Category Archives: Africa

Prayer and Intercession for South Sudan

South Sudan - Prayers When South Sudan gained independence from Sudan proper on July 9, 2011, a forty year old armed conflict which had raged between the Muslim-backed Arab government in Northern Sudan, and the predominantly Christian Africans in Southern Sudan, ended. During this war, approx. 2 million people had been killed and 5 million displaced as refugees into the neighboring countries.

To establish their distinct national identity different from their Muslim neighbor to the North, the new country of South Sudan approved a Constitution built on the Judeo-Christian world view, providing a buffer against the advance of Islam toward the interior of Africa. Full of joyous anticipation and hope for the future of their families and their new nation, the South Sudanese in diaspora returned home in droves, thanking the Almighty God for their deliverance.

South Sudan is a country rich in natural resources: oil, gold, rare precious metals, forests, plenty of sunshine, fertile soil, and an abundance of water, i.e. the Nile – resources sought after by multinational companies and governments in the industrialized world.

The war had ravaged everything. The country was void of even the most elementary infrastructure – paved roads, municipal water, sewage, electricity, basic education, or healthcare. Rebuilding the nation proved to be very difficult and laborious, indeed.

The government was not prepared to handle the momentous task by good warriors becoming poor governors who have been open to bribes and corruption. In December 2013, an internal civil war (which also is a proxy war between superpowers competing over the country’s natural resources) erupted when President Kiir accused his former Deputy, Machar, of planning a coup.

South Sudan - Man praying It set off a cycle of retaliatory killings which have split the poverty-stricken country along ethnic lines, causing hundreds of thousands to flee. A fragile peace agreement was finally established, for again to be broken in July 2016. Last year alone, some 489,000 South Sudanese refugees fled to Uganda. The refugee settlement Bidibidi in northern Uganda, opened less than six months ago, is already one of the world’s largest refugee camps. It currently houses over 270,000 South Sudanese.

The country is in crisis – a combination of famine, conflict and disease is threatening the lives of millions. Since the war restarted in 2013 there have been recurring violence, with killings, rapes, abductions, displacements, children recruited into armed forces; schools and hospitals attacked and destroyed, and multiple outbreaks of disease including cholera. And now, famine is affecting thousands!

The leaders finally acknowledged their need to seek God for repentance and forgiveness, and intercede for the Lord’s healing of their land. On March 10, President Kiir called the people to an official National Day of Prayer!

ON MARCH 11, THE SUDAN TRIBUNE REPORTED:

Prasyer Conference SS (2) South Sudan’s Catholic Archbishop Paulino Lokudu Loro presided over Friday’s National Day of Prayer. He declared the government must choose between peace, unity, reconciliation and justice over rapes, killings and arbitrary arrests. He urged President Salva Kiir to “go pray alone in a room for peace in the country”.

The cleric further warned the President, stressing that torture, corruption, raping, arbitrary arrests and tribalism would continue if he later misuses his prayer.

“If this prayer is sincere, many things should happen in this country; peace, justice, love genuine dialogue and unity should happen after this prayer. Good governance, security, good economy, provision of service, we can expect then to happen after this prayer, if the prayer is genuine,” said the Bishop in a mixture of English and Arabic.

The South Sudanese President, Kiir called delivered his own prayer before the crowd, asking for divine forgiveness.

“I pray not for condemnation but for forgiveness. I give over my heart and body for Your blessing. Guide me Lord to become who you want me to be. Give me wisdom not for my own merit but for your loving kindness,’’ said the President in a prepared prayer that he read in front of thousands of his supporters at John Garang Mausoleum in the capital, Juba.

President Kiir, who had never prayed in public since assuming chairmanship of South Sudan’s ruling party (SPLM), called for “the most merciful God” to redirect his deeds.

“Through my shortcomings, I have sinned against You in words and deeds for what I have done,” said the President, without mentioning any specific crimes he committed as a leader.

The country’s First Vice President, Taban Deng Gai and Vice President, James Wani Igga knelt as the South Sudanese President delivered his prayer.

“That your prayer should not be in vain, I hope you, President Kiir, called us out in this heat because you want peace. After this prayer, is the government going to choose evil?” asked Bishop Lokudu. Pentecostal Church Bishop, Isaiah Majok Dau called for “humanity in our hearts” during the prayer.

“If you are repenting today and you used to kill people, don’t kill anymore, regardless of who you are. If you are repenting today and you continue to talk badly about other tribes, cease and talk about South Sudan,” added Bishop Dau. ©The Sudan Tribune

WILLIAM LEVI WITH HIS WIFE, HANNAH AND THEIR SIX CHILDREN ARE PRESENTLY IN SOUTH SUDAN AT THEIR OPERATIONS NEHEMIAH MISSION HEQDQUARTERS IN BORONGOLE TO WORK AND CONDUCT A DAY OF NATIONAL PRAYER. HE WRITES:

“In light of the current Crisis in South Sudan, I’m counting on your support and networking for a time of National Prayer, Repentance and Forgiveness in Juba, South Sudan, March 26th-27th, 2017. This event will resonate with the National Peace and Reconciliation Initiative proposed by President Kiir.

This effort must precede our earnest desire to see people return from exile to their homes, which they abandoned in July 2016 in fear of their lives. We must dedicate the entire country to God, from the local to the national level. I call on like-minded church leaders across the country and the camps to come together for this event.

South Sudan remains a spiritually strategic country, blocking the spread of the Islamic Caliphate into the interior of Africa. The ongoing conflict within creates porous borders and opens the door for Islamic terrorists to invade from any direction. The Islamic agenda is not done with South Sudan. They rejoice over our internal division.

We must pray for those serving in the government, military, and police; for civilians driven into exile; for armed rebels still operating inside the country.

