between

Between north Sudan and South Sudan lies a region called Abyei.  Both sides lay claim to this small parcel of land.   In recent weeks the people of Abyei have been forced out of their homeland and they are on the run from air and land assaults.  (for more detail check out the Satellite Sentinal Project)  Those words sound so sterile, so. . . not my problem.  Imagine though, leaving everything behind, not sure where your family is, and running into the bush in order to survive.  What to eat, what to drink, where to sleep.  Imagine. . .  and pray.   

Sudan finds itself between the referendum vote held in January 2011 and July 9th when the South officially becomes an independent nation.  These are difficult times.  Supplies that come from north Sudan are not coming through.  No diesel, food prices skyrocketing, supplies in short supply. 

You might even say that many people in South Sudan are between a rock and a hard place.  This picture shows one of my favorite places in Lui.  The trees are literally growing out of the rocks!  And seeing life springing forth from rock reminds me of Luke 19:40 that tells us that if man fails to praise God, even the rocks will cry out!  I praise God for his plan for the Sudanese.  I praise God for allowing me to be a part of his work in this land.  I praise God for your participation in what God is doing in Sudan!

You've prayed for the selection of a Bishop for the Episcopal Church of Sudan Diocese of Lui.  On May 14th Rev. Stephen Dokolo (pictured above) was selected as the new Bishop.  Between the election and the Enthronement being held on June 26th let's continue praying that God will have His way in this Diocese.  With a strong foundation laid back in the 1920's by Dr. Kenneth Frasier I believe God wants to continue growing His Church as Jesus meets people's spiritual and physical needs.   

The Kuj family who minister with In Deed and Truth in Tonj, South Sudan are taking some much needed R & R in Kenya.  Last week I had the pleasure of linking them to some of my friends at Tenwek.  It was great that they could meet the Tenwek Eye Team who will be traveling to Tonj in September to perform cataract surgeries.    

In between various meetings Sebit had the opportunity to share a devotional with the medical staff.  God spoke to several Clinical Officers who have expressed an interest in serving in Tonj to cover for staff on leave.  

In May WGM sent a team to Tonj to train pastors about Biblical Storytelling.  This is what Suzy Kuj had to say about that:

"We have never before witnessed our pastors involved in such lively discussions and interested in every part of the story, asking questions and eager for their turn to share.  They could easily talk and discuss for more than two hours about a ten verse story.  Some of the discussions just blessed my heart to see the depth of understanding they have reached, making observations and comments that everybody in the group was blessed to hear and sometimes tearing from laughter.

In the last two years we have spent discipling these pastors it was always clear to us we are desiring them to increase in knowledge of the Word for their own growth and spiritual maturity.  Some of the churches they pastor have as many as 500 people and as high as 99% are illiterate, so this has been a challenge.  We have now brought an effective tool that the pastors can use and is suitable for their congregations.   They have bible stories in their pockets that can be pulled out and used at any given moment.  It’s brilliant!"

Thanks for praying!

To the naked eye it would appear that our work in Akot has come to a standstill since we haven't had any staff there for a year now.  We have been praying and strategizing about the way forward.  My prayer is that during this time between prayer and implementation God will be at work preparing the way forward.  Preparing the right people to respond to His call on their lives.  Preparing the hearts of the community, the leaders, and even smoothing over the logistical aspects of working in a challenging place.

Bishop Isaac is the Bishop of the Diocese of Akot and is very exited about partnering with World Gospel Mission. 

Join me for the Hope4Sudan Walkathon at the Cape May County Park on Saturday, June 11th at 10am.  If you don't care to walk, bring a picnic lunch at noon and I'll be sharing an update about Mango Ministries.  Funds raised from the Walkathon will help different aspects of the ministry.  See my previous blog for more details and how to give.

I hope to see you there!
Between now and my next update keep praying for the the Prince of Peace to reign in Sudan.

