March 2010

The Church in South Sudan is Growing!

Even with obstacles that would keep most congregations in our country fromgrowing,the church
in South Sudan is growing in a very encouraging way. The church in the village of Opari is a good example.
One year ago, this congregation did not exist. However, Samuel Akeri, a native Sudanese living in Nashville, Tennessee, went back to his home village of Opari to establish a church of Christ there.
We visited his village at that time, met the people, and preached for them.Isaya Jackson traveled from the Sudanese capital of Juba to teach more and to baptize.

A year later, on our recent trip back to Sudan in February of 2010,we returned to visit Opari and found the new church thriving! Many have been baptized during this past year, and the attendance the previous Sunday had been 99, including 54 adults and 45 children.

Julius Mindra lives in Opari and is a great example of how the church grows in sudan. Julius, a former Catholic,began preaching barely three months after he was baptized, very much like the New Testament examples we study. Julius is now successfully evangelizing and baptizing others, as shown in this picture.

A note from some of the Sudanese Christians that accompanied these photos said, "We are so grateful to the Lord for this increase. Can you see how very important you are as a partner? As we team up together, the Gospel of Christ is being shared throughout Sudan."

This success comes despite the minimal training these faithful church leaders have experienced. Isaya Jackson conducts a one-week leadership training session twice each year. The accompanying picture represents one of this year’s training session with
leaders coming to study and learn more from 11 different Sudanese congregations.

The urgency of getting the preacher-training school established is illustrated as we think of how much could be accomplished if these men and others had opportunity for more concentrated training and study!

Congregations Now Have Grape Juice for Communion

These men are holding boxes of the Welch’s powdered grape juice provided for communion in the Sudanese congregations.Many of these congregations are now able to participate in the Lord’s supper every week for the very first time!

The small boxes had to be hand-carried to them in baggage from the United States. However, each small box contains 10 packages and so provides communion for a congregation for upto two months.

Some exciting announcements will be made soon as a result of the findings of the recent trip to
Sudan. Be watching future newsletters!