Love Must Leave When Resentment Moves In...

"Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." 

                                                Colossians 3:13

This text served as my morning meditation today. I was struck by the subtle resentments that came to view as I closed my eyes. My natural inclination was to resist this admonition. Later, I read the following coment from A.W. Tozer, penned about 60 years ago...

" I do not believe that a spirit of resentment can dwell in a loving heart. In the course of scores of conferences and hundreds of conversations I have many times heard people say: "I resent that!"

But I have never heard that said by any man or woman living in conscious Christian victory!

Before resentment can enter, love must take flight and bitterness take over. The bitter soul will compile a list of slights at which it takes offense and dwell over them like a mother bear over her cubs.

Few sights are more depressing than than that of a professed Christian defending his supposed rights and bitterly resisting any attempt to violate them. Such a Christian never accepted the way of the cross. The sweet graces of meekness and humility are unknown to him.

The only cure for this sort of thing is to die to self and rise with Christ into newness of life. The man who sets the will of God as his goal will reach that goal, not by self defense, but by self abnegation. Then no matter what sort of treatment he receives from his fellow men he will be altogether at peace.

The will of God has been done - whether by curses or compliments he cares not, for he seeks not one or the other but only to do the will of God at any cost!

If there be some who take pleasure in holding him down, he is still content within himself, and will not resent them, for he seeks not advancement but the will of God."

Sudan and the Failure of Liberal Peacemaking » CIC

An insightful article on the failure of top down peacemaking and mediation efforts... click on Sudan and the Failure of Liberal Peacemaking » CIC

The Unforeseen Fruit of a Devoted Mother...

The Unforseen Fruit of a Devoted Mother...

     In honor of Mother's Day, I'd like to tell you a story about one mother whose devotion shaped not only her son's life but countless others, as well...
    Her name was Monica. A Christian, she was married to a prominent man who wasn't a believer. He was unfaithful and even beat her at times. Monica's response was to go to church every day and pray for his conversion. She hoped that by setting a godly example, even in the midst of her mistreatment, she might win him over. And that's exactly what happened.
    The suffering and anguish caused by her husband paled before what Monica's oldest son put her through. He lived a dissolute life, devoted to pleasure. He left one mistress and took up with another. His only son was born out-of-wedlock.
    His lack of faith and rejection of Christian truth hurt Monica even more. He belittled her beliefs and seemed to go out of his way to embrace Christianity's competitors for the hearts and, especially, minds of his contemporaries. He later recalled how his being "dead to that faith and spirit which my mother had from you... O, Lord" made her weep.
    Still, Monica never gave up. The greatest preacher of the time, knowing of her prayers and tears for her son, told her that "it is impossible that the son of so many tears should perish."
That preacher, Bishop Ambrose of Milan, was right. At the age of 35, Monica's son, Augustine, became a Christian and was baptized, along with his son, Adeodatus, by Ambrose. A few months later, on the way home to Hippo with Augustine and Adeodatus, Monica fell ill and died.
    Monica could not have known that her prayers and devotion would affect not only the life of her son but also the course of history. Her concern was that her son believe "the truth which is in Jesus."
This devotion to the spiritual welfare of her son is why Monica is regarded as the model for all Christian mothers. Like Susannah Wesley, her zeal for the salvation of her son had an impact far beyond anything she could have imagined.
    But there's another reason why Monica's story should resonate with us. Her concern was not only that her son give up his debauchery, as important as that was. Monica was determined that he embrace the truth of Christianity. She prayed that he would renounce false worldviews and put his sharp mind to the service of Christian truth.
And that's exactly what he did. Augustine championed the Christian worldview against the false alternatives of his day. Much of what Christians believe today was first and best articulated by Monica's son. His writings, the Confessions and the City of God, are considered classics, not only of the Christian faith, but also of all of Western culture and civilization.
    While there can be only one Monica and Augustine, every Christian mother (and father), should be concerned with their kids' worldviews. Praying for them to seek after Christian truth is a solemn duty on our part and a contribution they will always remember, whether it is Mother's Day or any other day of the year.
                                                                                                       Shared by Charles Colson in 2007

A quarter of a million people in South Sudan are blind...

Restoring Sight in South Sudan...

South Sudan is a country with some of the worst health statistics in the world and services for the blind are virtually non-existent.

More than 90% of the world's visually impaired live in developing countries, and South Sudan has some of the highest blindness rates. Underlying diseases causing blindness and visual impairment, that have been largely eradicated in other post-conflict countries, are epidemic in South Sudan.  The prevalence rate of blindness is about 3 times greater than other East African countries. There is only one functioning eye center with an opthalmologist serving serving a population of 9 million people. (WHO, The World Health Organization, recommends one ophthalmologist for every 400,000 people.) For every blind person, an average of 5 family members are affected, as the struggle for survival in one of the poorest agrarian countries in the world is shared by everyone. Blind heads of households cannot provide for their families, and blind and severely visually impaired children cannot go to school.
Cataracts are the primary cause of preventable blindness in South Sudan, and Onchocerciasis (river blindness) the second. River Blindness has been almost eliminated in 16 other African countries, yet it remains out of control in South Sudan. It can be eradicated whole villages and communities taking medication to stop larvae from an adult worm, which is transmitted by a black fly bite, from hatching under the skin and eventually attacking the retina. River blindness has become a major problem, as communities could not be reached during the war to take medicines simultaneously every 10-15 years - the life cycle of the adult worm.