Shalom,

joy 

Hope 4 Sudan ~ Walk-A-Thon

hope

Offering hope through sharing God's Word

Offering hope through training pastors to tell the stories of the Bible

Training team departing Nairobi as they traveled to Tonj this week to

train Sudanese pastors in the art of Biblical storytelling

Offering hope by cracking open the darkness, offering light to the blind

Offering hope through compassionate health care

Offering hope through building relationships and offering encouragement

Offering hope through transformation of communities

Will you help us bring hope to Sudan? Join our Walkathon to raise funds for ministry in this needy country.

Hope 4 Sudan Walk-A-Thon

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Cape May County Park (Pavillion 2)

Cape May Court House, NJ

Start time 10 am

Join Joy Phillips and friends in this 1.5 mile walk-a-thon to raise funds and awareness for Sudan and Mango Ministries. Find sponsors and select a project(s) to support.

Whether you walk or not, at noon, join us with a picnic lunch and a lawn chair and get up-to-date news on what God is doing in Sudan as Joy shares. FAQ sheets on Sudan and updated prayer and praise requests will be available.

Projects to support:

1. Transport to and in Sudan. South Sudan is as big as Texas and Oklahoma with no paved roads. Staff travel by air to get to Sudan and then the muddy roads beat up vehicles. Help our team get around this big country by helping with airfare and vehicle maintenance.
2. 
   Lui Hospital is providing health care to many. Patient fees in such a poverty stricken country cannot cover the cost of staff, especially nurses. Your contribution will ensure the hospital can pay their nursing staff each month. Click here to give towards salary support for Lui Hospital now!
   
3. Transformational Development – contribute towards hiring dedicated Christian professionals from East Africa to mobilize and mentor communities as they facilitate bringing the Kingdom of Heaven here to earth. Click here to give towards transformation in Sudan now!

4. With a gift of $150 you can help a blind Sudanese see when the Tenwek Eye Team visit Sudan this fall. Physical and spiritual sight will be offered to all. Click here to give towards Sudan's Caratart Clinics now!

1. 


Registration: Send Name, Address, E-mail, and Home Church to mangoministries@gmail.com. A sponsorship form will be emailed to you. Bring it to the walkathon with the funds you’ve raised. Checks can be made out to World Gospel Mission and tax deductible receipts will be issued for all contributions.

Not from South Jersey and want to be involved?

Host your own “Hope 4 Sudan Walk-A-Thon”

Choose a route to walk, find friends to walk with you, and sign up sponsors.

Send the details and your ‘Satellite Site’ info will be posted on Joy’s blog.

Sponsor Joy to walk if you can’t make it to Cape May Court House.

Send all correspondence and questions to mangoministries@gmail.com.

Thank you for joining with me to bring hope to families, churches, and communities of South Sudan.

I hope to see you in Cape May Court House next month!

joy

the dawn of hope

Prayer Tour

From April 4th through 6th a group of 5 of us took part in a prayer tour in South Sudan. What an incredible experience to listen to people's stories of how God is working in their lives and ministries and then have the priviledge of praying for them.

At Memorial Christian Hospital in Werkok Rev. and Mrs. Harriman met Jacob Gai, the Hospital Administrator and Dr. Ajak. What do you think Rev. Harriman and Dr. Ajak have in common? Other than both being tall? It was fun hearing them converse in Spanish! Rev. Harriman grew up in Bolivia as an MK and Dr. Ajak attended medical school in Cuba.

In Tonj we visited Sabet and Suzy Kuj and family at the In Deed and Truth compound. They run a bustling clinic and a pastoral training school where we were blessed as we listened to their stories of God at work.

At the Akot Medical Mission we reconnected with many pastors. Below Billy Coppedge greets Pastor Gabriel Amat.
In Lui the team got to hear about Dr. Fraser's faithful testimony as he served in the early 1900's. Fruit continues to be harvested today through the ministry of the Church and church run hospital and school. One key rule of missions came in handy - as seen in this early morning hair washing exercise for Sarah Harriman.

