Part 4 of 4: Joseph and Alfred
Part 4 of 4 (finally), in our series on e3 Sudan’s Indigenous Missionaries.
Joseph and Alfred
In 2006, when David Kaya and I were trying to figure which way was up in Sudan, a missionary there asked us to consider looking at the Toposa and Didinga tribes for a work. Both are unreached. That means that less than two percent of their total population has been evangelized.
We ended up working with the Toposa and Hyde Park Baptist Church in Austin indicated they wanted to make a long-term commitment to establish churches amongst the Toposa.
Somewhere in the midst of this process, David and I learned that you have to have long-term folks living amongst any unreached tribe for the churches to work. Enter Joseph and Alfred.
Fortunately, not only did they have a person of peace, they had a great Christian leader to help them get started. He helped them establish a “preaching point” in the main town of Kapoeta. However, after about three weeks, they were asked to leave by a local denomination (that I won’t name).
This leader then asked them if they’d go about 15 kilometers away to his home village. They agreed, and the chief welcomed them. The chief was so supportive he gave them a plot of land to pitch their tent on and live off of. However, when the chief left, the tribesmen came over and told Joseph and Alfred that only Toposa could be on that land, and they needed to find a new home post haste.
The local commissioner took Joseph and Alfred in and kept them safe. He told them they were free to put their tent on his compound. Then the tribe told Joseph and Alfred about a plot of land where another missionary had lived years ago, David Gladstone. They said his plot of land had remained untouched since he fled, with them, from the war. It was designated as missionary land and they could use it however they saw fit.
Joseph with their first tent, which was eaten by gazelles.
From this point, things began to change for our guys. God brought two young men who spoke English and could translate for them. In fact, one has gone on to our Bible School where he’s doing quite well.
Joseph and Alfred started three cell groups with about 10 or 15 folks in each one. Joseph and Alfred would teach the leaders of the cell groups a bible lesson, then that leader would teach the group. Discipleship!
Alfred and his wife
They reported several things, but one stood out where a woman coming to one of the cell groups promptly burned the charms she’d hung on her baby.
All the above was as of January. Below is the note I just received from Joseph:
Hi Mike,
Greetings to you, family and e3 staff. We in Kapoeta are fairing on with work and life. I came back some 3 weeks ago. Since I came there have been many challenges:
No translator- those who have been with us before left due to lack of support for their families- Andrew and Joseph
Our new tent was destroyed by the wind and rats- I’m now sharing the tent with scorpions, snakes, rats and other rodents. Rains have not yet come- though they are threatening to do so, but when the rain season begins Im not sure of our fate here in Riwoto
My colleague Alfred has not shown up, though I was told he left a month ago. Please pray for Kapoeta and RiwotoJoseph
We don’t know where Alfred is, and he’s not the kind of man to run away. We’re deeply concerned for his welfare. He’s been missing for a couple of weeks now.
Please pray for these men. Their level of sacrifice is extremely high.
Posted by on 03/11 at 07:58 PM