Hoping for the Green Light

While I hear about sub zero temperatures in the US, I am comfortably sitting in AIM's guesthouse in sunny Kampala where the highs are consistently in the low 80's and the lows are in the mid to lower 60's.  For weather, it's as good as it gets for me and with Kampala being a larger city I can find almost anything I would want or need. What is even better here is that for a reasonable price I can take a motorbike taxi to wherever I would need to go in town usually get there quickly.  I always enjoy coming here, but I really am hoping that in a couple more weeks I will be back in South Sudan.  Though with the current conflict it is still to be determined whether or not I will be able to return that soon.  Thankfully the areas where we live have remained calm so far, but there are other places that have fighting.  I am concerned for people's lives in South Sudan, especially for those whom I have come to know and love, but I am hopeful that we will be able to return soon. Though the question remains "How soon?"

Life and ministry rarely go as planned here and disruptions often seem to come at the most inconvenient times.  In thinking of such times though I am reminded of the words written by the apostle Paul in II Corinthians 4:8 "we are perplexed, but not in despair." In November, I made a visit to Kimatong in the Boya Hills area.  My purpose was to meet with the chiefs in several nearby areas to ask for some land options for permanent housing for me and another missionary family who I was waiting for to join me early this year.  After several days of visiting the chiefs and seeing different options, I returned to my home in Loryok to contact my unit leader and another missionary who would take charge of the building project.  Due to a family emergency for the builder, they were to be delayed.  A few days later, I got word from my unit leader that the family who was to join AIM to work with the Laarim had changed their plans and they would not be coming. This was after more than a year of anticipating their coming.  The news hit us hard as we were all hoping to have more missionaries to work with the Laarim. I returned to inform the chiefs of the change of plan and thankfully they were gracious to me. Because of this change though we have decided to wait on building a permanent house for myself, but instead I will complete my temporary home which is made mostly of local materials.  Once that house is completed, I would then be able to take frequent short periods of time in the villages of the Boya Hills to get started with ministry there. 

After my initial return from the village to seek out land options for building in November last year, I was visited by my friend Angelo who just finished his primary school in another town.  We spent the week together and met with the children on my compound each evening for a time of singing and a Bible lesson.  I am thankful that Angelo was with me when I had gotten the news that this missionary family who was intending to join me had changed their plans. Though it was difficult news, I was encouraged to have Angelo with me as it reminded me that God does not leave us to do the work alone.  That following week, Angelo and I went to Torit and we met up with Loboi another Laarim youth attending school there.  Together we attended a five-day seminar on Transformational Development which teaches on the root issues of poverty and our role as Christians to be ministers of reconciliation so that we see lasting transformation in individual lives and communities.

Both Angelo and Loboi are youth that have demonstrate a genuine faith in Christ and a desire to reach their people with Gospel.  Though we all live in different places, I have been able to spend significant amounts of time with them working, doing ministry, and living life together.  I am learning to be more intentional in doing what I can to encourage growth in these guys to help them be effective in ministry.  At the same time I am humbled when not only do I depend on them for help, but I see them more effectively minister in specific ways to their own people than I am able to.  That's one of the things that is wonderful thing about being part of the Body of Christ.  I do hope that I can see Angelo and Loboi again soon.

How you can pray

-Please pray for the current fighting in South Sudan to stop and that the door would quickly open for us to return.

-Pray for the church of South Sudan including the Laarim believers to not lose heart but to stand firm for righteousness during this time in South Sudan.

-Pray that we will be able to complete my house in the the Boya Hills area soon.