Adaptability is the key!

Tradition!

There are only a few things in missionary life that you can set your watch on but one of those is the WGM Kenya Annual Retreat. Every April the WGM missionaries from Kenya (Sudan and Zambia were invited too!) get together for fellowship, spiritual renewal, and fun. I had the priviledge to lead a session on Transformational Development. The book When Helping Hurts guided our discussion. If you haven't read it I highly recommend it.

High School graduations and retirements in the year ahead are recognized with special parties. This year Chris Stanfield was honored as he will graduate in July. And my good friend Mary Hermiz was honored before her retirement later this year for her 25 years of service as Principal of the Tenwek School of Nursing.
We were hysterically entertained as Barbara Walters (aka Carol Spears - on left) interviewed Mary (aka Robyn Moore - on right). Since Mary was 4 years old all she ever wanted to be was a missionary nurse.

I believe God is still in the business of calling missionary nurses! (doctors and other health professionals too, and farmers, teachers. . . . . )

Who will be next?

In the links at the top of this blog entry you can read about several Christian health facilities that we work with. They all need help. Let me know if you'd like to talk about how God might want to use you.

As Rev. Harriman reflected on our prayer tour earlier in the month he described South Sudan as a dry and thirsty land. Visiting at the end of the 6 month dry season you could say it was hot, dry, dusty, and thirsty! Literally of course, but also politically, socially and relationally. The good news is a new dawn is coming to South Sudan. On July 9th South Sudan will become Africa's newest nation.
There is still much to do as the country prepares to divide. There are reports of increasing signs of destabilizing forces. Rebel groups are growing. Pray for the leaders, army, and police. Pray for reconciliation between tribal groups. Pray for peace to prevail in the hearts of all.
On May 2 WGM is sending a team to Tonj to train pastors in Biblical storytelling. Join us in praying for the trainers and the pastors that this method of sharing the Word will show many more of Jesus and his love.

As the dawn of Easter brings new life in our hearts a new dawn is coming to Sudan.

Join me in praying Isaiah 58:8 for Sudan:

Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

Shalom,

joy

Confessions from an impatient missionary

I've always been pretty good at getting things done. As I look back at what God has allowed me to do over the past 25 years I'm amazed. God has blessed me!For that reason I'm having a hard time understanding why things are not farther along in Sudan. Things are moving in S-L-O-W-M-O-T-I-O-N. I don't think my organizational, management, leadership skills, or spiritual life have taken a dive. Working in Sudan is quite a different ballgame and this is a very unpredictable time in history. I've been praying, and many of you tell me you're praying, so I keep asking God, "Why aren't things moving faster with Mango Ministries in Sudan?!"

I keep praying that God will give me more patience. But in the past few weeks I've come to the conclusion that what I really need is more humility! I think my impatience comes in part from the fact that I hate feeling out of control, that it's not always as simple as making a plan and carring it out, that I don't really want to wait on the Lord, but I want Him to take his cues from me and my timeline.

In January I attended a Beth Moore Bible study on the book of Esther. As Beth shared in the dvd lesson I was convicted that I've been waiting on events and not waiting on Jesus. In the past several years I've been waiting for the right staff, for reconciliation of warring parties in Sudan, for peaceful national elections, and most recently for a peaceful referendum. I've been waiting, but not necessarily for the right things.

My desire is to be able to wait on Jesus, for what He has planned for Mango Ministries, without being impatient because "I" should be able to get things done. I believe God wants to do incredible things in Sudan as I wait for Him to lead!

South Sudan's transition of becoming a new nation in July is not going to be an easy one as there are still many issues of contention. Along the border between North Sudan and South lies the oil rich region of Abyei, pictured below. In recent weeks satellite images from the Satellite Sentinal Project show that villages have been burned.
Please continue praying for Sudan as important decisions are made regarding the demarcation of the border and the Abyei situation. Also there is tension between the North and South as well as continued fighting between rival groups within the South.