We must recognize that our warfare is not against flesh or blood. We are not warring against specific persons or tribes, government, or rebels. We must learn to love our neighbors as ourselves, and call every soul to repentance and faith in Christ without showing partiality. Tribalism is a national sin that must be renounced.

It is only through the preaching of the Gospel and biblical reconciliation that South Sudan will see lasting peace.

Meanwhile, we have understood the plight of our people in exile and we will reach out to them with the same love of God we exercise upon those who are inside the country without discrimination. The Bible does not lie. Those who put their trust in the Lord will not be put to shame.

For us, the national dialogue for peace and reconciliation has already begun as The Bible instructs us, ‘First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be offered on behalf of all men..’ See 2 Timothy 2:2.”

INTERCESSION – MATTHEW DENG DUT IN JUBA

S Sudan - Matthew Preaching cc I met Matthew Deng Dut for the first time in 2008 in Tel Aviv, Israel. He was among the 1100 South Sudanese who had fled atrocities in Sudan and Egypt to find refuge in Israel. I visited his church, Elohim Shalom Ministry, which he had established among his fellow refugees there.

His preaching was focused around evangelism, prayer, and reconciliation. He told me with great enthusiasm about the hope he had for his nation—that one day, his people would be gathered back in their homeland, where they would become a free nation under God. Furthermore, that he had been called to be a voice and a vehicle of peace and reconciliation between man and God and the warring ethnic groups among his people.

Matthew in Kampala 2 - 2017-02 After returning to South Sudan in 2012, Matthew and his fellowship settled in the outskirts of Juba where he continues to pastor his flock. He has survived three severe malaria attacks, was robbed of all his possessions, and keeps on serving his people through a four year brutal, internal civil war, during which many of his church members have fled. In spite of the insurmountable problems he and his people face daily, Matthew refuses to give up, he has remained faithful to his call to seek reconciliation, and stands on Jesus’ promise in Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the Peacemakers, for they shall be called Children of God.” His message is clear: Lasting peace only comes through The Prince of Peace!

In February, Matthew was invited as the main speaker at a Peace and Reconciliation Conference in the South Sudanese refugee community in Kampala, Uganda. Many were saved and encouraged in their faith!

In May, Matthew and his fellowship, Elohim Shalom International Ministries, will also gather city– and region wide churches and church leaders and government officials to a Day of Prayer, Repentance, and Reconciliation on behalf od their country, government, and people. WOULD YOU PRAY AND HELP HIM FINANCE THIS EVENT?

For more background information on the people and ministries we serve in South Sudan, please click on the following link:

https://www.bridgeinternational.org/category/south-sudan/

South Sudan – Longing for Peace – Matthew Deng Dut Serving his People in Juba with the Gospel

A REPORT FROM JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN by R.K. ULRICH

On July 9, 2011, South Sudan gained independence from Sudan as the outcome of a 2005 agreement which ended 40 years of civil war, during which approx. two million people were killed and five million displaced. Since then, millions of refugees from 60 different ethnic groups have returned to their homeland with hope and thanksgiving, just to find a scorched land ravaged by war, void of infrastructure, but rich in natural resources. Our South Sudanese partners, whom we served for a number of years before the country’s independence, the Levi family in Nimule, and the Kuj family in Tonj, have done very well in pioneering and establishing their families and ministries on their respective rural tribal lands, where there today are stable, thriving Christian communities.

For Matthew Dengdut, a young South Sudanese I met in 2008 while he was a refugee in Israel, his homecoming has posed enormous challenges. In Tel Aviv, he planted and pastored a church among his people, while The Bridge sponsored him through a three year Bible College. In 2012, when Israel deported the 1100 South Sudanese refugees back to their new country, Matthew followed his flock to the outskirts of the capital of Juba, where they settled. He and his team have continued to reach out with the love of Jesus to the poverty-stricken people in and around Street no. 107. Matthew has survived two severe malaria attacks, was robbed of all his possessions, and, since 2013, has cared for his people living through a two year internal civil war between President Kiir and his ousted Deputy, Machar, during which tens of thousands have been killed, and 2.5 million people displaced. 3.9 million are in need of food; it is predicted that as many as 200,000 South Sudanese might die of starvation this year!

When Matthew arrived from Israel in 2012, he was able to buy a small property on the tribal land within Juba. With our financial help, he built a small house, which is his home and base of operation. Matthew is an evangelist at heart, so he began from scratch—preaching the Gospel under the open sky in street no 107:

“It is a broad dirt road with corrugated metal shack vendors lined up on both sides as far as the eye can see. Matthew had set up church in the street right in front of the local bar. He had rented 100 plastic chairs and a sound system… there we had church service under the sun for 12 hours! The joyous sound of worship blasted through the community of perhaps 10,000 people, most of whom had been repatriated from Northern Sudan and Egypt, so Matthew preached in Arabic, and his friend Moses translated into English.

When the dusk set in, the shops closed, and the lights went out. A sheet was stretched between two poles, and with the electricity from the rented generator, under the brilliant starlit sky, the Jesus film was shown on the big screen, dubbed in the Arabic language! The men from the bar drifted toward the action, then slowly joined the crowd. The viewers were mesmerized – deeply engaged in the story. When Judas betrayed Jesus, many openly sobbed, and upon the resurrection, the entire crowd rose and roared for joy and relief! Light had overcome darkness! By late evening hours, up to 300 people asked for prayer and/or to receive Jesus – Matthew prayed individually for every one of them!” (Quote from my March 2013 trip report to South Sudan).

Shortly after my visit, when the rain season began, the fellowship needed shelter. A South Sudanese living in Australia owned a walled-in piece of land on the street; he offered Matthew a three year lease. The Bridge raised the funds and a $5000 church building was erected. It consisted of open walls, with poles supporting the roof structure of corrugated metal. We provided funds for 70 chairs, and a storage house.

The new believers met for Sunday service – and every week day! The Gospel outreach had become a church as well as the street’s community center!

