower were branches from the nearby tree, full of spider webs. I stood on some wooden planks with dirt and grass around the edges. The water was cold, the pressure was weak, but I didn’t care, it was the best shower!
Bryce and I had an added bonus. Our tent backed up to the main tent where the TV was playing on the highest volume with the bar nearby. We could lay on our cots in our tents and listen to the news from the Middle East as well as Nigerian soap operas and music. We got to listen to the TV all the way until 12:45am when I finally got out of our tent and went and turn it off. The few still awake watching were not happy but I didn’t care; earlier polite attempts to have the volume turned down or the TV turned off didn’t work. To make sure that our solitude was not excessive, the TV was turned back on at 6:30am, before my alarm went off at 7:00, so I had more awake time to start the day.
An obvious business to invest in is new housing construction for rentals/guest houses. Bishop Taban is actually a skilled builder and has a building company he started a few years ago called Tent Makers International. The profits from his company are contributed to EPC and pay the salaries of many of the rural pastors outside of Yei. We had a long discussion with Bishop Taban Monday evening about his vision for self-sustaining churches and self-sustaining communities. He is keenly interested in starting businesses in Southern Sudan that will benefit his people and strengthen the church. He either has the capacity or has people that want and are willing to learn the capacity to run a number of businesses. All that is needed is some investment in capital. An investment in building supplies with Tent Makers will net very profitable guest houses in Juba; an investment in tractors will enable some of his farmers in the church start feeding the rest of the church and expand into profitable ag-businesses; an investment in computers and some time in computer training will enable a computer training center to open in Yei and Juba that will not be able to keep up with the demand. Those are all doable businesses here that could be profitable with some investment partners.
The soil around Yei is very fertile. Water irrigation is not needed because it rains frequently enough. But there has never been any effort to farm the area beyond subsistence micro farming. Wouldn’t it bring God so much glory for the church in Yei to start producing bumper crops to the point where Sudan turns around from being the largest importer of food aid to self sufficient and eventually to a food exporter? I don’t know if that is a vision from God, but I know that for such a vision to become a reality, it starts with one tractor, one farmer.
Monday afternoon’s meetings were a bust. When we arrived in Juba the cellular service was down so we couldn’t get a hold of anyone for appointments. So we hung out at the EPC office in Juba which is really the property of the Archbishop of the Episcopal Church of Sudan, a good friend of Bishop Taban. EPC is renting the space at a special low price in exchange for Bishop Taban and his Tent Makers company to renovate the place. It needs renovation. Bryce, David and Mike had brought equipment to install a satellite system to receive the internet for the Juba EPC office. They got it all installed and ready to go but couldn’t actually get it running. The service, which is out of Uganda, has to be turned on, which will take several days. So much for e-mail access while in Juba.
After dinner, Anne Grace’s and Frances’ older sister stopped by for a visit. She is a member of the Southern Sudan Parliament and just two weeks ago was appointed the Commissioner for Human Rights. (Are you beginning to get an idea of how connected Bishop Taban is?!). She was so excited to learn about the MT4 project and insisted on us including a chapter on human rights. She said that no one understands the new constitution and the bill of rights. She is so burdened with how to get information out to the people in the bush at the grass roots. She saw immediately how the MT4 player could make a big impact.
Tuesday morning started slowly with our first venture out for meetings around 10:30. First we met with the Minister of Health for the Central Equatorial State (where we are doing the pilot project) who was extremely pleased to learn of the MT4 project. He was eager to give his assistance and authority for us to work anywhere in his state. We then moved on to the Governor of the Central Equatorial State (the one who “issued a degree as a dictator insisting that the MT4 project go forward!). He was quite busy but gave us about 15 minutes of his time. During our meeting, a reporter was present videoing our meeting. Bishop Taban said that we would be on TV that evening in Juba. He said that he would try to get a copy of the news report. The Governor reconfirmed his strong support for the project. We mentioned that we wanted to record a message from him to put at the beginning of the content. He agreed and said he would be in Yei next Monday and we could record him then. After the Governor we moved onto a meeting with the Director General of the Minister of Education (the #2 guy). The Minister was away in Uganda. This ministry is also at the Central Equatorial State level and is the ministry that is sponsoring the project. Bishop Taban has arranged for a Memorandum of Understanding between EPC and the Ministry of Education for the project. That will give our MT4 team great authority in implementing the project.
After lunch, we loaded back into the two trucks and made the dusty and bumpy 3 ½ hour trek back to Yei. While the brakes went out in one truck on the way to Juba (forgot to mention that part…), we only had a flat tire on the way back to Yei. No accidents, no other trouble, so all in all, a good trip.
This past sunday after our time of worship and celebration ( Jesus number one!) Mike had opportunity to speak about forgiveness after he was done Bishop Taban had people come forward to receive prayer so God would change there hearts so that in this time of peace people could also know the freedom of forgiveness.
So for those of you who are wondering we have made it back from Juba safe and sound. The trip was awesome and we were able to accomplish so much!! I will try and get video and story updated but the Internet is being a little funky. So hang with us updates are coming.
What an awesome opportunity we had today! Bishop Taban scheduled a pastor's conference for Saturday. Although we did not know it until a couple of days ago, he wanted us to teach the conference. Fifteen pastors showed up from the surrounding area. Most of them walked or rode a bicycle from distances of 3 to 20 miles. What devotion!
