Expectations For 2007

We are so thankful to God that He is moving powerfully in Southern Sudan. Thousands of people are turning to Christ. No doubt that the suffering that the southerners have faced has ripened their hearts to turn to Christ. Our goals for 2007 are to see the flood of salvations continue. We will continue our village crusades and school assembly evangelism. These two outreaches were the means of thousands of salvations in 2006. This year we are going to add two additional outreach approaches. Soccer outreach will be a big attraction in village life. People will always attend a "football" match, these community social events are also very healing to the war torn phyche. It is also a great entrance into the hearts of the boys and young men.

We are also planning to use HIV/Aids education as an evangelistic outreach. Unfortunately returning refugees are bringing HIV back with them. We have already gotten our Aids literature into every school in Juba. This year it is our goal to do hundreds of Aids awareness presentations to both help people avoid Aids, give hope to those who have been exposed to this deadly disease and to give the Gospel message. We are currently looking for sponsors for these new outreaches.

In 2007 we have three other major goals: We want to improve our effectiveness in discipling and assimilating converts into our churches. Second, we want to plant more churches. Third, we want to continue training young leaders. These goals fit together and compliment one another. We also want to begin to develop the property that has been given to us and drill some community wells. We will of course continue feeding the hungry, providing medicine and medical help, providing school supplies and finding ways of bringing hope and encouragement to the disenfranchised.

There are so many stories of transformed lives in Southern Sudan through the love of Jesus Christ. Last March when out team was there doing conferences a Moslem student at the Teachers College named Hagar,* from an area north of Juba, attended the Sunday morning service in the Liwolo Church. Louise was ministering and offered to pray for the sick that morning; Hagar who had been suffering from a severe headache for three days went forward for prayer. She was instantly healed. Later in the meeting Louise made a call for those who wanted to receive Christ as their Savior, Hagar responded again. In August I was back in Liwolo to teach in a leadership development intensive and Hagar and her sister were both attending the intensive. Her sister had also gotten saved. Later in October Louise had returned to Liwolo and at the Sunday morning service that day Hagar’s sister was leading the worship and Hagar was on the worship team. They are both planning to return soon to their dominantly Moslem home area, as part of a church planting team.
* For their protection we did not name the home town or give their real names.