Warriors,

There are some praises from past, and present, intercessions that we wanted you to know about -

• We got word today that our duty free letter has arrived to allow the supplies for the Bible school project to travel to Sudan. A huge thanks for remaining faithful in that one.
• The woman’s training team is now on the ground with Cathy in Rumbek and Akot. On Monday they begin their training sessions in Akot. Getting women together in African societies is always a tough issue but be praying that each woman will be able to attend all the sessions and that the Holy Spirit will work miracles in their lives this week. Pray for great translators and an encouraging time for each participant.
• I arrived safely in the States (and had great seats on the way) and have one more week here with my son. Ask that God will so fill us both with wisdom and understanding that we will know His will for the coming months. Ask that Joshua’s school schedule will come together in a perfect way for him.
• Continue to pray for Jermaine as he prepares for his field assignment in Richmond. Our whole team is really excited about his joining us.
• This is a great time of transition for Shannon Lewis and his family as they prepare to join us early next year. Praise God for selling their house in His perfect timing. Ask that this holiday season will be one of rejoicing with family members. Be praying that we can have their housing ready for them when they join us in the spring.
• Pray for the Abbotts (Truitt and Cindy) as they too are in training in Richmond and will join us early next year. They will take a huge load off of Cathy’s shoulders this coming year. We still have to find housing for them so this remains a big intercessory request.
• Please continue to pray for Wycliffe. He is still down and discouraged and I have not been there to encourage him for many weeks. Ask God to infuse his life with encouraging thoughts, people and actions so that he can clearly see the Lord at work and desire to “stay the course”.
• One final thing - I currently have really poor seats for the return flights due to a late change in my plans. Could you ask for better ones that will enable me some sleep on the flight across the ocean…and on down to Africa (the Africa leg is the same length as the trans-Atlantic).

I know this is a lot of things to be interceding for on our behalf. But God’s word does say, “you don’t have because you don’t ask”…,we are now asking,,,,and praising….and rejoicing….

To God be the glory,

mk

Warriors,

To bring you up to date on some news and previous requests,

1. We now have a new journeyman coming to join our team. His name is Jermaine Edwards. He is a pastor’s son and is from Ohio. We are all ecstatic and can’t wait till he hits the field. This is a true answer to your intercessions. He is now in training in Richmond until the end of the year.

2. We are still having some major problems getting our building supplies shipped in from Kenya. There is one holdup after another. Just last week the requirements changed yet again for what the government wants from us to bring the goods in duty free. So we were back at square one. The goods are loaded on the truck just waiting to go up. Please intercede. My poor logistics coordinator wife is nearly in tears over this ordeal.

3. Cathy and I had a very enjoyable week on the beach in Malindi where we were ‘pretty much’ able to leave work behind. The past ten days we had another conference on the coast that also was relaxing, while at the same time challenging.

4. I will be making a quick, one week, trip to the States beginning on Sunday. Please be praying for good flights, great connections, and even better seat assignments. Those long flights can be mighty uncomfortable for tall people in cramped seats. Be praying for Cathy as she returns to Sudan on Wednesday. There is a lot to accomplish between now and then for both of us.

5. Be praying especially for our gardener/day watchman Wycliffe. He is really struggling right now with being in Sudan surrounded by people who do not seem to be his friends. Ask God to send someone special into his life that will be a friend, encourager, and counselor. Ask that he will understand that this person is straight from God!

To God be the glory,

mk

Warriors,

As most of you know we are trying to get a Pastors Training Center built and running in Akot. There is a team from Dawson BC coming out in January to help with the construction (we’re using two containers with a roof over it) and are trying to get the building materials into Sudan with our duty free status. It has been one fiasco after another with the government agency responsible for issuing us this permission. Cathy is totally frustrated and it has been making her “holiday” time somewhat less than relaxing.

