Letter From My Missionary Friends in The Sudan

[spain]

Many of you know that a buddy of mine is a missionary in The Sudan. He and his wife sold everything they own and moved there to help the Sudanese people. I, along with other people, support them in their mission. Chris is an engineer and has built alot of stuff there. His wife is an RN. People like to talk about helping others. Chris and Bev actually DO SOMETHING to help others. I have posted several letters from them over the post couple years. This is the latest:

 

Dear Friends,

 

Hello this is Chris, writing from Sudan. Our email is working now via satellite phone. Sorry we've been out of communication for a while. Beverly and Thomas made a short visit to the US and will return to Kenya in the next few days. I'll rejoin them on the 1st of June. Below is an account of one of our visits to encourage local churches.

 

In Christ,

Chris

___________________

 

One Sunday, we went to a little village nearby called Buldit. Kasu and I left at about 7:15am. He was carrying a big piece of plastic sheeting in his backpack as well as the storytelling pictures. We took the road toward Bugaya but then veered off into the bush. I saw he was aiming for a hill in the distance, but I was so sleepy I was just putting one foot in front of the other.

 

We moved through springtime in Sudan. It seemed like walking in a botanical garden because all the blades of grass were the same height. The really heavy rains were still a few weeks away, but everything had germinated. We passed a little tree festooned with little purple and green things that looked like 2-inch chandeliers. There were a few birds but no animals or insects. It was really quiet and still.

 

After some time, we reached the first hut. A boy started smiling at us, not just a normal smile but a really big one. Shyly he ducked into the hut. We greeted ladies sitting on the ground at the next hut. Rather, one was sitting awkwardly and the others crouched around her. As we got close we could see the sitting woman was not well. She was shaking slightly. We crouched to listen, but they were speaking Coma, so we could not understand. Kasu asked "Enti ayena?" (Are you sick?). The sitting woman switched to Arabic and told us how her stomach had started hurting badly yesterday, and she had not slept all night. She was sweating and shaking a bit from the pain. Her abdomen was obviously distended. She complained of slight fever and neck pain. It could be anything and probably included malaria, which always comes when their bodies become slightly weak. We agreed to pray. I tried my best to pray in Arabic.

 

Moving on, we found the recently built church, a little covering from the sun made of poles and grass. Benches were made of logs supported by forked poles. One young man was there already. The plastic in Kasu's pack was a gift to help rain-proof the church.

 

After about one hour, about 20 people had gathered. The service started. Kasu tried to get them to sing some songs he knows in Arabic, but they did not seem to know them. So we moved to the Bible teaching. Kasu taught first, doing rather well in Arabic. Then I taught about Jacob and Esau and about Jacob's dream. In spite of the fact that I could not remember the words for "ladder" or "dream," we got through it. I was able to weave in the gospel by saying how Jacob was dreaming of a way to reach God.

 

The lady who had been sick showed up and sat off to the side. Suddenly she announced: "I want to sing." And she started singing - then all the people joined in with her.

 

Afterwards, we went out to all shake hands. We thought it would be good to pray over the sick lady, so we asked her to sit down on the plastic. I asked if there were elders but they didn't have any. So, I just picked 4 of the older men out of the crowd and asked them to come and lay hands on her. I prayed then the oldest man blurted out: "I must pray." So he prayed for her in his own language. That was beautiful. Afterwards I told them that the Bible says when someone is sick we must call the elders and pray for the sick person.

 

So, the Buldit church is springing back to life. I say back to life because it has been dormant ever since the wartime when Northern soldiers raided the village burning the church and any Christian-looking literature they found.

 

Thank you for prayers and support dear friends. It is a joy and pleasure to represent you here. We are privileged to witness a spiritual springtime in Sudan.

 

Serving In Mission Together,

 

Chris and Beverly Crowder

Rebuild Southern Sudan: Church and Nation

Development Manager- Southern Blue Nile Academy

[Codwagon]

I'm not sure praying over a very sick person would qualify as actually doing something.

 

Now if he would have busted out some sulfa and quinine tablets . . .

[whoopazz]

Many of you know that a buddy of mine is a missionary in The Sudan. He and his wife sold everything they own and moved there to help the Sudanese people. I, along with other people, support them in their mission. Chris is an engineer and has built alot of stuff there. His wife is an RN. People like to talk about helping others. Chris and Bev actually DO SOMETHING to help others. I have posted several letters from them over the post couple years. This is the latest:

 

Dear Friends,

 

Hello this is Chris, writing from Sudan. Our email is working now via satellite phone. Sorry we've been out of communication for a while. Beverly and Thomas made a short visit to the US and will return to Kenya in the next few days. I'll rejoin them on the 1st of June. Below is an account of one of our visits to encourage local churches.

 

In Christ,

Chris

___________________

 

One Sunday, we went to a little village nearby called Buldit. Kasu and I left at about 7:15am. He was carrying a big piece of plastic sheeting in his backpack as well as the storytelling pictures. We took the road toward Bugaya but then veered off into the bush. I saw he was aiming for a hill in the distance, but I was so sleepy I was just putting one foot in front of the other.

 

We moved through springtime in Sudan. It seemed like walking in a botanical garden because all the blades of grass were the same height. The really heavy rains were still a few weeks away, but everything had germinated. We passed a little tree festooned with little purple and green things that looked like 2-inch chandeliers. There were a few birds but no animals or insects. It was really quiet and still.