A buzz of activities ensued: leadership training, Bible study, worship practice, all night prayer vigils, women coming together for various activities. A Bible leadership training school was established for new leaders; there were plans for a school, a food program, and entrepreneurial business training.

Then— disaster hit! In December 2013, Civil war erupted when Kiir accused his former deputy, Machar, of planning a coup, setting off a cycle of retaliatory killings which have split the poverty-stricken country along ethnic lines.

The owner of the leased church property demanded prematurely his land back. The church building was torn down, the building material mostly pilfered. The leasing agreement drawn up by a local lawyer meant nothing! The community center and the church collapsed in Street no 107! Armed gangs roamed the streets and attacked the people by beating them, stealing their food and rob them of their few belongings. Many scattered and fled into the country side or went abroad. Anarchy and lawlessness became the rule of the day.

Matthew, however, did not give up, nor was he discouraged. God had given him a vision of reconciliation, and he was going to remain faithful to his call to be a voice and a vehicle of peace and reconciliation between man and God and the warring ethnic groups in his nation! He remained on his property and pulled in the scattered flock of believers for all night vigils of prayer and intercession for South Sudan and her people and planted a new church there. He would often say to me, “My people need hope and peace” – he knows that real lasting peace only comes through The Prince of Peace!

After several, months, when the fighting in and around Juba had subsided and the streets became more secure, many of the believers began returning to their homes—or what was left of them, and rejoined Matthew’s fellowship. Through God’s love and pastoral care, their broken lives have begun to be rebuilt.

A few months ago, the Tribal leader of Street 107 met with Matthew and begged him to return. He promised him land to build on and his co-operation in re-establishing the community center. “It became so dark here after you and your people left”, were his words. “Please—build and plant!” Matthew accepted his offer. Today, the church has been revived in Street no 107!

A year ago, Matthew formally re-established Elohim Shalom International Ministry which he had founded in 2005 in Tel Aviv, based on Matthew 5:9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Through this ministry, Matthew has trained a committed group of 12 adult leaders, a beautiful worship team, and 25 young people who actively serve in different capacities. A portable sound system donated by an American brother is a great blessing in the church services, but also as a vehicle in the dynamic Gospel outreaches they do in other parts of the city. Today, there are three churches planted by

In February, the ministry celebrated its first anniversary in the land by inviting local pastors and political leaders across ethnic and denominational lines to a beautiful feast and celebration! 800 people attended in the joyous activities. Many bent their knees to the Lordship of Christ! “It was glorious!” Matthew reported.

The church is growing, so are the outreaches and mercy ministries. Matthew and his team are passionate and committed to the Lordship of Christ. They have a vision to reach South Sudan for Christ, cross ethnic groups and class barriers. They indeed exemplify the words of James, the disciple of Jesus, in James 2:5, “…has not God chosen those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdom, which He has promised to those who love Him?”

On March 11, the United Nations released a scathing report of genocide and gross human rights violations that both the government troops and the rebels have caused among the South Sudanese people. To read more, click on the link below:

http://www.christianpost.com/news/south-sudan-churches-confirm-un-report-children-the-disabled-being-burned-alive-mass-rapes-amid-civil-war-159138/

Following are some background information on Matthew’s journey from TelAviv, Israel to Juba, South Sudan

http://bridgeold.bridgeinternational.org/pdf/june2012.pdf

https://www.bridgeinternational.org/turkey-south-sudan-trip/juba-street-outreach-page-7/

https://www.bridgeinternational.org/2014/02/

Suffering – The Cost of Discipleship. The Cowleys in Kenya

FROM R.K.’S CORNER

This month’s issue is on a more somber note. It features a topic which is not at all popular in most of today’s churches… as true followers of Jesus Christ, we are to suffer with and for Him! Suffering is the cost of discipleship! Today, there is a desperate cry of suffering and pain echoing from the war-torn parts of the Middle East from thousands upon thousands of Christians who have survived the most despicable atrocities from ISIS. In the West, their cry for help and comfort has mostly been ignored.

Every time I speak with one of our partners abroad, I am humbled by the awareness that every one of them serves the Lord with gladness in the midst of danger and insurmountable problems which they embrace by the grace of God. More than a decade ago, Paul Cowley, a successful entrepreneur living in Boca Raton, an affluent city in South Florida, heard the call from God, left his comfortable life behind. With his wife, Marcia, he pioneered two Discipleship Bibleschools for Pastors of the Least living in the largest slums in Nairobi, Kenya. Here, you may learn more about him and his ministry:

https://www.bridgeinternational.org/2013/05/

https://www.bridgeinternational.org/2015/04/

Recently, due to increasing threats to him and his family, he has had to consider if it is time for him and his family to return to safety in the States. Paul’s thoughtful, articulate article revealing his prayerful considerations in the decision-making process, represents the heart of all of our partners we serve abroad!

PAUL AND MARCIA COWLEY IN NAIROBI, KENYA: CONTINUE SERVING OR RETURNING HOME? By Paul Cowley

During our last visit to the States, we were regularly faced with questions of concern regarding terrorism and violence targeting Christians in East Africa. The essential question was, “Do you think it is time to come home?“or similarly,“Aren’t you concerned for the safety of your children?” Both questions are legitimate and rational questions for us to consider. And both questions reflect genuine concern for and love towards our family. Our answers, typically short and to the point, perhaps seemed frivolous or flippant. They were not. They were simply firm.

In the past several years, there have been numerous incidents of mass murder in Kenya at the hands of terrorists. The large majority of them went unreported in the international news headlines, even some major ones. Several bus bombings have been within half a mile of the two Bible Schools. These real issues do not escape our attention by any measure, nor have we grown numb to the risks at hand. Rather, behind every human event and circumstance, there are spiritual strings attached on which we as Christians must focus our utmost attention.