We are pleading that you send up a concerted petition to the Creator and Sustainer of all things, the One who can move kings’ minds like a stream, and ask Him to be merciful on our plea for this permission. Ask that the Minister of Finance would grant us this permission immediately so we can proceed. Time is a crucial element here as it will take a couple of weeks for the goods to get here and then the man who is doing the preparatory work for us has to scramble to get his work done - all before the team arrives the first days of January. We have been working on this paperwork for about two months and to date have nothing to show for it. Be praying for Mendy and Lori who are on the front lines of this struggle for us - and by the time you read this Lori will be on holiday out of the country as well.

We know that Satan is opposing us at every step of the way in this Kingdom effort. For him to see a Bible school planted, teaching and training young Sudanese men and women how to have an intimate relationship with the Creator is certainly not something that he wants to see happen. Please help….

Mark and Cathy

Following email was received as further details about tribal fighting:

“Here is a report on the fighting from a local person.

It occurred at the Barkeny Market which is 12 miles away from Akot between Duor- Ciek and Duor- bar of Atiaba Payam and Thonic.

The fight was caused by a song which was composed by Duor-ciek about Duor-bar. Four young men were killed. One of the young men is the son of the police inspector of Rumbek East County named Ruth Mourwel Makuei.

You may find it comforting to know that it appears to be confined to the area south of the river from you compound. I am sure that Wycliff is still quite nervous over it, though.”

Warriors,

Yesterday I got an urgent message from Wycilffe, who is on our compound in Rumbek, saying that there was really bad fighting just outside of our compound between two rival Dinka clans. So far three people have been killed that he knows of. These two particular clans have been having skirmishes for several months now. While these tribal fighting’s are not uncommon around us, it is certainly unsettling for Wycliffe with us being so far away. Our journeymen are on the other side of town (about eight kilometers away) and are in no danger at all. They are in contact with Wycliffe and understand the situation. We have directed them not to go near the place for the time being.

Please be interceding for Wycliffe and the others who live and work in and around our compound. These tribal clashes are often very intense with wanton killings all about but don’t usually last too long before the government authorities step in to stop them. Pray for calm to be restored and normalcy to return to our village ASAP. Also pray that our Baptist people will be visible examples of God’s grace and mercy during this time.

mk

Warriors,

“We have not because we ask not”….I know that I have been so guilty of that very thing the Bible warns us of. So often I simply fail to come to you, who have been patiently faithful for so many years, with our team, cluster and personal needs. Sometimes we feel that things are just to insignificant to bring your way and at other times we simply feel that we can tough it out or handle it ourselves. Sometimes I simply forget or neglect to put my mind and fingers to the computer and cry out to you for intervention. Please for me…..

1. Now that formal language study is completed our journeymen and women are about to embark on their challenging assignments. Whitney and Jennifer will be trying to bring an indigenous HIV/AIDS program into the Dinka culture that will help them to understand what a devastating and terrible disease is just around the corner for their communities. We are trying to make a “preemptive strike” and help them get a grasp on the realities of AIDS before it permeates the society. This is tough in a country that already has ten or more diseases that can, and often do, kill within a week. To them, AIDS is just one more on the list. Be praying for Jenn and Whitney as they seek out the God-called leadership that will be needed to make this program successful. Ask the Lord to grant them wisdom beyond their years as they make decisions that may affect thousands of lives. Ask for God’s generous blessings upon them as they seek to do His will, for His glory.

2. Laura, Andres and Jamie are also about to meet the incredible challenge of transforming the lives of Dinka youth who have so little hope for the future. With only one secondary school in Rumbek there is not enough room for everyone to get an education and the result is that thousands of youth have little or nothing to do all day long. We have a window of opportunity that has been opened up to us, which we will need help with, to join the local Youth Union in running a Youth Center in the center of town. This center has been non-functional for the past four years and we have been given the freedom to run a variety of God-centered programs over the next several years. Ask God to grant Jamie, Andres and Laura keen insight into the lives of the youth and how they can address spiritual matters that will change lives - and communities.