 

After some time, we reached the first hut. A boy started smiling at us, not just a normal smile but a really big one. Shyly he ducked into the hut. We greeted ladies sitting on the ground at the next hut. Rather, one was sitting awkwardly and the others crouched around her. As we got close we could see the sitting woman was not well. She was shaking slightly. We crouched to listen, but they were speaking Coma, so we could not understand. Kasu asked "Enti ayena?" (Are you sick?). The sitting woman switched to Arabic and told us how her stomach had started hurting badly yesterday, and she had not slept all night. She was sweating and shaking a bit from the pain. Her abdomen was obviously distended. She complained of slight fever and neck pain. It could be anything and probably included malaria, which always comes when their bodies become slightly weak. We agreed to pray. I tried my best to pray in Arabic.

 

Moving on, we found the recently built church, a little covering from the sun made of poles and grass. Benches were made of logs supported by forked poles. One young man was there already. The plastic in Kasu's pack was a gift to help rain-proof the church.

 

After about one hour, about 20 people had gathered. The service started. Kasu tried to get them to sing some songs he knows in Arabic, but they did not seem to know them. So we moved to the Bible teaching. Kasu taught first, doing rather well in Arabic. Then I taught about Jacob and Esau and about Jacob's dream. In spite of the fact that I could not remember the words for "ladder" or "dream," we got through it. I was able to weave in the gospel by saying how Jacob was dreaming of a way to reach God.

 

The lady who had been sick showed up and sat off to the side. Suddenly she announced: "I want to sing." And she started singing - then all the people joined in with her.

 

Afterwards, we went out to all shake hands. We thought it would be good to pray over the sick lady, so we asked her to sit down on the plastic. I asked if there were elders but they didn't have any. So, I just picked 4 of the older men out of the crowd and asked them to come and lay hands on her. I prayed then the oldest man blurted out: "I must pray." So he prayed for her in his own language. That was beautiful. Afterwards I told them that the Bible says when someone is sick we must call the elders and pray for the sick person.

 

So, the Buldit church is springing back to life. I say back to life because it has been dormant ever since the wartime when Northern soldiers raided the village burning the church and any Christian-looking literature they found.

 

Thank you for prayers and support dear friends. It is a joy and pleasure to represent you here. We are privileged to witness a spiritual springtime in Sudan.

 

Serving In Mission Together,

 

Chris and Beverly Crowder

Rebuild Southern Sudan: Church and Nation

Development Manager- Southern Blue Nile Academy

 

 

 

Spain: "How can I care about people that I dont know? Seriously. Some dude gets killed in a car wreck in Mexico tonight, its just another dead Mexican to me. I dont know him or his family. I never will. So, its pretty hard for me to get too worked up over it. A civil war going on in some foreign land? How is that my responsibility? Did they come support my ancestors in their fight to throw off the oppressive yolk of the federal gobment? Uh, no, they didnt. I dont even know what those Sudanese are fighting about. Nor do I care. Now, although I didnt know Barabaro personally, I did get pretty upset when he was sent over to the Elmers factory in Shebogan. Mike Vicks dogs? Not so much. Compassion is a personal thing and I might feel compassion for things you dont and vice versa. So, dont tell me how I should think and feel Mr Political Correctness."

 

OK, I'm confused

[spain]

I'm not sure praying over a very sick person would qualify as actually doing something.

 

Now if he would have busted out some sulfa and quinine tablets . . .

 

They do alot of good work over there for the people including bringing them food, medicine, clothing. They have built a couple schools, taught people to read and write, etc. But they bring all that stuff with a christian message no doubt.

[Yukon Cornelius]

They do alot of good work over there for the people including bringing them food, medicine, clothing. They have built a couple schools, taught people to read and write, etc. But they bring all that stuff with a christian message no doubt.

 

ah the missionary, a very underrated position .....

[TimC]

I'm not sure praying over a very sick person would qualify as actually doing something.

 

Now if he would have busted out some sulfa and quinine tablets . . .

 

 

 

If these people weren't sinners, they'd be healthy obviously.

 

Have they ever considered simply renting U-Hauls and moving these people to a better life?

[rajncajn]

OK, I'm confused

 

Edited June 11, 2007 by rajncajn

[spain]

If these people weren't sinners, they'd be healthy obviously.

 

Have they ever considered simply renting U-Hauls and moving these people to a better life?

 

I suggest Richmond as their new home. Plenty of their own kind there. And it will only take them a week or two before they discover that whitey has been keeping them down their entire lives.

[TimC]

I suggest Richmond as their new home. Plenty of their own kind there. And it will only take them a week or two before they discover that whitey has been keeping them down their entire lives.

 

 

They can start by picking cotton to earn their keep (one day they may earn enough to buy their freedom) instead of running around asking for handouts from the Jesus people then.

 

Do they know the word "Jesus" roughly translates to "Never trust whitey" in Sudanese? Look it up on Altavista.

[yo mama]

They do alot of good work ... They have built a couple schools, taught people to read and write, etc.

 

If they wanted to battle illiteracy, they could have just gone to Tennessee.

[tbimm]

Spain: "How can I care about people that I dont know? Seriously. Some dude gets killed in a car wreck in Mexico tonight, its just another dead Mexican to me. I dont know him or his family. I never will. So, its pretty hard for me to get too worked up over it. A civil war going on in some foreign land? How is that my responsibility? Did they come support my ancestors in their fight to throw off the oppressive yolk of the federal gobment? Uh, no, they didnt. I dont even know what those Sudanese are fighting about. Nor do I care. Now, although I didnt know Barabaro personally, I did get pretty upset when he was sent over to the Elmers factory in Shebogan. Mike Vicks dogs? Not so much. Compassion is a personal thing and I might feel compassion for things you dont and vice versa. So, dont tell me how I should think and feel Mr Political Correctness."

 

OK, I'm confused

 

Pull that damm hook out of your mouth would ya!

[The Holy Roller]

Their reward will be great in heaven while the rest of you sinners will be given the task of cleaning up Micheal Vick's dog poop over in dog heaven.