"Rejoice always, pray with out ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

-I Thessalonians 5:16-18

To me, the instructions that the apostle Paul gave to the Thessalonians in the verses above sound so simple and easy to follow.  I truly do think they are simple, but I often do not find that they come easily.  In my spiritual walk I wish I could say that I have mastered them, but there seems to be that one situation, that one disappointment, or even that one thought in my mind that I allow to hinder myself from living out such a life every moment of every day.  It can be something as small as being asked to eat some type of food that I do not wish to eat or it can be a more serious situation, but still it is followed by me grumbling, worrying, or even getting angry.  There are other times when I lose focus when I have or feel like I have failed God, thus leading me to frustration or discouragement.  Nevertheless I find great encouragement in the verses above.  I find them encouraging because I know that regardless of the circumstances I face while living in a fallen world and regardless of my mistakes or sins that I have committed or may commit, God still desires for me a life of which I will experience joyful communion with him with gratitude.  And if it were not possible to live such a life, God would not have used Paul to instruct the Thessalonians to live in such a way. 

           

A life of continual rejoicing, prayer, and giving thanks does not mean that we will not experience pain, sorrow, conflict, or the numerous other types of trials that exist.  In fact, following Christ often leads to more difficulties.  Though it is an ongoing process for me, I believe that I am learning how to experience the joy and peace of the Lord in the midst of hardships.  There are times I feel discouraged, anxious, or weary, but when I look to the Lord there is a deeper peace and a joy knowing that the he is in charge and that I can trust him.  The negative feelings that I have can still be there and may stick around for awhile, but it is the knowing that He will sustain me that allows me to press on with a prayerful and grateful heart.  Even if greater difficulties may be ahead in the future, it does not change the reality of God's faithfulness to provide every need on every occasion for his children.

Just last week, I made a visit to Kimatong in the northern Laarim territory with Clement who traveled there from Juba to read over a rough draft of the book of Mark in Laarim with some people in the community.  I have found it beneficial for my language learning to join these community checks as I get to listen and do my best to follow along as the passages are being read aloud and discussed in the Laarim language.  It is quite an amazing experience to be present as the word of God is being translated into a language that has never had it before. Getting up to visit Kimatong and its nearby villages also gave me the opportunity to meet with some of the local leaders in the area where I am planning to get established.  Although I did not get to meet with as many as I had hoped, I did have some positive meetings with a few key individuals.  I am so grateful for Clement who never seems to grow weary in his work.  Even after a full day of work of reading the Bible and discussing it with members of the community, he was still happy to help me learn and practice the language while taking me out to the village to visit the leaders in the community.

          

If the Lord is willing, I hope to be established in the village of Kerenge in the earlier part of 2013.  Though I am far from where I need to be in the language to start effectively communicating the word of God in a group setting, I am happy to see that I am continuing to make progress in the Laarim language.  Recently when I was in Torit, I was walking through town when I came across a woman who greeted me in Laarim .  I turned to her and noticed that she was someone I knew from Kimatong.  We began conversing, using the langauge and despite stumbling across a few words here and there, I realized how much more naturally the language is coming to me than it was a month ago.  It often gets the attention of everyone standing around or passing by when they hear a white person conversing not in English or Juba Arabic, but in one of the local languages.  I am learning that there needs to be a balance with language acquisition.  On one side if I push myself too hard without giving myself enough rest, I get wearied and lose interest for awhile.  On the other side if I began to notice a lot of progress, I can get overconfident and too comfortable.  I then forget the needed effort to get to the level that I had obtained and that it will continue to take a lot of effort to reach the next level.  I always hope to keep a healthy balance.

I continue to be overwhelmed with the support from many who have come alongside me in this work, despite living thousands of miles away.  For every prayer, financial gift, word of encouragement or any other means of supporting me out here, I am so grateful.  It is a humbling to receive so much without being able to give back to the same degree, but as God has used many to enable me to be here to carry out his work among the Laarim, I pray that I will always remain faithful to the task. It is my prayer that the God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills would multiply and return to those who have given unto Him.  He is faithful!

