Visit to the Sudan


We left Lira on 19th May, 2004 and had a really tiresome, difficult journey. The roads were so bad and insecure, we used convoys escorted by Government soldiers. We had a lot of fear and trusted God for our safety. We reached Arua where Rev. Tom Kokanyi from Sudan was waiting for us.

The following day we left for Sudan but as the member of parliament for Arua had just been killed in a motor accident we failed to even reach  the border and had to sleep at Koboko just 12 miles from Sudan. The next day we went through Sudan on a very bad and risky road and then we found many people had left having waited for us for so long and now thinking that we were no longer coming.

We found them so desperate for revival and for the Gospel. They have suffered due to the war, which has lasted for 21 years. People are trying to go back to their homes which were destroyed by the war. Churches were destroyed by the Muslim Arabs who used the same bricks for the Church to build the mosques.

There is literally no food, and the little money that I had was used to buy food for the people and I had to cut the days short for shortages of food. These people are starting life afresh from nothing.

We started straight away with a seminar where God used my wife Jane so much to encourage the people with the word of God. People commented that God was visiting them for the first time, especially as they saw a lady preaching the Gospel.

On Sunday the power of God was released and the pastors praised God so much as they saw the people filled for the first time with the power of the Holy Spirit and saw others getting delivered from the power of Satan. The demons came out of one man and were a bit violent.  The whole church was in commotion as I rebuked them. They said they were many so I cast them all out at once in the mighty Name of our Lord Jesus.  The man was instantly delivered. The pastors praised God so much as they saw the people filled for the first time with the power of the Holy Spirit and yet others getting delivered from the powers of Satan.

In the evening people ran to the crusade singing and drumming for Jesus on the road to the market. I preached until I almost lost my voice since I had no sound system. The Lord honoured our struggle to reach this people as 31 came out for salvation and healing.

The following day we had to return on a truck bringing timber to Uganda, since there was no transport. It was so risky since the driver was drunk and the roads were steep, down the mountains and we came to the border praying.

God was with us and we reached Lira very tired and weak, Jane with malaria, but with a lot of thanks to God and to you for opening the door to Sudan, and for your support and prayers with made the mission so successful.  Thanks to God and to people at DCI for such opportunity to minister to the poor people in Sudan. 

Back in Sudan my wife Jane met with the women who requested her to come back with seeds of rice, tomatoes, onions and with tools like hoes that they can not afford to buy since the price of everything is so high. They asked for  training in tailoring and knitting but above all they want a goat rearing project.

The pastors told me that they have 12 people for Bible training and they were expecting me to come back with the DCI Materials. And they have 50 more people for training in their local languages. To produce the DCI Bible School materials in a book form and take it to the Sudan will cost around £250/$400

They need a machine saw to cut trees which have grown wild since people were all in the refugee camps. The demand for timber is so high now in Sudan and Uganda so this would help them to raise money for the gospel and help them to start life. We feel we could start a Bank for the Poor with goats, sewing machines, seeds and hoes. However the risk is that since there is so much poverty and hunger, people might use the money for feeding themselves instead of multiplying it first.

40 goats at the minimum rate of 20,000 Ug shillings (£6 / $10) each = £241.00 / $400. The goats are given to them as a loan. When a goat gives birth to the first two kids one is given to a neighbour on the waiting list, and one is sent back to the central pool to be reared and given to the next family on the list.

4 tailoring machines are 200,000 Ug shilling (£62.00 / $100 each) = £248.00 / $400. If possible could we buy for them some hoes and seed at the rate of 5,000/= (£1.50 $2.50 ) per hoe, ie 40 hoes = £60.00 / $90 and seed at around £30 / $50.

I believe that we should go back to Sudan to launch the Bank for the Poor and the training but I know you might not have such money at the moment so we will wait till the Lord provides. Let's do the little that we can and God will bless the seed already sown in Sudan for Christ.

Pastor George Purkweri, Lira, Uganda.

Latest pictures from Lira


 

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