Pastor Sylvester has taken several trips to Sudan at Kakuma which is a huge refugee camp from many countries in that area. He is going again with our Greek colleague from Bible College who travels to Kenya to minister with Sylvester 3 times a year.
Kakuma consists of refugees from the countries of DR Congo, Sudan, Somalia, Rwanda & Uganda. Among the 80,000 Sudanese people in this country are thousands of single young people and orphans due to the wars. The constant bombing has caused much deafness among the people. And many have lived in the bush for 21 years, running from place to place. So to say they are very "poor & needy" is an understatement.
He went with a message of salvation and the peace and freedom it brings to this war torn nation, with the message telling them of how Jesus is our only hope of true freedom and true peace. He said he had to feed the people to get them to sit and listen. He left 25 of the ABBCC lessons from 1-10 for the 25 that were able to register.
Where the UN has been feeding the people and built schools it sounds like the people are not able to use them for religious purposes. So they sat on mounds of dirt in the hot sun listening to the messages. They are mostly of traditionalist and Catholic beliefs and were hungry to hear the messages Sylvester brings as they do not know what it means to be saved. There is a minister there that Sylvester is working with named Elijah Abuoi. The contact email address for this minister is: elijaharok@yahoo.com
A need here is for used English Bibles as most can read English. Travel expenses for Sylvester to go and bring the Bibles (that Keith and us send him) and lessons for them to have a basis in their new found faith in Christ. They have asked him to please return to them and lay a foundation for how to live in the peace of Christ.
A link for sending Bibles to this refugee camp is thru friend Keith at: http://keithswebpages.com/bibledrive.htm
My husband and I have sent Sylvester a Laser Printer so he can print out lessons now and he will just need ink cartridges and paper and this is much better than trying to send the heavy bulky lessons by the mail. If you want to send a cartridge I can send you the size number etc..if you write.
I want to add here what I have seen by viewing a documentary on this Refugee camp at Kakuma, Sudan and in bringing 4,000 "Lost Boys" to America:
"I just watched a documentary on the Lost Boys of the Sudan. I am going to tell you my thoughts on this that I hope the Lord can use to show you the real and urgent problem that exists in this place. I think the Lord has used this film to open my eyes further to the problem there so I can be of better help to them. Please read below what I sent our team members who work with me:
"I watched a documentary on the Lost Boys of the Sudan last night and it is on boys from the Kakuma Refugee Camp and how they brought 4,000 of them to America. It tells their thoughts and what they experienced really well. It all sounds good but I am not so sure it is the right thing to do.
Well the boys talk about being lonely, isolated, no chance of going back home or getting girlfriends, color of their skin compared to ours, the hours put into school and their jobs and all they have to learn in paying the rent and driving a car. It is alot for them when you consider they got 4 months to learn all this all on their own and then they are on their own to make a living.
So many went to different states to find work and then they do not have each other and the loneliness again. The drudgery of going to work and school and study and little sleep and the pressure from home to send money. But the good part of it is they have full stomachs that they did not have at home and nice clothes & shoes.
It showed the little bit the American churches are willing to do to help them etc....So I feel I have a better picture of the plight they suffer, once coming to America and also of the situation in the Kakuma Refugee Camp.
They tell the story of several boys one that was very angry inside, but this is mostly about a boy named Peter. How he does not even know when he was born as he was 4 when his father died. But when a infant he was separated from his mother and siblings when the shots rang in the village and they had to scatter to survive. He does not go into much as it is too hard for us spoiled Americans to hear.
They have him in a Christian Youth Group and they are sweet to include him and try to befriend him but it shows how he is not able to relate to them or the songs and prayer etc... He has far too much damage that the kids can not comprehend. But bless their hearts for trying.
They showed him gathering carts while working at Wal-Mart store and talking to the American co workers and another American probably a shopper who is African-American in the parking lot who tells him how easy it is to find friends, wish him luck and goes on to compare skin color. Again clueless as to his struggles and what they say. It furthered the hurt as far as I see. The whole America thing has again ruined them to be able to go back. I do not think America is the solution but a further problem. I see it that they need to be set up at home so they can be with familiar surroundings of friends and culture etc...but have their needs met in physical and spiritual food and clothing and jobs etc...
My heart went out to them for their pain. There were so many needs that went unmet. And they show Peter and his smiles and good attitudes and how he keeps it to himself as "Why share it all when he knows it will not be understood." Ok I have gone on an on here & I am just as guilty and would make the same mistakes. And I am glad I saw it as I am feel better equipped as I am just another spoiled American and that is clueless of their real needs."
Can you try to help the refugees with what they really need? A chance to have a start in their home lands and the spiritual food they need to equip them to know the peace of God in the midst of sorry and suffering. And to be strong in the Lord that is the real need here WITH food, shelter etc...Nita @
nitasnook@gmail.com
