Maranatha Chapel: Destination: Sudan, 2008 - Africa - Missions 2009 - Missions - For All

home

ministries

for all

missions

missions 2009

africa

destination: sudan, 2008

TEAM RETURNS SAFELY!

Our team from Maranatha Chapel just returned from Sudan, the front line of the spiritual battle for the continent of Africa. I look forward to sharing more about the trip with you and thank you for being such faithful prayer warriors. We felt your prayers as we ministered in the land that originally headquartered Osama bin Laden in Khartoum, the capital city, where he launched his jihad against the non-Muslim world.

Sudan is the largest nation on the African continent, slightly more than one-quarter the size of the U.S., and is bordered by nine other countries. Its people live with the constant weariness and tragedy of spiritual battle, aggravated by violent political factions and a civil war that has been fought for over 20 years. The fighting has pitted the Arab influenced, Muslim North against the Black African, Animist/Christian South. Over two million people have been killed and over four million people have been driven from their homes.

Sudan contains the province of Darfur, where government-backed Arab militia known as Janjaweed has terrorized and displaced communities of African tribal farmers. This crisis has killed at least four hundred thousand people and forced more than two million people from their homes.

Many powerful celebrities, politicians, and humanitarian groups are working to bring aid to this desperate situation. Many are doing good work. But I feel strongly about working alongside an organization that is tackling this crisis at its core, at the root cause. Far Reaching Ministries, with Wes Bentley, has formed its own “army”—an army that carries no guns or grenades, but is nevertheless armed with an even more powerful “weapon” —the Word of God.

Besides providing for the physical needs of the people, since 1999 Far Reaching Ministries has been training chaplains to serve the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA), a small resistance group trying to hold back the violent persecution Christians and other civilians have suffered in South Sudan.

These chaplains are spiritual, not combat, soldiers who bring encouragement, prayer, and the Good News to the front lines. They serve without weapons, supporting the southern soldiers spiritually, and encouraging them to engage the northern soldiers honorably, taking those who surrender as prisoners, instead of killing them. When northern soldiers are captured, these chaplains oversee their care and ensure that they are treated humanely as POWs. The chaplains are also concerned with the welfare of civilians, especially southern Sudanese civilians who are oppressed by their government, have been abused by the rebel army, and are still terrorized by militant extremist groups.1

When Far Reaching Ministries recognized the need to train these pastors and chaplains for the brutal world of Sudan, they formed the Chaplain Camel Corps, currently deployed all over southern Sudan. The Camels Corps uses camels to get into the most difficult areas to reach of Sudan, including the Nuba Mountains.

Part of our mission during this journey is to hold a chaplains conference for over 80-100 of these frontline “soldier” chaplains, to train and encourage these frontline “soldiers.” I look forward to meeting these brave men, and to encouraging them through teaching, fellowship, and practical support.

Financially, Maranatha Chapel is contributing:

•$20,000 toward the building of a new church, Maranatha Chapel Pageri, Sudan. Please pray for this growing church and Pastor Tobias Abunchan Francis.

• Funds to purchase ten Arabian-Kenyan horses for the chaplains, to increase their ability to reach the most remote villages in the Nabu mountains and other remote areas of mid-Sudan.

• Funds for ten mobile generator powered theater units. The chaplains, riding their camels and horses, carry these units into villages—some as small as 60 -80 people, others as large as several thousand—hang up a sheet, and show the Jesus movie. The response is amazing as people watch the Gospel come to life on a big “screen” and learn about Jesus. This is very exciting and moving to me, personally. Try to imagine the scene. The chaplains arrive by camel or horseback, greeted by people excited to have visitors who bring news and greetings from the rest of the world. In typical hospitable fashion, the villagers prepare a meal and welcome their guests. Then the chaplain tells them he wants to show the story of the prophet Jesus.

The response is almost always a powerful, instinctual, raw outburst of emotion. The people are very tenderhearted and open and respond as if a revelation from heaven has fallen upon the village. The harvest is abundant! Many find salvation and hope for the first time in their lives—and join the army of prayer warriors in this spiritual and physical battle for the soul of Sudan and all of Africa.

Our team of 19 from Maranatha Chapel joined nine people from Calvary Chapel Gulf Breeze. We'll be sharing the stories and ministry accomplished as soon as we have a little time to recover!

Below I’ve listed a few facts about Sudan, to give you an idea of where went.

Thank you again for your diligent prayers. I do sincerely consider Sudan to be at the frontline of a raging spiritual battle that affects the whole world; I pray for an army that knows our most powerful weapons “of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds…” (2 Corinthians 10:4).

God bless you,
Pastor Ray

your comments: media@maranathachapel.org

About Sudan:
National name: Jamhuryat as-Sudan, Republic of Sudan

Location: northeast Africa, bordering the Red Sea between Egypt and Eritrea; bordered by nine other countries.

Total area: 967,493 sq mi (Africa's largest country, slightly more than one-quarter the size of the U.S.)
Population: 39,379,358 (July 2007 est.)
Ethnic groups: black 52%, Arab 39%, Beja 6%, foreigners 2%, other 1%

Religions: Muslim 65%, Christian 23.2%, traditional ethnic 10.6%, non-religious/other 1.2% (Operation World statistics)

Languages: Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English (Note: program of Arabization in process)

Literacy:  (Definition: age 15 and over can read and write) total population: 61.1% male: 71.8% female: 50.5% (2003 est.)

Climate: arid desert in north; tropical in south; rainy season varies by region (April to November)

Terrain: desert in north; grasslands and low mountains in vast central region; swamplands and rainforest in south; Blue Nile and White Nile flow north and join near Khartoum to form the Nile River 2

1.Holcomb, Justin, Southern Sudanese Chaplains: Human Rights and The Embodiment of Peace, from The other journal, Mars Hill, http://www.theotherjournal.com/article.php?id=107
2.Samaritan’s Purse, http://sudan.samaritanspurse.org