12 June 2012
Hiakie and Rangteigong Hegui, SIM missionaries from North East India (NEI) have served sacrificially in South Sudan, the newest country in the world. Hiakie is the Director of the Sudan Interior Church Secondary School, originally located in Yabus, Southern Blue Nile.

Although South Sudan gained its independence in July 2011, the referendum for the Southern Blue Nile people to decide on joining Sudan or South Sudan was never held. In September, bombs from the north began to rain down on Yabus and other towns and villages. Tens of thousands of people, including the school’s students, have been displaced to the Doro area of South Sudan. This has necessitated the relocation of the school from Yabus to Doro. Hiekie and Rangtei tell the story of the relocation process and events:

	SIM's Hiakie Hegui, right) retrieves items from the former campus

"On 8th December 2011, we sent a lorry with 15 students to retrieve school materials from Yabus because it had been bombed and the fighting was still going on. However, some Yabus community leaders opposed the transportation of materials to Doro, so they sent the lorry back empty on the third day. What a discouraging moment!

I complained to God, “Why? Have I not prayed for it? Why do you let me struggle so hard in organizing and begging people to let things be brought across the border? All of these properties are Yours, purchased with Your money, and the people have vandalized the compound and many precious things have been stolen away.” Tears rolled down my face.

But God has His own timing and way of doing things. He opened the way on 27 January 2012, so we sent another lorry which returned the next day loaded with many things. It was a great moment for us and we praised Him!

In the following weeks, more lorries were sent but when the fourth lorry was sent, a bomb was dropped in close proximity. Thankfully, God protected us. The bomb missed the lorry by a few meters; no one was injured.

Unfortunately, we were unable to send more lorries after eight trips, so all the materials left behind were looted and destroyed. About 110 bags of cement had been removed from the store and ripped open, wooden tables and plastic barrels for water had been damaged, doors and windows of the houses were broken, and some solar panels, a welding machine, plastic chairs, metal beds and mattresses had been stolen. On top of all this, our Toyota Land Cruiser and Thuraya were taken and have yet to be returned to us. Please continue to pray for these problems.

Despite all these challenges and the unexpected crash on 2 April of a plane carrying cargo for the Secondary School and housing projects in Doro, we are moving ahead with the unconditional support of the local people and the different tribes under the Sudan Interior Church (SIC). We aim to complete the construction by the end of 2012.

Almost every week, we visit refugee camps and attend their church services. We also try to help families living under the trees with the little that we have such as sugar, soap, tea leaves, biscuits and clothes, after which we encourage them with the Word of God and pray with them. God in his grace provided opportunities for us to give our tithes to the local church we attend from time to time as an encouragement for the church members to give to the Lord. We are much encouraged by their response. In one particular church, the members said that this was the first time they had seen missionaries giving tithes to their church; they promised to give to the Lord in future. We thank God for touching the hearts of His people. Please pray for them to have a giving heart for the Lord.

Pray

• Please pray for peace. Once, we felt that peace was returning to South Sudan, but like a dream it is gone, and bombing continues.
• for wisdom in planning the new school and for the successful involvement of the SIC leaders
• for God’s blessing on the construction work, and progress despite the rains. Obtaining materials is very difficult since the separation of South Sudan and price escalation is a major issue.
• that God would provide funds to rebuild the school from scratch
• for Hiakie and Rangteigong Heguie, James Donovan and Helenne Rajak working for the school. Pray that God would provide the right missionaries to be part of our team.

Give

If you would like to donate to the SIC Secondary School, please contact your nearest SIM office or give online to 98019.

SIM is blessed to have 21 missionaries from North East India serving in our ministries worldwide, with more candidates in training. Like Haikie Hegui, their contribution has been tremendous. If you would like to help sponsor a north east Indian missionary, please visit Missionary Assistance Fund. Thank you and God bless!

	Hiakie Hegui leads devotions before beginning the day's labor of building the Secondary School