I love Christmas! I love the traditional activities that go into making this time of year feel like Christmas.
I also love the chance to quiet my heart and contemplate Jesus’ gift to me each year. Even here in Kenya it's sometimes it's hard to filter out all the glitter of the season.
I also love the chance to quiet my heart and contemplate Jesus’ gift to me each year. Even here in Kenya it's sometimes it's hard to filter out all the glitter of the season.
The Mango Ministry team has much to be grateful for in 2012. Our team grew from 4 to 6 full-time missionaries. One of the Mango Ministries team kids (Elsie Jane Coppedge, age 4) drew this portrait when our team was together in September.
Top row: Joanna, Billy, Tim, Whitney, Elsie Jane, and Lucy
Bottom row: CT, Chloe, Sophie, Joy, and Adhanom
We also sent 32 volunteers to South Sudan who facilitated activities and provided care taking us closer towards our goal of seeing communities, churches, and families transformed in their spiritual and physical lives. A big Mango Thank You to all those who volunteered with Mango Ministries during 2012!
Transformation is sometimes hard to measure but here are a few glimpses of physical transformations as well as spiritual growth.
Dr. Dan Gradin, Dr. Ben and Jenny Roberts and kids and
Tenwek Eye Team members arrive in Tonj in November for a cataract clinic.
The youngest Mango Ministries visitor to South Sudan this year was Zoe Macleod (9 months)
who sought some shade while her Mom and Dad were seeing patients at the clinic in Tonj.
Transformation is sometimes hard to measure but here are a few glimpses of physical transformations as well as spiritual growth.
I’ve also included several financial giving opportunities. Any of these would make a perfect gift for that someone who has everything. Or an End-of-Year financial gift is always welcome to help us start off 2013.
Church Leader Empowerment
Eight South
Sudanese pastors are being intentionally mentored to use Biblical Storytelling
as well as train others. Recently they
helped teach a group of 70 pastors.
Can you help get
our WGM Storytelling Team from northern Uganda to South Sudan? The road network within South Sudan is
destroyed each year during the rainy season necessitating air travel.
Commercial flights do not go where we go so
chartering a small 206 Cessna airplane is the best option.
Typical road scene during the rainy season in South Sudan
6 seater Cessna 206
One
round trip flight costs approximately $2,000 or $3.33 per nautical mile. How far can you take Billy Coppedge and the
Storytelling Training team? Click here to help fly the Storytelling Team to South Sudan.
In
2013 we expect the leaders we are mentoring to tell at least 1,000 Bible Stories ~ pray that those who hear these stories will deepen their spiritual walk with the Lord!
Community Empowerment
Adhanom Hidug,
originally from Eritrea (a small African nation in the Horn of Africa), has
been with our team for 16 months and is a valuable team member.
His responsibilities include training in Community Health Evangelism (CHE) and facilitating Biblical Storytelling. Most of his time is spent in a community in South Sudan where he models a transformed life. He directly oversees 13 CHE trainers and their 6 communities.
His responsibilities include training in Community Health Evangelism (CHE) and facilitating Biblical Storytelling. Most of his time is spent in a community in South Sudan where he models a transformed life. He directly oversees 13 CHE trainers and their 6 communities.
He’s always looking
for an opportunity to tell people about Jesus.
When he rides motorcycle taxi's he sings to the drivers in their local Dinka
language. That opens up opportunities for him to tell Bible stories.
Adhanom helps a CHE team present a song with a health message at a training session
Will
you help support Adhanom financially and/or through prayer?
In 2013 Mango
Ministries is targeting 1,000 homes with messages integrating spiritual and physical health.
Health Care Empowerment
WGM continued to
have opportunities to send volunteers from America, Kenya, and New Zealand to South Sudan to
provide care, mentor, and teach at several mission health care facilities.
Surgery Team headed by Dr. Russ White at Memorial Christian Hospital in Werkok
In 2012 342 people were blessed to receive
cataract surgery. Some patients come
from remote villages and had the opportunity to hear about Jesus for the very first time in
their lives.
Dr. Ben Roberts doing cataract surgery in Tonj
WGM has been
blessed by a foundation that will help sponsor these trips in 2013 lowering
WGM’s costs to $50 per person. Will you help a blind man or woman see?
I’m thankful for
God’s many gifts to me this Christmas and for the opportunity I have to invest in
His Kingdom in South Sudan. Thank you for investing in the journey towards transformed communities in South Sudan! We have a busy 2013 planned. Please continue praying for the Mango Ministries team, our many volunteers, and that our activities and relationships we invest in will result in changed hearts and lives.
Praying peace to
you and yours,
joy
joy
