pastor priscilla leads the boys in worship.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Friday, December 21, 2007
oh, malaria
been the needle-happy rude awakening for two boys these past few days. i've never seen so many tightly clenched, little black butt cheeks in my whole life. not to say i've seen a lot of un-tightly clenched little black butt cheeks. or much of any butt cheeks other than my own for that matter. 4 or 5 hospital visits later, we've got lots of recovering boys and two more in the process-gotta love good 'ole sudanese medicine: you've never given an injection you say? no problem! the directions are written in sloppy arabic on the outside of the box. the so-called "nurse" on staff who's supposed to do this stuff hasn't shown up for work in 4 days? don't worry-give it to the american girl with the shaky hands. can't seem to find proper injection materials? hey, just use that dirty coke bottle to break open the liquid medicine and have someone clear the site with the closest pee-soaked blanket while i spit on my hands to clean them and pray to God that sanitation was just a suggestion. what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger- malaria: 0. grace and the boys: 6.
Monday, December 17, 2007
garang sing along
our sometimes confused but often fearless guard, garang, singing in the car. oh, and one of our boys tong thinks it's soooooooo funny.
mo money, mo problems. and a lot of injustice.
okay-i'm gonna try to "nut shell" this past week as best i can:
money is low everywhere. we whiteys (also known as "hiwajas" here) are the only adults living full time on the center. we help w/the budget, buying food, etc. since akok's death, we've been spending a lot of time meeting with people, negotiating, and trying to find more money for the center-i think a lot of the boys think we're just out eating showarmas and drinking tea. they look to us for everything, often demanding our money-even our personal money. we give them anything, ANYTHING and they complain about it somehow. this is just the reality, the result of the hard life they've endured. we happen to be the ones here when the past director's money runs out, and can't pay christmas bonuses for the staff and buy proper food for the kids. ALL extra money that we brought has been used for akok's death.
because of this, we had a near mutiny on our hands on sunday. i was in complete shock. pastor priscilla and i were waiting for the boys to gather for sunday prayer and worship. instead two younger staff members rallied the boys together under the church and they threatened to call the police if us "hiwajas" didn't meet their demands (better food, beds, television). it was madness. they threw their beds on the ground. they threw rocks at our tin roof. two police men actually came and thank Jesus they thought the boys were crazy and quietly ignored their request to take us to prison.
we had a meeting with the staff after one of the directors showed up, which was good & bad. long story short i started bawling because i was so stinkin' emotional, and because they pointed a finger yelling "you're lying! i know you have money!" at jim, nathan, and i, and the icing on the cake was when one of them looked at me and said over and over again "you don't care [about the boys]". since then i've been yelled at, spit on, and glared at by many of the boys. i feel like the little ones have been poisoned with anger and hate. it's like the worst case of miscommunication and bad timing. what to you do when no one will listen to you? how do you love someone who doesn't want you near them?
not even an hour after my cry-fest ended (from which, jim yelled "don't you dare hurt her-as far as i'm concerned this meeting is over!" thanks jim), something else happened. this is an injustice that sobered me out of my pity party and back into the reality of where i'm living.
a beautiful 18 year-old girl named jackelina who lives down the dirt road stumbled into our camp. she's already married with two babies. she was walking down by the nile and was attacked, beaten, and raped by three men. she could hardly walk. we spent the next 4 or 5 hours praying for her and taking her to the hospital. her husband and brother rode with us in the truck, but refused to go inside. jackelina didn't tell any of the various doctors what really happened to her. this is all because of shame. we asked when we should file the police report. they shook their heads and said "no, we can't do that."
shrea law states that if a woman is raped, there must be 4 male witnesses present in order for her to press charges.
one of the boys luka who came with to the hospital watched jacklina walk from one desk to another in this poor health care system and said "this is a very tired woman. every day she comes to our camp to carry water back to her home. here in sudan, we treat women like donkey."