Trachoma, caused by cramped and poor living conditions and a lack of clean water, is the secondary major cause of blindness. Less than 10% of the population has access to clean water.

Cataracts can be corrected with relatively simple surgery by an opthalmalogist. 

The other major cause of blindness and visual impairment is refractory problems, which can be easily assessed and corrected by trained eye care specialists who can provide affordable corrective lenses. 
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that, globally, up to 75% of all blindness is avoidable. However, in Sudan most people do not have access to health care or education about the importance of annual eye examinations to maintain sight. Poverty, inadequate healthcare and the lack of a supply of available eyeglasses renders adequate vision unattainable to most of the population. Health is the centerpiece of development and the alleviation of poverty for returning refugees - therefore, efforts to eliminate avoidable blindness among these poorest of the poor is a moral imperative.

The restoration of sight to people with vision problems is an important step toward empowering the Sudanese people. Restoring a person's sight can enable him or her to hold a job and contribute to feeding and housing a family. It can also mean that a person can participate more fully in society, and enjoy seeing the world around them and be able to read.

Operation Nehemiah's "Sight for the South Sudan" program is responding to the need...

Operation Nehemiah Missions (www.Operationsnehemiah.org), in cooperation with "Infocus" (www.infocusonline.org), a non-profit organization that empowers communities worldwide to improve eye health and eliminate preventable blindness, will provide training and logistical support to help people in Southern Sudan provide for their own eye health and vision care needs. We have been doing Eye Care Outreaches since 2007, and our plan is to establish "Vision Stations" in the capitol, Juba, and in rural areas of
Eastern Equatoria. Families can receive eye exams, quality eye glasses at affordable prices and referral for treatment of underlying medical conditions. We will arrange for cataract surgeries to be done during short term medical mission trips to our clinic in Borongole. We will train community members to serve as eye care specialists serving in our outpatient clinic in and our Mobile Medical Unit. Using equipment available through In focus, trained nationals will be able to assess for refractive errors in vision and provide eyeglasses. They may use the proceeds of spectacle sales to defray operating costs and support themselves and their families. We will be able to provide eyeglasses at about 5% of retail cost in U.S. dollars.

The cost of equipping each Vision Station is approximately $3,500.00. Please consider supporting a Sudanese Christian by giving him the opportunity to serve his community and provide for his family! Click on the "Donate Today" button on the right, or sending a check (note "Vision Station")  to;

Nehemiah Medical Missions
57 McKinley Terrace
Pittsfield, MA 01201

Who Are the Real Peacemakers in South Sudan?

"For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil work will be there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace."  James 3: 16-18

In spite of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement with the Islamic North in 2005, and the hard won independence gained this past year, South Sudan continues to be torn by animosities. Even an cursory view of South Sudan's history over the past three decades would cause any of us to wonder if there has ever been more of a need for true and authentic peacemakers. We see varying degrees of internal political, tribal and economic tensions. Once again, the Northern Islamists have declared that the South Sudanese are their "enemies". Emissaries from the United States, the U.N. and regional governments shuttle about in diplomatic efforts to avoid all-out war, but all they seem able to accomplish is superficial "peace faking" agreements that temporarily mask underlying antagonism and hostile agendas. All of this occurs within the context of a post conflict society and a culture traumatized by two generations of persecution and war. In South Sudan's civil administration, the highest honors have been reserved for the veteran fighters and war makers. These former fighters in the war have been rewarded with the choicest positions as civil authorities, with little experience or background in the negotiation or conflict resolution skills needed for their new roles of "civil servants." From a rational human perspective, it appears that South Sudan may be a simmering pot about to boil over. It would be reasonable to conclude that peacemaking efforts have largely been utter failures, occasionally interrupted by some moderate successes in bringing the worst conflicts to a brief stalemate.

The above description of the situation in South Sudan reveals how formidable the task is for Peacemakers who aim to reconcile groups or individuals that are in conflict. The difficulties inherent in this effort are significant: 1) A Peacemaker must keep his own biases and prejudices from influencing or exacerbating the tone and tenor of the dispute between the adversaries. 2) A Peacemaker helps adveraries finding common ground and interests from which an agreement can be built. This can be troublesome because some people are highly competitive, contentious, stubborn - driven to "win" regardless of the cost. Some will sacrifice any other interest just so they do not appear to "lose." 3) A Peacemaker seeks opportunities to change the views of adversaries to encourage a change in former mutually exclusive positions... Daunting tasks, indeed!

But I believe there is another, more fundamental cause for the failure of well intentioned efforts at securing peace in South Sudan. Most of us are not very accomplished at reconciling warring parties, but that is not the kind of peacemaking our Lord is concerned about for us now. He is more concerned about the way in which we live and the manner in which we conduct ourselves. It was Adam and Eve's conduct that shattered the peace between man and God. Cain's conduct shattered the peace between him and Abel and God. And so it is for all of us - our conduct makes or breaks the peace with God and man!

