In 1997, I started Persecution Project. Through all these years I have had the honor to participate with you in a range of programs and projects to demonstrate “Active Compassion” for the persecuted in Sudan. It has been a journey filled with great joy and pain to come alongside believers who have experienced great loss and undergone intense suffering because of their faith.

Village of Lohutuk in South Sudan

We have witnessed so many challenges and changes. As I look back I am overwhelmed by the prayers answered and obstacles overcome. As I enter my 15th year of working in this field, I have never been more excited about the future as I am today.

Of course, there are still many negative things happening right now in the region. The genocidal war and aerial terror campaign against innocent civilians in the Nuba Mountains, Darfur, and the Blue Nile state is a growing calamity that you will continue to hear about from us. We will continue to provide ways in which you can partner with us to bring encouragement and some relief to the suffering.

One of the areas of ministry which I believe will make a long-term impact is in the area of mentoring, training and discipleship.

This January edition of the Africa Messenger provides a window into one of PPF’s projects which is designed to be a platform for discipleship, education, training and evangelism. The Jebel Lopit Training Center (JLTC) is a project of PPF that has being initiated in partnership with several other local and international partners including The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), the Africa Inland Church (AIC) and Diguna-AIC.

The Early Years in Lohutuk (photos from It’s a Battle by Sidney Langford)

Pioneers Sidney Langford and Ed Schuit. Sidney drove the first team to visit Lohutuk.

Early pioneers, Martha Hughell and Barbara Battye, translating the Latuka New Testament.

Missionary and Lopit warriors.

Current Vision

The purpose of the JLTC is to provide a platform to facilitate programs and projects that will mentor, train, disciple and develop the first generation of leaders in the world’s newest nation – South Sudan.

The idea for the JLTC developed as we have watched South Sudan emerge from Africa’s longest war and transition during the last six years to a free and independent country.

Nation-building requires people-building and that is the vision of the JLTC. In order for a people to really be free they must be able to govern themselves.

Self-government begins with individuals, families and churches and reaches to businesses, communities and civil government. Biblical concepts such as “thou shalt not steal” and “thou shalt not covet” are the bedrock of a free society and the foundation for private property and free enterprise. Students who come to the JLTC from all parts of Sudan and Africa will receive foundational teachings that they will take home and use to transform their families and communities.

Pastor training.

The JLTC is currently being developed in the community of Lohutuk in Eastern Equatoria State, South Sudan—an ideal location for the JLTC located in the beautiful Lopit mountains.

PPF wants to facilitate the growth and development of leaders to provide a firm foundation for a growing country.

Mission House

To achieve our vision for this facility, PPF has partnered with the African Inland Church (AIC) and the German Christian organization DIGUNA. DIGUNA’s history in Lohutuk goes back to the late 1970s, but it continues the rich tradition started by African Inland Mission (AIM) which dates back to the 1950s. DIGUNA occupies AIM’s old mission station and carries on with ministry outreaches they started before and between the two wars. Together with AIC Sudan, DIGUNA helps run the schools, church and clinic there.

Lohutuk Hospital 2010

AIC Lohutuk primary school

AIC Lohutuk

There are presently several DIGUNA missionaries living in Lohutuk, including long-time PPF friend and partner, Stephan Matusik, along with his wife, Iris, and their five children.

Stephan has been a leader in the com-munity for nearly seven years and has built up the DIGUNA mission station to become an important beacon for the gospel in the area.

PPF has supported the community in Lohutuk in various ways for more than a decade including crisis relief, supporting development of a Bible School, primary and secondary schools, a hospital, agricultural projects and other projects.

The land for the JLTC has been donated by the AIC and sits adjacent to the DIGUNA mission station. Utilizing containers, fencing materials and a Hydraform brick machine provided by PPF donors, construction of the JLTC compound and campus is underway!

The JLTC will provide a venue for churches, universities, and other ministries to have a platform for teaching and training. The JLTC will include accommodations for students, volunteers, short or long-term missionaries, teachers, classrooms with VSAT capability for distance learning, a mess hall, a library, storage and access to a range of ministry projects.