and as she fell asleep in my lap while we drove her back home in the pitch black, i played with her braids and prayed in mumbles and tried to think of how to comfort her. she cannot even share the truth about her physical condition because of cultural shame. i thought about how the doctors could only treat her symptoms. i thought about how she could die because of this-because of shame and injustice. i thought, how is it that a group of little boys can call the police when they want better mattresses and a t.v., and an 18 year-old girl can't file a report when she is raped and beaten by three men?
theses are deep wounds that individuals living under messed up leaders feel every day. sudan is a hard place, but it is just one of many hard places. this is unacceptable. absolutely unacceptable. there is a human need here that must be addressed. must be noticed. we can't continue to act as though we know nothing. as though our inability to see something wrong happening before our very eyes justifies our unwillingness to act. i don't know what you're supposed to do. you need to figure that out. just do something.
and for you followers of that beautiful Christ out there, i have some words for you. in God's name, stop talking! stop complaining about luke warmness and boringness in the church. start going beyond the meeting of sunday mornings or saturday evenings, and become the community that you are. move together. pray for sick, hurting people, right there, on the street. ask someone what they need and how you can help them. ask them if you can pray for that need for them, right there, in that moment. sell your stuff-who needs it anyway? get yourself in a rough spot for someone else, someone who needs it more. start living by faith. faith. move, dance as the vivacious, colorful, creative, poor, rich, hated, loved, cross-bearing being that you all are together. you are called, accountable, to respond to the situation that is your life. your life is SECONDARY to the lives of those around you. always. stop playing guitar and singing praise songs and start loving sacrificially. this, truly, is how Christ's bride will complete herself. you are that beautiful bride. you look hot in your wedding dress. now go.
money is low everywhere. we whiteys (also known as "hiwajas" here) are the only adults living full time on the center. we help w/the budget, buying food, etc. since akok's death, we've been spending a lot of time meeting with people, negotiating, and trying to find more money for the center-i think a lot of the boys think we're just out eating showarmas and drinking tea. they look to us for everything, often demanding our money-even our personal money. we give them anything, ANYTHING and they complain about it somehow. this is just the reality, the result of the hard life they've endured. we happen to be the ones here when the past director's money runs out, and can't pay christmas bonuses for the staff and buy proper food for the kids. ALL extra money that we brought has been used for akok's death.
because of this, we had a near mutiny on our hands on sunday. i was in complete shock. pastor priscilla and i were waiting for the boys to gather for sunday prayer and worship. instead two younger staff members rallied the boys together under the church and they threatened to call the police if us "hiwajas" didn't meet their demands (better food, beds, television). it was madness. they threw their beds on the ground. they threw rocks at our tin roof. two police men actually came and thank Jesus they thought the boys were crazy and quietly ignored their request to take us to prison.
we had a meeting with the staff after one of the directors showed up, which was good & bad. long story short i started bawling because i was so stinkin' emotional, and because they pointed a finger yelling "you're lying! i know you have money!" at jim, nathan, and i, and the icing on the cake was when one of them looked at me and said over and over again "you don't care [about the boys]". since then i've been yelled at, spit on, and glared at by many of the boys. i feel like the little ones have been poisoned with anger and hate. it's like the worst case of miscommunication and bad timing. what to you do when no one will listen to you? how do you love someone who doesn't want you near them?
not even an hour after my cry-fest ended (from which, jim yelled "don't you dare hurt her-as far as i'm concerned this meeting is over!" thanks jim), something else happened. this is an injustice that sobered me out of my pity party and back into the reality of where i'm living.
a beautiful 18 year-old girl named jackelina who lives down the dirt road stumbled into our camp. she's already married with two babies. she was walking down by the nile and was attacked, beaten, and raped by three men. she could hardly walk. we spent the next 4 or 5 hours praying for her and taking her to the hospital. her husband and brother rode with us in the truck, but refused to go inside. jackelina didn't tell any of the various doctors what really happened to her. this is all because of shame. we asked when we should file the police report. they shook their heads and said "no, we can't do that."
shrea law states that if a woman is raped, there must be 4 male witnesses present in order for her to press charges.
one of the boys luka who came with to the hospital watched jacklina walk from one desk to another in this poor health care system and said "this is a very tired woman. every day she comes to our camp to carry water back to her home. here in sudan, we treat women like donkey."
