Immediately after the evaluators came to see the Gumuz educational project, Rolf left for Asossa. He was to bring one of the evaluators back and because of this he arranged to go to sherkole. One has to make such a visit official as the camp is protected and should be. He was able to receive permission to take 3 Gumuz elders with him and they had two intentions. One, to encourage the church and two, to see
what the literacy needs were. After spending 8 years training teachers and preparing and printing many materials, we were keen to know what was happening at this time.
My dear husband loves people but he is not an extrovert by any means and so my prayer for him was that he would be strengthened by the Holy Spirit emotionally, physically and spiritually for this visit. We left 3 years ago and much had happened in the lives of our dear friends. Most of them had moved to Sudan in 2009 and now 3 years later, they were back to refugee life. They needed encouraging. Upon Rolf's return, he mentioned over and over again how he saw God's hand
in his visit. He was able to encourage each of the men (who had returned to Sherkole) that he had spent 3 years teaching and discipling. He was able to encourage the church through God's word and he was able to meet dozens of men and women that we had known well. They greeted him warmly. But the visiting was non stop and he returned encouraged but tired.
The camp is much the same as it once was though the road is now paved until the outskirts of the camp and road construction was active on the main road. The road has been built up atleast 15 feet higher than it once was. (This picture is the road right past our old compound and one can now look right into the yard!)
We were concerned the 3 Gumuz elders might see the Sudanese as wealthy (nicely mudded homes decorated inside and out, clothes and shoes, many with an education, etc) but instead they came back thankful for what they have: freedom. They saw these refugees placed in a camp without freedom to move from place to place. They had to wait in line for their rations (which happened while they were there) and they have no land. They saw them as prisoners. Yet they were also encouraged to
see a people so much like themselves (in fact you can't see the difference in a picture!) who had thriving churches. And they saw unreached people in Sherkole who still do not know the Lord. And from this visit a special bond formed (just as we had hoped and prayed) and the Sudanese and the Gumuz are now praying for one another.
Though we miss our Sudanese brothers and sisters dearly (and Rolf even took the time to meet each of my dearest friends that had remained in Sherkole all this time), we saw again God's hand in our family's life.
The Lord has certainly placed us among the Gumuz at this time. The Sudanese need encouragement but there are many with an education.
They have pastors, leaders and many of them have God's word in their mother tongue. They have hundreds of spiritual songs in their mother tongue. They can even read their mother tongue! And Rolf encouraged those who are strong in the Lord to reach the unreached tribes in their midst. They can do it!
And the Gumuz are just beginning. There are 3 elders in Gesses and one church, only a few can read the book of Luke that has been translated, a dozen translated songs and the rate of literacy is almost non existent. Though our hearts are heavy for the Sudanese and it would be much easier culturally and in language to serve among the Sudanese, we will serve the Lord among the Gumuz. May we serve them
with all our hearts!
But pray for my dear friends, Abebech (our houseworker who is now married to Solomon) for Thoma (Mabaan woman who translated for me and taught God's word to more than 30 women with me), for T-ba (the second F-r woman to believe and be baptized in Sherkole), for the ladies who have not yet accepted Jesus as Lord. My heart yearns to be with them again.
And pray for the Uduk, Dinka and Mabaan men who Rolf taught and discipled. They are caught in a web of church hierarchy that can kill the life in the church. Pray that the pure would be strong and be willing to take a stand against the devil's schemes.
And pray for the Gumuz who saw a thriving Sudanese church....may it motivate them to build a biblical church that reflects who they were created to be: Gumuz.
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