Food production is a basic need in South Sudan. Independence means self-reliance. One of the best methods of education is apprenticeship. Toward that end, PPF has initiated a number of “demonstration projects” that are designed to provide mentoring and to teach self-reliance, while addressing real needs such as food production. Growing vegetables and raising chickens are two “demonstration projects” initiated in 2011 in partnership with Diguna and The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM).

Growing vegetables, raising chickens and eggs locally is providing food for the community.

The Hydraform machine which produces “interlocking” bricks is another vehicle for mentoring and training. Housing and food production are two vitally important needs in a poor country with little infrastructure and one which currently relies upon imports for most of its food.

Hydraform bricks drying in Lohutuk.

One of the greatest development needs in South Sudan is education. The JLTC will provide a platform for academic, spiritual and business training. Several American universities and educational institutions approached PPF in 2011 and asked to partner with PPF to provide distance learning and short- and long-term courses.

At the beginning of 2011 PPF provided a VSAT (satellite Internet system) to the Matusik family to improve communication for the community there, and we anticipate additional VSAT systems will be installed in 2012 to facilitate distance learning courses at the high school, undergraduate and graduate levels.

During the war in South Sudan PPF worked hard to respond to the immediate needs of the persecuted, such as food, medicine, clean water, etc. During this new era of peace, the JLTC is our attempt to go beyond crisis relief to sustainable development. We want to bless our brothers and sisters in a more substantial way. By providing educational, spiritual, and economic training opportunities, PPF is helping build Africa’s newest nation one person at a time.

As the year 2012 unfolds, we will continue to update you on the progress of the JLTC—and to give you opportunies to get involved directly with our efforts.

God has blessed the people of South Sudan with peace, independence, and an opportunity to prosper. Thank you for your prayers for this ministry and for your role in providing life and hope to so many people.

Dear LORD,

You alone are LORD. There is none other besides You. The nations of the world are a drop in the bucket to You. Nevertheless, You are mindful of the nations. You raise some up, and You tear others down — for Your Own glory and divine purpose.

Oh God, we consider all You have done for our brethren in South Sudan. We consider the long road on which You have taken them. We are mindful of the tender condition of Your Church in that nation — a people once steeped in darkness and rebellion and ignorance towards You. And yet, You planted a seed of faith that has grown into a tender sapling amidst horrid persecution and oppression.

You have preserved Your Faith — Your Truth — in this wilderness of the world, and now You have established South Sudan as a separate nation among men. After a long war, in which Your enemies sought to snuff out the Light of Your Gospel, You gave the victory to the weak and humbled the strong.

Now, oh LORD, we beseech You, in Your mercy, to firmly establish the Republic of South Sudan upon a Firm Foundation. A Foundation, not built by human hands or wisdom, but on a Rock of Faith — Your Faith.

There is no other Name under heaven by which men and nations can be saved besides the precious Name of Jesus. We pray that King Jesus will reign in South Sudan and bring all things into subjection under His feet.

We ask that You strengthen the Church and empower Your ministers, through Your Holy Spirit, to preach the Word with power and conviction. We pray that You would protect Your people from enemies abroad and from spiritual enemies within.

PPF's Matt Chancey prays with pastors in South Sudan.

We pray that You would empower your Church in America and in the world to pray and to seek ways to bless our younger siblings in the Faith. As they grow into full maturity, show us the ways You want us to continue to grow in our own walk with You. We acknowledge our own weaknesses — our own rebellion and sin — and we ask for Your forgiveness and restoration.

You know our frame. You know we are dust. But You are the Great Creator, Who takes dust and makes it breathe. Give us life, LORD, to serve You. Give us breath, Father, to breathe into others.

We give you all the praise and glory for all we have and for all we are and for all we desire to do.

We approach You humbly and ask for these things because of Jesus and in His precious Name.

Amen.