-Praise the Lord that we can trust him and experience his joy in all circumstances.  Pray for me as I continue to grow and learn how to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks always.

-Praise the Lord for the people from the Laarim community who are involved in translating the word of God into their language.  Please continue to pray for a growing desire among more of the Laarim people to learn and know the word of God.

-Praise the Lord for the progress that is regularly being made as I learn the Laarim language.  Please continue to pray for me in this process as I am preparing to communicate in the Laarim language the word of God to the people.

Setting Goals

"I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 3:14

Recently I was reading an article written from a Christian missionary publication explaining the value of asking questions.  It pointed out that in the book of Matthew alone, 99 questions are asked by Jesus.  This has prompted me to think specifically for myself, "What is my goal in being here?"  Ultimately, I could say that my goal is to bring glory to God.  Getting a bit more specific, I can say that my goal is to spread the gospel of Jesus.  I believe that these should be my goals, but more and more I am beginning to recognize the importance of setting specific goals that work toward the ultimate target of our Christian ministry on this earth.  As we are more than half way through this year, I am reminded of my goal of getting established in the northern part of the Laarim territory this coming dry season.  On most days I work to gain fluency in the Laarim language (something which will obviously take awhile).  I also recall my goal of reaching the Laarim people for Christ by sharing the word of God with them using their mother tongue.  Each goal has a timeframe.  My goal to see a Christ-centered church develop among the Laarim will very likely not happen within the next couple months whereas my goal to read and understand all the vocabulary in the 4th chapter in the book of John in the Laarim language may take only a couple weeks.

           

During my first couple months of staying in Loryok, I felt a lot of mixed emotions.  I did have moments of feeling encouraged and having the strength to keep moving forward, but there was on the increase the feeling that I was not managing the time allotted to me as well as I could be. I had my long-term goals in mind, but I was beginning to wonder if what I was doing on a daily basis was moving me closer each day to achieving them.  Doing ministry in a highly relational-oriented society means that much time is spent investing in relationships thus making progress from a western perspective more difficult to gauge. And I was aware of this, though I still felt that I was not working up to my potential.  Over the past several weeks I have begun to see that I needed to put some extra effort in setting daily and weekly goals that help me reach my longer-term goals in ministry among the Laarim.  As I have begun to do this I am beginning to see its benefits.  I have been able to accomplish more.  Praying and thinking about my goals has also helped me to better know what I should involve myself with when spontaneous needs, requests, or activities arise.   I am also able to enjoy my time of leisure and rest more knowing that I am being a good steward of the time God has given to me.

           

In my whole process of setting and accomplishing goals, I am aware that we must continually remind ourselves that God must be the center of it all.  This means that we do not try to fit God into what we desire to do, but rather we must allow Him to direct what we do.  Given that we have a human nature which is bent on going its own way, this does require that we take time to pray, listen, worship the Lord, and meditate upon His word, surrendering our lives to Him and trusting Him.  This puts us in a position which allows God to work through us, directing us to set goals in a way which will lead us to attain the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.   And as we set goals in this way, we then are able to answer the important questions that we need to regularly ask ourselves about our lives and ministry.

Seeing the Lord at Work

This last month that I spent in Loryok had some challenges, but there was much to be thankful for.  It was good to have Pastor David was back to Loryok after his spending of a few months home back in Kenya.  Although I had been battling a couple illness during my time in Loryok, there were only a few days that I felt the need to rest in bed for the entire day. I also thank the Lord for how He has been drawing my adopted Laarim father Joseph to Himself, even demonstrating to him His intervention in situations when we pray.   Joseph has been asking many good questions about God, how He works, the nature of sin, repentance, and forgiveness.  This has allowed David and I to share what the word of God says about each of these topics.  Recently, Joseph excitedly expressed that he felt he was really beginning to understand the word of God more deeply than he ever had before. 