In God's economy, a person cannot truly make peace with other unless he is first at peace with God. "Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be" (Romans 8:7). In describing mankind, Paul says, "The way of peace they have not known" (Romans 3:17) When we become reconciled to God He dissolves our enmity and He developes peace in our character. Until then, we cannot truly be instruments of godly peace. Paul also claims  "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Roman 5:1) Here, peace implies a cessation of hostilities and a tranquillity of mind. This replaces an almost continual agitation because of the carnal mind's inborn hostlity toward  toward God and His law. These verses paint a clear picture of the horrible contention and enmity that sin causes - for where there is no strife, there is no need for a peacemaker. All of us were at war with God. "For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another." Before our conversion, we each needed a peacemaker to mediate and make reconciliation for us.

God's servant Paul tells us plainly, "Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are Ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us; we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."  II Cor. 5:18-21

We play a part in becoming Peacemakers by becoming reconciled to God by His grace. This is the first step and the primary criteria for becoming a true peacemaker. Paul tells us that he had been given the word and ministry of reconciliation as his function as an apostle of Jesus Christ. But he tells us that we, as followers of Christ are called and being prepared to assist in causing the reconciliation of the world to God. This step toward being a peacemaker is the result of His working in our lives over time. This sanctification process creates within us the ability to be a peacemaker by His definition, as He conforms us to the image of His pattern Son. The process is painful -our human nature clings tenaciously to our attitudes and behavior, providing a constant challenge to maintaining peace with God and others. Paul describes his battle with it in Romans 7, and in numerous other exhortations to us to employ self-control and love for God and the brethren. This leads us to understand that peacemaking involves more than mediating between disputing parties. Peacemaking is a constant responsibility and lifestyle. Its achievement is possible, but more difficult than it seems at first because of many factors - not just from without, but from within.

The church is a spiritual body, the body of Jesus Christ. It is an assembly of people called to prepare for God's Kingdom and participate in and support the church's work in feeding the flock and preaching the gospel of peace to the world. The church has two primary duties - To provide a means of calling others to reconciliation and peace with God, and to provide the full counsel of God to help the called know God and become holy. This is the vocation, the work, of all Christians. I am reminded here of a Boma chief who recently told me, "In every village where there is a church, I have no need for policemen."
Although as Christians we may have little or no control over others in mediating peace between disputing parties, this should not dissuade us from living in the conduct of peacemakers and Ambassadors for Christ. In and of itself, this is our Godly calling and vocation. Peacemaking is indeed a high standard and our worthy vocation, yielding a wonderful reward that is worth bending our every effort and will to submit to God and seek to glorify Him.

Who then, are the real Peacemakers in South Sudan? They are those who may never sit at a formal negotiation table. They may never have the opportunity to issue declarations, engage in public rhetoric or sign agreements and treaties. They may live out their lives farming their fields or selling in the marketplace.  But in their interaction with others in the daily course of their lives, and through the sanctifying process God is working in them, I am convinced they are the ones through whom God will establish His peace in South Sudan. They may be the meek, largely unnoticed by the world, but our Lord says that the meek will inherit the earth. I am proud to know them.

I am convinced from God's perspective that they are blessed according to Matthew 5:9, "Blessed are the peacemakers pea, for they shall be called sons of God". This is why I am convinced that God is moving in South Sudan. These are the people I want to teach, exhort and encourage in the Gospel of Peace, in their churches, over the radio, and in the fields and marketplace. It is truly my great privilege!

By God's Grace,
Bob Kirkman

In the minute it takes you to read this...

Malaria

In the minute it will take you to read this, 4 children will die from Malaria in Africa.

Over one million people die from malaria each year, mostly children under five years of age, with 90 percent of the cases occurring in Sub Saharan Africa. In the area we serve in Eastern Equatoria, malaria makes up most of the cases we treat are malaria and most are children. This mosquito borne disease is one of the biggest threats to health, with data indicating that one in every five children under the age of five suffer from malaria at some time each year from a simple mosquito bite.

For those children who survive, malaria hampers their schooling and social development. Many ot the children who survive a serious attack of malaria develop physical and mental impairment.Malaria is also particularly damaging to pregnant women and their unborn children. It often results in maternal anemia and low birth weight - the single greatest risk factor for death during the first months of life.


     How is this relevant to our mission? Effective drugs for the treatment of malaria make up a significant portion of the requests I just receved for medicine from our team on the ground. The rainy season is upon them, and it is the time when children are most vulnerable. 

   Our Sudanese partners on the ground know exactly where and how these medicines are most needed and distributed. Among them is Dr. Luka Benson. He serves on our Board, and has been faithful in helping to supply the medicines we desparately need. He does this at his own cost. We are very grateful for his partnership.We need $500 per month to keep our clinic supplied with enough medicine to serve the surrounding area.

   Please help us secure these medications by clicking on the "Donate Now" button on the right, or by sending a check of any amount - made out to Nehemiah Medical Missions, 57 McKinley Terrace, Pittsfield, MA, 01201.
Thank You!