Most religions are ‘man-centered’ where the emphasis is placed on man’s abilities and requirements to perform certain rights or duties in order to be acceptable to his deity (or deities). But Christianity is God-centered, meaning that man’s standing before his Creator is determined solely by God’s choice to love and show compassion on His people.

As with all religions, Christianity requires certain duties to be performed. But they are not performed in order to achieve standing with God. Rather, we do them out of love and appreciation for the standing that has already been conferred upon us by God’s gracious choice. We love Him because He first loved us. (I John 4:19)

Rejoice in the Lord always.

This same love and appreciation of what God has done for us motivates PPF to joyfully serve the persecuted church in Africa by trying to mimic the perfect love that God has shown us through the Person and work of Jesus Christ.

PPF’s desire is to show active compassion towards people who desperately need compassion; love for people who desperately need to be loved; and encouragement for those who desperately need to be lifted up.

Praise Him, Praise Him, all ye little children. God is love. God is love.

And when I say “PPF,” I don’t mean an entity incorporated by the US Government. I mean you. You are PPF. There is nothing we can do as an organization without your sacrificial giving. We are partners in ministry.

I thank God for the love you have for our brethren in Africa. But I thank God most of all for His love for you, which make all things possible.

When did you have your first memory? I vaguely remember my nursery at home when I was probably two or three years old. Some people can remember even earlier. But a young man I recently met in South Sudan has no memory of his childhood.

Santino

I met Santino on a recent trip to the refugee community of Jaac on the Darfur border. Santino was a new refugee, having just arrived from the North. I soon found out that Santino was also a slave who had recently escaped.

Although slavery is technically illegal in Sudan, it is still practiced by many people. The tragedy of Santino’s slavery is that he does not recall when he was first enslaved. When he told me this, I assumed it was because he was taken as a young child. But I was wrong. Santino told me his relatives claim he was enslaved at the age of 13. This puzzled me, because I had not heard of anyone who had no memories of their childhood.

Though technically illegal, slavery is still practiced in Sudan.

Then I remembered reading an article about how people who have suffered terrible physical abuse sometimes block out certain things from their past. It was then that Santino’s story began to make sense. The reality of slavery in Sudan is that masters often viciously abuse their slaves in the most despicable ways.

Many boys are kidnapped and enslaved at a very young age.

These experiences would make one want to forget. And I am afraid this is likely the sad reality of Santino’s past. In the days leading up to the referendum in South Sudan, Santino, now in his early 20s, was encouraged to run away by some Dinka friends living in Darfur. They told him he was a Dinka, not an Arab, and should run to his native home in the South. Santino took his friends’ advice and returned home. It was then that his relatives helped him piece together his life story.

I am sharing Santino’s story so PPF supporters can pray for this young man specifically. Not only did he arrive from Darfur with few possessions, he has no past. But thanks to your partnership with PPF, Santino can have a future. Please take a moment and pray for this young man — and for all the young men and women served by the ministry of Persecution Project Foundation.

The Bible says much about the poor, and our responsibilities towards them. One thing I have noticed is that there is a class of poor and destitute who simply need immediate, unconditional intervention.

Emergency medical relief is given without hesitation to those who need it.

Recall the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30). A man was beaten, robbed, and left for dead on the road. Two “pious” fellows passed by and did nothing. But the Samaritan acted. He did not investigate why the man was on the road in the first place. For all the Samaritan knew, the victim could have been a thief himself who was successfully repelled by a caravan he attempted to rob. The Samaritan simply saw that a man needed help, felt compassion, and acted.

Remember when Jesus and His disciples approached a blind man, and the Apostles wanted to know if the man was blind because of his sin or the sin of his parents? (John 9:2).  What did Jesus say in response? He said, “Neither.” The man was blind, so that in God’s Providence, His glory would be revealed through this man’s disability. Jesus then healed the man.

But there are also other ways of handling the poor in the Bible. Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth were impoverished. So they took advantage of the “welfare safety net” in Israel at the time. The poor were allowed by law to follow behind the harvesters in a field and glean what crops were not picked. Also, the corners of fields were not harvested specifically with the poor and hungry trailers in mind.

