Follow Up in Torit

After we packed the team into a 12-seat Caravan and watched them taxi and depart on the red, dirt airstrip for Kenya, David Kaya, Joe Keil, Mullai, and I jumped into the Landcruiser and drove three hours to Torit, Sudan. We crashed in a little motel on the edge of town. It was the same place, our team had stayed last June when we partnered with the local African Inland Church to plant two new churches. On the one hand, the motel had expanded and added a few nice tables outside where we ate dinner. But the positivity of that was squeezed out when we learned that the female staff not only served food, cleaned the rooms, and did laundry, but they worked as prostitutes there at night. These weren’t local girls either. They brought them in from Uganda mostly. Terribly sad.

The next morning, David and I took a drive over to neighborhood in town where half our team had worked last June to plant a church. I had left that trip with low confidence on the follow up plan. The pastor we worked with seemed not just busy with work and life, but he wanted to switch denominations. With the plant being born out of a AIC mother church in town, I figured that might cause problems. I was both right and wrong.

The pastor did indeed leave. He went to work with the Pentecostal church. He grew up in that church, and his leaving was peaceful and with a blessing. The AIC mother church then called Abraham Kesse to come and pastor the new church plant. Now, they’ve added James Loki to co-pastor the church with him. They’re running 25 adults and about 40 children each Sunday. We planted the church under a tree--our normal M.O. Then a gracious layman, Simon, helped build this structure you see here on his plot. The tree over the top is where we planted the church. I say we, but once again, clearly this is God’s doing, not ours.

I can’t tell you how encouraging it was to see this church. The local people paid for and built this structure. No American “build” teams were needed. Now, they’re looking to buy a plot of land--on their own--for a permanent spot for the church. Here’s a photo of Simon and his son:

This victory was balanced by a visit out to Kor Inglis. The other half of the team had worked to plant a church there. It was far from the mother church, which didn’t present a big problem until someone lost (had it stolen) a motorcycle. With such a hard time getting out to disciple the people, the plant is now either dead or on serious life support. But there is an Army chaplain in the area working. So we’ll pray God uses him. Here’s a photo of him standing in front of the church he’s building out there:

Posted by on 04/25 at 09:05 AM

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Wow! What a blessing after blessing!

Posted by Andrea Farenga on 04/25 at 11:45 AM

I’m still thinking of those prostitutes and hoping that someone will share Jesus with them. Thank the Lord for His provision for the young church plants!

Thanks for your faithfulness, Mike.

Posted by Marian Drops on 04/25 at 08:57 PM

God is so awesome. Can not wait till we go to Kapoeta again. Thank you Mike

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