cush4christ

We Are Going to Heaven

2009-05-17T11:22:00.000-07:00

�Sister, we are going to heaven� I said to Asunta. There we were under Dut's grass shelter. Asunta had just shared how she was in a very bad situation living with her husband's first wife. Where is their husband? He is in prison because he has not paid the dowry for his marriage to Asunta. To make her situation worse there is no food in the house and she struggles daily to sell firewood in the market to feed her family.

�Sister, we are going to heaven,� I said. Asunta replied with a big smile, �Yes, we are going to heaven. Heaven is a very very good place.� I could see in her countenance that she has this hope that has not disappointed her.

I had been visiting with Dut and his family when Asunta came over to greet me. Dut and his family are probably the poorest in the village. Every morning they are weighed down by the burden to find food. I turned to Dut and said, �Hunger is not there in heaven.� With the reply of a believer he said, �Yes, hunger is not there. Heaven is a very very good place.�

When I came home I reminded my weary wife that 'we are going to heaven'. She looked up to me with longing eyes and said, 'yes, but I think the people here have a greater hope for heaven. We can get on a plane to cooler weather. There we can enjoy cheese and salad. But our neighbors don't have any escape from their troubles. They can only find hope in Jesus.'

Note: Both Asunta and Dut's families attend the Parot Community Church. Pray for wisdom to better equip the saints to serve with biblical expressions of mercy to the poorer families in the community.

Fear and Trepidation

2009-03-19T06:07:00.000-07:00

I just agreed to do something today that a couple of years ago almost caused me burn-out. Actually, I'm not sure if burn-out is what it was, but that'll give you the general idea. And the thing is I brought it up and volunteered to do it. You may have heard us in our emails or elsewhere talk about CHE - Community Health Empowerment. Well, I'm the one on the team that has the most training in this thing but 2 years ago as we were making efforts to implement a CHE program I begun to shut down - emotionally and spiritually. We still believe that God can use this tool for His glory and for the good of His people here in Sudan, but how to implement in this context is the big question at hand. I agreed today to begin meeting with a few ladies at our mission church a few miles down the road from here in hopes that something will take hold - that God would use them to begin to facilitate transformational development in their community.

One reason I am even willing to do this right now is because of something I read in a recent issue of IJFM (International Journal of Frontier Missiology). It was a transcription of a talk given by Jamie Winship. While he was in Indonesia a fellow kingdom worker said to him, "Here's your problem. There's not a technique to this. Now you've got the tool, the problem is, you keep telling God what he can do and what he can't do. Stop telling him that. Ask him what he wants to do and do whatever he says." (25:4 Winter 2008 - 196) Also recently finished reading through Joshua. One of the passages that really struck me was 13:1-7. I won't quote the whole thing here but in part it says God told Joshua, "You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to possess... I myself will drive them out from before the people of Israel. Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance..." I'm ashamed to say that often I am telling God what he can and can't do with these tools he's given me. I am going out to "possess the land" thinking God needs me to do it for him. But if I am really not able to do it he can do it without me. But he loves to use his people to expand his kingdom. Willingness is what he really wants from me. And his might shines in my weakness.

So, with fear and trepidation, I agreed to something today that 2 years ago caused me to dry up. But today I agreed to do it. Not because I can do it, but because I believe God can and that he wants to use me. Pray with me that God will use this tool that he has given me and that I will listen to him as to how he wants me to use it.