This was not unconditional charity. It required the poor to work for what they received.

Later in the story, the young widow Ruth approached her cousin, Boaz, and asked him to do his duty as a kinsman to marry her, which was a principle in the Law. Boaz agreed to “go to court” as it were, and fight for Ruth’s rights. When the nearest kinsman refused to marry Ruth, Boaz agreed to do the job himself. This is a beautiful story of love and sacrifice to help those in need. It is a picture of Christ redeeming His bride. In fact, Christ Himself descended from the lineage of Boaz and Ruth.

What all these examples show is that giving and dealing with the poor must be done with wisdom and sacrifice. In some cases, the poor need unconditional help. In other cases, the help is given with conditions.

PPF supports certified nurse Majzoub Abass (center) in further education so he can continue working with patients.

But in both cases, the presence of love, compassion, and advocacy is always present.

Persecution Project Foundation has several program categories that are modeled after what we believe are Biblical patterns for giving. We have funds that focus on “crisis relief” and medical needs. These are designed for the “Samaritan” type need where the victims are lying in the road needing immediate assistance.

Crisis relief items include food and shelter materials.

But we also have programs for clean water and discipleship and evangelism. These programs require participation from the people we are trying to help. The activities promoted in these programs seek to build people up, build relationships, and to help those in need eventually become givers themselves.

Safe Water Projects open the door for agricultural programs, which lead to discipleship and training opportunities and increase recipient self-sufficiency.

Clean water is not just about digging wells. Providing a dependable water source to a poor community opens the door for agricultural initiatives that lead to greater and cheaper food production. This brings self-sufficiency, wealth and greater health to a formerly impoverished community.

Discipleship and evangelism is not just about Bible studies. It opens the door for teaching and mentoring that go beyond the “lifeboat” salvation message that focuses on getting an initial profession of faith from a convert. It equips the new believer for the rest of his life.

Students who graduate from our pastor training program strive to bring the gospel to the people they serve.

PPF’s Transportation and Logistics fund is not just about paying for the transportation of relief items to get them from point A to point B. It opens the door for vocational training programs that help the poor and persecuted overcome three of their most difficult challenges: isolation, lack of infrastructure, and getting their products to market.

Our desire at PPF is to give — but to give wisely. That sometimes means giving like the Samaritan. At other times, it means giving like Boaz. As you pray for the ministry of PPF, please pray that God will continue to give us wisdom in how to give, so that His Name is glorified and people are changed — including us!

In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, who was always doing good and helping the poor. – Acts 9:36

On a recent trip to Africa, I spent time with PPF Director, Matt Chancey and his family, who live in Nairobi. They have a very large tree in their front yard that their children love to climb. The only problem is that the first branch is a good six feet off the ground, making it seemingly impossible for the children to start their initial ascent. So, during my visit, I became a human elevator, repeatedly lifting them up one at a time to the first level.

Eventually, I was able to teach the children how to climb up to the first branch on their own. Within a few days, one of the girls mastered this new and valuable skill. She then proceeded to demonstrate the method to the others until they also could climb up without any help.

Belle and Felicity (in tree) Chancey

Persecution Project Foundation is all about giving persecuted individuals a “boost up.” Our ultimate desire is that they become trainers and teachers themselves and that their lives might become an example for others to follow.

The best example is Jesus. His disciples called Him “Teacher” for good reason. He lived amongst them for years and, among other things, gave them an in-depth education on Who God is, what their priorities should be, and how they should treat others. But His desire was that they become like Him, so that His teachings would be replicated many times over.

In John 13, Jesus tells the disciples, “You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.” (vv 13-17)

The old saying is true. “Give a man a fish, and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he eats for a lifetime.” We want that man to go one step further. We want him to teach others how to fish, so that they also might eat for a lifetime.

Recently, I traveled near the Southern Darfur border to inspect a new clinic PPF supports. A shipment of medicine supplied by Voice of the Martyrs was scheduled to arrive any time, and our team notified clinics in the area of the impending shipment.