Jesus suffered greatly at the hands of nationalists, political pundits and religious zealots. He did not court their disfavor, nor did He ignore the impact they could have on His mission. He knew when to avoid confrontations, when to walk away, and when to remain silent. But never out of fear… always out of divine wisdom and eternal perspective. This is the same mandate for any and every man or woman carrying His name and following in His footsteps.

“Behold I send you as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. But beware of men…” Matt 10:17

This is not the ranting of a madman sending his followers on a suicidal mission. Much the opposite. It is the wisdom and counsel of the Almighty. God has purposely sent all of us into the world…in the face of all possible circumstances. God has designed it such that His people are NOT miraculously shielded and sheltered from all the common trials, tragedies and tribulations of this fallen world. Instead, He has promised He will “also freely give us all things.” (Rom 8.32). Much to the chagrin of the Prosperity Gospel pundits, “all things” does not mean abundance, breakthrough, dominion, promotion or prosperity. Contextually, those “things” are defined as false charges, condemnations, trials, tribulations, distresses, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril and sword. (Rom 8:25-39).

God’s wisdom is not to blindly run into such circumstances. We are to be wise. We are to be aware. We are to consider. We are to pray. But we are not to flee in fear. For there are profound promises woven into the fabric of the Great Commission we dare not overlook…

“Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My Word, they will keep yours also.” John 15:20

There is the spiritual conundrum: present and pressing opposition brings forth eternal fruit! This flies in the face of the world’s accumulated “wisdom”. For it contradicts our natural instincts to avoid harm and pursue pleasure. It contradicts much of our “experience” on a physical, emotional and psychological level. But when we submit to the lens of God’s spiritual view, the spiritual strings are exposed, and the truth is unveiled.

“We must through many tribulations enter the Kingdom of God”. Acts 14:22

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulations; but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.” John 6:33

So, after much prayer, searching the Scriptures, seeking the Holy Spirit, God confirmed His counsel to us in this situation: “Continue doing that for which I sent you. Be busy about MY business. For the time is at hand.” It does not place us on some mystical, metaphysical pedestal of Christian bravery. Far from it. It is the baseline for all of us. It just took these front-line circumstances in Kenya to get it through my thick head and stony heart.

When times get tough, and the tides of fear are rising, I remember two things: the God I serve, and the people He has sent me to. God is sovereign. The safest place to be is where He has called me… whether Boca Raton or Nairobi, that much is irrelevant. At the same time, I look around where I am. The Pastors of the Least face circumstances, persecution, peril, and sword to an infinitely greater degree than I ever imagine may come my way. They are truly an inspiration to me on a daily basis. Not because they are perfectly pious specimens of some innate spiritual strength. But rather because they continually reflect what a man can become in the hands of our Almighty God…even in the midst of overwhelming poverty, crime, tragedies and trials. That is – I see God working in them all the more clearly because of the cesspool in which I see them living and ministering. And that helps me overcome my faulty faith, incessant complaints and frivolous fretting.

Jeremiah, the prophet of great lamentation and woe, surely would understand the Pastors of the Least in the slums of urban Africa. If any prophet could be termed as having a “miserable” calling, it might well have been Jeremiah.

He was ridiculed, mocked, abandoned, persecuted and “terrorized” by the very people to whom God had sent him. Eventually, he was unceremoniously deposited into a sinking mire of a dungeon well… and abandoned to starvation: (Jeremiah 38:6).

”So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon… and they let Jeremiah down with ropes, and in the dungeon there was no water, but mire. So Jeremiah sank in the mire. …Ebed–Melech said to the king, ‘…these men have done evil in all they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon, and he is likely to die from hunger in the place where he is.”‘ Jeremiah 38.6

Candidly, it sounds much like life in the slums in which OUR Pastors live and minister. Mud… a rank mix of excrement and fetid mire. Hunger… a daily consistent companion. Abandonment… by every conceivable human measure. But confident… in the hands of an Almighty, All-Seeing, All-Knowing, All-Powerful God! Like Jeremiah, these men wallow and wait in the miserable mire of life on a daily basis: physically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually. Which begs the question:

Is God really asking much from me? To simply stay? And encourage them?

We all live our version of Jeremiah’s well. Circumstances that seemingly have no spiritual significance. No redeeming value. Situations that would cause reasonable men to fear… and then flee. By God’s grace, let us determine to stay the course. Like the Pastors of the Least: firm, but without bravado, without acclaim. Like Jeremiah, preaching Repentance and making Disciples without ceasing, without compromise. Up to and until God pulls us out. Not a moment sooner.g to 1 Peter 2:21, “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps…”

SUFFERING – THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP

Above is a statistical map created by Pew Research Center (found at www.PewForum.org), displayed by Graphiq and posted on their website www.Graphiq.com. It shows the percentage of the total population who are Christians in every country of the world by shades of color from dark to light; the darker the color, the larger the percentage of Christians in that country.

The lightest shades represent countries with less than 1% Christians. Most of them are concentrated within 10 and 40 degrees north of the equator. It is called the 10/40 Window. In most of those countries, Christians are suffering for their faith, from being marginalized and discriminated against, to suffering mental and physical abuse by atrocities too gruesome to describe. In parts of North Nigeria, Syria and Iraq there is today systematic, extensive genocide by Jihadist Muslims whose goal is to eradicate all Christian believers and cleanse the land from any trace of 2000 years of Christian presence. The majority of our partners we serve through The Bridge, live and minister within the 10/40 window.

There are two groups: those indigenous to their region or country who labor among their own people. When the going gets tough, they are not going home — they ARE home, where they daily embrace the joys and hardships in their lives and ministry! The other group are those who have chosen to leave a secure life and future in the West, to settle with their families in a foreign land where they are daily exposed to risks of danger. They DO have a choice to leave and go back home!

