August was a big month for me as my first teammate, Andrew,
arrived to South Sudan. Andrew came from
England and has committed to working with the Laarim for the next two
years. Language learning and
relationship building are a priority for him for these first six months of
ministry. He has gotten off to a great
start and is picking up the language at a much faster pace than I ever have.
The beginning of September had me and a team of four youth
on their school holiday traveling from Torit to the Boya Hills area for home to
home evangelism in Yei village. Three of
the four youth had never been to the Boya Hills. From Torit, we boarded a crowded Land Cruiser
and travelled on a bumpy road for four hours to Loryok. After reaching we spent the evening planning
for the week of evangelism. Early the
following morning we started our 13 mile journey by foot. We reached our compound
in the village tired, but looking forward to the following days. That week the
team visited homes and shared the gospel with families throughout the village. Initially when planning the trip I was
uncertain how it would work out, but everyone did a great job. One of the team members was impressed by the
respect shown to them while they shared the gospel at each home.
One of the Laarim boys from the area, Lotao, joined us for
the week. Lotao gave his life to Christ
early this year so I have been spending a lot of time with him. Having this group of youth come was good opportunity
for Lotao to spend time with other young believers to be encouraged and learn
from them. Towards the end of the week,
Lotao commented that he is no longer afraid to share the gospel with
others.
It seems like I have been able to follow a weekly routine
for awhile now.
Since the evangelism group came, Lotao and I have been
meeting twice a week with children playing games and sharing a Bible story,
which Lotao usually leads. For several
months we have also been meeting once a week for Bible study at the primary
school in Kimatong with a few other youth and children. Twice a week I go a few
kilometers outside the villages to the riverbed where the young boys and youth
take their cattle for water. Together we
talk, sing, and pray, and then I share a Bible story. I find nearly everyone at the river eagerly
participating and listening intently during the story as there are few
distractions in such an environment. On
Saturdays I am usually in Loryok doing shopping and meeting with the youth in
the evening. On Sunday mornings we
gather together for worship and then I go back to the village on my
motorbike. There are a couple others in
Loryok who are involved in the church and they are a great help, but we are
also praying for someone to come who can stay permanently in Loryok to pastor
the church and continue evangelism.
Now that the airstrip is open in Yei, it is much easier for
us to get fresh produce and comfort foods regularly as well other useful things
available within the region. We are
still facing a water problem though, as the borehole on our compound failed
again after being repaired.
The first two houses are nearly done along with the kitchen/sitting
area for Andrew and me. After completing
the work in Yei village, the construction crew including our friends Charlie
and Clement, will move on to the next building site in Cauwa village which is
about 4 1/2 kilometers to the north.
Andrew and I will remain in Yei.
How You Can Pray
-Pray for us as a team.
Whether we are building houses, learning language, or sharing Bible
stories, we want to demonstrate the love of Christ in all that we do towards
one another within our team and in the community.
-Pray for Lotao to continue growing in Christ and sharing
his faith. Pray for others who are
joining us regularly to grow in their love for Jesus.
-Pray for wisdom in use of our time. The possibilities of direction for ministry
in the village are numerous. We must be
intentional about seeking the Lord's guidance for what is best.
-Pray for a full-time pastor who can stay in Loryok.