What I have been up to since my last update?

In February Pastor Simon and I visited Lui to meet with the church and hospital leaders (pictured above) to discuss WGM's partnership. Continue to pray for a Godly man to be selected as the new BishopWe were able to meet many old friends and make new ones. Pastor Simon enjoys a cold 7-Up in the local market with new friends.

A week of outreach was planned by the church. The ladies above have walked for hours. As they enter the homestretch they are singing, carrying food on their heads that will be cooked for the group.

I've made two trips to Tenwek to meet with my former colleagues at Tenwek Community Health and Development. They are interested in championing our ministry in the town of Akot where Reuben Kirui worked last year. It's been fun being with them again as we embark in a joint ministry project together.

In two weeks I will be headed to Sudan on a prayer tour. Please join me in praying that our small team will have an effective time of ministry. Pray that we will be an encouragement as we visit 4 of our partners, praying with and for the people serving day in and day out in challenging situations.

And lastly

In June I will be hosting the first "hope 4 sudan walkathon" held in Cape May County, NJ. I'd love to see you there. If you're the athletic type, or not, you can help raise money for the work of Mango Ministries in Sudan by registering for this event and getting sponsors. For those of you who are praying I will give prayer praises and updates. And over a picnic lunch I will share a brief overview of how things are going. More details to come soon. I hope to see you there!

In Africa there is a saying that rain brings blessings. Here in Nairobi we are a very blessed people this weekend!! The dry season is over and the rainy season has begun. Soon the rains will head north to Sudan.

Waiting together for God's richest blessings as we join the Sudanese in Kingdom building!

Shalom,

joy

Redeemed

Definition: Redeem

1. to free from what distresses or harms
2. to free from the consequences of sin

The sun radiated down from the hot tin roof. The building was packed with smartly dressed men and women, many of whom carried crosses. The sound of children's singing came from the building next door. Without moving a muscle I was working up a sweat. The heat however did not dim the excitement pulsing through the congregation of Sudanese refugees meeting in Kitale, Kenya last Sunday.

Excitement was palpable as the speaker read the preliminary referendum report announcing that 99% of Southern Sudanese voted for secession. Some Sudanese have lived in Kenya for 20 years! When I asked if they were planning on going home now that they have won their independence they responded positively.

I was really glad for the opportunity to worship with my Sudanese brothers and sisters here in Kenya. Pray that Mango Ministries and the host pastor and church, Pioneer Africa Gospel Church, will have the mind of Christ in knowing how we can walk beside our new friends.

Thankfully 2011 has been peaceful in South Sudan and I anticipate my first trip to Lui next week. Pastor Simon and I will be meeting with the church and hospital leaders to work out how Mango Ministry can best assist them.

The hospital Administrator has shared with me the urgent need for surgeons. among other medical personnel. Please pray for our meetings between February 10th and 15th as we pin down the details on how we can best serve the people of central South Sudan.

The buildings above make up Lui Hospital. In Africa most hospitals are spread out in many different buildings. (the buildings at the very top of the picture are part of the Lui market) During the process of selecting a new Bishop please join in praying for God's annointed man or woman to be placed in this key position.

During my last visit to Lui in the fall Pr. Sosthen (left) shared with us about a church leaders conference - celebration event. My colleague, Pr. Simon (right) and I are excited that we'll be in Lui for it and while I don't understand the Moru language I will be praying for a fresh wave of God's spirit to infuse the leaders. Please join me in praying for good Biblical teaching and hearts that are open to responding to the challenges the spirit lays on each leader's heart.

In December I was priviledged to visit Cairo, Sudan's neighbor to the north, with several friends. I was enchanted with this bustling city of 17 million people, it's ancient treasures, and kind people. We enjoyed the scenic Nile River at night. It's with real sadness that I'm watching news of this lovely city fall apart at the seams, with the hope of being rebuilt on a new foundation.

