Unfolding in our eyes: No Prayer or effort is too small. The Governor & the Commissioner on t
Shalom. Praise God. We are now back from our 3 weeks mission Trip to South Sudan. We arrived here on November 30th. We are truly thankful to God on your account for standing with us through out these years ever since Operation Nehemiah has launched unprecedented vision to restore the fabric of Judea Christian family in the Republic of the South Sudan notably from 2004 to date. From the onset of the mission's establishment in 1993, the primary focus was to rebuild the country from bottom up beginning with the Spreading the Good News of Yeshua that brings people to Salvation through repentance into Eternal Life.
Bitter Sweet Moment of saying our final good by to our ground staff at Our New Jerusalem Mission headquarters on Mountain Gordon
The Nile Beth Israel Messianic Congregation
So, discipleship of one person, one family and planting of one church at a time became our basic approach to address the Crisis which had engulfed South Sudan since the 50s. Between 1993 - 2003, due to constant displacement of South Sudanese as IDPs and refugees in the middle of the war made it very difficult to implement the vision of the mission. But as South Sudan and Northern Sudan reached an agreement which led to permanent cession of hostility and independence for South Sudan in 2011, the period 2004- 2017, gave us the platform to implement the primary vision of Operation Nehemiah Missions as reflected in these reports.
Raising up Shepherds and planting new Churches according to the model of the 1st Century Church.
How can a nation be rebuilt from scratch after 50 years of utter devastation without restoring the Foundational institutions of family, church and government? the impact of Islamic war of Persecution on Christians has devastated several generation of people born and raised in the midst of multiples wars.
The challenges were numerous, but we knew we had to start with the most basic approach which is teaching the word of God to a multiple layer generation of young people raised in the refugee camps without Christianity, family structure or work ethics.
The Nile Beth Israel Messianic Congregation - sets the model of 1st century church.
Pastoral Training workshop: How to find faithful Elders and Deacons
We have seen this over and over again, a nation whose citizens grew up on UNHCR relief dependence don't have strong Biblical foundation. Without Strong Biblical foundation, they don't have strong family structure and without strong family structure, the Church remains permanently weak and weak church produces a weak nation without God and without work ethic. This is the root cause of the Crisis in the South Sudan. It is Operation Nehemiah Missions to reverse this trend from getting worse to worst.
When people seek after God's kingdom first, they become wise because the eyes of their hearts are open to see God's bountiful blessing bestow upon them, Our goal is to spread Bible message of Salvation According to Mathew 28:19. God saves us to Good Works and the Scripture admonished believers to cease from dead work. Those who steal must steal no more. Rather, they Should work with their own hand and share their possession with those who don't have. It is this key Bible principle, teaching against laziness and Idleness, which prompted us to insert agricultural and entrepreneurial mindset as integral part of Operation Nehemiah Missions Vision. We have been teaching South Sudanese to embrace hard work. Our work as the Beth Israel Farm land demonstrate this commitment.
The Physical and Spiritual State of South Sudan
Between 2013-2017, South Sudan erupted in a civil war which has led to another displacement of a people back into exile. For a while, specially in 2016, it seemed certain that our vision was impeded by this national crisis of epic proportion and the progress gained seemed to be all lost. However, we kept up the faith did not give up.
The year 2017, has proven to be the best year for us to demonstrate exactly the benefit of this vision at the Beth Israel Farm land, Borongole and Gordon Mission compound in Nimule.
Thank you for your prayers and support. I just want to share with you specifically the impact of the investment you have sown into the ministry in one key area of the ministry, Agricultural initiative in the Beth Israel farmland and in Borongole Mission Headquarters.
During a difficult and trying time as South Sudan is engulfed in a national Crisis, we did not waste time, and by faith with your support we are able to we moved forward in maintaining the progress already made and opening up more acres of farmland and planted several tropical crops and trees as you can see the produce in the picture below. We are poised to harvest at least 5000 Kg of grain alone this year. This production will help us stamp out hunger in the early part of 2018 and create food bank in Pageri County so that we don't have import food from Uganda. Here are some of the development on the ground as a result of your prayer:
Meeting the Governor - What an answer to Prayer, one year later to the very date.
Providentially, upon our arrival, the Governor of Eastern Equatoria, Tobiolous Oromo moved his office from state level in Torit to Pageri county level for one month to encourage those who have fled in exile to return home from the refugee camp in Uganda. This was truly answer to prayer. We visited the Governor of Imatong state (formally Eastern Equatoria State)! The Governor moved here to Pageri county from State capital, Torit, examine the security in the region and to encourage the people in exile to return to their home land... It was a blessing talking to him and hearing his perspective on the crisis that has been going on in this nation, and how he hopes to be a part of the solution... The Lord's will be done!
The Governor of Eastern Equatoria, receives Bibles from Operation Nehemiah Missions
Praying for the Governor( second left) , the commissioner ( third left) and the state for total healing in the state
The Governor met my family, the Feagler's family and ministry staff at his headquarters in Pageri
The Governor Tobiolous Oromo left center, and the commissioner Emilio Iga (center) speak with me in Loa, discussing the scope of his visit to the community. He has been inspecting properties of civilians, churches, government etc that have been looted during the crisis of July 2016. He promised to help restore confident and stability in the region and urged every one to be a part of this effort.
