Story of a Fellow Missionary

Meet Santino Bak.

He comes from Tonj North County. He's a member of the Dinka tribe. He is a pastor.

On October 6^th, 2012, Santino, along with 11 of his classmates graduated from the Pastor's Training School run by In Deed and Truth Ministries, a three year program.

Santino after graduation with teachers, Joe and Nancy

He's also one of our CHE trainers. During the last week of October, he completed his third CHE training of trainers.

CHE TOT 3!

During his time here in Tonj town (located in Tonj South County) for school, Santino planted a church in a village called Malony (the y is almost silent – sounds like Malone to English speakers).

After he graduated, Santino could have gone home to be with his relatives, and work with some of his fellow CHE trainers in that area, but his heart and his calling were leading him to Malony. So he decided to stay with this young church and help it grow and stick around to see how the whole community could be impacted for the Kingdom of God. And the church grew. He shares with them stories from the Bible through STS in a way that they can remember the word of God and let it sink into their hearts. He shares with them CHE lessons of ways to give every part of their lives over to God, not just the spiritual aspects, to see God's Kingdom come. They want to start a community project to build a fence around their church compound.

Now, in this same village, the IDAT clinic does an outreach clinic one or two days a week, with one staff member from nearby who does follow up visits. On days when the outreach clinic happens, there are often over 100 patients who come from all around. They arrive and wait in line to register, then wait in line to see the doctor, then wait in line to pick up their medications. So, Santino decided this was a great opportunity to share the Word of God. He began sharing Bible stories with patients while they were waiting at this clinic.

A child posing for a picture at the clinic at Malony.
In the background you can see patients waiting in line to see the doctor.
(Yes, the clinic is under a tree)

Then, things changed. Several people came to him very aggressively, accusing him, saying, “Who are you to come and tell us what to do, how to live?”

Why should we listen to you? You are not from here! You're not of this place!”

You're just trying to change our ways! You're teaching our women and children things we do not believe!”

This is a state map of South Sudan. Can you find Warrap State?
(Hint: it's the green one) States in South Sudan are divided
into counties, just like our states in the U.S.

These were people who had been at the clinic, who had heard the messages that Santino shared. They were hearing but not understanding; seeing but not believing.

When Santino was asked how he was doing with all of this hostility toward him personally, he smiled and simply said, “Jesus Christ suffered for me. I am happy because this means I must be doing something right.”

Then the people of the church (who were, in fact, more than just women and children) came to Santino and said, “Wherever you go in this village we will go with you. That way when someone comes to you saying, 'You're not from here. We wont listen to you,' we will tell them this is what we believe and we are from here!”

I had the privilege to be in Malony on Nov 28th, when Santino and Sabet baptized many of the new believers in this church. There were nearly twenty who were baptized as they proclaimed to their community and before God that they had been saved by his grace through the work of Jesus Christ. I can't explain the grace God pours out into all his children when one of his is baptized. To be united in such a way is truly a work of the Holy Spirit.

Santino (left) and Sabet (right) baptizing a woman from the Malony church

So you see, where God's word is sent out, it will not return back void. His word and his work are of eternal value, and His Spirit works through our efforts to accomplish more than we can see.

Santino is making the effort and proclaiming God's word. I praise God for that and pray that I can have the commitment and courage to do the same.

What's In Your Pocket?

Last week I was able to be a part of another Simply the Story training. This time the training was help in Tenwek, in the western part of Kenya. It is in the highlands of the country. A beautiful place of mountains and rolling hills, decorated with more plants than one could imagine, and filled with the sound of a powerful waterfall.

The trainees were about 35 in number, some American missionaries (and one from New Zealand!), some Kenyan women who help lead a Bible study ministry known as Tabitha Ministries, and the team from the Eye Clinic here at Tenwek Hospital. What a mixture of people all passionate about sharing the word of God!

I was extremely blessed to meet some of the women from the Eye Team. Do you remember the Cataract Clinic they just finished up in Tonj? They were able to complete 218 surgeries! Praise God. And these ladies on the team actually stayed in my room there in Tonj while I took some leave in Kenya. Isn't it great the way God works out the details.

A beautiful view of the Rift Valley in Kenya

So we began our training, and Billy and Scott were eager to help each member of the training team grow in our abilities as story tellers and trainers. I was given a little more responsibilities than our last training in Dhiakuei, but it was certainly a good time of growth, and I was definitely surrounded by encouraging people.

Scott Rambo (Uganda) and Tim Conaway (MM Logistician) on the bridge above the waterfall. 

During the training, stories are told as demonstrations and we walk through the five steps:

1. Tell the Story (accurately but in conversational language)
2. Ask for a Volunteer to retell what they remember
3. Lead Through the Story (retell but with questions)
4. Look for Observations/Treasures
5. Make Application

Teammates Tim Conaway and CT demonstrating the use of
facial expressions to really make a story come alive.

