Blog Archives

The Vocational Center

By: David and Missy Williams

Vocational School- e3 Campus Kajo Keji, South Sudan

Purpose:
To equip women and men with the skills necessary to generate an income for their families and become leaders within their church and community.

How it all began:
The Vocational School was born when a faithful follower of Christ donated 15 manual sewing machines to e3 almost a year ago.  Out of this act of obedience, the first class of entrepreneurs is about to graduate from the budding program.  Check out this video to see Mike Congrove and David Kaya discussing the school in its early phases. 

Click Read More to read the rest.....

Africa in Perspective

A great perspective on the size of Africa. (Hat tip, Tim)

http://www.doobybrain.com/2008/06/01/africa-in-perspective-its-big-really-big/

Ruth in Kapoeta

this trip God taught me few great things:
The road to Riwoto, an unengaged/unreached village, was bumpy and rough, crossing the river with no bridge.  It was approximately 12 miles from Kapoeta.  We used an old truck and it took almost 2 hours.  We saw other trucks got stuck in the mud; however; our great God took us through with out any incident.  The ride was like a bone shaker; however, it is nothing compared to the journey of our Lord to Heaven through the Old Rugged Cross.

When I entered the first compound in Riwoto, 20 adults and 15 children gathered to listen to the good news.  After I presented the Gospel starting from the spirit world, I gave the invitation to receive Christ; every one of them raised their hands.  I was like the doubting Thomas wanted to confirm their understanding; therefore, I presented the Gospel second time again and again gave the invitation to receive Christ.  This time I explained to them that Jesus is the only way; they cannot sit on the fence worshiping the spirit, their ancestors, making sacrifices and following the instructions from their witch doctors.  They confirmed that they understood.  They repeated the prayer after the translator.  I was still skeptical as we don’t see this kind of response in America.  God reminded me 1 Cor 3:6 by Paul, “I planted, Apollo watered, but God gave the increase”.  In obedience to God’s command, I planted the seed, the word of God; God raised African missionaries, Joseph from Uganda and Alfred from Sudan, well committed and deeply rooted in the word of God to nourish them by teaching the word of God and to encourage them and exhort them.  As Paul mentioned, God is the one who orchestrated this ministry and He will complete it.

Read the rest, click Read More below

Afghanistan and Sudan

Michael Yon does amazing reporting from Iraq and Afghanistan. His latest post struck me because it is EXACTLY what is needed in Sudan as well.

Not that it matters what language signs are printed in Afghanistan: most people in Zabul Province cannot read any language. The government estimates that the literacy rate is, more or less, 15%. Not that they have any real way of measuring. It could be lower. And that is why the schools that are being built by foreigners are the most important thing happening in the country. For Afghanistan to have any hope of basic material progress in coming decades, it’s important to make sure that girls can attend those schools without fear of having acid thrown on their faces by Taliban members. Boys, for that matter, need access to education unlike the fundamentalist brainwashing provided by the Taliban-run madrassas.

As for the clinics, they are just a small start to meeting the nation’s vast health care needs. The sad truth is that for the majority of Afghan peasants, the pathetically small amount of medical care that they received over the war years when they languished in the refugee camps of Pakistan — occasional inoculations, rehydration salts to prevent deaths to children and infants from diarrhea, antibiotics that we Westerners take for granted, a modicum of hygienic assistance with childbirth — were the first instances of modern medicine available to them. These clinics, which are pretty basic by our standards, represent a huge leap forward across most of this poor, war-torn nation.

Read the whole thing.

e3 Sudan’s Microfinance Directors

I’m very excited to announce that David and Missy Williams are now the Directors of Microfinance for e3 Sudan. They’ve been an absolutely huge blessing to e3, but more importantly, to the people of Sudan. They’re not only working to set up a microfinance program in Sudan, but they’re helping to jump-start the vocational school attached to the Bible School, and they’re putting an Ox and Plow program in place to help create self-sustaining opportunities for pastors. Below is a short interview with them.

Vision

We feel called to empower the people of southern Sudan both with the gospel of Jesus Christ and the opportunity to generate an income for their families in order to break the bonds of poverty.  Micro-finance seeks to promote self-empowerment by providing the means to access the resources necessary to generate an income without creating dependency within a poor community.  In addition, it provides a unique platform from which to share the gospel. 