While our team visited the clinic, a Toyota Land Cruiser blew past our position, headed North. “Hey! That’s Billy White,” shouted PPF President Brad Phillips. “He must not have seen us. Go after him!” I ran to the motorcycle I had borrowed and took off through the bush to catch him. It took a few minutes, but I finally managed to flag him down. And that’s when I met the famous Brother Billy White.

Brother Billy White welcomes AIM pilot John McNealy to Jaac.

I had heard of Billy White but never met him. Billy is one of those amazing characters one often finds in remote corners of the world.

Brother Billy is 76 years young and has been living and working in South Sudan since 2004. When his wife died in 2003, Brother Billy knew what God wanted him to do next. He had read about the plight of Christians in Southern Sudan through publications like Soldier of Fortune magazine and several Christian mission groups.

So Billy White, who is a retired Green Beret from the Army’s Special Forces, packed his gear and took off for his next deployment. When he arrived in Nairobi, Kenya, he had no relationship with anyone from South Sudan. But that did not stop Brother Billy. Within a few months, he was in Southern Sudan, organizing an adult literacy program sponsored by the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Army.

In addition to his work training people to read, Brother Billy has supported the establishment of several medical clinics in the “no go” areas where PPF has worked for years.

Brother Billy is as fit as a fiddle and has an iron grip that will pull your shoulder out of its socket if you’re not careful. “I exercise every other day – or I can’t move,” quips Billy, who always wears a big Texas grin.

I was amazed at how Brother Billy could live and travel alone so easily in a place with few roads and absolutely no road signs. Billy lives very modestly in a dirt floor tukel like most of the people he serves. His reputation and legend have won him the respect and cooperation of the local government.

“Southern Sudan is a lot like my home state of Texas,” says Billy. “It’s hot and flat; it has many rivers running through it; lots of cattle; and it’s full of friendly people (mostly armed).”

Brother Billy is a devout Christian who has focused much of his energy into training pastors how to read and study the Word of God. “When I started my first class, the pastors wanted to know if I would feed them lunch every day. I told them ‘Nope. If you are not hungry for the Word of God, you don’t belong here.’”

When the history of Africa’s newest country is written, I hope the author saves some room to record the exploits and adventures of Brother Billy White. It is people like this old soldier from Texas who not only make great ambassadors of America, but great ambassadors of Jesus Christ.

“I tell people when I go back home to America that it’s great to live in a country where the Bible is openly quoted by elected officials, taught in schools and the military, and public prayer is not only encouraged, it is expected of all who desire leadership. That country is South Sudan.” - Brother Billy White

As I write these lines from Nairobi, Kenya, I am envisioning what things must look like back home in the States.

Doubtlessly, small towns are putting out Christmas decorations. People are taking down the lighted reindeer lawn ornaments from their attics. Retailers are pulling out all the stops to lure consumers in to buy, buy, buy, so they can finish the year strong. Sunday school classes at many churches are rehearsing the Christmas plays and pageants that typically mark the season.

PPF medical supplies are driven from the airfield to villages affected by recent violence in Southern Sudan.

These are things that happen every year like clockwork. They are things we take for granted. But sometimes we need to stop and wonder, “Why do we do all these things?”

I think we do them because they give us the illusion of stability in an unstable world. No matter what happens — war, economic collapse, sickness, or loss of family members — we know that Mrs. Miller’s lawn will be all lit up for Christmas. We like consistency, becuase it makes us feel secure. But real security only comes from a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Aaron Phillips helps distribute shoes in South Sudan in November.

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow — and much more comforting than man-made holidays and traditions. His appearance more than 2,000 years ago was a declaration of “peace on earth and good will towards men” in a world that, like today, had little of either.

Our job, as Christians, is to spread Christ’s peace and good will throughout the world. Our God is not a static deity. He is all about expansion. Not expansion by sword or capitalism or democracy. Expansion by love and reconciliation. Jesus Christ did not come to promote revolution, but regeneration — and that is truly “revolutionary!”

PPF President, Brad Phillips, greets students in Torit.

