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...

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...

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...

Bishop Andudu was out of the country for medical treatment when the northern troops started their attack on the Nuba people on the 6th June. He believes he would have joined many others in a mass grave if he had been there. He writes, “Once again we are facing the nightmare of genocide of our people in a final attempt to erase our culture and society from the face of the earth. The Times newspaper wrote, “The shelling came first. Then soldiers swept through the town followed by attacks from Antonov bombers and MiG fighter jets. Once the northern troops of the Sudan Armed Forces had taken control of parts of Kadugli, the slaughter began. Security forces went from house to house dragging out...... anyone who was black. They were executed, sometimes with a bullet in...

These Bible College students that I was teaching in Mundri sometimes eat only one meal a day. Two of the students had to bring their whole families to the college because their homes and churches had been burnt to the ground. There are only 16 beds in the college so couples share a single bed and the children sleep on the floor. There are no mosquito nets so the students and families can get very sick. While I was in Mundri, Christians, including the bishop, made huge efforts to have a reconciliation meeting between the Dinka tribe who are cattle owners and the Moru tribe who are farmers to stop the inter tribal attacks and killings. The first meeting was held in the church and the bishop’s speech was broadcast in the news. Dr Legasse is...