Bringing Good News

This letter dated 5th May 12 is to update you all about the current war situation in South Sudan, as many of you have seen it in television and read it in the newspapers; the war is back to us. As we are watching television and reading about what going on through the newspapers, we learnt that many people are killed, wounded, displaced and their properties are looted or destroyed by the soldiers from Sudan government leaving them in horrible situation......

18 months ago I was in the Nuba Mountains witnessing great celebrations of the first graduation ceremony from Bishop Korkiel Bible College which your support was helping to build. Since that time the Khartoum government has sent troops and planes to destroy the Nuba people. The Bible College was bombed and destroyed along with churches and villages. The civilian population has been targeted and thousands have been killed...

 

 

I recently met Isaiah while I was in Aweil, South Sudan. He was captured by the Arabs during the war while trying to sell fish. He was beaten and tortured and expected to die. Miraculously God saved him and after several days was set free. His miraculous release from expected death led him to faith in Christ. Since that time he has opened 59 churches. The Bishop of Aweil asked me if I could buy him a motor bike as he has to travel great distances to oversee these churches. I said if he or his congregations could raise £100 ($150) and the congregations could also pay for the petrol and maintenance of the bike I would do my best to raise the rest. Abraham Makir, a very tall Dinka from South Sudan, helped me run...

I know Dr Alexander Doroshenko as a man of immense capability and character. How one man can be a maxillofacial surgeon, senior pastor of Kirovograd central church, senior Baptist pastor for the whole of Kirovograd region, president of the Ukraine Christian doctors association and to regularly lead medical teams into the villages offering free treatment I do not know. However I have seen him many times in the villages of Ukraine giving free treatment to the poor, preaching the gospel and acting in his capacity as senior pastor. Sadly I heard this month that he has had a serious stroke which has left him paralysed down the left side of his body. I understand he also has difficulty eating and speaking. I find it a very sobering reality that we never know how long the Lord...

We have supported Bishop Ngalamu Bible College in Mundri, South Sudan with beds, mattresses, mosquito nets and desks. We also helped them start a small agricultural project at the college. On Saturday 17th December 2011 they held their first graduation of 14 Bible College students who have spent three years studying theology and community development. We wish them every success in the future. Every blessing, ...

I have recently heard from my friend in Khartoum that two of the pastors in this picture have reached Khartoum with over 130 families and managed to escape the terrible slaughter that happened in June 11 when the northern troops came into the Nuba Mountains to kill the blacks and destroy the church. Bishop Andudu on the right was out of the country at the time receiving medical treatment. When I asked him about some of the people I knew he said Rev Martin managed to escape to Juba and that the security forces had put red crosses by their names as being the most wanted men. He told me that his sister and mother walked for two weeks through the bush but they are safe. Bishop Andudu has raised funds to send medicine to the...

For over 20 years Viktor has been caring for poor families with a large number of children and visiting and helping orphans and street children, yet the highest academic qualification to his name is that of a bee keeper. One of the stories that Viktor told me was about the village of Krasnya. Although the church was opposite the Internat School they could not get any children to go their Sunday school so they asked Viktor for help. The old ladies in the church said the director of the school was very difficult because her mother had Tarot cards and many people visited her. Viktor went to the school and as he got there a child who he had helped in the past called out to Viktor and they started to talk. The director saw the...

Jo has been drawing me brilliant pictures for a number of years which I use to tell children Bible stories. It is so easy with her drawings to keep the kids attention. This story that Jesus told about the two roads through life I have just used in 8 orphanages, two schools and in a pastor’s home. This drawing of the narrow road was so well done that it was simple to explain it is not easy to follow Jesus. But notice the lovely rainbow colours at the end of the road. Every blessing, ...

Dilya is now 20 years old. She was born in Gafurov Town in Tajikistan. She is the eldest in a large family with 3 other sisters and one brother. Dilya and the rest of the family really wanted her to study but because of the size of the family her parents could not afford it. Dilya is very active in helping in her youth club in Gafurov. Bringing Good News has been sponsoring Dilya for three years and her studies have gone well. She has now been accepted to work part time in the police and you see her in her new uniform. Every blessing, ...

African children are great fun I did not go to the Congo representing Bringing Good News but just wanted to let you know what I have been doing this month. I was invited by Peter Butt, the director of School of Ministry, to go with him to teach pastors and leaders in the Katanga Province of Congo. We were invited by Pastor Joseph Kalenga, of Jacob’s Well church in Katuba Township, to give Bible teaching to pastors and leaders. The people were warm, friendly and very enthusiastic to receive the Bible teaching. I thoroughly enjoyed the ministry. In the evenings we had great times of celebration with lots of passionate prayer, singing, dancing and beating of drums. Although by our standards they are very poor they can certainly teach us something about dynamic prayer and colourful...