PPF distributes New Testaments provided by The Voice of the Martyrs.

I need your help to spread this message of love and regeneration now more than ever to our persecuted brethren in Sudan.

The year 2010 is turning out to be the bloodiest of Sudan’s six year “interim peace”.

At press time, we are less than two months away from Southern Sudan’s scheduled vote on secession. Tension is mounting, and tragically, the whole year has been marred by violence and bloodshed in Darfur and in southern Sudan.

What has made matters worse is monsoon weather conditions. This rainy season has greatly hampered access to all ministries and NGOs attempting to bring help to this year’s victims of violence.

In August, dozens of women were raped and more than one hundred and thirty Darfur refugees were slaughtered at the River Kiir (just a day’s walk from a PPF compound) by forces of the National Congress Party as they hunted for rebels in the Kalama and Kiirkow refugee settlements.

And just days ago, the Sudanese Air Force bombed villages within the administrative area of Jaac, a Darfur refugee community served by PPF since 2005. More than 300 families were displaced and made homeless by this provocative act. The Government in Khartoum claimed to be pursuing Darfur rebels connected with the “Justice and Equity Movement” (JEM) and that the attack was “accidental,” but no one on the ground is buying this story.

Over in the east, where PPF has worked for a number of years, the area has become the site of this year’s worst violence in Southern Sudan, as fighting erupted following the April elections.

Tragically, the majority of casualties were innocent civilians. I recently visited this area* with my two sons to bring in desperately needed medicine, and the eyewitness reports I received were sickening. Multiple witnesses confirmed to me the widespread incidence of torture, mass rapes, and extra-judicial killings. Entire villages were razed to the ground, and the majority of survivors — and estimated 27,000 people — were forcibly displaced and remain homeless and suffering up to today.

But there is good news.

An amnesty was recently signed, meaning the fighting has stopped for now, and we have the opportunity to minister to the victims. In addition, our partners have made available approximately 22 tons of emergency relief supplies, including blankets, action packs, Bibles, and life-saving medicines.

The rainy season was particularly heavy this year, trapping many vehicles in mud.

Because of the terrible weather, most of the roads are washed out. We plan to send a truckload of relief supplies to Jaac, but most of the aid will have to be delivered by airplane and boat. The cost of providing relief to these two areas will easily run over $100,000. If God provides the funds, the relief missions will take place in early December. In fact, I have already reserved the planes.

This is a leap of faith, but we have no choice. Planes must be chartered in advance to guarantee availability. It also takes time to plan all the logistics and coordinating involved with this massive project involving two completely different areas of the country.

In early November, PPF chartered the Samaritan's Purse DC-3 to deliver two tons of medical aid to victims of persecution in Southern Sudan.

You’ve heard the saying that “when it rains, it pours.” Well, we are in the middle of a downpour right now, and I need your help. But God is good — all the time! He has never left us alone. He has given us you, our brothers and sisters in America, to be His hands and feet in these depressed areas of the world.

Please pray for our brethren in Southern Sudan and Darfur, and consider making a special gift to PPF, so we can minister to God’s people during this very difficult time.

PPF must raise $107,500 over the next several days to immediately fund desperately needed relief flights to persecuted communities in Southern Sudan. Your generous gifts have made such a difference in the past; please consider giving again to our brethren in Sudan.

*Some names and locations have been purposefully withheld due to ongoing security concerns.

I just finished reading Brian Kluth’s book, Experiencing God as Your Provider. In it, he writes, “God our Provider has a plan to allow us to glorify Him and bless others. He promises to meet our needs as we labor in those things to which He has called us.”

Pastors in Kenya receive Bibles from PPF.

Later, he reminds the reader of the story of the recently widowed woman who is in jeopardy of losing her two sons to the deceased husband’s creditor (2Ki 4:1-7). Elisha the prophet desires to help her and asks a poignant question, “What do you have in the house?”

The widow’s initial response is “nothing,” but then she remembers her little jar of oil, which was probably tucked away in a corner somewhere.