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KALA AZAR - Outbreak anticipated in South Sudan

The World Health Organization has reported that more than 1.5 million people are at risk of contracting Kala Azar disease in South Sudan. Kala azar (visceral leishmaniasis) is contracted through the bite of a parasite carrying sand fly. Symptoms include an enlarged spleen, fever, weakness and wasting tissue. It thrives in poor and remote areas. Children are at highest risk. If untreated, it is fatal in almost 100% of the cases. However, there is up to a 95% cure rate with proper medication and treatment.



A sandfly carrying the Kala Azar parasite

WHO officials are concerned that the severity of this outbreak will be exacerbated the forced repatriation displacement of South Sudanese from the north.Three-quarters of the people of Soth Sudan are unable to access basic medical care and the weak health care system cannot cope with emergencies. This is in an area that the WHO has already described as having a “confluence of the worst diseases on the planet”.
The severity of this outbreak is dwarfed by the wider medical humanitarian crisis facing the entire region, including malaria, measles, meningitis,typhoid and tuberculosis. The influx of refugees from the North will add to the largest population of displaced persons in the world. This will place additional strain on already limited resources, including the lack of adequate food, clean water, and medicines. 


Rob Kirkman with the Sudanese medical team in Borongole

Our Sudanese indigenous partners on the ground know where the need is greatest and how it can be most effectively met in the area we serve. These young men, Dr. Luka Benson and Samuel Koma Levi, are prepared to meet this challenge through our clinic serving the population in and around Borongole and the "Madi Corridor" of Eastern Equatoria. We need to ensure that they have the medications they need to meet the challenge.

Please consider helping by making a contribution by clicking the "Donate Today" button on the right, or sending a check to "Nehemiah Medical Missions", 57 McKinley Terrace, Pittsfield, MA  01201
"If you think you are too small to make a difference, try spending a night in a closed room with a mosquito"   African Proverb

Forgiveness...The Key to Our Unity in Ministry

Upon being referred to the attached article by Paul Tripp from the Gospel Coalition, I feel compelled to share it as an to encouragement to my friends & co-laborers in Operation Nehemiah here and in South Sudan, and to my fellow Elders...

In His Grace,
Rob Kirkman

 

Forgiveness: The Key to Pastoral Unity

Posted By Paul Tripp On March 4, 2012 @ 11:59 PM In Articles of  Interest,Commentary,Featured,Opinion | 5 Comments

^[1]

One thing you can know for sure, pastor, is that in the course of your ministry you will be sinned against. You'll be misunderstood, falsely accused, and unfairly judged. Often this will happen in your relationships with those with whom you are ministering. When that happens you can choose to carry a list. You can give way to the temptation to punish the other person. You can choose for disappointment to become distance, for affection to become dislike, and for a ministry partnership to morph into a search for an escape. You can taste the sad harvest of relational détente that so many church staffs live in, or you can plant better seeds and celebrate a much better harvest. The harvest of forgiveness, rooted in God's forgiveness of you, is the kind of ministry relationship everyone wants.
Forgiveness stimulates appreciation and affection. When daily we forgive the people we live and minister with, we do not look at them through the lens of their worst failures and biggest weaknesses. As we talk honestly, weep and pray, and repent and reconcile, our appreciation for each other grows and our affection deepens. We quit looking at the other person as the enemy. We stop protecting ourselves from those who work and live nearest to us and begin to work together to build walls of defense against the many threats to ministry relationships that exist in this fallen world.
Forgiveness produces patience. As we respond God's way in a daily lifestyle of confession and forgiveness, we begin to experience things we never thought we would see in our relationships. We begin to see bad patterns break, we begin to see one another change, and we begin to see love that had grown cold becomes new and vibrant again. When we experience hard moments and God gives us the grace not to give way to powerful emotions and desires that would take us in the wrong direction, we experience the practical help and rescue his wisdom gives us again and again. All this means that we no longer panic when a wrong happens between us and those with whom or to whom we minister. We no longer take matters into our own hands in the panic of hurt and retribution. We no longer try to be the other's conscience or judge. No, we are much more relaxed in the face of failure and willing to patiently follow God's commit-confront-confess-forgive plan. The hardships of ministry relationships have helped us practically see that his grace is bigger than any difficulty we will ever face in our relationships. So we are able to rest and wait, knowing that God is at work, even when ministry relationships have left us exhausted and discouraged, and that he will not quit working until his work in us and our relationships is complete.
Forgiveness is the fertile soil in which unity in relationships grows. When as a pastor you are living every day in the confession and forgiveness pattern of the gospel, you are forsaking your way for a better way. Your relationships are no longer a daily competition for who has power and who is going to get his way. You no longer see the other person as a threat, wondering just when hewill once again get in the way of your ministry desires or goals. You are not obsessed with your comfort, pleasure, and ease and with the fear of how or when the people near you will interrupt them. No, forgiveness puts you on the same page with each other. You have both submitted your desires to the desires of Another. You no longer try to build your own little ministry kingdoms. You now work together for God's kingdom. You now live with the same set of expectations and rules. You now have the same way of thinking about and addressing problems. And together you celebrate what God has given you, together being aware that you could never have done it yourselves. You now experience unity like never before, because forgiving grace has liberated you for a higher purpose and a better daily plan.
Remember, God put people in our lives not just to help us expedite our ministry plans, but to show us the better way of his grace. So we learn to make war, but no longer with one another. Together we battle the one Enemy who is after us and our ministries. As we do this, we all become thankful that grace has freed us from the war with one another that we used to be so good at making.

