- On Mission -
Trip Date: October 11-21, 2011
Blessings to you in the name of Christ! Justin and I are excited to be returning to South Sudan this year for another short term trip. By God’s grace, He calls and provides for His children to obey. Please let us take this moment to share what He has been doing in Sudan, and how God has shown us we can take part.
Many of you know we went on our first trip to the country last August, and were amazed at God's "New Testament Church" ministry in that area. When we got back to America, all we could think about were the faces and souls of brothers and sisters which the Lord allowed us to meet, and in some cases, lead into a relationship with Him. Pastor Onesimus gave me a picture of himself as a reminder to pray, and I turned the time, 11:11, into a reminder to pray for the church and others we met there: whatever I could do so as not to forget how God is working in Sudan. Over the last several months, this has included volunteering with e3 Sudan and participating in local ministry events. God has not abandoned the seed of love He planted in our hearts for these people. I think only it has grown.Almost a year later, we are following God’s lead back to Sudan for another, on-the-ground mission. Matthew 28:10-11 says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you,” and that is what we want to do. Our team’s mission will be to share the Gospel, growing disciples in new or existing churches, and children’s and women’s ministry as we again partner with e3 Partners Ministry. Many of the team will also have the opportunity to teach at the bible school (growing in a year from about 20 to over 100), and Justin looks forward to this again.
Last year our team planted Jordan Baptist Church under a grove of Mango trees. The day before we left Sudan, I noted in my bible that I prayed these verses for the baby church: "And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God." (Phil. 1:9-11) That is still our prayer not only for Jordan Baptist, but also many other Mango churches and the growing vision for the salvation of South Sudan. Returning to this area is not only a blessing, but a privilege, as we partner with the native missionaries, praying God uses us and teaches us mightily while we're there.
Just as we are partnering with the Sudanese on mission, we ask you to prayerfully consider partnering with us in one of two ways. As we obey God's call to this country, it is vital that we not do it alone. We covet your prayers in this mission, and would love to have you on our praying team! You can be praying for the Provision, the Plan, the People, and for Protection. We will send out a prayer calendar with specific things to pray for as the trip gets closer.
The second way you can partner with us is financially. We have to cover all of the cost for flights and supplies for the trip (ca. $7,500 for both of us together), and a gift of any amount is a blessing! We truly believe that if God calls us to something, He will provide the means. If the Lord leads you to partner in this way, we thank you for allowing Him to use you. Please follow the instructions on the attached card to make sure your gift gets to the right place. (Below in Blue)
Thank you so much for partnering with us in this, and may God bless you. We can’t wait to see how God has planned to use your support on this trip!
