Celebrating Mothers

As Mother's Day is only hours away I wanted to capitalize on our collective interest in honoring our Mom's.  As  I coordinate and lead the many activities of Mango Ministries I come in contact with lots of Mothers.  Their roles are many and varied in this business of Kingdom Building.  Here's a glimpse of Moms in Missions. 

A big thank you to my Mom, Carol Phillips, as she and my Dad have given me their blessing to serve in missions.  Mom has always been supportive, if not exactly excited about where God has lead me!  That has resulted in lots of prayer, which is always a good thing. I could always count on getting letters from Mom when I first came to Kenya, years ago - way before email.  And now I've usually got an email  from her in my inbox with encouragement and news from home.  When I return to the US she always asks, "What would you like me to cook for you?"  Thanks Mom!  You and many other  Mom's of Missionaries are a huge blessing to those of us who are in ministry far from home!

my Mother, Carol Phillips

Some WGM Mother's are at the 'empty nest' stage of life.  While visiting South Sudan they take the opportunity to snuggle with other Mother's children.

Christine Stanfield, one of WGM's South Sudan Committee members

Other mothers are in the throes of child rearing and carry their small ones off to South Sudan with them as they serve in medical ministry.

Dr. Destinee MacLeod and husband Dr. Jono take little Zoe with them to Tonj

And then South Sudanese get the chance to cuddle with visiting babies!

Chloe, or is it Sophie?, Coppedge during a Biblical Storytelling training in Tonj
(sorry, Auntie Joy just can't tell you and your sister apart!)

And some Mothers have older kids giving them and their kids time to explore on their own.

 Jenny Roberts, wife of our eye surgeon Ben Roberts, helps out in the kitchen in Tonj

To round off her son's education Nate headed out to catch some supper in the nearby river!

Jenny's son, Luke, helped out during a cataract clinic leading blind patients from room to room.

Jenny also serves as her son's Teacher and continued the challenging job of home schooling - even during a visit to South Sudan.

Some mother's who work at Tenwek Hospital in Kenya leave their children at home with family and friends while they join Mango Ministries during our mobile cataract clinics.

Zipporah and Emily treating post-op cataract patients

And other missionary Moms live in South Sudan hosting many, many guests and short term visitors!

Suzy Kuj (center) , mother of 3, gives WGM'ers a tour of the In Deed and Truth compound in Tonj

Some mothers, like Helen, remain at home in Kenya caring for her daughters and praying for her husband as he ministers through Community Health in South Sudan.

Helen (on far right) is Adhanom's wife.  Her youngest daughter Shamna is on her Aunt's lap

Mother's Unions play an important role in most Churches in South Sudan.  

And of course Mom's carry out the same activities for their children all around the world. 

bath time

weeding in the garden to ensure there will be food for hungry stomachs

food prep - grinding millet

And ensuring there's enough water at home for drinking, cooking, and bathing. 

Unfortunately many Moms and Grandmoms in South Sudan are not able to help with these basic activities of caring for their families.  They are blind from cataracts.  

A daughter leads her Mom to have her bandage removed after having cataract surgery the previous day

Often the elderly are afflicted with cataracts but sometimes young people are as well. It was exciting to witness this young Mother examine the eye chart after her cataract surgery.  Next for her was seeing her child that she had never laid eyes on because of her blindness!

Moms and Grandmothers are so important to us.  Mango Ministries is blessed to have the opportunity to partner with the Tenwek Eye Team.  This year we have three trips planned.  Our goal is to bring physical eyesight as well as offer spiritual wholeness to hundreds of women in this hurting nation.  

Read a past blog post about this Grandmother's journey from being blind and destitute to restoration of sight, fellowship with her church, and contributing to her family and community. 

Will you consider giving a gift to a South Sudanese Mother this year?  For only $50 (thanks to financial help from a generous foundation) World Gospel Mission and Mango Ministries is able to offer sight giving surgery to hundreds of Mothers.  Will you make a commitment to pray for one of the Mother's who comes to us for help?  As you have been blessed will you consider blessing a neighboring Mother in South Sudan.  She will be most grateful!  To help financially checks can be sent to:  World Gospel Mission, P.O. Box 948, Marion, IN 46952-0948 for account no. 130-25791.  Or click here to give a gift online.  

