Josh Up North

Every so often you get to meet one of the really good guys in the Kingdom of God. A good guy who humbles you. Take a look at this photo. The other white guy, young and with the hat is Josh. I’m withholding his last name at his request. You see Josh wants to go to the hard places. Places where physical persecution for your faith in Christ is a reality. So he agreed that I could post his photo and first name, but not his last. After this photo was snapped, Josh and John headed to John’s home village where Josh would eat, sleep, and live for the next few weeks. A village where they drink straight out of the river because there are no bore holes, no wells, and one water filtration system that an organization walked away from unfinished--useless.

Right next to him is John Monychol. He’s a good guy. Yeah, they both are, but John is the one who really humbles us. The one who makes you want to increase your faith. To sacrifice more, to stretch.

John’s brother is a Major General in the Southern People’s Liberation Army (SPLA). John was in the SPLA and could be an officer today. John’s had many job offers from Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs). He’s educated, trustworthy, able to think ahead, well-organized, and always calm. He has a presence. He’s turned down almost all of the job offers he’s received from the NGOs. He eschews the big towns for his rural villages. He doesn’t want to be transferred. He wants to stay in his area and bring the Gospel to his people.

He did, however, finally take one job at an NGO in his home village. He’s their grounds’ caretaker. With that job, he can get the time off he needs to pastor, disciple, and plant new churches.

While in a refugee camp, he had an opportunity to become a Lost Boy. Come to America or Germany, or some Western country to start a new life. He purposefully failed their screening tests to stay home.

One of the good guys.

Josh spent several weeks with John and he reported all this to me in a Starbucks the other day. Over that incredible, red passion-lemonade-tea, here’s what Josh shared with me. John’s vision is to stay--of course--in his home village and start a training center for pastors and church leaders. He wants to work interdenominationally. He realizes time is too short to build his Kingdom when he should be building His.

Secondly, he wants to start a Christian school. There are two schools in his area. A government school that is unreliable and not respected and an Islamic Madrassa. The Madrassa has a more reliable curriculum, so most of the children go to that school. Yet the vast majority don’t want their children there because they fear indoctrination.

Now here’s a twist for you. John has a primary disciple named James. James is the best (only?) English teacher in the area. James, a Jesus follower, teaches in the Madrassa. The Muslims need James because he teaches English. James agreed so he can be salt and light for those kiddos and their nervous parents. It’s messy in Sudan. Nothing’s easy.

John on the left

Josh and John pulled together the pastors they could find and other church (potential) leaders. They trained them in church planting, evangelism, spiritual warfare, and more. Then they had them go out and share the Gospel tukel to tukel. It was the first time they’d shared their faith like that. The first time. Pastors. Are you seeing the picture in this place? It’s very strategic. Near the border. An Islamic influence. Church leaders totally untrained in orthopraxy. Orthopraxy? Yeah, actually “doing” stuff Jesus told us to.

Josh is a good guy too. He actually thinks you should do what the Bible instructs. He’s nutty like that. John and him discuss another problem in the area: orphans. John has one child, yet 13 live in his two tukels. He and his wife take care of as many as they can handle. But he wasn’t satisfied. He wanted to take in seven more right away. So here’s what these two good guys cooked up. Josh bought John’s church a boat. Next, John put his four elders at his church to work. They’d take turns taking the boat out fishing. Half of whatever they caught goes to the seven orphans, the other half they can keep to eat and sell. Now I love this. These orphans need mommas and John is a man of one wife. So Josh and John approached several widows who agreed to help mother these little ones, and they get to eat the caught fish as well.

Good guys in the Kingdom of God. I’m humbled and praying about how we can help and bless John.

Mike

Posted by on 08/26 at 10:59 AM

Return to the blog archives.