and as she fell asleep in my lap while we drove her back home in the pitch black, i played with her braids and prayed in mumbles and tried to think of how to comfort her. she cannot even share the truth about her physical condition because of cultural shame. i thought about how the doctors could only treat her symptoms. i thought about how she could die because of this-because of shame and injustice. i thought, how is it that a group of little boys can call the police when they want better mattresses and a t.v., and an 18 year-old girl can't file a report when she is raped and beaten by three men?
theses are deep wounds that individuals living under messed up leaders feel every day. sudan is a hard place, but it is just one of many hard places. this is unacceptable. absolutely unacceptable. there is a human need here that must be addressed. must be noticed. we can't continue to act as though we know nothing. as though our inability to see something wrong happening before our very eyes justifies our unwillingness to act. i don't know what you're supposed to do. you need to figure that out. just do something.
and for you followers of that beautiful Christ out there, i have some words for you. in God's name, stop talking! stop complaining about luke warmness and boringness in the church. start going beyond the meeting of sunday mornings or saturday evenings, and become the community that you are. move together. pray for sick, hurting people, right there, on the street. ask someone what they need and how you can help them. ask them if you can pray for that need for them, right there, in that moment. sell your stuff-who needs it anyway? get yourself in a rough spot for someone else, someone who needs it more. start living by faith. faith. move, dance as the vivacious, colorful, creative, poor, rich, hated, loved, cross-bearing being that you all are together. you are called, accountable, to respond to the situation that is your life. your life is SECONDARY to the lives of those around you. always. stop playing guitar and singing praise songs and start loving sacrificially. this, truly, is how Christ's bride will complete herself. you are that beautiful bride. you look hot in your wedding dress. now go.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
the urgency remains....
friends,
we continue to face a critical situation. you may already know that about a month ago one of the young men in our camp drowned in the nile river. since several westerners were present at the accident site, we were considered responsible to pay remunerations to the surviving family. according to the laws of Sudan, the original request was for $11,000. we were able to settle with the family for a little less than that. the money used to resolve this issue was borrowed from Iris Ministries. this is a large loan, and in order for us to move forward with our work here, we need this debt cleared. we have thousands of dollars that must be reimbursed which is why we still need your help financially. we’re aware that it’s Christmas time and this may make it difficult (but let's keep in mind it’s also tax write-off time ☺)-please consider helping us. if you have already given to this special need, thank you very much. if you have any questions, email me.
you can support us by making your check out to
IRIS MINISTRIES and earmark it NORTHERN SUDAN. the check needs to be mailed to:
US ADMIN OFFICE
PO BOX 493995
REDDING, CA.
96049-3995
all donations are considered charitable gifts and are therefore given tax-free status with the receipt from Iris Ministries.
we continue to face a critical situation. you may already know that about a month ago one of the young men in our camp drowned in the nile river. since several westerners were present at the accident site, we were considered responsible to pay remunerations to the surviving family. according to the laws of Sudan, the original request was for $11,000. we were able to settle with the family for a little less than that. the money used to resolve this issue was borrowed from Iris Ministries. this is a large loan, and in order for us to move forward with our work here, we need this debt cleared. we have thousands of dollars that must be reimbursed which is why we still need your help financially. we’re aware that it’s Christmas time and this may make it difficult (but let's keep in mind it’s also tax write-off time ☺)-please consider helping us. if you have already given to this special need, thank you very much. if you have any questions, email me.
you can support us by making your check out to
IRIS MINISTRIES and earmark it NORTHERN SUDAN. the check needs to be mailed to:
US ADMIN OFFICE
PO BOX 493995
REDDING, CA.
96049-3995
all donations are considered charitable gifts and are therefore given tax-free status with the receipt from Iris Ministries.