---

Article printed from The Gospel Coalition Blog: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc
URL to article: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/03/04/forgiveness-the-key-to-pastoral-unity/
URLs in this post:

[1] Image: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/files/2012/02/Paul-Tripp-Headshot3.jpg

Preventing Loss of Life on the Road in South Sudan

The staff of Operation Nehemiah have witnessed destruction and loss of life on an almost daily basis on the Juba Nimule Road. On our recent trip we buried friends and relations as a result. With your help, Operation Nehemiah's Medical Missions hopes to deliver a mobile medical unit to transport accident victims quickly to the hospitals in Juba or Nimule. This is our promise and committment to the people traveling this road. Please see my comment following this article from AllAfrica.com. Thanks.

 Sudan: MPs Express Dismay Over Traffic Accidents in Juba-Nimule Road

By Staff Writer, 24 March 2012
Two Ministers of Parliament from constituencies in Madi sector of Magwi County, Eastern Equatoria State, Veronica Redento Undzi and Aventore Amure Bilal from South Sudan Legislative Assembly and Eastern Equatoria State Legislative Assembly respectively told The Citizen yesterday that they were shocked by the high rates of death from traffic accidents on Juba-Nimule road.

"The death toll might have reached over 100 in the last few months," said Bilal, "and it will continue unless drastic steps are taken by those concerned to stop this." He said because of the completion of the road from Nimule to around Kerepi measuring about 55 miles towards Juba and having it now tarmac, drivers of various types of vehicles race along the road in unimaginable speed and resulting to fatal accidents.
He said they have met the undersecretary of Ministry of Roads and Bridges in Juba to explore means of how the Ministry can help solve this problem. In their discussion the undersecretary expressed sorrow for the many lives lost in the highway through reckless driving by some drivers of the different types of vehicles and promised the role of his ministry to curb the accidents.
He said his ministry was only concerned with planting of signs along the highway, drawing of zebra crossings and other symbols and constructing bumps so that these can guide the drivers when using the highway and that direct control of the drivers in the highway was the responsibility of the traffic police under the Ministry of Interior.
The two MPs afterward visited the Ministry of Interior where they met the Deputy Minister General Salva Matok and explained to him the high toll of deaths in Nimule-Juba Road especially in the part from 0 to 55 km between Nimule and Kereppi which had been made tarmac. The Minister expressed sadness to learn about the loss of so many lives and promised that his Ministry would soon send some police personnel who are currently under training on technique of controlling traffic in highway for deployment in the road to check on drivers using the road.
MP Veronica said the Minister also suggested that the fight against the traffic accidents should be shouldered by other sectors besides his ministry and that the media should enlighten the communities living along the highway and school children whose schools are near the road about how to conduct themselves to avoid accidents.
The MP said the minister also stated that the chiefs of the areas should sensitize their subjects about the presence of the highway and challenges related to it so that their people do not face dangers. The Minister was reported to have blessed the suggestion made by the chiefs in Madi sector that uniformed traffic police personnel board buses to ensure that they don't speed between the two points, Nimule and Juba.

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  We have witnessed destruction and loss of life on an almost daily basis on the Juba Nimule Road. We have buried friends and relations as a result. Operation Nehemiah's Medical Missions hopes to deliver a mobile medical unit to transport accident victims quickly to the hospitals in Juba or Nimule. Please pray that this will come to pass soon!

"Tiny, invisible moral forces..."

Upon reflecting upon my recent seven weeks in South Sudan, I find myself resonating with my favorite quote from William James...

"I am done with great things and big things, great institutions and big success. I am for those tiny, invisible moral forces that work from individual to individual, creeping through the crannies of the world like so many rootlets, or like the capillary oozing of water. Yet, if you give them time, they will rend the hardest monuments of man's pride."

Each time I return from South Sudan, I am reminded how we Americans tend to be inclined toward the "bottom line" and obsessed with results and "outcomes". We often envy the accomplishments of others. For me, I find "acomplishments" are summed up in the words of a village chief who says, "Many of us are alive today because of your clinic." My "bottom line" has become the look of a child who finds he is well enough to get out of his sickbed and go home. These things have become enough for me. They speak to a sense of relationship and trust between people of different cultures. God has used them to render the hard monument of my own pride.
The area we serve in East Africa is remote and hard to find... even on a good map or a GPS.  The climate is harsh, and the World Health Organization has described it as an area that has "a confluence of the worst diseases on the planet." However, I find myself compelled to "creep though the crannies of the world" to Eastern Equatoria. I cannot go empty handed. I need to bring medicine, and Michael Levi, the elder of Borongole, said "Next time you come, bring reading glasses."