3. We have two new teams coming our way early next year - what a great blessing, and challenge. In a country that has no available rental housing or car dealerships, few reliable builders, and spiraling hyper-inflation, our challenge is sometimes staggering. Much of this burden currently falls on Cathy who is the Logistics Coordinator here. While she does an incredible job day in and day out, it is taking a toll on her. We are grateful that as of early next year we will have a temporary LC assigned to our cluster but in the meantime we still have houses to build, vehicles to purchase, visas to secure, teams to prepare for, and projects to run. Ask God to grant Cathy discernment in her decision making and the energy each day to carry on. In March or hot and dry season will be upon us and that time of the year always drains everyone. Pray that I will be the “support” that she needs during this time and will give her encouragement on a daily basis.

Yes, there is a lot more. Teams coming, vision trips planned, changes within the IMB, health concerns, our church leader’s challenges, and spiritual battles galore, but right now we would ask you to be in concert about these three requests before you.

Once again, thank you all so much for interceding for me during my last bout with malaria. There can be no doubt whatsoever that I would not be her today were it not for your pleadings.

To God be the glory in all that we do,

mk

Warriors,

I’m free, free at last…..

This morning (10/17 Friday) I finally got my medical clearance from the malaria bout. The last blood work indicated I was finally free of the parasite. Thank you all for interceding for Cathy and I as we traveled this road. One of our faithful warriors commented to me that maybe this (malaria) was my “thorn in the flesh”. I can tell you, though Paul asked God three times to release him from his thorn, I have certainly asked more than that to be free from this one!

Be praying for our regional leadership team as we meet over the next five days. There are many changes that the IMB is about to go through and we will be learning some of these over the next days. Ask that we will have wisdom and discernment in helping implement what is coming our way and to be servant leaders as we travel these paths.

To God be the glory,

mk

Warriors,

For the past three days the Sudan team met up in “hills” of Limuru (elev. 7,500 ft) for our annual cluster prayer retreat. What a rich time with God we all had. One whole day was spent individually fasting, being alone with the Master and meditating with Him. I think we now all have a renewed Spirit within us that is ready for the challenges that we will meet back in Sudan. Jennifer and Andres have gone back in this morning and will be there alone for several days until Jamie joins them on Monday. Laura and Whitney will follow next Wednesday. Cathy and I have two more meetings to attend, separated by a week alone on the beach.

As for my medical situation - my last lab results came back two days ago and there is still a trace of falciprium (the malaria parasite) still in me. I will find out from the doctor tomorrow exactly what we need to do at this point. Probably another dose of coartem but I’m honestly not sure. I just know that I need to be very cautious about not over exerting myself at this stage. Malaria is well know for coming back for a return bout when people try to get back into the “swing of things” too quickly. And the second bout is usually tougher than the first. Be asking the Master that I use wisdom in balancing my work load with the appropriate amount of rest each day. The tough thing is that we need to be doing a lot of purchasing and ordering of supplies for our team coming this January - and it needs to be done by next week.

Please intercede for us that we might get all our supplies ordered, purchased, on the vehicles, through customs (this letter still needs to be written and processed in Juba) and delivered to Akot within three weeks. A minor miracle to be sure.

To end on an incredibly high note of praise - this past week there has been a volunteer team from Texas in Taposa land. They did a bunch of Bible story telling, disciplining and relationship building. They also led about 50 Taposa to Christ and planted the first Baptist church in Riwoto among those people!

To God be the glory,

mk

Warriors,

Just back from the doctor’s office and here’s what was said:

I had a severe case of malaria that very nearly slipped into cerebral mode. If Cathy had not given me the meds that she did, when she did, I might not be here typing right now. My blood platelet count is extremely low and many of my internal organs are suffering as well. We are still concerned about the continuing headaches and I will go back on Monday morning for more lab work to recheck my status at that point. Results will be back to me by the afternoon. If things are still not well (headaches) then we will do an MRI and go from there. If they have subsided, I will go to my meetings in Sudan the next day.

I am confident that your intercession for me was a key factor in my being in the condition that I am now. Praise the Lord, and praise you for being faithful. Though my head is currently throbbing I am grateful that I can even peck away at this keyboard. We’ll keep you informed as we go along on this journey. I am definitely not 100% right now but I’m seeing the light through the trees.

To God be the glory,

mk