When you work through these five steps, and really learn a story from the Bible well, you are putting the truth of Scripture in your heart, or in your heart pocket as Billy says. The more stories you learn, the more you have in your heart pocket. So when you are walking through the grocery story, and stop to say hello to a friend, you hear about what's happening in their life and realize, “That really resonates with this story I know from the Bible. I think there's truth in it for my friend.” and you can pull that story out of your heart pocket and share it with that person, asking questions as you do, so that they may discover the truth of scripture rather than feel “preached at.”

Or maybe you're at the doctors office, or a hospital waiting room, or carpooling to a football game, or eating lunch together with friends, and you realize that everywhere you go there are people whose lives can be impacted, challenged, comforted, encouraged, empowered, and saved by the power of the word of God.

Doesn't scripture say that the Word of God is alive and active? If it is alive then it is not irrelevant to today.

And what did Jesus say, that man cannot live on bread alone, but on what?

The word of God.

So my question to you is, what is in your heart pocket?

October Events

Greetings from Tonj!

Wow, a lot has been happeing this month and it's not over yet!

The month started out with the graduation of 12 South Sudanese pastors who completed their 3 year pastor's training course here at In Deed and Truth Ministries. It was quite the celebration! For those who think graduations are long in the U.S, this one - for 12 students - last over 4 hours! It was a truly celebratory occasion.  We had such a great time.

I even sang in the praise band (those at Asbury UMC, don't tell Andy, ha).

Following the graduation, I traveled with my teammates from Uganda to the village of Dhiakuei, in Lake State. My teammate Adhanom had helped to arrange a Simply the Story (STS) training for the pastors of that area, so Billy Coppedge, Scott Rambo, and CT (look for them in my previous post), and I traveled there to meet up with Adhanom and facilitate the training.

We were expecting 30 pastors originally and 70 showed up! Had to do a little recalculating, but what a blessing to see so many who were eager to impact their congregations and communities with the word of God! This training helped the pastors learn to tell the stories of the bible without having to read them directly. They also learned a series of steps to help the participants really learn the story well, and lead them to discover the truths of the Bible for themselves through asking questions.

Here I was teaching a session on asking questions to apply the biblical truths to our lives today, with Bishop Isaac translating for me.

When we broke off into small groups I was a little discouraged at first, feeling like I was not able to communicate well, and that people just weren't getting the concepts. But, the Spirit prompted me to say a prayer, and within a matter of minutes it was as if everything suddenly clicked and the whole group was really understanding the process. It was so tremendous to see that happen right before my eyes, and more than once! Will you say a prayer for these pastors as they practice using this method of teaching the scripture?

Here, one small group sent "missionaries" to another group to practice telling the story they learned and working through the questions. They did an excellent job!

My time in Dhiakuei was not without adventures, let me assure you. I stayed the week in a hut, while the guys graciously took the tents. We bathed from a basin behind a wall of a broken down building. And then, there was the pit latrine. Now, using a latrine was nothing new for me. Squattie potties aren't really an issue. But it was definitely a new experience when 2 bats flew out of the latrine the first night I was there. I think I would have had a heart attack had I not been in shock, haha. But that wasn't the last I saw of those bats. Every night, when I would go to bed and tuck in my mosquito net, bats would come into the hut where I was sleeping and fly around all night! I think I have a much greater understanding of Batman now.

On Oct 27^th, the 3rd CHE Training of Trainers began! This is the next step in the CHE process for our trainers and they will begin to form committees in their CHE communities after this training is completed. This is when things really kick into gear and the program really starts to get moving for the local communities, so this is exciting stuff.

As these trainers prepare for the next steps, will you commit to praying for these teams of trainers? There is a general profile for the teams, as well as specific profiles for each individual team. I would love to be able to cover them each in prayer. If you, or your church or Bible study group would like to commit to praying for one of these CHE teams, please write to me at whitney.smith@wgm.org I'll be happy to send you the profile and more info about the CHE program!

This training will last until Nov 1, which also happens to be the first day of the Cataract Clinic for 2012! Do you remember the previous clinics from my newsletter? Let's cover this clinic with prayer - for the team traveling from Kenya, for those receiving the surgery, and for the staff here at In Deed and Truth who will be assisting. It's a powerful way to impact lives spiritually and physically. You can donate to the Cataract Clinic at wgm.org/sight4sudan to provide sight-restoring surgery to someone in need!

Check back soon for more stories of village visits, the cost of cabbage, and some of the craziest dancing I've ever seen!

Story Time in South Sudan

Once upon a time...

When you hear these words, there's a pretty good chance you know what's coming next...a story! And who doesn't love a good story? cultures the world over love to listen to stories, whether it's a love story, adventure, fantasy, or nearly anything else. People love stories wether they're true or make believe. They speak to our hearts. They captivate us.

When I first arrived in Africa, I spent one week in Arua, Uganda (it's a cool place, you should google it), and participated in a training called Simply the Story. This is a method used to teach scripture through storytelling. This is tremendous for me because the culture in South Sudan is, for the most part, an oral-preferenced society. That means they prefer to learn through oral means such as discussion and stories rather than lectures or reading.