By stepping out in faith and borrowing multiple vessels from her neighbors, she sees God multiply what little she has. She is able to pay off her debt and care for her family.

PPF's Ed Lyons delivers medical supplies provided by a children's Sunday school class to the Revival Medical Center in the Kibera slum of Nairobi.

A few weeks ago, I visited Mt. Horeb United Methodist Church in Lexington, South Carolina. Pastor Jeff Kersey was preaching from John 6:5-11, where Jesus feeds over 5,000 people with a young boy’s lunch. In doing so, He has reminded us that a little is much when God is involved.

He can magnify the smallest amount to meet the needs of multitudes. He can take the smallest seed and grow it into a tree large enough for the birds to nest in its branches.

Imagine what He can do with our gifts, talents, time and energy!

Pastor Kersey went on to say that one of the most notable aspects of the story in John 6 was that the boy hadn’t already eaten his lunch. He hadn’t already devoured the fish and the bread, satisfying only himself. Instead, the provisions God blessed him with were available to bless others.

Miller Orthodontics from Culpeper, VA donated shirts which were distributed in the Gomongo slum in Kenya.

What are we doing with the provisions God has given to us?

In the past few months, Persecution Project Foundation has been blessed with nearly 12 metric tons of relief supplies. These supplies include Bibles, shoes, action packs, blankets and medicines.

Twelve metric tons may seem like a lot, but the current need in Southern Sudan is so great that we wonder at times how those relief supplies will be spread to so many. Then we remember that God is involved, and He will meet the needs of His people. And it’s His good pleasure to use us in the process.

He merely asks, “What do you have in your house?” 

Thinking about Thanksgiving Day brought to my mind many ways God has provided for His people all over the world. In particular, God recalled to my memory the story of PPF partner pastor, Francis Ayul Nyok….

Lying on the ground bleeding to death is not a circumstance most conducive to making one give thanksgiving to God. The severe pain and thirst makes many people in such a circumstance not praise God, but start to bargain with Him. That’s exactly what Francis Ayul Nyok did as he lay dying of a gunshot wound to his belly somewhere in the bush of Southern Sudan.

He was a young soldier in the SPLA fighting for self-determination for his people. For years, his family had been hunted down and butchered by their Islamic masters in the north. Now, they were fighting for their lives and futures. But Francis’ fight was over – so he thought. In one hand, he held his guts, and in the other, his machine gun. He had only two bullets left, and kept arguing with himself that using one of the bullets to put him out of his misery would be the best way to relieve the agony.

But Francis didn’t know what awaited him on the other side of the veil. He had been raised in the church, but had given little serious thought to his faith. He was too busy being young and invincible, living the life of adventure. But now, the prospect of dying terrified him. So, he made a “deal” with God. If God would spare him, he would leave the army of men and join the army of God as a minister.

Pastor Francis Ayul

To make a long story short, several months later (and multiple surgeries), Francis was out of the army and preparing for the ministry. He went to seminary, received his ordination, and now pastors several churches.

But if you think this is a story of a self-made man, you are mistaken. God used means to accomplish His ends with Francis, like He does with everyone. And those means were believers like you. If you are reading this, you are one of the means God has used to make Francis Ayul Nyok into God’s bondservant in Sudan.

Pastor Francis holds salvation bracelets that will be distributed in his home village.

Francis is doing what he’s doing today, because the people of God looked at all the problems in Sudan and decided to give God glory through their prayers and giving – even though it looked like a hopeless condition. The whole country was bleeding to death, like Francis, but God sent you and many others to help bind their wounds.

Brad Phillips, Pastor Francis and other PPF partners baptize believers in Jaac.

I am so thankful for your great hearts, but I am more thankful to the God Who gave you your great hearts. I encourage you to not grow weary in your well-doing. You are making a difference. Pastor Francis Ayol Nyok is living proof of this. Praise God there are many others like him.

As we face an uncertain future, we can nonetheless willingly and joyfully give thanksgiving to our God, Who has always been faithful to us, even when we have forgotten Him. Praise the LORD!