How many slaves do you own?

Currently I own 43 slaves.  Shocked!  So was I when I took a simple online survey that ascertained it takes 43 people working in forced labor to enable me to live as I do.  And living in the capital city of Nairobi I live pretty much like many of you.  It was a simple survey asking me questions about what electronics I use, what I eat, what's in my closet, etc.  There is so much we don't realize about what we buy and the way we live.  Did you know that some of the metals in your electronics devices are mined through forced labor?  Forced labor is a politically correct way of saying slavery.

And you thought slavery was dead?!  Read this article to find out it isn't so.

There seems to be a bit of talk on the issue of slavery right now with the movie "Lincoln" up for twelve Academy Awards.  On January 1st the sesquincentennial of the Emancipation Proclamation was celebrated.  Some of you may be foggy on exactly how far back a sesquincentennial goes.  It's a 150 year remembrance.  One hundred fifty years and four weeks ago the United States of America began the dismantlement of slavery.  It didn't happen overnight, that's for sure.

Worldwide the problem of slavery, or the politically correct way to say it these days - trafficing in persons, is real and growing.  That's unfathomable!  I'm reading a book right now that is opening my eyes to all kinds of horrors that I thought were saved for the realm of fiction.  To learn more read Nicholas Kristoff and Sheryl WuDunn's book, Half the Sky.

Nineteen months ago on July 9th, 2011 South Sudan gained their independence after a decades long war with northern Sudan.  For years the South Sudanese felt enslaved by the Arab north.  But today many question whether the South Sudanese are actually free.  Many aspects of their culture still enslave them.  

And that is why World Gospel Mission is in South Sudan.  ". . . to proclaim freedom to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed." Luke 4:18

It's not just the South Sudanese who are oppressed.  I have my own set of behaviors and beliefs that rob me of freedom in Christ.  Probably different from what is preventing the South Sudanese from experiencing all that God has for them.   But as we recognize our weaknesses together and ask God to help us break free from those strongholds - He will do it!

This year has started off with a flurry of activity.  Activity is good.  But I am convinced that it will only be a flurry of activity and not activity that transforms unless it's covered in prayer.  Please pray with our team and for those we minister with and alongside.  We want to break free from all that is holding us back from becoming all that Jesus has for us.  We want to be freely used for His Kingdom.  

Please pray for current and upcoming activities:

1.  Surgery clinic going on at Memorial Christian Hospital, Werkok until February 1st.

Surgery Team: Philip Langat, Dr. Russ White, and Dr. Elijah Mwaura headed to the airport

2.  Community Health Evangelism training in Werkok from February 2 through 7.  This is the first week of training in this community.  Pray as community members are being selected to attend.  Our goal is that they will be great trainers and role models in their communities.

3.  On January 31st I am headed to Werkok with another volunteer.  We'll get to see the start of CHE training then we'll head to northwestern South Sudan where we'll visit Kenya Africa Gospel Church missionaries, Brian and Debbie Mutai - longtime friends, to plan for ways we can partner together this coming year.

Debbie Mutai loving on a Dinka toddler during a trip several years ago. 

Brian Mutai 

4.  In March we have a Biblical Storytelling seminar planned in Tonj along with a follow-up CHE training.

"For those who insist they would have been abolitionists during the Civil War, now is the chance to become one." (Louis P. Maseur)  

What is Jesus asking you to do this year to free the oppressed children, women, and men in the world today? 

Maybe one of my New Years resolutions should be to live more simply in order to cut down on the number of slaves that I own!  How many slaves did you say you own?

Bringing 2012 to a close

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.

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!

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.  

Typical road scene during the rainy season in South Sudan

Commercial flights do not go where we go so chartering a small 206 Cessna airplane is the best option.

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. 

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

Refugees, seed projects, tea, sacrificial love, coffee, and turkey!

Kakuma Refugee Camp.  Home to over 100,000 men, women, and children who had to leave home.  Homeless because of war and persecution.   