Friday, November 30, 2007
i'm cornfused...
yes, i meant to mispell that.
i just wanted to briefly clarify a few things here that may or may not have been clear. clearly the clarity is clearing the clarification for clearness's sake.
no, but in all seriousness, outside of the confusing mess we've encountered here, there is a bit more confusion regarding who's actually operating the boys' center here and what will happen to it in the future. in summary: i don't know. what i can and must tell you is that iris, this name i've been throwing around, is a beautiful ministry that has a big heart for many places and peoples. northern sudan is one of them. although they have in the past been in charge of this children's home here in khartoum and even currently have a couple iris staff members volunteering, they are not the authority here and only consider themselves friends of this base. at the time of my application to come here and upon writing my letter to some of you, this was indeed an active iris base. but because of many unanswered questions involving resources, disorganization, and leadership, iris decided to gently bow out, but as i said, consider themselves friends. until there is a clear transition made regarding the future of this center, and as far as we're concerned, iris is not active here. you can read about how they've stepped in to help us in my last post, so any support you'd like to send should still be sent to the iris address given. i apologize if this has been miscommunicated or just plain confusing to any of you. if you have any questions, too bad! ha, ok you can email me.
in reality, none of this matters, as we know the truth hasn't changed: God loves these "fatherless", and wants our attention drawn to them, to Him. i continue to wonder and hope for the best possible outcome for this place.
i just wanted to briefly clarify a few things here that may or may not have been clear. clearly the clarity is clearing the clarification for clearness's sake.
no, but in all seriousness, outside of the confusing mess we've encountered here, there is a bit more confusion regarding who's actually operating the boys' center here and what will happen to it in the future. in summary: i don't know. what i can and must tell you is that iris, this name i've been throwing around, is a beautiful ministry that has a big heart for many places and peoples. northern sudan is one of them. although they have in the past been in charge of this children's home here in khartoum and even currently have a couple iris staff members volunteering, they are not the authority here and only consider themselves friends of this base. at the time of my application to come here and upon writing my letter to some of you, this was indeed an active iris base. but because of many unanswered questions involving resources, disorganization, and leadership, iris decided to gently bow out, but as i said, consider themselves friends. until there is a clear transition made regarding the future of this center, and as far as we're concerned, iris is not active here. you can read about how they've stepped in to help us in my last post, so any support you'd like to send should still be sent to the iris address given. i apologize if this has been miscommunicated or just plain confusing to any of you. if you have any questions, too bad! ha, ok you can email me.
in reality, none of this matters, as we know the truth hasn't changed: God loves these "fatherless", and wants our attention drawn to them, to Him. i continue to wonder and hope for the best possible outcome for this place.
Friday, November 23, 2007
thanksgiving
what a perfect holiday to appear in the middle of this wild new life.
giving when you feel like it is easy. from this i can conclude, my dears, that we should especially give when it's hard. time is a big one, and money, but especially ourselves. when i chose to follow Christ, i gave up my rights. i no longer have the right to receive respect, love, friendship, care, or even decency from this world. i have the right to be abused, laid out, and degraded in the name of the One who was once laid out for me. it is with this that i present to all of you, with great hesitancy, the life that i've been living, my daily dealings, in sudan:
two days after i arrived (nov. 9th), we had a great tragedy in our camp. one of our little boys by the name of akok drowned in the nile river. i happened to be the last adult present with the boys while we were swimming, and on our third search afterwards i helped swim the body back to the shore. this was a terrible and severe loss for all those he left behind. the boys wailed and cried with us as they saw his body. our hearts go out to the family of akok as they face this great tragedy. we know that “love is as strong as death, and its jealousy is as enduring as the grave” song of songs 8:6.
this is only the beginning. the security forces here are just looking for an excuse to kick all westerners out of sudan. we have had several encounters with them already. since two americans (nathan and i) accompanied the boys that day, the family of akok has threatened to file a report with the police, claiming we (all three american volunteers-nathan, jim, and i) were responsible, and could have one or more of us put in jail unless we pay $10,000 in 2 weeks.
