Seven thousand miles is nothing to God

by Bob Osborne, Executive Director

It’s a moment I’ll never forget. It was the last day of a trip we’d taken to formally begin a ministry partnership in Sudan, and we were visiting one more church before departing. The trip to the church was hot, dry, and brown—so when the welcoming parade of children and brightly uniformed choirs appeared, the contrast was vivid. Everywhere we traveled, the land seemed as good as dead, but the people were full of life.

We’d already become familiar with the social customs for these visits, so we followed the children into the building and took our seats at the front. Each member of our delegation would be asked to give a short greeting, and Bishop Bismark Avokaya, our host and ministry partner, would translate for us.

It came time for Kevin Greene, missions pastor from West End PCA in Richmond, VA, to speak. He shared that there was a congregation of 100 Sudanese who met in his church’s building. They’d spoken with Kevin and his congregation about the struggles in their homeland, so Kevin’s church had been praying. When Kevin said, “I’m just so grateful to be able to be here in person, to see the people we’ve been praying for,” Bishop Avokaya broke down in tears, unable to continue translating.

The bishop is a strong, dignified man, and it is very uncommon for African men to cry in public. But this connection—how these Sudanese believers in Virginia have been aching for their homeland and sharing that ache with American believers, who then joined them in prayer and sent one of their leaders to see how the church might help—moved him deeply. The nearly 7,000 miles between Richmond and Mundri shrank to nothing in that moment, as God made His love for Southern Sudan known through an intimate, personal connection within the body of Christ: “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it…” (1 Cor. 12:26).

Looking at the history, it’s easy to see how the Sudanese could feel forgotten by God. Until just recently, Sudan was the scene of Africa’s longest running civil war. What little infrastructure there was prior to the war was largely destroyed. Southern Sudan has the highest infant mortality rates and the lowest educational indicators in the world.(1) While our team was amazed by the highly educated older leaders we met, the generation below is not at all prepared to replace them. Only 2% of boys and 1% of girls complete primary education; only 7% of teachers have had formal training. The severity of this problem cannot be exaggerated, as a recent UNICEF study found that Sudan is the youngest country in the world, with over 20% of the population under five years old and an adult population severely depleted by war and famine.(2) Only 27% of people have access to an improved water source, making spread of disease another major problem.

Today, there is a critical window of gospel opportunity in S. Sudan. A peace treaty signed between the North and the South in 2005 commits both parties to peace until 2011, when they will vote on whether to remain two separate countries, or reunite as one.

These opportunities in Southern Sudan have opened at the same time that we as a mission have been considering where God would have us expand our ministry in E. Africa. WHM has been in Uganda for more than 20 years, and Kenya for 15, and the missionary heart is always to take what is learned in one place and bring it to others not yet reached.

To say that we are excited about our partnership with churches in S. Sudan would be an understatement. Our vision is to see “movements of churches, empowered by grace, for the world’s good and God’s glory,” and we can see how grace-empowered churches could do much good and bring much glory to God in this place. Not only that, but the areas where Mundri church leaders are looking for help—healthcare, education, and church support—are exactly the areas in which WHM has developed expertise in Kenya and Uganda. And the couple God has raised up to lead this venture—Michael and Karen Masso—are seasoned World Harvest missionaries who bring 13 years of experience in Uganda to bear on the Sudan work. Michael was with us on our recent trip, and it was a delight to see how trusted and loved he has already become in this new place.

In all this, we know what the people of Mundri need more than anything else is the same thing we need in our own hearts: the power of the gospel to set sinners free and make them sons and daughters of the only true King. As a reader of Harvester, you are part of this family of faith that reaches from Richmond to Mundri, bringing the hope of the gospel to the lost places of this world. It is your partnership that enables us to walk through the doors God opens into new areas of ministry. Thank you for your prayers and financial support!

1 Source: www.savethechildren.org.
Retrieved May 21, 2008.

2 Source: “Towards a Baseline: Best Estimates of Social Indicators for Southern Sudan,” published in May 2004 by UNICEF and the New Sudan Centre for Statistics and Evaluation