Heather

Downtown Parot

2009-01-15T13:43:00.000-08:00

Greetings from our small village which we jokingly refer to as, downtown Parot. It is in fact anything but the downtown of a city. We also refer to it as the bush, which is more accurate. In this, the dry season, our surrounding scenery consists of golden dried grasses, brown dirt and small bushes most of which are boasting a green, but dusty, foliage. The cows and goats wander around most afternoons and many species of colorful birds can be observed right from our front room. Even here, however, stealing a moment to do some writing can be challenging. I have frequently said that life here in Sudan is not hectic like it can be in North America, yet in so many ways the days are full and busy. As a missionary friend has recently confirmed, being a wife and a Mom and a missionary here in Africa has it's particular challenges. Amidst schooling a five year old, keeping a two year old out of trouble and a seven month old cared for, neighbours frequently drop by for tea or with wounds to dress or with requests for soap and petroleum jelly. The local kids drop by with a ball to pump up. Diaper laundry is done by hand. All meals are prepared from scratch as there is no refrigerator to pull things out of to reheat. The recent addition of a solar electrical system at our house has made such a big and enjoyable difference. We can now enjoy sufficient lighting to do dishes and read a book in the evening and ample power to use our computer at home. We see this and other commodities (such as a cement floor, an outdoor shower and a water filter) as deluxe amenities which we are truly thankful for.

We recently enjoyed Christmas in Sudan for the first time. It was an interesting cultural experience. Here, just as in the Western world, people love to celebrate Christmas without truly welcoming Christ into their lives. As we contemplate the year ahead, our commitment to bringing the hope of Christ to this nation is renewed.

2009 holds many projects and events for the Cush4Christ team for which we covet your prayers… We will soon be joined by a new team member. Scott will be joining our team on a permanent basis in February. He will be involved in friendship evangelism and discipling as well as playing a key role in the establishing of a Christian FM radio station. We will be partnering with other Christian organizations namely Aid Sudan, FEBA, Galcom, and Diguna in providing quality Christian radio. This society whose culture is quickly disintegrating and adopting the worst of the west deeply needs life changing messages.

We will be continuing the work of training of church planters and developing strategies of sustaining pastors and members through micro enterprise.

In the summer, we (the Wards) will be headed to North America for our official time of deputation. Along with visiting family and friends we will be touring churches to present our work. We as a team are trusting God for financial sustenance of this work beyond this year.

And really we are trusting God for this entire year. There are many questions about what this year may hold, but how great it is to be in the service of the One who knows all and controls all, and who loves and cares for His children. Julie

All In An Hour

2008-11-15T10:48:00.000-08:00

I think one of the weirdest things about being on the field for me is the sheer spectrum of things that can happen in a given day, even in a single hour. For example, as I type, three of my children are charging through the house, pillow cover capes flapping, toilet paper roll wrist bands popping off forearms on impact. Twenty-five minutes earlier I was slaloming scrubby shrubs with the dirt bike to a nearby hut to assess a sick person's condition - malarial infestation. Forty minutes before that I was praying with three of our church planters. One of the men, our beloved Majok, with grimaced face, was grappling with the incredible loss he experienced last week. His seven year old daughter, Agul, was badly burned after their luak (cattle hut) caught on fire. Not long after she arrived at the understaffed, under equipped hospital, she passed away, with burns to 80% of her body. The scene that unfolded as we lifted her little body out of the Land Cruiser the next day at Majok's house still haunts me. Grief-stricken ladies wailing. Arms flailing. Bodies lurching. Cataracts weeping. Sun scorching. Daughter and Mother locked in mortal combat with charred sticks as they accused, lamented, fomented. For a moment I thought I was in Hades. I hated being the hearse driver, the news breaker, the pallbearer. My heart ached with the loss. For more than a moment an east-of-Eden despair gripped me and near wrestled me into the dust. Majok stood motionless for the most part, drunk with loss, filled with grief. Numb. It was this man, our beloved Majok, with teary eyes, who said at the end of our training session: �My house is cursed.� Some years ago his Uncle went to a witch doctor and, for reasons that are beyond me, subjected himself to some dark ritual. The incantation empowered him to curse his relatives with death. He died in Majok's luak. The curse passed to Majok's father, then to the eldest son, then to the second son, all dead. Majok is the third born. But he is also the first believer. He wants the curse broken, the incantation neutralized. How is that done exactly? Tomorrow the Lord will have to lead. As we meet as Majok's house after the worship service, the Holy Spirit will have to coach us through the practical outworking of Colossians 2:15: �He [Jesus] took away the weapons of the powers and authorities. He made a public show of them. He won the battle over them by dying on the cross.� - Andrew

Another Day in Sudan

2008-10-30T10:56:00.000-07:00

7:22 am My eyes flutter open as the morning rays of sun brighten the room. I grab my watch to check the time. It is Thursday morning - when we have our women's prayer walk. I have 8 minutes to get dressed, throw my hair in a ponytail, wash my face, and meet Heather and Julie outside.