according to the laws of sudan if someone dies by accident, the person responsible for them is obligated to pay $11,000 or the equivelant thereof. we have spent many hours negotiating with the family and after an initial payment, have settled on $6,000. please understand that the family could take us to court and a muslim judge would require us to pay the $11,000 or face imprisonment. right now they do not want to take us to court or have us thrown in jail. according to the denka tribe's customs, when a child dies money is given in support of the family. the family then takes the money and buys cows. the cows are given to one of the older male siblings when he reaches adulthood. this sibling then uses the cows as a down payment to marry a woman. when this couple has a child they name their first-born child the same name as the child that died.
this is a serious matter that needs to be resolved quickly. because of the urgency of the situation and the fact that the team here did not have the funds in hand, coupled with the real possibility that the center could shut down and 30+ boys hit the streets - Iris Ministries has sent money from their operating funds to cover this emergency. however, those funds urgently need to be replenished as soon as possible in order to prevent a shortfall within Iris's outreach and ministry. we need help to raise $6,000.00 so we can cover this debt. please pray about helping us. if you don't pray, please think about helping us. you can support us by making your check out to IRIS MINISTRIES and earmark it NORTHERN SUDAN. the check needs to be mailed to:
US ADMIN OFFICE
P O BOX 493995
REDDING, CA.
96049-3995
all donations are considered charitable gifts and are therefore given tax-free status. anything extra will manifest itself in the form of toothbrushes, clothes, new sandals, food, and school supplies for these little men.
this is thanksgiving: God is good, all the time. He has brought resolution and peace to a situation that looked like we were in a nice vat of quick sand. there was honestly one point when nathan, jim, and i were gonna grab what we could and try to sneak to the airport to leave the country instead of going to jail. there's a lot of hatred and racism here-it is indeed a hard place. but what's there when you're between a rock and a hard place? no soft, cuddly Jesus. a tenacious, powerful, lion of Judah, who fights for us, for me, with Justice, Goodness, and Lovingkindness. i am so blessed-thank you for your words, your prayers, your thoughts, your existence in my life in one way or another. you are each truly an extended family that i could've only dreamed up.
thank you Yesua for laying yourself down for me.
p.s. i actually ate turkey on thanksgiving day with 100+ crazy, fantastic americans.! ...nothing like singing "great is Thy faithfulness" outside in a courtyard under a warm sudanese breeze, with 100 people and kids, over the background harmony of arabic singing being blasted from a local mosque...
giving when you feel like it is easy. from this i can conclude, my dears, that we should especially give when it's hard. time is a big one, and money, but especially ourselves. when i chose to follow Christ, i gave up my rights. i no longer have the right to receive respect, love, friendship, care, or even decency from this world. i have the right to be abused, laid out, and degraded in the name of the One who was once laid out for me. it is with this that i present to all of you, with great hesitancy, the life that i've been living, my daily dealings, in sudan:
two days after i arrived (nov. 9th), we had a great tragedy in our camp. one of our little boys by the name of akok drowned in the nile river. i happened to be the last adult present with the boys while we were swimming, and on our third search afterwards i helped swim the body back to the shore. this was a terrible and severe loss for all those he left behind. the boys wailed and cried with us as they saw his body. our hearts go out to the family of akok as they face this great tragedy. we know that “love is as strong as death, and its jealousy is as enduring as the grave” song of songs 8:6.
this is only the beginning. the security forces here are just looking for an excuse to kick all westerners out of sudan. we have had several encounters with them already. since two americans (nathan and i) accompanied the boys that day, the family of akok has threatened to file a report with the police, claiming we (all three american volunteers-nathan, jim, and i) were responsible, and could have one or more of us put in jail unless we pay $10,000 in 2 weeks.
according to the laws of sudan if someone dies by accident, the person responsible for them is obligated to pay $11,000 or the equivelant thereof. we have spent many hours negotiating with the family and after an initial payment, have settled on $6,000. please understand that the family could take us to court and a muslim judge would require us to pay the $11,000 or face imprisonment. right now they do not want to take us to court or have us thrown in jail. according to the denka tribe's customs, when a child dies money is given in support of the family. the family then takes the money and buys cows. the cows are given to one of the older male siblings when he reaches adulthood. this sibling then uses the cows as a down payment to marry a woman. when this couple has a child they name their first-born child the same name as the child that died.