Would you be part of those "invisible moral forces that work from individual to individual" by joining this blog and making a contribution of any amount so that I can creep back there soon? If so, just click on the Make a Donation button on the right side of the page, or send  a check to "Nehemiah Medical Missions", 57 McKinley Terrace, Pittsfield, MA  01201.

a boy with measles...measles kill in South Sudan.   

Discharge Day!

A Young Defender of Health in Borongole...

        "If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a room with mosquito."
                                                                                                          - African Proverb
    During my recent 7 weeks in our compound in South Sudan I had the pleasure of shadowing our young nurse, Samuel Koma Levi, in his duties in our clinic. I did my best to keep up and do what I could to assist. Samuel is a dedicated young man who makes himself available to address the staggering health care needs of the surrounding population on a 24/7 basis. He lives a few yards from the clinic in a thatched mud hut with his young wife and infant child. I was struck that I have seen such a schedule stress out a "first world" health care worker, including myself, in no time at all. I mentioned this as I was helping him hang an IV bottle on a light fixture for a 4 year old with typhoid (he had no more IV poles), and he simply stated that the work was his greatest joy. On a typical day we found ourselves dealing with multiple cases of malaria, typhoid, trauma, Buruli ulcers, breast cancer, River Blindness, Hepatitis B and a young boy who had suffered trauma with significant tissue loss. An virulent intestinal virus swept through the surrounding villages for about a week, followed by an outbreak of conjunctivis. Samuel's response was simple gratitude "for the medicine that had arrived before the sickness visited". Samuel is visited a few times a week by a young medical resident, Irra Celestino, who works in another clinic miles away. They sit together, pouring over medical texts, and consulting on particularly difficult cases. During my last night in Borongole, I noticed a light in the clinic at about 3am. I entered to find Samuel sitting with a 3 year old girl and her distraught father. She had malaria and typhoid. He had just started an IV and was holding her hand "to help the medicine work, because medicine works best when one is relaxed". I am humbled and grateful to know and work with such young men. Most are young because the war has wiped out so many who are older.  Of course, I come home with a note from Samuel, listing the things he needs to keep the work going. (Near the top of the list are more IV poles!) It is my delight and responsibility to obtain what I can to help him before I return in a few months. I also need to attend an intensive tropical medicine course before I go. To that end, I am appealing to my friends and colleagues to participate with a donation - either by clicking on the donation button on the right side of the blog, or by sending a check to "Nehemiah Medical Missions", 57 McKinley Terrace, Pittsfield, MA 01201.
Thanks,
Rob Kirkman

This is a brief autobiography, from my friend Okot Emmanuel Taban - who we affectionately call "Emma". Emma is a "Child of Fallen Heroes", a war orphan of the SPLA struggle against the north. He has been a great help to the mission here at Borongole since joining the staff last year. I was going to edit his testimony, but since he aspires to be a lawyer journalist and I want to be authentic, I decided to share largely his own words. It is good practice for him, and it gives you a good sense of how the English language  is expressed here.  RK
EMMA - My Story
I am Okot Emmanuel Taban I am a KAKWA  by tribe, born in Torit, Eastern Equatorial  State on 26\11\1991 on a Saturday. I am a Sudanese by nationality. When I was 6 I lost my Dad during the 21 year South Sudanese liberation struggle. When I was 10  my Mum was also killed brutally by the Muslims. I personally witnessed this tragedy and many atrocities of the devastating catastrophic war of the Muslim Sudan government against south Sudanese Christians. My sister, aged 13, and I struggled not to starve after that. Many of our relatives and friends perished during that period of time. This was what the Muslims called the jihad war, which mean "spiritual war" that is still in prevalence up to this date. This war poisoned the mind of this young patriotic nationalist. My father was an officer in the SPLA. He was assassinated in Narus after liberating Kyalas, Narus, Kapoeta, and part of eastern equatorial region. The assassination of my father by fellow countrymen stab me in the back and gave a heavy blow on my face. I immediately died inside and lost respect for any government institution and gave me strong hatred for the Arab race or anyone colonial tendencies. I  studied primary school in this country. But I finished in Uganda because of the aerial  bombardment by jet and antinov bombers on my school and village.  I went to Comboni College and Gulu central high school. But later I had limited chance of advancement because I had been supported by a missionary friend whose funds ran low. This interupted my dream of becoming a lawyer or journalist, but all in all I am giving my gratitude to all the fallen heroes, widows, orphan, wounded heroes, liberation fighters, and international friends. This includes my beloved late dad, Mr. Taban Noah lukudu,  who had served as an operation commander in the liberating zone, and  beloved mum Joyce akio dudu, who was also terribly killed. They all worked hard to see that we are free at last from the chain of oppression and prolonged marginalization. My generation now has a future to make.  I thank God He has softened my heart toward all people, including those considered enemies. He gave me restored respect for the government and showed that the principles my dad and mum fought for were not in vain. I forgive the Muslims who killed my parents and tried to force us to forsake our Jesus. May Almighty God forgive them. I am happy that the gospel of Christ is not overshadowed by the jihad.
So, I Emma, still live by God's grace. By His hand I survived from many dead at the hands of Muslim fighters. I never thought I would go to school, but God touched the heart of an American friend, who saw to it that I would graduate high school. I believe the same God  will provide a way forward for my continued education.  
To my beloved comrade countrymen and future flag bearers  of our newly born country I say what is of paramount importnce  is looking forward rather than looking behind. There is no future in the bitternesses of what is past. We should start doing work rather than we expecting it done for us. The future belong to those who do their home work, not to those who waste their lives, allowing their hair to turn grey just sitting in the moonlight.
Corruption, greed and  laziness can become pandemic crops in our nation We nationalist youth share in the destiny of the land our fathers fought for.  Let us cease from the undying hunger and greed for something better. It causes us to worship idols and brings only strife amongst us. Eenough is enough for war and tribal division. My tears run and flows like a stream, when I see a crawling baby in anguish and hunger. That is more important than whatever else we may want. Anyway may the almighty GOD rescue us and bless us, I say all this for GOD  and my South Sudan.
Amen