All of our partners have one thing in common: although they experience daily various levels of conflicts and suffering which come with God’s call to ministry, they are bold and fearless. They often place themselves in harm’s way; yet they are humble and self-effacing. Their focus is not on their own comfort and security, but on being transmitters of the Love and Light of Jesus in their care of others. They know the cost of discipleship according to 1 Peter 2:21, “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps…”

Paul Cowley — Testimony from DSM Bible Institute in the Kiberia Slum, Nairobi, Kenya

BACKGROUND REFLECTION – R.K.’s CORNER

I remember it well! Three decades ago, a few years after my return to the States from serving behind the Iron Curtain, our Bridge intercessory prayer group received from Open Doors a list of 356 Pastors and Christian leaders in Russia who were incarcerated, suffering terribly under heavy persecution in prisons and labor camps. Their only crime? Believers in Jesus Christ, they had refused to deny their faith – a capital offense under the atheist, communist regime.

Realizing we could make a difference for the persecuted church, our ten member group rolled up our sleeves and went to work, knowing that we who were blessed with prosperity and freedom in this country, had an obligation to carry the burden of our suffering, persecuted brothers and sisters — praying was something we all could do! We distributed the names among ourselves, and made a commitment to lifting every one of those Russian believers by name before God every single day till they were released from captivity! Many of our members labored sacrificially by fasting and prayer day after day, month after month — it was indeed a labor of love! However, we were not the only ones praying. The Church at large was informed and engaged, standing with the persecuted church.After 18 months, we got the news — every one on the list had been released! We rejoiced — having been a small, but not insignificant part of making history, reflecting God’s love toward our neighbor.

Fast forward thirty years. Today, amidst the Middle East and Northern Nigeria are being ablaze with the most horrific genocide of Christians of epic proportions, as gruesome images are practically daily being broadcast into every one of our homes by the media — 147 Christian university students were brutally murdered in Northern Kenya. Their only crime? They were believers in Jesus Christ who had refused to deny their faith! The news hardly made a blip in the media. The tragedy is that the Western Church is by and large a callous, silent witness to the suffering of our brethren! Has the Prosperity Gospel so distorted and corrupted our faith that we have forgotten amidst our seeking of personal comfort, God’s promise in 2 Timothy 2:12, “… if we suffer, we shall also reign with Him”?

PREFACE

Paul and Marcia Cowley have not forgotten this. Their lives are an example of a life laid down, having chosen to put aside personal comfort to serve and suffer with the Pastors and Christian Leaders of the Least in the Kiberia Slum, Nairobi, Kenya.

In this issue, through presenting the moving testimony of Peter, one of his students at the Bible Institute, Pastor to the Least, Paul Cowley reminds us of the Biblical view: Through brokenness, God molds and shapes His people into vessels of honor to His own glory!

Read about the Cowleys and their ministry at https://www.bridgeinternational.org/2013/05/

Please mark your gifts to the Cowleys: Kenyan Workers

THE DSM BIBLE INSTITUTE – PASTOR PETER’S TESTIMONY by Paul Cowley

The photo above portrays an image burned into my mind. In a sea of faces at the Bible School, there was always one smiling face: Pastor Peter. No matter how bad things could get, his presence always compelled me to shake it off and move forward with hope and confidence in Christ. Peter would insist on personally greeting me every morning, shaking my hand, and saying this one thing:“I am praying for you, Brother Paul!”

Barely discernible words from a man with a broken body and the sweet presence of the Holy Spirit. Peter was born with cerebral palsy. Half of his body is largely paralyzed. His walk is laborious and painful, his mouth distorted, his speech slurred. In local culture, his condition is considered a curse.

He is a visible reminder of what was said about Paul the Apostle… “…his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.” 2 Cor 10:10. It was wrong to predetermine Paul’s spiritual impact based upon his outward appearance. It would be equally wrong to do so in regard to Pastor Peter. Peter has indeed proven to be one of the best students we have ever had at the Bible Institute. He would never have been accepted into any other Bible School. Besides his minimal education, Peter can scarcely take any notes. It is a painfully slow and deliberate process for him to merely write his name. And yet, he passed with high scores. In addition, he volunteered nearly every Friday and Saturday at the Bible School—wiping down dusty desks and praying over each one before the pastors arrived for class.

In the course of his time at the DSM Bible Institute and Discipleship Program, Peter won the award for “Excellence in Volunteering.” He has a profound sense of duty and stewardship unto the Lord for this unique opportunity to study His Word. What I admire most about Peter is what I call “broken boldness.” It is not something that comes from within natural man, but solely from the refining work of God upon a born again man.

Peter lives in the Eastleigh section of Nairobi, home to 325,000 Somalis. It is one of the most feared parts of the city. The Somalis are left largely to themselves, city police and administrators have essentially allowed it to run as an independent ghetto. You would be hard pressed to find anyone venturing into Eastleigh who is not Somali and consequently a Muslim. Peter not only enters Eastleigh, he lives there, works there – and proclaims Jesus as Lord and Savior with complete abandonment.

His Senior Pastor attested to me, “Peter is the most feared man in Eastleigh. The Muslims fear him because he speaks to them about Jesus without fear. He has a little kiosk where he sells used clothes. He witnesses to everyone he meets. And he has answers to all of their challenges. You cannot encounter Peter without having heard about Jesus.” To think that Peter could inspire fear in any man defies logic. But the fear he inspires is not one fashioned in flesh and blood. It is the holy fear of God—the one true and living God whom Peter proclaims so boldly. It wasn’t always that way. Peter himself will attest to that.

On one of my recent visits to Peter, he testified, “This Bible School changed my life. I had zeal for the Lord, but no knowledge. I used to simply repeat things I heard others say. I realize now, most of it was not biblically correct. After I came to DSM, I learned who God is as He Himself says He is; not as I imagined. More than anything, I know that He loves me. And that Jesus is truly the only Way. Please let your people know that this Bible School changed my life.”