7:30 am We decide to take a route we have not traveled in some time. Usually during the rainy season many paths are under water, if not unusable. But the rains are just about finished, and it hasn't rained for about a week and a half now.

It is refreshing to begin the day this way, and I wonder why I don't do it more often. The cool morning breeze greets us, as well as a slew of other men and women, on bicycle and on foot, most of whom are heading to the market. This is an opportunity to pray on site for our community. The various mud huts, neighbors, and other sights we pass inspire many prayers we might not otherwise think of. We enjoy God's creation and praise Him for it.

8:15 am I come back to my doorstep to find that Daniel has already brewed his morning coffee and boiled the water for our oatmeal. (We use a single-burner hiking stove fueled by kerosene.) Nine-month old Samuel is screeching away and happy to see his mommy walk in the door.

Akec, our hired lady, has already arrived and begun to work outside. She is using a �pur� (a long wooden pole with an iron blade at the end) to �gek� (clear grass from the ground) a path around the circumference of our house. This circle of grassless ground is to prevent any grassfires from making their way to our house. The Dinka are known for clearing vast stretches of land by fire.

9:30 am I begin my diaper laundry for the week. Washing cloth diapers by hand used to take me much longer. But a few tricks from Julie has helped to make things more efficient. I use a wash basin and some bleach water and a little detergent. Soon the diapers are strung out on our line, ready to be bleached again by the unrelenting Sudanese sun.

10:16 am It's only mid-morning and it seems I've had half the neighborhood at my door: one lady wanting a glass of tea, a couple of kids selling pumpkins, a boy wanting to use our bicycle pump, another lady wanting tea (and more), another boy wanting to use our bicycle pump� Living in Sudan is certainly a commitment to living AMONG the people. The moments when one can be alone are rare. I'm still learning to thank the Lord for these divinely appointed interactions, and not to see them as interruptions.

11:33 I was planning on biking to the market to buy our daily bread. But Daniel has not returned yet. He is working this morning with a local hired man, taking some soil samples and making some test bricks with a manual brick press. We are in the process of building a training center, and the guys need to make some more bricks to finish the job. Vince volunteers to go get the bread.

1:16 pm We sit down to lunch. We thank the Lord for the freshly baked bread. We pray for the Lord to provide for our neighbors and for wisdom in how we can be gracious in sharing our abundance with them. We open the margarine, jam, peanut butter and honey and dig in.

2:18 pm It's mid afternoon, and I've had more people at my door: a neighbor girl wanting permission to pick up some branches from our yard, kids asking for tin cans, a well-dressed English speaking man on a motorcycle, looking for Vince.

Samuel is taking his afternoon nap, for which I'm thankful. His napping schedule is unpredictable these days.

Daniel is reading a book on micro-industry. He is considering options for income-generating projects among the people here. We are looking for means for our future elders/pastors to support themselves until the church-plants can do so. We are exploring projects for churches to undertake in effort to generate income for mercy ministry in their communities.

4:00ish We gather for our team prayer time. We usually do this on Wednesdays, but Vince was gone all day yesterday, so we pushed our schedule back a day. It is a blessing to commit our burdens to the Lord. Our hearts are knit together as we bow together.

5:55 pm Just about ready to head over for dinner. We are eating as a team tonight. I have had my evening shower and am feeling slightly less sticky. This afternoon I've had yet more people at my door: another girl asking for tin cans, a group of young boys that just seem to want to stare in, more important-looking men looking for Vince, more boys asking for tin cans, Manut, our cattler-driver, coming to return our cows back home for the evening�

I have been looking forward to dinner to catch up on some of the events of the past few days. On Tuesday there was a competition for arranging/composing Psalm Tunes. Yesterday Vince took a group of women to a women's seminar, over an hour's drive away. We will probably discuss these things and more over dinner.