On one of the days while I was in Loryok, a mother had come with her eight year old son who was gravely ill.  They came and stayed at the home of Joseph.  The boy could no longer walk or do anything for himself.  He was not coherent and he made a continual cry throughout the day and night.  When I learned of the situation I mentioned that I would like to bring Pastor David over so that we could pray for the boy.  Joseph agreed so I went out and came back with David.  Before we prayed, Pastor David took several minutes to explain to Joseph about God's sovereignty in all things, as well as why we pray for the sick.  He then read from the passage in James 5 about praying for the sick.  As Pastor David was sharing, the boy stopped crying.  We explained to the mother what we were going to do and we went into the room of the boy to pray for him.  As we were praying the boy was repeating some phrases that I could not understand.  After finishing praying, Pastor David and I left and returned to our homes.  The following day I came back to see Joseph and check on the boy.  Joseph greeted me with some excitement in his voice and said the he could really see that God had worked through our prayers.  He explained to me that the boy had been continuously crying throughout the previous day and night, but after we prayed for him, he remained quiet throughout that night.  Joseph informed me that the women on the compound were saying that we were witchdoctors who had come to treat the boy, but he explained to the women that we were not witchdoctors, but that we were employed by God to come do His work.  I have been blessed to not only see God working in Joseph's life, but to see the Lord using Joseph to reach his own people.  

In just a couple days from now, I plan to head back out to Loryok to again share life together with the Laarim people as I resume language their learning.

Prayer Requests

Please pray that the Lord would continue to draw Joseph closer to Himself, working in him and using him to reach the community. 

Please pray for my partner in ministry AIC Pastor Joshua from Juba who is still planning to return to Loryok.  Pray for the Lord to stir up hearts within the congregations of Africa Inland Church to  support him and other missionaries to carry out the work of God among the unreached.

Please pray for the Lord to put a deeper hunger in the hearts of the Laarim people for Himself and His truth. 

Please continue to pray for my health and for wisdom in caring for my body. 

Living in Loryok

            In mid-April, I moved out to my new temporary home in the town of Loryok, South Sudan where I have been concentrating most of my efforts on learning the Laarim language.  For a number of reasons I have found my life in Loryok to be more difficult than it was living in Torit, yet I feel that I am learning to depend more upon God to give me the strength to take each step ahead.  There are no other westerners living in the area, but I am thankful that there are two missionary pastors who have committed to working with the Laarim people in the area.  There is Pastor David from Kenya who has been in Loryok for several years and more recently my ministry partner Pastor Joshua from Juba.  Initially Pastor Joshua was planning to move immediately up to Kimatong in the Northern part of the Laarim territory, but due to some logistical challenges he has found Loryok to be a better fit for the time being.

            At the moment that I am typing this, I am enjoying a break in Kampala, Uganda staying with my friend Ryan a fellow Omahan and missionary serving in Kampala.  Being an urban environment, Kampala certainly has its own set of needs and challenges for missionaries serving here, but it has been a great place for me to get some R&R.   Running water, hot showers, electricity, and a seemingly endless variety of food and types of restaurants are all things that I have been enjoying here and it has been very refreshing.  Soon I will fly back to South Sudan to resume my work there.  To be honest, I do feel a bit of dread when I think of going back to all the challenges that come along with living in Loryok, but I do look forward to being with the people there that I am growing to love.

            A typical day in Loryok for me begins with having coffee or tea and spending some time in prayer and in the Bible.  I then go out to find people I know in town who speak Laarim.  When I find that person or group, I can use the time to practice speaking and listening as well as collecting new Laarim phrases and vocabulary words.  If I cannot find someone who is wanting to speak Laarim, or if I start getting tired of all the interactions, then I eventually go back to my house to review vocabulary I have collected.  On most days, I am visited at least once by children who want to play UNO or another card game, so we may play several games together as I try speaking Laarim to them.  I also typically get together with Pastor Joshua and our "Laarim father" Joseph at least once a day to visit and to pray together.  Though I have not begun leading groups or teaching since I am working to get a better grasp on the Laarim language before I do so, I have been finding some good opportunities to pray for others and to talk about the Christian faith.   