this is a serious matter that needs to be resolved quickly. because of the urgency of the situation and the fact that the team here did not have the funds in hand, coupled with the real possibility that the center could shut down and 30+ boys hit the streets - Iris Ministries has sent money from their operating funds to cover this emergency. however, those funds urgently need to be replenished as soon as possible in order to prevent a shortfall within Iris's outreach and ministry. we need help to raise $6,000.00 so we can cover this debt. please pray about helping us. if you don't pray, please think about helping us. you can support us by making your check out to IRIS MINISTRIES and earmark it NORTHERN SUDAN. the check needs to be mailed to:
US ADMIN OFFICE
P O BOX 493995
REDDING, CA.
96049-3995
all donations are considered charitable gifts and are therefore given tax-free status. anything extra will manifest itself in the form of toothbrushes, clothes, new sandals, food, and school supplies for these little men.
this is thanksgiving: God is good, all the time. He has brought resolution and peace to a situation that looked like we were in a nice vat of quick sand. there was honestly one point when nathan, jim, and i were gonna grab what we could and try to sneak to the airport to leave the country instead of going to jail. there's a lot of hatred and racism here-it is indeed a hard place. but what's there when you're between a rock and a hard place? no soft, cuddly Jesus. a tenacious, powerful, lion of Judah, who fights for us, for me, with Justice, Goodness, and Lovingkindness. i am so blessed-thank you for your words, your prayers, your thoughts, your existence in my life in one way or another. you are each truly an extended family that i could've only dreamed up.
thank you Yesua for laying yourself down for me.
p.s. i actually ate turkey on thanksgiving day with 100+ crazy, fantastic americans.! ...nothing like singing "great is Thy faithfulness" outside in a courtyard under a warm sudanese breeze, with 100 people and kids, over the background harmony of arabic singing being blasted from a local mosque...
Saturday, November 17, 2007
picture time
umm...cutest little girl ever?
just a lil' neighbor kid.
just a lil' neighbor kid.
some of the hoodlums in front of the school.
clapalicious! saviid and silamon in church one morning.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
who's idea was this?
not mine. here i sit, finally in khartoum, going on 5 days+ now and it feels like 5 months. the boys at the children's center welcomed me with scrawny little open arms. i sleep on a homemade cot in a dusty little cement room, my shower is a bucket, and i feel like a queen among these destitute little ones. it's rude to even think of them as destitute, as they have more spirit, joy, and ridiculous humor than i ever did at that age. while i was clutching blankies and catching fireflies, they are sewing clothes and making rhythms out of metal tables. they giggle when you try to speak arabic with them and are constantly dancing. they also consider each other family. many of these children aren't actually orphans, but just have bad family situations that allow them to see their parents or relatives only about once every 2 weeks. they forget about the lifelong neglect of their homes and societies when they are with families every other weekend. this is sudan. just this morning the UN claims over 5 million have fled darfur and at least 300,000 have relocated to khartoum. this is a hard and lonely place...one that continues to need our attention.
i've obviously traveled a long way, paid a lot of my own and other peoples' money, and sometimes feel stupid for indeed being another white girl in africa. outside of limited materials, i really have nothing to offer them. but one thing they do understand is that when a white chick from minnesota comes and sleeps on their cots, eating their rice and lentils, and living under their rules and malaria mosquitoes, she's not here to party. i am here because i love them, because their own mothers, fathers, and government have neglected them-despised them, because i have been loved by a God who cares deeply for the oppressed and who uses weak and ignorant people like me to show them His love. He is Love. i am a follower of Christ, as you may have found out, and He has completely saved me from myself, loved me with unthinkable love, and provides for me every day. i am humbled by His friendship, that i can call Him friend. this is why i must testify to His love. it is divine, and i want these boys, my friends, to drink of it. He is still the only truth that sets me free. that's why this is His idea.
pictures are on the way, but due to some unruly circumstances, now is not the time. love to each of you.