Negotiating the Minefield of Conflict in South Sudan

February 27th, 2012

Negotiating the Minefield of Conflict in South Sudan

"Do not repay evil for evil. Be careful to do what in right in the eyes of everybody."
Rom. 12:17

   As I arrived in South Sudan for the 12th time in early February, evidence of a developing infrastructure was immediately apparent. For the first time I was able to fly directly into Juba and drive south for only 2 hours to our mission compound in Borongole on a road that is mostly paved. This was a big difference from the bone jarring and throat dusting 12 to 14 hour drive from Kampala, Uganda that I had become accustomed to.
   Along the way, there was a 12 mile stretch yet to be paved. A few days earlier, an unsuspecting bulldozer operator was killed when his machine exploded a land mine that had been planted by the Islamic forces during their retreat toward the end of the war. This stretch of road was left unpaved. We passed the de-mining machine preparing to do it's plodding work. This was a sad and unexpected tragedy, interrupting the progress of rebuilding the physical infrastructure in a land that had been laid waste in over 2 decades of war.
   In early January we had been informed by our team on the ground of another terrible and unexpected event that interrupted the the rebuilding of the social infrastructure of the families, churches and communities we serve in Eastern Equatoria. A conflict had erupted over a land dispute between the Acholi and Madi tribes. Five Madi villagers were killed in a surprise attack just a few miles from our compound. Although the immediate grief and rage was palpable throughout the Madi community, the Elders responded in a temperate and wise manner. Consistent with Prov. 20:22 ("Do not say 'I will recompense evil', but wait for the Lord, and He will save you."), they instructed the community to not seek revenge or even call upon authorities to intervene. Instead, they contacted the Elders of the Acholi community to find out the root cause of the conflict and who was responsible. The Acholi Elders did their fact finding. It was discovered that a corrupt official had incited the attack by spreading rumors and false allegations for personal gain. This manwas turned over to the authorities to be dealt with appropriately. However, the damage had been done. Suspicion and a lack of trust brooded between the tribes.
   The "PAUSE" Principles at work...
   The Elders of both tribes determined to continue to do what is right in an effort to overcome evil with good. Peacemakers Ministries describes some basic principles in a wise process of cooperative negotiation. They are summarized in the acronym "PAUSE" (Prepare, Affirm relationships, Understand interests, Search for creative solutions, and Evaluate options objectively and reasonably).
The Elders, in their wisdom, outlined a way forward which elegantly reflected these principles. They established a time and a neutral place (February 25th at the mission in Loa, about 10 miles from the site of the conflict) where the Elders and the Boma Chiefs could come together to better understand the issues with the goal of reconciling differences. People were called upon to pray for discernment and wisdom for the leaders of the communities during the time leading up to the meeting. The Elders gathered facts from eyewitnesses and tribal historians were assigned to research the history of land boundaries between the tribes, and to review the history of similar conflicts (going all the way back to pre-colonial rule) and how they were resolved. This would set the background and context for the current dispute. Position papers were drawn up and proposed solutions were outlined. (Prepare).
   I had the honor of being invited to the meeting of the Boma Chiefs and the Elders on February 25th. Members of the South Sudanese and government officials were also there to observe the process.
   The meeting opened with prayer, acknowledging that God is a God of both tribes, and that He would reveal the way forward if those attending would humble themselves before Him. The meeting then started with opening remarks about the long history of mutual coexistence and cooperation between the tribes. (Affirm relationships). The historians presented the record of tribal boundaries and described accounts of prior conflicts and how they had been resolved. Eyewitness accounts and victim impact statements were then offered in an atmosphere of quiet repsect. Respective position papers were read. (Understand interests). Conciliatory gestures were offered, with both sides referring to the attack as "the tragedy". Both sides agreed that the land in dispute belonged to the Madis, but that the Acholis were welcomed, as both tribes have a mutual interest in restoring their country. (Looking to the interests of others, according to Phillipians 2:3-4.) As the day progressed into evening it became increasingly difficult to distinguish between tribal loyalties, as all the participants seemed to affirm the view of each speaker. Solutions were offered with the theme of "Restorative Justice", with one Acholi even proposing that that they agree to live under the authority of a Madi Chief in the interest of the common good. (Searching for creative solutions). As the meeting approached it's conclusion it was agreed that both sides would submit to mediation with the Inter Church Council. It was also agreed that the Boma Chiefs from throughout the region would meet on March 7th to review the root causes of the conflict and the interests of both parties and evaluate the options presented. (Evaluate options reasonably and objectively).
   In addition to my work with Operation Nehemiah's Medical Mission, I am privileged to be able to promote the principles of Biblical Peacemaking in daily broadcasts over our radio station, "Nehemiah Trumpet Call, 97.3" and in workshops with local congregations. I must say that it is humbling to witness the church and it's Elders coming together in such an effective, gracious and Biblical manner to bring healing and reconciliation to the communities of the Eastern Equatoria region. This certainly bodes well for the cause of peace in New Sudan.
By His Grace,
Robert Kirkman