            Just before this last time that I left Loryok, I was blessed by a visit from a group of leaders with Africa Inland Mission accompanied by Africa Inland Church's missions coordinator. The group with AIM included the international director with his wife, the couple leading Central Region, and the couple which will soon be leading the South Sudan unit.  Together we traveled to the north part of the Laarim territory, meeting with some elders and visiting some of the populated areas. These leaders in AIM took the time both to listen to the Laarim people as well as my own hopes, thoughts, and concerns. I am so appreciative of them as they show a commitment to serving the Lord through serving us.  The best way that I can describe them are as genuine servant leaders.

            Neither Pastor Joshua nor I know exactly when we will begin ministry in the villages of the Northern Laarim territory.  Though our current goal is to get established there during the dry season late this year or early next year, we are confident that the Lord will make the way in His perfect timing.   

-Praise the Lord that both Pastor Joshua and I have been able to get established in Loryok among the Laarim people.

-Pray that we would remain united in purpose and spirit, and that we depend upon the Lord as we strategize and work to reach the Laarim people.

-Pray that the Lord would help me to focus as I put my efforts into learning the Laarim language.  

-Pray that the Laarim would have a growing hunger for truth and for the Lord.

A Step Closer

In less than one week I am planning a move to a small Laarim town called Loryok, though more widely known in South Sudan as Camp 15.  The town lies east of Torit and is also situated on the main road connecting Juba and Kenya.  Though the town is very small, Loryok's population is quite diverse.  Most of the population is Laarim, but there are many others from various people groups and neighboring countries living there, some for business and others placed by the government.  I only plan to remain in Loryok for about six months as my goal still remains to get established with Africa Inland Church missionary Pastor Joshua in one of the villages about 20km north of town.  I see my move to Loryok as an essential step for making the transition to living in the village.  Here in Torit I have found a few Laarim language speakers that I have been able to meet with periodically for language learning and practice, but my exposure to the language here is limited and I have been progressing slowly.  Being in Loryok should allow me the time to focus on learning the Laarim language in an environment where it is predominately spoken.  My desire by the end of the next six months is that I will be ready to move to the village with a good enough grasp on the language that will allow me to minister through teaching basic truths and telling stories from the Bible using Laarim.

            Currently AIC's Sudanese missionary, Pastor Joshua, is making extended visits to Kimatong in the northern part of the Laarim territory with the intention of eventually getting established in the area with his family and planting a church.  Church planting is not new to Pastor Joshua. He has in the past planted a number of churches in and surrounding the Juba area where he comes from.  Recently, I went to Kimatong and spent a week with Pastor Joshua.  I was encouraged to see him relating well and enjoying his time with the people in town as we prayed together and he shared lessons and stories from the Bible.  Though he has been using Arabic which is understood by many Laarim in Kimatong, Pastor Joshua is putting a lot of effort into learning the Laarim language.

            I look forward to my move to Loryok though I see that it will be a difficult place to live.  My living space will be smaller, the environment is a bit harsher, and Christians are fewer.  Thankfully though, there is a fellow missionary living in Loryok, Pastor David with Africa Inland Church.  Pastor David is a Kenyan who came to South Sudan years ago to work with the Laarim. He started in the southern part of the territory and later moved up to Loryok.  He leads Sunday prayers under a tree with a small group consisting mostly of children along with a few adults.  I have enjoyed my visits with him during my previous travels there. 

            Also in Loryok resides Joseph, the aged father of my Laarim friend, Clement with whom I made several visits to their village.  Despite his age, Joseph remains very active as an advocate on behalf of the Laarim community.  He frequently talks about his desire to see the Laarim work hard to properly utilize their own land so that they can become self-sufficient.  I also see that Joseph has a love for children as I have often found him sitting together with the young ones, talking to, teaching, and instructing them. I look forward to talking with him more. 