Here is our 2013 schedule for Cataract Clinics:

June 4 - 8, Memorial Christian Hospital, Werkok, Jongelei

October 5 - 9, IAS medical clinic, Nyinbule, Northern Bahr El Ghazal

November 9 - 13, In Deed and Truth, Tonj, Warrap

Thanks to the many Mom's who send us off to serve the South Sudanese.

Thanks to the Mom's who minister in South Sudan, bringing the example of Godly families with you.

Thanks to the many Mom's who lift up the process of Kingdom building in prayer.

And thanks to those who pray and give financially in order to bless the Mom's of South Sudan. 

Living better ~ Loving better

I'd like to introduce you to Denny and Angie Schwartz.  I met this couple years ago, so long ago I can't remember exactly when it was, when they came to Tenwek on a work team with their church.  The following year they headed up their own work team.  And later they came by themselves and worked with us at Tenwek Community Health and Development for 8 months.  

Gladys, Joy, and Angie and Denny Schwartz at Tenwek Community Health & Development, 2005

I've loved getting to know this family and seeing their commitment to missions in action.  Two months ago Denny traveled to Akot, South Sudan to minister with his church alongside the Akot Medical Mission, who we've worked with on occasion as well.  He's given me permission to share his thoughts with you from his recent trip.  His insights are spot on. 


"Why Do I go on Mission Trips? Yesterday I returned from my 6th mission trip to Africa. As I think about the details (and contend with the jet lag) of that trip I find my old answers to my question are not sufficient. I have visited Kenya 5 times and I fell in love with the beauty of the people and of the land. I worked on foundations well developed by a hundred years of faithful servants from around the world that answered the call to work there. I worked on projects that were fulfilling to me and beneficial to those I served. I never thought that any reason to serve could be more worthwhile than that.

Then I took this trip to South Sudan. I will just be honest – it is not a pretty land. It is a place that is deeply scarred from 30 years of brutal civil war. It is a people that have come to rely (maybe too heavily) on “assistance” from the global community. I confess – my primary objective on this trip was to provide “assistance” as well.

Then I saw the church. It wasn’t a building (most of the churches we visited met under a tree). It wasn’t the great programs being carried out by followers (although we saw a handful of critical projects such as schools, hospitals and community health programs being administered by followers of Christ). I saw the church when I saw her people – and I was encouraged by what I saw. As I learned more about the state of the small but growing church, I could see the impact it was making on the country of South Sudan. In a place that has known only war for 30 years and violence for even longer, it is the church that is changing that culture. It is the church that is encouraging its members to be responsible citizens of this new nation. It is the church that encourages it members to treat their spouse and children with the love, dignity and respect that God intended and not with the harshness that has been the cultural norm since these tribes were formed. It is the church urging her members to care for the many orphans and widows created by 30 years of war. It is the church that is encouraging parents to send their daughters, as well as their sons, to school. It is the church that is urging its members to not let their hands be idle but to work in all things as if working for the Lord. In short, the church is teaching the people to love better. And how are they doing this? By loving others as Jesus loves them.

There are many great “assistance” programs that are helping the South Sudanese to live better. But let me be honest; living by definition is not difficult. It only takes a heartbeat. Loving, on the other hand is harder. You must know what your heart is beating for. So, if you are still reading this extended post and you want a report of our recent trip then here it is. We tried to help people live better. We hope we helped people to love better. And I know that this (suddenly) beautiful church of South Sudan has taught me to love better."


Mango Ministries continues to love the people of South Sudan.  

Adhanom, from Eritrea, is building relationships with pastors and many others in Lakes State.  He is an encouragment to all he meets. 

Adhanom chats with some youth in Tonj

Whitney, from Alabama, continues to follow up with CHE participants and builds discipling relationships with several women and girls in Tonj. 

Whitney gets to know the girls serving kerekede in Tonj

Margit, from Germany, is at Memorial Christian Hospital in Werkok to help and encourage the hospital Administrator and Medical staff.  