The following day he spoke and addressed a huge crowd in Nimule city.
So, we are excited to see what the Lord will do through that! This is indeed God's precise answer to prayer. Last year November 20, 2016, we were invited to deliver prayer for repentance and reconciliation, on a Sunday service requested by the South Sudan Police chief seeking God to resolve the crisis that has engulfed South Sudan. He was urging us to church leaders to bring people back from exile. Today, 365 days later, the Lord brought us face to face with Tobiolous Alberio's Oromo the governor of Eastern Equatoria who has moved his office to Pageri county as the top government official in the state to encourage people who fled the region into exile to return their home country. I think his coming here is in order and it was in the process. So it is a matter of time that things will normalize in eastern Equatoria State, for those of us who are hands on experience on the current situation on the ground , the Governor's coming was overdue. Leaders don't lead from behind but from the front. At least a top Government official has come to correct what had gone wrong under their watch. In fact they are expecting him here to explain the position of the Government as to why things has spanned out of hand in 2016 in Pageri county? The same question goes to those in Opposition ( Known as the rebels.) They should think in the same way. Those who are seeking for peace will find peace. As Church leaders, we seek reconciliation from all sides involved as brothers to resolve our differences and settle this issues once and for all. Isaiah 59
Seen here with his state security leadership in the entire state. He presented the change of command from His office to the County commissioner, the Chief of State Police, The military, Wildlife and etc.
Unfolding in our eyes: No Prayer is too small. The Governor and the Commissioner on the side of Government of South Sudan and two rebel commanders on the side of the SPLA in the Opposition who came from the bush converged at NTC 97.3 FM to discuss peace and stability in Eastern Equatoria State.
Before we left for the USA, the Governor and the Pageri County Commissioner Emilio Iga, had promised to come on the radio and brief the community both in the country and those in the refugee camp including the rebels in the bush about the scope of their vision to move the office from Torit to Pageri country. They made good on their promise on Saturday December 9, 2017, they came on Nehemiah Trumpet Call 97.3 FM, not only by themselves, but they brought with them two rebel personals from within the Pageri county who were until that point opposed to the Governor, the commissioner and the government of President Salva Kiir.
The rebels are followers of the estranged rebel leader, former Vice president of South Sudan, Riak Marchar turned rebel who is leading the opposition movement to topple the government of Salva Kiir. But the Governor on behalf of the president has been extending olive branch to those rebels from our area to seek for peace instead of war. He has been repeatedly asking those bearing arms and waging war against their own brothers and sisters to lay down their weapons and return to a reconciliation table known as the National Dialogue launched by the South Sudan President Mr. Salva Kiir to reconcile the country through dialogue among ourselves.
On their part, the rebel Commanders who came on the radio, simply stated the fact. They are tired of war, they want to come home and bring their children from the refugee camps to South Sudan. Time for hostility must stopped. They urged those within the rebel rank who are just fighting for position at the expenses of suffering civilian, families and rebels suffering in the bush to reconsider their position and give peace a chance.
Prayer need: Nehemiah Trumpet Call 97.3 FM is the only Conservative Christian Gospel radio Voice in Eastern Equatoria South Sudan to date. Under my Leadership with the strong management leadership team on the ground , this is the one Gospel radio station in South Sudan which has touched and transformed the lives of millions of South Sudanese and Ugandans for Yeshua. It has been operational since 2003. From 2013 - 2017, it has been the lone voice of hope for a country and a community gripped by violence, war , and displacement.
Today, as we yearn for peace and stability in the country, as the government and the Rebels want to find ways to resolve their differences and find ways to get the message of reconciliation to their citizens who want to know what is going on they turn to NTC 97.3 FM to hear the truth. While so many Christian churches and NGOs leaders fled into exile, in the midst of ensuing chaos, Nehemiah Trumpet Call remains steadfast on air broadcasting the Good News and the Gospel message of repentance, Salvation in Yeshua, unity, forgiveness and reconciliation among South South Sudanese 64 tribes.
Gabriel Feagler, Katherine Saunders Brother in law went to South Sudan with us along with his wife Olivia and their two daughters, to attend Katherine and Tombe Isaac wedding. But Gab has been helping us tremendously in the area of inspecting the structural integrity of 300 ft Nehemiah trumpet call Gospel radio tower. This inspection is over due. Thank God, for Gab who can climb tower, and make necessary changes as needed.
However without your continuous prayers and financial support this station would not be here. The tower itself require renovation, painting and etc.
So the Current need stands at $5000 to keep the station on air.
So if the Lord is leading you to support Nehemiah Trumpet Call Gospel radio station, you can send your tax deductible contribution to:
Operation Nehemiah Mission PO Box 563 Lanesborough MA 01237
or you can donate on line at www.operationsnehemiah.org
In His grace
William Levi,
Founder & Overseer
Operation Nehemiah Missions
PO Box 563
Lanesborough, MA 01237