With the wonderful leadership of Billy Coppedge and Scott Rambo, I was able to learn a story from the Old Testament very quickly! I was surprised how easy it was to pick up, and I am hearing of how God is working very much through this tool in so many places. It is so exciting!

Here is the Mango Ministries Team - from left - Joy Phillips, Tim Connaway, Adhanom Hidug holding Sophie C., Whitney (that's me!), Elsie Jane held by Joanna Coppedge, Billy Coppedge holding Lucy, and Arua Volunteer CT holding Chloe C..

I'm enjoying being back in Africa, and it was such a blessing staying with the Coppedges (do you remember them from one of my earlier newsletters?) It is such a sweet gift God gives us when he crosses our path with other members of the Body of Christ.

On Monday, Sept 3, Joy (Mango Ministries Coordinator) and Adhanom and Tim (fellow teammates) and I traveled to Rumbek, South Sudan, and then on to Tonj, where my home for the next year.

I have just completed my first two weeks in Tonj, and I have to say, I really love it here already. God is revealing to me how the harvest is so ready, just waiting for laborers.

Here, Joy, myself, Tim, and Adhanom are preparing for our flight from Uganda into South Sudan

I am staying on a compound run by In Deed and Truth Ministries (Check out their website!), a partner of Mango Ministries, and I'm very happy to be a part of this community here. We are only a few minutes walk from "downtown" Tonj, where there is a marketplace, a few restaurants, and some shops.

This is my home! My room is on the right side, and I share this building with nurses Margaret and Ann, who work in the clinic on the compound.

Right now is the tail end of rainy season (~April-October), so everything is beautiful and green.

I've also met some of the CHE teams that we have been training, and I am looking forward to working with them in transformational development. Will you be praying for the communities we are seeking to implement CHE? They are Guaria, Kullo, and Panchum. Soon, we will have a team profile for each community, and I want to ask you to consider committing to praying for one of these teams when we have the profiles completed.

On Saturday, I was able to travel to the village of Guaria and meet with some members of the community! Albino, the compound manager, took me by motorbike to this village. Because it is the rainy season, the grass is very tall, taller than me. So, as we are riding along, there were times when all we could see was the path as we were surrounded by grass. As I arrived, I was greeted with songs and dancing. The Dinka* people love songs. We had a wonderful time together, and it’s evident they are very excited about getting CHE started there, which was of course very encouraging to me. They are already off to a good start with a variety of crops they grow, including sorghum, pumpkins, tomatoes, sesame seeds, greens, cucumbers, peanuts, okra, and even some potatoes.  

Here we are in the village of Guaria. Sitting next to me are a few of the people we are training in the CHE program to be trainers in their communities.

Pray for me as I continue to get adjusted and learn my way around Tonj and the surrounding areas and study the Dinka language. I am so excited to see how God is already at work in this place! Pray with me as we seek the Kingdom of God to come in this place with all of God's transformational power! How can God use you in this ministry?

*Dinka is the largest tribe in South Sudan, and makes up the majority of the population around Tonj

So, here's the challenge:

Throw the Ultimate Independence Day Celebration for South Sudan! 

Last year on July 9th, South Sudan celebrated their birth as a nation, and next week they are celebrating that 1st year. Let's join with our African brothers and sisters and extend their celebrations to the States! And while we are at it, let's make it a fundraiser challenge, so that our celebrations will be giving back to this new nation as they build for the future.

The Rules:

• Teams of 5 or Less (these are who will HOST the party)
• Must take place within approximately 1 week of July 9th (sure, it can be combined with U.S. Independence day celebrations) 
• There are no restrictions on the type of Fundraiser, just make sure it is honoring to God. All the money raised can be sent to 

 WGM

P.O. Box 948

Marion, IN 46952

and can be memo'd for 

Whitney Smith Ministry Account

(or click here for an online donation)

The Results:

• The Team that raises the most money will get their party featured on my blog and all team members will receive a WGM International Cookbook (so they can totally rock future celebrations) 

  
So, let's party!


I've listed some websites with lots of information about South Sudan so you can share with all your party-goers what's happening across the ocean. 

• BBC Special Report on South Sudan 
• Joy's Blog 
• South Sudan's Official Government Website
• Coppedge's Blog 
• CIA World Factbook
• WGM Ministry in South Sudan 

Maybe even include a time of prayer for South Sudan, and for the work God is doing there. His Spirit is at work, so may we rise up to meet him in that and spread his Kingdom!

And don't be intimidated. This can be as elaborate or as low key as you want. Having a few friends over and watching God Grew Tired of Us would work just fine. Or, you can bring the whole neighborhood, hire a DJ, and let the festivities begin!

Have a dance contest!

Hibiscus Tea is a common drink in South Sudan if you want to get a little authentic. I have some to share, or it can be found easily online or at tea stores or international grocery stores. And peanuts are a favorite snack, just to get you started.

Ready...

Set...

Celebrate!