Billy, from Kentucky, is planning a follow-up Biblical Storytelling training in Tonj this July and is excited to hear reports that the pastors trained in March are telling stories and diving into the depths of the Word by themselves. 

Billy trains pastors in Biblical Storytelling from around Tonj

 Joanna, from Indiana, and Billy's wife, is mainly at home in northern Uganda with their 4 young daughters reaching out to African Moms and their children.  But she's not always at home!

Joanna teaches a lesson on Biblical Storytelling in March

Here's a story of transformation from this recent training: 
While the In Deed and Truth team was driving home from a mobile clinic a pastor, who we'll call Paul, who had been in the Bible Storytelling training started telling a Bible story that he had not learned from the training (which means he learned it himself!).  He did a great job asking questions and everyone thought he was finished when he started asking more questions at a much deeper level.  Whitney reported that it was amazing and God really spoke to her through Pastor Paul's presentation of the story. Not long afterwards a young man came up to Sabet (founder of IDAT Ministry) and asked, "How can I be like Pastor Paul? I love it when he shares a Bible story because it is so good. I want to share Bible stories like Pastor Paul."  

 Jen, from Michigan, is preparing to train trainers for children's ministry in Nyinbule in June.  

Jen meets the government school teachers in February while touring Nyinbule

Some of the local children who will benefit from a children's ministry

Sharon, from Nairobi, Kenya, is getting adjusted to the In Deed and Truth Clinic in Tonj as she uses her Clinical Officer training to minister to women and children. 

Mother and child receiving care from the In Deed and Truth Clinic

And my office is filling up with hundreds of eye lenses, medicines, 5 liter jugs of povidine, rolls of gauze, sterile gloves, and material to sew surgical drapes as we prepare to send out cataract and surgical teams from Tenwek over the next few months.   

Thank you for partnering with Mango Ministries through prayer, financial giving, and even going ~ as we assist/share/facilitate/teach/model living a better life in Christ.  Living better begets loving better!

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."  John 15:12

Changing of the guard

My ministry focus is in South Sudan but I live in Kenya.  Today is a big day.  

Today is a historic day in Kenya.  Presidential elections are being held and Kenyan's are voting for one of 8 candidates to assume leadership of Kenya.  Hopes are high that peace will prevail! Churches across Kenya yesterday prayed for a transparent and fair election process and acceptance of the results.  After post-election violence rocked Kenya 5 years ago some are holding their breath as scattered incidences of violence and threats have made their way into the headlines over the past few weeks.  

Pray for Kenya today as people are voting.  Pray for Kenya in the days ahead as the votes are tallied and announcements are made.  There may be the need for a run off election in April.  Pray for the man or woman who will become the 4th President of Kenya!

Another change in leadership has taken place in WGM in the Africa Region.  Long time friends and colleagues, Terry and Karen Duncan, left Nairobi last week to reposition themselves in the US. They will be missed!  From being in the operating room when their twin girls were born at Tenwek Hospital, to working with their son, Brent, in the Bible Distribution project in South Sudan, to traveling to West Pokot in northern Kenya with Karen to do immunization clinics I have a lot of memories with this family.  They came to Kenya in 1977!  Pray for this transition in their lives and ministry. 

On the way to the airport with Duncan's.  

Many people carry tissues, hand sanitizer, and lipstick in their hand bags.  Missionaries carry duct tape!   Terry and Karen have certainly gotten their money's worth out of these suitcases as they have traversed Africa and the Atlantic Ocean lots and lots of times.

You might be asking, who is taking their place?  Last week the new WGM Africa Regional Director and his wife returned to Africa after a short Homeland Ministry Assignment.  Jon and Vera Steury are settling in this week.  I also have a long history of friendship and work with Jon and Vera. We worked together with Tenwek Community Health and Development, have sat in many meetings together, and they have hosted me in Maasailand many, many times.  Pray for Jon and Vera as they ease into their new roles of overseeing all that WGM is doing in Africa.