i've obviously traveled a long way, paid a lot of my own and other peoples' money, and sometimes feel stupid for indeed being another white girl in africa. outside of limited materials, i really have nothing to offer them. but one thing they do understand is that when a white chick from minnesota comes and sleeps on their cots, eating their rice and lentils, and living under their rules and malaria mosquitoes, she's not here to party. i am here because i love them, because their own mothers, fathers, and government have neglected them-despised them, because i have been loved by a God who cares deeply for the oppressed and who uses weak and ignorant people like me to show them His love. He is Love. i am a follower of Christ, as you may have found out, and He has completely saved me from myself, loved me with unthinkable love, and provides for me every day. i am humbled by His friendship, that i can call Him friend. this is why i must testify to His love. it is divine, and i want these boys, my friends, to drink of it. He is still the only truth that sets me free. that's why this is His idea.
pictures are on the way, but due to some unruly circumstances, now is not the time. love to each of you.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
pre-Sudan: my heart. my petition.
Hey friends! Hope all is well in your lives. I’ve had a crazy past few months, transitioning out of college (I actually graduated!), spending a wonderful summer in Minnesota with my family and buddies, and finally trying to figure out that age old question: now what do I do with my life? I’m learning that this is a question that will never really go away. I now write to you from what once was my delightful place of study, Missoula, Montana, where I couldn’t have been more touched by God’s influence in my time at school here. Although I never thought I’d be back in Montana right now, it’s been a haven for me to hear His voice. Over the past year or so, I believe God’s been sharing with me that He has a new place and purpose in mind for my life, as much unfamiliar and wild as Missoula once was to me. This is a calling I truly feel that I cannot turn away from: Khartoum, Sudan, in Northeast Africa.
I became aware of a ministry in Sudan almost a year ago that I’ve been praying about ever since. Begun by Heidi and Rolland Baker in Mozambique over 30 years ago, Iris Ministries is a very specific Christian outreach that has a unique mentality. Taking downtrodden, wretched situations of poverty wrought by political and social corruption, the ministry seeks to embrace the diversity and vastness of the Bride of Christ, His church, by encouraging local involvement in the solutions to these problems. Orphanages are transformed into “children’s villages”, where no child is called an orphan as there are no orphans under the Fathership of Christ. Utilizing any skills the children hold-in agriculture, livestock, or other trades-as well as providing basic education, these homes help facilitate long-term resolutions to such devastating problems. Most importantly, they share the ever-abundant love of Christ to each person they encounter. More than 40,000 children (mostly boys) live unaccompanied and unprotected on the streets of Khartoum; many are from southern and central Sudan or from Darfur. Some fled alone and are orphans. Some fled with relatives that have abandoned them. Others fled from the violence or neglect from intoxicated relatives. All are in need of a love that only Christ can provide for them.
I have been a part of many short-term “mission” trips that have taught me immensely what it is to live in the culture that I do, and the beautiful brokenness that comes from serving others. However great a blessing those experiences have been, I feel there needs to be a readjustment of our mission as Christians, which should not include an attempt to blueprint our idea of church or to slap a spiritual, emotional, or physical band-aid on a situation and then return home. I believe Iris Ministry seeks deeply to learn from natives of Sudan and to help facilitate their ownership of God’s own infinite and unique beauty in a way they see fit.
All I know is this: I love Jesus Christ. I don’t deserve the life I live. I love His people. I want His people to experience the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, as I have, in a bigger way than just a hyped-up circumstance, but rather a permanent planting or renewal of His presence in their lives. As a Christ-follower I am called to a greater purpose, one that I don’t always understand, but I must follow when I feel it is the will of God. I don’t know it all, but if I have been blessed with this precious, beautiful person of Christ and my feet have been washed, shouldn’t I be down in the dirt, washing the feet of others?