David started out with God's teaching to His churches found in Revelations 2 & 3. Bryce followed that with a lesson on Faith and Forgiveness. Mike taught the last lesson on being a servant leader as Christ displayed in the flesh to us. The highlight of the day, however, came at the end of Mike's teaching time. After discussing how Jesus washed the disciple's feet, Mike grabbed a basin, a towel and a container of water. As Mike washed each of the pastor's feet, Bryce & David prayed over them individually. Words cannot describe this intense time of service and prayer! As expected, God's timing was perfect. Bishop Taban came in during this time. When we made it around to washing his feet, the wind kicked up and it thundered outside! Awesome!
Although that was hard to follow, we reconvened after lunch for a time of discussion with the pastors in which many of the pastors shared their testimonies and struggles. After that, Pete McLain came in and told the pastors all about the MT4 project. This meeting allowed Pete to probe the pastors about ideas for MT4 content.
We had a great day today! We spent a couple hours this morning with Pete, Bishop Taban and the newly formed Sudan MT4 team. It was a great time as Pete and Bishop Taban laid out the vision for MT4. We then departed for Morobo. After the 2 hour drive, we were greeted by another awesome reception! We spent a couple of hours there celebrating...what an awesome time before the Lord!! So far, two of the trunks with medical supplies arrived and the whole Morobo compound celebrated the supplies! They were just running out of supplies and the nurse was praying for God's help...isn't His timing and provision incredible? We are praying the other two arrive tomorrow or Tuesday on the Eagle flight so we can take them on Wednesday.
Tentative plans: Tomorrow we get to participate in teaching at a pastor's conference here at the Yei compound. Sunday will be church and celebration! Plans are to go to Juba Monday and Tuesday. Bishop Taban is planning on getting some TV time on the local Juba station, (I would guess Bryce and Pete). On Wednesday, our last day here, we will get an early start and spend a full day at Morobo.
Today we took part in teaching at a local Radio Station
Today we had an opportunity to talk on the radio 99.9 FM!! It is a radio station that just last week a man asked Bishop Taban to help manage and to spread the gospel. So today we along with Peter (the Mt-4 project guy) about future plans and just how as a global body of Christ we can be a light to a lost world.
We spent most of the day at a graduation ceremony for military officers from a training school in Yei. The President of Southern Sudan, Salva Kiir, was the keynote speake,r so the security was very heavy. It was extremely surreal due to that fact. Today was almost an out of body experience for me. The surroundings were so unfamiliar to my mind at time it seemed like a dream. Everyone in this place except us had been personally touched by decades of civil war. It was a bit haunting at first and then President Kiir began to speak about the peace that had come to Sudan. He was very honest about many problems that still exist, such as oil payments to the South from the Northern government, territorial boundary disputes, corruption in some local southern government offices, and tribal communication barriers that lead to mistrust. Though he spoke of problems you could also sense his optimism that these problems can be solved through peaceful means by engagement of arbitrators and foreign governments to lobby on behalf of fairness and equity. He spoke of the upcoming vote for autonomy for the South. The team began to pray for these people who need God’s direction, leading, and healing for their land and their souls. Lift prayers for Sudan up to God asking Him for His perfect and loving will to be done in this land these people that long for the Lord to sing over them.
Wow!! I cant beleave we have internet here!!! God is so amazing I cant write to much because the generator shuts down in 10 minutes but the video uploaded (all glory to God) so here it is from Today!!
So as we get ready to leave Musese or time here has been amazing we will be traveling back to Entebbe today and leave on a plane tomorrow morning for Sudan. Please keep us in your prayers and know we are praying for home as well to see the passion of missions and bringing the light of the Lord to the dark places. We put together a prayer list for this area, for Tricia and the gang back at Stonegate so you guys will know how to pray. 1. God continues to lead in our future involvement with Mbale and Musese. 2. More opportunities for local believers to have continued discipleship. 3. Men to reach out to men as the church needs more male leadership. 4. Blessings over the women as the serve as such a backbone in this culture. 5. Pastor Tony’s cousin Dennis asked us to pray for him to be a passionate evangelist. 6. Men to engage in the lives of children, to emulate the Father heart of God. 7. Pastor Morris asked for covering as his ministries continues to plant 1 church in Kenya and 2 more in Uganda. 8. Please pray for the president of Uganda as this time of peace is a blessing that he may lead in helping with the new peace in Sudan. 9. Pray for the orphans of Uganda check out website at www.ugandaorphans.org
Today was one of those lifetime days. You know what I mean, lifetime days are days that memories are forever defined. When we arrived at the Musese church in Uganda the kids were all lined up and singing, dressed in their best clothes with those bright white smiles beaming on their faces. There were some joyfully tearful reunions especially as I was surprised by Enos, a friend I had made in 2004. He brought his infant son to me to show he was alive and healthy. He was definitely a healthy baby! Mike Elkins enouraged the men and womens bible class with a message on the nature of God’s love. David Bledsoe taught the children some new songs that declare and stand on God’s promises in prayer. I think David learned a new song in Lugandan and picked up a few new moves too. I was blessed with the opportunity to preach on God’s love, what it looks like, and how He has manifested His love in my life. There was lots, and lots, and lots, and lots of singing and praising God. We broke bread together after the service and then we had a time of joyous and very spirited praise. Pastor Tony and the Musese church prayed over us as we will continue our mission on to Sudan on Tuesday. I thought it may be easier to say goodbye the second time to these beautiful people, God’s church, but my heart ached a bit. The church is healthy and active. They send their love, prayers, and blessings to Stonegate and especially to those who came in 2004 and shared the love of Christ, footing the path across the African countryside side by side with them.
So we were just hanging out in Houston and we have already seen God moving on our behalf. We are so excited to have this chance to just be Gods hands and feet!!!