Another changing of the guard will take place this week in Tonj.  WGM will be facilitating another Biblical Storytelling training.  Some of the men who will be helping lead sessions have been trained and mentored over the past few years by Billy Coppedge and are Trainers-in-Training.  It is our hope and prayer that a cadre of South Sudanese will soon have the ability to train other South Sudanese in the use of Biblical Storytelling.

The training team will fly from Arua, Uganda to Tonj tomorrow.  Training of up to 30 pastors will take place Wednesday through Friday, March 6 - 8.

I'd like to introduce our Biblical Storytelling training team who will be involved in this training.  Please pray for the team's safe travels, good health, ability to tolerate the heat, and clear communication with the pastors and trainers-in-training as they explore God's Word together.

Joanna and Billy Coppedge lead this team:  their 4 daughters will accompany them to Tonj this trip! 

Christine and Jeff Stanfield are part of WGM's Uganda leadership team

Adhanom Hidug, Mango Ministry staff member, focuses on Church & Community Empowerment through Community Health Evangelism and Biblical Storytelling

Whitney Smith, WGM VIA (Volunteer in Action) is doing CHE training and follow-up and is becoming a Biblical Storyteller as well

Please also pray for Sabet and Suzy Kuj and their family, founders of In Deed and Truth ministry.  They are hosting the Biblical Storytelling training as part of their Pastor's Training School.  Pray for them as they lead this vibrant ministry that is training pastors as well as operating a busy clinic.  Both ministries are bringing transformation to this part of South Sudan!

As I look at Mango Ministries and other ministries in Africa and around the world there are quite a few shoes to fill.  Are you the new guard?

It's mango time!

It's almost mango season in South Sudan.  Something our team dreams of all year!  There's nothing like a sweet, juicy mango right off the tree.  I wish I could share one with you!  

Mango's also remind us of what Mango Ministries is all about.   

• These incredibly large trees are supported by deep roots - and as Christians we need to be rooted and grounded in God's Word.  Understanding Biblical truths is the basis for building a healthy life.  
• A mango tree without fruit is not living up to God's intentions for it.  As God's children we need to bear fruit, both spiritual and physical.  We hope to see people growing in their relationship as son's and daughter's of God as well as living dignified lives as God's Kindgom comes to earth. 
• Each mango has the potential to multiply itself by producing another mango tree.  We believe transformed lives will touch lives that will touch lives.  The harvest will be multipled.  

Here is a report from my last trip to South Sudan.  Although it was too early to enjoy one of the mango's from the tree above it was not a fruitless trip.  

I met Tenwek's surgery team who were finishing up a two week clinic at Memorial Christian Hospital in Werkok.  They were able to perform almost 50 surgeries.  The last patient they operated on was a small girl with a cleft lip.  How exciting to have her name changed from "girl with a defect" to Monica!

Medical Team:  Dr. Gai (working at Memorial Christian Hospital), Dr. Elijah (a Tenwek surgical Intern), Paula (a visitor to MCH who helped in the OR), Philip Langat (Kenyan anesthetist), Deng Jongkuch (MCH administrator), Dr. Russ White (WGM missionary and Tenwek surgeon) and his nephew Gabe Ellsworth (helping with a little bit of this and that)

Incoming Team: Dr. Rick Morse, Adhanom, Jen Lavery - new volunteer, Whitney, Margit Mueller - new volunteer, Joy, Deng Jongkuch, and Dr. Rossi Shamir.

Most of the above team had come to Werkok to teach on Community Health Evangelism.  One of my favorite illustrations about community development is the "River Crossing."  Margit, Jen, and Adhanom acted it out below.

Here there is a river that is very high and dangerous to cross.  Margit knows where the stepping stones are but Jen does not.  Margit is giving Jen a lift to enable her to get to the other side.  Jen will need to find Margit when she wants to come back across the river.  She's dependent on getting lifts from people who know the river better than her.

Rather than carry Jen back the other way Adhanom wants to teach Jen where the stepping stones are so she can cross by herself.  So, together they are crossing the river as Adhanom shows Jen the way, step by step.