WGM and Kenya's Africa Gospel Church teamed up to present a Samaritan Strategy Vision Conference.  Phil Renfroe writes, "Many of the participants expressed surprise and gratitude for what they learned about transformational community development.  They asked us when we would return to teach them more!  I marvel at the potential of what God can to do both in the Kakuma camp and in many nations across Africa when these refugee church leaders are given the opportunity to return to their home countries! "

Church leaders from seven different African nations attended the 4 day conference.  Attendees represented the nations of Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Kenya, Congo, and Rwanda.  Each group made a plan to implement a seed project - using what they have to meet a need in their immediate community.  Pray for each group as they implement their plan and as they see Kingdom math in play.  2 + 2 in God's economy equals much more than 4!

Community Health Evangelism training continued with the Akot and Tonj communities - 20 change-agents preparing for community transformation!

Sometimes class is outside - where it's easier to catch a breeze.

And sometimes it's inside.  Despite the heat these students did a great job of focusing on the lessons presented.  CHE is taught in a very interactive way which makes learning fun and memorable.

In one session CHE teams made presentations about the seed projects they accomplished since their training last July.  Pr. David's group from Aduel talked about showing the teachers at the primary school where he teaches about tippy taps.  By using a cooking oil container and some rope there is a way to easily wash your hands after using the toilet, before cooking or eating, or whenever your hands are dirty.  Pretty nifty, eh?!

And there's always time for a quick walk to Tonj town for a cup of kerkede (red hibiscus tea) at the end of the day! 

Whitney is making friends with the tea makers.  Pray she'll have opportunities to speak truth into these girls lives.  

Cataract Clinic ~ Tonj

218 surgeries performed in 4 days!

Teams from Tenwek Hospital, In Deed and Truth Clinic, and several visiting volunteers worked tirelessly throughout.

The story about this couple touched everyone's heart.  It was almost time to pack up on the last day and the team prayed for just one more patient.  In walked two.  This man could see with one eye and for four days he walked with his totally blind wife to Tonj, hearing there was help for blindness there.  They carried a stick (to fight off wild animals), a mosquito net, and a little bit of grain.  That's it.  They slept on the road.  Both were operated on as you can see from the post-op picture below.

They had never heard about Jesus before.  I can't even imagine - never, ever?  The local chaplains had opportunity to tell them about Jesus!  They listened with interest.  

When the bandages came off the following day the man could see in his previously blind eye.  His wife however could not see as she had a more complicated disease process going on.  What impressed the team is the way the husband lovingly cared for his wife.  Since she was totally blind she relied on him for everything. The Kenyan men on the team told me on their arrival back in Kenya, "He even helped her wash her face.  He really loved her!"  

As this couple walks back to their home where there are no Christians or Church pray with us that the seeds of the Gospel will take root in their hearts and minds.  And pray that a follower of Jesus will come to their village to share more.  The team was impressed by the sacrificial love of the husband as he meticulously cared for his wife.  Our desire is to see this couple, and many more like them, experience the overwhelming and sacrificial love of their heavenly Father.

Team Time

As I've mentioned before it's rare that our Mango Ministry team is in the same place but a few weeks ago we were and that's always a treat.  We visited Adhanom and his family as they had just been through a difficult time.  We were treated to good Eritrean food and a coffee ceremony.  

Here, Adhanom's sister-in-law, Martha, begins the ceremony by roasting the coffee beans over charcoal. Billy Coppedge and I can't wait and eagerly watch. 

After roasting, grinding, and boiling the coffee, the first round of coffee is poured.

Adhanom, Billy, and Tim enjoy their first of several cups of great Eritrean coffee! 

Thanksgiving Time

Teammates:  Whitney, Helen and Adhanom and their girls Shamna and Fasika, Terry and Karen Duncan, Tim, and Joy (and Robyn - taking the picture!)

People sometimes ask how holidays are celebrated in Africa.  Taking holiday traditions overseas is a fairly simple thing to do.  Since there is no Thanksgiving holiday in Kenya we celebrated last Saturday but with all the American fixings and family recipes.  We sang a rousing rendition of "We Gather Together" and gave thanks for God's goodness in our lives this past year.   I'm thankful for you!