BGC Prayer Partners Update

Dear BGC Prayer Partners

Nothing stands still in South Sudan. There are daily developments on the political scene, yet the college continues on as we approach the end of the semester and the academic year.

The presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church (in the USA, etc.) has issued a special call for prayer to which we can all heed wherever we are in the world. http://publicaffairs.cmail3.com/t/ViewEmail/r/06957364C8DF2BAA2540EF23F30FEDED/6DB46F76DA8470C884E5AAD5A6C37FC6

Thank you all for your devoted service.

Blessings,

Trevor

The Politics and Hostilities

• Please pray for the leaders of the nation and those who have power. We give thanks for the signing of a treaty to cease hostilities and to set up an interim government (attached). There is much to resolve in the detail. Please pray that this will hold on the ground.
• We pray for the people of South Kordofan – in particular the patients and staff of the RC mission hospital there has been bombed by the SAF.

The Church

• We give thanks that the Sudan Council of Churches – especially Archbishop Daniel and his Roman Catholic colleague – are working effectively in the peace process.
• We pray for the bishops and the their diocese throughout South Sudan – especially those in Malakal, Renk, Twic East and Bor.

The College

• We pray for God's blessing on the students as they come up to their exams. Some to their finals.
• We give thanks for the ten new computers recently delivered to the new library and the equipping of that library with the shelving and furniture required for a final transfer.
• We pray for the prospect of a short course in reconciliation studies during the vacation.
• We pray for the process of new applicants for the new semester in September.

Very disturbing news from South Sudan

 I have just received the following from Larry Duffee who once worked in the ECSSS provincial office and now for an NGO in Juba. Please pray. Our hearts are broken.

Dear Friends:

I have been contacted by some of you recently regarding the current situation in South Sudan. I appreciate everyone's concern.

Bottom line is, the situation is not good. Last week was an especially disturbing week with fresh reports of assaults upon civilians of a horrific scale. Further attacks by rebel forces upon the territory of Upper Nile State make it quite probable that Upper Nile will fall, possibly within the next few days. If that happens the government of South Sudan will be mortally wounded since the last remaining oil fields are in Upper Nile - without them the government has no other revenue, no other means of paying soldiers and civil servants. Once the soldiers - most of whom have not been paid for months anyway - become disgruntled there could be a complete breakdown of law and order, even in Juba, which has largely been spared the suffering being experienced in other parts of the country.

We still feel safe in Juba, though we are keeping a close eye on developments. We had staff we had to evacuate from Renk over the Easter weekend, and we are discussing evacuation strategies should we decide we need to leave South Sudan. At this point we prefer to remain here, but should conditions begin to deteriorate in Juba then we would evacuate towards Kenya.

At this point I would ask people to continue to pray for South Sudan, for the people and the leaders, and for those of us that are serving here. If conditions deteriorate or we find ourselves evacuating, I will let you know so we can keep in touch.

You may share as much as you want, and you can identify me if you like. My heart breaks for what is happening. I cannot believe I was here to cheer this country into existence and may yet see it whimper into non-existence. This country needs prayers - for the leadership to abandon their warring ways, and for the suffering people. It's all just so, so sad.

Please take care of yourselves. Regardless of what happens, the people here will still need us and we have to be prepared to continue on as best we can.

Much love,

Larry

Pray for Bishop Gwynne College

Dear BGC Prayer Partners, I trust and pray that you all have an good Holy Week and Easter. Please accept the attached ecard! The college continues to battle on positively despite the many hardships in South Sudan.

• The immediate future of the country is not positive. There are setbacks on many fronts - especially in the Upper Nile State and Jonglei, but this has ramifications for the rest of the nation - political, economic, and social. Development in education, health and infrastructure has stagnated.

