Remember Ambassadors

The current international news is full of stories from Darfur, a region in western Sudan where active genocide is taking place.  Many aid groups serve suffering and hungry people in southern Sudan.  News from Khartoum is plentiful, full of teddy bears and politics.

But the center of the country, in the border zone between north and south, the area most damaged by the civil war, has been almost universally forgotten.  It is a Christian area that has been assigned to the Muslim north, an area where fundamentalist militias wreak havoc on Christian ministry, and where poverty is all but universal.

Into this place, the Nuba Mountains of the South Kordofan state, God is opening the doors for our ministry.  It blows me away to even say that.

Over the past couple of days, we fellowshipped with fellow Christians in the city of Kadugli, the capital of South Kordofan, and to see first-hand the needs that they have.  Let me tell you, their faith is genuine, and only strengthened by the fact that they claim the name of Jesus Christ when doing so could cost them their lives.  When they worship, you can feel the Spirit of God move, and worship with them in spite of the language barrier.

Thanks to the team that God is raising up, from three different organizations, it appears that all systems are a "go" to make our dreams a reality.  We have met with government officials, each of which has expressed excitement about the possibility of this ministry, and church leaders who are overjoyed about our involvement.  Over and over, they thank us for caring about their needs.

We are in the beginning stages of laying out a budget for the building project, and Mark has begun to design the building for them.  There are lots of steps yet to complete, with input from many different sources, but your prayers, my friend, are being answered.

More to come… 

 

International trips tend to spark good friendships, so I post this picture of Mark Searcy, our building expert, knowing that he will quite probably forgive me.  But I post it for another reason, too–we leave tomorrow (or bukra, as they say here) for the Kordofan city of Kadugli, where we are planning our building project.  This will be Mark's magnum opus, where his expertise will shine, and I ask you to pray for him in particular as we travel down to lay the groundwork for this task.

You can see a little of Mark's passion in this picture, which I shot from the hip in the middle of a conversation, but he has a heart for the people of Sudan, and indeed, the people of the world.  That heart, combined with his incredible knowledge, are serving Remember's ministry well, and serving the people of Sudan.

Please pray for us as we head south tomorrow!

Our first day in Kadugli has been very profitable, but it has been far more than that–it has been a blessing.  We had an excellent first trip to this country back in January, but being able to come back has been even better.  We already have an established rapport with the local church, with pastors, and with people.

The air of excitement was palpable in the churches that we were able to visit throughout the day.  Remember is partnering with two other ministries to provide the Nuba Mountain area of Sudan with a facility that will serve as a clinic, safehouse, Bible college, school, and perhaps much more, and the Sudanese Christians are overjoyed at the prospect.  And what a delight it is to be able to bless these persecuted, suffering believers!  From giving candy to the little children in what was essentially a refugee camp for Nuba Mountain Christians, to working on this building project, we are blessed to be a blessing.

The camp in which many Nuba Mountain Christians, moved to Khartoum to try to find work, live and worship.

Sharing greetings with our brothers and sisters.

Today we wrapped up our ministry to the persecuted church.  While our medical staff slaved over medical charts and boxes of medications, the rest of us had the amazing chance to simply fellowship with the children.

In culmination of our ministry, the children at the Vocational School presented us with a short musical program.  They sang a song that was unfamiliar to me in tune, but I recognized the words immediately:

By the rivers of Babylon, where we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.

For there they that carried us away required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land? 

                       Psalm 137:1-4

At the time that these words were penned, the children of Israel were in the midst of horrible persecution, perhaps the worst they, as a nation, experienced.  They were in the midst of a strange land, having been conquered by another race and nation entirely.  They had nowhere to go, nowhere to turn, and had only the memory of their holy places in Zion.

Hearing these children sing the words of the children of Israel broke my heart, for they are in the same situation.  They are everything but a conquered people–only not for their sin, but for their faith.  They are in a strange land, trapped in a refugee camp within the borders of a nation that despises them.

And yet, as Psalm 137 turns to God for help and hope, these children have turned their eyes upwards.  It is easy to see why our Savior made childlike faith a prerequisite of entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven, as these orphans demonstrate their simple trust in every act of their day-to-day lives.  And their joy is a wonder to behold, as bright smiles and brighter eyes blessed the hearts of every member of our team.  They are singing the Lord's songs in a strange land, and glorifying God in the midst of suffering and poverty.

When I had the chance to say a few words to the children at their program, I told them in all sincerity that they have helped us to know God more fully.  Their stories and their lives have given us a fuller understanding of the Father's love, and I am certain from what I have seen that we have given each of these lives a dose of hope and encouragement in their own spiritual walks.

That is the Body of Christ at work. 

Tonight's report is going to be a bit shorter than the others so far, but I wanted to give you an idea of the work that we have been able to accomplish.  Today, at CFI's Mae Sot Vocational School, we were able to examine over 60 children.  Far more than just examining them, though, we are determined to give them records that will assist them in the months and years to come.

Here is what that work looks like:

God is opening up the doors for us to accomplish our goals here in Thailand.  Today was the culmination of our work at the Freedom House Orphanage.  Here are the ways that God is allowing us to minister!

Medical Attention

All of the check-ups for the children were done yesterday by our medical staff, allowing them to spend today prescribing medications for the conditions uncovered.  These children are suffering from a variety of sicknesses, from ear infections to migraine headaches to abdominal pains.  The medications we brought should be able to go a long ways to meeting their needs.

And while the medicine is a vital part of our mission, we recognize that all healing is in the hands of the Great Physician, and we took the time to anoint and pray for each individual child.

Supplies

It does not take a lot of food items to give these orphans living in poverty a lot of joy.  But a lot is what we try to give them!  This morning, we filled up a pickup truck with fruits, vegetables, and cookies.  Though these children are sure-footed, I am positive they carried that food up the steep paths far quicker than they would carry much else, quickly taking everything into their kitchen.

Beyond foodstuffs, it was our privilege to carry gifts donated by people like you.  Believer’s Baptist Church in Leesburg, VA, for instance, created these amazing gift bags.  Handing them out caused a spirit only rivaled by children at Christmas, and no one could stop smiling, chattering, or comparing their goodies.  For the rest of the day, many walked around with bags slung over their shoulders in silent tribute to their delight.

Encouragement

It must be very easy for members of the persecuted church to forget about the larger Body of Christ.  Many are in isolated areas, like this Mae La Refugee Camp.  They cannot see our prayers, though they may feel them, and they can certainly feel forgotten.

One of our goals was to remind these precious saints of the love of Jesus Christ through our actions, words, and even our smiles.  God has richly provided us with the opportunities to do just that–and to experience the return blessing of the joy that they give us in return.

Our ministry time here is half over.  Much more to come!  As you lift up our team in prayer, please pray for the health of each team member, and the strength to continue on in the ministry as we become fatigued.  Pray that God would continue to open doors as we move to other children in need of medical attention and the love of Jesus Christ.  Most importantly, pray that the Spirit would shine through each team member to every person that we come in contact with, bringing honor to our Savior and encouragement to the Body.