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PEACE for South Sudan
by Nate Kidder
6 June 2012 Over the last several decades, peace in South Sudan has been a fleeting notion. It rests upon the landscape as tantalizing to observers as a mirage in the desert. In desperation, one crawls close enough to experience it only to find that it vanishes in the wind. It becomes vital, therefore, when we speak of peace in South Sudan, to consider first the spiritual peace that comes from the Lord Jesus. John 14:27 can be a helpful roadmap for us as we move toward this goal. The peace spoken of here is:
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." -Jesus Let us pray primarily for the South Sudanese that this peace from Jesus would spread (through evangelism), take root (through discipleship), and encourage (by consideration of the heavenly reward) those who continually experience physical peace as a mirage.
Concerning the pursuit of physical and government-determined peace, we can see how God has granted South Sudan a promising start. Since separation from Sudan in July 2011, there have been several important steps. We can continue to pray for the many challenges:
Pray for Housing Needs: 15 for 15 in 12
However, the time has come to lay a few new foundations. Please pray with us as we seek the Lord's provision for 15 new houses for 15 new missionaries in the next 12 months. We are calling it the “15 for 15 in 12.” To learn more visit Homes for South Sudan. If you would like to donate to the construction of these homes, please contact your nearest SIM office or give online to project 98300. Thank you and God bless!
9 March 2012
30 January 2012: PRAY for the situation in Blue Nile state:
10 January 2012
30 November 2011: SIM continues to covet your prayers as we wade into this humanitarian crises. In partnership with the leadership of the Sudan Interior Church (SIC), we desire to be sensitive to God’s leading.
Thank you for your prayers, without which we could not continue our work. SIM's South Sudan Relief Project is now receiving donations. 22 November 2011: Tens of thousands of refugees are streaming in from Blue Nile region, and have camped at Doro. The sea of people stretches for many kilometers.
No bombs have dropped within Upper Nile region since the 8 November incident in New Guffa. Many bombings have been reported inside Blue Nile State (i.e. Chali, Yabus airstrip, Bellatuma), and bombing in Doro remains a possibility. However, two SPLA (army of South Sudan) divisions have formed a defensive curtain along the border between South Sudan and Sudan. Many have cited the possibility of cross-border militia attacks. The UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) is now present in Doro, along with a handful of other volunteers from various NGOs. SIM's Doro Primary Health Care Unit is currently being operated by our Community Health Workers (CHWs), trained by Barb Hartwig and Vicki Beattie. Dr. Atar, a Sudanese doctor from Kurmuk, has set up his operations in Bunj clinic, with support from Samaritan’s Purse. SIM is sending an assessment team to determine the current patient load is at the clinic, and to collect accurate data on the situation in Doro. With tens of thousands of refugees, the human landscape of Doro area has been completely altered. Our brothers and sisters from the SIC church of Blue Nile have scattered to Ethiopia and to Mabaan county. God’s people, who became a church through SIM’s efforts, are now in trouble again. We covet your prayers as we wrestle with these questions, desiring to be sensitive to God’s leading.
Thank you for your prayers, without which we could not continue our work.
Remaining Team Evacuates from Doro, South Sudan12 November 2011: The remaining SIM team members from Doro, South Sudan, were successfully air evacuated to Nairobi, Kenya, over the weekend. We thank you deeply for your prayers for this team as they recover, and for our Sudanese sisters and brothers who are even now enduring more fighting and killing. Please continue to pray. Thank you.
11 November 2011: SIM's five team members from Doro are now in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, and will fly to Nairobi on Saturday, 12 November. One of our team members writes: "Thanks for praying, please keep praying for those we left behind. The bombings continue, and they are getting closer. Refugees are flooding into Doro now - there were people camped all over the field in front of the clinic this morning, and yesterday afternoon, there was only one family. A hard time to be leaving. Many people are in great need." Mission bases in the towns of Melut, Malakal, and Thiangrial remain secure and unaffected. 10 November 2011: Thank you for your prayers and words of encouragement to SIM and its workers. They mean so much to us! The remaining five SIM workers will be evacuated from Doro on Monday, 14 November. Please continue to keep our Sudanese sisters and brothers in your prayers. 9 November 2011: Because of deteriorating security conditions, six SIM team members from Doro base have been flown out of Doro this morning at 10:55 AM on an AIM Caravan and are due to arrive in Nairobi at 5:45 PM this evening. The remaining five team members have stayed behind to close down Doro base in an orderly way until the situation calms. The conflict in Blue Nile state is threatening to spill over into Upper Nile. Last night, 8 November, the sights and sounds of war have come very close. What caused this decision to extract this first wave of Doro team members was a serious and deliberate aerial bombing of New Guffa 30 kilometers north of Boing (Guffa is in South Sudan, Upper Nile state). Many Southern Sudanese have been wounded. There have been several indications of insecurity, but this direct attack on Upper Nile is a clear sign the conflict could be approaching the Doro area. Please pray for Bob Ihrig, Karissa Cail, Christiane Fox, Neil Ingall, and Sheila West as they take care of procedures for closing down the base. We do not believe they are currently in harm’s way. Also lift up Nehemiah, our Southern Sudanese compound manager, who is faithfully watching over SIM facilities and staff in Doro. Please remember our Sudanese brothers and sisters in Christ who remain in harm's way, those who have already been affected by this growing conflict, sharing in the sufferings of our Savior. Finally, please pray that cooler heads would prevail and that provocations would not lead to further conflict.