Click Read More to read the rest....

Blake is my hero

I don’t know Blake, never met him. But, this is so cool.

http://www.iamsecond.com/#/seconds/Blake_Mankin/

If any of you feel inspired, I have projects like Blake’s that need some help.

Awesome Pics

The greatness of Todd Szalkowski shot these in Yei.

http://gallery.me.com/szalkto#100326

Enjoy....

Wrap -up Kapoeta, Photos….

Let me tell you about Benson as a way of wrapping up the stories of the trip. But to get to Benson, we have to go through Angela, the Swiss girl with a German name, but that’s not important right now--the name part.

What is important is that she went out to village in Riwoto. More specifically, she went to the school that’s got blue splashed everywhere because the UN gives/gave towards the school. (withholding comment on the lack of church names on their bags!!!) She threw in with Elise and they loved on the kids for the week. They’d sing songs with them, play games, and tell the story of Jesus. But one day, Angela had a small problem: She needed a translator. The kids learn English in school so who better than a teacher to help, enter Benson.

He stepped right up, and when Angela went through the EvangeCube, Benson turned the puzzle and elaborated on the story like an old pro. Angela was amazed, and grateful. She thanked him, and she finished the day and came back to the camp where we were staying.

Benson

A question formed in her mind: Did Benson have a relationship with Jesus? I mean, he used the EvangeCube like a veteran, but he’d never even seen it before? Angela was super bummed. How had she let this slip through her fingers? He was such a cool guy, but was he saved?

Our last day, we walk out to the red dirt airstrip at 11 a.m. to catch our Missionary Aviation Fellowship (MAF) plane. Angela is sick inside. Partly because she knows she has to crawl into a single-engine caravan, but mostly because she’s leaving and Benson is heavy on her heart.  What is his eternal future? A message comes that the plane is delayed until 1 p.m. So we trudge back to the camp, sit for awhile, eat cookies with peanut butter, then walk back to the airstrip.

As local folks begin to gather, suddenly Benson appears and he approaches Angela. She asks him, “Benson, you heard the story of Jesus, but do you know him, has He saved you?”

And he says no.

Angela stops down and goes through the whole Gospel finishing by asking Benson if he would like to pray, follow Jesus and give Him his entire heart. He says he wants that badly. So they pray and they’ll meet again in paradise.

The plane was delayed. Why? I have no idea what the excuse was, but Stephan, the German pilot, was slowed for Benson.

Another anecdote, pictures, and the numbers when you click Read More below....

Sam Kpakima

Street Cleaner. That’s what his classmates called him. He was Street Cleaner because his shoes had fallen apart. He put cardboard and paper inside them for soles. After awhile, the cardboard would drag the street, hence Sam Kpakima (Pa-kee-ma) became “Street Cleaner.” This was not a term of endearment. For three years, Sam only had one pair of shoes and he begged these same guys who made fun of him for their shoes to no avail.

Today, Sam head’s up Children In Christ’s ministry for Sudan. Today, children flock to Sam, they adore him, and through his work, they learn about Jesus and His love for kiddos. Today, Sam is begged by pastors of all denominations to come and train their children’s leaders, begged to establish children’s clubs and churches, begged by the children to learn more songs and games about our Lord, and we at e3 beg him to come on all of our trips to in Sudan to establish children’s churches while we focus on adults. Today, Sam is married to the beautiful, young Esther.

But it wasn’t always this way for Sam. Life started rough for him. He was born in a remote village in Sierra Leone. No roads connected to his village. You left a main road and walked one and half hours down a footpath to reach his village. The village was notorious for their level of participation in witchcraft. This same witchcraft impacted Sam immediately. 

Todd’s 4th Update from Yei

The work in Yei Sudan continues today, Wednesday.  We are currently teaching Discipleship and will move directly into leadership development later this morning.  This afternoon we host our 4th of 4 medical clinics.

Today we ask you to pray for us for wisdom.  We are trying to discern, along with our National Director David Kaya and our local leader Pastor Mullai, whether this is the place where we will return in late April with a team from Louisville, Ky.  It appears that we have leaders here in this place that are ready to begin the work of planting new churches.  Please pray for us as we meet and pray tonight about this decision.

Overall the team is well. ....