• The religious institutions (both Christian and Islamic) have remained united and committed to peace-building and reconciliation across the nation. The people of faith, led by Archbishop Daniel and other religious leaders, are taking a strong, positive non-biased line telling politicians and the international community what they believe is necessary for the people of South Sudan while they struggle to minister to the needs on the ground. I attach a statement from the South Sudan Council of Churches. This link to a statement from the UK Government you might find helpful https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/south-sudan-country-of-concern/south-sudan-country-of-concern-latest-update-31-march-2014.

• The college has had good results from its exams sat just before 15th December when the violence erupted. One of two of the first years have a bit more work to do, but it was their first semester and if things continue as they have in the last couple of years, they will realise what is expected of them and their results will improve. The main problem is English and that only comes with practice. Nevertheless the results overall are very encouraging. Please pray for the students as they lead up to this semester's exams at the end of May.

• We are very grateful for a recent gift of ten computers and two printers for the new college library which is gradually coming together.  This new building gives us so much more scope. (Because of personal circumstances, I have not been able to go to the college in person this year and have no photos. However, I hope this will soon be rectified and will let you all know when some are posted.)

• Finances are a challenge but the remarkable response from so many of you has meant a huge increase in money coming to us from overseas. The local income base is very limited this year and we now rely on this giving for our running costs. We have had to suspended the 500*500 appeal for building development while this situation continues. We do not want to deflect funds from the everyday needs. All giving to the college is now going to paying salaries, feeding students, paying for medicines and buying fuel for the generator and transport. We thank God for this generosity and pray for its continuance.

• Please continue to pray for our principal Samual Galuak upon whom so much rests.  Also Esparanza Emil and Benjamin Disi, both vital members of the team that keep the college going day to day.

Blessings,
Trevor

BGC PRAYER PARTNERS UPDATE

Dear Prayer Partners.

Thank you for your continued prayer for Bishop Gwynne College and South Sudan. There are a number of things to add to your prayer list.

Students

• Our principal Samuel Galuak has recently been to St Paul's University in Limuru to which we are affiliated. He attended the Board of Examiners' meeting and reports that our students have done well. There are some in the first year and one in the third year which will need to resit a subject, but otherwise the pass rate has been high. Give thanks for a successful semester: August – December 2013. (The exams were completed before the onset of hostilities 0n 15^th December.)
• We still do not have all the students on site. Please pray for those prevented from attending and pray that the way may be open for them to return.

Finances

• Finances this semester are not easy. There is a shortfall in local income. Please pray that suitable tenants can be found for the vacant BGC properties in Juba.
• We give thanks for the wonderful overseas response to the on-going needs of the college. Grants have been received from Britain, the United Arab Emirates, the United States of America, Canada and elsewhere.

Vacation Course

• The college is planning to bring thirty local pastors and evangelists together for a month course on Reconciliation and Peace-building in July this year. We are currently waiting on news from the USA that we have a grant to finance the initiative. Please pray that we are awarded the grant.

Administration

• Owing to our personal family situation we are unable to travel to Juba at present. However, the college has managed to send the relevant documents to me in the UK and I am now in the process of computerising the college bookkeeping and producing the 2013 accounts that will be published in due course. This is a lengthy task.
• Please pray for Esparanza Emil who is currently working hard to take on the full administration duties. We pray that when things improve in South Sudan she will have the opportunity to study for a professional qualification in administration.

National Issues

• The town of Malakal which had a population of 250,000 has now been completely abandoned by the local residents.

http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/whole-diocese-in-south-sudan-abandoned

• Peace talks between the Government and rebels are due to resume on 20^th March

http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article50289

Blessings,

Trevor

Please Pray for Malakal and the Rest of South Sudan

Dear BGC Prayer Partners,
The situation in Malakal is horrific. The rebel White Army have again taken control and the rapes, murders, looting and destruction continue. They have taken no notice at all of the agreement to cease hostilities signed in Addis Ababa. We are told over and over again that they do not respect the church, aid workers or the UN. In fact churches have been targeted and women raped and murdered in them.