Prayer for SIC Secondary School10 October 2011: The Sudan Interior Church (SIC) Secondary School is a Christian school, formerly known as Southern Blue Nile Academy, located at Yabus Payam, Kurmuk County-Southern Blue Nile, South Sudan. The school was established by SIM in 2008, and admits students from all SIC churches, as well as a few percentage of Muslims and non-religious people. The school raises a God-fearing community through quality education, evangelism, peace and reconciliation. SIM hires Sudanese teachers who are God-fearing, with good educational background and willing to serve even in good and difficult situations. Above all, the school has missionary teachers who lay a sure and firm foundation of Christian character by word and action related to the Bible. They devote themselves, their time, knowledge and what they have to diligently serve the school willingly and without discrimination, but with love, care and selflessness. Presently, the school is in recess due to unrest in the state and most of the people are in a state of dilemma and insecurity. The local people of Blue Nile state are facing the worst situation of being displaced from their own homes and land.
Please pray:
Evacuation from South Sudan2 September 2011: SIM’s three missionaries Ryan Weeks (USA) and Hiakie and Rangteigong (northeast India) were air evacuated today, Friday, 2 September, from the town of Yabus, amidst military attacks. They are expected in Nairobi around 6:30 pm and will be cared for by our team there. Please pray for the five Sudanese teachers who could have left but chose to stay. Ryan is manager of the G Tribe outreach and is acting Yabus Base Manager. Hiakie and Rangteigong are administrators at the Secondary School of Sudan Interior Church. Please be in urgent prayer for Blue Nile state. This is the scenario which we feared might happen a month or so ago when the other two transitional states were invaded (South Khordufan and Abyei).
Noon on Friday, 2 Sept: Morning of Friday, 2 Sept:
Please pray the following:
Sudan Tribune: Sudan army attacks SPLA forces and governor’s residence in Blue Nile BBC News: Blue Nile: Sudan forces battle former SPLM rebels
INDEPENDENCE DAY
"The 'buzz' in the air was contagious and not one heart was left un-stirred as friends and 'family' danced and cried for joy as the memories of their loved ones long gone—either in death or displacement to far off countries—are no longer 'in vain'... what was fought with blood, sweat, and tears, is... being reaped in South Sudan with sounds of JOY." -Christiane with SIM in Doro, South Sudan South Sudan: World leaders welcome new nation
Fighting reignited in Abyei and Nuba Mountains, two out of the three transitional areas spanning the North-South divide. What happens on July 10th, after the declaration of independence for South Sudan? What we know is this: there are tens of thousands who have lost their lives in the last three weeks of fighting in these volatile regions. We must continue to pray for peace. Pray with us:
24 May 2011—THE SIM BASE OF YABUS IS NOW CLOSED until further notice following a statement issued by the Northern army threatening to occupy Blue Nile state beginning June 1. This means the secondary school and other church ministries have completely stopped. The Southern army is now occupying the SIM base. Please pray for protection for the facilities. The SIM team from Yabus is now safely in Nairobi. Many Sudanese friends remain in an uncertain situation. Please pray for them! In January 2011, the South voted to separate from the North. Independence day will occur in less than one month on July 9, 2011. Abyei, a Disputed Region and oil producing area, remains in Northern Sudanese control after being forcefully overtaken in late May. The area is claimed by both the southern Dinka Ngok tribe and the northern Missyeira pastoralists. Please pray for the people of Abyei who have endured so much violence and just want peace. The three Disputed Regions are Abyei, South Khordufan and Blue Nile. Please pray for food shortages and rising costs of living across the South. Trade routes between North and South have been cut off, leaving the south facing difficult weeks ahead. The South had anticipated this, but not until after the separation on July 9. SIM works in Blue Nile and Upper Nile, both of which border Ethiopia. SIM pioneering work in the 1940s and 1950s among the Uduk tribe of the Blue Nile led to a huge people movement to Jesus. Pray that the Gospel will continue to move throughout Sudan. Pray for the church, for north-south relations, that each respective government will be able to respect each other and treat each other with fairness so the ordinary citizens can live in peace and security. The BBC: UN condemns Sudan’s takeover of disputed Abyei
Thank you for standing with the people of Sudan and the Sudanese church through your prayers! From the BBC: The tug of war in Abyei and Sudan country profile
WEA Assures Southern Sudanese of Support for Referendum The WEA’s Secretary General, Dr Geoff Tunnicliffe, promised the measures in an address to Southern Sudan’s President, Vice President and other senior political leaders at the closing session of the Government-Church forum in Juba last week. In response to calls for assistance from the Southern Sudanese President and the Sudan Council of Churches, the WEA has committed to:
The referendum on January 9, 2011, is taking place to determine whether Southern Sudan will become independent from the North. Dr Tunnicliffe commended the Government of Southern Sudan for the depth of its commitment to engage with the church. He also thanked the President for demonstrating a spirit of reconciliation in offering a presidential pardon to some rebel leaders. In his closing remarks to the forum, Dr Tunnicliffe said: “The people of Sudan have suffered for many years. Now is the time for a new future that will bring peace, wholeness, dignity, freedom of belief and freedom from extreme poverty. The people of Sudan deserve nothing less.” The forum ended with a joint communiqué and several resolutions signed between the government and churches. Aiah Forday-Khabenje, General Secretary of the Association of Evangelicals of Africa (AEA), was present at the forum. He called upon the international community to support the Southern Sudanese in holding a successful and peaceful referendum. He said: “Sudan was embroiled in civil war for the best part of half a century. That war ended when the Comprehensive Peace Agreement was agreed five years ago and it is imperative that the country does not slide back into another destructive cycle of conflict and poverty. We are looking to governments to honour the commitment they made to ensure that the referendum goes ahead on time and that it does not result in further suffering for the people of Sudan.” View this article on the WEA site: http://www.worldevangelicals.org/news Support the Sudan Prayer Rally!