I share Peter’s testimony to God’s glory alone. It is His Word, His ministry and His power working in the lives of Pastor Peter and thousands of other pastors and ministry leaders in the slums of Nairobi. The best of human intentions and efforts could never have impacted Peter in this way. The ministry and discipleship of God’s Word cuts through all the obstacles and hindrances that life can throw at anyone — Peter included.

“For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is the discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12.

In the economy of God, cerebral palsy is not a problem to be sorted out, overcome or circumvented. It is the very clay He uses to make a vessel of honor unto His own glory. God is all about using brokenness. And just when things may look the worst from our perspective, God intervenes for His glory — but not always in the way we expect.

Pastor Peter knows this all too well. Earlier this year, Peter was diagnosed with rectal cancer. It was during a visit to his home that he shared the above testimony. That was the message that was foremost in his heart and mind. He never complained about his excruciating pain. He never asked for a thing, other than prayer. I had gone to encourage him, his dear wife and three precious children. Instead of encouraging Peter, he encouraged me. Where I initially saw a circumstance of sour grapes, out of Peter came wine. That’s not something anyone can conjure up with mere human determination and optimism. His life is really miserable. That’s a fact. He lives in a ten by ten foot rusted metal shack in a slum with his desperately poor family. He cannot walk…he must be carried. He is dying of cancer…and has Tylenol to cope with the pain. There is no chemotherapy available in Kenya…except for the privileged elite. Peter’s life is a miserable situation. Yet, out of the rottenness of life in this broken, fallen world — God has brought forth wine. God has made Himself another vessel of honor to His own glory. Only God can do that. And He is seeking to do so in all of us, regardless of what we are going through in these short few years before we see Him face to face.

Broken bread and poured out Wine. Let’s follow in Jesus’ steps. If Peter can do it, by God’s grace so can we. It will require nothing less than utter Brokenness.

Jason and Jammie Stark – Birthing Hope in South Sudan

FROM R.K.’S CORNER

Last summer, Steve and I spent our vacation in rural Idaho with Kirk and Laura Keuter, decade-long friends, business- and ministry partners who, a few years ago, moved from South Florida to the beautiful Northwest. Kirk and Laura used to attend our Bridge prayer meetings faithfully, and Kirk is still a Board member of The Bridge.

Kirk and Laura introduced us to Jason and Jammie Stark and their three children who were temporarily renting their downstairs apartment, while preparing to move as a family to South Sudan to fulfill God’s call to Africa.

At first, we were skeptical — was it not too risky and dangerous for a family of five white, blond, blue eyed Americans to go live among Africans in a poverty-stricken, crime ridden country? However, as we came to know Jason and Jammie – their faith, character, determination, endurance, and commitment to their long term vision which Jason is presenting in this issue, our doubts gave way to admiration and support. They are the real thing — missionaries with a unique combination of deep, abiding faith in God’s goodness, grace, and guidance, combined with down to earth practical know-how! They are an excellent family to sponsor.

If you feel led to help sponsor the Stark family and their ministry via The Bridge on this website, please click on the DONATE button above, and mark your donation SOUTH SUDANESE WORKERS 2.

BIRTHING HOPE IN SOUTH SUDAN by Jason Stark

Jammie and I founded Birthing Hope International in 2009 and have been working in various parts of Africa for the last 10 years. We have just begun a long term work in South Sudan Africa among a people whose hearts and lives have been broken from decades of war. Although their hopes have been crushed by darkness, we are confident they will be restored with the light of the Good News.

B.H.I.’s purpose is Restoring, Equipping, Empowering His people through Christ centered relationships and unified works. We are focused on intentional, relational discipleship that sees people restored in relationship with their Creator, equipped to be obedient disciples of Jesus, and empowered to go out and fulfill their God given purpose for His glory. What we do is both spiritual and practical; we labor, knowing that God’s intent is a whole work of redemption and reconciliation for man and his environment. We plan to be based in Juba for one year with a long term goal of planting a discipleship school, mission base, church and holistic development work among an unreached tribe in the northern region of South Sudan.

MINISTRY

Gateway Group – We officially began our home based fellowship & Bible study group 3 weeks ago. These groups are focused on building community bonds, equipping believers to be obedient disciples of Jesus and empowering them to be those who transform their communities. It is a place where people find personal one-on-one support, prayer and encouragement forward.

This kind of group is rare. The traditional church is not well attended. Most people only know “church” as a place to pray and worship on Sunday, were they are not able to ask questions, or share their hearts. We are excited to watch people of all ages, those from different nationalities and backgrounds take hold of truth & live it out every day! So far it is going very well, God has blessed us with a small group full of passion to see others restored, equipped and empowered to BE the church wherever God has placed them.

Water Projects

One of the very obvious practical needs in our community is the necessity for clean water. Everyone in our neighborhood has trouble obtaining water for everyday use, like washing, cleaning, drinking, cooking, bathing, etc… Most people (us included) have to buy water from delivery trucks that bring it in from the river. This water is very dirty, both because of the muddy nature of the Nile River, but also from the fact that many people bathe, wash clothes in, and dump their wastes into it.

In addition to give away Sawyer water filter systems to help families, we also have plans to drill two community wells for ministry partners in and around this area. We were given a small water drilling machine which is now being prepared to be shipped to us through one of our ministry partners; they are committed to raising the funding for the first two wells. We are currently in the planning phases for these wells – working on material lists, pricing and fundraising for the truck that is needed to begin these projects. (Comment by R.K.: Bert Cole bought the drilling machine with the idea that he would stay long term in South Sudan and drill a water well for Simon’s rural tribal people, then one for Matthew at his property and ministry center in Juba, and then for others. Upon Bert’s death, in consultation with his family, we have given the drilling machine to Jason, who is well qualified as a businessman to learn the ropes and become efficient at well-drilling for the people in South Sudan)

We are believing the Lord for a truck to help in the work here. This truck will not only enable us to haul a well drilling machine anywhere we have opportunity to drill wells, but will also be used to haul the piping, rock, laborers who will help us, and other supplies needed to complete the wells. The Isuzu Elf will cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $14,000 (import taxes, delivery costs, license and registration included).