(Later than usual) Dinnertime is usually followed by family worship, clean-up, showers and bedtime for the kids, perhaps a little reading by solar lantern (if the bugs aren't too bad), and then our daily send/receive of emails. Tonight was a little different in that we had a team meeting to catch up on some things.

My head hits the pillow, grateful for a soft surface to rest. It's been a long day and I'm ready to recharge. I tuck in my mosquito net around me, and it's not long before I'm fast asleep.

Straight from Sudan

2008-04-30T00:26:00.000-07:00

Written at 10AM on April 30th

I don't know if this will quite revolutionize our mission, but we are very happy to now have the ability to send updates, or short blogs, if you will, to our website from our little village in the bush. We pray that God will use this tool to advance Christ's Kingdom as well as to equip and build up kingdom workers/partners for the work He is doing here in Aweil, Southern Sudan.

I won't tell you much about us as you can find that info elsewhere on this website. But I will tell you a little bit about what's going on right now.

At this very moment I can hear some men mixing cement with a hoe in a wheelbarrow. That is for the Faris' house. Today Daniel and his work crew are beginning to pour their cement floor. Pray there will be no major cracks when it's all said and done. It is very difficult to lay crackless cement slabs in this environment. And if their are cracks there will be ants and termites. Right now, Natalie is busy taking care of baby Samuel and making some "chai" (tea - with A LOT of sugar in it) for their work crew. Always good to keep the workers happy!

I can also hear the brick press a little further on. We have some guys working to make curved interlocking bricks for the purpose of building cisterns. With the rainy season practically upon us we are eager to catch as much of that liquid gift from above. Typically we get water carried to us from a nearby borehole in plastic jerry cans which we store in larger plastic reservoirs in our homes. If we were able to store up rain water we might be able to collect enough water to last a good bit of the year (if not the whole of the year).

Luke Stringer is singing a happy little tune a short ways away. He's the Stringers' youngest son (3 years old, almost). Over at the Stringer house the older boys (Aaron - 13, Liam - 11, Joel - 8 and Nate - almost 7) are probably busy with their mom, Beth, doing their home school work. If they finish in good time they will get to go out and play some football (a.k.a. soccer with some of the neighborhood boys or do some target practice with their slingshots). Andrew is putting the finishing touches on the first of the cisterns in their backyard. Later in the day he'll probably take a break from the physical labor and work on some elder training curriculum. Luke and Jonathan (4) are likely busy developing their imagination playing the parts of cowboys or Roman soldiers or something to that effect.

Vince Ward has gone to Aweil Town today. Aweil Town is about a 30-50 minute drive from here - the time variance is based on the person behind the wheel, the number of goats and sheep and cows on the road and how many heavy trucks that have gone on the road since the last time they graded it. The road is not tarmaked so the heavy vehicles and rain create ruts making the road quite bumpy, but still passable, unlike the other dirt/clay roads during the rainy season. In Aweil Town Vince is meeting with some church leaders for some training and planning. He'll also be bringing home some supplies that we have asked him to pick up - fence posts, tomato paste, vaccinations for Samuel Faris...

Julie Ward is busy getting ready for their trip to Kenya next week. She is due to deliver their third child at the end of May so they are headed to Kenya where there are some very fine hospitals and medical care available. Her parents are even coming from Canada for a couple weeks to help out after the delivery and to welcome their new grandchild into the world. Pray for all of the details - for strength, safety, health, travel... Samuel (4) and Zakari (almost 2) are excited because they get to try on clothes today. They need to see which ones still fit so they can pack their cooler weather clothes for their trip to Kenya.

As for me, well, I'm in my hut typing this blog. I've got papers strewn about me that I should probably attend to. If our Dinka editors show up today I'll be working with them to get our Chronological Bible Story set all ready for the Wards to take with them to Kenya to be printed and bound for use here in Sudan by church leaders in the coming months. But I think first I'll sweep my floor clear of all the debris that has fallen on it. That's life in a thatched-roof mud hut!

Peace,

Heather Huizing
for the team

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2008-04-15T18:06:00.000-07:00

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