Sudan and China

Cooperating militarily.

Peter Pham writing in World Defense Review, writes:

Sudan. Despite the now three-year-old orgy of rape, torture, mutilation, and killing in which up to half a million black Africans have perished and another 2.5 million driven from their homes in the Darfur region – a situation that even the United Nations has labeled "the world's worst humanitarian crisis" – the chief of the joint staff of the Sudanese armed forces, Haj Ahmed El Gaili, enjoyed a weeklong "goodwill visit" to China in April courtesy of Liang Guanglie, chief of PLA general staff, who was undoubtedly eager to cultivate the officer from the country on whom Beijing is now dependent for 7 percent of its oil imports. According to a report from the official Xinhua news agency, the visiting Sudanese general also had an opportunity to meet with Chinese defense minister Cao Gangchuan, who gushed: "Military relations between China and Sudan have developed smoothly…China and Sudan have enjoyed profound friendship though the two countries are far apart. China cherished the traditional friendship with Sudan and would like to further promote bilateral cooperation in various fields." No doubt that cooperation will include new arms sales on top of the $100 million worth of Shenyang fighter jets, including a dozen supersonic F-7s, already delivered. In a report earlier this year, Amnesty International expressed its concern that:

[T]he Sudan Air Force has transferred these jet bombers to Darfur…without authority from the UN Sanctions Committee and is highly likely to use these newly acquired jets, as it has other aircraft, and the acquisition of expertise to fly the jets supplied from China, for indiscriminate attacks in Darfur in violation of the UN arms embargo and international humanitarian law, thus also posing serious questions about the systems of accountability and training provided to the Sudan Air Force to ensure respect for that universal law.

Photos of our Newest Missionary

Erin Kaya /6 lbs 15 oz / 19 inches /
June 26th / 11:03 a.m.

WP: Sudan Interactive Overview

The Washington Post put out a quite decent interactive map along with other helpful items when trying to grasp Sudan at a high level.

Click here, then click "more."

Torit Wrap Up

The TEAM!!!

Allow me to share this wrap-up in my typical, rolling ADD, email-friendly fashion—or vain attempt to do so. You know the drill now, scroll away. I don't have many photos because I left my camera on the DC3 you see below. Fortunately the group operating the plane, AIM Air, is made up of believers and I got my camera back, but at the end of my trip.

First, cold, impersonal, human-inspired statistics; that said, each number is a story that we pray brings the Lord glory. In Sudan there are obstacles to, literally, every action a person takes—from a simple act like getting water, to sharing the life-transforming power of Christ. Add in the spiritual realm of opposition along with very concrete reminders to the team who walked among these grass and mud huts that it is the Lord alone who establishes His church, and we in no way can claim credit for whom the Lord alone has drawn into His kingdom.

Kor Ingles (aka church plant 1)

• Gospel Presentations: 262
• Prof. of Faith: 129
• Follow Up: 98

ILangi (aka church plant 2)

• GP: 218
• POF: 127
• F/Up: 58

Totals:

• GP: 480
• POF: 256
• F/Up: 156

My Highlight A family had given the funds for a key pastor to start a small restaurant in the town where he lives. Another foundation supplied the funding to purchase a pastor two oxen and a plow. Both of these investments will supply ongoing income for these pastors. It eliminates the ongoing issue of dependency on America or e3, but frees them up to focus on the advancement of the gospel. The Lord also used them to speak to an official with the denomination we were working with: The African Inland Church (AIC).

These two gifts combined with seeing two new church plants get started in Torit stirred his heart. Stirred it enough that he and I sat for some time one evening talking about the future and a partnership. He oversees 60 churches in southern Sudan. He shared with me his goals for this year:

• Every member of theses churches lead another to Christ.
• Every member of these churches disciple two others, and prepare those two to disciple two more of their own.
• A bible study/prayer group in every place (home, school, clinic, office) where they have influence.
• 100 pastors and or lay leaders trained and prepared to lead.
• Each church pray specifically for five unreached areas.

I got goosebumps talking with him as we began to discuss how e3 may be able to help with these goals. Finding and working within these networks of indigenous leaders and churches has been a significant prayer request for us for some time. Another hallelujah!

Other highlights from US campaigners

• Patricia -- who named a small, sick child "Faith" then saw the Lord heal her overnight.
• John -- who, along with his wife, has prayed for Sudan for six years and was instrumental in seeing the church planted in the midst of drunkeness, spiritual opposition, and lingering trauma amongst a tribe recently attacked by a rogue milita.
• Todd -- who soaked up the nightly gatherings at the mother church where we broke bread together with the pastors and the church members working alongside us.
• Justin -- who saw the razor blade cuts on the forehead of a 12-year old girl; the cuts "treatment" for the fever brought on by her malaria. Justin's a pre-med student who was particularly moved by this and I suspect someone the Lord will use in the future to bring medical relief in the years to come.
• Josh --fully embracing the local culture, singing songs in a local tribal language and enjoying a post-dinner treat of termites on our last night in Sudan.
• Debbie -- One day she has a soldier threaten to shoot her if she comes near his hut. The next day, he professes faith in Christ and welcomes her into his home.
  

It's always a highlight when you see the new believers gather under the tree for those first church meetings. Reality strikes you that if the pastors and their disciples follow up and keep up the work, a church really will be established.

In the area where drunkeness was particularly bad, a key leader in the area came to a church service and publicly swore off alcohol.

I enjoyed integrating prayerwalking into the trip and seeing the Lord break up the ground through appeals to Him.

The miracle of the unifying power of the Holy Spirit, who binds hearts and overcomes food, language, culture, and our hearts. A taste of heaven here on earth.

Photos that I do have or were emailed to me recently ....


Worship at one of the church plants.

More worship

I just dug his shoes.

Site of a church planted by the February team. Following up one day.The pastors who attended the first every Baptist Conference of southern Sudan.

Mark, the IMB missionary, teaching.Kaya, teaching our church-planting training.


Billy. 72 years old. Former Green Beret. God told him to go to Sudan. So, like a good soldier he obeyed. He's teaching literacy in the south. Using scripture to teach folks how to read. An outstanding man. Finishing strong!!! This is how you retire. Forget golf, come to Sudan.


Ladies.
The still.

The Lulu Tree

My recent trip was divided into two parts: The first ever Baptist Conference of southern Sudan held in Rumbek; and the church-planting campaign in Torit, Sudan. At the conference, a tall, young Dinka pastor with a quiet demeanor named Benjamin stood to tell a testimony of his church. He pastors a small gathering of believers in the bush near Akot where they met under a large Lulu tree. Imagine a very mature pecan tree—sans pecans of course—and you can draw a mental image in your mind. The lulu tree provided the shade that makes meeting together bearable in the oppressive heat of Sudan.

Left to right: Benjamin, Abraham (another pastor), and John Jefferson (my travelmate, from Plano, for the entire trip) under a tree similar to the one described in this story.

One day, the local authority in the area informed Benjamin that he would have to move his church to a new location. The man wanted to establish a fish market beneath the great tree and the church stood in his way. Benjamin protested, but was overruled. The authority’s quote was, “I give the land and I can take it away.” Benjamin complied and the fish market materialized beneath the tree.

Then a funny thing happened. On the first day of the fish market, the merchants noticed the leaves falling from the tree. Within a week, the tree was dead, empty of the leaves that provided the great shade.

Who is the One who gives and takes away?

Prov. 23:11, “…for their defender is strong; he will take up their case against you.”