“Our House”

“Our House” is the core of what we do. This part of our ministry is in a nutshell — opening up our home, our gates and our hearts as a central hub to our neighbors and to those who want intentional discipleship lived out in the context of family and Christian community. Over the last month, we have been praying, cleaning, rearranging, and preparing the BHI compound for those who will join us to call “Our House” their home. We are so excited and almost ready to dig into this part of Birthing Hope South Sudan! There are three additional houses on the property and we have two families planning to join us so far. One is a South Sudanese couple coming next week, and the other a family of five from Idaho, hoping to arrive late November. We still have one room available and are hoping for a children’s ministry, and teaching interns to join us at the end of the year. Pray for us, for these families and for the future members God would add to our team.

JAMMIE SHARING FROM DAY TO DAY LIVING IN JUBA

We have been here for almost 2 months now. It has been a really crazy time with both amazingly good and amazingly difficult experiences! We thank God that He has given us the strength and endurance to persevere through all the trials, and that He has given us joy through being a part of His work in people’s lives!

We are all settled into a daily routine, are learning the language and have somehow figured out how to do life as a family. Although Jason and I have been to South Sudan numerous times, living everyday life here with children, is a whole different story! We have no municipal running water or sewage. Water is trucked in and stored in holding tanks on our property Electricity is only available for two hours in the morning, and three hours in the evening by generator. Everything is done by hand, and so… our daily schedules have changed quite a bit from what we are used to at home! The food is very expensive here, so the picture above shows our first efforts at planting a vegetable garden in our back yard in the city.

Overall, the girls are doing well with adjusting to life in South Sudan, minus some cold/flu symptoms, pesky mosquito bites and Aliyah losing multiple teeth in one week! All three of them are happy to have made a few friends in the neighborhood and at church. We have not yet begun their home school studies, but are hopeful that we will have the funding for their curriculum by mid-October. Later this year we hope to have a teaching intern join us, not only to help with their school lessons, but also to be a part of our ministry team. He or she will also be working with the kids on outreach projects for the other children in our neighborhood.

God has blessed us with the opportunity to be here, to live right alongside the South Sudanese, while experiencing some of the same struggles, fears, and opportunities to overcome as they have. Through all this, we have had many opportunities to share with people who we are, why we are here, and what God has placed on our hearts for the future. This is what it means to be a witness for Jesus; sometimes it is fun and exciting, but sometimes it is also very humbling and frustrating, too – but we believe that He who called us, will do it!

More information about us and the work we are doing in South Sudan, as well as the opportunity to sign up for our monthly newsletter, can be found at www.birthinghope.org and our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/Birthing-Hope-International-Inc/115403088789?ref=bookmarks

War and Peace in South Sudan

FROM R.K.’S CORNER

What a privilege it is to serve the Lord in the nations! South Sudan is shaking in the chaos of armed conflict with close to a million people displaced, and no peace in sight. The men and women we serve in the world’s youngest country are making a difference there in bringing and maintaining real peace as they represent to their countrymen THE PRINCE OF PEACE – JESUS CHRIST!

The conflict is complex as there are many factions, not only within the country, but also powerful external forces of influence and power brokers who are endeavoring to maneuver this nation in the heart of Africa toward their benefits. South Sudan is rich in oil, and has untapped resources of water, minerals and massive land areas of fertile soil with sufficient balance of sunshine and rain for excellent food production. The most significant fact, however, is that the country is positioned at the fault line in Africa’s warfare between Islam and Christianity.

As backdrop for the conflict, I list here chronologically the main events that have taken place since July 2011, up to present. I am also presenting an article by William Levi, outlining the broader conflict at stake: the global agenda versus the church! Next month, I will update you on each of our South Sudanese partner’s lives an ministry in the midst of conflict.

Human Peace is elusive in South Sudan…. but the below mentioned families bring God’s Peace. Please pray for them and their ministries and help us financially support them and their outreaches to the poor and needy in their homelands!

The South Sudanese celebrated with joy and thanksgiving to God for the birth of their new, independent country!

The South Sudanese Celebrate their New, Independent Country with Joy and Thanksgiving to God

TIMELINE OF MAJOR EVENTS TAKING PLACE IN SOUTH SUDAN SINCE INDEPENDENCE ON JULY 9, 2011

July 9, 2011 – South Sudan becomes an independent nation, with a population of approximately eight million people. Becomes the 193rd member nation of the United Nations.

August 18, 2011 – Continuing violence between Murle and Lou Nuer ethnic groups leaves 600 people dead and approximately 200 people missing in the eastern province of Jonglei.

January 4, 2012 – South Sudan’s Council of Ministers declares Jonglei state a “humanitarian disaster area” and calls on international aid agencies to provide urgently needed humanitarian assistance.

January 23, 2012 – South Sudan shuts down oil production after accusing Sudan of stealing $815 million of its oil. Sudan says it confiscated the crude to make up for unpaid fees to use the pipeline and processing facilities in its territory.

February 10, 2012 – During talks mediated by the African Union, Sudan and South Sudan sign a nonaggression pact aimed at bringing peace to the border region.

May 2012 – President Salva Kiir writes letters to more than 75 government officials and to eight foreign governments in an attempt to recover $4 billion lost to corruption. “If funds are returned, the government of the Republic of South Sudan will grant amnesty and keep your name confidential,” writes Kiir in a letter to his officials.

September 27, 2012 – Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and South Sudanese President Salva Kiir sign a deal to resume oil exports and establish a demilitarized zone and principles of border demarcation but do not reach a deal on the status of Abyei, a disputed region claimed by both countries.