Prayer Items

-Please pray that I will adjust well to living in Loryok.

-Pray that I will be able to focus well, build good relationships, and learn quickly as I concentrate on the Laarim language.

-Pray for Pastor Joshua as he continues ministering to the people of Kimatong.  Pray that he will find a place that is suitable for him and his family.

-Pray for Joseph as well as the many Laarim community leaders to have a hunger for a personal relationship with Christ.  Many of the elders in the community appear to have some knowledge of the Bible, but few seem to understand the need to have a saving faith in the Lord Jesus.     

Joy in the Midst of Struggle

Philippians 4:4-8

"Rejoice in the Lord always.  Again I will say rejoice!  Let your gentleness be made known to all men.  The Lord is at hand.  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God: and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things."

I find Paul's letter to the Philippians to be a great encouragement to believers in any circumstance.  By encouragement I not only mean an uplifting or comforting feeling, but a realistic look at the ultimate future with confidence of a good outcome, though there may be great difficulties now or in the near future.  Whether I was reading this passage in Philippians as a teenager in high school, or having just read it again a couple weeks ago I find it incredibly encouraging that the Lord calls and enables his people to rejoice, to pray and give thanks, to have peace, and to meditate on what is good no matter what may be or what may come. 

In the ministry that I believe the Lord has called me to, I would be dishonest if I said that I never face doubt or fear.  There are sometimes questions that arise in my mind such as, "Is God really calling me to live with the Laarim to bring the Gospel to them or am I just chasing after my own idea?" or "Am I really prepared or able to carry out this difficult task?" I sometimes get anxious when I think about these questions, though these questions in themselves are not bad.  But I am reminded of the words of God through Paul in Philippians to be anxious for nothing and to present our requests to God.  When I go to Him in prayer, I am reminded of His faithfulness.  Whether I am facing difficult questions, ambiguous situations, or difficult times, I can rejoice knowing that God sees my needs and will meet them in His way.  The anxiety comes when I try to figure it all out through my own understanding and forget to look to Him who is the author and perfecter of my faith.  I would not be here if I did not believe the Lord called me to this work and I am excited about living with and ministering among the Laarim people. But even if my direction were to unexpectedly change, whether it be from outside circumstances or a strong conviction that God was calling me elsewhere, I know that the Lord will enable me to give thanks and have internal peace.  Or if I found ministry among the Laarim to be far more difficult than I would have imagined, I would still be able to continue rejoicing in the Lord, meditating on what is pleasing to Him, and moving forward.

After a month in Uganda, I am back to South Sudan.  I was welcomed by a missionary family of five who just moved back to South Sudan after spending a few years back home.  I had met them previously and had been looking forward to their coming.  It is nice to have some company on the compound.  While I was out Uganda, the temperature in South Sudan dramatically increased and I came back to temperature highs ranging from 100-113 F. Needless to say getting good sleep is a bit more difficult.  Like in Nebraska, the "winter" here leaves little green until the rains come, which here is usually in mid-March.

I made my last visit to the Laarim territory during Christmas and the Sudanese church in Juba is sending out their missionary, Pastor Joshua to make a month long visit in March.  I will likely be joining him soon after he departs.  A couple days ago I felt that we were struggling to move forward, but I am hopeful about this planned visit.  I am seeing the importance of both patience and persistence: seeking and waiting on the Lord along with considering and trying different strategies.  Having some time out in Uganda has been refreshing and helped me to renew my focus.  Knowing that the church here, the Laarim people, and I are being prayed for by believers around the world is a great encouragement.  I have much to be thankful for.  

Please continue to pray for:

-Effective partnership between AIM missionaries and Africa Inland Church and their missionaries. 

-Wisdom for us as we continue to consider strategies for reaching the Laarim people.

-A continual dependence on Jesus for all that we are doing.