Prayer Points - May

Hi to all our Prayer Partners
Many thanks for all your prayers over the past few months for our work in the Sudan. We are now in the UK at the beginning of a tour to visit family, friends and promote our work in our sponsoring Diocese of Salisbury. We can tell you your prayers are producing powerful results. We appreciate the love and support you are giving us.
Many thanks.
Trevor and Tina

May 2009
Prayer Answers
1. The bank situation. Whilst SUDRA and other dioceses and agencies in Southern Sudan that have assets in the Nile Commercial Bank still find them frozen, our difficulties in Bishop Gwynne College have been overcome and we find ourselves better off than we had at first imagined. As the arrangements with SUDRA fell through, we reverted to the idea of selling the property on the open market. It had been valued at 275,000 Sudanese pounds but we managed to sell it for SDG350,000 (SDG75,000 more than we had anticipated!). This means that we have been able to clear all our debts and have some capital in the pot with which to begin the new project. So:
- We give thanks for the successful sale that has relieved us of the debt.
- We continue to pray for SUDRA (the Sudan Development & Relief and Agency of the ECS), the Mothers' Union, The Diocese of Yei and others in the church, and all those with funds locked up in the Nile Commercial Bank.
- We thank God that this situation has not taken away the opportunity of the new site.
2. BGC Handing Over Committee. We rejoice in the encouragement this has given to the members of the Handing Over Committee now bringing their work to a conclusion.
3. Robin Denney and her agricultural projects.
- We thank God for the new garden that Robin has just begun developing outside our house as a demonstration site for the province. £100 of the money given by the people of Bridport has gone into this.
- The moringa seeds have produced several small trees that seems to thrive in the Juba climate.
- Thank God for the commencement of her workshops which have been been very successful. Pray that there will be more opportunities, and the funding for her transport.
4. Our Archbishop.
- Thank God for the great energy, courage and vision. The huge difference his visit with those who went with him to Rumbek, Lainya and especially Jonglei State where there has been tribal conflict.
- We thank God he and his team have been to areas that no bishop has ever visited before and the tremendous way he has been received.
- We rejoice in the continued stream of new members across the whole province.

Prayer Points
1. The former BGC staff. The final pieces of the former regime at BGC are now being removed. Please continue to pray for the former members of staff now being paid off. Thank God that all that is owed them from the past - much of it going back to 2007 when they did not receive all of their salaries. We thank God that we are in a position to pay them all six months salary as severance pay and also pay for them and their families to be transported by to their ancestral homes where they can establish new lives on their tribal lands if they wish. We pray that their experience and understanding can continue to be used for the work of the church in the Sudan.

2. The new Bishop Gwynne College.
- Pray that we may quickly get the agreements necessary within the ECS for the demarcation of the new site.
- Pray that the money (US$ 220,000) needed for the clearing and fencing of the site, repairing the existing buildings and putting up new ones and all the basic requirements may soon be found.
- Pray that a US$1 million capital development fund will be quickly forthcoming.
- Pray for the meeting of the heads of the provincial theological colleges in Juba on 8th July with a representative from Limuru and the UK and US to discuss curricula and development issues. Pray that suitable accommodation for the meeting will be identified.
- Pray that we can begin the search for staff for the new college.
- Pray those considering the founding of an agricultural training institute in Southern Sudan that will eventually be part of an expanded Bishop Gwynne University.

3. The Theological Education by Extension (TEE) programme. In July we shall be beginning a TEE programme in Juba that will be the prototype of that will go "on the road" around the dioceses. Each course will last three weeks and take half the whole programme based on the material produced by Andy Wheeler and others.
- Prayer for the Archbishop and those setting up the course in Juba for when we return in July.
- Pray for the pastors and army chaplains as they are approached or come forward to do the course (five 2 hours evening sessions per week over the three weeks).
- Pray for ourselves and those who will be engaged as tutors for the Juba sessions.
- Pray for a suitable venue for those involved in Juba.
- Pray for that we can find suitable people to begin a rolling programme that will take the courses through all of the dioceses in the province.
- Pray for the financing of the course. With give thanks for Trinity Parish in New York who are financing the programme this year.

4. Peace and security. The situation in the Sudan is delicate. There are powerful elements in the north that are seeking to destabilise the south (and are allied to those causing trouble right across the Sudan and neighbouring states). There is traditional tribal conflict in the south that manifests itself in cattle theft and associated killings, and outlaw bands (like the LRA) that lead to reprisals and displacement.
- Pray for the National Government of Sudan, the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS), the state governments and local commissioners.
- Pray for the police and the army that they may be empowered to operate effectively and fairly in enforcing law and order.
- Pray for the churches, pastors, and bishops as they preach the Gospel of peace among the people and the impact that Christianity has in overcoming traditional tribal differences and customs that are detrimental to inter-tribal peace. We ask God's protection for the Archbishop and other church leaders as they proclaim the Kingdom with authority and courage.
- May God's Kingdom come on Earth as it is in Heaven.

5. Our Visit to England.
- Pray for all those we shall meet in the committees, deliberations and consultations with individuals about our work.
- Pray for our public events (see on the blog).
- Please pray for us as we meet with family and friends.