January 6, 2013 – Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and South Sudanese President Salva Kiir agree to temporary arrangements for the oil-rich Abyei region.

March 8, 2013 – Defense ministers from Sudan and South Sudan sign an agreement to soon withdraw their military forcesfrom the 14-mile-wide demilitarized zone between the countries.

December 15, 2013 – Deadly clashes begin, which President Salva Kiir later calls a failed coup attempt by soldiers loyal to sacked deputy Riek Machar. Days later, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says 500 died and 800 were wounded in the fighting.

December 24, 2013 – The United Nations Security Council votes unanimously to authorize 5,500 troops to bolster its mission to protect civilians.

January 6, 2014 – Talks between South Sudan’s government and rebels begin in Ethiopia, to resolve the three-week long violence that left more than 1,000 people dead and forced 200,000 from their homes.

January 11, 2014 – Between 200 and 300 women and children, fleeing violence in South Sudan, die when an overloaded ferry capsizes near Malakal.

January 15, 2014 – The U.N. says that about 413,000 people have been displaced in the prior month, due to the ongoing fighting.

January 23, 2014 – The South Sudanese government and rebels sign a cease-fire, which calls for an immediate end to all military operations and for the protection of civilians. The cease-fire agreement went into effect on January 24th. The deal also stipulates that 11 officials close to rebel leader Machar should be released.

January 26, 2014 – Skirmishes between government troops and rebels break out in the northern oil Unity State and in Jonglei State.

February 2, 2014 – SPLA recaptures the town of Leer in northern oil-producing Unity state; hometown of rebel leader Riek Machar.

February 6, 2014 – 700 government troops desert with all equipment and machine guns and are heading to rebels.

February 10, 2014 – The peace talks in its second round stall. Postponement in negotiations confirmed by a government official from the host country Ethiopia.

February 12, 2014 – Fighting continues between government troops and rebels. Peace negotiations are to resume next week. Approx. 900,000 people – 10% of the population – are on the run. 724,000 people are displaced within South Sudan, 145,000 have fled to Uganda, Kenya, Sudan and Ethiopia. Nearly 75,000 people are being housed at United Nations bases, afraid of what could happen if they try to return home while the combatants are still skirmishing. @CNN

William Levi: Include the Church in Peace Negotiations!

The UN global agenda does not allow the voice of the Church to guide our people in wisdom and inspiration toward the attributes of God’s providence that gave us South Sudan. It is a global institution that thrives on crisis and tries to compete with our Creator God, the Author of life and the entire Universe! He brings the councils of nations to null and void. Sin is a reproach to a people but Righteousness exalts a nation. The UN has exceeded its mandate in the South Sudan.

The government of South Sudan is powerless in the sense that it does not have control over her destiny. The development fund, raised by the International community to develop the Republic of the South Sudan since 2005, has gone into the hands of the UN-driven NGOs who have strings attached to the funding of every projects they sponsor in our country, especially in directing the implementation of their agenda through the ministries of Education, Gender, Child, Social Welfare, Culture, Youth, Sport, Health, and Agriculture. In our nation, whoever has control over the welfare of our women, children, and youth; our culture, health and food, will control the country and silence the family, the church and the government. The root of the chaos plaguing our country right now is that our government has given over these important ministries to the UN global Social Engineering agenda to transform the mindset of the next generation. Through the UN proxy organizations such as the WHO, UNICEF, UNESCO, FAO, we are now single handedly destroying our families, aborting our unborn children, brainwashing our children and destroying our land and health with the GMO seeds we plant and the GMO food we eat.

Looking at the lineup of the various ministries in the ten states, as well as departments within the federal government of the Republic of South Sudan, there is not a single agency dedicated to the support and welfare of the Biblical family and education on the Judeo-Christian world view. No none educates our citizens who have returned from exile on the history of our suffering and helps them understand the nature of aggression against our families and churches. We need to teach our people the Biblical Worldview, not a secular one.

As the church in this new nation, we must teach our young generation of Christians across South Sudan the history of persecution against our church and our struggles against Islamic oppression which resulted in the displacement of our families and communities for 50 some years. How can we do that if our government does not give the Church of South Sudan a public forum within the constitution to educate the next generation on the dangers of Islam in our country, which even now threatens our very freedom?

Our people need to be reminded that the Gospel-centered message of reconciliation across tribal divides is the only powerful force of discipling in our nation. It brings peace and unity and helps believers from all tribes think biblically and shape the culture for Christ. As a citizen of the independent new Republic, please join me in dedicating the country to the supremacy of Jesus Christ. I admonish our church, the community of Christians, our government, our families — men, women, and children — not to forsake the foundation pillars of God which constitute our country!

Like America in the 1600, the eyes of the world are on this new country. South Sudan is called to be a City on the Hill that cannot be hidden. I urge you my dear countrymen to preserve the family unit, that the next generation will carry on with the Great commission, strengthen the church and use the land to create sustainability, as men and women work with their hands, not dependent on government or UN welfare.

The church must exhort our nation not to forget that it was God who delivered us from our enemy! Warn them not to make the same mistake America has done in straying off from her original mandate outlined by the founding fathers: to remain a Judeo- Christian nation. Regretfully, America has become a country whose God is materialism and political correctness is the order of the day; a polytheistic country whose future is doomed to fail unless it repents and returns to her Judeo-Christian roots.

The Bridge International

Linking God's People To Reach The Unreached

Category Archives: Africa

Prayer and Intercession for South Sudan

South Sudan – Longing for Peace – Matthew Deng Dut Serving his People in Juba with the Gospel

Suffering – The Cost of Discipleship. The Cowleys in Kenya

Paul Cowley — Testimony from DSM Bible Institute in the Kiberia Slum, Nairobi, Kenya

Jason and Jammie Stark – Birthing Hope in South Sudan

War and Peace in South Sudan