In the last few weeks the fight for freedom from oppression has spread from Tunisia, to Egypt, to Jordan, and even to Khartoum, Sudan's capital in the north.

I am so thankful for the incredible answer to so many prayers for a peaceful referendum in Sudan. Thank you for standing in the gap! Let's remember the Arab world during these uncertain times. May His light charge the darkness of oppression, injustice, servitude, and the established order of these nations undergoing power struggles.

Remember the story in Exodus during another conflict in Egypt? God reminds us, "I am the Lord."

Celebrating His redeeming love,

joy

Don't stop now. . .

It's here at last! Voting day, or at least the first of 7 days when the polls will be open for voters in South Sudan to vote on whether whey want to seperate from the North and divide Africa's larget country. The news reports are that that voter turn-out is high. Almost 4 million people have registered to vote, with sixty thousand of those living in 8 countries outside of Sudan: including Kenya, Uganda, the US, Canada, and the UK. Polling stations have been busy, yet orderly and calm. Several Sudanese interviewed by the media report that they have waited for this event for years, even decades, and there is a palpable sense of euphoria in the air.

Because of the high rate of illiteracy in South Sudan voting will be done with a thumbprint made below the symbol of the voters choice. A sample ballot is below.

It is widely expected that the South will vote for secession from the North. In order for this to happen 60% of those registered need to vote and win a majority of the ballots. The final results are expected to be officially announced on February 6th. And if the outcome is secession South Sudan will become the world's newest nation on July 9th, 2011.

The oil-rich area of Abyei is waiting to hold a seperate vote on whether to join the north or south. The border has yet to be demarcated. Pray for this precarious situation and the people inhabiting this area. Pray also for the western area of Darfur. Rebel leaders have yet to sign a peace agreement with the central government in Khartoum.

Here are a few excellent resources to help you understand more about this part of the world as you continue to pray.

In this BBC article there is a great map of north and south Sudan. By clicking on the headings of the map you can see the stark differences in food security, education, infant mortality rates, etc. between north and south.

Thorough up-to-date news on the situation in Sudan can be found here.

What happens in Sudan during this next week will have consequences internationally, locally, and in His Kingdom. Much is at stake throughout Sudan so let's continue praying that there will be a fresh outpouring of His spirit in this divided country.

Pray for those of us in Mango Ministries to be available and ready to walk with the Sudanese, whatever the referendum outcome, in the days, weeks, and months ahead.

Shalom,

joy

My Christmas Poinsettia

It may be a little cheesy but I love Christmas poinsettias! Having them in the house at Christmas is kind of like eating comfort food. So, last year at the annual Christmas Craft Fair in Nairobi I was excited to purchase a small planter with several blooms as a table decoration. After the holidays my thrifty nature took over and I vowed to keep the plant viable until this Christmas. After all, poinsettia plants grow into bushes up to 10 feet tall here in the tropics. How hard could it be?!

Without doing any research I thought I was providing the right ingredients for this to happen. Water, sun, a bigger pot, and sweet nothings whispered over them each time more leaves would drop. But drop the leaves did and after a year of struggle I barely have a living plant. It's actually smaller than it was last Christmas and there are no flowers on it, but there are a few small green leaves. I have just googled poinsettias and see where I maybe didn't do everything quite right, so there is hope for next year!

"But as for me, I will always have hope." Psalms 71:14

As I've pondered what Mango Ministries has accomplished this past year I've felt a little bit like my poinsettia plant. First there was the clash in Akot between the army and the civilians producing chaos and suffering to that community for months. Then our two Kenyan staff finished their contracts and didn't renew for various reasons. And the approaching referendum vote in January kept us from starting something new. And the footnote, ". . . by the way there may be a war in less than a year," is less than a stellar recruiting technique.