6. Juba & Lainya Cathedrals, and all the other places needing new and larger places of worship.
- Pray for the finance required for the necessary expansion of All Saints' Cathedral, Juba to accommodate all who wish to attend worship there, so that the unedifying scramble for seats on a Sunday morning can be overcome.
- Pray that the finance for a new cathedral in Lainya may be found quickly so that a building of the right size can be built on the site just dedicated by the Archbishop. The fund raising has begun. We have committed the Deanery of Lyme Bay (with special links with this diocese) to £500. Pray that the folk of that Deanery will be happy with our commitment on their behalf as they was no opportunity to consult in advance!!

Our Itinerary in the Diocese of Salisbury - June 2009

In the latter part of June 2009 we shall be touring in the diocese of Salisbury. We shall be calling in to see people and schools but there are some public events we plan to be at too.

We shall be around talk to people about the Episcopal Church of the Sudan and our work here in Juba in the following locations in Salisbury Diocese.

14th June
Morning: 10 am. Service at St Bartholomew and All Saints, Wootton Bassett.
Afternoon: Sudan Garden Party, South Canonry, Salisbury.

21st June
10.15 am. Preaching at St Thomas Salisbury
6 pm. Song of Praise at Tisbury

27th June
7.30 pm. Evening at St. Mary's Dorchester

28th June
Morning: Main service at Abbotsbury
Afternoon: Event in Portesham Vicarage

29th June - 2nd July
At Salisbury Clergy Conference

Juba Primary Schools

Tina has been visiting some of the church primary schools in Juba. I have been talking to the headteachers, finding out basic information about the schools and asking them what their concerns and problems are, as well as their successes. I have visited some of the classes.

Most of the schools are very overcrowded with up to 80 children in a class and have very few resources. One headteacher told me her dream was to have a photocopier, but they don't even have electricity or running water. In this school there are two toilets on the edge of the playing area for 700 children. Some have a few text books but never one per child, and no reading material at all. Exercise books and pencils are provided by UNICEF. There is a lot of chanting and work copied from the blackboard. For this parents pay 200 Sudanese Pounds (about £60) per child per year. In addition to this parents have to find uniform (schools have their different colours as in Britain).

School starts between 8 and 9 in the morning, and goes on till two in the afternoon. There is a break for breakfast around 10.30 am. Children can buy finger food in the playground (see picture) or bring their own in in little coloured plastic pails, and there is another break around 12.30 pm. They mostly get water from a pump.


Most primary schools have a kindergarten for ages 4 and 5 (sometimes younger) and primary 1 to 8 (equivalent to Years 1 to 8 in Britain). To qualify for secondary school, which starts in Yr. 9 (that is called secondary 1 here) the children have to pass a standard national exam. The pass rate varies between different schools. But many of the children who pass never go to secondary school because they can't afford the fees which go up to 600 Sudanese Pounds in a church school. (Government schools have been cheaper because they have been subsidised, but things are now changing.)


As from this year, they learn English right from kindergarten, but most of them grow up with Juba Arabic as well as their tribal language. In secondary school they aim to teach everything in English, which is a challenge for those children who did not have as much English when they were younger. The children are mostly bright and cheerful and fall over themselves to greet visitors like me! And they love having their photographs taken - apart from a few of the older girls who are quite shy. In one school they had a long skipping rope and were doing communal skipping as some of us in Britain used to do in the playground when I was young.


There is a Sudanese programme called "Confident Children out of Conflict" which collects street-children and pays their school fees and provides food and uniform etc. I have been particularly visiting schools that have links, or would like to have links, with schools in Salisbury diocese and hope to be able to act as liaison as we visit, enabling them to exchange letters etc.

Visit to Lainya

At the beginning of May we went to the re-dedication of the church in Lainya. Lainya is a small town three hours by very rough road to the south-west of Juba. Lazarus Church is currently being used as the cathedral. It was built many years ago as the parish church, but will be used as the cathedral until a much larger, purpose built cathedral on a nearby hill is built.

Lazarus Church was severely damaged in the war. Its roof in particular suffered. The priest's house was blown up, and the area left traumatised after being on the front-line for several years. The Archbishop re-dedicated the church in the usual manner beginning with knocking on the closed doors with his staff. The ceremony began promptly at 10 am. The Eucharist, including sermon, lasted over two hours, and then the other proceedings continued without a break until 4 pm. Those of us at the top end of the church were offered water but the majority just sat it out (or drank their own). However with that length of proceedings one did not feel inclined to drink too much! Inside, the church was decorated with bunting which is common occurrence in the Sudan. The previous day we toured some refugee camps where the Archbishop promised to help with seed and tools so the people could grow their own food. We also visited the Mothers' Union sewing workshop with several Singer treadle machines. See picture.


We climbed up to the site of the new Cathedral with its wonderful view across Lainya diocese where the Archbishop dedicated a large foundation stone. Later, in the church, individual people pledged over £6000 (plus several goats and chickens) as people could afford. Most of this came from community dignitaries as ordinary people have very little beyond what they can grow. We pledged £500 from the Lyme Bay Deanery which is linked with Lainya.


There is a special link between Loka Secondary School in the diocese and the Sir John Colfox School Bridport. They have given us some letters to bring to Bridport when we visit in June. We visited the school but didn't see many people as it was the weekend, but we did managed to talk to three borders and the headteacher and the deputy.