Please let me know what you think about all of this—I LOVE and need prayer and am truly blessed by the thought of my broader family joining with me in this. There is immense need where I am going, and I personally am trusting that the means to get me there will be provided. Flight, Visa, food, and general expenses that the children’s home face are all things that I am worried about, as I will also be leaving at a time when those good ole’ student loans go into repayment-in November. I don’t want to give you a number that I’m asking for. I just want God to speak to each of you if He wants you to give, and for you to be open to what that might look like. The logistics of your involvement are enclosed at the bottom, if you feel lead. I truly am overwhelmed by His constant provisions for my own and others’ lives, and am simply asking you to consider being a part of that. This is not about money or me and my life—I sincerely believe it is about opening our arms to the richness of God’s interaction with His people, in order to teach us to see His face in new places, colors, and classes. Thank you for taking time out of your day to ponder and become impassioned with me.
With Love,
grace.
wanna support me? please make checks out to me, with the subject "Sudan"...then email a request for my address in the states.
also, if you're feeling ambitious, check out: www.alhayat.us/e/sudan for the northern ministry & www.iris-sudan.org for the southern one. or, for more news on Iris, go to: www.irismin.org
I became aware of a ministry in Sudan almost a year ago that I’ve been praying about ever since. Begun by Heidi and Rolland Baker in Mozambique over 30 years ago, Iris Ministries is a very specific Christian outreach that has a unique mentality. Taking downtrodden, wretched situations of poverty wrought by political and social corruption, the ministry seeks to embrace the diversity and vastness of the Bride of Christ, His church, by encouraging local involvement in the solutions to these problems. Orphanages are transformed into “children’s villages”, where no child is called an orphan as there are no orphans under the Fathership of Christ. Utilizing any skills the children hold-in agriculture, livestock, or other trades-as well as providing basic education, these homes help facilitate long-term resolutions to such devastating problems. Most importantly, they share the ever-abundant love of Christ to each person they encounter. More than 40,000 children (mostly boys) live unaccompanied and unprotected on the streets of Khartoum; many are from southern and central Sudan or from Darfur. Some fled alone and are orphans. Some fled with relatives that have abandoned them. Others fled from the violence or neglect from intoxicated relatives. All are in need of a love that only Christ can provide for them.
I have been a part of many short-term “mission” trips that have taught me immensely what it is to live in the culture that I do, and the beautiful brokenness that comes from serving others. However great a blessing those experiences have been, I feel there needs to be a readjustment of our mission as Christians, which should not include an attempt to blueprint our idea of church or to slap a spiritual, emotional, or physical band-aid on a situation and then return home. I believe Iris Ministry seeks deeply to learn from natives of Sudan and to help facilitate their ownership of God’s own infinite and unique beauty in a way they see fit.
All I know is this: I love Jesus Christ. I don’t deserve the life I live. I love His people. I want His people to experience the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, as I have, in a bigger way than just a hyped-up circumstance, but rather a permanent planting or renewal of His presence in their lives. As a Christ-follower I am called to a greater purpose, one that I don’t always understand, but I must follow when I feel it is the will of God. I don’t know it all, but if I have been blessed with this precious, beautiful person of Christ and my feet have been washed, shouldn’t I be down in the dirt, washing the feet of others?
Please let me know what you think about all of this—I LOVE and need prayer and am truly blessed by the thought of my broader family joining with me in this. There is immense need where I am going, and I personally am trusting that the means to get me there will be provided. Flight, Visa, food, and general expenses that the children’s home face are all things that I am worried about, as I will also be leaving at a time when those good ole’ student loans go into repayment-in November. I don’t want to give you a number that I’m asking for. I just want God to speak to each of you if He wants you to give, and for you to be open to what that might look like. The logistics of your involvement are enclosed at the bottom, if you feel lead. I truly am overwhelmed by His constant provisions for my own and others’ lives, and am simply asking you to consider being a part of that. This is not about money or me and my life—I sincerely believe it is about opening our arms to the richness of God’s interaction with His people, in order to teach us to see His face in new places, colors, and classes. Thank you for taking time out of your day to ponder and become impassioned with me.
With Love,
grace.
wanna support me? please make checks out to me, with the subject "Sudan"...then email a request for my address in the states.
also, if you're feeling ambitious, check out: www.alhayat.us/e/sudan for the northern ministry & www.iris-sudan.org for the southern one. or, for more news on Iris, go to: www.irismin.org
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