Another day last month I was pondering what Mango Ministries had accomplished in 2010 as I wrote up a short report for my boss. This isn't what I expected things to look like at the end of this year. That's one of the hardest things I have to deal with working in Sudan. I keep coming to the point of realizing that I don't have control of things and I need to allow God room to work His plan, not mine. As I thought back over the year I was actually encouraged by what God accomplish through us even though it's not exactly what I had in mind last December.

Pastoral Training

• A formal follow-up meeting and informal times of encouragement were held with those who attended Mango Ministry's storytelling seminar in the Akot area
• Visits were made to church leaders, Bishops, and other missionaries for networking, learning, encouragement, and prayer in Akot, Lui, Mundri, Tonj, and Arua, Uganda

Transformational Development

• These activities were most affected by the clashes in Akot a year ago. To express our concern in a tangible way we were able to assist in a small relief distribution of cooking equipment to those most affected.

• Learning continued about the Dinka people and their animistic beliefs and relationship building continued in the Akot area.
• Missionaries, staff, and friends working in Sudan attended a "Community Health Evangelism" (otherwise known as CHE) and Samaritan Strategy training seminars.

Medical Assistance

Dr. Carol Spears at Lui Hospital

• Placement of short term volunteer medical staff at 3 mission hospitals including the cataract clinic where 101 eye operations were done.
• Consultation with several health facilities and development of a new partnership with Lui Hospital

Overall

• Along with short term volunteers our Mango Ministry team currently consists of myself, Billy and Joanna Coppedge who are working with Sudanese 40% of their time, based in northern Uganda; and Whitney Smith, a new appointee who is on homeland ministry assignment. Many partners heard personally about what is happening with Mango Ministries as we were all in the U.S. for part of the year sharing about this new work. If you'd like to learn more check out the Mango Ministry video.
• We have been blessed with short term medical assistance through the Kenya Africa Gospel Church Missions Department and Tenwek Hospital.

I feel that part of our work this past year has been to "watch and pray" (Matthew 26:41) as we anticipate the referendum vote that begins a week from today, January 9th. This will be a historic occasion. All sources agree that the South will vote to secede.

South Sudan waits with bated breath for the cutting of the umbilical cord that will give birth to the world's newest nation. As in the delivery room this birth could be a bit bloody given it's complex situation. With only one week to go before voting begins don't stop praying for this precarious situation.

Pray for:

• continued peace between tribal groups, north and south Sudan, and Sudan's neighbors. And if there is fighting pray that bloodshed, suffering, and loss will be minimal.
• resolution of contentious issues such as the north-south border demarcation and Abyei, the Nile basin water rights, governance of north Sudan with new allegations against President Bahir concerning his finances, and the myriad issues that will need to be addressed in the days ahead
• the process of re-integration of Southern Sudanese back into South Sudan as they return from Khartoum in the north and neighboring countries
• Church leaders to be Godly witnesses and beacons of hope
• the people of Sudan to understand that hope and dignity do not come from a new government, wealth, or power but from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ
• reconciliation of the Sudanese with 1. God, 2. each other - as horrible atrocities have been seen and participated in by peoples on all sides, and with 3. the resource rich land God has given them.

In church this morning the words of this song rang true in my heart. Let's pray this with the Sudanese as we continue to watch and pray during this final week before their world changes.

Through many dangers, toils, and snares,

I have already come;

'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,

And grace will lead me home.

(Amazing Grace by John Newton)

As Mango Ministries looks ahead to 2011 we've prepared plan A and plan B ~ we're ready to minister to the Sudanese in Sudan or in neighboring countries. There are literally thousands of Sudanese in Kenya and Uganda. Next Sunday I plan to worship with a congregation of Dinka believers in Eldoret here in Kenya. Whatever unfolds, please pray that we'll be on track with God's plan.

Your prayers, financial giving, encouragement, and participation are accomplishing His purposes in Sudan.

Shukran!

Joy

PS - for more information check out the Satellite Sentinal Project. "Help stop a war before it starts."