A Letter to the Community

Dear Friends,

Oh God!

We praise and glorify you

For your grace on South Sudan

Land of great abundance

Uphold us united in peace and harmony

                                                       - From the national anthem of South Sudan

It has finally happened – after decades years of war and persecution, the people of South Sudan have gained religious freedom and independence! You may have seen the news broadcasts of the celebrations last July, as South Sudan won its sovereignty and was accepted as the world’s newest nation. The task of bringing home refugees displaced by 25 years of war, and rebuilding a land that was ravished and exploited by the Islamist regime, has begun in earnest.

This is a critical time for the South Sudanese. African churches and families are threatened on many fronts. Militant Islam continues to encroach from the north with the goal of eventually subduing all of Africa. Age-old ethnic and tribal conflicts are reemerging. Investments from the international business community are spawning a spirit of materialism and greed so evident in first world societies. The United Nations, U.S. AID, and the World Bank are pressuring government officials by wedding offers of economic assistance to compliance with their global social agenda. More than ever, the hope, encouragement and exhortation found in the Gospel of Christ needs to reach these people, who are standing in the path of this spiritual onslaught.

“For years we had to defend our faith and our way of life in the face of our enemies. Now we find ourselves defending it the face of our friends” – a Sudanese pastor.

Earlier this month I attended the International Development Conference for South Sudan in Washington, D.C. Hillary Clinton, U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, the Director of the World Bank, and Sen. John Kerry, Chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, all spoke at length directly to President Salva Kiir and his Cabinet Ministers of their vision for their nation. Sen. Kerry summed it up for all of them when he referred to the future of South Sudan as a “Secular City on a Hill”. We had opportunity to meet with the founding fathers and church leaders of South Sudan.  They are charged with the daunting task of nation building. These men are veterans of a long struggle that has provided them with tenacious character and moral clarity in the face of overwhelming odds. They have seen the face of evil in  Sharia law, and they have seen how secularism lures  their people away from their Christian heritage. Their nation may be least developed in the world. But, they have the Gospel and are not ashamed to speak boldly about the authority of Christ. Contrary to Senator Kerry’s vision, their pronouncements of the new government reflect the words and promises of Christ. This time in the history of South Sudan serves as a real opportunity for the South Sudanese people to serve as a witness before the world community. “I believe the rest of us will be surprised by how much we will be learning from South Sudan,” observes Dr. Cham Dallas, a leading analyst of international developments.

I have been involved in mission work with in South Sudan with Operation Nehemiah for the past 10 years, serving primarily in the medical clinic. During this time I have also had opportunities to promote and teach the principles of Biblical Peacemaking to mission teams and church leaders. There is a real hunger among Sudanese Christians to learn and apply these principles in the context of the family, church and civic affairs. I have decided to make a fulltime commitment to the people of South Sudan through the ministry of Operation Nehemiah. The demands and the opportunities are great. So is the call to serve.

For the months of February and March I will be joining our ministry team in South Sudan. Of course, I will continue to help in our medical clinic. I will also have opportunity to promote the principles of Biblical peacemaking & reconciliation on our radio station, “Nehemiah Trumpet Call 97.3”, and in seminars with church leaders and government officials. My wife, Ruth, will remain stateside to manage the daily operations of the ministry office.

Our prayer is that “Having given us peace with God, Jesus enables us to mirror his peace to others by inspiring us to love, worship, glorify, obey, and serve God with all our hearts, uniting us in spirit and purpose with other believers in his body, the Church, empowering us to lovingly restore and forgive others, even our enemies, enabling us to put off sinful ways and be renewed in his likeness, and making us ambassadors of his life-giving, reconciling power.”   (From the “Gospel of Peace Mirrored Through Peacemaking”. www.Peacemaker.net)

I am developing a blog, "Plumblines" - providing testimonies of our South Sudanese brothers and sisters that reflect principles of Biblical Peacemaking. I hope that you will be interested in following their stories.

We covet your prayers and support as we “put out into the deep” in seeking to be ambassadors for Christ in this new and exciting way. Thank you!.

In the grip of God’s grace,

Bob Kirkman