• Please keep praying for Malakal and the whole of the country. The tensions are high. Things are not improving, rather the reverse.
• Please pray for the over 700,000 displaced people and those seeking to help them.
• Please pray for Christians and Christian ministers of all denominations trying to care for people and teach the message of love.
• Please pray for the international community which, in seeking to try and remain neutral, earning the disapproval of both sides.
• Please pray for expatriates in the country working to help the humanitarian efforts who are put at risk by the negativity felt towards the international community.
• Please continue to pray for the staff and students at BGC struggling to keep the college alive despite the tensions and lack of sufficient resources.

• Give thanks for those who are hear about daily who care deeply and keep themselves informed, irrespective of insufficient reporting.
• Give thanks for those who have and are giving generously to BGC, and the support of the work of the churches with IDPs and in the area of reconciliation.
• Give thanks for the courage and dedication of the Christian leadership in South Sudan.
• Give thanks for the way God speaks to us so powerfully through the Scriptures and the example of Christ's people in the face of such suffering. God is with us. Never has Romans 8:31-39 felt so true.

Dear Prayer Partners, thank you!!
Trevor Stubbs

http://www.aljazeera.com/video/africa/2014/02/rebels-recapture-south-sudan-oil-town-2014227165614154656.html

https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/02/26/south-sudan-war-crimes-both-sides (This report contains a video clip).

Information for Prayer Partners

Dear Prayer Partners,
Thank you everyone for your prayers,
1. This article from Anglican News provides more information on the devastation in Bor (Jonglei State - 100 k north of Juba) and the murders in the cathedral compound. It also gives us some figures of the extent of the problem. Even before this devastation things were extremely hard with sparse medical resources, little safe water and hardly any passable roads in Jonglei. Even then, each community had to manage on their own resources with little or no national structure. Now we read:

The United Nations said on Wednesday (7th Feb.) that up to 7 million people, nearly two-thirds of the country’s population, were at risk of some level of food insecurity, with 3.7 million facing emergency or acute levels. About 900,000 people have fled their homes since December.

http://www.anglicannews.org/news/2014/02/female-church-workers-raped,-killed-in-south-sudan.aspx

2. The fighting has continued in Upper Nile around Malakal with disregard to the Cessation of Hostilities agreement even as a second round of talks gets under way in Addis Ababa.

3. The Revd. Simon Lual has had a successful first semester in his MA studies in Africa International University in Nairobi and is now in his second semester.  He has received a grant of $5000 for one year. To complete the two year course he needs a second grant of $5000 from new sources. Can anyone help here? He has been working most recently for the college based in Malakal and our hope is that on completion of his course he will return there to help with rebuilding of that community. Prayers needed.

Blessings,
Trevor

Dear BGC Prayer Partners,

• A short update.  We now have 15 students who have returned. Some are giving excuses but Samuel is trying to be patient with them.

• Esparanza has not yet returned so there is only Samuel and Benjamin in the administration. They certainly need our prayers. However there is a slow but sure recovery for which to give thanks.

• We are still critically low on funds - but are so grateful to you all. Today we have received $500 from Canada and over £800 from the UK. Sadly this doesn't happen everyday! 15 students doesn't sound much but the overheads are high. Juba is no cheap place to live and food is now even higher priced.

• The US are having a day of prayer for South Sudan on 16th February. Contact me for a prayer sheet from the Diocese of Camino Real which you might find useful.

Many thanks,
Trevor

PS. Some of you have asked about my new novel, The Kicking Tree. It is to be published on 28th May (paperback and ebook). It isn't based in South Sudan but some of it was written there - mostly when I was waiting for people to arrive for meetings! It attempts to tackle the problem of believing in God when suffering happens. There are some accounts of suffering in the book, but nothing like that on the scale of South Sudan. There are lots of nice bits too! I have a young adult audience in mind, but it may appeal to a wider age group of Christians. More information on http://www.trevorstubbs.co.uk