Post-war countries like South Sudan have a tendency to get locked into a mentality that the only way to cross the river, or deal with the problems in life, is to get a lift from someone rather than learn to cross the river oneself. (metaphorically speaking!) Mango Ministries is all about teaching people to cross the river themselves, one stepping stone at a time.  This is a hard paradigm to break though and we ask you to pray for changed attitudes as much as anything else.  A changed attitude will lead to changed behavior.


After leaving Werkok Jen and I traveled back to Juba.  Our travel plans were not exactly written in stone and we hoped all would come together - which it did!  Our next stop was in Northern Bahr el Ghazel in western South Sudan.  We flew to Aweil where Brian Mutai picked us up.  Brian and his wife Debbie, and their son Daniel, are Kenyan missionaries working with International Aid Services and the Africa Gospel Church.  I loved hearing Brian introduce Jen and I to people in their community.  He said, these women are from the church that brought the Gospel message to our people in Kenya many years ago.  The Africa Gospel Church is the denomination that WGM started in the early 1900's.  Debbie and Brian are just some of the fruit of WGM's missionary efforts over the past century.  And a spiritual and physical harvest is being multiplied as they take the Gospel to their neighbors in South Sudan.

IAS team in Nyinbule:  Titus, Emmanual, Debbie, Daniel, Brian and Peter

It was such fun to get to spend time with the Mutai's and their team.  Even despite the heat.

Here you can see that it's over 100 degrees Farenheit inside their dining tukel at 1:50 pm.

This might just look like your average mahagony tree but it's much more.  This is the church where Brian and Debbie worship in Nyinbule.  Brian helps give leadership to the body of believers in this community.  To be honest this is my favorite kind of sanctuary.  It's cool, catches a breeze, it's shady, and incredibly beautiful.  Unfortunately we weren't there on a Sunday to see people crowded beneath it's shady leaves and raising the roof with their exuberant singing and dancing.

Debbie in front of the IAS clinic in Nyinbule - holding one of the bricks she helped make

This is the clinic where Debbie works.  She came here when she was still single, and with another Kenyan missionary and 2 American women they helped build this clinic, actually helped build it by hand!  She told us about pushing wheel barrows full of sand up from the river.  One day Valentino Achak Deng stopped by. He is the author of the book about the Lost Boys entitled, What is the What.  His home village, Marial Bai, is not far away.  When he saw Debbie pushing that wheel barrow he said, "No, this is not right."  And he sent a truck to help them transport sand up from the river bed to the building site.


Debbie is a Clinical Officer and with a team of health care professionals from East Africa she cares for many people from this area.  Debbie herself grew up as a Missionary Kid in northern Kenya.  Her parents were AGC missionaries and still work with the Africa Gospel Church.  I have worked with Debbie's father, Rev. David Mutai, for many years in Kenya.  Debbie did her C.O. internship at Tenwek Hospital.  With all these connections it seems appropriate for WGM to partner with Debbie and Brian!!

We are planning to take Tenwek's cataract team to Nyinbule in October.  Pray for the mobilization and planning of this clinic, for the right people to get the message to come for physical sight, but more so that people's hearts will be ready to hear about Jesus and accept Him as Lord of their lives.  Jen is also helping the IAS team prepare trainings for children and teen girls.  These are great age groups to target with health and spiritual messages.

Maybe after cataract surgery the women will be able to marvel at this pink (or is it lavender?) flowered tree.  How cool is this!?

It's very common for Dinka women to carry crosses, especially to church.  While visiting Debbie and Brian's neighbors, where their son Daniel (orange t-shirt) plays quite often, we met the Grandmother (on the left).  Her cross reminds me that it's Lent.  The chorus, "At the cross. . . . " keeps going through my head, you know how it is when a little tune won't leave your head!  

The last stanza seems especially poignant to me.  I think giving myself to Him is all that I can do to repay the gift of "spiritual sight" it talks about in the chorus.  Giving ourselves away takes on so many shapes and colors.  What does it look like for you?

But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give myself away,

’Tis all that I can do.

At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,

And the burden of my heart rolled away,

It was there by faith I received my sight,
And now I am happy all the day!
* Isaac Watts

Praying for deeper roots, more fruit, and more mango trees!

joy