The World Evangelical Alliance is made up of 128 national evangelical alliances located in 7 regions and 104 associate member organizations and global networks. The WEA is the world’s largest association of evangelical Christians serving a constituency of 420 million people. The WEA is a voice to governments, media, and other faith communities and holds consultative status at the United Nations. Contact: WEA Communications, wea@worldevangelicals.org Prayer for the Women of Sudan27 September 2010 by Deborah Agnes He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. (Isaiah 40:11) In Sudan, as in many other countries in the world, the women and children suffer disproportionately as a result of their poverty. The statistics which reveal Sudan’s poverty are particularly tragic with regard to women and children:
Around the SIM base in Mabaan County, probably around 90% of women cannot read or write compared to around 40% of men. To learn to read is what women tell us that they most want help with. Improved literacy has been shown to lead to improved family health and we also look forward to improved spiritual health as the women are enabled to read the Mabaan NT for themselves. Please pray:
Praying for Sudan: God's Unifying Love21 Septmber 2010 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. - Jn. 17:15 Throughout the years of war and instability some Sudanese fled to other countries for refuge and freedom and peace, while others stayed behind. Many of us have learned about Sudan and come to love the Sudanese through meeting them in our respective countries. In the wake of the CPA and in view of the Referendum some of them are returning to Sudan to reconnect with their families and rebuild their life. Though most of the southerners (along with much of the international community) are looking toward separation from the north as the way forward, we are reminded by world history that borders and peace-keepers and political agreements alone do not make for a just and lasting peace. True peace and hope for the future can only come through forgiveness and reconciliation between neighbors. PrayAs this process unfolds we need to pray all of this into God's most capable hands. Would your join us in praying for God's unifying love to soften hearts and show the way forward, and for the church in Sudan to have the courage to lead the way? Prayer Update: Pray for Stability29 August 2010 Stability is something you want if you do not have it. A lack of stability is one of the main factors which lead to incredible poverty in Sudan. Our hearts are greatly moved when we see the fear, voicelessness, and loss of hope that comes with more than 20 years of civil war. Please be in prayer for the stability of the regions where SIM ministers and indeed all of South Sudan and Darfur. Specifically, please pray for the city of Malakal which is the capital of Upper Nile state. Please ask the Lord to calm tensions in the area which arise from two sources: First, there are armed militias in the area which have their own agenda. Several violent incidents in the past two years have been caused by militias. Loyal to a charismatic leader, the members tend to melt away into the local population to await activation. Often their identity is secret and this breeds tremendous fear and uncertainty, even causing men to send their wives and children to live in rural areas which are considered safer. Secondly, as we approach the January 2011 Referendum, the two partners in Sudan’s Unity government are positioning their armed forces to more strategic positions. In one area where SIM works, the two armies have shifted their forces to be near a major airport. Can you imagine the standoff as they watch each other across the tarmac of the only paved runway in the state? The constant tensions mean a disruption of the stability of the region. Lord, we pray that Jesus, the Prince of Peace would rule in hearts and minds over Sudan. Amen. Prayer Update: Critical Point in Sudanese History9 July 2010 We may be about to witness the birth of a new country! In January 2011, the Southern Sudanese will vote to decide whether or not to form a new country. This election is the culmination of the six-year peace process known as the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. A huge percentage of Southerners say that a Unified Sudan is not attractive and that they will vote to secede. As the Sudanese decide their fate, our need to strengthen the church increases. The new country faces many, many challenges. The Church of Jesus Christ is the only remnant of society that exists in every part of Sudan. It is also the only institution that can truly produce peace. As a Sudanese friend preaches: "There can be no peace without love." Join SIM Sudan as we pray. We are figuratively pacing the top of the wall and watching the surroundings as we anticipate prayerfully the peace to come. Expectantly, we ask the Lord to continue to create a country born in peace and security. And through church work, education, medicine, and safe drinking water, SIM Sudan is seeking to Rebuild Southern Sudan: Church & Nation. Praying for the Peace of Sudan:
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