Adventures in South Sudan

In June our son Evan and his friend David were here in Africa for almost 2 months. They joined Eli on a unique trip into South Sudan to a very remote region up in a plateau mountain area. Our dear missionary friends want to move their family up there to share the Gospel with an unreached people group. So Eli and the "team" they'd assembled journeyed up there to begin setting up a compound/base.

 

The roads are treacherous and the days of travel were long and tiring but the landscape was undescribable!

Finally after several FULL days of travel they reached the top of the plateau. The morning they started work to set up a giant tent which would be the missionary's home, everyone but one person on the team got terribly sick. With the low energy they had, they were able to get the outer tarp shell up. As they sat in the shade for a break, a sudden gust of wind whipped up the side of the mountain and picked up the whole tent, pegs and all, and dumped it in a cluster of thorn bushes! This was the goal of their whole trip - to set up this tent - and it was now in pieces in the bushes!

All Evan and David could do was sit and wonder what God had in store. It was hard to understand why this was happening. This place seemed "set apart" by God for the missionaries to come. The chief and tribal leaders were welcoming of the missionaries and eager to have them come. They had given him this land.

The guys took the opportunity God gave them and had multiple chances to share about Jesus and pray with people.

Our missionary friend demonstrated great faith and determination when he declared that he would pick up all the pieces of the tent and take them back to Kenya to be repaired and he'd be back to try again. The leaders of the area who watched everything taking place, beseeched him not to give up.

Though they didn't accomplish what they set out to do, the trip was not wasted. Evan took this photo of his feet after several days working in the dust. It made me think of the verse in the Bible that states "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring Good News!" These truly are beautiful feet!

I share this story because Eli is again back in South Sudan, heading back with our Brother James to try again. This time they've assembled some "special forces", men with different skills and abilities, to not only put up the tent but also hopefully erect a water storage tower and fence in the property. I will try to post updates as I get them from Eli. All I know at this point is that their first day of travel yesterday from Adjumani to Kapoeta, South Sudan took 16 hours!

PLEASE PRAY:

    1. For Health and safety on this trip

    2. For the Lord to bless this trip and allow them to accomplish everything they're              setting out to, if it's His will.

    3. For this group of men to be a light and testimony of Jesus Christ. That this area              will finally have the chance to learn about God's great love for them that He not            only sent His son Jesus for them, but also these missionaries to bring the Source              of  Hope!